he certainly has a better understanding of his players than any of us here (some friends may not agree with me on this:)). I'm just saying that he should not let his players guess what he wants. Just tell your players straight out.
If your players demand more playing time, he feels he is ready to contribute (true or not). What JVG should do is to talk with his players and stretch things out. Tell him why he is not playing and where he needs to improve. Don't just bench or inactivative your players because he express his feelings. Don't behave like a girl, or should I say a princess or a queen (a GIRL with power)?