There’s no doubting that players have to play so many games at such a high intensity these days that they need a break every now and then. If they play too often they won’t be at their best and it puts them in danger of getting injuries.
That said, tinkering too much with the starting XI could mean the team struggle to build any momentum and understanding.
Arsenal have a huge game away to Man United on Monday evening, and one of their former players has warned against tinkering with the team too much.
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Emanuel Petit is a fan’s favourite at Arsenal after a successful spell as a player, and some of his comments in his Paddy Power column were reported by The Sun.
He was speaking about the danger of tinkering too much with the starting XI. Petit said: “What Unai Emery wants to create is a team. A collective unit. Not just the first 11 but the whole group. This is why he’s constantly rotating his side and including young players. I like this idea, but it’s difficult for players to operate in a system like this.
He went on to say: “He changes so often – but you need to be playing regularly in order to adapt like this. His demands from the players are huge.
The Gunners tend to have a poor record against the top teams in the league, but they have a great chance to take something from the game at Old Trafford after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have looked poor so far this season.
Emery looks to have turned things round after the demoralising draw against Watford a few weeks ago, if they can win at Old Trafford then it will prove they are serious contenders for the top four.
It must be remembered that United did complete a convincing win over Chelsea at home this season, so Arsenal need to be wary of a United side desperate to bounce back from some bad results.
It should be a fascinating watch, Petit will just be hoping Emery establishes a fairly settled starting XI as the season progresses.