Moving to 5 subs per game impact on the game & recruitment
From next season the Premier League teams will be able to field 5 substitutes.
I don't think people are talking about how HUGE the impact of this rule change will be.
The top coaches will start to implement a tactical change swapping 3 players at 60mins to change the entire game, with a further 2 subs coming on one by one should there be further tactical changes, fatigue and/or injury.
Teams will practice these tactical/technical changes on the training ground. A bit like a line change in Ice Hockey or play by play changes in American Football.
Thinking about this, my thoughts returned to the transfer window and the need to sign a lot of quality players to take advantage of the 5 sub rule.
For example, I've heard a lot of people debating Targett v Lodi signing - this is stupid talk. We will sell Lewis - £8-10million leaving us with Dummett as the only recognised LB. The fact is we need to sign both Targett and Lodi.
Think about it. Playing against a top team away we start with Targett for this defensive abilities. At 60-65 we swap out Targett for Lodi & make 2 other tactical Changes to change the entire shape of the team to push for a result. Also, this works in reverse, start on an attacking foot, get to 60-65 1,2 goals ahead and then tactical line change to a defensive stance to see out the game.
This is what Pep/City & Klopp/Liverpool do in the UCL. What is required is quality players. So we need to spend this summer and have the squad capable of sustaining injuries and also enabling Eddie Howe to have a wide range of tactical/technical players at his disposal.
If we get this right, spend big - £200m for example in this window get in the top picks from the list we've all be talking about Howe will be able to completely change the team 'in-game'. He is the kind of manager who, I believe, will have thought about this, discussed this with the board and have their backing going into the summer.
Spending £200m in this window is not an issue for FFP so long as we don't go and spend £200m in each of the following windows.
It is going to be a big change to the way the game is played and solidify the bigger clubs with quality squads at the top end of the table. We need to make sure we are in that conversation at in the top 6-8 teams.
What do you guys think?
