It's the 70th minute, time for a Smith substitution?

[Guest]

<p style="text-align: justify;">You can call me old-fashioned if you like, but I had always thought the point of making substitutions fell into one of two categories, when a game is still in the balance.

1. To replace injured players.

2. To change the game.

To my eye watching yesterday, neither of the two players we took off were injured, so that rules out point 1.

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[TheNuts 552]

the guy behind me always goes on about this.

he rarely makes changes before 70mins, and the players spend 5mins looking over a notepad...

[Muff 245]

Leaves the wrong player on the park a lot of the time aswell.

[Chookes 20]

Leaves the wrong player on the park a lot of the time aswell.

This.

I was utterly gobsmacked that Naismith or one of our central midfielders wasn't substituted first. The area we were struggling in was overlooked.

[BRITNEY IS NOT FEELING IT 8,293]

Leaves the wrong player on the park a lot of the time aswell.

This.

I was utterly gobsmacked that Naismith or one of our central midfielders wasn't substituted first. The area we were struggling in was overlooked.

Exactly , most people are baffled ,

[Ozblue 4,331]

I've commented about this on other threads but I'll do it again because it is something I find frustrating.I am and always will be a Wattie supporter and he knows the players fitness condition better than anybody and any injuries they may be carrying, plus, he is the Manager after all and his main job is to win games and not try and please the fans.

However! If all the players were fit for the Accies game, then I find his substitutions very strange indeed.We needed width to get the supply to Boyd & Miller and had Beasley, Fleck & Novo on the bench, so he changes the 2 guys who were battling all game with their backs to defenders, outnumbered and trying to control big punts up the park from our defence....Leaves the 2 headless chickens ( McCulloch & Naismith ) on the park.... and puts Novo & the big eejit on against the same defenders that outnumbered our 2 top goalscorers.

All managers have their own ideas and reasons for who they select and the system they use, but having been involved as a player and manager myself for over 50 years, I find this latest choice hard to fathom out.But as I said; Wattie's the man who stands or falls by his decisions over a season and at the moment, he is doing a great job no matter if we agree with him or not regards his substitutions.

[DadoPrso9 7]

My dad mentions this every game but it actually happens every game

I remember one time he sent Novo back from a warm up at 61 mins but still never ended up on the pitch until exactly 70 mins

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Now looking at recent substitutions we have the St Johnstone game where Boyd and Thomson were hooked at half time and against Hamilton Boyd was hooked for Lafferty after 64 minutes. So basically Walter does make substitutions at times other than 70 min when required. How many times have we won late, after a Walter sub? Quite often! What about the half time sub at last years SCF? - Novo scores after a minute or so to win the game or Naismith in this years LCF sets up the winning goal.

Sometimes you just have to trust the manager knows more than you do about why, who and when to change players. After all its not that he has a bad record.

[markybear 136]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Now looking at recent substitutions we have the St Johnstone game where Boyd and Thomson were hooked at half time and against Hamilton Boyd was hooked for Lafferty after 64 minutes. So basically Walter does make substitutions at times other than 70 min when required. How many times have we won late, after a Walter sub? Quite often! What about the half time sub at last years SCF? - Novo scores after a minute or so to win the game or Naismith in this years LCF sets up the winning goal.

Sometimes you just have to trust the manager knows more than you do about why, who and when to change players. After all its not that he has a bad record.

In walter we trust

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

Seems to work ok for him i have to say......touch of the playing too much football manager about this criticisim.....there are more than two reasons to sub a player ffs......

[Tumshie 205]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Now looking at recent substitutions we have the St Johnstone game where Boyd and Thomson were hooked at half time and against Hamilton Boyd was hooked for Lafferty after 64 minutes. So basically Walter does make substitutions at times other than 70 min when required. How many times have we won late, after a Walter sub? Quite often! What about the half time sub at last years SCF? - Novo scores after a minute or so to win the game or Naismith in this years LCF sets up the winning goal.

Sometimes you just have to trust the manager knows more than you do about why, who and when to change players. After all its not that he has a bad record.

I love Walter Smith but I was baffled by the decision to leave Naismith and McCulloch on the park on Sat.

[Chookes 20]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Aye, we've all said he's pish . We're allowed to be confused/disagree with some of Smith's decisions. Forgive us though BP .

[papaguy51 912]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Aye, we've all said he's pish . We're allowed to be confused/disagree with some of Smith's decisions. Forgive us though BP .

I love it when the wee Wallyites get a sniff at these threads.

It's a well thought out piece that just asks the question of why he waits until 70 minutes to make a change so often.

How on earth BP9 can deduce that the OP is saying 'the manager is pish' from that I'll never know.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Aye, we've all said he's pish . We're allowed to be confused/disagree with some of Smith's decisions. Forgive us though BP .

I love it when the wee Wallyites get a sniff at these threads.

It's a well thought out piece that just asks the question of why he waits until 70 minutes to make a change so often.

How on earth BP9 can deduce that the OP is saying 'the manager is pish' from that I'll never know.

:Its a well thought out piece" :lol: That must be well thought out from journalists POV!

Well thought out - lets look at the generalisation - Walter always waits to 70 min to change a game - shown in many a game that's not true - including Sat, last wed, last sat etc , as per example s above.

Also trying to point out that in general the manager knows best (Boyd might have been carrying a niggle we haven't heard about, he wants to build Nasmiths confidence so leaves him on, but lest second guess him - still if it works on Football Manager for you I suppose thats a start.

[Boab 73]

This has always been a drawback of the Walter regime, at the very least of his 2nd spell, and not only is it rare to get even a half-time sub but I'd say this 'drawback' contributed to our Uefa Cup Final downfall - Novo only coming on with 13 minutes to go - (77th minute).

And then there's the extreme side, Fleck on very late vs Aberdeen when we lost the league, Boyd coming on vs Kaunas away late on and even against Utd him coming so very late on - what good can thus really do?

We can't always have, with my 2nd paragraph,

or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JybopUgbvfE

[Chookes 20]

but lest second guess him

So Walter's decisions have been 100% right every single time he's had one to make? We can't debate something he does without this "he knows best" (obviously he does, you don't need to say it every time), "he has to be right" or "look where he's gotten us" attitude. It's starting to get really boring.

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

but lest second guess him

So Walter's decisions have been 100% right every single time he's had one to make? We can't debate something he does without this "he knows best" (obviously he does, you don't need to say it every time), "he has to be right" or "look where he's gotten us" attitude. It's starting to get really boring.

I could say that its almost as boring as those who question every decision he makes that they feel is wrong - still thats football. I agree we are ALL entitled to our opinion 'boring' or not. BUT if you dont want your post discussed dont post as we wont all agree with you. The thread is a debate not a statement of fact!

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Aye, we've all said he's pish . We're allowed to be confused/disagree with some of Smith's decisions. Forgive us though BP .

I love it when the wee Wallyites get a sniff at these threads.

It's a well thought out piece that just asks the question of why he waits until 70 minutes to make a change so often.

How on earth BP9 can deduce that the OP is saying 'the manager is pish' from that I'll never know.

I love it when the monday morning quarterbacks get a chance to criticisie the manger, they are nearly always wrong.

A well thought out answer would be it seems to be work very well for him so why to change it........

[CanadianBacon 2,088]

I'd have thought that the half-time break was an ideal time for Smith (and McCoist and Clipboard Kenny) to get an extra body into midfield - the area where we were chasing shadows.

It's not rocket science and I'm sure any player who gets substituted at half-time will be big enough to realise that it's nothing personal - we needed help in midfield and Smith & Co let that continue.

Still.....I'm only a Monday morning two-thirds-back.....whadda-eye-know?

[papaguy51 912]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Aye, we've all said he's pish . We're allowed to be confused/disagree with some of Smith's decisions. Forgive us though BP .

I love it when the wee Wallyites get a sniff at these threads.

It's a well thought out piece that just asks the question of why he waits until 70 minutes to make a change so often.

How on earth BP9 can deduce that the OP is saying 'the manager is pish' from that I'll never know.

I love it when the monday morning quarterbacks get a chance to criticisie the manger, they are nearly always wrong.

A well thought out answer would be it seems to be work very well for him so why to change it........

I would agree with that, but as a paying fan I'm still going to look at why we scraped a one goal win at home to Hamilton after being outplayed for most of it.

I don't necessarily agree with people that think you shouldn't criticise the manager because they know more than me or you. We've watched every single Rangers game at least once for the last ten years, I think we as fans probably know when there's a fuck up and when there's not.

From what I saw on Saturday's game, the substitutions made things harder for us and I reserve the right to mention that.

[Bazza 21]

Pretty much every manager in every team do the same thing when it comes to Subs. You don't see half time changes all that often from any managers, I'd actually think that Walter is inclined to make chnages quicker than a lot would.

[GeneralCartmanLee 313]

I love threads like this - basically saying the Manager is pish cause they dont agree with his substitutions.

Aye, we've all said he's pish . We're allowed to be confused/disagree with some of Smith's decisions. Forgive us though BP .

I love it when the wee Wallyites get a sniff at these threads.

It's a well thought out piece that just asks the question of why he waits until 70 minutes to make a change so often.

How on earth BP9 can deduce that the OP is saying 'the manager is pish' from that I'll never know.

I love it when the monday morning quarterbacks get a chance to criticisie the manger, they are nearly always wrong.

A well thought out answer would be it seems to be work very well for him so why to change it........

I would agree with that, but as a paying fan I'm still going to look at why we scraped a one goal win at home to Hamilton after being outplayed for most of it.

I don't necessarily agree with people that think you shouldn't criticise the manager because they know more than me or you. We've watched every single Rangers game at least once for the last ten years, I think we as fans probably know when there's a fuck up and when there's not.

From what I saw on Saturday's game, the substitutions made things harder for us and I reserve the right to mention that.

i didn't mean he never gets it wrong with his substitutions, i'm sure he does. i was remarking more on the original post and the observation about 70 mins ect......

[papaguy51 912]

The only thing that really gets my wick is when Ally and Kenny stand looking at that clipboard, sometimes for fully ten minutes.

What can possibly be on a clipboard that requires ten minutes of attention during a football match?!

[Bluepeter9 5,167]

The only thing that really gets my wick is when Ally and Kenny stand looking at that clipboard, sometimes for fully ten minutes.

What can possibly be on a clipboard that requires ten minutes of attention during a football match?!

Its Walters written instructions as transcribed by Durrant - ever seen Durrant's handwriting !?