FOR the more selfless player the role of the substitute is one of discipline, commitment and, above all, positivity.
Luckily, I only occupied it at the very start of my inter-county career and at the very end. You adopt a very different psychological approach at both stages.
In my first season, I had to accept that I was serving my time and. while I thought I was a definite starter, I had no significant minor experience at county level to give management faith in me.
Club football is one thing, but inter-county football requires a different set of skills.
In the end, being a substitute in the same environment (as far as I was concerned anyway) was something I could not adapt to for any length of time.
I was never one for being happy to just ‘be there’. In fact, I was rarely happy full stop. I wanted to play every minute of every game. Selfish, I know.
Some of the best substitutes in the game have had their five minutes of glory, but rarely have the Allstars reflected the role of the substitute in the big games.
An Allstar is a nice recognition, but it is certainly nothing compared to appreciation of those peers and fans who recognise the impact a player can have from the bench.
In recent years, no one individual has epitomised the match-winning ability of a sub more than Dublin’s Kevin McManamon. When we talk about ‘impact’, McManamon ticked every box.
Scoring impact, work-rate and the ability to be ruthless in a goal situation meant Dublin secured a few titles that were under threat prior to his introduction.
I am sure McManamon was flying in training and, for him, the frustration in knowing that you will most likely be used as an impact sub rather than a starter in the game must have caused him more than a few sleepless nights.
His discipline has to be admired and, while not appreciated to the same extent as those who won Allstars, it is those same players who would probably recognise their awards were as much down to Kevin McManamon’s performances as anything else.
My good friend Ronan Murtagh (inset) fulfilled a similar role for Down in the days before Dublin’s McManamon came on the scene.
During the campaign of 2010, Ronan made huge impacts in the Championship.
Ironically, in previous years, he had always been a first-choice player and even played a season at
wing-back.
Again, Ronan adapted well to all positions and history has shown that such players can be successfully integrated regardless of style. He had a great approach and positivity towards it and any frustrations he had, well, he kept them well hidden. But you knew that fire was there when we needed it.
The importance of a bench cannot be underestimated and when I consider our own decline as a team, probably from 2012 onwards, it was no coincidence that players such as Ronan Murtagh, John Clarke, and Ronan Sexton became disillusioned with serial substitute roles and left the panel.
While the ‘super-sub’ label can be a short-term inspiration for players, it can also become a toxic tag as
a player should you occupy this role indefinitely.
IN recent years, McManamon’s impact has become much less regular and less effective. He always will be an icon, with ‘those’ match-winning scores and will be revered on the Hill in the same way as Offaly supporters revere Seamus Darby.
Again, as a Down man, I go back to Ciaran McCabe and his famous goal at Celtic Park against Derry in 1994.
Without that goal, Down would never have won another title.
McCabe secured very few minutes thereafter in ’94 and, despite becoming a regular first 15 player later in the decade, he remains best known for hitting the roof of the net in Celtic Park that day.
When Tyrone were winning their All-Irelands in the ‘noughties’, Mickey Harte adopted a new strategy towards substitutions. Peter Canavan was used sparingly in 2005 to ensure he was fit to start and finish games.
Both Armagh and Kerry were to suffer the consequences of this match-winning formula and when a player such as Peter was coming on, it appeared to lift players and supporters.
It was a huge gamble for Harte. Had Canavan been seriously injured, when already not fully fit, you could only imagine the repercussions.
This is what separates managers and great managers. To be innovative is to be brave.
Of course, the flip side to that coin is the substitution that doesn’t work. Famously, Sean Cavanagh has stated that Kieran McGeeney’s withdrawal in the 2005 semi-final was a turning point for Tyrone and they would go on to win that game much to the devastation of the Orchardmen.
For Joe Kernan, it was desperately unlucky and, for McGeeney himself, it was hugely disappointing.
For two men so invested in success and as driven as they are, it’s probably one of those things that defines a relationship.
It shouldn’t, though, as both needed each other to achieve what Armagh achieved at that time.
Having a substitute policy is very difficult to prepare and plan for as you never quite know if a player
will be on his game.
There are perhaps fringe players who are regularly in and out of the team and then those who stay on the field regardless of a drop in standards.
Statistics are increasingly playing a huge role in whether a player stays on the field also. Real time data is returning power outputs and player statistics highlighting certain biomechanical data. A consistent drop-off in energy output will most likely result in replacement.
I can see merit in this approach I don’t necessarily always agree in its use as a primary decision-making tool.
The ‘eye test’ and your gut instinct still remain important, as do other factors such as the history and experience level of the players.
On the field, you could have a busy fool, with brilliant consistent statistical outputs.
Unfortunately, though, that busy fool could be losing possession and coughing up scores or missing chances.
Having a Peter Canavan or a Kieran McGeeney or a Kevin McManamon on the field at the start and end of a game cannot ever be quantified in statistics – it’s something much harder to measure. It’s a gut feeling, an instinct, a confidence, a greatness. It’s never easy for a manager in such situations.
The only consolation for management is that when it goes wrong, you’ll get the blame.
When it goes right, the glory is the player’s.
That’s true selflessness.
