Something in reserve

Having seen Bolton crowned Reserve League North winners last season, Big Sam is looking to implement a similar policy with our second string set up. He said:

"At Bolton players went into the reserve team for a limited time after a good, open and honest discussion with first-team members. I would tell them that I really thought it was time they played a couple of reserve games. And that was because they hadn't had as many first-team games as I would like, or they would have liked, so we would introduce a lot of senior players into the reserves in one go. That made it a talented side who could win regularly.

The negative side of playing senior players in the reserves is that you are throwing them in with young players. It can be better to train them in the afternoon instead. They are already not happy because they aren't in the first team. And putting them into a reserve team that then doesn't win can have a negative knock-on effect. We calculate when is the right time to play them rather than train them.'

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