Departing caretaker-manager Ian McParland says Arsenal’s high defensive line was key to the Blues’ 1-0 Carling Cup semi-final first leg victory over the Gunners at Portman Road last night. The coach, who cleared his desk at the club before last night’s game, is expected to be told he is no longer required at the club with new boss Paul Jewell taking charge from this morning.
McParland, who switched the Blues to a 4-5-1 formation with Mark Kennedy in the midfield holding role after Sunday's mauling at Chelsea, said: "We looked Arsenal on the DVDs and was saw that they hold a high line, a very high line. We wanted to hit diagonal balls in behind the full-backs for Carlos and Connor to get down the sides and turn them and get them going towards their own goal.
"We knew we’d have to hit them on the counter-attack as we knew we weren’t going to keep the ball because they are a fantastic team. To be fair, our boys did fantastically.”
The man known universally as Charlie says the squad he’s leaving behind are better than their current position of 19th in the Championship. Citing the Coventry, Swansea and Nottingham Forest matches, the 49-year-old believes that had only a few more results gone in the Blues’ favour Roy Keane would still be at the club.
"There are small dividing lines in football. Another two or three wins and the gaffer would still be in a job and we’d be in touching distance of the play-offs,” he said.
"But that’s football nowadays. Fans get edgy, owners get edgy. On the phone-ins, the first thing is, ‘What about the manager?’ People give them a call, ‘Roy’s crap…’. Let’s go.
"They’re a good bunch of lads, a nice bunch, too nice sometimes,” he continued, echoing a familiar theme from Keane’s press conferences. "They need a few characters in there to mingle with the boys that are here and then they’ll kick on and they’ll be fine.”
Asked whether he’ll be at the second leg at the Emirates, the Scot says he might have other things on his mind: "Hopefully, I’ll have another job by then!”
Meanwhile, Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas has somewhat bizarrely suggested Town won due to playing tactics more akin to the oval ball game: "I don't know if it is long ball or it is a rugby kick but it worked for them.
"In England, a lot of teams play like that and it works for them, they create chances like that and it is their football. We just have to put the ball on the floor and try to play football.
"Credit to them because they played well but Arsenal played the football, the other team refused to play football, they were lucky to score with a long ball.
"Still, we played well. We were good enough but just did not put the ball in the back of the net. I can remember only two opportunities for them but it was from a long, long ball because when they were playing football they could not really get in behind us.
"It is a disappointing because we were the much better team but it was one of those nights.”