Rotation important for a club’s success

Most of the big clubs in the world have been doing player rotation and I think it is time we understand that football is evolving now because of the high demands of the game.

There are many competitions to compete in and players need to understand that they are not going to participate in each and every game.

The demands are so high that in order for the coach to get the best out of his team, he needs to rotate his players. First things first, a coach needs to explain to the players why he will be rotating them because this is something that needs to be done to make sure we educate our players in the process.

Sometimes, when the top players are substituted or are left on the bench, they become frustrated and sit with long faces. Indeed, some of them go to the extent of encouraging other players to rebel against the coach because he is not playing them. This brings about a lot of instability so it is important to rotate – but also to give players the reason.

A coach needs to do a lot of scouting of opponents and he selects his players according to his opponents’ strategy. He will know what type of player he needs for certain opponents.

There is, however, the likelihood that player rotation may push a player towards the exit door. For instance, when you sign a player, you need to give them the reasons why you are signing them instead of just buying a player because they are popular.

Coaches need to break down the roles and the responsibility of the players in detail and let him know how he is planning to use him throughout the season or the duration of his contract. Once a coach does that – sits down with a player and outlines his roles – the possibility of seeing players wanting to leave or sulk when they are sitting on the bench will be minimised. But if a coach does not do his job properly, you will see players disrupting the dressing-room.

Nowadays you need players who, when they are on the bench, are being supportive of those on the field and are observing what is expected of them once they come on.

Sometimes when the attitude is not right, you can’t see their impact or contribution when they come on because they don’t understand their specific roles. One thing that is important is that players need to always remember it is a team sport and that not everyone will play all the time.

Another concern in rotating the team is the possibility of disrupting the team’s rhythm. It is vital for a coach to first understand why he is rotating and how it works.

At times you might find the team is not doing well in terms of getting the results but in terms of applying themselves on the pitch, you can see the team is working well – it is just a matter of luck not being on their side.

In a situation like that I wouldn’t advise the coach to keep on rotating his squad because that will confuse him in terms of establishing his philosophy, and this could also end up confusing the players too, because it’s crucial to understand when to rotate players based on the situation at that particular moment.