Quote Originally Posted by Kris View Post
It is a brave strategy, and they could be ring rusty when the playoffs start. However, they are also not losing key players due to injury or suspension.

Couple of points from me.

First, Huddersfield have, in my opinion, earned the right to rest players by achieving a play off spot early.

Next, if Huddersfield get promoted it will be worth £120m to them. The integrity of the league (as with the cup competitions) is being challenged by the TV money and the huge differences in income following promotion.

If Nottingham Forest go down, it's because they haven't won enough points. Relegation is rarely down to bad luck. The target to stay up is usually a consistent 50 points. Forest didn't lose any points because of this game.

Lastly, so the FL fines Huddersfield. £200,000? £1m? Would you bet a portion of your money on a team winning a 4 way competition at odds of 120-1 or more? That's what Huddersfield have done.

Of the 4 teams in the playoffs, I hope Huddersfield go up. They haven't been there since 1972, and they have had bad years in recent times.

I'm sure that, if Cardiff were in a similar position, we'd be having the same arguments but with more sympathy for our own club. Some may argue we lost more integrity in our strive for promotion than Huddersfield lost on Saturday.

Further, it could make any forthcoming Huddersfield v Blackburn (I note they are barely mentioned as an aggrieved club) or Huddersfield v Forest game tasty next season!
I would least like Huddersfield to go up because they're the least likely to be good next season. Selfish but there we go. Sheff Weds, Fulham and Reading are all bigger clubs and are less likely to have players poached. Also, players like Mooy and Palmer are loanees and will go back.

I would rather they played their strongest side. They have all season but they gave Birmingham, a team in wretched form, an easier game. 3 points matters down there, and I don't think it is right. This isn't bad luck, it is the fact that Birmingham have effectively been gifted three points. Also, now Forest and Blackburn could both get 51 points and go down.

Resting players 3 weeks before the playoffs is farcical and shouldn't be done against teams with something to play for. I doubt Wagner would be so chuffed if they went up and Man Utd played a weakened side against a rival a la West Ham when Sheffield United got relegated.