Aitor Karanka believes his selection policy is paying dividends as the promotion race hots up.
Going into a crucial four-match programme against Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Derby and Bournemouth, the Boro boss, who typically makes three or four changes in personnel from game to game, has pretty much a full-strength squad to choose from.
With Mustapha Carayol and Dani Ayala on the verge of first team returns, Rhys Williams and Damia Abella are Boro’s only long-term absentees and the latter could be back next month.
Karanka points to the problems several of his rival managers are contending with as justification for his policy of rotating his players.
He said: “If you look at Derby, they have Chris Martin and Darren Bent injured.
“Lewis Grabban is injured at Norwich. We don’t have players injured and I think it’s because we have been managing them all properly until now.
“The players who play more games - maybe 27, 28 - are in more danger. It’s important to reach the end of the season fresh.”
Karanka, who made a point of touching wood when he talked about having a fully fit squad to avoid jinxing his players, said most of his team changes have worked.
“I have to think what is best for the team,” he explained.
“There were people who criticised me before we played Blackpool but we beat them.
“After that game I was the best (manager). I made changes against Sheffield (Wednesday) and I was criticised again, we lost and it was my fault.
“That’s not a problem. I know my responsibility and I have to choose carefully what I think is my best XI to win every game. We are top of the table so we are doing some things well.”
Karanka has consistently maintained he has the best squad in the Championship because he was able to bring in his own players.
He has qualified that statement, though, but claiming that, on an individual basis, other clubs maybe have better players on bigger salaries in certain positions.
“Do I have the best squad?” he asked rhetorically. “For sure, it is my squad, I will always say that.
“But if you look at other teams, player by player, then many of them have better players because the numbers are there to look at.
“Whether it is the strikers at Watford, Derby, Norwich, Ipswich or Bournemouth, they have more goals than our players.
“But for me it is not a problem because I trust all of them 200%.
“I chose all of them carefully so it is the best squad, but if look player by player and salaries by salaries, then a lot of the squads have better players and better contracts.”
No comments:
Post a Comment