World Cup Qualifiers | October 2017 | Play off draw on Tuesday

But he might want to try out something.

He is perfectly entitled to that a few months before the most important tournament in his career.

Just our bad luck.

But it didn't happen. He didn't try anything new, not new players or new formations. He just played with whoever available from the starters and risk them for getting injuries.

I'll agree with him getting more minutes with his players to know their best positions, but they're very settled team, secured qualifications very early and are in perfect position. If a player is at risk of getting injury, he should never play him in such games.

What would have happened if he started Dendoncker from the start and gave him a run to see what he can offer instead of playing an already settled player in risk of injuries ?
 
Ghana FA have asked Fifa to consider replaying their World Cup qualifier against Uganda, which ended 0-0 on Saturday.

They’ve lodged a protest about the performance of the referee and his two assistants.

Ghana had a 93rd minute goal controversially disallowed.
If Egypt win tomorrow they are qualified so it would be pointless.
 
Bosnia is trying to secure the play off. They treated it a serious game. No pressure on Belgium players. Sure. Physical demand, mental preparation to fare against serious opponent, you must have. I meant it's like a professional fight doesn't need to win a street fight. However, he can't treat it as training as despite the quality gap between him and the amateur fighter, the amateur fighter can be dangerous as he has something to fight for.
Yeah, I meant pressureless for Belgium.
 
Lacazette not really seizing his chance with his start. Been very sloppy and ineffective.
 
But it didn't happen. He didn't try anything new, not new players or new formations. He just played with whoever available from the starters and risk them for getting injuries.

I'll agree with him getting more minutes with his players to know their best positions, but they're very settled team, secured qualifications very early and are in perfect position. If a player is at risk of getting injury, he should never play him in such games.

What would have happened if he started Dendoncker from the start and gave him a run to see what he can offer instead of playing an already settled player in risk of injuries ?
It's his prerogative to select his team with whatever long term he has in mind.

Maybe Deondecker doesn't offer the qualities that he thought Maroane would offer him in this particular game.

Managers live and die by their decisions, and he should be allowed to choose as he see fits .

Any of the 14 players could have gotten injured today.
 
It's his prerogative to select his team with whatever long term he has in mind.

Maybe Deondecker doesn't offer the qualities that he thought Maroane would offer him in this particular game.

Managers live and die by their decisions, and he should be allowed to choose as he see fits .

Any of the 14 players could have gotten injured today.

He doesn't need to win or prepare for this particular game at all that's my point. It's the perfect opportunity to try the bench players and see what they can offer. He'll never get a similar chance again.
 
Or top countries..... Or top clubs..... Or European Championship goals.... Or Champion's League goals....

In fact, nothing says Ronaldo more than goalS.

His international record against top teams would suggest otherwise. While he has shaken the tag of being a bully against weaker teams at the club-level, he has yet to shake it at the international one.
 
He doesn't need to win or prepare for this particular game at all that's my point. It's the perfect opportunity to try the bench players and see what they can offer. He'll never get a similar chance again.

Yeah, but Belgium DID have to win. They needed the win to secure or improve their FIFA ranking, the be seeded in the first pot.
 
How bad are the Dutch now? They cannot control the ball, pass or dribble or even shoot. Is it bad management or just simply the players are not good enough. They are struggling badly against Belarus.
 
Yeah, I meant pressureless for Belgium.
I know and I try to explain that physical and mental demand is still needed to at least protect the players well being vs a serious team going for a result. Fellaini was not 100% in the first place. I meant why would you want to experiment when your players unlikely to yield accurate outcome data due to their fitness. It's several months away and the end squad may end up very different too. Playing Fellaini is hardly new for Belgium
 
He doesn't need to win or prepare for this particular game at all that's my point. It's the perfect opportunity to try the bench players and see what they can offer. He'll never get a similar chance again.
Keeping the same players might be a way to maintain momentum going into the tournament etc. It's so close to the world cup too.

They are many plausible and reasonable reasons why he would choose to go with the player today.
 
Yeah, but Belgium DID have to win. They needed the win to secure or improve their FIFA ranking, the be seeded in the first pot.

Even if we went by that, Fellaini was off from the first 20 minutes and they still won, though. There was zero need for him.
 
Keeping the same players might be a way to maintain momentum going into the tournament etc. It's so close to the world cup too.

They are many plausible and reasonable reasons why he would choose to go with the player today.

This can drag on for the rest of the thread. :D

Let's agree to disagree then, but I don't find an excuse for him to play players at risk of injuries while his team can do well without them.
 
I know and I try to explain that physical and mental demand is still needed to at least protect the players well being vs a serious team going for a result. Fellaini was not 100% in the first place. I meant why would you want to experiment when your players unlikely to yield accurate outcome data due to their fitness. It's several months away and the end squad may end up very different too. Playing Fellaini is hardly new for Belgium
We don't even know whether Fellaini's supposed injury has anything to do with the one he suffered.

We also don't know how serious it was before the game.
 
We don't even know whether Fellaini's supposed injury has anything to do with the one he suffered.

We also don't know how serious it was before the game.
You missed the point. 2 injuries don't need to be the same to affect a player's fitness. One injury would already put strain on a body and increase the risk for picking up different injury. You can take risk in must win game. Not in this kind of game.
 
You missed the point. 2 injuries don't need to be the same to affect a player's fitness. One injury somewhere would already put strain on a body and increase the risk for picking up different injury. You can take risk in must win game. Not in this kind of game.
We don't know how injured Fellaini was.

Without medical indormation (that Martinez did have), a lot of it is largely assumptions.
 
In fairness they were already kinda screwed the moment sweden put 8 on luxemburg.
Still, they're a complete joke. Lightyears away from that team which beat us 5-1 not even so long ago.

I wish we would meet them now. We'd absolutely spank the feckers. :devil:
 
His international record against top teams would suggest otherwise. While he has shaken the tag of being a bully against weaker teams at the club-level, he has yet to shake it at the international one.
Yeah you're right.... Portugal should ask EUFA to load their qualifying groups so he can play the non "weaker" teams more often?

Bloody flat track bully....
 
We don't know how injured Fellaini was.

Without medical indormation (that Martinez did have), a lot of it is largely assumptions.
Some coaches ain't as good as taking care of their players.Hazard, Fellaini last international break all pick up injuries. Martinez is open in wanting Lukaku to play these games, which as thing turned out his injury is serious enough to have to sit out. So question mark on his managaement is valid. He may overlook his players' fitness here for his own sake.
 
Portugal - Switzerland on the last matchday is going to be juicy. 100% Cristiano scores more than one.
 
Ghana FA have asked Fifa to consider replaying their World Cup qualifier against Uganda, which ended 0-0 on Saturday.

They’ve lodged a protest about the performance of the referee and his two assistants.

Ghana had a 93rd minute goal controversially disallowed.

Didn't seem that bad a decision that I'd presume corruption, more likely just a lapse of concentration and poor judgement thereafter from the linesman.
 
Wait... So are Holland more or less out of the World Cup now? Unless they absolutely demolish Sweden?
 
Wins for Holland(basically useless), Portugal("now or never" against Switzerland on tuesday), Switzerland, Greece(now seconda) and Francia (1st again).