Gareth Southgate is taking a leaf out of Eddie Jones’ book at Euro 2024 by introducing a concert around substitutes.
Jones, who spent more than seven years as England rugby head coach between 2015 and 2022, was ridiculed by many when he first rebranded replacements as ‘finishers’.
The Australian regularly suggested that players had not been dropped from his starting line-up but rather their roles had changed. “We’ve got 23 guys, there is no difference between starting and finishing,” he said.
Last year, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta decided to follow in the footsteps of Jones by changing the word ‘substitutes’ to ‘impacters’ – a decision he later explained.
“It’s something that we wanted to change and I discussed it with a few people and we wanted to find something that is particular for us,” he said.
“I think it was the best way to express how we feel about them and how they have to feel towards the team, especially on match day.
“I think it’s very difficult [to measure the difference it makes]. I think it is replacing somebody and making the team better, or doing things differently that are related to winning football matches and at the end your mentality should be only that, to impact the game to win it. That’s it, nothing else.”
Arteta and Jones are part of a WhatsApp group of international group of coaches that regularly share information and advice on how to solve coaching problems.
And perhaps Gareth Southgate is involved as well, after he decided to adopt the same concept around substitutes ahead of this summer’s tournament in Germany.
Speaking ahead of their Euro 2024 opener against Serbia on Sunday night, England winger Eberechi Eze opened up on Southgate rebranding his substitutes to ‘finishers’.
“It’s not just about the 11,” he told the Daily Mail. “It’s about the whole team, the culture, the collective. You win the tournament as a collective. Everyone knows that, everyone wants to understand that.
“It’s putting your ego to the side and being able to focus on what’s important for the team. If you have that type of culture, which we do, you’ve got the best chance.
“The manager spoke about “finishers”. We call them finishers, we know that. The players that come onto the pitch, there is a mentality about it, there’s a way to go about it. There’s importance in that role, it’s not just about the 11.”
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The Three Lions are certainly blessed with plenty of options as they prepare for a tough game in Gelsenkirchen. Can they come out on top? Only time will tell.
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Topics: England, Gareth Southgate, Serbia, Euro 2024