A manager who makes a change to win a game

BoyInRoyalBlue

Well-Known Member
One of my biggest critisicms of Gerrard was he just couldn't change a game, it was always Like for Like.

Gio making the change last night to go from 2 sitting and taking Davis off for Arfield was the game changing moment last night for me, suddenly we had a runner beyond the striker and Hibs didn't know what to do with the one midfielder higher up and it brought us the goal through Arfield making the run and pass to Kent.

Good to see he isn't scared to change shape and personnel in game to try and win it.
 
It was the required change and it certainly changed the dynamic of the game but I thought GvB was slow to make the substitutions, half time is for me not a great time to make changes but it was obvious from about the 35-40 minute mark things weren't working and Davis needed replaced.
 
Possibly could have changed things a bit sooner but at the end of the day he made a tactical call and it won us a very valuable 3 points with a clean sheet

Definitely mate but it was the difference I felt it at the game and made a point to watch the game this morning when Arfield and Roofe came on there only looked like one team winning but we were running out of time thankfully it came.
 
Possibly could have changed things a bit sooner but at the end of the day he made a tactical call and it won us a very valuable 3 points with a clean sheet

I was thinking this as well but if we were a goal up then I think Hagi and Kent would have been hooked, they were struggling, but at the same time so was Davis and Aribo had fallen out the game again.

It seemed we were stuck between needing to make a few changes as players were struggling but also having to leave those players on and instead make an effective tactical change in the hope the introduction of Arfield and Roofe freed up the likes of Kent and Hagi. Thankfully Gio went for that and it worked brilliantly.
 
It was the right call, but I felt he too waited too long. It was clear the changes helped but I feel if he did it at half time we'd have won more comfortably.
 
It was the required change and it certainly changed the dynamic of the game but I thought GvB was slow to make the substitutions, half time is for me not a great time to make changes but it was obvious from about the 35-40 minute mark things weren't working and Davis needed replaced.
I’ve liked your post but why isn’t HT a good time if it’s obvious?
We also need more from Kamara than what he’s doing currently. He needs to look forward much more and get a move on at times, stop sauntering about.
 
I’ve liked your post but why isn’t HT a good time if it’s obvious?
We also need more from Kamara than what he’s doing currently. He needs to look forward much more and get a move on at times, stop sauntering about.
This.

On last night’s evidence, Davis’s Rangers career is surely winding down.
The midfield lacked dig until Arfield came on. Kamara was a big part in lacking the necessary physicality.
 
Gerrard done it plenty of times. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that the exact same thing will be levelled at Gio when we fail to win a game.
 
This.

On last night’s evidence, Davis’s Rangers career is surely winding down.
The midfield lacked dig until Arfield came on. Kamara was a big part in lacking the necessary physicality.
I believe Kamara has it. He can step up if he wants to. He’s stuck in the mindset of playing within himself, with his mates down the park but he’s now a professional footballer. GVB must find a way to get him to accept the additional responsibility of creating opportunities by breaking the lines more often. He does it now and again, we need him to make it a bigger part of his game and to do it quickly.
 
One of my biggest critisicms of Gerrard was he just couldn't change a game, it was always Like for Like.

Gio making the change last night to go from 2 sitting and taking Davis off for Arfield was the game changing moment last night for me, suddenly we had a runner beyond the striker and Hibs didn't know what to do with the one midfielder higher up and it brought us the goal through Arfield making the run and pass to Kent.

Good to see he isn't scared to change shape and personnel in game to try and win it.
Question would be why he didn’t think it correct to start like this or why he didn’t change it earlier.
 
Felt Davis, Hagi and Kent could all have came off as early as HT and not had any complaints

Thought Sakala and Arfield would have changed the dynamic of the game and Gio took longer to make the subs than I had hoped

Got the win and that's all that matters now
 
he made the correct subs last night but i cant understand why any manager starts with two sitting midfielders. I get that it gives you a solidity but it also makes us impotent in an attacking sense. We should only ever play one of jack, davis, kamara
 
We are often too predictable. We need to have Midfielders willing to run beyond the striker more often and play balls into the channels, to mix it up a bit.
 
he made the correct subs last night but i cant understand why any manager starts with two sitting midfielders. I get that it gives you a solidity but it also makes us impotent in an attacking sense. We should only ever play one of jack, davis, kamara
I’d like to see us use two sitters as a rare exception. We need to practise attack as the best form of defence rather than manning the barricades.
 
The armchair experts on here were certain that bringing on Sakala and Wright would bring the required pace to win the game. Had it ended in a draw, you'd have had thread after thread on how Van Bronckhorst couldn't see the obvious change their genius clearly could.
 
he made the correct subs last night but i cant understand why any manager starts with two sitting midfielders. I get that it gives you a solidity but it also makes us impotent in an attacking sense. We should only ever play one of jack, davis, kamara
Possibly due to us being three down within thirty minutes the last time we played them?
 
I'll perhaps be against the grain on this one, but apart from one or two nice interchanges between Roofe and Arfield, I felt the subs didn't make a big difference to our overall play last night.

Delighted Roofe was on the park for the penalty as he looks like an excellent PK taker.
 
Possibly due to us being three down within thirty minutes the last time we played them?

that was a freak game where everything they hit went in. We have seen all season that playing 2 crabs in the middle is ineffective for us. Against livi we were much more fluid playing arfield instead
 
that was a freak game where everything they hit went in. We have seen all season that playing 2 crabs in the middle is ineffective for us. Against livi we were much more fluid playing arfield instead
I agree that we should not generally play two holding midfielders but perhaps he just wanted a solid start to build on?
 
We are often too predictable. We need to have Midfielders willing to run beyond the striker more often and play balls into the channels, to mix it up a bit.

I think this is why Arfield has looked so good in recent weeks, because he is a willing runner and links up well in and around the box.

Davis and Kamara are far too 'safe'.
 
I think this is why Arfield has looked so good in recent weeks, because he is a willing runner and links up well in and around the box.

Davis and Kamara are far too 'safe'.
It takes a certain type of player to sense the opportunities and make the runs. Arfield is the only one at the moment, it seems, that we have.
 
Thankfully we haven't seen that new manager dip in form - the players appear to be giving more effort even if the quality isn't quite there yet.

But long may it continue that GvB makes substitutions that have a positive impact on the result.
 
I agree that we should not generally play two holding midfielders but perhaps he just wanted a solid start to build on?

i can understand that but the best way to beat teams like hibs away is by starting quick and dictating the play. By playing two holding players meant we were never going to create much and the game became a battle as a result.
 
At least he made the change & with time to make an impact
I think he has noticed a few lacking a wee bit if self belief & due to playing Hibs so soon after the semi final he chose to set up in a manner that unlike Hampden we would still be in the game until he could see what he wanted to do
 
Still cant believe he left Hagi on, although Kent wasn't at his best he was still offering a lot more than Hagi.
 
I believe Kamara has it. He can step up if he wants to. He’s stuck in the mindset of playing within himself, with his mates down the park but he’s now a professional footballer. GVB must find a way to get him to accept the additional responsibility of creating opportunities by breaking the lines more often. He does it now and again, we need him to make it a bigger part of his game and to do it quickly.
I understand what you are saying and I essentially agree but I’m not too sure that the system and the position Kamara plays in it necessarily lends itself to him breaking the lines. To my mind, they have obviously been working on a compact defensive shape to try to mitigate against leaving the centre halves exposed on the counter, and on Sunday Kamara sat deepest screening Goldson and Bassey, covering decisively for both on occasion. Last night, I’m not so sure that was asked to do the same job but has maybe maintained his defensive head as opposed to his attacking one. Arfield is the only midfielder naturally inclined to break the lines for me. Others can do it, but they aren’t exactly naturally disposed to doing so.

Maybe we will see another side to Kamara if Jack returns and stays fit and healthy for an extended run?

Despite all this, we badly need proper dig in the middle of the park and arguably none in squad truly give us it.
 
I mean Gerrard done this plenty, no point in making things up. Plenty of times second of last season for example where we went two up top with kent in behind and it worked. Also hibs at home this season.
 
I'll perhaps be against the grain on this one, but apart from one or two nice interchanges between Roofe and Arfield, I felt the subs didn't make a big difference to our overall play last night.

Delighted Roofe was on the park for the penalty as he looks like an excellent PK taker.
I think Arfield has some impact, certainly a bit more involved. (not HUGE).

Would agree on Roofe though, he got the goal and the plaudits for scoring the penalty.
But he did little else tbh.

I'd argue there were one or two moments I thought he'd put more energy in tbh. Maybe a tad harsh.
 
I'd like to see a proper analysis of the claim that Gerrard never made a tactical switch to win a game from a drawing or losing position.
 
Definitely mate but it was the difference I felt it at the game and made a point to watch the game this morning when Arfield and Roofe came on there only looked like one team winning but we were running out of time thankfully it came.
He also said in his post match interview, he was about to bring Sakala on but when we got the pen and scored changed to Lundstrum to see out the game
 
One of my biggest critisicms of Gerrard was he just couldn't change a game, it was always Like for Like.

Gio making the change last night to go from 2 sitting and taking Davis off for Arfield was the game changing moment last night for me, suddenly we had a runner beyond the striker and Hibs didn't know what to do with the one midfielder higher up and it brought us the goal through Arfield making the run and pass to Kent.

Good to see he isn't scared to change shape and personnel in game to try and win it.
Have been arguing this ever since SG came in. But great to see Gio knows.
 
I’ve liked your post but why isn’t HT a good time if it’s obvious?
We also need more from Kamara than what he’s doing currently. He needs to look forward much more and get a move on at times, stop sauntering about.
Kamara is a tremendous player, however I think he plays within himself. I'm hoping Gio gets him running into the opponents box and being more aggressive.
 
One of my biggest critisicms of Gerrard was he just couldn't change a game, it was always Like for Like.

Gio making the change last night to go from 2 sitting and taking Davis off for Arfield was the game changing moment last night for me, suddenly we had a runner beyond the striker and Hibs didn't know what to do with the one midfielder higher up and it brought us the goal through Arfield making the run and pass to Kent.

Good to see he isn't scared to change shape and personnel in game to try and win it.

Gio did make a great change but there is a helluva lot of revisionism regarding Gerrard.

God in one of his final games, we went to a 442 to come from behind and win. We had numerous comeback wins over his tenure including one of the great Ibrox nights v Braga.

He maybe wasn't the best at it but frankly, with his win percentage, he rarely had to be.
 
I won't be judging the '' The Boss '' until he's had a couple of windows to himself. He's done well with what he has and already has shown he's got their measure. McGregor and Davis are the only ones in our squad who have the closest understanding of what Gio has had to go through to achieve the career he had. The rest just need to get it done and do as they're told.
 
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