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BatiGoal

The Art of Subbing


When it comes to substitutions, there are no hard or fast rules. Different football managers have different reputations when it comes to making their subs. After doing a bit of research on the subject I've found that the optimum times to make the 3 available substitutions are 59, 68 and 77 minutes. Which managers are more likely to make a double- or triple-substitution at half-time, and which more likely to wait until the dying minutes? But more importantly, do you know what each type of football manager does? And why they do it?

Let's find out.

 

subsart.png

 

 

The Gambler

  • Keeps key players at all times on the pitch, even if their stamina drops to 70% or below, which means they can barely run around the pitch to fulfill their designated role. They're at this point of very little use to the team and at very high risk of picking up serious long-term injuries. This, however, is a risk this Gambler is willing to take.
  • Relies on desperate last-minute substitution(s) to earn extra points for his team by replacing one of his more defensive players for an extra attacking one often coupled with an all-out attack instruction. It's a mere Hail Mary attempt which sometimes results in 'all', but more often than not in 'nothing'.
  • Repeatedly places an extra field player on the substitution bench and starts the majority of his games with no back-up for his Goalkeeper. A risky move, a perhaps desperate move yet a potentially game-deciding one.
  • Undeterred to opt for a never-before tested tactical set-up in order to hold on to a current scoreline against very attacking oppositions.
  • Reverts back to one of his more preferred ultra-offensive "outscoring-my-rivals" tactic once the opponent sees red and goes one man down.
  • Loses his patience the quickest of the three managers after a sour turn of events during the game, and responds swiftly with a double- or even triple-substitution seconds upon conceding a goal. Using up all your 3 available subs is a very risky move of course, especially if they're done so at an early stage in the game which would leave you with no subs left for the remainder of the game in the 2nd half; the most critical time when injuries / fatigueness occur.

 

The Conservative

  • Replaces his players when their stamina hits low 80's in order to prevent injuries. Eventho these players could remain on the pitch a couple minutes longer the reward isn't worth the risk according to this Conservative.
  • Removes any, preferably all, booked players from the pitch as soon as possible, as they're at higher risk of receiving a second yellow thus being at the wrong end of a potentially disastrous 10 vs. 11 situation.
  • Remains calm and confident when conceding goals and is reluctant to use one of his available subs in the hope the dire situation corrects itself, often to the dismay of the frustrated homefans.
  • Sticks with his original 11 the longest of the three managers which is by many seen as a steadfast belief that he got his starting line-up right. Critics see it as damaging the team's chances of salvaging a point(s).
  • Gives consistently underperforming starters as much time as needed to regain form and although it affects team performance in the short run, it's interpreted as a calculated move which sees the player repaying his manager's trust as well as the team in the long run.
  • Overvalues starters and undervalues substitutes. Ignores the fact that there is a bench with talented subs at his disposal who are becoming increasingly unhappy at the lack of opportunities.

 

The Guru

  • Places direct substitutions; meaning the player coming off holds the same position and assigned role on the pitch as the sub he's being subbed for. Form of the day is never to be spotted with for the Guru.
  • Follows the match highlights rigorously and examines all detailed stats pages comprehensively in order to spot the weakest link (the underperforming player) in his team and does not hesitate to substitute him instantly.
  • Disciplines all underperforming players at half-time. Anyone scoring a 6 or lower does not feature in the remainder of the game and sits the next one out on top of that. This is seen as a disciplinary punishment which may result in better and more consistent performances.
  • Uses up all his available substitutions every single game. Not only to give each and every one of his players valuable game time but also because he firmly believes it's a necessity for their future development and ultimately that of the team and its subsequent results.
  • Strongly believes the effects of fatigueness kick in at the latter stages of the game and brings in a fresh pair of legs up front, also referred to as 'super-sub', in order to influence the game in his favor.
  • Studies the opposition at half-time for weaknesses in their tactical set-up or for a particular weak/underperforming player in their midst and makes the necessary adjustments to exploit this to the maximum.

 

When it comes to the part of using (or not using) your subs, which manager are you?

Thanks for reading and please share your thoughts with us.

Edited by BatiGoal
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I'm more of the guru type but it also depends on how important the match is. Lets say it's a Champions League final and I go 1-0 down the first few minuites from a free kick or corner I'd stay back and watch how the game develops but if I see non making any changes won't win me the game I would hesitate to use all my 3 subs the first 30 minutes and attack till the end of the game 

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Now that was a great read mate top marks. And I'm 90% gambler for sure except I don't risk not having a keeper on the bench despite the fact Ive hardly ever had to change a keeper.

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I've never had a keeper go off injured, sent off, even so I still put a keeper on the bench every game, and like to have 3 experienced capable ones in the squad, whereas many managers would just have 1 good keeper and a youngster. 

Sometimes I play some really strange, never before tested 'park the bus' formations though.

I'd say I'm 50% conservative, 50% guru.

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Nice article.

Definitely mix of all 3 for me. Rarely have a sub GK but do spend most of my time starting in lower league Eng or Australia where you can only have 5 subs so prefer an extra outfielder. Also spend lots of time managing fitness ala Conservative. 

I'd like to think I have a healthy portion of Guru in me though!

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8 hours ago, Fish18ish said:

I've never had a keeper go off injured, sent off, even so I still put a keeper on the bench every game, and like to have 3 experienced capable ones in the squad, whereas many managers would just have 1 good keeper and a youngster. 

Sometimes I play some really strange, never before tested 'park the bus' formations though.

I'd say I'm 50% conservative, 50% guru.

That's what I do. 1 decent back-up GK in the squad who doesn't always makes the bench and a youngster or two who go out on loan until they're eventually good enough to replace the backup GK or in some cases becomes a starter.

 

8 hours ago, Dec said:

A nice work, I'd like to see pros and cons of both too. That would make this go from a good discussion piece to helpful too.

Thanks.

Half the points I mentioned are risk vs reward (pros vs cons) with an explanation of what may or may not happen, should help some of the FMM newbies around here hopefully. Some other points describe how each type of manager works which was my aim for this article, getting people to think about other options as possible alternatives.

And if there's more ways and styles of using subs during games or reading/reacting to a game/specific event, which I'm sure there must be, I'd love to hear those from the people here.

 

3 hours ago, tomppasson said:

Very nice read! Im one of those guys who never have goalkeeper on the bench! :P

I've only had perhaps on a handful ocassions that I needed to sub my GK during the countless of games I've played. So the reward outweighs the risk imo, having more field players to pick from during a match which has definitely saved/earned points on many ocassions.

 

3 hours ago, Thepremiermanager said:

Nice article.

Definitely mix of all 3 for me. Rarely have a sub GK but do spend most of my time starting in lower league Eng or Australia where you can only have 5 subs so prefer an extra outfielder. Also spend lots of time managing fitness ala Conservative. 

I'd like to think I have a healthy portion of Guru in me though!

Thanks.

The only thing I never do is study the opposition. Perhaps I have a glance at times but usually couldn't care less as I'm relying on my squad's strength and confident (in most cases) that it'll be enough to seal the points.

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Mostly guru. I expect most FMM players to be like this to some extent. Players all have designated roles in the club, so all substitution are practically decided. Also have in mind what formation to shift to in case of a red card. Don't study opposition though, I'm more a wheeler dealer manager than a tactical one, so all my players are just better than my opposition

I'm a gambler when it comes to goalkeeper subs. Waste of space.

Conservative when it comes to subbing off yellow carded players.

Edited by Meow
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