Dave Edwards: Five subs helps big boys
Shrewsbury legend Dave Edwards believes the introduction of five substitutions in League One only serves to benefit the big-spenders.
It was confirmed earlier this month that English Football League members voted in favour to follow the Premier League’s rule for the new 2022/23 campaign.
All English clubs, including League One Town, were permitted to make five substitutes during the delayed 2020/21 season. That rule reverted to the usual three last season.
Edwards, whose second hometown spell ended last summer, does not see the new rule as favourable for his former club.
He said: “It’s good for players, especially fringe players, you’ve got more chance of coming on to pick up your appearance money and things like that!
“As someone who has been through the game the last 20 years, I’d much prefer it to be three substitutes.
“I do think it’s an unfair advantage for teams with bigger budgets who can really go and impact a game in the last half-hour, if they have more quality players at their disposal. So being a Shrewsbury fan, more than anything else, I see it as not very beneficial to Town.”
Edwards does agree that the physical demand on players in today’s game has sparked the need for a change.
“You can understand why they’ve done it, especially at the top level, but at all levels the demand is completely different to what it was 15 years ago,” added the 36-year-old.
“The physicality of the game, the power and pace you have to play at, it takes its toll so having more subs will keep the quality up for the fans – but I don’t think it’s great for Shrewsbury.”
Only one club – Accrington Stanley with 103 – made fewer substitutions in 46 League One matches than Shrewsbury (106) last season as Town operated with low numbers.
“I don’t think he (Cotterill) will go in (to games) of the mindset of making that many changes,” Edwards continued.
“We saw that last year, and I don’t think there will be a squad big enough to make those (five) changes with the conviction it’s going to improve the game.
“The way the manager works, you usually see him at least wanting to play the first hour – but he will change it if he sees something drastically wrong, he does that to great effect at times.
“But if he sees his team doing what he wants, he’s more a man that doesn’t want to upset that, and wants to keep it similar. Then it’s just more about lads getting tired late in games.
“I don’t think it’ll change Steve Cotterill’s thinking with his substitutions.”
