In an ideal world, we would not have two, very promising, young goalkeepers, but at least one experienced stopper; and we would also have a beast of an experienced, classical DM in our squad. But other than that, Arsenal have great strength in depth throughout the team.
Last night, I was having a good look at our squad and gave some thoughts to what would happen once, if ever, the entire squad is fully fit and ready to play. I divided the squad into: ‘most likely first team starters’ and ‘second string team’, and when finished I wondered whether I would put my house on the first team easily beating the second string team, assuming they are all fully fit and motivated.
First Team: Second Team:
Szczesny Mannone
Sagna Jenkinson
Mertesacker Djourou
Vermaelen Koscielny
Gibbs Santos
Arteta Coquelin
Diaby Ramsey
Santi Jack
Podolski Rosicky
Gervinho Arshavin
Giroud Theo
I based the first team on a mixture of recent selection choices for key games and quality of the player (experience, recent successful performances, etc). A fully fit Jack might be first choice instead of a fully fit Diaby, but I reckon it is very close at the moment.
Would you put your house on the above mentioned first team beating the second team, say four times out of five? I would not.
I reckon Arteta is a lot stronger than Coquelin, as the former lacks the enormous experience of the Spaniard, and a fully fit Diaby is ahead of Ramsey, no doubt. Mertesacker is a better CB than JD and Podolski a better goal scorer than Rosicky, but a team is more than the sum of its parts, and if both teams would be given one month to train together and than play five games against each other over the space of two weeks; would the first team outperform the second team with ease every time? I think not.
Or let me put it differently, if we would take the second team to Norwich on Saturday, would you really be worried we would not be able to win the game?
There is great strength of depth in our team, which is just fantastic for us. The key thing is, though, to use it properly. Rotation of players is a real art. We all know the saying: ‘don’t change a winning team’ and managers are often reluctant to rotate players, even when the risk of fatigue and subsequent injury is looming dangerously.
I reckon we played Mertesacker in too many games before he got injured. His body and mind were used to a long winter-break in December and January, but Arsenal kept playing him and it is quite well possible that this led to him damaging his ligaments in early February. Arteta and Van Persie are other examples of not being rotated enough. Miraculously, we got away with not resting the traitorous Dutchman, but we were not so lucky with our anchor in midfield, which could have cost us dearly. There are more examples of players being played in too many games in succession, and the only way to avoid the strong possibility of long term injuries to key players is by rotating our squad wisely.
I am a huge fan of Arsene, but I believe he is not very good at rotation. I don’t think he does it enough, and we often seem to suffer disproportionately if and when Arsene is forced, or even chooses, to rotate. Yet, I feel strongly he needs to rotate more this season: not four, five players at a time, but one or two at every game: subtle, well-prepared for changes, designed to keep players out of the ‘red zone’.
If we don’t do it, there is a strong possibility we will get into the final period of the season – the one in which silverware is being won or lost – with either too many fatigued, or long-term injured players. By using the width of our squad appropriately we can keep the entire squad as fit as possible, leaving us with options throughout the season and a better possibility to bring home silverware in May.
Total Arsenal.
Bergkampesque 
Why is OX omitted from the list
A really excellent Post, TA, and very well argued! 🙂
Now, while I agree with you that in the past AW has stuck resolutely to his ‘best’ team, I think that was in part because injuries forced him to stick with the players he had because there were no suitable alternatives.
In addition, it is difficult to argue against the fact that we had only a few top class players and a number of players who were artisans and not stars. This again forced AW to stick with his ‘stars’ although they may have been played when not fully fit, or needed a rest.
Currently, we have not been quite so badly hit by injuries in specific positions (last year we had problems with having to play makeshift full backs for weeks/months because injuries had played havoc with the recognised left and right back positions) and it is indisputable that we now have far more depth of quality players in the squad, and this will give Arsene more options should the need arise.
Finally, much has been made of the GPS technology AW has applied to keeping tabs on the players physical output (distance/energy expended etc) and the physiological impact on their bodies, and where players are likely to enter the ‘red zone’ he will be able to see this and either take them off during a game or rest them for the next game.
So historically I would agree with you, partly because circumstances dictated events, but currently I think things will be done differently this season with our improved squad allowing far more permutations! 🙂
Ooops Daff, that is a very good point. I did indeed forget about him, but come to think about it, I prefer the midfielders and wingers I have chosen in team 2. He could possibly replace Rosicky or Ramsey, but I am not sure. What would you do?
I certainly hope so Redders. 🙂
Players at risk of being overused this season are Mertesacker, Gibbs, Arteta, Cazorla, Podolski and Gervinho. Let’s see whether they get a break in time, but I think you are making some good points why it might be different this season.
Good Post TA
It has made me feel very happy, because it’s been a long time since we had this much strength in depth.
If your two teams played each other in a one-off, the score would be 2-2.
Pod and Santi would score for the First Team. Then Szcz would drop a clanger and Arsh would score into an empty net, after which Kozzer would head an injury time equaliser from a Jenks cross while Vermaelen is up the wrong end of the field.
Haha Rocky, that could well happen 🙂
Would you agree, though, that this second team would be a match for most PL teams?!
I would not mind seeing that game, Rockstar! 🙂
Two evenly matched teams such that you could team and lade between them.
Teaming and lading, TA, now I bet that phrase has you scratching your head. 😆
Naturellement, Je ne comprend pas Cul Rouge, but I do like it when it is teaming with luvvly ladies! 😆
Yes indeedy!
That is a total-ly new slant on the phrase! 🙂
It is actually an accounting term to describe a naughty practice where someone who has stolen money from one account pays it back from money stolen from another account et seq.
The way I intended it was in the context that you could take a couple of players from team A, above, and put them into team B without causing any problems, or loss of efficiency.
Mind you, it would probably work with a couple of your lovely ladees too! 😆
Redders, you are main source of education permanente on the blogs.
Now I know what teaming and lading is! 🙂
TA,
I cannot let you get away without having one of my nonsense poems!! 🙂
There lived a sage in days of yore,
And he a handsome pigtail wore;
But wondered much and sorrowed more,
Because it hung behind him.
He mused upon this curious case,
And swore he’d change the pigtail’s place,
And have it hanging at his face,
Not dangling there behind him.
Says he, “The mystery I’ve found,–
I’ll turn me round,”–he turned him round;
But still it hung behind him.
Then round and round, and out and in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain–it mattered not a pin,–
The pigtail hung behind him.
And right and left, and round about,
And up and down, and in and out,
He turned; but still the pigtail stout
Hung steadily behind him.
And though his efforts never slack,
And though he twist and twirl and tack,
Alas! still faithful to his back,
The pigtail hangs behind him.
I have named this “An Ode to Glic” 😆
Hi
I`m back from treating the ladeez of Glicdom ( aka Cornwall ) to some extreme handsomeness !. Mind you, I woke up to a shock this morning, as I couldn`t see my face in the bedroom ceilng mirror, I thought someone had snatched me !, but on further examination I realised I still had my cloak and false fangs on from last night`s Vampire Diaries !, so I removed them and gained my reflection .
Fine post Total
Replace Arshavin with the Ox in the second team and I take them to win !.
Agree with Redders.
( The mesmerising linguistical Redders
Sharp wit that could rip your clothes to shreaders
But he came down with a bang
In the back of Mr Persie`s Van
Giving Stretches telescope some headers ) hahaha
Arsene hasn`t had the luxury of being able to rotate for quite a few years. I`m also of the mind of playing your best team, especially whilst we are playing catch up, once in striking distance or in front of the leaders then maybe a few games of resting players for League Cup, FA Cup and later stages of CL, but they will all get a chance anyway, because we`re bound to suffer injuries !.
Redders not all accountants are as clever as you, infact, one of our mates, not mentioning no names, so lets just call him….erm……Terry, has just got the job of sorting out the Greek economy, this is a video of him currently at work and if you ever wondered what our Terry looked like ? …..well he`s a dead ringer !.
Glic, you truly are a genius! 🙂
What am I saying ………………… the way Terry has ruined the Greek economy ………… now that takes genius!! 🙂
The worlds most authorative person on Genius is Aladdin, after constantly rubbing his lamp and nearly going blind out pops a genie arse !.
RA, nice one: the tail is clearly wagging the Glicster. 😛
Hi GLiC 🙂 You are in fine form again this afternoon. On the serious matter of swapping Arshavin for the Ox, I can see your point but a fully motivated and fit Arshavin is still better than the up and coming Oxo Cube.
But Total, would we or will we ever see a fit and fully motivated Arshavin again ?. I think he will be gone in January.
Hi Glic,
Nobody will have him, I reckon: out of form and too expensive salary wise.
If however, he’s fully fit and motivated, he can still be a fine player. I agree with you this is, sadly, unlikely to be the case again 😦
Total, the rumour is Fulham might come in !. Talking of Fulham, my boy works with a landscaper, just the two of them, they also do some contract garden maintenance. One of the clients in Crackington Haven is selling up to Danny Murphy. I should imagine it will be his holiday home , so the contract could possibly continue. My boy is going to need a translater or do all bindippers come with subtitles like Jamie Carragher ?. hahaha
Ermm a pachet of crizps and cokah coalah – is all he needs to know
Glic, if you are still around, meant to ask you how your grandson, big-little Gooner is doing at the moment?!
God evening peeps. Yous is bloody right Totalops about bloody Arsene Wenger. The Arse needs more rotate init but he keep playing same team every bloody week. Every one needs a bit of rotate now and again. My Mrs indoors says er to me “Oi Terry, when we maka the love why dont you bloody rotate your arse now and again”. I get very angry about this Totalpops so i say to her ” Effing hell trouble & strifes, why should i rotate arse when bloody Arse donta rotate arse. Anyway your arse is so big there is no bloody room to rotate init” I felt very nice saying that Totalops, bit now i have big bruise on my head and am eating bloody salads out of the doggie bowls
Good Night Peeps.
Touch wood Total, he`s doing fine. On Sunday he had his first bath and has also been putting the weight on consistantly ( he was 5lb 1oz on Sunday ). His progress is so good, he might be allowed home in a couple of weeks ! 🙂
Terry 😆 Rotate the Arse! hahaha.
Glic, great news. That will be some party then when the little one finally comes home?! 🙂
Thats bloody great news Cornwalls. My trouble and strifes says er to me “Oi Terry, why dont you bloody change babies nappies for once, you bloody good for nothing”. This maker me very angry Cornwalls so i say to her “Bloody hell troubles and strifes, that is womens work init. Besides you needer the exsercise you fat cow” Now i have bloody big bruise on my malterseasers and am living in bloddy shed init.
Off to watch a game chaps. Keep rotating Terry, you might strike lucky again! 🙂
New, quick and dirty, post! 🙂
Im not sure about the list exactly, but your premise is simply correct, Arsene, who is my hero, doesnt rotate enough, and if he doesnt do it more this season, with all of our depth in midfield and defense, it will really bother me. He has shown the capacity to ” adjust” his thinking and habits in some areas, so i hope this is one. Either way, i hope he ends up having the magic touch.