Overhauls on hold as fixture squeeze sees has Liverpool and City playing it safe | Jonathan Wilson

"Time is the enemy of all modern managers. There simply isn't enough of it. The calendar is too packed, the demands on players too great and, just because there is something almost hypocritical about managers moaning about the number of games they have to play when the fixture list is a direct result of the greed of the clubs they work for, that doesn't mean their fundamental point is not a valid one."

"Today, he said, modern football is not positional, you have to ride the rhythm. It is unbelievable, and we could not, simply we could not [play in a positional way] because we did not have the players. The teams that are playing once a week, it is another story and that doesn't count. It counts when you are playing every three or four days. Injuries happen, but not this amount in certain positions and this amount of important players, it has never happened before. Squads have to be bigger."

Modern managers face severe time constraints caused by congested calendars and increased player demands. Limited training time complicates transitions involving players and tactical styles, especially when clubs change systems. Arsenal's continuity and squad depth have allowed stability and confidence, while rivals are attempting substantial stylistic overhauls. Managers increasingly prioritize set plays to maximize scarce practice opportunities. Pep Guardiola emphasized that modern football requires riding tempo rather than strict positional play, arguing that fixture congestion, frequent matches, and injury rates demand larger squads to cope with intensity and positional absences.

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