[collectedsoul]

You know what I'm talking about, right?
Why does he hate making substitutions? Can anybody shed some light on this issue?
Perfect example: Game against Rosenborg. Arsenal are 4-1 up at half-time and absolutely cruising. Now just about every manager on the planet, every single one, would have brought off Henry and Reyes at half-time and given some of the young guns a run out. Especially since Henry has been playing every game and needs all the rest he can manage and also, the kids are alright, dammit.
So why on earth does he wait to make a substitution until the 70 to 75th min?
And this applies to many other games over the years when the game has been won comfortably by half-time or the 55 to 60th min, but he just refuses to make a sub until the 70th min. Is this some superstition??

 

[Petros]

tis is true

 

[Twayka]

i dont know, he did make subs against Manu last season at home, he took of pires who the best player, and united scored, wat about the bolton match, he brough in keown, who later scored an own goal, id rather he doesnt make any subs.

 

[Jern Lizardhous]

he is a cautious sub maker, normally he waits until at least 70 minutes before making one.

why ? nobody knows :smileani:

 

[nEEbz]

He's quite stubborn with his philosphies. I guess ur idea of this thread is inspired by Andy Gray's remarks during the match.
Gray said that the Van Persie came off for Bergkamp which is tactically speaking a very straight forward change. An experienced second striker for a un-experienced second striker. No change in the tactics or game plan. I guess he has a point but then again Wenger have sucked whenever it comes to tactical change as Twayka pointed out.

bottom line is that its just we don't have Plan B.
the thing I don't understand is that 'we don't have Plan B' or 'we don't want Plan B' ?

nEEbz

 

[vipeoutboyz]

You don't have Plan B.... just ask George Graham

 

[Twayka]

i think our plan B is normally VAN PERSIE, but when he becomes a starter then we dont have a PLANB.

 

[Jern Lizardhous]

tbh, we don't really need a PLAN B, we just need our players to pass the football well and we will win, unfortunately yesterday in the 2nd half we passed the ball crappily.

 

[Twayka]

but we still won, and thats what matters.

 

[collectedsoul]

He's quite stubborn with his philosphies. I guess ur idea of this thread is inspired by Andy Gray's remarks during the match.

Well no, not really - I dont recall Gray making any such comment. But the fact remains that there is some mysterious force that holds the subs at bay.

Gray said that the Van Persie came off for Bergkamp which is tactically speaking a very straight forward change. An experienced second striker for a un-experienced second striker. No change in the tactics or game plan. I guess he has a point but then again Wenger have sucked whenever it comes to tactical change as Twayka pointed out.

bottom line is that its just we don't have Plan B.
the thing I don't understand is that 'we don't have Plan B' or 'we don't want Plan B' ?

nEEbz

I'm of course aware of the Plan B situation at Arsenal and quite simply there never can be a Plan B with the way Arsenal play. Players can't all of a sudden pump balls into the box and change their whole mentality of football - it cannot work. And it wouldn't work even if a targetman arrived. For Arsenal the so-called Plan B requires a complete overhaul of the philosophy of what I call 'Grace at Pace' - and Wenger's not gonna let that happen and I, for one, am glad of it. For this is a special team - and it would lose its uniqueness, its identity if it became just another artless British team.

 

[kalo]

Yeah this is true. I think in the rosenborg game he took off henry for some young dutch striker in the 90th minute!!!! imediately after that the ref blew the whistle.

Wenger should stop this. It doesn't give much chance to others... :nono:

 

[Petros]

against rosenbourg i was calling for RVP to come on at half time but he came on with only 15 minutes left

 

[Jern Lizardhous]

collectedsoul, good post :shades:

Andy Gray was a striker who relied on his physical presense and aerial ability and he seems to think now that that is the only way to skin a cat, probably why he prefers RvN as a footballer to Henry.

we don't have plans A and B, we just adapt to different situations on the pitch, you could argue we used plans both A + B on Sunday, 1st half was plan A and then we switched to the more cautious plan B in the second half because we were scared of the counter attack.

 

[*OZ*]

maybe he likes to wait a while for his opponent to make the first substitution so he has a clearer view what the other team is planning, so he can make a more informed move with the benfit of hindsight?

 

[Jern Lizardhous]

maybe he likes to wait a while for his opponent to make the first substitution so he has a clearer view what the other team is planning, so he can make a more informed move with the benfit of hindsight?

I'd like to believe that but i don't think so, i think he's just a naturally cautious guy in this respect, he does the same thing a lot with team changes, he waits for ever to drop someone from his team even when they seem to playing horribly.

you take the good with the bad though, and he is mostly good.

 

[Twayka]

i think its cause he knows that he sucks in makin subs

 

[Jern Lizardhous]

i think its cause he knows that he sucks in makin subs

look at Edu last year against Chelsea, Wenger was forced into the sub because of Parlour's injury but Edu coming on completely changed the game, shows the importance of an early sub if things are not going well.

 

[Twayka]

i think that was lucky

 

[Jern Lizardhous]

i think that was lucky

it was lucky yes because Parlour got injured so he had to do it.

 

[Twayka]

see i was right