Spurs fans made their discontent audible following Tottenham's 1-0 defeat to Wigan at the weekend, with Andre Villas-Boas's decision to substitute Jermain Defoe for Emmanuel Adebayor a particular source of frustration. Tottenham supporters aren't alone, however, as there have been plenty of changes made by managers in the past that didn't work out well for their respective teams. talkSPORT have more…
Game: Monaco 3-1 Chelsea
Manager: Claudio Ranieri
Substitution: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink on for Mario Melchiot/Robert Huth on for Scott Parker
Drawing 1-1 with a Monaco side down to ten men, Chelsea looked well positioned to take advantage and deal a crushing blow to the side from the principality in their 2003/04 Champions League semi-final tie. Instead, Claudio Ranieri decided to hand the game to the opposition by making two baffling substitutions, bringing on striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and playing him at right back, before yet again changing the line-up by bringing Robert Huth on to play in the same position then moving Hasselbaink forward. The confusion which ensued among the Chelsea players resulted in them conceding two goals, with a clearly injured John Terry being forced to stay on the pitch after Ranieri used all of his three permitted substitutions. It would prove costly, with underdogs Monaco winning 3-1, then drawing 2-2 at Stamford Bridge in the second leg to progress to the final.
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Game: Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 Liverpool
Manager: Gerard Houllier
Substitution: Vladimir Smicer on for Didi Hamann
Defeat in the second leg of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final in 2002 wasn't necessarily the worst thing about the tie for the Reds, but rather, the manner in which it came around. Liverpool were drawing 1-1 with Bayer Leverkusen 60 minutes into the second leg, having won the home match 1-0, when Gerard Houllier decided to withdraw defensive midfielder Didi Hamann for attacker Vladmir Smicer, completely disrupting the balance in his side. The Reds had looked comfortable prior to the change, an aggregate goal to the good, with an away goal in the bank, but Michael Ballack went on to score almost instantly after the change and Dimitar Berbatov made it 3-2 on aggregate to Dortmund. A rattled Liverpool hit back to make it 3-3 on aggregate and lead on away goals, but without Hamann they lost all defensive solidity and conceded six minutes from time, in the process being denied the opportunity to face Manchester United in the semis.
Game: Spain 4-0 Italy
Manager: Cesare Prandelli
Substitution: Thiago Motta on for Ricardo Montolivo
Italy were already losing comfortably by two goals to nil against Spain in the Euro 2012 final when Cesare Prandelli decided to bring on Thiago Motta for Ricardo Montolivo, but with nearly an entire half of football still to play, there was still sufficient time for Italy to score and maybe, just maybe come back. Prandelli's substitution was particularly baffling given that it was his third and final change allowed and, with 35 minutes of football still to play, the Italians still had Thiago Motta in their ranks, who had been a major injury doubt coming into the game. Within minutes, Motta had pulled up with a hamstring injury, and Italy were forced to play the remainder of the game with ten men, a particularly big problem given Spain's ability to keep the ball and leave their opponents chasing. La Roja would go on to win 4-0, taking full advantage of the extra space given to them, and though the likelihood is that Italy would have lost regardless, giving their opponents the advantage of an extra man with a two goal lead certainly didn't help.
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Game:Southampton 0-2 Leeds
Manager: Graeme Souness
Substitution: Ali Dia on for Matt Le Tissier
The worst substitution ever? Graeme Souness infamously decided to bring off an injured Matt Le Tissier for new arrival Ali Dia in a 1996/97 Premier League match against Leeds United, with Dia coming to Southampton after being personally recommended to Souness by his 'cousin' George Weah – a double lie – only days prior. Dia lasted 53 minutes before being hauled off in the same game, with Leeds winning 2-0 in the end. As it turned out, Dia hadn't played for PSG, nor ran out 13 times for his country as 'George Weah' – or at least the bloke purporting to be him – had claimed, and his most recent experience of football prior to Southampton was one substitute appearance for non-league outfit Blyth Spartans that same year.
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Game: Newcastle 1-0 Chelsea
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Substitution: Eidur Gudjohnsen on for Geremi/Frank Lampard on for Joe Cole/Damien Duff on for Tiago
Jose Mourinho is held in almost infallible esteem in England, but one game in particular against Newcastle United in the 2005 FA Cup proved the Portuguese was capable of getting it wrong. After going 1-0 down to Newcastle at St James' Park, Mourinho made the bold move of using all of his substitutions at half time, but his bold gamble backfired. Wayne Bridge was injured shortly into the second half, while Damien Duff was also crocked, but remained on the field purely to bolster Chelsea's dwindling numbers, and William Gallas was also limping by the end. To make matters worse, Carlo Cudicini was sent off for fouling Shola Ameobi, rounding off a not so special result for the Special One. Newcastle comfortably advanced to the quarter-finals.
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Game: Sweden 2-1 England
Manager: Graham Taylor
Substitution: Alan Smith on for Gary Lineker
David Platt had put England ahead early in their 1992 European Championship group decider against hosts Sweden, with a place in the semi-finals awaiting the victor, but with Jan Eriksson equalising in the second half, the match hung in the balance. In an effort to change the game, Graham Taylor made the controversial decision to haul off skipper prolific goal scorer Gary Lineker for Arsenal's Alan Smith, in the process denying Lineker the chance to equal Bobby Charlton's 49 goals for his country, as it turned out to be his last game. England would go on to lose the match seven minutes from the end, and Taylor's decision to remove the veteran striker wasn't exactly popular in the media post-mortem that followed.
What's the worst substitution you've ever seen? Let us know your thoughts…