The Five Substitutes rule, who will this benefit and who will be thwarted?
As the much anticipated return of the premier league on June 17th approaches, there has been endless discussion about the new conditions fixtures will take place in. The prospect of games being played behind closed doors and the subsequent impact this will have on the players’ mentalities has been debated continually. However, the implication of clubs being allowed to make 5 substitutions, rather than the normal three, until the conclusion of the season has been widely overlooked. Since the last round of fixtures on March 8th, players have been unable to complete full training sessions for 3 months, this combined with having no official preseason means that there will be an increased risk of injury. Thus, the introduction of 5 substitutes will alleviate some of the physical toll on players and will also allow for a higher intensity of football that fans will be able to enjoy. Despite the fact that the new regulation has been implemented for the benefit of all teams, it will of course favour some teams disproportionately.
The champions elect Liverpool are known for their extremely energetic style of play, pressing for 90 minutes and forcing their opponents to make mistakes. However, it will be challenging to replicate this when players are not at peak fitness. Additionally, Liverpool are not blessed with substantial squad depth; in fact, they are in the bottom 6 of the League when it comes to the number of players used during the season. In normal conditions this could be seen as a positive as it allows for consistency, but for the remainder of this season it may lead to fatigue on the pitch and a lower standard of performance. With less options, especially when it comes to quality back-up forwards, we may not see Liverpool wrap up the season with the same dominance in which they have enjoyed for the vast majority.
Another club who have enjoyed a stellar season thus far is Sheffield United. Performing above and beyond expectations, the club sits in 7th place, in contention for European football. Nevertheless, the interruption of football as well as the addition of the 5 substitution rule may damage Chris Wilder’s sides’ chances. Sheffield United, have built this seasons’ successes by being defensively sound whilst using a 5 at the back formation. In this type of system, the wing backs are crucial, and are roles that require a great deal of energy. It is likely that Baldock and Edna will fatigue throughout the course of the games, and with Sheffield not having much cover in these positions there is little that can be done. Moreover, as other teams are able to bring on more players, in particular wingers, Sheffield United may struggle defensively in the latter part of fixtures. So, Sheffield may not get the fairy-tale end to the season that they’ve been dreaming of.
A club in desperate need of a strong end of the season is Aston Villa, who sit in 19th place risking relegation. Surprisingly, Villa have used the 2nd highest number of players in the current season, 28, showing that they have significant squad depth. Furthermore, Villa have crucial players returning from injuries, such as John McGinn, who may not have been able to feature if the season had run its original course. Despite the challenging position that Aston Villa will restart the season in, they may be able to reap the rewards of having significant squad depth. This may allow for them to gain an edge over their opponents, especially when it comes to fixtures against clubs who are also in the relegation scrap.
The battle for Champions League Football could also be affected by teams having the ability to make 5 substitutes, and this may fall in the favour of Chelsea. Fans of ‘The Blues’ are already dreaming of next season, with many big names set to be joining the club, but Chelsea still have a huge amount to play for in the remainder of this season. Much like Villa, Chelsea have many players who have returned from injury during the 100 day hiatus: Ruben Loftus Cheek, N’Golo Kanté and Christian Pulisic to name a few. All three players have proven that they can be game changers and could instrumental in Chelsea racking up as many points as possible. Moreover, Chelsea will be in a great position to dominate games from the midfield, with 7 established central midfielders. This will allow constant energy and pressure from the centre of the park for 90 minutes; which opponents will struggle to deal with.
So, as the Premier League restarts the new conditions and rules may be instrumental in determining what positions teams finish in, both at the top and bottom of the table. A football match can be altered by small margins, and these new changes could determine the future of Premier League clubs.