Laudrup - 'You Don't Need A Big Squad For Europa League'

Last updated : 04 March 2013 By Footy Mad - Editor

If Newcastle exploits are anything to go by this season ... he is in for a shock!

Michael Laudrup: "I know one year that Barcelona played with 19 first-team players, as well as a few younger players, and they played every three days. It is possible.

"I know again the risks if you get an injury. Look at what happened to us when Neil Taylor broke his ankle the day after the transfer window shut.

"That has special implications, but I don't believe in having 27 or 28 players.

"You won't have 27 players who are at the same level, so you will still have five or six who never play.

"I think if you take all the games this season, even the two-and-a-half months when we played every three days and had injuries, we always had a competitive team.

"I don't recall us ever having only 15 or 16 players to choose from. I felt in that period everyone had an importance in the team.

"I think two players for each position is more than enough, just about 22 players.

"That way you can still have some young players, someone with talent and potential (on the fringes of the squad).

"That means everyone feels important and the young players get the feeling that they are not so far away from playing."