Gabby Agbonlahor reckons Giovanni van Bronckhorst should have unleashed Aaron Ramsey and Kemar Roofe earlier than he did against Frankfurt.
The Rangers duo were subbed on late into extra-time as the showdown headed for penalties.
Roofe nearly had an instant impact as his cut back across goal was met by Ryan Kent, but his effort with two minutes left on the clock was stunningly saved by Kevin Trapp.
The Light Blues pair both stepped up in the shootout with Roofe netting but Ramsey denied in what proved to be the crucial spot-kick.
It was a heartbreaking way to lose the final as the Bundesliga side ran out 5-4 winners on penalties after a 1-1 draw following 120 minutes of football.
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talkSPORT host Agbonlahor understood the decision to start with the same team that defeated RB Leipzig in the semi-finals.
But he reckons Gio's call to put the pair on with penalties in mind 'backfired'.
Speaking on the breakfast show alongside host Alan Brazil, he said: "I understood the starting team because I said it to Ally (McCoist) and Adrian Durham yesterday.
"I said that, you know, will he start the same team against Leipzig, and that's what he did, so you understand that reason because the players won that game.
"But I think some of his subs, Arfield and other ones, maybe he should've brought on Roofe and Ramsey earlier.
"That was for penalties I think but it didn't work, it backfired."
