Blackpool have been fined £25,000 by the FA for making 10 changes to their team that played Aston Villa in November. What an absolutely ridiculous verdict. I know the precedent was set when Wolves did it against Manchester United. Their fine was suspended, Blackpool's wasn't because of the team they subsequently fielded in the FA Cup against Southampton.
Anyone who watches a lot of football will know that fresher players are often better than those who may have that extra bit of skill just because the game is so demanding. I also don't think it's up to the FA to decide what a clubs best team is, surely they should be able to adapt their team for different games where they feel different challenges are going to be faced. I would say against Villa you would need fresher players than normal just because of the sheer pace they seem to possess throughout their attack.
I also see this case as another case of picking on the little club. How often do Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal play their strongest 11 in a season? Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri had the nickname "The Tinkerman" due to the amount of changes he always made. We didn't once see him punished. I remember Liverpool (I think under Benitez) going forever without naming the same team, they weren't punished.
I think Sir Alex Ferguson actually sums up how ridiculous this is:
"You are allowed to have 25 players, they ask you to name them. They don't ask you to name your 11 and your 14 substitutes!"
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