[Football] Wimbledon have a substitutes coach

[US Seagull]

Seems like an interesting idea and something a progressive manager like Potter might be in to:

Wimbledon have a substitutes coach

Basically, they have the subs come on a do proper training drills at half time instead of going back down the tunnel with the rest of the team to continue sitting on their arses.That and they closely track how long a player needs to have an impact when coming on.

Even just calling them "finishers" instead of "substitutes" seems like one of those emotional intelligence type tricks to keep the subs, sorry, finishers, motivated.

 

[strings]

It makes a lot of sense. Eddie Jones definitely had an impact when he came to the England Rugby team and introduced the term 'finishers' - these are the players that close a game out if you are winning, or turn it around it you are losing. In many respects, it is a more important role than a starter.

I am honestly surprised that it hasn't been tried before in football.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Been to see AFC a couple of times this season and they are making a big deal of calling the subs "finishers" as per the rugby

 

[Swansman]

If it works out well I could easily see more clubs trying it.

 

[m@goo]

Heard about this the other day.

Correct me if I've missed the point but I'm not sure why it's not part of the manager's/coaches or assistant manager's job to make sure players are warming up properly with specific instructions in mind before they come on. Does it really need a separate, dedicated coach?

 

[strings]

Heard about this the other day.

Correct me if I've missed the point but I'm not sure why it's not part of the manager's/coaches or assistant manager's job to make sure players are warming up properly with specific instructions in mind before they come on. Does it really need a separate, dedicated coach?

I think the issue is that substitutes tend to aimlessly knock the balls about and do a few stretches at halftime whilst the manager and assistant are talking to individual players (or the whole team). Having a subs coach ensures that substitutes are getting a 'proper' high intensity warm-up at half time, which is overseen rather than being self-directed. This means that when they come on, they are more likely to be ready to go (i.e. can make high intensity sprints, etc), rather than taking a number of minutes to get into the game.

The subs coach (according to the video) also seems to number crunch and knows when players need to come on to have a statistically better probability of affecting the game in any specific scenario.

 

[US Seagull]

Heard about this the other day.

Correct me if I've missed the point but I'm not sure why it's not part of the manager's/coaches or assistant manager's job to make sure players are warming up properly with specific instructions in mind before they come on. Does it really need a separate, dedicated coach?

At half-time, you'd expect the manager and/or assistant to be busy talking to rest of the team about what is or is not working and what needs to change for the second half. So I think that's the thinking behind having a designated coach who stays out with the finishers making sure they are warmed up and ready to go if needed in the second half.

I assume it also helps to make the subs feel important and connected.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Heard about this the other day.

Correct me if I've missed the point but I'm not sure why it's not part of the manager's/coaches or assistant manager's job to make sure players are warming up properly with specific instructions in mind before they come on. Does it really need a separate, dedicated coach?

would presume he has other duties. He won't be employed specifically and only for 15 minutes a week. (Liverpool might be able to afford a 15-minute-per-week specialist, but not Wimbledon!)

As for the idea of "finishers" coming on to close a game down if winning, or to score goals if losing, that's not a new plan. It might be a new name, but that's all.

 

[NooBHA]

And here's me thinking that the substitution numbers board was the same as the ''Number Finder'' for the Numbers Games on Countdown

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

It makes a lot of sense. Eddie Jones definitely had an impact when he came to the England Rugby team and introduced the term 'finishers' - these are the players that close a game out if you are winning, or turn it around it you are losing. In many respects, it is a more important role than a starter.

I am honestly surprised that it hasn't been tried before in football.

I would absolutely LOVE it (said in a Kevin Keegan stylee) if Graeme Souness or Alex Ferguson were to voice their thoughts on this latest bit of bolleaux

 

[hart's shirt]

In the event of illness or unavailability, do they have a substitute coach for the substitutes coach?

 

[Fungus]

Sounds like one of Ted Lasso's ideas.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

At half-time, you'd expect the manager and/or assistant to be busy talking to rest of the team about what is or is not working and what needs to change for the second half. So I think that's the thinking behind having a designated coach who stays out with the finishers making sure they are warmed up and ready to go if needed in the second half.

I assume it also helps to make the subs feel important and connected.

And I'd assume it would make them feel more important and connected if they were integral to the main half-time talk by the guy in charge of all the named matchday players

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

At half-time, you'd expect the manager and/or assistant to be busy talking to rest of the team about what is or is not working and what needs to change for the second half. So I think that's the thinking behind having a designated coach who stays out with the finishers making sure they are warmed up and ready to go if needed in the second half.

I assume it also helps to make the subs feel important and connected.

Send them out with a garden fork too, make them feel really important!