I just read an article on BBC about AFC Wimbledon having hired a substitution coach (on a voluntary trial basis for now). It's an interesting concept. You can find the full article here, but this is the key bit that explains it:
And a concrete example of what could have been done at the Euro 2020 final:West Ham's Mark Noble was still wearing his bib when manager David Moyes asked him to take a spot-kick against Manchester United last month before David de Gea saved it. And in the Euro 2020 final, a debate erupted around England boss Gareth Southgate introducing Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho with only minutes remaining in extra time, with both players missing from 12 yards against eventual winners Italy.
Were the players adequately prepared to take such a big part in either match? In the case of Rashford and Sancho, AFC Wimbledon's substitution coach Sammy Lander thinks not. As part of his pitch to Wimbledon boss Mark Robinson, he analysed what players were doing prior to their introduction to England's biggest game for 55 years.
"I highlighted little bits of the final when Sancho and Rashford came off the bench, and they weren't warming up down the touchline, they were just walking," Lander tells BBC Sport. "I think they were out warming up for about 11 minutes. For about seven of those they were stood still, for about two minutes they were doing groin stretches and then for about one minute they were sort of just sat watching. So my immediate thought was that they're not physically ready to come on into a game of football, not only to match the intensity, but to try and raise it."
That is where Lander believes he can add value to a sport which already employs restart coaches and throw-in coaches: by getting players, technically, physically and mentally ready to enter the field of play and enhance the team. In short, to turn them into 'finishers'.
I wonder how effective this is. But as the article points out, a lot of major issues have been figured out in football, and at the top, people are looking how to increase the fine margins where improvement is still possible. And those clubs have plenty of money for additional staff to address those aspects of the game. This substitution coach idea does sound very reasonable, so I can totally imagine big clubs starting to do something like this as well - although I imagine it could also be a fitness coach taking on an additional duties during matches. It might require some extra skills though, since the mental aspect is important for a substitute as well. Here is a United-related quote about that:Lander suggests that they could have practiced stroking penalties in Wembley's warm-up room to get the players' muscle memory in place, and ensure they were not over-thinking what was to come. "It's like if you haven't driven for a week and that first change of gear isn't as smooth as if you'd been driving for 100 miles," Lander says. "It's the same for football. When you make 100 passes the 101st is just instinct, but when you make that first pass I think you're really thinking about it."
Any thoughts?"I saw a great picture of Manchester United's bench the other week and there were six or seven players all slumped over, arms folded, and hoods up," says Lander. "One of those guys could be your match-winner, potentially, and look at their body language."
Last edited: