Strikers in football, also known as ‘super subs’, often express disapproval of their roles, even though they play pivotal parts in club successes. These strikers, who usually start games as substitutes, impact the game significantly. Ex-Premier League manager Harry Redknapp, with a reputation for rotating top-class strikers during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, used impact substitutes effectively. Recently, Jhon Duran has emerged as a notable super sub in the Premier League, with six goals in nine games for Aston Villa this season.
Super subs play a crucial role in winning games, and often score from the bench. During Redknapp’s tenure, his bench strikers helped to usher Tottenham Hotspur into the Champions League, along with star players Gareth Bale and Luka Modric. Duran, though usually starting on the bench for Aston Villa, has a goal record comparable to a starting striker, scoring five out of his six goals off the bench this season. Sammy Lander, a substitution coach and consultant, believes that understanding substitutes roles in the team has contributed to Aston Villa’s success.
Emery, post-Bayern press conference, confirmed this thinking. He explained that his team utilized Duran’s ability to shoot from a distance as a tactical strategy in beating Bayern’s goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer. This tactical use of substitutes doesn’t undermine their normal drive to play, but instead presents them more opportunities to score, an instance proven by Adam Le Fondre, who scored 8 of his 12 Premier League goals from the bench in his time with Reading. He believes that the shift in team dynamics when chasing a win increases the chances of scoring.
Maintaining a positive team culture and strong competition among players are essential for utilizing super subs effectively. In 1998-99, Manchester United employed the use of four experienced international strikers, including Cole and Solskjaer, who fed off this competition. The imminent pressure of being replaced acts as motivation for the team’s strikers when whoever has possession of the shirt knows the severity of keeping their spot in the starting line-up when the substitute’s off the bench and scoring.
The term ‘finishers,’ as described by Eddie Jones, former England and Australia rugby union head coach, best define the roles of the Villa side’s super subs. This term has positive connotations and underlines the important part they play in winning matches. This concept was adopted by Gareth Southgate, former England boss, and used to describe Jack Grealish’s and Eberechi Eze’s impact during England’s journey to the Euro 2020 final.
Despite the advantages, adopting a super sub role for long-term club purposes is challenging. The case of Le Fondre provides a good example, as after playing as a super sub during Reading’s Premier League season, he transitioned back to a more primary role the following Championship season. As for Villa, though a successful super sub for the time being, their long-term plan aims to incorporate Duran into the starting line-up, knowing well that he may attract interest from other clubs. Redknapp echoed this sentiment, believing Duran wouldn’t want to remain a substitute too long and would eventually pursue a starting position.
