Moving to 5 subs per game impact on the game & recruitment

[Ragatino]

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?

[Jammy89]

Agreed completely.

Its a rule that massively favours the big club that have hte spending power to entrench them even more.

[Zippity]

Aye-it's been designed to look after the top teams, no doubt.

It was ever thus.

Mind...I guess it'll benefit us, too, in the long term.

[toptoon]

Aye-it's been designed to look after the top teams, no doubt.

It was ever thus.

Mind...I guess it'll benefit us, too, in the long term.

It does. Teams playing in several competitions at the same time will benefit. It could be argued that teams playing in Europe shouldn’t be disadvantaged through player fatigue but I always thought that was a good leveler to handicap the strongest teams slightly.

[coastferret]

I don`t like this 5 sub thing one bit even tho we will benefit in a couple of years, as it fundamentally changes the game way too much. Cut the crappy euro cups and league formats and cut the number of games, but money won`t let this happen, all about greed these days

[KemptownMag]

Agreed completely.

Its a rule that massively favours the big club that have hte spending power to entrench them even more.

This 100%.

I'm a big fan of rugby union, which allows 8 replacements - more than half the team!

In so many games you hear the commentators say that the strength of the replacements bench made all the difference for the big teams which can have 8 top players coming on for the last 20 minutes and swinging a game in their favour.

[toptoon]

This 100%.

I'm a big fan of rugby union, which allows 8 replacements - more than half the team!

In so many games you hear the commentators say that the strength of the replacements bench made all the difference for the big teams which can have 8 top players coming on for the last 20 minutes and swinging a game in their favour.

You’re right and this is under serious questioning in rugby as some players are being trained as subs i.e. able to play at very high impact but only for short periods. As well as being potentially dangerous it completely changes the dynamics of the game.