A shareholder meeting of all 20 Premier League clubs was held on Thursday in which the top-flight clubs voted in favour of the substitution rule change.
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Premier League fans were in for a pleasant surprise on Thursday night when the league reintroduced the five-substitute rule almost after two years. In May 2020 amidst the coronavirus pandemic, five substitutes were originally introduced. But to many people’s surprise, the league went back to three substitutions for the 2020/21 season, which has continued till the current campaign. During this period, several experts, fans and even coaches have expressed their displeasure with the Premier League reverting back to three substitute-rule. However, their wait is finally over!
A shareholder meeting of all 20 Premier League clubs was held on Thursday in which the top-flight clubs voted in favour of the substitution rule change. This will be effective from next season. While many sense a sigh of relief, some believe this will give an unfair advantage to big clubs with giant purses. Not every club can afford to have a big squad of quality players. Thus mid-table or lower half teams might struggle to deal with several world-class players coming on as a substitute in the second half. Let us find out whether the new change could have a positive or negative effect on the English top division clubs:
One of the biggest problems Premier League clubs have struggled to deal with is the fixture congestion, particularly during a hectic winter period and the business end of the season. Some countries have the habit of giving players a small break during the winter season. However, England has a habit of increasing the fixtures during the busy Christmas period. This tradition has been long followed in the country, which has again received mixed reactions from some set of fans and experts.
Not to mention that most countries have only one domestic cup competition beyond their league. In England, however, there are two cup competitions – Carabao Cup and FA Cup. The latter normally starts from January for the Premier League sides. If an English team qualifies for Europe (Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League), then they will participate in four tournaments during a regular season. It will only increase their workload in the second half of the campaign, especially during the business end.
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Hence, having more substitutes during a congested fixture schedule can help teams effectively rotate their squad, preventing players from frequently getting fatigued and injured. This argument has been raised by several coaches and experts over the last couple of years. Top Premier League managers like Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel have been vocal advocators for the five-substitute rule. Finally, they have gotten their wish granted.
Maheta Molango, chief executive of the PFA, also believes this change will undoubtedly help the players’ health. “When meeting our members, the most common issue they want to discuss is the impact of fixture congestion,” Molango said. “It’s clear to me that the number of games being played is directly affecting players’ health and wellbeing.
“The adoption of this rule is a welcome step forward in what needs to be an ongoing effort to address issues with player fatigue, making sure they have the opportunity to perform at their best and to maintain the competitive edge that makes English football the best in the world.”
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The top clubs will now be able to change the flow of the game anytime in the match by introducing additional world-class players. It is a luxury smaller teams with limited budgets might not possess, making it difficult for them to hold on to a late win or a draw. This was the argument raised by many experts while debating the five-substitute rule.
Another benefit for big teams is that the rule change will allow them to give more game time to fringe players, who have struggled to make it into the starting line-up. This will help them keep a happier dressing room.
Even though smaller clubs might not have this luxury, there is one big advantage for all teams. This rule change allows clubs to develop more home grown talents and academy players. Youngsters who have normally struggled to break into the first team will now get more opportunities. With Premier League allowing nine substitutes to be named on the team sheet, more young players might get playing time.
It is undoubtedly a debatable topic, with big clubs clearly enjoying the lion’s share of benefits from the rule change – there’s no denying it. Smaller clubs will find it difficult to survive the second half against the top teams when their tired players have to deal with additional world-class footballers.
Having said that, they will figure out a way to find a solution to this problem in the long run. Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives, making the five-substitute rule change a step in the right direction.
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