Monday, September 18, 2006
There's No Substitute
All sorts of questions were asked of Nick Theodorakopoulos and Terry Butcher at the post-match press conference yesterday. The game had been a horribly uneven and clumsy one, with Newcastle providing the best and worst moments and Sydney merely providing the mediocre ones. Sydney’s disciplinary record, Newcastle’s defensive problems, Sydney’s struggle to secure Benito Carbone’s signature, Newcastle’s goalkeeping lacuna…they all got an airing.
But what about the issue of substitutes?
Let me explain. Pierre Littbarski was bitterly criticized by the Sydney FC faithful for much of last season for his unimaginative attitude towards substitution. With cuckoo-clock predictability, he would throw on his first set of fresh legs around the 75 minute mark, even if the team’s performance had been crying out for a personnel change since before half-time.
One hoped that things would change under Terry Butcher. But there were bad signs on Sunday.
Alex Brosque, although he contributed manfully on his return to the team, was so far from full fitness that many wondered what he was doing starting the game at all. Butcher described that decision afterwards as a “gamble”, which he claimed had paid off (those who witnessed Ruben Zadkovich’s nimble cameo towards the close might disagree).
But why on earth was Brosque kept on for the entire 90 minutes? It defied logic.
Butcher waited until late, late in the second half to make his first switch. And there were some very tired legs out there in the closing 45 minutes.
Similarly, Nick Theodorakopoulos should attract plenty of criticism for his craven approach once Sydney went down to ten. No changes in personnel until a couple of minutes before the close. And the eventual tactical reshuffle? A central defensive midfielder was replaced by…another one!
In Theodorakopoulos’s defence, he had already been forced into one change in the first half, due to Vaughan Coveny’s injury. But no reaction to a numerical advantage, when the team was stacked with defenders and coping quite capably with Sydney’s feints at goal?
Let’s hope the other managers in the A-League prefer to follow the example of Miron Bleiberg, whose decision to send on Dario Vidosic relatively early in Queensland’s opening game had such a positive impact.
But what about the issue of substitutes?
Let me explain. Pierre Littbarski was bitterly criticized by the Sydney FC faithful for much of last season for his unimaginative attitude towards substitution. With cuckoo-clock predictability, he would throw on his first set of fresh legs around the 75 minute mark, even if the team’s performance had been crying out for a personnel change since before half-time.
One hoped that things would change under Terry Butcher. But there were bad signs on Sunday.
Alex Brosque, although he contributed manfully on his return to the team, was so far from full fitness that many wondered what he was doing starting the game at all. Butcher described that decision afterwards as a “gamble”, which he claimed had paid off (those who witnessed Ruben Zadkovich’s nimble cameo towards the close might disagree).
But why on earth was Brosque kept on for the entire 90 minutes? It defied logic.
Butcher waited until late, late in the second half to make his first switch. And there were some very tired legs out there in the closing 45 minutes.
Similarly, Nick Theodorakopoulos should attract plenty of criticism for his craven approach once Sydney went down to ten. No changes in personnel until a couple of minutes before the close. And the eventual tactical reshuffle? A central defensive midfielder was replaced by…another one!
In Theodorakopoulos’s defence, he had already been forced into one change in the first half, due to Vaughan Coveny’s injury. But no reaction to a numerical advantage, when the team was stacked with defenders and coping quite capably with Sydney’s feints at goal?
Let’s hope the other managers in the A-League prefer to follow the example of Miron Bleiberg, whose decision to send on Dario Vidosic relatively early in Queensland’s opening game had such a positive impact.
Comments:
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Jaza, let me first of all offer my congratulations for submitting the longest comment so far in TFT history. ;-)
Specifically:
...How does Butcher defend himself? How is it his fault?...
Losing Carney, Yorke and Middleby in the space of little over a week is obviously not his fault.
Playing a diamond 4-4-2 seems a reasonable option with the make-up of our squad ATM, so no quibbles on that score.
Bingley, despite some of the wrath directed his way over the last couple of weeks, has turned out to be a fairly shrewd signing.
The jury is still out on Butcher, IMO. Tactically, so far, I prefer him to Litti. But two major areas of concern are:
(1) Discipline. Absolutely all over the shop at the moment as any honest SFC fan would have to admit.
(2) Second-half slumps. This includes the issue of substitution which I've dealt with in this piece; I felt it was ridiculous to keep Alex on for the full ninety yesterday.
Specifically:
...How does Butcher defend himself? How is it his fault?...
Losing Carney, Yorke and Middleby in the space of little over a week is obviously not his fault.
Playing a diamond 4-4-2 seems a reasonable option with the make-up of our squad ATM, so no quibbles on that score.
Bingley, despite some of the wrath directed his way over the last couple of weeks, has turned out to be a fairly shrewd signing.
The jury is still out on Butcher, IMO. Tactically, so far, I prefer him to Litti. But two major areas of concern are:
(1) Discipline. Absolutely all over the shop at the moment as any honest SFC fan would have to admit.
(2) Second-half slumps. This includes the issue of substitution which I've dealt with in this piece; I felt it was ridiculous to keep Alex on for the full ninety yesterday.
All coaches have injury woes throughout a season. Butchers "crime" is not so much that he's had injuries but with the depleted squad he needs to look at options when the original game plan isn't working out. Maybe he's thinking the players will gel and the plan will work as the game progresses.
Realistically his plan would have worked but for a dodgy referees assitant's call against Perth. But I think he must accept responsibility for late or no reaction and not having the adventure to change things or try things. Also the team is playing poorly given the expectations of the squad. With 10 men last weekend possibly he was happy to get the point so we are reading to much into it. But the 10 men for the 2nd time this year is a team discipline thing as Mike point out which should have been adressed following the Rudan send off.
My initial view is he doesn't cut it with the team he has got, hopefully for Sydney supporters I'm a bit premature and I'll be proved wrong.
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Realistically his plan would have worked but for a dodgy referees assitant's call against Perth. But I think he must accept responsibility for late or no reaction and not having the adventure to change things or try things. Also the team is playing poorly given the expectations of the squad. With 10 men last weekend possibly he was happy to get the point so we are reading to much into it. But the 10 men for the 2nd time this year is a team discipline thing as Mike point out which should have been adressed following the Rudan send off.
My initial view is he doesn't cut it with the team he has got, hopefully for Sydney supporters I'm a bit premature and I'll be proved wrong.
# posted by 
: September 19, 2006 at 1:35 PM
: September 19, 2006 at 1:35 PM << Home
