The five subs rule has been in place for more than a season.
It’s a debate which has been had, and voted on, and the decision made by the clubs. It went through the process, and it went through it with everyone very clear on what they were voting for.
The debate is finished. What are we still talking about it for?
Tam McManus wants to re-open it.
Because of the unfairness of it all. What has prompted this daftness, this scream of outrage? The strength of Celtic’s bench. The idea that we can take off five good players and put five good players on.
He can kid on all he wants about this being an “Old Firm” issue but it’s not, and we know it’s not. Our bench is vastly superior to theirs at the moment and there are probably more signings to come.
The strength of this club is now being put forward, and he doesn’t like it and a lot of other people don’t like it.
The “disadvantage” to other clubs is a bogus argument.
Every club has the ability to do this against every other club. Five substitutions should have been the norm years ago. It encourages clubs to blood youth. It encourages teams to be more adventurous in their tactics.
It allows those most often used players to get rested more … it is an all-round good and something that has benefits for every club.
All it takes though is the sight of us taking off, for example, Kyogo and Maeda and Turnbull and Juranovic and Jenz and being able to bring on Giakoumakis, Abada, Mooy, Ralston and Welsh.
They’ve never seen a Celtic squad like this before, or seen a manager with more tools at this disposal and I can understand why it scares them.
But I’ll say it again; these rules were voted for by every club.
They were discussed and debated and every possible consequence of them explored and examined before a single club put their tick on a ballot paper. But McManus thinks it’s legalised cheating.
Our success has driven some of these people mad. Genuinely mad.
McManus’s tears are a joyous thing because he self-defines as a “neutral” on all this “Old Firm” stuff … not that I believe a word of that. But it makes you wonder how the Sevconuts feel.
Tam McManus? I thought he wis deid!
Great article. Can I ask you to do a mention of the two penalties Celtic were denied v Killie. Radio Scotland presenter at HT insisted the trip on Kyogo was a Pen. And in the 2nd half the Co commentator on sky said it was a foul on Kyogo when the Killie defender landed on him. But neither was shown on sportscene
Naw: it`s his team that`s deid.
Forget McManus. He was a nob end player. Is a nob end media source and forever will be a nob end guy
If a team want to ruin a game they can… All it takes is a player to chase everything until they run out of steam and are replaced and away we go again and again until they run out of subs. With this CELTIC team other teams can’t get near them to upset their rythum the passing is so fast and precise … the number of subs is just a smokescreen for the way CELTIC are playing
Bang on Tam.
But, but, but Celtic canny have a strong squad. They canny be stronger than Sevco. It’s really not allowed, cause we voted for anyone but CELTIC to use the rules.
Why, oh fckn why, are the media numties just realising that Sevco are crap and we have ousted them PDQ from the top of the table through honest endeavour. Honest endeavour being key here.
Here in Portugal they have been using it ever since the COVID lockdown.. Porto Benfica and Sporting have much superior squads and players than the likes of Arouca, Paços de Ferreira etc .. Don´t hear a squeak from any commentator or coach bemoaning the 5 subs … its only over in the UK that this has ever been an issue .. must be a Brexit thing 😉
Interesting. The rule change is however, undoubtedly one that further benefits those three teams who dominate the sport in that country anyway – just as it further benefits the dominant two here.
It does massively favour the wealthier clubs. If it’s in place in the Champions League, for example, we will be absolutely cuffed. There’s no point arguing otherwise. That’s just true.
Personally, I like it, because it lets fans see more players. But, I support Celtic and Celtic is a dominant team and this rules makes it even less likely that we lose the overwhelming majority of games we play. I like that too.
But it’s fair play to ask whether that’s exactly fair or good.
I don’t at this point agree that we have a vastly superior bench to Rangers. I’ve not seen any evidence of that. But, if that proves to be true, it will favour us against them too.
This is undoubtedly a structural rule change for Celtic’s benefit.
Alan Morrison is good on this, as ever:
https://www.celticway.co.uk/tactics/20631168.ange-postecoglous-not-so-secret-celtic-weapon-opponents-wont-able-live-with/
I wouldn’t recognise Tam McManus if I tripped over him in the street. Why should anyone give a fuck what he says?
For above, also read: Keith Jackson, Hugh Dementia and all the other tod warriors that spew their shite on things I don’t read or listen to (and neither should any Celtic fan).
James, great point about giving promising youth or young adults an opportunity to play Firsts. The status means a lot and lifts motivation. Players find out where they are at.
Also, may help in getting a loan placement.