[Football] Subs in the modern game

[B-right-on]

I was talking to my teenage daughter after the Man U game about our subs and how that got us the winner yesterday and how key subs have changed the game. She reminded me of the Mitoma/Fati double sub last season where they scored in about 30 seconds after coming on.

So I was thinking about it. Has the use of subs changed in the modern game? It seems to be very much more strategic and becoming a vital part of the game having those on the bench who are skilled enough to change the game when they come on. It feels to me like it has.

At the end of last season we definitely didn't have those options available on the bench.

The subs I remember from the 80s and 90s were when a player either got injured or they were playing a bit shit. Apart from that, I can't really remember managers changing 2-3 players at once with the intention to change the game.

Looking back I can remember 'Super Sub Solskjaer' in the late 90s/early 00s as a player who would be brought on to change things but that's about it.

 

[Justice]

Super Dickie Tiltman

 

[BS34 Seagull]

Going back even further to the late 70’s, the first super sub that I can remember was David Fairclough for Liverpool.

 

[Bold Seagull]

On the subject of subs and squads, kind of makes you laugh managers and players complaining about the number of games.

You have a squad, use it. No one is forcing you to play the same players in 50 games for 90 mins.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Yes, it’s a squad game now and impact subs are very much part of it.

That triple change, and the additional focus on attacking, won us the game. Even after we scored the winner we defended it by attacking some more.

Fab is so ruddy, bloody BRAVE. He might have bigger balls than Roberto.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Yes, it’s a squad game now and impact subs are very much part of it.

That triple change, and the additional focus on attacking, won us the game. Even after we scored the winner we defended it by attacking some more.

Fab is so ruddy, bloody BRAVE. He might have bigger balls than Roberto.

Last couple of seasons have been so refreshing after years of watching Albion teams desperately trying (and often failing) to hold onto a lead, or a point, with defensive sub tactics...

 

[Jim in the West]

I have to say I was wondering what he was doing bringing in three subs on the 88th minute. Little did I know…

 

[Papak]

Fab is so ruddy, bloody BRAVE. He might have bigger balls than Roberto.

He is new to the English game / Premier League, he had probably never heard of Man U before last week...

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Super sub Eric Potts.


Even a few years ago changing a number at the same time was seen as risky and possibly disjointing the team. Yesterday it got us the result.

 

[The Optimist]

I have to say I was wondering what he was doing bringing in three subs on the 88th minute. Little did I know…

It seems too late but then when there’s 7 minutes injury time it’s not so late.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

In terms of super-subs…… there is only Eric Potts!

But re the OP, yes definitely changed, as soon as we went from one to the numbers we now have, you brought a far more tactical element in to the game.

Previously, players were either withdrawn because they were having a nightmare or injured, now you can see complete tactical changes.

Our bench has amazing depth, and this has to be the strongest squad in the club’s history. I think our second best 11 would probably hold its own in the PL as well.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Yes the use of the bench , and having 6 , or is it 7 of them ? i- is very much a part of 5he coach’s skill set .
Who remembers when we only had one sub available? It was always an outfield player so it was fun if the goalkeeper had to go off !

 

[scooter1]

Notwithstanding Zirkzee who came on at half time, the double Man U substitution later on was quite defensive and perhaps FH at his team saw this and thought ‘now is the time to go for it’. And it worked. It might not always, but we seem to have the quality in depth at the moment

 

[Sorrel]

The game is fundamentally different from the 70s and 80s now with substitutes.

• 1960s: one substitute allowed, initially for injury only, then for tactical reasons too
• 1988: two allowed
• 1995: three
• 2020: five (and an extra one in extra time for longer matches)

The changes have fundamentally changed the game, especially since 2020. Up until the 1990s substitution was mostly a reserve for injury; now it is an opportunity for tactical changes or fresh energy. I think - as a club - we've grasped this better than other teams.

 

[nickbrighton]

ive always been a "what is the point of bringing subs on at 85 mins" guy, too late to change the game, subs at 80 mins plus is just time wasting. There were lots of comments yesterday around me saying the same- just goes to show that we know NOTHING. I will never complain about Brighton subbing three at 88Mins again-although I will continue to moan about other teams doing it

 

[beorhthelm]

depends on when "modern game" starts. it's maybe becoming more prominant, not particularly new to make tactical substitutions. many complain when manager doesn't make changes at 60-70 minutes to turn around a game, because they expect it. and complain when it doesn't work

 

[phoenix]

I told my teenage Daughter about the subs and she said "give it a rest Dad i'm not bothered" luckily at this point my son arrived and told her to do some knitting.Thank goodness he's Albion mad.

 

[B-right-on]

The game is fundamentally different from the 70s and 80s now with substitutes.

• 1960s: one substitute allowed, initially for injury only, then for tactical reasons too
• 1988: two allowed
• 1995: three
• 2020: five (and an extra one in extra time for longer matches)

The changes have fundamentally changed the game, especially since 2020. Up until the 1990s substitution was mostly a reserve for injury; now it is an opportunity for tactical changes or fresh energy. I think - as a club - we've grasped this better than other teams.

Oh yes that's a good point. I'd forgotten about the numbers of subs allowed and how it's changed the ability to effectively use them. In reality we changed 50% of our outfield players in the last mins of the game. Again it's having that quality on the bench which will change a game in that final phase.

 

[Official Old Man]

The game is fundamentally different from the 70s and 80s now with substitutes.

• 1960s: one substitute allowed, initially for injury only, then for tactical reasons too
• 1988: two allowed
• 1995: three
• 2020: five (and an extra one in extra time for longer matches)

The changes have fundamentally changed the game, especially since 2020. Up until the 1990s substitution was mostly a reserve for injury; now it is an opportunity for tactical changes or fresh energy. I think - as a club - we've grasped this better than other teams.

Plus one more now as well. Head injury sub (Minteh last week). In theory there are 6 in a game.