Arsenal don’t need plan B; they have a manager

Hello Arsenal fans; well the draw for the next stage of the champions league takes place on Friday; I don’t really know which team I’d like us to avoid though I would love those Barcelona official, players and anyone Barcelona kept as far away from Cesc as possible. We could tap his phone to make sure he isn’t speaking to them; then he might start answering mysterious calls in a phone booth in the middle of the night.

Chelsea lost last night and then exited the competition; one thing that struck me though was this repeated accusation from “analyst” and “pundits” of how Chelsea lacked a plan B. This is an accusation that has been levelled at Arsenal after every loss season after season.

I would like someone to show me a team that has a plan B; may I point out that kicking the ball up to a big man in the middle in hopeless desperation does not constitute a plan B; it is just quite simply hopeless desperation.

This idea of a plan B is something that is very much in the mind of British pundits; when the game is getting away just lump it forward then something might happen. If that’s a plan B what may they suggest would be the plan B for Stoke city? Pass it on the turf the way Arsenal do? Yeah that would surprise a few.

When Barcelona where losing to Chelsea in the champion league I didn’t see them lumping high balls, no, they played their game till the end and they played it with confidence; In the final of the competition when Man utd were being taught a lesson I didn’t notice any plan B from them.

The truth is that there is no plan B; there is the coach making tactical decisions and changes from the touchline. Like at Hull during the last game, Wenger brought Theo on to stretch the game and got Theo to occupy more Hull players with his pace thereby creating more room for the others to work in.

Coaches have always made tactical changes, contrary to what the British media believe Mourinho was not the first; I have seen a manager in Italy change both his full backs and got his team to recover from 2 goals down and win 3-2 with his left back having 3 assist; a manager can bring on a striker to hold up the ball or to scare defenders with his pace whether they are losing or not. A coach can bring on a defender, though his team is a goal down, so that they can win the game.

The coaches don’t set out before the games to make all these changes but they have to react depending on what the game needs. I do remember Jaime Rednapp being brought on at half time during euro 96 against Scotland which helped England win the game; that wasn’t a plan B it was just a reaction, what about Benitez bringing on Hamman during their famous Istanbul victory; also Theo and Babel during the famous 4-2 defeat at Anfield; Iniesta and Larsson in the 2006 Champions league finals, Zalayeta in Juve’s 2003 champion league victory of Barca. Marcelo Bielsa the coach of Chile has always been a master of reading game though he got it so wrong when Argentina crashed out of the 2002 world cup; though he still maintains the position of mad man of football because of his genius reading of the game.

It totally irks me when people complain about Arsenal not having a plan B; besides hoofing the ball up there is no such thing. Our manager reacts to changes he needs to make and sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Wenger is never a man to make rash decisions; his tactical substitutions are always well thought out.


Glad I got that off my chest; the next time anyone tells you Arsenal don’t have a plan B; ask them what Stoke city’s plan B should be