Full CL squad in Germany: Man-1, Shea, Sagna, Vermaelen, Arteta, Djourou, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Wilshere, Giroud, Cazorla, Santos, Podolski, Theo, Arshavin, Jenkinson, Coquelin, Chamakh.
Arsenal’s fourth CL game this season will be the biggest test we have had until now. A loss today is likely to have serious implications: psychologically, as well as practically. With a home match against Montpellier next, and an always tricky last away game against Olympiacos, we cannot afford to lose tonight. More than anything, our players need to find themselves again, to rediscover their spark, to get our system of football ticking again; to get in the groove, and to start believing again.
However much we would like it; there is no way Arsenal can go into this game with an ‘all guns blazing’ attitude. Schalke are simply set-up to deal with this, and will instead blast us away with deadly counter-football. That’s why – as predicted in my pre-match report a fortnight ago – we played so tentatively against them at the Emirates. Stevens is a mini-master at tactical preparation and his teams are always well drilled in keeping their structure and dominance across the team, and especially in midfield. Tonight will once again be the battle of midfield: Arsenal need to win it at all cost. But it won’t be easy.
If Arsenal will go out all guns blazing, we need to play at a murderous tempo and play a high-line to keep the pressure up. Schalke 04 will be hoping, we’ll just do that. As soon as they regain possession, they will aim to launch their wingers and central attacking midfielder – probably Afellay, Farfan and Lewis Holtby, but Draxler is also fully fit again – and, as we have all witnessed two weeks ago, in Huntelaar they have the quintessential goal poacher, who does not need many opportunities to gun us down.
Big test for Jack
I have no doubt that Arteta and Cazorla will start, and we know what we can expect of them. They are solid performers who will pull their weight tonight. I have no doubt that Arsene will play Jack tonight and it will be a big test for him, and I expect him to shine. He will need to sit quite deep; often on a line with Arteta to give us a good anchor in midfield. As the game progresses, he will be able to move forward more to support Cazorla: getting this balance right will be crucial in my opinion.
Jack has the potential to become as good as Fabregas and I reckon tonight we’ll see once again what a great prospect he is.
Vermaelen as LB?
Playing Santos again, after he had such a difficult game against the Germans a fortnight ago, would be a big risk. Arsene simply cannot afford to be complacent about it, and I reckon he will move TV into the LB position, and start Koz next to Mertesacker, which is currently the best CB-pairing.
If it was me, I would hand Mertesacker the captaincy and tell TV that from now on he will play as LB until Gibbs is back, but as Arsene does not bother that much about who is his captain, I reckon TV will keep the armband for the time being. The sooner he hands it back to Arsene, though; the better!
Theo must start, but it might be Coquelin at RM
So much has been written about our toothless-ness in previous games that Arsene has no choice but to shake things up a little bit. He is happy with our defence and our midfield is also strong, but Arsenal need to reinstall the wings in our attack, and sort out the wing-support from the full backs. Without it, we will simply have no impact on tonight’s game at all, as Schalke will be happy to deal with all our (predictable/one-dimensional) attempts through the middle. We simple need to mix things up again: to add some variety to our attacking football, and starting Theo is a must.
There are rumours he is ill, but he has travelled with the squad and we have no alternative to play him unless he is too ill. If that is the case, I reckon Coquelin is a strong contender to be played at RM. He has impressed me when he played there before and he is solid defensively, but, obviously, he is not a proper winger; although he is a decent crosser of the ball.
Podolski instead of Giroud?
I really hope we’ll see the Pod played centrally tonight: he is wasted on the left, especially now Gibbs is out. I like Giroud, but I reckon Podolski deserves a chance centrally now and I think he’ll do well there tonight. Giroud is a great player to have on the bench, and I am going to put my neck out by saying that Wenger will not play the – predicted by most – line-up of: Pod-Giroud-Theo.
As I said before, Arsene knows he needs to shake things up as he, like anybody else, is worried about our ability to create chances. Therefore my predicted line-up for tonight’s game is:
Sagna – Mert – Koz – TV—–
——Arteta—Jack————–
————Cazorla—————-
Theo(Coq)–Pod–Arshavin-
Come On You Rip-Roaring Gunners!!!!
Total Arsenal.
Bergkampesque 
Excellento, TA, 🙂
I suppose it is each to his own, but what I love is your ability to have so much data at your finger tips, and then to be able to analyse and speculate in an intelligent way.
You may not realize it but you are rapidly becoming a master in different facets of Post writing.
Kudos, my man! 🙂
TA,
I saw your comment regarding L’il Jack and his red card tackle at the week end.
In my eyes it was the effort of a frustrated and tired player, and not malicious as some would have it.
What it also showed is his temperament. He just would not easily give up despite his team-mates not being capable of making tackles.
We can use more of Jack’s attitude! 🙂
Hi RA, thanks for the compliment 🙂
Fully agreed on needing more of Jack’s attitude in the team. I love that little genius, bull-fighter! 😛
TA,
I have just popped back to AA and seen your very kind comment about my story regarding my uncle.
It was very much appreciated to get some acknowledgement, although you can see why i gave up writing Posts (except to help out).
Your grasp of the English language still amazes me, altho as an Anglicised Dutchman I think we English speakers can now claim you as one of our own!! 🙂
Redders, your posts have been brilliant: they were very clear and easily accessible. And I can tell you are making a real effort to write them like that.
The comment on AA is another part of you that I can only envy. One of my big hobbies outside footie – which is taking almost all of my ‘spare’ time at the moment – is reading fiction, and when I read your comment I could do nothing else but congratulate you. I also know that many fellow AA’ers really enjoy those sort of comments; so keep it going, despite the lack of written acknowledgement at times. 🙂
Thanks, TA, 😳
Incidentally, TA, I clicked on Desi Gunner above, to have a look at his site, and to tell him I concurred with a comment he made on AA this morning.
It’s a nice site, and he has now managed to get on NN.
What I noticed however is that he has not returned your courtesy and linked BK on a blogroll there. 😦
RA, Desi Gunner is a quality blog; especially his match reports are small masterpieces everytime. I don’t think is aware of being on BK’s blogrole though.
Are you still feeling positive about tonight’s game?
quality as always TA, and couldn’t agree more with RA’s sentiments.
I would like to see Pod play centrally. 1) because it’s where he excels 2) Giroud is quite a force coming in off the bench (Reading).
I will be looking through closed fingers tonight/tomorrow morning if I see Verm line up as LB. Not only because his confidence is shot to pieces but farfan would tear him a new one! I don’t care how if Sagna was the worst LB in the world, he would be a far better option due to his pace and positional sense. He could wrong foot every cross or clearance into row Z for all I care, he’d still be exposed less.
I’m looking forward to see Jack on the big stage again also. Against Barca he was amazing, and I think in the Champions league he could become a very dominant player. His skill mixed with physicality will trouble a lot of softer European teams.
I do love that line-up TA, I’m sold!
Is it just me or when you look at the injury list do you swear? It should be mandatory for them not to have Diaby on there simply because it’s so frustrating seeing him on their constantly knowing what he is capable of!
I mean who injures themselves at that level shooting in opening space???
@ Terry
bloody brilliant tribute to dennis. In stitches over the hairline thing hahahaha
great story about your uncle RA.
I think the biggest thing there is the vocabulary of another family member (turgid rhetoric + protestations).
I feel sorry for any outsider who has married into/met your family with those sort of words being thrown around, It would feel like eating dinner in Russia.
RA’s girlfriend: “Nice to meet you mother RA, I’ve heard so many good things about you!”
Mother RA: ” *(big words compiled together in a sentence)* ”
RA’s girlfriend: “RA can you please translate”
RA: “big words…”
RA’s girlfriend: “uh huh, I see!”
Inside the mind of RA’s girlfriend: “I knew I should have chosen Terry, even with his weird fetishes he is far easier to understand”
But Terry doesn’t have such a big willy, Oz, and don’t believe it when any lass tells you size doesn’t matter!!! 🙂
haha “it’s not the size of the telescope, it’s the fluidity of operation!”
and plus Terry knows his stuff. He got an early start in life by being ravaged by a female ghost as a kid, and sexually abused at a bus stop by a horny mental escapee!
Not to mention the time when he and GLIC were sex slaves for 100’s of mini-female aliens:
Great comment Ozzer 🙂
TV is also a bit of a risk at LB but he plays there regularly for Belgium, so knows the position well and Koz is great cover (better than TV for whoever is LB).
Love the fluidity quote, and you are absolutely right: the tools are just a means, it is the end-result that matters. Ecstasy has no weight or shape. 🙂
I am getting a bit worried what Terry and Glicster are doing to this site. Somebody was directed here by google when they typed in ‘youtubepenisstretching’ 😆
TA, 🙂 🙂
It’s that dreadfully wicked, Glic!! 🙂
He is a menace, RA! 🙂
Out for a bit – talk to you all later. 🙂
Redders bragging about his Big Dic………tionary again !. hahaha
Thanks Total, My team selection has gone out the window, they`re either injured or too young to be given responsibility !.
Oz, them Aliens took me back to the days when I was telling all sorts of strange stories on AA, but alas, my originality was a bit too strong for some !. hahaha
Oz, and what no body knows is that, them 100s of mini alien nympho`s came from Uranus !. hahaha………little shytsters ! hahaha
Stop making me laugh, Glic, I don’t want to encourage you!! 🙂
Glic,
Did you know, every time my cursor moves across your doggy avatar he moves.
I am worried in case he starts to hump my cursor!! 🙂
Hahaha Redders, I taught him well !
Every time my cursor moves across your avatar, I get , ” Warning warning unintelligible ” !. hahaha
Just dont move your cursor over Stretche`s avatar, it has an automatic effect on his telescope, it extends ! and it doesn`t matter where he is at the time !. He is currently at a till in Tesco`s, the till girl is sitting at eye level recieving payment, a quick swipe of the cursor and he will recieve extra club point`s ! hahaha
Apparently, he is banned from being in the scrum at his Rugby Club !.
Thanks TA. Looks like Walcott and Kos in. Santos and Ramsey out.
Got a nice feeling about tonight. 3-1 Arsenal.
Put that nice feeling down to Redders, he stroked your avatar with his cursor !.
Terry. Hope your right. Looks a good line up. Glad Walcott is playing, I hope he is over his bug though.
Here are the line-ups:
Schalke Team
Unnerstall, Howedes, Uchida, Fuchs, Matip, Holtby, Jones, Neustadter, Afellay, Farfan, Huntelaar
Subs: Hildebrand, Papadopoulous, Kolasinac, Hoger, Moritz, Draxler, Marica
Arsenal Team
Mannone, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud, Walcott.
Not bad, but a shame Pod and Giroud are played together again. Like VCC, hope Theo is over his bug!
COME ON ARSENAL COME ON ARSENAL COME ON ARSENAL
With Vermaelen at LB we really could have risked Arshavin on the left wing, but hopefully he will get a go at some point in the game. Theo on the right wing will make a big difference, though: better service for both Giroud and the Pod. Let’s hope last year’s Theo-Sagna train will return tonight! 🙂
Very happy with that display. Nice to see all attackers involved in the goal and Jack has been brilliant. Shame Cazorla slipped and defence was not quick enough to react, but good, quick thinking by Holtby and the Hunter did the rest. Really pleased with Arsenal though.
Draw is a good result. If we beat Mont` in the next home game and Schalke beat Olymp` at home, we will be through and at the moment, it doesn`t look like it matters whether we come top or second !. Plenty of goals from not many minutes, please get Theo to sign Arsene , I still have plenty of chloroform !. hahaha
Morning fellow Gooners,
Two steps forwards, one step back, but progress nevertheless. I will keep the rest of my thoughts to myself for now, as I am planning to issue a post re the game around 11ish. 🙂
Ooh, I fancy a full-English this morning! 😛
very jealous TA, Definitely on the cards tomorrow morning though.
A very bitter progression to be honest. I’m still shocked at that ref decision though. Walcott is definitely dodging questions about his future more and more. Just to add to the frustration. Looking forward to the same thing happening next season with Sagna! Yay I love player contracts!!!
Love the new avatar Ozzer! 😛
When you have a bit of time in the next week or so, could you please do me a picture of a Bulldozer (Boulddozer) with ‘Wenger’ wings for a future post I like the write.
New Post – New Post! 😀