Unfortunately this is likely to be correct. At youth level a coach is there to indoctrinate his charges with a certain way of playing no matter the outcome. When it comes to the "big, bad world" of first team football, a coach needs to have the nuance to change things and dig deep and dirty when necessary. McLeish showed his naivety with his substitutions and his refusal to demand change and protection of 0-0 with a few minutes to go. This was not a game lost by a referee. It was down to wrong and badly timed substitutions compounded by an unwillingness to see what was transpiring on-field and adapt to accordingly. I believe we will be better to watch this season but it will be back to being puppy dogs in a pack of wolves.
By
stlucifer ·
