My vote was at least more minutes off bench.
I think Simmo and Urena both did their jobs pretty well last night in a tight, tough game. Yes we would all have loved to see Kuol come on and bag a winner but sometimes the battle doesn’t necessarily allow for it. That said, he should have been given more than a 15 minute cameo and if Matty or Marco have to miss a game, Alou may not have enough minutes in his legs to step up, so that is something Staj does need to consider.
They both had very good games, but their work rate noticeably (and expectedly) drops off second half. Kuol forces oppositions to change which is what we desperately needed by 55 minutes. He also ignites the crowd. Which shouldn’t be discounted in switching the rhythm of a game.
That aside, as a player, he got fourteen minutes and set up what could have been two goals. And in the 15 minutes just prior to his sub we broke twice with massive space but had no runs from a striker to capitalise.
One of Sydney’s weaknesses is pace at the back. We failed to exploit this second half and which is when they would have bern most vulnerable.
I agree with Bikini and you that the early forced sub really didn’t help. But imho you still have to respond to the game as it’s unfolding - sure you can always plan for the eventuality that someone else is injured and keep a player on the bench till 90. But, Corica was right they dominated much of the second half, were running us ragged with their fresh legs and we desperately needed to stop that. But we didn’t try. We almost got away with it.
Staj/s subs are almost consistently strange to me. Casella was starting games not doing much wrong and we were winning. Then struggles to even get minutes off the bench. Nisbet has been in an out even though he’s been exceptional in most games which in playing DM you can understand due to Olly and Stens, but until yesterday was put behind Bouman in the pecking order when he clearly offers a lot more across the board.
Janota struggles to ’get any minutes, which is uncommon and concerning for a foreign visa player, then he starts ahead of nizz though he’s been hardly playing and has a shocker. Then he’s back to no minutes.
Smylie, scores in early appearance, then disappears. Hatch one goal scoring cameo and gone again. Bouman must be going, oh shit, I was starting, now I’m coming on at 90. Miller, disappears till last night though I still think there’s a case he’s a much better RB prospect than Nigro who still reliably gets caught ball watching.
Staj's failure to give development minutes to Hall in games like the one against the fire chickens could have bitten us hard yesterday - he did well - but he was clearly feeling the occasion and nervy at the start,
And then we’re back to Kuol... has anyone in this league ever scored seven off the bench? Enough to get him picked up by Stuttgart but he can barely nick a few minutes off Marcos or Matty. Not many young players would cop that in his position, I love him for it. But seriously, he’s almost worth getting on just for the level of fervour he gets from our young supporters.
Now I’m not convinced Kuol should get the start - it's not broken and neither Matty or Marcos deserve top be dropped, but imo he just has to cone on by sixty, and he’s earned that for sure.