Next man up to try and achieve the goal.
That appears to be the mantra that I’m getting from Ryan Yates’ interview following our victory over Huddersfield Town on Sunday.
Yates put the cherry on the performance by coming off the bench at half-time to score the third goal of the day.
And speaking to the club website after the game, Yates spoke about the role that he has to play for the team going forward as we continue our push up the table, in the push for a playoff spot (or a potential top-two spot if things fall in the right way):
“Whether I am starting or coming off the bench I just need to do my job to help the team. Of course I was disappointed not to start but I can’t be upset or anything as I came on at half-time and I need to be there for the team.”
I think that Yates is probably one of the players that could benefit the most from the new substitution rule in the division. Whilst I’ve spoken about the substitution rule being used to give academy players more of a runout, such as the player Yates replaced in Brennan Johnson, but for a fringe player like Yates has been this season, this is an important chance for them as well, and this game against Huddersfield was a prime example of how beneficial it can be.
Do we still have a realistic shot at the top two?
Yes
No
If we’re going to maintain our challenge for promotion, we are going to need everybody that we can to keep up the pressure on the teams above us.
And the example of someone like Yates should be big inspiration for players like Joao Carvalho, John Bostock and Nuno Da Costa that even though they might not be starters, they will certainly get their minutes before the season is over.
What about you? What do you make of Yates’ comments?
