Weimann for N’Zogbia brought out the obvious chant from the fans, but McLeish has reassured fans it was a calculated decision from the bench.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the gaffer said:
‘The dugout can be a very tense place to be, certainly when you are not winning and certainly when you have not won at home for a long time. Especially so at a club like this where the fans’ expectations are massive, and it was a great relief to see the goal go on.’
On the substitution directly he added:
‘Sometimes it comes off and sometimes not. But they weren’t desperate subs, they were calculated, we did know what we were doing at those moments.’
I don’t think there is a single fan who disagreed with the introduction of Weimann, and the only dissenting voices (mine included) to the introduction of Bannan and Gardner were that the decisions came so late again.
The annoyance came from taking off N’Zogbia who was lively and posing a threat, as opposed to what was a poor game by Albie. Had the change been Weimann for Albrighton I’m not sure the fans would’ve reacted that way.
It obviously worked for Eck this week, especially the latter subs of Bannan and Gardner, but we’ve seen them both given 8 odd minutes before and it simply hasn’t been long enough for them to get into the game.
You could argue they didn’t get in the game today, but a couple of passes between them gave us that opening that Weimann made full advantage of by gambling on a rebound.
Imagine what all three players might be able to muster in a team performance like that, when they have longer to get up to speed and stamp their mark on a game fully!
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