Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino were facing the same predicament. And both, in retrospect, got it wrong.
Ahead of Saturday's Champions League final, the talk centred around the availability of two key players.
Liverpool were waiting on Roberto Firmino, without a start in almost six weeks after suffering a groin problem.
For Tottenham Hotspur, the issue concerned Harry Kane, out for approaching two months with ankle ligament damage.
In the event, both started. And, given their respective ineffective performances, neither should have.
But while Pochettino persevered with Kane for the full match – adamant afterwards he had no regrets over the decision – Klopp had seen enough after less than an hour to give Firmino the hook.
On came Divock Origi. And, of course, it was the Belgian whose 87th-minute strike sealed a 2-0 win for Liverpool and a sixth European Cup.
Whereas Pochettino was a little stubborn – it could also be argued Fernando Llorente and Lucas Moura were brought on a bit too late – Klopp was proactive with his substitutions.
Not happening? Change it.
The Liverpool boss did the same with Gini Wijnaldum. After a difficult first half, it only took one piece of dozing from the Dutchman after the break and he was substituted moments later.
It was all a stark contrast to 12 months earlier when, despite being beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in Kiev and losing Mohamed Salah to injury, Klopp made just two of his three available substitutions, throwing on half-fit duo Adam Lallana and Emre Can.
Matters are different now. And that is reflected in the number of goals scored by those coming off the bench this season.
In Klopp's first campaign in 2015-16, 18 goals came from substitutes as he chopped and changed in search of which players stood a long-term chance under his reign.
But once the team became more settled, substitutes have contributed fewer goals, nine in 2016-17 and a remarkable low of five in the goal-laden 2017-18 campaign.
Origi's well-taken effort at the Estadio Metropolitano meant Liverpool ended with 17 goals from the bench this term.
There have been many important ones, such as Firmino's dramatic winner against Paris Saint-Germain, Origi's late strikes to beat Everton and Newcastle United, Xherdan Shaqiri's brace against Manchester United and James Milner's penalty at Fulham.
That's not to mention the various assists substitutes have accrued.
Of course, some goals, such as Wijnaldum's famous double strike from the bench against Barcelona in the semi-final second leg, were injury-enforced.
Many, though, have been due to Klopp having not only greater numbers available due to the continued investment in the squad, but also more confidence in those options.
The Reds boss would consult with Zeljko Buvac over every substitution before his long-term right-hand man stepped down in April 2018. Now the responsibility for in-game changes, while discussed with Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, rests easily on Klopp's shoulders.
More often than not Liverpool have got it right during the campaign.
There is no point having a big squad if you're going to use it.
And if Liverpool made a point of celebrating their Champions League triumph as a collective, it's because, as the impact of substitutes has shown, they truly are one.
