Jack first on team sheet – Where to play Jovetic? Let’s respect ‘guard of honour’

TotalArsenal
Super Jackie Wilshere's drive and passion will be key!
Super Jackie Wilshere’s drive and passion will be key!

Things are warming up nicely for Sunday’s encounter with the Mancs. They might be champions already but we are not in the mood  to show any admiration on the pitch this Sunday.  We have got to fight for three points and luckily we are playing at the Home of Football rather than in eternally drizzly Manchester.

Jack first on the team sheet

I have no doubt that we can match the Mancs technically and tactically, and that the players will be well motivated for it. But on top of all that we need real, heart-on-sleeve leadership on Sunday. And that is why Jack should be the first player on the team sheet.

I am sure you remember that awful performance against the Mancs at the start of the season. The game was more or less over after the first few minutes when our captain meekly presented the Traitor with a perfectly weighted ball which our former captain greedily put away. We never recovered from that set-back and the team  turned into a bunch of hard working introverts.

The only one who was not prepared to let MU walk all over us was little Jack. He fought like a lion and although it resulted in him receiving a second yellow and therefore red card, super Jackie Wilshere set an example to the  rest of the team.

We will need more of this fighting spirit this Sunday if we want to come out of this game victoriously. Jack is our man for this, but I am expecting  more  players to come out fighting with full passion: Ramsey, Koz, Mertesacker, Szczesny, Nacho or Gibbs, Pod etc .

If we can add real, extrovert leadership and passion to our other fine attributes we will beat the Mancs on Sunday, but let there be no doubt that this will be a big test for the team’s mental strength and overall leadership skills.

Let’s respect ‘guard of honour’ for MU

Although the Mancs are of one of our bitterest rivals, and many of us – me included – detest them, we should rise above our feelings on Sunday and show them the required respect before the game starts. Arsenal have always had class and let’s do the honourable thing.

Then, once the game has started, we’ll support the team with all we have and give them hell on the pitch.

Where would Jovetic play?

The rumours re Jovetic are starting to remind me of the way Arsenal captured the Pod last season.

I know the jury is still out for many re Jovetic, and I must admit I have only seen him play a few times. But I like to believe  I know a fantastic player when I see one, and Jovetic looks like just the sort of player who would add real value to the team.

I hope we will not use the term ‘the new RvP’ when referring to the Montenegrin ever again. Firstly, because I don’t believe he is a typical nr.9, and secondly, I don’t want him to be associated with injury and treachery.

Some believe that Jovetic would replace Giroud, making the latter a super-sub next season. But I have seen enough of him to believe he will play mostly behind the striker in the hole, or on the wing in our ‘wingless’ or ‘semi-winged’ (only one ‘proper’ winger) 4-3-3 formation.

It is too early to say for definite what sort of player Jovetic is, but, dare I say it, he reminds me of Bergkamp’s skillset. The Montenegrin has great drive and stamina, and fantastic close control, dribbling and passing ability; he is as  comfortable in midfield (AM) as in and around the box. I bet he is a fantastic link-up player who will score as many goals as he  will produce assists for others. So I would play him in the hole with Jack and Arteta/Ramsey, or ideally a new DM, behind  him, and Cazorla on the wing (with a licence to join Jovetic in the centre).

But I invite those who have seen Jovetic play a lot to share their views on him and where he should ideally play within our team.

Written by: TotalArsenal.

96 thoughts on “Jack first on team sheet – Where to play Jovetic? Let’s respect ‘guard of honour’”

  • VCC 🙂

    It is tradition and not doing it would look very bad, unsportmanlike on us.

    I don’t want to do it either, but we need to rise above our feelings on this one.

  • I wouldn’t honour them with FA.

    I can’t put into print what I would do ……!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • deffo should give the guard of honour, besides it’s not tottenham it’s only mancs who’ve been basically dominating the domestic cups from a donkey no. of years and sadly they don’t see us as rivals anymore nor do i think we should either unless or until we win the treble next year 😀

    for me it shows our class and us as a big club.

    re- jack being the first name, well he certainly owes us a performance of the season on sunday considering he got sent off earlier in the season against them.

    i do think he will Jack will start with Ramsey on the pitch (training ground photos often give you a fair idea of what team wenger will be starting with)….going by those signs and if i am able to forecast a team then i reckon Arshavin might get some game time on sunday (i know i know, all of you must be thinking i’ve gone cuckoo but hey seriously, Arshavin may score a few goals just to remind everyone what could have been 😀

    we’re gonna win on sunday, but one thing at a time, i reckon wigan will get a result tomorrow against the spuds…..i hope they win and it’s not a draw .

    tomorrow i’ll be a Wigan supporter and would love to see them get something out of this game just to show man city how it’s done 😉

  • BJ 🙂

    Arshavin?!?!?!? If you are right, you will get the credit, but nah, Arshavin will not play a single minute for us any more.

    Yep, we all support the Latics tomorrow! 😛

  • Re- Jovetic ,

    he’s not a finished product just yet, he has been played from the midfield to further forward, as a no.10 and in all 3 front positions….

    slotting him into this current Arsenal team will be no problem, we play him up front on his own or play him in with Giroud in a 4-4-2 in some games or a 4-4-1-1

    however, his favoured position seems to be on the left wing (this is where he has been utilized best ), he likes cutting in, so maybe he can interchange with santi on the left and both can switch and play behind Giroud in a 4-3-3

    but then that means Podolski and Giroud have to fight for that strikers role.

    i have said it before and will say it again, Jovetic is not the finish product nor that clinical finisher all of us wish to see at arsenal next season.

    he is a good player with plenty of potential who may yet turn out to be a world class player, but is he premier league quality just as yet ? no, not in my opinion.

    i hear Pep G is eager to get rid of Robben from BM – now there’s a winger perfectly suited to our style of play but he is known to be a trouble maker as well.

  • Assuming Jovetic is being pursued and assuming he signs for us, I bet there are going to be sooooo many people complaining that we didn’t get Cavani or Lewandowski :S What they are forgetting is that Jovetic is younger, and will improve his finishing with the correct application. This is the signing I have wanted all along, above anyone else. I know we were after Gotze, but Jovetic has that extra bit of experience, while still being a young player, and he can play a few different roles. Gotze can as well, but Jovetic is purely a central player, which raises his value, in my opinion. I think he would be wasted out on the wing. Yes, he can play there, but when was the last time you saw him out there??? I can’t recall an instance, and I’ve watched him for a few years now. I know he’s not the finished article, and he has a lot of work to do, but IF we get him, he won’t disappoint. It would be a real master-stroke by Wenger, and could signal our intent, that we are back to buying big, IF and when we need to. I’m not going to get my hopes up too much though, as there is a lot of football still to be played. I’m just happy we are SERIOUSLY on the chase, if all reports are to be believed.

  • if i was to be an optimist re- Jovetic then the bright side is that he is technically very gifted, would settle nicely into Wenger’s plan and who knows, he may turn out to be that world class striker that most of you think RVP is today ? Van Persie wasn’t a striker either, it’s only when wenger gave him the confidence and chance when he was fully fit (which was like once every blue moon for 7 out of 8 years, mind you). Plus Jovetic has had Captaincy experience and can be seen as a leader on the field, isn’t as hopeless as Giroud wasting his energy either but we may have to alter our formation from time to time to get the best out of him which i don’t think should be a problem as such.

    i’m not going to complain if we Sign Jovetic, but our main problem is set pieces, free kicks and so on.

    we need a 3 in one player, this is what is costing us – that player for us was RVP (maybe 4 in one).

    we’re so wasteful from our set pieces that it’s beyond laughable, for a quality team like us, we need to be converting more from set pieces…the experimentation with theo/santi/ox needs to stop really, we need to sign a player in the summer who can take such responsibilities and deliver a better end product.

  • Hahahahahaha, Bond James, I haven’t seen any of the Italian league for the past year and a half, but I rated Jovetic as soon as I saw him. I never noticed him cutting in from the left before, so you probably know even more than I do about him. I still think he will play centrally for us, or at least would like him to.

  • I will let them have their guard of honor but me and my mom will be watching hoping the crowd turns their backs to the field during it. They can have their guard of honor, but we don’t have to applaud them. That’s enough respect without falling all over them. Anyway, I have only see Jovetic play a few times for Fiorentina and a tiny bit for Montenegro. However based on what I have seen I still strongly believe that he would be best in a 2 striker system with him sitting just behind Giroud. He could score, give through balls to Giroud, or play the ball down the wings for someone to serve it into Giroud. This should make use of his creative and scoring abilities at the same time. However if we stick with the 4-3-3 I would put him in the hole UNLESS, we sign a new AM like I certainly hope we do. I definitely wanted Goetze but clearly that will not be happening. So we will have to look at other options. I have a “Players I realistically hope Arsenal buy this summer” list, but that is for another time closer to the end if not after the end of the season. So I will leave that out for now and say simply buy Jovetic because he is worth it and can be played in multiple positions and formations.

  • BJ 🙂

    Agreed on all that. I don’t believe he is meant to become our lethal finisher, if he does arrive at all, that is.

    The goals will be spread throughout the team and for me that is great. However, Wenger might still look for an experienced finisher, even if Jovetic would arrive.

    However, scoring 26 league goals in 53 games in the Italian league – over two seasons – is pretty impressive to me.

  • I’d like us to purchase a world class finisher in the Summer in addition to Jovetic. The Montenegro player could become a big star for us, but I wouldn’t be too confident of him as a 25-30 goal a season man, from what i’ve seen of him.

    Ideally, Jovetic – Villa – Walcott as a front 3, with Podolski, Giroud and Gervinho in rotation.

    2012/13 Squad: Adler/Szczesny, Monreal/Gibbs, Koscielny/Vermaelen, Mertesacker/Fazio, Sagna/Jenkinson, Capoue/Arteta, Wilshere/Ramsey, Cazorla/Rosicky/Chamberlain, Jovetic/Podolski, Walcott/Gervinho, Villa/Giroud

    Premier League Champions written all over it 😉

  • Milo,

    i was looking at his best positions for Arsenal , hence the interchange with Santi from the left will be the most effective for him as i do feel Santi’s best position is behind the striker as well (the no.10 position).

    if Santi plays on the left and Jovetic in the middle then both of them can freely interchange and deliver devastating results, cutting in through the middle, something which santi and rosicky were doing in the last few weeks with a fair amount of success.

  • Thanks Totes.

    Lucky it`s not up to me, but there will be a guard of honour as AW has said so !.
    Does Rotten Vile Prickface deserve a guard of honour ?. Did he show any honour to us after being stood by us for so many infirmary years ?. I think we know the answer to that one !.

    This would have been a better headline……….” The Full Montenegrin or A Blow Jobetic ? “. I will allow you to use it one day Totes !. hahaha

    talkSPORTS Italian specialist was on H&J today and said the biggest worry with Jovetic was the amount of time he has spent being injured and thought it was a cause for concern for a £20M+ player !. I think we have had our fair share of sick notes, apart from that, I`ve not been wowed by any vid I`ve seen of him. Not half as good as the ones of Isco and Muniain I have seen. Seems a risk to me.
    I`m afraid it`s the last chance saloon for Arsene, even after all the greatness he has brought to us, the backstabbers are ungrateful and merciless !.
    I know who I want, but shall leave my “oh so important thoughts” on the matter `till the TW is in full swing.

  • TA,

    i’m not a stats person as such if i was then i’m sure i could have done you a nice little article 😉

    but no, all that is from my observation and watching games.

    re- penalties, i have to be honest here, every time i see Arteta step up to take them, i’m not confident at all, in fact i much rather see Podolski take them over Arteta.

    i’m sure if someone was to do stats on set pieces excluding pens, then that would make for a very interesting reading.

    😀

    any takers ?

  • hahaha glic, you are in fine form tonight, and that after a long drive?! 😀

    Jovetic has played 2/3 of the Italian League games during the last two seasons. For a 22 and 23 year old that ain’t too bad, no?

  • Probably not. I’d like to think we are as, while he’s past his prime, he’s got at least a few years left at the top level I believe, and won’t lose his superb finishing. Think Jovetic will be the solitary addition to our forwards, if we get him. Cant be too disappointed if that was to be the case, as he’d add some real quality to our attacking options, but in an ideal world, i’d hope to see us sign a top notch finisher to finish off the chances we create, which Giroud, for all his other attributes, too often fails to do.

  • Cheeky BJ 😀

    I bet there is a very good article in you and I would love to publish your thoughts on any issue! 🙂

    Arteta has done us proud with his pens though!

  • Glic,

    agreed hence i said it in one of the other articles as well that 24 million for an injury prone player is good business for fiorentina .

    it’s a risk most def but is it a risk worth taking considering he has a serious knee injury not so long ago ?

    could all this talk be just to start a bidding war and inflate his price even that much more ? i’m not sure but it seems likely.

    hopefully, Wenger can sit down with Fergie this sunday and have a nice little chat involving Hernandez and Nani 😀

  • James,

    I prefer us to keep spreading the goals. One of the real positives this seasons is that we are not dependent on a beast of a finisher.

    However, I would love us to get a player who can score regularly in the big games, and an experienced super-sub like Villa could be the answer….

  • I broke down on the M5 Totes and had to wait for the AA and another van to turn up to transfer the goods, so I could carry on my journey !. 😦

    I phoned Vic`s to tell him his Away Boyz were on talkSPORT, the old clunge is the oldest groupee in town . He must have creamed over his Trannie !. hahaha

  • Last week traffic jams and this week a breakdown: it is not going well for you recently, it seems.

    Do you drive alone or is there another colleague?

  • BJ.
    The Italian chaps concerns on talkSPORT were about his knee !. Lets hope they give him a thorough examination and not the same one they gave Arteta……..which was none !.

    Dr Glic will do it at a reasonable price !. hahaha

  • Of course I do Totes, I`m the only one guaranteed to listen to the crap I come out with !. hahaha

    Beautiful Morning to you Hatchetwound`s 😆

    Destinations today : Branscombe , Torquay, Charlestown and Rock…..it`s like being on holiday !.
    Laterz

  • Morning TA, 🙂

    Jack would definitely be the first name on the team roster for me too.

    I would stick him in goal — and then change my mind and stick him at left back —- then think sod it, and finally put him in his proper position — just because I could!!!!!!:-)

  • Cheers as always TA, as RA said how you continue to do it is beyond me. If i started a blog it’d close down after 2 days due to lack of ideas…and intelligence (perhaps I’d be good at writing a spurs blog then given that they are a few links behind arsenal supporters in the evolutionary chain).

    Jovetic in the hole for me. I think it’d work wonders and definitely bring the best out of Giroud!

  • Morning Redders………much lower temperature this morning…..alas.

    Hi Oz…..where’s that monster Prince? I need Rocky and his entries…….

  • Morning/Evening, Oz, 🙂

    Here’s something you may appreciate. (I am not from Texas!!) 🙂

    AUSSIE RESPONSE

    A Texan farmer goes to Australia for a vacation. There he meets an Aussie farmer and gets to talking.
    The Aussie shows off his big wheat field and the Texan says, ‘Oh! We have wheat fields back home that are at least twice as large’.

    Then they walk around the ranch a little, and the Aussie shows off his herd of cattle. |
    The Texan immediately says, ‘ We have longhorns back home that are at least twice as large as your cows’.

    The conversation has, meanwhile, almost died when the Texan sees a herd of kangaroos hopping through the field.
    He asked the Aussie Farmer, ‘And what are those’?

    The Aussie slowly turned his head and replies with an incredulous look, ‘Don’t you have any grasshoppers in Texas’?

    You Aussies ………………. 😀

  • As much as i want us to buy quality players, i believe the team’s main problem is the need for a player who could bury half chances, whom one can be sure to get at least a goal per match. Since Jovetic is not that man, are we relying on Giroud for next season, he just isn’t the goal-getter we need and one just hope he improves. As for ManU, congrats to them, we owe them the guard of honour and hopefully our chance would come SOON with the Board making the right decision/signings.

  • Tunnel of Love/Guard of honour…..?????? My Arse.

    Rocky……..PPP………….entries please

  • when will it stop?

    The next three games will you expect the opposition to honour them?

    I bet they don’t. So why should we?

  • Thanks Oz 🙂

    I have been struggling a bit to keep the posts going this week, to be honest

    The game on Sunday has a strong influence on the choice of topics to write about. Anything else seems wrong right now.

    Let’s get that game out of the way, and hopefully win it, and then we can move on to new post themes.

  • hahaha brilliant RA. I think i’d fit right in well in Texas. My favourite type of food and I hear the meals are monstrous. You are from New York aren’t you?

    Agreed VCC, guard of honour…no thanks. They are our enemies. I wouldn’t want to for spurs, manu, city or chelsea.

    Come on hold on Wigan…defend for your life!!!!

  • lukaku 2 goals and an assist…he can leave the premier league now thanks

  • So Oz, VCC,

    The club should just say no thanks to the FA? It is a tradition in England. I agree it is rediculous tradition, but it is what done and as a club we cannot embarrass ourselves.

    Can you imagine what the press would do: they would go all out on Wenger and how he does not understand English tradition/culture. No thanks. Let’s be bigger than that.

  • You are right TA but i just hate all the stupid old traditions especially this and the handshake crap. They aren’t kids they shouldn’t be forced to shake hands, and if they don’t it shouldn’t be reported as the worst thing since Lincoln was assassinated

  • haha henry i’ll have a good chuckle if you sneak up on VCC and pinch the UMF title.

  • Ugly scenes at Wolves with hundreds of fans causing mayhem.

    Incredible last minute at Brentford (West-London). They had a penalty and if it went in they would have been promoted. They miss it and from the ensuing counter-attack Doncaster score and secure their own promotion. Unbelievable turn of fate!

  • Brentford have to play the play-offs now.

    Brentford makes me think of Szczesny. Has Brentford been good for you Wojciech? Szczesny: I have been good for Brentford. hahaha the cocky Pole! 😛

  • haha one of the best lines in football history i think TA. The kid will definitely make it!

  • Thesis due in a week and a half, and a massive meeting with a panel of judges the week after. Did a presentation last week and go asked to present my topic across the country (sods had it in bloody Vanuatu last year 🙂 )

    Then Bali for 3 weeks, thank dennis! nothing but sun, swimming, food and cheap booze.

    Enjoy your night TA, hope all’s well with the family and dog

  • Total. What tradition? Why should we clap them out, its not the last game of the season.

    Manchester United have more games to play. Are you saying that every game the opposition must give them a guard of honour?

    The press are always slagging Wenger and Arsenal. We are the medias favourite trashing club, whats new?

    It’s time Wenger and Arsenal started standing up for themselves. Spend money in the right areas, get rid of the dross and get back to winning trophies, NOT 4th place.

    No more Mr. Nice guy.

    Nobody likes a loser, and we have become the laughing stock of most other clubs/supporters.

    Why grin and bear it?…….I’m pi%%ed off with it.

  • TA,

    You are as bad as Glicster with your, “I will grin and bare it” (17:03) — you will both be arrested if you do — flashing is still an offence, even in Norwich and Cornwall!! 🙂

    Perhaps you meant, “I will grin and bear it” — not as much fun, but it will save you from getting frost bitten willies! 😀

  • Ok VCC, lets agree to disagree. It is a tradition to do it at the first game after becoming champions: yes or no? It is just what it is and a club of our standing respects that. Simples.

  • I think we might become champions next season with Jovetic, a defence midfielder and Cavani/Falcao either one. Every season we are selling, fair enough.. Now we are more stable you will see what Wenger can really do. I certainly believe in him, not the shady board. COYG

  • Podolski Jovtic Walcott Cazorla Wilshere Wanyama Nacho vermalon kouyate sagna aldar starting 11

  • Hahaha Vic`s……are you Herb…..are you Herb…..are you Herb in disguise !. hahaha

    Got to say, I thought Wigan would get hammered today, so a great result for us, it`s back in our hands again and the goal difference could be the deciding factor !.
    There is one thing we should have more than Manure tomorrow and that’s desire, it`s more important to us than them. Their season has basically ended, we have 4 finals, we should be a 100% up for it more than them. Win,lose or draw, nothing but total commitment….straight for the jugular, no f**king about, give them not an inch, fight to the death !.

    I, on the other hand shall be cowering behind my sofa like a nervous wreck pussy !. hahaha

  • Hi Glic, I sure am. I’m peed off pussy footing around. I have to be careful cos Total and Terry might knock on my door if I get too heavy. 🙂

    Then again, I have Redders on my side and no one messes with the big man.

    We have waited long enough, all the excuses have been featured in a novel as big as War and Peace.

    We have the money Mr Wenger, now go out and show us if you can still hack it.

    Sick of all this tunnel love stuff. Let’s get back to showing others the way to win, like we used to at the beginning of Wengers reign.

  • Vic`s . I suppose we will have to wait until the TW to see if the penny has dropped with our club. We will either be very happy or very pissed off. I think the club knows that the supporters (and I would say the majority ) are fed up with Arsenal selling our best players to our rivals. It has to stop now, but that would only be half the problem solved, the other half to be solved is that we have to sign ” super quality” if we want to compete. I`m optimistic we have turned the corner and will sign some quality….and Blow Jobetic !. hahaha

  • Just for you Totes, to help get you off to sleep at night and help you think of post ideas.
    No knocking one out to it though !. hahaha

  • Wigan were robbed today, clearly not a free kick for spuds but anyway, i’ll take a draw but would have been sweeter had wigan bagged all 3 points (they play us as well).

    time to put the mancs into their rightful place, it’s not often i feel this confident before a big match but i reckon it’s gonna be 3-0 to us.

    by the way, AFC where art thou ?

  • Hi VCC. 🙂

    I am not particularly upset with Rip Van Persie leaving Arsenal but I will be very upset if he scores a couple of goals against us today.

    I have hardened up my attitudes concerning the way Arsenal recruit players. Better to get one classy player than 3 job lots of the ‘el cheapo’ types.

  • Redders. I have been banging that drum for a few years now. Ive said before Wenger is building a team of mediocre players.

    We need at least 2-3 top quality players.

    Lewanowski is for sale, and I see Neymar will not sign a new contract.

    Both valued at approx. £35 mill. That’s your £70 mill spend.

    But we all know he will not do tht for fear of failure, ala Arshavin.

    Arshavin has not been a success because Wenger will not play him in his proper position. We all know he can destroy teams, ala Liverpool Barcelona.

    This summer will be = same old same old Wenger. Middle of the road cheapies.

    Rant over.

  • I still hope there will be a change of tactics this summer when it comes to buying players, and until AW proves me wrong, I will live in expectation.

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