Eddie Howe has got no Plan B!

Eddie Howe has been drawing criticism from some disaffected fans.

They claim that he always plays the same formation, that he has no Plan B for when opposing teams realise this and use tactics to combat the sheer predictability.

Around teatime on Wednesday I was guilty of this to some extent.

Like many fans I could only see one outcome, an absolute hammering, helped by totally biased match officials.

Then I saw the team sheet!

I thought sending out what amounted to a weakened team against the reigning European Champions was committing football suicide. Then I thought a walk in the freezing mist could prove a better way to spend 90 minutes.

What followed laid those accusations to rest once and for all.

PSG must have been salivating at the thought of facing them, especially when their 12th man gifted them the obligatory penalty. Nick Pope stood tall and proud and palmed it away to safety.

Then they scored from open play and I think complacency set in.

Our Plan B kicked in – a floating formation readily adapting to a back five.

Pacey players with fresh legs who hadn’t played for game after game.

Tactics over team as time and again their attacks were blunted and our counter attacks slowly drew the strength from PSG.

Plan B put into action without our talismanic Brazilians.

Plan B to ensure that even with floodlight robbery we would be unbeaten in three games against the current European Champions.

So that put rest to those criticisms, as once again the Eddie Howe analytical and tactical genius showed through.

All this and plenty of time to prepare the big guns for battle away to LivRATpool on Saturday!