Rosicky to conduct our play, Ox to start, and Sagna, Pod and Santi rested?

TotalArsenal

Brighton_Pier_Aral

Today’s fourth-round FA cup game is a potential banana skin the size of Brighton Pier. Arsenal have just enjoyed a good, five-goal win against the Hammers. Often in the past, we followed such praiseworthy, high scoring games up with a lacklustre and over-confident performance in the next match. Let’s hope our boys are focussed and driven from the start this time round!

The Seagulls have absolutely nothing to lose, and their brand new AMEX stadium was built with the sheer hope of one day hosting games like these. The scalp of Newcastle has only just dried out, and the Brighton fans will be hoping to add, an even larger one this afternoon.

amex_stadium_nov2010

The fresh, new Brighton stadium is home to an equally exciting style of football, orchestrated by their up and coming manager: Gus Poyet. I reckon it will be a good game to watch, and no doubt The Seagulls will aim to chase us down from the start, and leave us as little time and space as possible to get into our passing game.

I don’t need to tell you we need to at least match their levels of energy, healthy aggression and chasing down opponents today, if we want to come through this encounter victoriously.

I have not watched the Seagulls much recently, so cannot give you an in-depth analysis of their style of football, and strengths and weaknesses.

Brighton and Hove Albion, to use the full name for once, are currently in seventh position in the Championship, and just four points away from a potential ticket to the Premier League next season. In their last game they played 4-1-3-2, and it will be interesting to see what they will do against us today.

I am looking forward to see what Lopez and Vincente are like up-front, and how their midfield will fair against ours. And I am hoping Kuszczak, the former MU goalkeeper who only managed to get 26 appearances in five years for the Mancs, will not have one of those days in which he successfully proofs he should still be performing in the PL every week; something that often seems to happen against us in these sort of games!

Predicted Line-up against The Seagulls:

Will we finally see little Mozart conducting our play again today?
Will we finally see little Mozart conducting our play again today?

I reckon their will be some rotation but not much and our bench is likely to be strong as well today. The FA Cup is a great competition and it would be fantastic for this team to win it. Losing today is not an option as the subsequent supporters/media negativity – given our recent painful cup-exit against Bradford – will be pretty much unbearable.

However, a few players need a rest and at best should start on the bench. Especially Sagna and Cazorla could do with a rest. The same goes for Wilshere, but we need some defensive midfield cover next to Ramsey, and Jack seems to be the best partner for him. Diaby appears to be available again, so maybe he will start instead of Wilshere, but my gut-feeling tells me the lanky Frenchman will start on the bench today.

This is a good game for Ox to play in, and I am pretty sure he’ll start on our right wing. Wenger will also like Giroud and Theo to further improve their partnership up-front, and I reckon the latter will start on the left wing this time, instead of the Pod. Don’t be surprised if Arsenal’s line-up looks more like 4-4-2 against Brighton today.

Apparently, Rosicky is available again, and surely, he will get a start today instead of Cazorla. The Spaniard really needs a rest and The Czech is desperate for a start; let’s hope we’ll see at least this rotation materialise against Brighton.

Our boys need to forget about everything and entirely focus on today’s game and give their all. If we do that, we’ll get through, if not we might get punished by The Seagulls. It is as simple as that!

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners!!

Written by: Total Arsenal.

95 thoughts on “Rosicky to conduct our play, Ox to start, and Sagna, Pod and Santi rested?”

  • Come on the gunners!

    We’ve got to concentrate on our game and not take the opposition for granted.

    I’m sure Wenger has drilled this into the team, to not just expect to turn up and win as we sometimes think. Brighton will give us a game but I truly believe we will win today.

    You could say look what Bradford did, Bradford was and still is something special, but honestly the worse to happen is a replay at the emirates.

    I hope 🙂

    How have things been total?

  • Good to see you back Gooner4eva49! 😎

    What have you been up to recently?

    Things are fine with me, and like you, I am really looking forward to today’s game!

  • Sorry Total. Must post this straight away. Zap it if you want.

    UMF !.
    If Alex don’t reply before KO oday his selections are =
    Brighton v Arsenal………..away ( I swear this was the first out of the pot and the away ticket was kosher)

    Brentford v Chelsea………home
    Huddersfield v Leicester…home
    Macc v Wigan……………….draw
    Oldham v Liverpool………..away.

    Odds of 380-1

    Carry on with the post, sorry.

  • Bridcutt likes to dictate play, Buckley and Barnes are able players too. They will close down in their own half. Bruno if he plays is not the fastest, so defence is weak against speed which could be something we exploit.

    Brighton will be giving 110%. We need to do the same.

  • Good to be back some very good recent articles. I like the description/perception of Arteta in a recent article on here. Really puts it into perspective.

    Still love yours though!

    I’ve been well and constantly working.
    I had a couple of friends or shall I say a friend and his girlfriend ha ha (we’re all friends aren’t we) coming round for a quiet drink. First bit if socialising in a while, I was so mean and tight that they had to eat something before coming here. Sure I offered them some nuts, not my macadamias though, had some old nuts laying around which was sufficient.

    I can confirm I will b surprised if we sign anyone because I believe now we won’t sign anyone. If we do we will sign a future prospect. Despite being good for the future, that would be bollocks because we said if we would buy anyone it will be a top top player to improve the team. A future prospect doesn’t do that so I’ve just realised I won’t be shocked when that does happen! Sorry for the long winded writing of my personal diary!

  • 4eva49, Marcus wrote a good post yesterday, and I fully agree with your assessment.

    You don’t want your friends to become too comfortable at your place, but if it is just the girl next time then I am sure it will be champaign and caviar, and other scrumptious tit-bits! 😛

    I have not got a Kalou what Wenger will do this TW, and I guess it all will depend on availability and price versus Arsene (dithering) needs to improve the squad in certain areas.

    In an old nutshell: let’s just focus on the game; the rest is floating in the air, somewhere! 🙂

  • This will not be a stroll in the park today. Brighton have a good manager in Gus Poyet. He had a fine career with Chelsea and was a super header of the ball. A very likeable man.

    I think he will manage a top team one day, or maybe with Brighton if they achieve promotion, which is not impossible as they currently lay 4 points off the play off position.

    Their form home and away is identical = wins 5, draws 6 loses 3.

    They are no pushovers at home, only losing to Birmingham 0-1 who are in 20th position, Middlesbrough 0-1 who are 5th and Watford 1-3 who are in 6th. So you can see apart from the blip with Brum, they are no mugs at home.

    They have Wayne Bridge at left back. I can still see him scoring against us for Chelsea in the champions league at Highbury, which helped knock us out. I ran out of Kleenex that day.

    They also have Vicente, a former Spanish International midfielder. This guy will try and impress against us with his compatriots either playing against him or looking on from the stands.

    I feel we should still have enough guile, skill and artistry in our armoury to beat these guys, even if we go a goal down early. We seem to make things hard for ourselves lately, anyway.

    COYG

  • With the sun shining, as it is here in wonderful Essex, Brighton should look a picture today.

    We want/demand, wonderful free flowing soccer played by the good guys and an eventual winning score line so we can progress into the next round.

    I love FA Cup draws when we are in it. I try and get our number and as the balls come out of the hat I say to myself, “come on Arsenal get a home draw” and if I see one of the top clubs come out at home and we are still in the hat I can hardly bear to watch.

    I’m still a kid at heart. What would I have done all my life if I didn’t have MY ARSENAL.

    Lets all sing,

    My only Arsenal
    My only Arsenal
    You make me happy
    when sky’s are grey (when sky’s are grey)

    You’ll never notice
    how much I love you

    Please don’t take MY ARSENAL away.

    COME ON YOU GUNNERS

  • Pay my respects for Dennis Bergkamp,
    I’ve never seen a man so good.

    Brilliant. Love The Arsenal. Love The Killers. Love The Great Man. Gotta love The Away Boyz.

    Gotta love The Bergkampesque!!!

    COYG

  • Gooner4eva49.

    We have been blessed with superb football under Wenger.

    I have been supporting Arsenal for almost 58 years and Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal have warmed my heart.

    I have seen us win Leagues and Cups under other managers but have to say his teams have been a joy to watch.

    I wonder how many more years he can keep us at the top? I never thought I would be saying this, but, I am starting to doubt whether he has the energy and knowhow any more.

    I sincerely hope he has. Or he has to go out at the top.

  • On Twitter if true??????

    Szez

    Jenkinson…….Kos….Mert……..Santos

    Ramsey……Ox……Rosicky…….Diaby

    Podolski……….Walcott

  • VCC This one is for me and you then http://youtu.be/LKJ_zCHLoKU

    I haven’t been alive for 58 years, I fully appreciate what you say and believe you really mean it. I have heard people come out with bollocks like “I’ve been a season ticket holder for 50 years and this is the worse team wenger out!” Crap along those lines you hear.

    It is really refreshing to hear from someone with your experience and knowledge of The Arsenal to make a statement like that.

    I don’t doubt Wenger to run out of energy etc I worry that he won’t carry on any more or not be here one day. His leaving will “be in vain”, could of achieved a lot more but is ruined by arseholes basically. If that makes sense cos I could probably write a few pages about it.

    What he has done and does is amazing. Especially sticking at it defying odds and getting stick. Goes to show what an incredible man he is to carry all that weight/shit and still perform. An aspiration.

  • Team:

    Szczesny, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Santos, Diaby, Ramsey, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Podolski, Giroud

    Subs: Mannone, Sagna, Gibbs, Wilshere, Cazorla, Arshavin, Walcott

    Your twitter twat was right VCC. 🙂

  • http://www.nutjob.eu/

    If anyone needs a stream for the game.

    Cheers for the top notch pre-match TA, really looking forward to this one! Looking forward to seeing jenks get some game time also

  • Hi TA,

    Very nice pre-match – hits all the right notes, and your team is pretty close, but who would have thought AW would make 6 changes!! 🙂

  • Good day to you all. With that line up I would like to see Ramsey and Diaby play as a deeper central 2 with podolski more central behind Giroud with Rosicky and the Ox either side of Podolski. Please keep Ramsey away from the flank. He has just started to show some confidence and consistency playing in a more central role.

  • Afternoon RA. Not a problem, hope it works out, if not just give us a bell and i can try and track down some more

  • Great write up TA. I was thinking about doing a Glic style good-day to you all but thought he may have some patented right on them. And anyway who can say Good day as well as Glic.

  • Santos is awful, how can AW not see that he’s not Arsenal quality. Get him out!

  • Hi TA, was a beautiful curling shot by Giroud to the top corner around the top of the 18-yard box.

  • Also, my stream is not cutting at all, not great quality though: atdhe.net, second Brighton and Arsenal link on the list.

  • You can tell Brighton lack quality, 9 players clogging the box and the middle of the pitch on defence.

  • By the way good write up TA, gave me some good insight into the situation at Brighton! Diaby hasn’t been great thus far, would have been nice to see Jack out there but glad he’s getting a rest. Podolski has been invisible today which is fairly typical of him given our team’s inconsistency.

  • Vipusa2.blogspot.com/2013/01/vipracing-4.html

    Really good stream only that you have to put up with that prick Warren Barton. Please don’t spread the stream keep it between us, don’t want it clogged and lagging!

    It’s ok for us gooners! 🙂

  • Shit corner. We wasn’t even concentrating hadn’t got ourselves organised and brighton played a quick short corner and wakey wakey ball is in d back of d net.

    Santos getting stick

  • cheers TA, haha you sod, now I’m going to be watching the ground wherever I am!

  • Dirty bastards.

    Same old arsenal always cheating is d most stupidest incorrect chant anyone can sing

  • Had to b ox. Only thought it could b pod due to some reason he can’t play 90 mins

  • TA, I think as soon as Theo signed da ‘ting, my opinion of him suddenly changed hahaha. I love the lad, in my top 3 favourites at Arsenal! Just love it when he curls shots around the keeper along the ground. Though he should have passed that last ball to Giroud after getting up off the ground on the break.

  • agreed 49, what a difference he makes to the team now! I was on the ‘get rid of him he’s too injury prone’ but he’s well and truly made me eat some humble pie!

    Good result, bring on the next one!

  • Well done.

    Is frimpong playing for Fulham against manure? If so I hope that Dutch skunk gets frimponged! Cos we all know that Dutch skunk don’t stay dench

  • Ha ha nothing wrong with eating humble pie oz sometimes it tastes good.

    No frimpong 😦

  • Feo’s goal was quite a deflection, which I did not see originally, but still good for him to score the winner. Giroud, from what I saw, was fantastic today.

    Agreed 4eva49 re Gibbs. I love his hunger and drive: just does not waste any time but wants to go forward.

  • G4E

    Thanks for the link — worked a treat!

    Ecstatic with the win. Distraught with the overall standard of our play.

    This is NOT knee jerk — but I simply do not rate Metesecker. He cannot jump, and he could have been beaten by a snail for pace in the 2nd half! 😦

    Damn! I think he is another one of yours TA. 😛

  • Hahaha, my boys are doing fine and proving you wrong, wrong, wrong 🙂

    I am worried about the Big Frustrating German as well at the moment. Not his best spell, but he’ll come good again, I hope! 🙄

  • You’re welcome Red Arse.

    Ha ha on the bfg assessment. It’s amazing Someone that tall can’t head the ball. I kno being tall doesn’t mean you can jump but come on! I do like the bfg very much but can’t help agreeing with you with the comparison with the snail and big per German “white men can’t jump”.

    Gibbs has stuck out for me in d last few weeks

  • nah not tonight TA, baby steps haha.

    @ RA

    he is starting to change my opinion of him also. Seems he is getting caught out more and more often

  • It’s never the same not watching arsenal. Very difficult to watch especially a bunch of arseholes.

    Some games are enjoyable or if you wanna watch a particular player’s type/style of play.

  • Afternoon Curly Fuzz Boxes. 😆

    I`m f**king shitting myself, being rushed for time this morning , I didn`t put my bet on at 39000-1 and Luton and MK Dons have both won, so now I`m hoping Manu, Chavs and Bindippers dont get beat, otherwise I shall have to wack my hampton with a club hammer every day for the rest of my life !.

    Happy Australia Day ( aka rogger a marsupial day ) down under boyz !. 🙂
    It`s that one day of the year when you can celebrate just like the fore fathers…..ie….some murdering……pillaging …..rape etc !, with the added excuse of an Arsenal win !. hahaha

    I

  • There are clearly some players in this squad who are not of Arsenal quality (Santos), and some who have good spells followed by bouts of inconsistency and we could stand to use an upgrade if we are to take the next step forward in becoming title contenders (Mertesacker, Ramsey, Mannone). It’d also be a blessing if we could sell our loanees (Chamakh, Djourou, Bendtner and Park) to their respective on-loan teams to get their wages off the bill. We’ll also be rid of Arshavin this summer, which means there is an opportunity to AW to make up for his past mistakes in the TW by bringing in some top quality players to fill the gaps.

  • Glic 17.38. Don’t they have days like that in Cornwall? Or maybe everyday is like that in Cornwall, and you have one special day for everyone to recuperate before the raping and pillaging starts over.

  • 4eva49 – I cannot watch any of the Mancs games, especially this season. I always want them to lose and that is not a healthy way of watching a match.

    GoonerB

    Don’t give the Glicxster any ideas!! 🙂

  • Hi GoonerB 🙂

    Pop around my place and I will reveal to you that one special rest day .
    Trouble is, your odds of making it to my front door without being Arse-raped are 365-1 !.
    Obviously, I could tell you the date on here, but that would spoil the fun !. hahaha

    I see my mate Stretch returned briefly. He had been moonlighting as a driver for Ann Summers, delivering sex toys and bondage equipment !. Unfortunately or fortunately, he crashed into an isolated out in the sticks home for nymphomaniacs and lesbians, so he`s a bit tied up at the moment and suffering from exhaustion !.

    Breaking News!!!!………..A second vechile carrying supplies of Red Bull and Viagra have luckily also crashed into the same location !.
    Straight over to BetVic`s, ” What was the odds on that happening Vic`s ” ?

    If you would like to visit Stretch, I have the location postcode for your Sat Nav, however, you will have to pop around here ( Cornwall ) for it !. Are them odds of 365-1 looking any better ?. hahaha

  • Yes same way I feel Total when watching them. But very nice to see stuff go against them (unlikely due to them bribing/fixing everything).

  • We need to smash them at Ashburton Grove 4eva49, to restore some pride again!

    Night to you and all other fine Gooners. 🙂

    Keep rockin’

  • On the match of Brighton: Ramsey, Diaby, Chamberlain, Mertesaker and especially Santos is lacking conviction, rabies(fury).
    When I look at them one would say tourist, there is of the job(work) to be able to matter(count) on these people because it is necessary not to be to amaze if against the big teams we often lose…..
    Have has to win but by looking at the match I tore away(extracted) hair to has players’ change or the one saw the difference if mister Arsène Wenger do not see which(who) misses us a good powerful defensive environment(middle), I think that he(it) is good the only one view(sight) the number of demand(request) for a player has this post:)

  • Macko, click on ‘Home’ and you will see the new post at the top of Bergkampesque. Then click on the title and you are in the new post. 🙂

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