Bacuna Substition

[Badger]

I thought this was a very strange decision. Correct me if I'm wrong but that was his debut? Was it because of trying not to rush him back, so not wanting to give him the full 90 and also with little other forward options?

Disclaimer: I'm not attacking him (though he done okay) or the management team. I'm just wondering what the thinking behind taking off what I thought was our best of the front 3 when we needed a goal

 

[Govan_Guy]

Fashion had given everything he had, tank was empty.

 

[Rangersnumberfour]

I thought it was quite a negative sub. Two pacey players off for a centre forward and an attacking centre midfielder

 

[MarkWalters11]

Bacuna is known for long range goals so maybe he wanted him to shoot from distance as nothing else was working. Sakala was also knackered and Morelos was obvious replacement. Don’t think it was an odd decision

 

[barcelonabear]

Seems they were playing him very far forward, anytime I seen him play for Huddersfield he was a centre mid

 

[weefree]

interesting,
tbh I thought it was a good move, nothing we’d tried had been coming off, lad tries smacking one in from distance, what’s not to like?

 

[TamS-RFC]

It was a strange game today

 

[Valley Bluenose]

I felt our front three - Sakala, Roofe and Wright - had gone AWOL by that stage of the game and all were ripe for substitution if I’m honest.

 

[TamS-RFC]

I love Aribo, I think he brings such a different dimension to the side but he was absolutely not what the side needed the second half. He slowed too much of our play down imo.

 

[Truffle Shuffle]

It was him, or Lundstram.
He was the right player to bring on, but typical Gerrard sits on his hands until far too late to make a change and gives little chance to make a real telling impact.

 

[1BrianLaudrup]

I don't think bringing Bacuna on was the mistake. Bacuna looked lively and nothing wrong with throwing a player in and saying "go on, make your mark." The mistake was bringing Alfie on, who added no mobility or urgency (probably because of the knock he's carrying). I worried he had aggravated his injury right near the end.

 

[SuperGers07]

Poor substitution from the manger. Not for the first time

 

[Jase]

Might have worked better if SG hadn't waited until 70 odd minutes to make a substitution.

He's beginning to get on my wires with his sub policy.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

Right decision too late, as usual.

 

[Sir Know it All]

Right decision too late, as usual.

He came on with 15 minutes to go in a game that was always going to have a decent amount of added time, that’s literally ages in a game of football.

 

[Twosignals]

Bacuna is known for long range goals so maybe he wanted him to shoot from distance as nothing else was working. Sakala was also knackered and Morelos was obvious replacement. Don’t think it was an odd decision

One of the words you used I’ll have to dig out of the Dictionary, “Shoot” after all we did see pass backs that I believe were called shots. Pussy footing is the Norm!

 

[CaptainCourageous]

He came on with 15 minutes to go in a game that was always going to have a decent amount of added time, that’s literally ages in a game of football.

He should have been on earlier. Motherwell scored 65/66. Bacuna came on 76. Wright, Sakala had been been anonymous for 15/20 minutes prior to that, Davis was also shot.

 

[Sir Know it All]

He should have been on earlier. Motherwell scored 65/66. Bacuna came on 76. Wright, Sakala had been been anonymous for 15/20 minutes prior to that, Davis was also shot.

15 minutes + is an absolute age to impact a game of football. He was on the pitch for the best part of 25 minutes

 

[TheCanonburyCaniggia]

Slightly off subject but giving Itten away as one of our very few forward options makes little to no sense. He would have been an option off the bench today. It was a strange transfer window.

 

[Jjbscotty]

He came on with 15 minutes to go in a game that was always going to have a decent amount of added time, that’s literally ages in a game of football.

The subs should have came 10 minutes before Motherwell scored.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

15 minutes + is an absolute age to impact a game of football. He was on the pitch for the best part of 25 minutes

He was on for 20 minutes and touched the ball 10 times - one time was a throw in. In a game that’s stop start due to the opposition going down every challenge it’s hard to get in the rhythm. Especially when you’ve not played a game of football in 4 months.

I felt Gerrard should have acted earlier.

 

[londonbluenose]

Personally would of left Sakala on and Morelos for Wright, Davis for Bacuna and 10 minutes earlier

 

[Sheuchans]

the midfield and front 3 were running on empty after an hour. Could’ve replaced them all if we had the options. Alfie looked miles off it when he came on

 

[Barba Roja]

Felt like he got all 3 subs wrong today, when we took off Wright and Sakala we had no pace and M’Well knew that and played 10 yards further up the pitch.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

Wright and Sakala had barely contributed for 20 minutes prior to being substituted.

 

[BlueSevenTwo]

I thought it was quite a negative sub. Two pacey players off for a centre forward and an attacking centre midfielder

This all day and all night.

 

[Sheik Ma Shammy]

Lundstram should have been on instead of Bacuna.

 

[Sheik Ma Shammy]

the midfield and front 3 were running on empty after an hour. Could’ve replaced them all if we had the options. Alfie looked miles off it when he came on

He needs to lose a bit of weight he's got slower this season and cannot run past a player now.

 

[Angrybluebear]

15 minutes + is an absolute age to impact a game of football. He was on the pitch for the best part of 25 minutes

Sometimes you make changes when things aren’t going right, before they go wrong.

It wasn’t working, Motherwell had given us a couple of dodgy moments before they scored.

 

[CaptainCourageous]

Lundstram should have been on instead of Bacuna.

Don’t see what goal threat Lundstram would have brought tbh?

At least Bacuna is an AM with the desire to get a shot at goal.

 

[Sheik Ma Shammy]

Don’t see what goal threat Lundstram would have brought tbh?

At least Bacuna is an AM with the desire to get a shot at goal.

I'd rather a player who's at least played with the team and scored before than someone just getting thrown in.

 

[Sheik Ma Shammy]

Slightly off subject but giving Itten away as one of our very few forward options makes little to no sense. He would have been an option off the bench today. It was a strange transfer window.

Also can score a goal against Motherwell.

 

[rfc_chris_rfc]

Was the correct sub, the forward three had lost there way a bit and it needed a change, gave bacuna the chance to show what he’s got.

 

[Sheik Ma Shammy]

As soon as we took of the quick players Motherwell just pushed right up the pitch as they knew Roofe and Morelos will not run away from them.

 

[petepoto]

I think it was made in desperation tbh and there was not a lot to come off the bench either. Morelos wasn't fit, Arfield isn't the same player he was and Bacuna aint played a game since the early summer. It was throwing shit to the wall and seeing what sticks. Unfortunately none of it did.

We have a big squad but the attacking areas have been hit hard with the loss of Kent, Hagi and Morelos being either unfit or unavailable. Sakala playing his 1st full game as well.

 

[spartacus]

He needs to lose a bit of weight he's got slower this season and cannot run past a player now.

I thought he was looking a bit podgy when he came on but surely SG and his backroom team would have him on a strict eating regime. The whole team should be at full fitness by now.

 

[Youngbear4444]

With 15 minutes to go would you have preferred Defoe rather than Alfie. ( I know Defoe was not a sub). But in that game when it is tight, Defoe could have been the fox in the box.

 

[Niptrueblue]

It was a strange game today

Exactly that.

 

[OhmyGers]

Me & the fella next to me said similar, I didn't understand taking sakala & wright off. We effectively took all the pace out of our team in one go.

I love them both, but have Davis or arfield really kicked a ball either yet? I would have brought bacuna into the midfield and kept sakala or wright

 

[Sheik Ma Shammy]

I thought he was looking a bit podgy when he came on but surely SG and his backroom team would have him on a strict eating regime. The whole team should be at full fitness by now.

Morelos used to go wide at times and just step by players you never see that now as he's not fit enough.

 

[Sheik Ma Shammy]

He came on with 15 minutes to go in a game that was always going to have a decent amount of added time, that’s literally ages in a game of football.

No, it's not would not even give him time to get up to the speed of the game.

 

[dt17]

I thought it was quite a negative sub. Two pacey players off for a centre forward and an attacking centre midfielder

Said that at the time, we basically removed any pace we had from the team.

Arfield on just cemented the result.

 

[cuecard1872]

Actually thought it was the right sub but 20 mins too late. From 55-60 mins the game had went flat and our front 3 had stopped making inroads. Sometimes feel the management are far too reactive instead of proactive. Their goal had an air of predictability about it - could see it coming yet we did nothing to change it.

 

[DeeCeeTee]

Bacuna is known for long range goals so maybe he wanted him to shoot from distance as nothing else was working. Sakala was also knackered and Morelos was obvious replacement. Don’t think it was an odd decision

If there is one thing that’s stuck out in our attacking play since Gerrard has been here is how little we shoot from range.

 

[nemessis]

Bacuna is known for long range goals so maybe he wanted him to shoot from distance as nothing else was working. Sakala was also knackered and Morelos was obvious replacement. Don’t think it was an odd decision

I think some of those subs should have been made earlier as some of our players were tiring and not being effective in keeping up the pressure.

 

[onelegwonder]

Bacuna is known for long range goals so maybe he wanted him to shoot from distance as nothing else was working. Sakala was also knackered and Morelos was obvious replacement. Don’t think it was an odd decision

"long range goals" He has has scored one long range goal. I hope to %^*& Gerrard has not thought get him on to shoot from distance. If so then we are fucked with those tactics.

 

[Sir Know it All]

No, it's not would not even give him time to get up to the speed of the game.

Wit

 

[ForGodForCountryForever]

Bench had few options really and it was desperate times with the game fast slipping away.

For all the time he had i thought he looked an exciting player. Maybe he shouldve started and been given 60-70 mins rather than coming on.

 

[Truffle Shuffle]

He came on with 15 minutes to go in a game that was always going to have a decent amount of added time, that’s literally ages in a game of football.

Aye, it was plenty time and our winner speaks volumes for that.
It was far too late, he made a decent impact and would have been much better had he been on earlier.

 

[Sir Know it All]

Aye, it was plenty time and our winner speaks volumes for that.
It was far too late, he made a decent impact and would have been much better had he been on earlier.

Bacuna came on the park 3 minutes later than the player who scored the winner in the Man U v West Ham game, the notion a player can't influence or change a game with that amount of time left is dumb.

Our bench was at the bare end of it's arse packed with players who aren't entirely fit or have very little minutes in them.