As the match entered the 75th minute, it was Charlton who began to sit back and defend.
After all, they had already taken the lead—and now it was about holding onto it. They adopted a more composed and cautious approach in the ensuing play. However, suddenly Alan Curbishley frowned on the sideline, clearly sensing something.
City were beginning to look reckless in their pursuit of an equalizer.
When the ball went out of play again in the 77th minute, Robertson wasted no time. He immediately brought on Trezeguet to replace Larsson—and then, in a surprising move, swapped Zambrotta for Shevchenko.
City went all out with their last two substitutions!
The team had been overturned and was suffering a morale-crushing comeback. All knew that City was being pushed to the edge. At this moment, the coach needed to salvage not just the game but also the team's morale—and perhaps even his own authority and trust as head coach.
Now, John Robertson could only take a daring risk.
