The Swansea City vice captain was left out of Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Coventry and must now wait to see if he will be recalled for the visit to Watford this afternoon.
But far from feeling sorry for himself, Tate has backed the decisions of the manager and said that he should keep on tinkering with the team.
โI think weโve shown the squad is deep enough in quality to be able to shake things up and not affect what weโre doing,โ Tate told the Western Mail. โI think most of the lads have been rested at one point or another and thereโs no problem with that.
โI missed Tuesday, but it was a night off โ the manager spoke to me before the game and said to have a rest, that it was my time, and I accepted that.
โI think a lot of people seem to believe it can affect the teamโs rhythm if you change it around all the time, but you have to remember we work together every day in training so itโs not as if itโs playing alongside someone weโre not used to.
โWe work with different partnerships on the training field and as long as thatโs the case, when it comes to doing it on the field it should work like clockwork.
โWeโve got the squad to do it so why not? Different managers like to do it different ways and weโve done both here. Kenny Jackett used to like to keep a settled side, Roberto Martinez liked to change things around and now Paulo is mixing it up. Weโre fifth in the Championship at the moment so you pick which way is better.
โThe squad accept heโs ready to change things around,โ said the former Manchester United trainee. โI know the gaffer thinks we have too many games in this country to start with, especially compared to places like Italy, where heโs played.
โSo as players and as a squad weโre going to benefit if weโre given a rest when we need it because we know weโve got players to come in and do a job.
โItโs a long season and nobody is going to be able to be at 100 per cent every week.
โLooking back to the Coventry game, I probably needed the break because I wasnโt 100 per cent and, fair play to the manager, maybe heโs seen that and taken it into account.
โIโm not going to complain at that because I think Iโve played more league games than anyone apart from Dorus de Vries.
โWeโre all pushing each other and weโre all pushing ourselves to make sure we hit those standards we set ourselves. If youโre not prepared for that challenge then you shouldnโt be at the club.
โPerhaps โ but Iโm not sure it works like that, weโre not on a rota, thereโs no notice in the dressing room saying three games on, one game off,โ the fan favourite joked. โBut weโre all ready to play, and if the manager decides to give someone a rest Iโll play wherever Iโm asked.
โIf itโs left-back, itโs left-back it doesnโt make a difference to me and those whoโve watched me over the years would probably say the same.
โI feel comfortable across the back four, itโs not something I see as a negative because the more positions I play the more games I will play.”