The Strategic Edge of Substitutions in Premier League Football

The impact of players introduced from the bench has reached unprecedented levels, with substitutions contributing a record 133 goals last season and accounting for a sixth of all outfield playing time at certain clubs. This growing influence, exemplified by Jhon Duran for Aston Villa this season, highlights the clear advantages of mastering player changes during a match. This raises the question of whether Arsenal and Liverpool are the Premier League teams most proficient in utilizing their substitutes. In the ongoing pursuit of marginal gains, it is perhaps unsurprising that specialized training now exists for substitutes, designed to ensure their readiness for any scenario upon entering the game. This week, the BBC Football Extra newsletter featured Sammy Lander, recognized for pioneering the role of “substitutions coach” within English football. Lander began his career at AFC Wimbledon before expanding his consultancy to clubs at both Premier League and international levels. Commenting on the teams that benefit most from their substitutes, Lander stated: “Arsenal have been very successful in using their substitutes in drawing game states and often have a high number of points achieved from this game state with substitutes on the pitch.” He added that “Across the last three seasons, Liverpool are quite comfortably clear as the team who have registered the most goal contributions from substitutes while Newcastle are fairly positive and consistent with impact across all game states, as are Brentford.” When asked about the responsibilities of a substitution coach, Lander clarified: “A common misconception seems to be I just tell the subs when to go warm up – I wish it was that easy.” He explained, “In reality, my week consists of ensuring our substitutes feel tactically, technically, socially, physically and psychologically ready.” Lander emphasized that “Having players accept their role is a massive step – then, you can start to add layers that are physical, social, technical and tactical. Substitutes are often very reactive to the questions the game is posing, so having them ready for every possibility is important.” Lander likens the in-match process, once players are adequately prepared, to a card game. He elaborated, “I perform a vast amount of in-game opposition analysis, looking at the granular details and trying to prepare every eventuality in what I refer to as my playbook.” He continued, “This means having the right substitute – not always the best – ready for if that situation arises. Once we know the probabilities of these situations, I can start preparing processes that can prepare the substitutes for these.” Drawing a further analogy, he said, “I liken the process to Top Trumps. Once your opponent makes a move, every card is beatable – but you just need to know your pack, the game, and then the appropriate card to choose and when to place it. A similar approach is what I take with substitutions.” Lander believes the role of a substitute now carries greater prestige. He noted, “Rugby union coach Eddie Jones coined the term ‘finishers’ instead of substitutes and this was a huge progression, challenging the negative stigma that is typically associated with the word ‘substitute’. We have added layers to this by introducing the term ‘what finisher are you going to be?'” He further explained, “We introduced tactical roles with psychological names. Therefore Jorginho at Arsenal might be a controller, a smoother, or a closer. Certain teams, depending on their tactical style, will require different names.” Lander concluded that “All these names have a definition that allows for you to add process and identity to a substitute role, but also add direction and alignment.” Regarding the emergence of players who are purely specialist substitutes, Lander commented, “Sometimes a player’s profile might be more effective as a substitute and it’s about recognising this and implementing in the right format – the when, how and where.” More commonly, he stated, “A little more frequently, my role is spent trying to help players produce their starting statistics as a substitute.”