Roberto Lopes says there are no substitutes at Shamrock Rovers - and that the bench is filled instead with ‘game-changers’.
The Hoops have benefitted this season from some big in-game switches.
Their last four goals were scored by players who didn’t make the starting-11 - and they contributed to big wins over Sligo Rovers and Derry City.
“In the last few years I’ve tried to view it like that - it’s not subs, it’s almost like game-changers,” declared centre-half Lopes.
“If people have this, I’m on the bench, I’m a sub attitude, you start to go into yourself. You need to view yourself as a game-changer.
“Against Sligo we made four changes at half-time. It could have been eight if we were allowed, we were that bad. But they came on and they impacted the game.
“That’s the mentality you are trying to generate in the team - just because you don’t start a game, it’s not because you are not needed, you will be needed at certain times.
“It might be certain times in certain games or certain times in the season, where you come on and make a difference.
“In the last two or three games the lads have shown that really well.”
Rovers boss Stephen Bradley can fill his bench every week with players that would walk into most Premier Division starting-11s.
His players, however, have come around to the idea that they sometimes have to settle for super-sub roles.
“It’s something we’ve stressed the whole time,” said Lopes, who was speaking at the launch of the Irish Aid Africa Day mural at Old Bawn Community School.
“Even in my earlier times at Rovers, I wasn’t playing every game. But I knew I’d be called at some stage, even in the 88th minute just to see the game out.
“It’s something we’ve preached every year, every week, every season… look, people are going to be disappointed, that’s the nature of the game, you want to play every game.
“But with the squad we have here, it’s not going to happen. You have to be ready at any given time in the season to get out there and put in a performance.”
He added: “There was a New Zealand coach who didn’t call them subs. I remember something like that.
“In my head that’s the way it has to be. If you think, I’m not starting today, straight away you’re down, your energy is down.
“But if you think, I’m going to come on and make a difference here, you bring a completely different energy and vibe to the team.
“As you say, there are starters and finishers; you are there to make sure we finish the game with three points or to make sure we get the three points.”
Meanwhile, Lopes is desperate for another opportunity to play at the African Cup of Nations.
He helped guide Cape Verde to the last-16 in January but was substituted at half-time in their knockout clash with eventual winners Senegal because of food poisoning.
“I felt I wasn’t able to leave it all out there or go out on my shield,” he said. “I left it all in the changing room!
“I’m disappointed because Senegal went on to win it and we really felt that we could cause them an upset.
“But I think it was just too many mountains to climb with the foot poisoning, the two sending offs, and it just didn’t go our way.
“I’d love to get back and have a proper cut at it, and make sure I bring my own food!”
Their qualification campaign for the June 2023 tournament begins next month against Burkina Faso and Togo, with the games being played in Morocco.
“We played our home games last year in Cape Verde but this year it hasn’t been approved by CAF. Burkina Faso is the same, that or there is a military coup at the moment,” he said.
“And the other country, Eswatini, they used to be Swaziland, they don’t have the facilities, so it will be interesting because there is no home and away advantage.”
Roberto Lopes was speaking at the launch of the Irish Aid Africa Day mural at Old Bawn Community School. Africa Day is May 25.
