Birmingham v Bolton. Who needs a midfield?

Wenger should watch the game! There's no way that Barcelona could have defended on the edge of the Birmingham and Bolton boxes as they did against Arsenal. Owen Coyle has supposedly changed Bolton's style of play, but you wouldn't know it watching this one!

Both teams went route one, and did so with typical bludgeoning success. I'm not suggesting that either could live with Barcelona, but both would give the Catalans a more uncomfortable ride that Arsenal gave them. Clever managers adapt tactics according to the opposition - aka Grant's change of team and tactics for the Liverpool and Stoke games - but some are too pig headed to take the opposition into account.

After 20 minutes of the Barca game, the situation was crying out for Arsenal to change tactics. If Barca wanted to press around the edge of the Arsenal box, the obvious tactic was to bypass midfield. Get the ball, lump it and chase after it! But how could the Gallic purist sanction route one football? Coyle would have said "Bollocks to style" and ordered the cavalry charge!

And if Bolton finish top half and make it to the Cup Final, a strong case could be made for Coyle to be manager of the season. Unless we get past Stoke and dump Bolton out in the semis of course. Then Grant could be in line for the award providing we don't go down!