Huddersfield in trouble over weakened side.

[JIM]

Carefull JAPP for BURTON game

[Stranded]

Carefull JAPP for BURTON game

In trouble mainly because Brum are in the relegation mix. No guarantee of course, but if Huddersfield had played their usual side and won/drawn then Brum would start the final round of fixtures in the relegation zone.

They arguably have brought the integrity of the competition in to question. Burton are safe, so would expect both them and us to make a few changes as it is a different scenario.

[Sutekh]

Football League rules state a 'requirement to play full strength sides in league matches', with the only exception being 'unless some satisfactory reason is given'.

In full, rule 24.1 states: "Each Club shall play its full strength in all Matches played under the auspices of The League unless some satisfactory reason is given.

Huddersfield Town look set to be hit with a fine from the English Football League after they made 10 changes to their squad prior to a recent defeat to relegation battlers Birmingham.

Huddersfield, having already secured play-off football, entered the fixture having made wholesale squad changes in order to keep personnel fresh for the crucial final month of the season.

Manager David Wagner has defended his decision and stands by the alterations made to his team, though the club look likely to face action from the EFL with a meeting pencilled in to discuss the matter on Tuesday.

Wagner believes he was right to rest key players, despite Birmingham's current plight, and insists other managers whose side's are threatened by relegation should have acted to prevent this themselves earlier in the campaign.

'Changes were necessary as no one knows what will happen over the next month,' Wagner told the Huddersfield Examiner.

'It is unfair talking about my starting XI because I wanted fresh players.

'Opponent's managers who are threatened by relegation should not talk about my team selection.

'They should do their jobs over the whole season and then not have to worry about my team selection,' Wagner added.

The 2-0 defeat to Birmingham means Huddersfield remain in fifth place with 81 points after 45 games played.

The three points for the Blues however were crucial and mean the St Andrews side now sit two points above the drop zone entering the final fixture of the season.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... hanges-vs-

[Nameless]

They will get a small fine and a warning. They will consider that a result. Blackburn and Forest may think otherwise.
Did Pompey get any kind of punishment for their weakened side that got us relegated ?

[Hound]

its a tough one to call - If Jaap rests half the side, I'm sure he could easily point to little niggles and knocks as reasons why. Certainly a few of the players don't look 100% at the moment - McCleary is certainly operating at about 50%, Williams and Obita rushed back a bit, Swift hasn't been right since his injury etc

[genome]

I would rest Kermorgant and Moore. If those two get injured, we're screwed.

[Stranded]

Football League rules state a 'requirement to play full strength sides in league matches', with the only exception being 'unless some satisfactory reason is given'.

In full, rule 24.1 states: "Each Club shall play its full strength in all Matches played under the auspices of The League unless some satisfactory reason is given.

Huddersfield Town look set to be hit with a fine from the English Football League after they made 10 changes to their squad prior to a recent defeat to relegation battlers Birmingham.

Huddersfield, having already secured play-off football, entered the fixture having made wholesale squad changes in order to keep personnel fresh for the crucial final month of the season.

Manager David Wagner has defended his decision and stands by the alterations made to his team, though the club look likely to face action from the EFL with a meeting pencilled in to discuss the matter on Tuesday.

Wagner believes he was right to rest key players, despite Birmingham's current plight, and insists other managers whose side's are threatened by relegation should have acted to prevent this themselves earlier in the campaign.

'Changes were necessary as no one knows what will happen over the next month,' Wagner told the Huddersfield Examiner.

'It is unfair talking about my starting XI because I wanted fresh players.

'Opponent's managers who are threatened by relegation should not talk about my team selection.

'They should do their jobs over the whole season and then not have to worry about my team selection,' Wagner added.

The 2-0 defeat to Birmingham means Huddersfield remain in fifth place with 81 points after 45 games played.

The three points for the Blues however were crucial and mean the St Andrews side now sit two points above the drop zone entering the final fixture of the season.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... hanges-vs-

Whilst you can see his point to a degree, he could easily have made a few changes against Wolves and a few against Brum to spread out the changes. If he really wanted to play a reserve side, why not wait til Sunday and do so against a side with nothing to play for rather than one in a relegation battle.

If Brum lose on Sunday but Forest or Blackburn drop, they will be mightily pissed.

[From Despair To Where?]

Whilst I think the manager should be free to pick whatever side he wants, I always assumed there was a gentleman's agreement that you field the strongest side possible in games that directly impact on promotion or relegation.

There is also the arguement that had the game been played in February, no-one would have given a toss. In essence, it's no more or less important than any of the other 45 games and whoever goes down, won't go down because of that one game.

Basically, it's a bit shitty but there's not a lot anyone can really do about it.

[Nameless]

I don't think Wagner's explanation holds any water.
Is he giving players 3 weeks off ? Or is he going to play his full strength team this weekend in a dead game ?
The point about the performance in the other 44 games is irrelevant , Waburton has not been Forest manager all season so how he could have done better over 44 games is hard to see. He came in with a tough job and a fellow manager has made it harder by breaking the rules, and the spirit of the rules. Mowbray likewise at Blackburn.

[From Despair To Where?]

Will Blackburn or Forest go down because Huddersfield fielded a weakened team in one game or because they failed to pick up enough points over the course of the season.

Blackburn Rovers 2 Burton 2
Wigan 3 Blackburn 0
Blackburn 1 Birmingham 1
Rotherham 1 Blackburn 1

There's 4 reasons why Blackburn are where they are.

Wigan 0 Nottingham Forest 0
Nottingham Forest 0 Blackburn Rovers 1
Rotherham 2 Nottingham Forest 2

There's 3 reasons why forest are where they are.

Gianfranco Zola

There's one fcuking huge reason why this is even an issue.

[Hampshire Royal]

I assume all the players used by Huddersfield were members of the first team squad. That being the case, who has the right to tell Wagner that his team isn't strong enough? Any or all of those players have probably played at some time during the season.

Unless the EFL or FA take on the mantle of picking teams for every club, then it's no business of anyone else which team the manager picks. As has been said above, Forest and Blackburn are using this as a desperate excuse for their poor seasons.

[Elm Park Kid]

I thought that the idea was that you were supposed to go into the play offs with the momentum of having a few wins under your belt? How does resting your players for one game two weeks before a two legged tie help?

I hope that Stam plays full strength on Sunday (obviously without risking any injured players).

[NewCorkSeth]

Player - Mins Played
Coleman - 315
Smith - 3536
Hudson - 1437
Cranie - 632
Holmes - 517
Whitehead - 854
Billing - 1198
Lolley - 808
Payne - 1069
Bunn - 672
Quaner - 741

Thats not great tbh.. I think its important for the Fa to investigate things like this. Gambling being a major incentive to field a weaker team.

If David Wagner was English I wouldnt be surprised if 'Arry had rang him up before the game to say "do me a favour and i'll help you with all my contacts" or something to that effect.

[Winston Smith]

Did Pompey get any kind of punishment for their weakened side that got us relegated ?

They didn't get us relegated, our performances over the whole season did.

[NewCorkSeth]

Did Pompey get any kind of punishment for their weakened side that got us relegated ?

They didn't get us relegated, our performances over the whole season did.

ugh. Thats such a bad argument.

[mumbo-jumbo]

Jaap quoted as saying he wants to ' finish with momentum' and not with 'disappointment' - so presumably he's going for the win on Saturday and will field an almost full strength team?

[Maneki Neko]

Whilst I think the manager should be free to pick whatever side he wants, .

^

[Top Flight]

Jaap quoted as saying he wants to ' finish with momentum' and not with 'disappointment' - so presumably he's going for the win on Saturday and will field an almost full strength team?

Yeah, I'd like us to finish 3rd and lets have Fulham in the play-off semis with the first leg at the Cottage.

I think we have learned how to play against Fulham. The first game we got hammered. The second game in the fog, I thought Fulham looked the most likely even though we had the best chance during that 45 minutes. I thought the ref did us a favour abandoning that game as I thought Fulham would have probably won it if the game had been allowed to continue.

The third time, Jaap changed formation and tactics and the game was far more even with us just edging it. Give us Fulham again and I believe the Cottagers will be disappointed by the end of it.

If we are to go up we will have to deal with Fulham either in the semi's or the final. I think we'll have a better chance over a two legged semi than we will in the final probably. Let's deal with them early.

[handbags_harris]

Gianfranco Zola

There's one fcuking huge reason why this is even an issue.

FTR, Zola's only 5ft6...

[From Despair To Where?]

5ft 6?

I didn't know they stacked shit that high.