5 worst substitutions in football history
When it comes to substitutions, there is no hard and fast rule. It’s a gamble football managers take and sometimes it comes off, sometimes it just does not work and goes against the manager’s actual intention.
Maybe that's why different managers have different reputations when it comes to making their subs, Sir Alex Ferguson and Louis van Gaal – two former Manchester United managers, are seen as gamblers. While Arsene Wenger and Brendan Rodgers are seen as a fairly conservative, with the Arsenal boss rarely bringing on an attacking change, unless really required.
Substitutes are meant to change the game for the better but there are a few moments or rather players who go out and do the exact opposite of what their manager tells them to do.
#5 Leicester City vs Aston Villa: English Premier League, 2015
Leicester City were unbeaten in the Premier League up until this point last season, as they walked on to the King Power Stadium to face Aston Villa. But unfortunately for the future Champions, Villa seemed to have them beat after Charles Gil tucked in the second goal fifteen minutes after the start of the second half. Things looked down and out for Ranieri’s men as they looked on course to suffer their first defeat of the season.
However, just when things looked like they could have gotten worse, Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood handed them a lifeline. In a rather bizarre decision, the 48-year-old brought on two players but instead of bringing on two defensive players that he had on the bench, Sherwood brought on not one, but two strikers.
From that point, things went downhill for Aston Villa as neither of the two changes made much impact, instead, it was Leicester City who changed the course of the game.
Ritchie de Laet volleyed in the first goal of the comeback, before Jamie Vardy and Nathan Dyer clawed out two brilliant goals and finished the game with less than a minute of normal time to go. Extra time wouldn’t make any difference and Leicester went on to win both the game and later on the Premier League title.
If Villa had won that game, would Leicester City have gone on to have that amazing season, winning both a place in the Champions League and the Premier League title?