looks like reserves again this saturday…

Over the last 26 years I have spent thousands upon thousands of £’s following Latics through all 4 divisions & visiting over 70 grounds in the process and whenever I’ve gone it’s been safe in the knowledge that the manager has been doing everything possible to try to win the game – to put out a “weakened” side is as good as an admission as you can get that the manager is not doing everything possible to try to win the game & I don’t like it.
On top of that, I love the club & want all it’s teams to do well from the 1st team through to the youth set up but my money & spare time is finite so I make the conscious decision not to spend that money & spare time watching the reserves/development squad & youth teams. Bearing in mind that approx 15,000 Latics fans watch the 1st team & one man & his dog watch the other teams I’d say that pretty much most people have the same attitude.
If the manager openly states he will be putting out his fringe players & that the competition is not a priority then I see no issue with any Latics fan not seeing it as a priority for their spare cash to be spent on & not being willing to pay 30 quid to watch the reserves when most people won’t pay a fiver to watch them normally

I might be old fashioned but I firmly believe that a manager should put out his strongest available XI for every game in every competition. To do otherwise is I feel cheating the fans who have to graft hard to earn the money to pay to watch.
To his credit Martinez is open about it so as supporters we’re fully informed & can make the choice not to buy a ticket. It’t not somet I agree with so I won’t. Just as there is a limit to what I will pay for a ticket to watch any game & why I will never fork out £50 or whatever it is to watch a game at Stamford Bridge or the Emirates. It’s called making morally informed decisions & has nowt to do with a lack of loyalty

1) The team selection argument I don’t think is hard to understand. I don’t expect everyone/anyone to agree with it but there’s nothign not to understand in saying that if a manager makes it clear they won’t be doing everything they can to win the game then I won’t pay to watch it. I don’t agree with it
2) No I don’t think he’s using mind games. Latics got to the quarter final of the carling cup the other year & played Arsenal & he did exactly the same then. Bobby has nailed his colours to the mast on cup team selection over the last 3 & a half years & I can’t see him changing now
3) If he thought that mixing the team up to the extent that I think he will would beat a champions league chasing side then I would be asking serious questions as to why he doesn’t play that side every week!! :huh: :huh:
4) I’m sure Dave Whelan would love Latics to get to Wembley & said as much before Latics game against Bradford in the capital one cup but it didn’t stop Bobby putting out a weakened side (albeit against much weaker opposition). I also think that as much as Dave Whelan would love a trip to Wembley & there’s no doubt that the further a club gets in the cups the more money it gets, Whelan is also aware that it is buttons compared to the TV money a top flight club will receive next year & Martinez uses the argument that playing his strongest side in the cups will have an adverse reaction on league performances & results. he trusts his managers judgement
5) You are right in that the only person who knows is the manager himself but I can only go off what he has stated
6) What I am saying is that there is a reason as to why a lot of the players who are likely to start on Saturday are not in the starting premier league XI & that is because they aren’t as good. Again as with point 3) if Martinez thinks they are more capable of getting a result than his 1st choicers I’d ask why he hasn’t been playing them more often. so in answer to your question if Bobby had a different selection policy I would be going