Quote Originally Posted by the other bob wilson View Post
Why do I think you're referring to me there? If you're going to make accusations like that at least get it right. I didn't criticise Slade for not picking youngsters at the end of the season last year, it was the year before that when we had two months of the season when we had nothing to play for - last season we were still in with a chance of promotion until our forty fifth match, so I was hardly going to be slagging Slade off for not picking youngsters then was I.

As I acknowledged a while back, I was partially wrong to have a go at Slade in about half of the games we played in those last two months in 14/15 because we were up against sides that still had promotion/relegation issues when we played them, but there were plenty of other matches where he could have experimented a bit that wouldn't have affected the top and the bottom of the table.

It could have effected who finished 9th or 14th or 17th though.

So, when is the integrity of the competition less legitimate?

Here's an example for you.

Team A and Team B are both guaranteed to be in the play offs and there are 2 games left. Team A are playing 2 mid table teams with "nothing to play for". Team B have 2 games, one against a side battling relegation.

The EFL tells the manager of Tram B that he MUST pick his strongest team for the match against the relegation threatened team. Team A has no restrictions placed on it.

Team A play Team B in the semi finals. Where's the integrity in that playoff competition - with both teams having earned the right to rest players, but one team being prevented from doing so because of the fixture list?

It's a squad game over 46 matches. Teams go down because they're not very good.