I'm about to make the same comments that I made after the Antwerp game, but the same applied last night.
There is no doubt that Jose now has a 'preferred' eleven comprising of nine nailed ons, and three or four players who contest the other two places. The balance whichever way you look at it, form the core of the dirt tracker eleven, there to play the unattractive matches whereby the chosen few can have a rest.
I'm not saying that Jose is wrong in this regard, but it has now been proven twice that this A and B team selection doesn't work. All of the 'fringe' players are capable of doing a decent job when stepping into the first team as a replacement for an injured player, or player who really does need a break. Collectively as a unit however, they are simply not good enough or seem motivated enough to compete as a team, other than against Ludogorets type mediocrity.
Furthermore, I'd be surprised if a motivational problem hasn't already developed amongst these players. They will know that as soon as the knockout stage comes along against better teams, they will be watching from the sidelines again. Even a model pro like Ben Davies looked pretty low on morale last night.
The other side of the coin however is that very few, if any, of the second eleven fringe players, seems to be putting the hard yards in to genuinely challenge for regular inclusion in the chosen few. Bergwijn has been a recent exception in this regard. Jose has obviously seen something in him which justified inclusion against City, Chelsea and probably Arsenal, and he has repaid that recognition by sheer hard work.