Five substitutes will help player welfare, but will it favor bigger squads in the Premier League?
Five substitutes will be available to Premier League teams from the 2022-2023 season. Previously only three subs were allowed per game. But with the World Cup on the horizon and the number of games per year increasing, this move has been a long time coming. Other leagues in Europe introduced five substitutes in 2020 post Covid and have continued to use them.
The new rule has its pros and cons to this move. This article will look at the pros and cons of the move and which teams are likely to benefit next season.
Five substitutes - Pros
The party that will benefit the most from the five substitutes are the players. Some players, like Mason Mount, are on course to play 60+ games this year, which is ridiculous.
Games take a toll on players' bodies, and players like Gareth Bale recently came out with strong statements about player welfare. Five substitutes should allow more players to be rotated and given rest during games.
🗣️ "De Bruyne could play 79 games next season and have a three week break."
Gareth Bale has called on football's governing bodies to consider player welfare with an increasingly congested calendar.
https://t.co/hkwUxvc3ah
Teams with large squads are due to benefit as well. Thomas Tuchel, for example, has been vocal about introducing five substitutes for rotation but also giving fringe players game time.
Chelsea have several talented academy players, and the availability of more substitutes should allow managers like Tuchel to give more minutes to younger players.
Thomas Tuchel on reluctance to allow five subs:
"For me, it's only logical to do this because Covid affects everybody & you simply need more possibilities to protect the players and share the minutes. This is my opinion and I'll not & standing up for it."
[via @guardian_sport]
These large squads like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool should also be able to maintain their level of intensity during games. With 10 outfield players on the field, five subs allow a manager to change 50% of the team. This will help the team freshen up and be competitive in the final thirds of the game. This should also allow for more competitive races at the top of the table.
Five substitutes - Cons
Five substitutes has its fair share of cons as well, largely towards the weaker teams in the league. Teams with smaller squads could be ill-equipped to use more subs due to their lack of depth. This means that if they are facing a stronger team and have to hold on to a lead, it becomes harder considering the changes the opposition can make.
“The regulation is likely to benefit clubs with bigger budgets”
Cambridge United voted against allowing five subs in League One this season
Here’s Mark Bonner discussing extra subs back in 2021 👇 https://t.co/nQrEK6gqRa
Teams like Crystal Palace, who benefitted from Conor Gallagher's loan, may not be able to attract loan players, given the parent club can now offer minutes off the bench. The appeal of a loan move is to get game time, but more subs allow these young players an opportunity as long as they are part of the first-team squad. These teams may now need to spend more money to acquire players.
More substitutes would also allow a manager the opportunity to waste time. Subs cannot be made at any time during the game. It can only be done on three occasions, which is up to the manager. A manager could decide to sub three or four players at once, which could eat up the playing time.
Player welfare is the most important thing at the moment. Pointless tournaments like the Nations League only add to the workload when players used to get the summer off every other year.
Smaller teams will find it tough to adjust, and we might see more results in favor of teams with bigger squads. As with any rule change, all teams will have to find a way to compete and move forward.