Make the change

Is it just me or have Liverpools last 2 managers have some sort of fear to make a substitution? Fare enough the starting 11 they chose for the game is their choice and after a week of preparation and training they feel those guys are the best to do the job on match day. Now everyone knows things dont always go the way you planned it out to be hence in football they have a bench with 7 players sitting there so if something does go wrong eg: injury or a player is tired, or an individual is playing like shit it gives the manager an opportunity to make a change. With Liverpool's recent results being more unpredictable that dancing blind folded in a mine field, we never know for certain if the team out on the field is capable of getting the 3 points.

Last Monday we played a fairly understrength side that tore Aston Villa to shreds. It could have ended well embarrassing for the visiting side as many chances were either squandered or brilliantly saved. This weekend  you would have thought with Torres back in front and the unrest in Tyne side with the sacking of their manager and appointment of a new one that didnt have any support from the fans that we'll have a good shot and collecting all 3 points again. Thats where you're wrong. Newcastle were out to get us and we looked well dumbfounded at times. Now not to divulge too much into the game and to focus on the topic of this blog, the world could see we were playing poorly, surely this is a sign to make a change? Fresh legs, different options, change of strategy, all of these come with making substitutions. Babel was brought early in the second half for Ngog which was only due to a nasty head injury suffered to the French striker, if it was not for that we'd have to wait till after the 65th minute to see a change. Many times Roy will wait till the 79/80th minute to make a change. You cant throw a player on in the last 10 minutes and expect him to do magic. You still got 10 other blokes out there that have been playing kak for the entire game so they're not going to click soon as some one else is thrown on. For me there is no shame in making a change early on, it shows that the manager knows his decision was wrong and his rectifying it before the problem gets worse. We've seen Jose famously making a tactical substitution in the 34 minute, it was a change as he said "to improve the game". He felt the player was not doing what he felt he would so he made the change. Chelsea ended up winning that game and thats all that mattered.

Now this isnt a post to attack Roy again, Rafa Benitez was just the same. He should wait till late on to make changes which often grated my nuts, especially last season which we try not to remember. I dont know why they make changes so late, other managers bring on players in the 55th-75th minutes for tactical reasons, from 80th + minutes the changes are either to manage the game or to kill time time. We on the other had make tactical changes in the 80th minute. I guess we're good like that. I just hope in games to come we aren't left frustrated like we were on Saturday.