Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho missed penalties at the Euro 2020 final after limited warm-ups, says Sammy Lander
Bringing on a substitute to 'finish' a game sounds like a good idea in theory, but there have been some high-profile cases when it has backfired in recent months – and mostly from the penalty spot.
West Ham's Mark Noble was still wearing his bib when manager David Moyes asked him to take a spot-kick against Manchester United last month before David de Gea saved it.
And in the Euro 2020 final, a debate erupted around England boss Gareth Southgate introducing Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho with only minutes remaining in extra time, with both players missing from 12 yards against eventual winners Italy.
Were the players adequately prepared to take such a big part in either match?
In the case of Rashford and Sancho, AFC Wimbledon's substitution coach Sammy Lander thinks not.
As part of his pitch to Wimbledon boss Mark Robinson, he analysed what players were doing prior to their introduction to England's biggest game for 55 years.
"I highlighted little bits of the final when Sancho and Rashford came off the bench, and they weren't warming up down the touchline, they were just walking," Lander tells BBC Sport.
"I think they were out warming up for about 11 minutes. For about seven of those they were stood still, for about two minutes they were doing groin stretches and then for about one minute they were sort of just sat watching.
"So my immediate thought was that they're not physically ready to come on into a game of football, not only to match the intensity, but to try and raise it."
That is where Lander believes he can add value to a sport which already employs restart coaches and throw-in coaches: by getting players, technically, physically and mentally ready to enter the field of play and enhance the team. In short, to turn them into 'finishers'.
Combating the negative mindset
One of Lander's key tasks with substitutes at League One Wimbledon is helping them try to combat the negative association with being named on the bench.
"I saw a great picture of Manchester United's bench the other week and there were six or seven players all slumped over, arms folded, and hoods up," says Lander, who has been employed at the club on a voluntary trial basis by Robinson.
"One of those guys could be your match-winner, potentially, and look at their body language.
"So it's about engaging with players throughout the game, asking them questions around maybe what their opposite numbers are doing well or not, and maybe areas that you might be able to exploit, if you were to enter the game."
The fact that Lander is on the Wimbledon coaching staff is down to Robinson.
He already employs a restarts coach, who helps when the ball goes out of play or a free-kick takes place, and it was the manager's openness to new ideas which Lander latched on to, even if his boss has "mixed feelings" about the concept.
"It makes the players realise that we are very player focused, and we are trying to improve them, so that's been the positive behind [having a substitution coach]," Robinson tells BBC Sport.
"I'm a big believer that you have to make people feel valued, but I'm also a big believer that players need to take a big ownership of their own development, so I kind of sit between two stools.
"As a professional, why wouldn't you be looking at the game or preparing yourself properly? OK, you might be upset that you're not starting, and that's no reason not to be fully invested in what you're going to do, but I do realise that they're human beings."
Sammy Lander (in white) says his role is to "prepare our finishers to enter the game as ready as possible" and "to analyse their effectiveness"
What next – a water bottle coach?
Lander, who has worked as an analyst and scout with Bournemouth, recognises that a role like his can be met with scepticism.
Following a recent interview one of the comments under the online article asked: "What next – a water bottle coach?"
But with Liverpool among the teams employing throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark, the search for marginal gains seemingly has no end.
Robinson, whose side are 14th in League One, admits making substitutions with a clear head can be "difficult", but says he takes the initiative by speaking to Lander before half-time to gear a warm-up with a specific objective.
He said: "We've all been in a position where you get a sub ready before he stands on the line and you say, 'go and win the match for me'. But what does that actually mean?"
In Southgate's case, his hope was that Rashford and Sancho would score from the penalty spot and lead England to glory for the first time since 1966.
But Lander suggests that they could have practiced stroking penalties in Wembley's warm-up room to get the players' muscle memory in place, and ensure they were not over-thinking what was to come.
"It's like if you haven't driven for a week and that first change of gear isn't as smooth as if you'd been driving for 100 miles," Lander says. "It's the same for football.
"When you make 100 passes the 101st is just instinct, but when you make that first pass I think you're really thinking about it."
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Comment posted by gadgyarab, at 12:41 25 Octgadgyarab
12:41 25 OctTeams who take all possible advantages seriously will win more games. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail….9512
Comment posted by Luke Shaws Chunky Buttocks, at 12:35 25 OctLuke Shaws Chunky Buttocks
12:35 25 OctGood to hear Sancho and Rashford were taking their warm-up for a Euros final seriously.635
Comment posted by Des55, at 12:34 25 OctDes55
12:34 25 OctAll about marginal gains, so a subs coach makes sense. Pogba could have done with a subs coach yesterday from what I could see476
Comment posted by bamba, at 12:45 25 Octbamba
12:45 25 OctI agree with most here that it sounds absurd….but i do think there may be something in getting a sulking player as he’s on the bench in the right mind set, maybe coaches should concentrate more on having the players ready to go on…..cant believe how many subs seem to have to put their shirt, shin pads, boots etc on before coming on, why aren’t they ready from the start??363
Comment posted by ComradPravda, at 13:35 25 OctComradPravda
13:35 25 OctIF the only job is to make sure the subs are warmed up, then what are the other coaches doing sitting on the bench?292
Comment posted by DrScoob, at 13:18 25 OctDrScoob
13:18 25 OctThe only coach missing now is the coach who coaches the coach on improving their coaching.347
Comment posted by talbzmeister, at 12:29 25 Octtalbzmeister
12:29 25 OctWill be lauded when it works and slammed when it doesn’t. If done properly there is massive merit to it.326
Comment posted by HOME TV, at 13:08 25 OctHOME TV
13:08 25 OctWould be a good idea to get Man Utd players to watch a video of Liverpool for 30 minutes before coming on to show them how to do it properly.294
Comment posted by Tesco Safeway, at 14:04 25 OctTesco Safeway
14:04 25 OctWe need a spitting coach. Far too many players are unable to gob more than a few inches, and others waste a perfect chance by allowing their flob to dissipate into a hundred tiny droplets. If the camera is on you, no pro should be wasting a chance to let a solid greenie go flying. Millions of kids are watching them, what sort of example to these stars think they are setting by such poor technique?243
Comment posted by MD , at 12:59 25 OctMD
12:59 25 OctThere are some good points about the preparedness of substitutes but it does beg the question what do the manager & other coaches do!
As much as anything it highlights that many are set in their ways but It’s hard to see that with the number of coaches most clubs have it needs a specialist coach just better educated ones.222
Comment posted by ScubaPuffin, at 12:58 25 OctScubaPuffin
12:58 25 OctIf the gains you get from employing somebody to look at a particular part of your prep/coaching pay for their salary, then why not? Especially if they come in for 3 years, do a lot of work on something, set up some protocols, and then move on (either from the club, or to work on some different niche). That’s just how good businesses operate. Always putting good people to work on areas of weakness174
Comment posted by Roger, at 13:35 25 OctRoger
13:35 25 OctHow about a Coach to make sure the Hairstyle looks good and ———
A coach for Goal celebrations———
A coach for Time Wasting————
A coach for—etc—etc165
Comment posted by Y0U, at 15:07 25 OctY0U
15:07 25 Oct“A substitution coach”? I thought that was the job of the manager to determine whether a sub could change the game, or the assistant manager to advise. Are they really that tactically inept now?111
Comment posted by AJ, at 13:46 25 OctAJ
13:46 25 OctThe way this is going there will be more Coach’s then players..!!122
Comment posted by Philip, at 13:37 25 OctPhilip
13:37 25 OctI agree to a certain extent but the players on the bench should be watching the match and looking for weakness in the opposition to exploit if they are called on to play. If they are feeling sorry for themselves or look like they are disinterested then don’t play them.100
Comment posted by FoolioLeChauffer, at 12:51 25 OctFoolioLeChauffer
12:51 25 Octall sounds very nfl/us sport – esque to me….
seems to be the way everything us moving……134
Comment posted by Eels, at 12:36 25 OctEels
12:36 25 OctA ‘common-sense’ coach then.90
Comment posted by G78, at 13:13 25 OctG78
13:13 25 OctSounds like people inventing jobs for themselves.147
Comment posted by Fan Of Whoever Plays Man Utd, at 12:37 25 OctFan Of Whoever Plays Man Utd
12:37 25 OctBringing on a player right at the end for a specific purpose such as a penalty kick, like the penalty kick itself, is a lottery. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.
One thing you have to remember that player is ‘cold’ and just has seconds to get into the game mentality. Many players need a lot longer time than that.147
Comment posted by stephen, at 13:20 25 Octstephen
13:20 25 Octit always surprises me that there is absolutely no skill warming up before a sub comes on – no passing the ball, controlling the ball, nothing and then players are expected to go straight out and play their best.115