Wenger can make it ugly - O'Neill

Mar 14 2007

MARTIN O'Neill will be aiming to push Arsene Wenger's pass-and-move tactics towards Plan B tonight, just as he did at The Emirates Stadium.

The Villa boss' admission that the Gunners are exceptionally pleasing on the eye will surprise few, but even they, he says, will resort to lumping it long.

Villa were minutes away from an almighty shock on the opening day of the season when Arsenal's more direct approach finally paid off with Gilberto Silva's goal.

Ironic for a club who have so many red cards - they have three key men sidelined through suspension tonight - the debate will always rage as to whether Arsenal show too much of the "beautiful" side of the game and not enough of the "ugly".

But O'Neill is firm in his belief that Arsenal should never change their style. They have been a very good team for a long time. They are really worth watching, they really pass it well and they have a great style of play.

"If you've got a lot of flair players in your side good at passing it and you've got a good pitch, then why would you want to change it if it's been pretty successful for you all season?

"But I don't subscribe to the theory that they don't have a Plan B. For example, in the game against us, in the last 10 minutes before they scored, they were starting to play it longer because they realised time was running out. Teams have been doing that forever and a day. That's nothing new - it's instinctive.

"I'm not saying do it with 25 minutes to go, but with 10 minutes left, even the best teams are inclined to play it longer."