Perils of the plastic for Wenger
IF Arsenal’s problems weren’t bad enough, this evening they must negotiate a tricky FA Cup tie on Sutton United’s plastic pitch.
Chris Sutton and Martin Keown captained two Sportsmail teams in a recent match on the 3G surface at Gander Green Lane — with Graham Poll keeping a close eye on proceedings — to uncover the potential pitfalls for Arsenal.
Here, Sportsmail’s experts give their scouting report...
HOW DID YOU FIND PLAYING ON THIS SURFACE?
KEOWN: It felt sticky. You have to take the ball on. If you wait for it, the ball can deviate or stop dead, whereas on a grass pitch it would run through.
POLL: Did you think the ball bounced up a bit?
KEOWN: Occasionally. Two of the goals we conceded were from throw-ins played to our own team-mates and they could not control the ball quickly enough. On this surface you have to kill the ball with your first touch. Don’t let it bounce, get it under control.
SUTTON: It is about getting used to the pace of the ball. Your weight of passing is really important and you have to get used to it. The weight of pass on this pitch is different from that on grass — longer balls tend to run away from you.
POLL: I do think it is more of a mental thing. It’s like you say, Chris, your first two passes were a little long but you had the right attitude and just adjusted it. If you come out here thinking this is going to be difficult then it will be.
HOW DO YOU SET UP TO PLAY ON THIS PITCH?
KEOWN: In the old days Luton and Queens Park Rangers had plastic pitches. Those were a lot more solid surfaces and they tended to play long balls.
SUTTON: When I played in Scotland, Dunfermline had a 3G pitch. When we went there with Celtic, Martin O’Neill would tell us to miss the midfield out, go direct and play off knock- downs. Don’t risk it in the middle of the park.
KEOWN: Arsenal can go long with Olivier Giroud if they want to. They have that different tool in the box. It’s not what they will want to do — they will want to play to feet.
DO YOU THINK ARSENAL WILL BE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT SLIDE TACKLING ON IT?
SUTTON: I do. Going to ground in the modern game is not always the best option and it is certainly not out there.
KEOWN: In our game, one of the lads made a slide tackle and a massive bruise came up on his knee.
Landing on that surface is in your mind a little bit. But as a professional you have to make those tackles. You cannot worry about it. In the heat of the battle you have to commit.
ARSENAL HAVE BEEN TRAINING ON THEIR INDOOR PITCH — HOW WILL CONDITIONS DIFFER?
KEOWN: They may well have had a session but you cannot recreate the wind swirling around, the cameras and the incredibly small dressing room they have to use.
SUTTON: If they don’t train on a surface like this then they are mad. It takes some getting used to.
KEOWN: Arsenal wouldn’t usually train on the surface because Arsene Wenger does not believe in it.
It’s not great for the body. You get a lot of injuries on this surface and that will be on his mind.
But once you commit to the game, the pitch is gone. You cannot make any excuses.
You have got to think about winning the FA Cup and doing anything you can to win the match.