Best player on bench

[Edina Street]

I have always thought that putting your best player on the bench might not be as stupid a tactic as it first might seem.

It is also not a completely unheard of tactic. It might not be common or popular, but there are managers that have on occasion deployed this tactic.

There were a number of times under Tony Mowbray when Derek Riordan was often left on the bench. However when Derek Riordan was on the bench, I never felt disappointed, it actually filled me with optimism, as I knew that if Hibs are good enough to hold and tire the opposition for 60 minutes, it must be devastating for the tiring opposition when they realise that Hibernian's best player is now coming on. And when Derek Riordan did eventually come on, Hibernian as far as I can remember would invariably go on and win the game.

Maybe not Hibernian's best player, but certainly fastest, Ivan Sproule with his olympic pace was also a perfect super-sub, as displayed at Ibrox in 2005.

Ole Gunnar Solskjear may be the world's most famous super-sub. Some people did in fact believe that Ole Gunnar Solskjear 'was' in fact better than Cole and Yorke.

How would you react if Gray ever deployed a tactic which involved leaving our best player on the bench?

[easty]

OGS wasn’t better than Yorke or Cole.

[MWHIBBIES]

I don't remember Riordan being on the bench much until he started fannying about not renewing.

Don't think it would be a good idea here. We have a very impatient fanbase. 0-0 at HT with our best player a sub and the booing would be loud. I mind Hecky making the correct decision to take off Allan. Huge booing.

[Chipper1875]

Gareth Evans cracking sub

[HibbyAndy]

Gareth Evans cracking sub

Came off the bench against Dundee utd 2-0 down at Easter road in the 78th minute he scored twice and set up another :cb

[JohnM1875]

OGS wasn’t better than Yorke or Cole.

Not even remotely close to being as good as either player.

[MagicSwirlingShip]

I have always thought that putting your best player on the bench might not be as stupid a tactic as it first might seem.

It is also not a completely unheard of tactic. It might not be common or popular, but there are managers that have on occasion deployed this tactic.

There were a number of times under Tony Mowbray when Derek Riordan was often left on the bench. However when Derek Riordan was on the bench, I never felt disappointed, it actually filled me with optimism, as I knew that if Hibs are good enough to hold and tire the opposition for 60 minutes, it must be devastating for the tiring opposition when they realise that Hibernian's best player is now coming on. And when Derek Riordan did eventually come on, Hibernian as far as I can remember would invariably go on and win the game.

Maybe not Hibernian's best player, but certainly fastest, Ivan Sproule with his olympic pace was also a perfect super-sub, as displayed at Ibrox in 2005.

Ole Gunnar Solskjear may be the world's most famous super-sub. Some people did in fact believe that Ole Gunnar Solskjear 'was' in fact better than Cole and Yorke.

How would you react if Gray ever deployed a tactic which involved leaving our best player on the bench?

Delighted. Newell needs some bench time

[Edina Street]

OGS wasn’t better than Yorke or Cole.


Not even remotely close to being as good as either player.

Andy Cole


1995–2001
England (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_national_football_team)
15
(1)




1995–2001
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
195
(93)



Dwight Yorke

1998–2002
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
96
(48)




1989–2009
Trinidad and Tobago (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago_national_football_team)
72
(19)



Ole Gunnar Solskjaer


1996–2007
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
235
(91




1995–2007
Norway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_national_football_team)
67
(23



If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had played the same amount of minutes as Andy Cole you would have to fancy that he would have scored more than 93 goals in 195 games, and his international record of a goal every 3 games is better than Cole's goal every fifteen games.

On paper Ole was better than Cole.

His international record was also better than Yorke's.

[Chipper1875]

Came off the bench against Dundee utd 2-0 down at Easter road in the 78th minute he scored twice and set up another :cb

Remember it well . December 1991

[MWHIBBIES]

Andy Cole


1995–2001
England (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_national_football_team)
15
(1)




1995–2001
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)

195
(93)



Dwight Yorke

1998–2002
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
96
(48)




1989–2009
Trinidad and Tobago (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago_national_football_team)
72

(19)




Ole Gunnar Solskjaer


1996–2007
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
235
(91





1995–2007
Norway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_national_football_team)
67




If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had played the same amount of minutes as Andy Cole you would have to fancy that he would have scored more than 93 goals in 195 games, and his international record of a goal every 3 games is better than Cole's goal every fifteen games.

On paper Ole was better than Cole.

His international record was also better than Yorke's.

How many strikers did Ferguson sign or play over OGS

Must be half a dozen at least. Yorke, Cole, RVN, Rooney, Saha, Forlan, Sheringham. He didn't trust OGS to start every week.

[JohnM1875]

Andy Cole


1995–2001
England (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_national_football_team)
15
(1)




1995–2001
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
195
(93)



Dwight Yorke

1998–2002
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
96
(48)




1989–2009
Trinidad and Tobago (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago_national_football_team)
72
(19)



Ole Gunnar Solskjaer


1996–2007
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
235
(91




1995–2007
Norway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_national_football_team)
67
(23



If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had played the same amount of minutes as Andy Cole you would have to fancy that he would have scored more than 93 goals in 195 games, and his international record of a goal every 3 games is better than Cole's goal every fifteen games.

On paper Ole was better than Cole.

His international record was also better than Yorke's.

Probably a reason he didn’t get as many minutes as Cole or Yorke…

Great goal return though

[HibbyAndy]

Remember it well . December 1991

That's the one :aok:

[blackpoolhibs]

Delighted. Newell needs some bench time
:hilarious

[Edina Street]

How many strikers did Ferguson sign or play over OGS

Must be half a dozen at least. Yorke, Cole, RVN, Rooney, Saha, Forlan, Sheringham. He didn't trust OGS to start every week.

I have no idea.

This was back in the days when my main interest was Hibs, Nightclubs and Women.

My assertion is based purely on my adrenaline rushed memories of standing in the bookies at 4:45pm on Saturday afternoons just praying for Manchester United to score, just for Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer to show up on the vidi printer on the 90th minute to time and again make it 1-0 or 2-1 to Manchester United, and turn my coupon into a winning one, and a more enjoyable night of partying.

I remember this as well. On this occasion Ole scuppered my coupon.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6oNKuqN9Pk

Anything else other than Hibs, nightclubs and women, I don't recall.

[Edina Street]

These commentators are ripping their hair out now that England still have not brought their best player off the bench yet with only 12 minutes to go and 1-0 down.

[zitelli62]

One for the oldies david fairclough at Liverpool the original super sub.

[Donegal Hibby]

Jermain Defoe and Olivier Giroud were pretty good .

[we are hibs]

I'm sure Adam Le Fondre had a great record for reading coming off the bench

Sent from my SM-A405FN using Tapatalk

[erin go bragh]

Ivan Sproule was no too shabby off the bench.

[1875Sean]

Andy Cole


1995–2001
England (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_national_football_team)
15
(1)




1995–2001
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
195
(93)



Dwight Yorke

1998–2002
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
96
(48)




1989–2009
Trinidad and Tobago (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_Tobago_national_football_team)
72
(19)



Ole Gunnar Solskjaer


1996–2007
Manchester United (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester_United_F.C.)
235
(91




1995–2007
Norway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_national_football_team)
67
(23



If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had played the same amount of minutes as Andy Cole you would have to fancy that he would have scored more than 93 goals in 195 games, and his international record of a goal every 3 games is better than Cole's goal every fifteen games.

On paper Ole was better than Cole.

His international record was also better than Yorke's.

Lucky enough Fergie didn’t pick played based on paper

[MagicSwirlingShip]

:hilarious

I jest 🤡

[Scouse Hibee]

I have always thought that putting your best player on the bench might not be as stupid a tactic as it first might seem.

It is also not a completely unheard of tactic. It might not be common or popular, but there are managers that have on occasion deployed this tactic.

There were a number of times under Tony Mowbray when Derek Riordan was often left on the bench. However when Derek Riordan was on the bench, I never felt disappointed, it actually filled me with optimism, as I knew that if Hibs are good enough to hold and tire the opposition for 60 minutes, it must be devastating for the tiring opposition when they realise that Hibernian's best player is now coming on. And when Derek Riordan did eventually come on, Hibernian as far as I can remember would invariably go on and win the game.

Maybe not Hibernian's best player, but certainly fastest, Ivan Sproule with his olympic pace was also a perfect super-sub, as displayed at Ibrox in 2005.

Ole Gunnar Solskjear may be the world's most famous super-sub. Some people did in fact believe that Ole Gunnar Solskjear 'was' in fact better than Cole and Yorke.

How would you react if Gray ever deployed a tactic which involved leaving our best player on the bench?

The original super sub was David Fairclough.

[BILLYHIBS]

Henderson to deliver…………….!!


What took you Hibs ? ?

[Nicho87]

Amadou Konte

The streets don’t forget

[oneone73]

The original super sub was David Fairclough.

Actually it was Jimmy O'Rourke.

[MagicSwirlingShip]

Amadou Konte

The streets don’t forget

The Mali Magician 🇲🇱

[Gloucester Hibs]

Gareth Evans cracking sub

I too have fond memories of Gareth Evans, especially that Dundee Utd comeback game at ER, but his goals return was woeful! Averaged a goal every 8-9 games.

[Scouse Hibee]

Actually it was Jimmy O'Rourke.

Nah it was Fairclough, footballs most famous number 12.

[theonlywayisup]

Always thought James Keatings was a good addition from the bench! Inches away from being a 91st minute hero in the Scottish Cup final.

[hibee-boys]

Always thought James Keatings was a good addition from the bench! Inches away from being a 91st minute hero in the Scottish Cup final.

I’m inches away from being a hero every night at home😏

[Edina Street]

Actually it was Jimmy O'Rourke.

That begs a new question.

Was Eddie Turnbull the managerial pioneer of waiting until the opposition have tired before hitting them with the double whammy of now bringing on the best player?

[MagicSwirlingShip]

That begs a new question.

Was Eddie Turnbull the managerial pioneer of waiting until the opposition have tired before hitting them with the double whammy of now bringing on the best player?

No, might have been Walter Galbraith though Jimmy made his debut in 62 aged 16, we had Jock Stein and a few others before Eddie became manager in 72

[Edina Street]

Always thought Paul Kane would have been the perfect 12th or 13th man. (I am not superstitious).

Don't mean that as an insult to him.

He scored 12 goals as our striker during the 1987-88 season, which is not good enough for the full-time striking role, but still half decent.

He took a step back into the midfield during the 1988-89 season and sometimes filled in for injured Mickey Weir. He was clearly never going to replace Weir, but as a stand-in he did ok.

He went all the way back to Right-Back during the 1989-90 season and surprised everyone by becoming a contender for the Scotland right-back jersey, only to win the tennents sixes golden boot in January, persuading Miller to give him a second chance at the strikers role replacing Steve Archibald and making way for the debut of Willie Miller. Unfortunately he was unable to replicate his prolific six-a-side form, and not even his 1987-88 half decent form.

One year later he got his P-45, but he would have made the perfect substitute in Miller's future teams due to his versatility.

I always thought similar of Ian Murray.