Charlton Athletic boss Ben Garner: I’d like to be able to name nine substitutes
BY RICK EVERITT
Charlton Athletic boss Ben Garner has admitted that he would like to be able have nine players on the bench in League One this season – the same as Premier League clubs.
Following a summer rule change sides are allowed to use five out of seven substitutes, in a reversion to the temporary measure first introduced for the delayed final games of Charlton’s 2019-20 Championship season. Last term it was three from seven in the EFL.
Garner used four replacements in the final 20 minutes of the season opener at Accrington Stanley on Saturday – and substitutes Miles Leaburn for Charlton and Accrington Stanley’s Korede Adedoyin both scored in a dramatic stoppage time period as the match finished 2-2.
“If you’re going to have the five I’d rather have nine on the bench,” said Garner. “You’ve got more options then. The five from seven is hard, because one is always going to be a goalkeeper, so that only gives you six and you’re going to use five of them, potentially.
“It stops the game a little bit more, because there is more opportunity for stoppages. It probably wouldn’t have been my choice to do it the way it’s been done, but it is what it is and we’ll make the best of it and get on with it.”
As well as giving both managers additional options to change the game, the new rule also means they have to be able to react to late switches by the opposition. Garner identified dealing with dead ball situations as a major consideration.
“The big thing now is changes on set pieces, with more players that can come on and off,” he said. “Your set-up at set-pieces can change the dynamic of the game.
“It’s going to be interesting this season and I think the teams that adept best to it will benefit more.”
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