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Reader question: In this headline (Arsène Wenger’s red herrings cannot disguise Arsenal’s failings in defence - TheGuardian.com, January10, 2017), what are red herrings exactly? My comments: After reading the article, I’ve come to the conclusion that Arsène Wenger’s red herrings refer to a few of his misleading theories about his team’s worsening defense. Misleading because that’s what red herrings are – they’re there to distract, to direct you to a wrong track. First of all, Wenger is the French manager of English Premier League side Arsenal. He said the other day that his team’s lack of defensive qualities was due to, among other things, the gentrification of society in general. He said, for example: “I believe as well that young boys practise well on quality pitches, whereas before it was muddy and you could tackle and throw your body in – it created opportunities for defenders to work naturally on their defensive techniques. Today it’s all more standing up. There is less physical commitment because the quality of the pitches is much better.” In short, the pitch is so sparklingly clean that players are reluctant to launch one of those flying tackles lest any grass is uprooted – dirtying their shirts and shorts in the process. That’s a simplification, of course, but you get the point. Wenger may have a point, broadly speaking. But the author of the article disagrees, suggesting that the Frenchman threw up these misleading theories in order to cover his team’s and, perhaps, his own failings. | 
