We're Gonna Need A Bigger Bench

[Jeff]

Premier League clubs will be allowed to make five substitutions for the rest of the season and have nine players on the bench, it was agreed at a shareholders’ meeting on Thursday.

The increase from three permitted changes to five and from seven substitutes to nine was announced by the league in a short statement.


The changes have been agreed because of the volume of games due to be played in quick succession after the break forced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Under a temporary law amendment approved by the International Football Association board substitutions will be allowed in a maximum of three in-play slots and at half-time to avoid unnecessary stoppages.

 

[Skitzo]

if its how they do it in Germany you can make 5 subs but only in 3 blocks so you can't make 5 individual subs to time waste.

 

[Jeff]

if its how they do it in Germany you can make 5 subs but only in 3 blocks so you can't make 5 individual subs to time waste.

Did you read the last sentence of my post?

 

[homer]

How many subs can we have, Jeff...?

 

[Skitzo]

Did you read the last sentence of my post?

my bad missed that line. I heard someone on a podcast arguing last night that due to them being allowed friendlies they shouldn't have 5 subs, this person commentates on Bundesliga and was talking about the disruption, can't say it felt like that when I've watched ...

 

[Robin127]

The substitutions seem to take less time in the Bundesliga games I've watched mainly due to the players leaving the pitch pretty quickly.

 

[Skitzo]

The substitutions seem to take less time in the Bundesliga games I've watched mainly due to the players leaving the pitch pretty quickly.

they send them off via nearest touchline too I've noticed, they've been supposed to all season but many refs haven't enforced it

 

[Lako42]

they send them off via nearest touchline too I've noticed, they've been supposed to all season but many refs haven't enforced it

Like most things

 

[pork pie fox]

I wonder if there will be any spare seats in the ground for them to all sit in?

 

[Graz]

Good move I think, given lack of "pre" season and the number of games.

Glad they're restricting it to 3 times in a game though!

Looking forward to Man City or similar getting cocky at 2/3-0 up in a game, making 5 subs at half time, then throwing it away. Maybe Spurs - feels like a Mourinho move and also very Spursy.

 

[Miles Away]

Bit of common sense.

who benefits for City?

Luke Thomas?
Hirst?
Amartey?

 

[Skitzo]

Bit of common sense.

who benefits for City?

Luke Thomas?
Hirst?
Amartey?

Amartey is injured still after a second op, full backs Luke Thomas, Vontae Daley-Campbell, Dennis Gyamfi, Goalkeeper Viktor Johansson & striker George Hirst are all training with the first team

 

[Brown Nose]

Silly football gets sillier.

More subs, more substitutions, clearly benefits the clubs with bigger squads. Why anyone outside the top six voted for this is beyond me.

You can't change the rules for a competition so significantly and pretend that it's the same thing. This is just the latest nonsense. This isn't real football.

 

[Fox Fan]

Madness. Loses the integrity of the season - which was already pretty thin.

If we're trying to get second place, we must be at a huge disadvantage now to Manchester City who not only have fitter players in the first place, but also have much larger squad depth.

 

[Skitzo]

why would Manchester City's players be fitter than ours?

 

[Robin127]

why would Manchester City's players be fitter than ours?

It's the legs, he likes their legs.

 

[Fox Fan]

why would Manchester City's players be fitter than ours?

Good point, probably not fitter than ours, but I would imagine they're better athletes than the players at clubs like Villa or Norwich.

 

[Skitzo]

Good point, probably not fitter than ours, but I would imagine they're better athletes than the players at clubs like Villa or Norwich.

maybe but they tend to dominate the ball so much and that's why the other team seems to tire more as they do more running, I'd suspect their base fitness is the same

 

[Fox Fan]

Good point, probably not fitter than ours, but I would imagine they're better athletes than the players at clubs like Villa or Norwich - against who they'll be playing.

 

[Lako42]

I can't really sympathise with that argument. Any PL player should be a top athlete.

No reason why any PL player should be less fit or athletic than another purely based on club.