If you are not playing a player, any player, for two, three, four games, then you don't have to give a reason for that. But if it gets to eight or nine games, then you have to explain the situation. What's going on?
Players want to play a lot of rugby. We're walking contradictions at times in that we want to play a lot of rugby, but we don't want to play too much rugby, and we want to be available for all the big games, yet there are times when you have to sacrifice that because of game limits.
The rotation system at Bayern makes it nearly impossible to play week after week, even when you're putting in some top performances.
You need to protect the best players in the country. When there is so much cricket, we must work on ways to prolong their careers.
What happens when you have to use your top guys so much, they're going to hit a wall at some point, and they'll go four or five games where they just don't have the juice to play at the level that you need, and therefore your team suffers a little bit.
Who am I, of course, to judge them, but the Premier League must urgently think about a rest period in a European Championship or World Cup year.
I like Higuain very much, but unfortunately, he isn't contributing the way he does in Europe. He's playing very well for Juve and is in the running for a lot of trophies, but if he needs a rest, then why not give Icardi a chance?
I think the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson rested Howard Webb had a lot to do with the result.
The greatest ally you have to get things working well and the players performing as a team is the bench. Don't be afraid to use it, either for the star player or anyone else.
While players say they like the five-day break, they're also saying they don't like the compression that goes along with it, and that's something that is of great concern to us as well.
If the NFL wants to change the season to 17 games they should ask me, and I say no. Because my body was hurting and I needed that break.
We are the last remaining country to allow ourselves two breaks in the season. You just have to look at England, Italy and Spain, they play right through the season. We on the other hand take six weeks off in the winter until the end of January, and that is a luxury.
This whole science thing of working out if players are a little bit tired just gives you an excuse to leave them out.
The most time players get off is during the international breaks.
I think Chris Paul is a great player. He is very unselfish and plays very hard, so he would be a guy if he plays. I think his hand is still questionable, though. I hear they are talking about resting him that weekend. I'm excited to play with all the guys. Marvin Williams is starting to play well, and Salim Stoudamire, I think he should be there.
Having fresh players is important.
I am really irked by healthy NBA players resting. I really don't understand it. Players in the past have played all season for years. I just don't love it. I feel like it hurts the integrity and competitiveness of the game. It's got nothing to do with the TV partners; it's about cheating the fans.
The league has been good to all of us in terms of what we get out of all these TV contracts and everything, so it would be a little disingenuous to complain too much. But if I had my way, we'd take a five-day break at Christmas. I mean it.
