Zapp Brannigan
Built like a steakhouse, handles like a bistro
It's also the reason why I expect us to fall away at some point. In years with cup runs and Europe (60+ matches) we've had players run into the ground; obviously that doesn't apply this year (about 46 matches max depending on FA Cup), but injuries and suspensions will still happen and the more that 11 has played the more undercooked the replacements will be.
Sir Alex Ferguson in the Ronaldo-Tevez-Rooney era won a league title where not one single player played 4 consecutive full 90 minute matches. I reckon most football watchers at the time could have (mostly) agreed on what "the first XI" was, but it would have been vanishingly rare to have them all on the pitch at the same time. That's why his Utd teams would so often go on title winning runs in the latter stages when others (Keegan's Newcastle for instance) would falter.
It's very much a squad game nowadays. I think we've got a terrific first 11 and a decent handful of very good players outside it, but it requires very careful management to not draw a distinct line between the 2 sets. We finished the Fulham match with Hojbjerg-Skipp-Lo Celso in midfield (none of them first choice) and lost a bit of control - sometimes there might be a case for starting 1 of them, so that at least one of the "first choice" can get an occasional rest and/or be subbed on to finish the game with a bit more quality.
