The five-sub rule – which initially emerged as an assistance to clubs impacted by player availability – and in turn the demands on those remaining available for selection – during the Covid crisis, now appears to have become a more permanent arrangement.
Yet there is now a debate emerging as to whether this particular rule remaining in place gives Celtic – and our title rivals across the city – an advantage over the course of a season which other clubs with smaller squads may not have.
Former Hibs striker – and now pundit – Tam McManus has taken to social media to explain his belief that this rule will assist both Glasgow clubs hit over 100 goals this season, turn the league into a turkey shoot for Celtic and theRangers against the rest of the Scottish Premiership, and in turn leave the outcome of the league almost entirely down to how the two title rivals fare in their head-to-head Glasgow Derby fixtures this season.
“Has the gap between Celtic/(the)Rangers and the rest ever been bigger? I said before the start of the season both will score 100 goals. It looks like that be achieved easily. Five sub rule is also very unfair on the smaller teams or squads. Head-to-head games between the two will be more crucial than ever I think.”
Has the gap between Celtic/Rangers & the rest ever been bigger? Said before the start of the season both will score 100 goals. Looks like that be achieved easily. 5 sub rule also very unfair on the smaller teams/squads. H2H games between the two be more crucial than ever i think.
— Tam McManus (@The_Tman10) August 14, 2022
It’s certainly a debate worth having. After all the peculiarities in terms of size, and in turn spending power, of Celtic and the current club operating out of Ibrox, in comparison with the budgets of the rest, is certainly large.
As such having an ability to switch 50% of an outfield team during a game would certainly indicate smaller clubs, with more threadbare squads – and in all likelihood lesser talents to call on, as they work their way down their matchday squad – would indeed give Celtic and theRangers even greater dominance over any given opponent bar one – and of course that in itself would impact even more acutely over the course of a season and the final league standings.
Yet the impact of Covid-19 still remains, squads are still hit hard at various times of the season, and the reasons for bringing in the change, from three substitutes to five, remain.
The impact long term of this rule possibly will need examining again in the near future, after all the gulf between two clubs in Scotland and all the others appears to grow by the year, even without the five-substitute rule leaving clubs operating with smaller playing squads even more hamstrung.
There is little doubt Celtic, playing a physically demanding style of football, benefit from having the option to rotate the squad heavily during the course of any given 90 minutes, yet is that advantage unfair on the rest of Scottish football bar one club, and will it, as Tam McManus states, turn the whole league into a four game Glasgow Derby competition?
Perhaps we’ll need a larger sample size than we’ve seen so far to be certain, however the debate over the continuation of the five-sub rule is one that will likely arise more often as the league campaign progresses – and perhaps it’s one worth having.
In the meantime from Celtic’s point of view Ange Postecoglou will continue to deploy his allocation of substitutes to maximum effect. And it’s worth pointing out that in the autumn certainly Celtic will have to handle the six group stage Champions League matches against some of the best sides in Europe sandwiched between the Scottish Premiership matches, so that is really when the 5 subs rule benefits the Scottish game.
Niall J
I see his point but on the other hand the smaller teams will only play 38 games this season. Celtic will play more like 55 games. This is almost a season and half in games compared to the smaller teams 38 games.
I think it helps our teams rotate and be fresher which should help in Europe.
Also it gives the teams to put youth players coming through on and progress them.
I think he is probably correct, but the big two don’t need any such help anyway, for there is no real challenge. Hibs for example, managed to get themselves knocked out of the League Cup in the month of July! Dundee United after a decent show at Tannadice, blew up spectaculalry in Europe, Aberdeen may yet develop under their new regime, and Hearts will probably continue to be the nearly men and “the best of the rest” whatever that may mean. These teams will of course have the odd good result, and will convince a lot of pundits who should know a lot better that there is to be a “real challenge”, and “a breath of fresh air” which “will be good for Scottish football”. This may last until September, but we all know that by November there will be two clubs in contention for the League flag. But the important thing for Celtic is that we must beat these teams as well. No point in beating our main rivals if we then blow up against St Mirren or Kilmarnock!
And McMcNulty’s point about all the games in Europe is valid. We will need, at some point, every single one of our squad. They need to be kept “keen and hungry”.