I listened to the weekends game on the radio and quite a few times the commentators mentioned how Brew had got his tactics spot on.

I agree that previously making a substitution when you are losing so late in the game was (still is??) an area in which Brew frustrated, however did enjoy him frustrating utd with the late substitutions while defending a 1-0 lead away from home.

Compare this to Stephen Kenny's bizzare decision, after going 1-0 down at home in the 73rd minute to not make a change until the 84th minute then to make another substition in the 91st minute  :017:  I'll bet Alex Rae was delighted with that choice!  "Aye you just waste the time for us ya edjit!"  :004:

Yup.

late substitutions - and I am talking about like for like substitutions - are fine when you are winning but dont seem so clever when you are losing. I would have one caveat ... and that is if you have just had a goal scored against you and are perhaps taking off a defender and throwing on an extra striker in an effort to score a late equaliser/winner

From listening to the radio at the weekend, I would have to say that I got the impression that Brewster got his tactics spot on for the whole game this time so fair play to him.

I was at the game on saturday and feel Niculae should have been substituted long before he was. He was totally out of the game in the second half, and seemed more concerned with his gloves than the action on the field. When Bayne came on it was like chalk and cheese, as he chased every ball that came his way. He was so much more effective at the high balls coming through and should have been on the field much earlier.

Have to disagree slightly with Finmack in that, although I don't think Niculae has the makings of a lone striker, he was the best option.  We were undoubtedly playing with one up front, but the tactics seemed to be that any ball played forward to Niculae was with the intention of him holding it up and then laying off to one of the onrushing midfielders.  It was actually a play exactly like that which tee'd the ball up for Black to score...although admittedly it was more of a stumble over the ball by Niculae than a clever lay-off.

As much as Bayne will chase and harass, he doesn't have a great deal of finesse when it comes to controlling a ball played high to him and his first touch can and often does go anywhere and everywhere....he would have been eaten alive by the Utd back line and more often than not we would have seen the ball coming straight back at us, instead of getting us a bit of time to push everyone forward.

Taking Bayne on when we did was the right decision, Niculae was starting to flag after a hard shift and Bayne had the luxury of getting himself a bit of space against a tired defense.

As much as Bayne will chase and harass, he doesn't have a great deal of finesse

Taking Bayne on when we did was the right decision, Niculae was starting to flag after a hard shift and Bayne had the luxury of getting himself a bit of space against a tired defense.

Spot on :clapping03:

Taking Bayne on when we did was the right decision, Niculae was starting to flag after a hard shift and Bayne had the luxury of getting himself a bit of space against a tired defense.

Hello Sir Alex!

*waves to Sir Alex*