It’s fair to say Coquelin’s career has never really taken off at Arsenal (as shown by his appearance stats below):
Games total:
2014/15 – Arsenal 5 (4 sub)
2013/14 – Freiburg 16 (8 sub)
2012/13 – Arsenal 11 (11 sub)
2011/12 – Arsenal 13 (4 sub)
2010/11 – Lorient 13 (11 sub)
2009/10 – Arsenal 2 (1 sub)
2008/09 – Arsenal (1 sub)
Could Arteta’s injury woes open the doors for Coquelin to get more game time?
He has a robust style that endears him to the supporters, and he loves the nitty-gritty. But why has he never succeeded in the mighty red and white? I could understand if you said he doesn’t fit our style of play or he has a poor range of passing. But in my opinion he ticks both boxes. Coquelin has had some ripping performances in the past too…the Man U game that didn’t exist (perhaps the only positive to come out of that game) and a game against the spuds come both to mind. Arsene likes a bargain so what better deal than a player already on our books?!
Coquelin’s biggest hurdle appears to be our manager’s perception of him…and it appears once his mind is made up there is no going back. Arsene has praised Coquelin recently but they’re the type of quotes that lead you to believe he’ll be on his way out at the end of the season. We’ve heard it from Arsene before “He’ll have a career and hopefully he’ll make it here…which in Arsene talk equates “I don’t want to hold him back so I have allowed him to leave”.
I agree with our manager most of the time but I disagree with him greatly on this one. What does Flamini and Arteta offer the team that Coquelin doesn’t? Experience you say. Yes that may be so. Coquelin has played in a number of different teams and has been in the Arsenal system for some time now (not to mention he still hasn’t hit his prime), so I think he’s got enough experience. What else? Arteta may have better passing skills but does he use them at Arsenal? Even then, Coquelin is no slouch. Flamini may be tough and fight tooth and nail but one could argue the young Frenchman is displaying more of a desire to succeed. Can Arteta play in the full back position if needed (red card or terrible run with injuries)? Flamini can and so can Coquelin. Flamini played as a full back during our terrific Champions League run in 2006. Unfortunately for Flamini he was never born with blistering pace but it appears to be dropping off rapidly.
It just doesn’t make sense that Arsene would splash the cash when he has the right person for the job standing in front of him. When we’ve needed a DM in the past this is who Arsene has turned to:
Gilberto rested -> Flamini (already an Arsenal player) is given a chance
Flamini leaves for Milan -> Denilson (already an Arsenal player) is chosen
..my mum taught me that if I had nothing good to say that I should keep it to myself -> Song (already an Arsenal player) given the go ahead.
Song departs for Barcelona -> Arteta (already an Arsenal player) is selected to play their despite playing as an attacking midfielder for large parts of his career.
Notice a trend there?
So Arsene, forget splashing 25 million on a DM. Spend it on a CB and/or another attacking player. We’ve got the defensive midfielder we need already, plus a couple of younger ones developing in the reserves. I know he’s not the highly fashionable “gorilla DM” that everyone cries out for, but he’s one of our own and he deserves the chance. Don’t agree? Well watch this and then make up your mind.
I don’t know about you, but I prefer us playing on Saturdays rather than Sundays (let alone Monday night games). However, if and when our direct opponents drop valuable points, as the Spuds and Northern Oilers have just done, it is actually quite nice to still have to play.
Of course, beating the Orcs is a strong motivation of its own. And we owe them one all-right! I really hope Terry’s 5-0 prediction is correct for once: how fecking fantastic would it be to send them home up the M1 and M6 with a fat thumping from the Gunners imprinted in their limited brains? A hat-trick by Ramsey would especially be very sweet.
We are getting players slowly back and Wenger might spring one or two surprises on the starting line-up for us. Will he start all of Flamini, Ramsey, Theo and Ozil, or will he stick to the same eleven he played against Hull? Will he reintroduce Giroud or stick with the slick Alexis in the middle? Will he leave Szczesny on the bench and give Ospina a second game?
This is my predicted line-up:
I expect us to start solid and Arsene to try out Coquelin once again. The Flam-Coq DM pivot looked good against West Ham and why not give it another go? I have a feeling Ospina will start: he deserves more games and Wenger can test him properly in this one. I also feel Szczesny could do with a break to get his mind focussed again. You never know with Arsene though… he might play Wojciech as to not affect his confidence too much. Giroud up-front again is a given, I reckon.
Let’s hope we will see Theo, Ramsey and maybe even Ozil tomorrow as well at some point.
What is your predicted line-up?
Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners – Let the Cannon Roar, Roar, Roar, Roar, Roar!
Written by: TotalArsenal. 🙂
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Arsenal: Jack (ankle), Arteta (calf), Welsh Jesus (hamstring), Flamini (groin – doubt), Ozil (knee – doubt. I think he’ll be on the bench for this one. If things are going well he might get a little run out), Welbeck (thigh – doubt), Giroud (suspended – last match), Sanogo (hamstring/going on loan – doubt), Podolski (groin strain/going to Inter), Diaby (calf strain/figment of our imagination).
Perhaps we can purchase a soft tissue specialist this transfer window.
Some pretty big question marks over who starts. We know Ospina will start (I can sense BJ doing cartwheels from here. He has it on good authority that Ospina’s feet don’t actually touch the ground and he saves shots with his mind).
Thanks to our rather extensive list of injuries it’s going to be hard to rotate the squad too much. We are down three strikers and Podolski; therefore, Sanchez may have to lead the line again. I wouldn’t mind seeing Akpom given a go. With all the media attention he’s been given this week it wouldn’t surprise me if he was given a run out. Campbell is probably the better option given his stage of development.
In defence Debuchy is likely to be rested. Chambers or Bellerin? Let’s give the Spaniard another go. Then again Chambers may have to start because he’d be in big trouble if we conceded a set piece…land of the midgets. Kozzer or Monreal? I think Kozzer still isn’t 100% and Monreal was doing a good job, so I’d like to see him line-up for this encounter.
In midfield we could go with Chambers and Le Coq again. In my opinion that didn’t work against Southampton. Flamini could come back in but I’d prefer to see Rosicky and Le Coq given the opportunity. The young Frenchman has performed admirably since coming back on loan, so I’d like to see him prove his worth once again. Ozil will make the bench. In a perfect world he could come on at around the 70th minute mark when we have the game in the bag…unfortunately we are Arsenal and that just doesn’t happen.
Walcott is the biggest question mark for me. Does he start? Is he ready? He hasn’t started a match since January 3rd 2014 and he only had 7 touches in 31 minutes against Southampton. I’d prefer a fully fit Campbell to start on the wing so that Walcott can come on for a little run out with Ozil.
Previous Encounters:
Arsenal vs Hull 2-2
After going ahead early thanks to a good finish from Sanchez we left it til late to scrape through with a point.
One of the worst pull backs I’ve ever seen lead to their first goal…shocking non-call. Mertesacker should have showed more intent for their second. A great run from Sanchez setup Welbeck to grab the equaliser.
What form? We haven’t won three in a row all season and I honestly don’t know what Arsenal team is going to show up. In the league we are 13 points off top spot. 33 points from 20 games and 12 points behind where we were this time last season. Thankfully, this isn’t the league and we are currently the cup holders!
Hull haven’t had a good time of it this season. They’ve snapped a 10-game winless run by winning 2 of their last 3 games. They are safe from relegation for now.
This week I’ve dipped into the Arsenal Archive and pulled out this video clip. It’s not really an archive…more of a ‘we won a cup so let’s re-live it again’ type of clip (Their first goal was ridiculously lucky). What a goal by Santi!!!! Thank you Welsh Jesus. Enjoy! 🙂
Former Everton striker Jelavic. Hull’s leading scorer and can be a handful at times.
Key-Match up:
Arsenal midfield vs Hull City midfield
I have no doubt Bruce will pack the midfield for this encounter. Southampton did it really well against us and without Giroud we tend to lack shape in the oppositions half. We can’t let the ex-spuds Livermore and fat-boy Huddlestone get a stranglehold otherwise we might find the going tough. Flamini and Le Coq need to break up their attacks and the midfielders need to transition the play well from defence to attack. If Alexis is playing up front we can’t afford to have him providing the link-up…he needs to be on the end of it. For this reason I think we need Rosicky to partner Le Coq, just so we have more attacking potency.
Pre-Match Finger:
Now I haven’t been around for a while so I’ve got a lot of fingers to hand out. This week’s finger goes to José Mourinho. Jesus Christ he’s a miserable sod. Just because he’s not getting his way at the moment he’s whinging about every little thing, making excuses for everything. His players don’t win penalties apparently…Hazard is being kicked out of the league (he’s diving over a lot of those tackles)…unfair treatment from the refs. Perhaps he’d have better luck if his players didn’t go down with relative ease. Drogba has done it his whole career; Hazard does it on a regular basis; Ivanovic (despite being built like a brick shithouse) flops whenever he gets around the box; even Cahill dives…Tell your players to stay on their feet and the refs might start rewarding you again. It annoys me that he has the wood of Arsene. Nothing would please me more than seeing him whinge and complain about us too.
Frick it, I’m handing out another! My right finger is going to Liverpool manager Rodgers. He accused Alexis of diving when the two teams met recently. First of all I find it very rich that he’s accusing one of our players after he defended Suarez on a regular basis. Secondly, Sanchez doesn’t dive. Thirdly, it was a long way outside the box so it’s not like the free-kick resulted in a penalty. Finally, look what that cheating twerp Sterling did moments later. He handled the ball to get past an on-rushing Szczesny. P*ss off Rodgers…you too Skrtel.
Pre-Match pat on the back:
This week’s pat on back goes to Santi Cazorla.
He’s really stepped up recently when we’ve needed him too. He’s had midfielders drop off all around him but little Santi has found his first season form. The only thing missing is his shooting foot but that’ll come. Teams have really started to choke us in midfield so players like Santi, Ox, Sanchez and Rosicky are worth their weight in gold. They get the ball and drive forward causing opposition players to gravitate towards them creating space for others. Good job Santi.
‘Ask the opposition’ returns again this week. It is designed to get some friendly banter from our opposition fans and get their insight for the match ahead. This week we’ve got a big group taking part (friendliest bunch I’ve spoken to thus far). The answers were kindly provided by Quill, Brady’s Love Triangle, Mr Hat, John Ex Aberdeen now E.R, Chazz Rheinhold (all from not606) and Ryan from the official Hull supporters club. Let’s see what they’ve written for us this week:
1) How can Hull turn their season around?
Quill: I believe we can, but only if we keep Bruce. Of course, injuries haven’t helped, with Snodgrass being out for the season, and Diame and Dawson also having spells out too. On paper, our team should be comfortable, but paper never won a football match. I think if we get a couple of results go our way, we’ll be fine. We only have to look at Sunderland and Poyet last season for a great example.
brady’s love triangle: Playing forwards when it’s needed, bruce played the perfect game against sunderland but then played the same team at home to leicester.. until the 60th minute when we had all our forwards on we dominated them.. it’s up to bruce really, and if we get diame and dawson back fit and ready, diame has been a huge miss
Mr Hat: Sack Cushionface
John Ex Aberdeen now E.R: We just need to get our bigger players back and a consistent team. With Huddlestone, Dawson, Diame and Snodgrass out, we as a club don’t have the depth of squad to lose these players.
Chazz Rheinhold: Get the players back fit and from suspension. Buy a strong championship centre forward. Deeney would be my choice, if we go down, he’ll be the top scorer next season if we do.
Ryan: As Steve Bruce keeps saying, getting our injured and suspended players back is one big thing but I think he also needs to be a bit more adventurous in attack and make better use of the strikers we have. In our recent home defeat to Leicester we started without a striker and intitially struggled to create chances, but once we brought some strikers on in the second half, we suddenly looked like scoring. That game summed up the rut we’re in really.
2) Which player/s would you like in this transfer window?
Quill: Someone to bridge the gap between midfield and attack. We don’t really have a proper playmaker at the club – Ramirez is alright, but lacks pace, and Ben Arfa was just an idiot. Ironically, we do have that type of player already in Snodgrass, but he is out for the season as mentioned above.
brady’s love triangle: difficult, we spent a lot in the summer, how much will our owners want to dish out? i’d like cattermole from sunderland and danny ings from burnley, neither are likely to happen though
Mr Hat: Messi, Ronaldo or Bale
John Ex Aberdeen now E.R: I don’t think we need much, maybe Lennon to replay Ben Arfa, and Cattermole to stiffen up the Midfield
Chazz Rheinhold: Troy Deeney. Not sure we need anyone else.
Ryan: We’ve spent a lot of money for a club our size recently and I don’t think we really need to keep splashing the cash. The squad is a lot better than the one that stayed up and got to the cup final last year, so the problem lies elsewhere. That said, the one position I think we lack is a bit of pace up front to get in behind teams. We let Shane Long go for a really good offer, but we didn’t have much time to replace him. We got Abel Hernandez, but he hasn’t been anything like as good as long so far and doesn’t seem to have the pace we need.
3) What player/position is your weakest?
Quill: Quite a similar question to above. I wouldn’t say any player in particular is our weakest, but if I had to pick an area, it would be the attack. Bar Jelavic and Hernandez, we don’t have strikers who look truly threatening. The Leicester game highlighted our need for more attackers or at least a more creative threat.
brady’s love triangle: centre midfield and forwards, hernandez has yet to spark into life despite being our most expensive signing in our history, livermore and huddlestone don’t have that ‘kick’
Mr Hat: Every position as Cushionface pulls names out of a hat.
John Ex Aberdeen now E.R: One in midfield and one up front.
Chazz Rheinhold: Centre midfield. We’ve got ex Spurs in there!! Bit lightweight (no Hudd jokes) and too nice. Shouldnt have bought Livermore, gets through lots of work but not enough bite or drive going forward. Always wants to pass to Hudd.
Ryan: We have reasonably good cover all over. I’d say up front is the weakest. Jelavic is great, but we haven’t got anyone else up to his standard to play alongside him.
4) What tactics are you likely to employ against Arsenal?
Quill: Very likely our 3-5-2 formation. It’s our best formation from a defensive standpoint, and is our best chance of keeping your lot at bay. We’ll likely play very similar to how we did in the 2-2 draw earlier on in the season.
brady’s love triangle: probably a 3-5-2, hoping to dominate arsenal in midfield and get you on the counter.. but bruce who knows?
Mr Hat: Concede at all costs
John Ex Aberdeen now E.R: 352 as we did in the league game solid defence and counter attack.
Chazz Rheinhold: I hope Brucey doesnt sit back. He’ll go 3 at the back i reckon. We’ll be out on our feet by Sunday it could be a drubbing for us, we’re running out of players.
Ryan: It’s impossible to say with us. Being an FA Cup game Bruce will probably mix it up a bit meaning fringe players get a game. We play a few different formations at different times.
5) Which Arsenal player would you like and why?
Quill: 100% Alexis Sanchez. The man is awesome. He has been, for me so far this season, the best player in the Prem. Both his ability to score and create, alongside his pace and trickery is exactly what we need at the moment.
brady’s love triangle: sanchez, world class, being a huge fan of his for quite a while , he could play at any team in the world, he bossed the world cup and ozil, I’ve followed him from his young days, he has the quality, he doesn’t have the forwards to work with though
Mr Hat: Diaby because Bruce manages to have so many players out injured all the time that Diaby will prove the exception to the rule in a fitting twist of ironic comedy
John Ex Aberdeen now E.R: The Ox, he has pace, skill and power, though a toss-up with Ramsey.
Chazz Rheinhold: Obviously Sanchez but if not Welbeck.
Ryan: Easy, Danny Welbeck. We were tenuously linked with him in the summer before he signed for you, it seemed very unlikely at the time and so it proved, but I did think he was exactly what we were missing and would have been an ideal foil for Jelavic.
6) Which player/position do you feel is our weakest?
Quill: Defence. I’m including the goalkeeper in that too. Your defence doesn’t look strong enough, both from a physical standpoint and also a mental one. Even Wenger himself admitted that your defence doesn’t talk enough, which is a massive problem.
brady’s love triangle: well, depends on what level, to compete for the premier league/europe, i’d say, a forward and defender
Mr Hat: London, because you pick up a fan base of Piers Morgan’s
John Ex Aberdeen now E.R: Centre back and defensive midfielder.
Chazz Rheinhold: The back four, it seems. Corners free kicks are our best chance of scoring.
Ryan: I don’t know a massive amount about Arsenal but from the outside it always seems like you spend big on attacking players but only get cheap, French youngsters to play in defence. It seems to me that a bit of physicality from teams like Stoke or West Ham is still a weakness for you. I’d say the defence in general is your weakest area.
7) Who should Arsenal sign in the transfer window to improve the squad?
Quill: Again, similar to above, you need a new central defender, someone like Mats Hummels, who has a great technical ability as well as a tactical nous.
brady’s love triangle: martinez of porto
Mr Hat: Messi, Ronaldo or Bale
John Ex Aberdeen now E.R: Not sure which person, but the above 2 positions, then you would be a threat in both League and Europe.
Chazz Rheinhold: Sissoko (sp) from Newcastle. He looked fantastic last time i saw him on TV and was a beast against us last season.
Ryan: Based on my previous answer I’d say a powerful, dominant centre half who already knows the PL. He’d need to play the Arsenal way, so maybe Ashley Williams from Swansea. In fact better yet, our very own James Chester is a very under-rated player in the Rio Ferdinand mould. He’s young, rarely makes a mistake, good on the ball and a brilliant tackler but hardly ever has to slide. I’d hate to see him go, but I reckon he could play for a big club one day.
8) What is your prediction for the match?
Quill: My heart says a 3-2 win after coming from 2-0 down just for revenge, but I’m going to be realistic and say 3-1 Arsenal.
brady’s love triangle: 2-1 to arsenal L
Mr Hat: 9-1 Hull city win.
John Ex Aberdeen now E.R: Depend what team Arsene puts out, if 2nd string we may get a draw, if you put out a first team squad, I fear we will lose 2-0
Chazz Rheinhold: Could be 5-0. It’d be good to fluke a draw and get you back up here for a night match.
Ryan: I can’t see anything other than a City loss. I imagine both sides will play a weakened team, but your reserves will be stronger than ours. If it was a league game I might be hopeful we could knick a result again, but I’m not confident for this one. I was disappointed with the draw really, after last year’s cup run whet the appetite!
Prediction:
I really don’t know to be honest. With the form we are in and against a team that knows how to expose our weaknesses. I think our saving grace is their small squad. Their players would be tired after the packed fixtures. God I hope we win because we need to go on a winning run and it’d be fantastic if we kept the Cup this year. 2-1 to the good guys.
Very short match preview, as I am busy and the game starts in just two hours.
We will need lots of New Year’s magic to beat the solid wall of the Saints defence: Can Alexis do it one more time?
It is the third time we will meet the team surprise of the season, and no doubt this will be a tight one. The Saints really know how to defend and it will be hard to get into their box today. No team, other than the horrible Chavs perhaps, operate the double-DM pivot system better than Southampton, but they will miss the constantly very impressive, Wengeresque, Schneiderlin today. One of the disadvantages of having two DMs in the pivot is the potential lack of connection between defence and attack, and Schneiderlin plays a very important role in this.
Against the Chavs the Saints managed to keep their opponents out of their box, allowing only one shot on goal in the whole match. At the end they tired though, and had their opponents been sharper when they finally penetrated the Saints’ box, they could have taken all three points. They always have a threat going forward from both full backs and wingers, and we have to play disciplined today if we want to go home with a result.
A win will be hard, very hard, given the quality of the opposition and the tired legs of those who will have to create the magic (Santi, Alexis, Welbeck, OX, the full backs?).
It looks like Wenger will not battle against the Saints with his very own god of speed, Theo. It has all become very precarious with regards to Theo’s return to the team, but this is just the sort of game we need him in. Our senior players need a lift: some fresh and dynamic support and that is just what Theo would offer. Let’s hope we will see him at least come off the bench: time to jump in the deep end TW14!
Luckily, we can field a reasonably fresh and complete back-five today. It is key though that we give them the right support and another stint of junior and senior French duo of CoqMini in front of the back-four is highly likely, and preferable imo. Can Cazorla do another battling performance in the hole and are Danny, Alexis and Alex still capable of squeezing another ninety minutes out of their tired legs? Will Rosicky add freshness? We will see. I reckon Wenger will go for his strongest available (and fittest) team and not worry about the FA cup game yet, as this is a very important game to not lose, or, of course ideally, to win.
The mind says a hard fought draw with none or two goals, but the heart is hoping for more. Both teams have had a few good games in a row and confidence is starting to return…. It is not just three – or indeed six – points up for grabs today; the even bigger reward of further/increasing momentum is at stake as well. Can we do it?
This is the predicted team (am pretty sure though I wont get them all correct today):
Ox might well play instead of Rosicky or Le Coq, and Welbeck might not start due to fitness, in which case Alexis could play up top…. Let’s wait and see.
Come You Rip Roaring Gunners – Let the Cannon Roar!
Written by: TotalArsenal
Wishing you all a healthy, happy and prosperous Gunners 2015!
Super Alexis (and Rosa) saved Giroud’s blushes… But will there be more damage down the line?
After yesterday’s bizarre match against The Hoops, in which we almost spectacularly self-imploded, a (on paper) tougher encounter awaits us at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers are on-Song (and no doubt with Song tomorrow) under the management of Fat Sam, and they will be looking forward to playing us at their own stomping ground.
We are getting good to very good players back every week now, and things are looking up. Unfortunately, Giroud let himself and the team down with a hot-headed action yesterday, which means he will miss out on the next three games. This could turn out to be a very costly mistake by Ollie, and Wenger will have to make the right choice in how to replace him: Welbeck back to the middle or Sanogo to keep our shape and system going?
The Hoops game had been very one-sided until our French senior CF saw red mist. Giroud’s sending off gave QPR an unexpected lease of life; and if Rosicky had not scored his cool goal (after excellent work by Beast of the Match, Alexis) for the all important 2-0 need, it could have finished differently (and it almost did anyway…. Deep sigh).
Enough said about that match: we got the three points and let’s just move on. A win tomorrow would really put the wind in our red and white sails and I have a good feeling about this one. There are four reasons for it:
The team know that the Hammers are in fine form: I prefer our players to be fully focussed rather than underestimate an opponent;
We have a good track record there recently;
Our defence could be at full strength tomorrow for the first time a long while;
We have Alexis, and Theo could start his first game which would be an enormous boost.
For me it is key to stick to our formation and style of play, and I reckon Wenger will start Sanogo. Welbeck really needs a break to rest, refocus and get his form back, as he has been very ineffective for a few games in a row now. Wenger could decide to play Danny in the middle for this one, but my gut feeling tells me he will play Sanogo. The junior French CF is our best copy of Giroud; and, with Alexis and Theo on the wings, he could play a very important part tomorrow.
I saw Sanogo against Dortmund and especially in the first half he played a very effective game. His finishing needs to improve significantly of course, but his link up play is very good for his age, as he reads the game well and acts very quickly and incisively. This is more important than his ability to clinically put the ball in the net in our system. The goals should come from Alexis, Theo, Santi and Rosa, and Sanogo always carries a goal threat himself.
Back-four is sorted; three up-top is sorted (although Wenger could start Welbeck and/or Pod in this one); and I reckon Arsene will play the same three in midfield: Flam, Rosa and Santi.
I reckon with this team we will Gun the Hammers down tomorrow:
Time for Rosa and his smile to return to first team?
The so called easy games always make me a bit nervous. QPR at home might be regarded as an easy one, especially with tough ‘top-four away games’ coming up, but only if we put in a quality, committed performance today will we be able to bag all three points.
Losing two points late on against Pool will have helped the team to remain focussed for this one during the week. Defenders will want to make amends for the badly defended late, late corner. Our midfielders will want to re-establish balance on the pitch, and our attackers will simply want to keep up the good form (scoring 10 goals in three games is pretty impressive by anyone’s standards, although they were helped by a defender or two as well).
I want to see more leadership on the pitch: calm, organisation, structure, focus. Arteta and BFG offer this to some extent, but the former is injured and the latter is looking a bit lost at times (Koz’s imminent return will do him a world of good). As the defence picks itself more or less, it is important to strike the right balance both in midfield and attack, and leadership is a key component in this.
In midfield, I would introduce the now fit again Rosicky. Everybody loves Rosa and he can play a key role as our B2B midfielder today. Tomas can defend (with a fine tackle), can take the ball forward and take on a player if required, AND he has a good eye for the throughball. On top of that, and most importantly, he has experience… and knows how to lead the team; and in a period of four games in just ten days, he is exactly what we need right now. I would play Flamini as our deepest midfielder and Santi or Ox in the hole.
Up-front we have plenty of options, now that Sanogo is also back again. Key is here whether Wenger will want to give one or two players a rest. I have a feeling he will want to play his best team to secure the three points as quickly as possible. If we find ourselves three up after 65 minutes, we might see a few changes, but that is a big IF. So, for me it is WAG up top: Welbeck, Alexis, Giroud, with the aim to take Alexis and Giroud off as soon as possible. I have a feeling Ox, although apparently still fit to play, will get a rest today, but it could also be Santi who gets a well earned rest. We could also see Wenger continuing with Flam as our sole DM and play Rosicky with either Ox or Santi ahead of him.
It is hard to predict what Wenger will do, but here is my predicted line-up:
I cannot wait to see the boys play again and let’s hope for a good win and brilliant atmosphere at the home of football.
Gibbs and Pod to rediscover their previous excellent partnership?
….Well that is what they deserve if you ask me!
For many of us the loss to Stoke deeply overshadowed the far more joyous occurrence of the Barcodes smashing the Chavs in a well-deserved victory. In normal circumstances, our team losing is far more painful than one of our main competitors losing, but, at least for me, the reverse is the case this time round.
The Chavs losing to Newcastle was good in many ways:
Of course, it ended any possibility they would go unbeaten a whole season. Only special teams achieve something colossal like this… 😉
It proved once again that if you play Maureen at his own game, his team will struggle. Newcastle sat back and were tightly organised, and the Chavs did not take their half-decent chances. The Barcodes did play them on the counter and they did take their chances, albeit with a bit of fortune, at least on the first one. Except for the last ten minutes, Pardew’s men were in control of the game and a lot of praise should go to their man at the helm.
Even though we failed to close the gap, there remains hope that we can make up ground over the next few months. It is unlikely we will catch them but they have shown they are vulnerable and can be beaten as long as you play them at their own game. Other teams will have taken note of how Newcastle beat the Chavs and I expect the fear factor to have diminished now.
The PL competition is a competition again. The Chavs dropped five points in three games and the rest is catching up. The smirk on Maureen’s face is quickly turning into that typical grumpy contortion of his. Happy Days! 😛
So I reckon we should give the Barcodes a minute applause for their clever and well-deserved win last Saturday. They have done us a massive favour!
Predicted Team v Newcastle United.
Hayden to step up and Pod to get a start. Welbeck could start instead of Giroud or even Alexis… Ox to replace Rambo.
For tomorrow’s game, early team news is not good. Three CB covers are out: Koz, Nacho, Chambers. Ramsey is out as well. However, the Pod will get a chance against Newcastle as the boss just confirmed.
We should expect the Barcodes to play similar to the way they beat the Chavs and be aware of their counterattacks. For me, this means Flamini as DM and the defence not sitting too high up the pitch. We also need our FBs to be disciplined: only one at a time going forward and good communication with the midfielders and CBs at all times. We also need Giroud back to ram the CBs and create space by occupying them. Ollie was rested and so were Cazorla, Welbeck and Sexy-Alexis. So we should have fresh, eager fire-power up-front. With Ramsey out, it should be Ox or (ideally) Rosicky as the b2b, and the team picks itself to a large extent. A big role for the Ox tomorrow, I reckon: he might hold the key in midfield…
Key question is who will partner the BFG at the back, and it looks like Gerry will get his wish with Hayden stepping up.
I am looking forward to this one, but then I always do. OGAAT – TIANG-YANG – UTA – COYRRG and all that!
Stoke City – Arsenal Preview–Make or Break Time up in the Potteries
Stoke away is a match which has become infamous since 2010 when a full blooded tackle from Ryan Shawcross broke Aaron Ramsey’s tibia and fibula. Shawcross (to his credit, I believe) left the field in tears, while Ramsey left it on a stretcher–to boos and derision from Stoke supporters. Subsequently, in an atmosphere of very high emotion, Cesc Fabregas led Arsenal to a 3-1 victory. Unfortunately, the acrimony between partisans was further stoked by pantomime dramas in the press around apologies and misplaced behaviours. The negative tactics (and demeanor) of then manager, Tony Pulis, did nothing to mollify matters, nor did Arsenal’s continued struggles in trips to the Britannia. Pulis is now gone, but another manager, Mark Hughes, who has never been high on the list of most revered men amongst Gooners–or our own manager, Arsene Wenger–is now at the helm. Faces have changed but the animosity most certainly has not.
Shawcross, now Captain of his club, will lead a slightly more elegant bunch onto the pitch tomorrow. Will Hughes keep the mowers off and let it grow for an extra day or two as they used to during the Pulis era? At least the groundskeepers can no longer bring in the touchlines to league minimums to favor the long throws of Rory Delap and try to hinder the better passing clubs. Things may be modernizing at Stoke City, but the always simmering bad blood between the two clubs will not be cured by the simple handshake Shawcross and Ramsey are sure to share in the moments before kickoff.
That Ramsey will have to reprise his 90+ minutes of hard running which, at the very end, yielded the assist which allowed Gooners to breathe again, is down to the injuries in the squad. Long termers Ozil, Debuchy, Wilshere are out and Theo Walcott has not recovered from a groin strain picked up on International duty. Tomas Rosicky also seems to have picked up a thigh injury and Yaya Sanogo might be carrying a hamstring strain from 10 days ago. Both left backs, Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs, are nursing knocks picked up last weekend at West Bromwich Albion and Nacho, it appears, will definitely be withheld. Laurent Koscielny, although still bothered by at least one Achilles tendon, appears to be able to continue in central defense, but faces a late fitness test. His presence along with the solid work of Damien Martinez in goal have been strong factors leading to consecutive clean sheets in the league, and three in all competitions. Even though Wojciech Szczesny has recovered from his collision with Gibbs vs ManU, it seems unlikely that he’ll get the call between the sticks.
Stoke have injury issues of their own. Jonathan Walters has a knee problem and Glenn Whelan and Robert Huth are also doubtful with calf injuries. Stephen Ireland could miss out because of illness while Steve Sidwell, Peter Odemwingie, Victor Moses and Dionatan Teixeira are all sidelined with longer term issues.
At least Hughes and Stoke had an extra day to recover from their midweek match on Tuesday at ManU. They lost that one, 2-1, but it was a very close and hard fought battle which turned on the slimmest of margins. They also played very well vs Liverpool and only lost on a late goal from Glen Johnson. Will they be lacking confidence from the results or taking heart in the strong performances and feeling they are due?
Arsenal, in many respects, are coming from an opposite perspective, having eked out tight wins in their last two. The fight and organization shown has been good but the inability to create more comfortable margins has taken a toll. While the manager would surely love to rotate his players, he’ll instead have to ask his guys to dig deeper, perhaps promising stalwarts like Atlas, er, Alexis Sanchez, a chance to rest in midweek when we have to make the long trip to Istanbul for the final Champions’ League group match. At least Galatasaray will have nothing to play for in that one. We would like to win that match to have a chance at winning the group, but that seems a long-shot, given that group leaders Dortmund are playing (also eliminated) Anderlecht in their home stadium.
Talking recently about his team and “lessons learned,” in reference to the way the team got exposed chasing an equalizer against ManU two weeks ago, Wenger may also be chastened by his experience in this same fixture last season. In that one, our attack, despite ample possession, was unable to make headway against a stubborn Stoke defence. Trying to rest key players, notably Mesut Ozil, backfired when, with only 15 minutes to go, a very soft handball penalty was called on Laurent Koscielny and subsequently converted by Jonathan Walters. Despite the introduction of Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sanogo, the goal served to re-invigorate the Stoke team (and their crowd) and they were able to see out the victory. Trying to push earlier (and take the home support out of the match) then, might be a better tactic.
With that notion in mind, my best guess for the starting 11 would be the group which started at WBA, with the one change at Left Back.
Bench = Szczesny, Bellerin, Ajayi, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Podolski, Campbell (and one of Sanogo or Rosicky depending of fitness)
I could give a list of who I believe Stoke will play, but instead, I will only name the guy they (and their support) will be attempting to influence… The referee, one Anthony Taylor, infamous to Gooners for his work on Opening Day last season vs Aston Villa. Will he seek to make up for that (woeful) performance or continue in his efforts to punish our brand of football? Regardless, despite his Howard Webb hairstyle, he seems like one of the younger sorts, brought up based on a reputation for “letting them play”… Hopefully he can curb that tendency just a bit, remembering the ugliness of the Ramsey injury and its aftermath. Maybe Rambo should show him the scar… Again, taking the crowd out of this one, in the hope that the better side can prevail, seems a worthwhile tactic.
Can we do that and, more pointedly, are we actually the better side?
Under Hughes, Stoke have quietly gathered a good group which includes Stephen N’zonzi (another deep lying midfielder Arsenal might’ve considered given our own troubles in this area) and Barcelona flop, Bojan Krkic. Peter Crouch (no longer an automatic in the first 11) always seems to play his best against Arsenal and another new player, Mame Biram Diouf, took down another big team, Man City, with a solo effort on the counter for Stoke’s best moment of the season.
Stretched as we are (and Wenger admitted to the team “lacking fluency” vs Southhampton), I would say that this will be a (very) tough one. As the manager also suggests, we have to hope the boys can dig deep and get the job done. Given the high expectations of most Gooners, nothing less than taking the full 3 points will suffice. Stoke, of course, also need a result and will be well motivated to get one in front of their home support. They will also have a full week of time off before the next one, so I would expect them to pull out all the stops to leave it all out on the pitch and do everything they can to draw a line under this run of close results (but strong performances) which have gone against them. There must be a million other platitudes to suggest that another very tough battle awaits.
Insert your favorite… Or tell us who you would play (and how you would rotate) and what sort of result you’re expecting… Or anything else… 🙂
Go on you Gunners, Up the Arsenal, etc., etc., etc.
I have only been once to the Britannia and luckily we won; but, unfortunately, this is not the main memory I have from that notorious day. My boss back then was not really into football, but he wanted to ‘experience’ a Premiership game. He lived near to the proverbial hole that is Stoke and so I organised tickets for him, his eleven year old son and myself. I warned him in advance that he and his son would encounter some bad language.
The atmosphere in the stadium was pretty aggressive as relationships between the clubs and their managers were far from good. We sang that they were nothing more than ‘just a fecking throwy’ – a reference to Rory Delap’s towel-dried long-distance ball throws which landed like V2s in our penalty area on a constant basis. And they would sing ‘Rory is going to get you; Rory is going to get you’. Of course, this was all a bit of harmless fun, but the footie on the pitch was not.
The whole ‘let’s rough Arsenal up’ got an entire new meaning when Ramsey’s leg got smashed to pieces that day. It was a careless, vicious foul by Shawcross and one that will not be forgotten by me, or indeed many more Gooners who witnessed the assault at the ground or on TV. The fans were incensed and my boss and his son witnessed the sort of language and behaviour by the away fans they had never encountered before – but with good reason. He wanted an experience and he got one – one he will not forget in a hurry.. 🙂
The injury to Aaron rattled the players but leaders Fabregas and Super Sol guided us to victory, and I will never forget how the two pumped their fists in the air in front of the away fans after the game.
I have no doubt that things are a bit more settled between the clubs now. But, a combination of Stoke losing a few games on the trot and the continuous troubled relationship between Hughes (their current manager) and Wenger, as well as Arsenal really needing a win to keep momentum going and settle ourselves in the top-four, have the potential of this becoming a fiery, possibly nasty, encounter. And both Ramsey and Shawcross will be on the pitch once again, of course.
So, for me this is not a game for boys but for men. We need to keep our heads cool and yet fight fire with fire: never let them intimidate us, but match their physicality whilst outplaying them with our superior football skills.
We have our shape back now that Giroud has recovered, which is key for our ability to win this game: stick to our shape and game plan; stay solid and compact at the back and in the middle and attack them with focus and creativity – and take our chances when they come…
We need a strong spine throughout the team, and with Szczesny, BFG-Koz (hopefully)-Flamini-Ramsey and Giroud we will have it. My starting eleven are: Szczesny (Martinez would be okay too but I prefer the experience of Wojciech for this one), Gibbs (hopefully fully fit), BFG, Koz(or Chambers, if unfit), Chambers (or Bellerina), Flamini/Ramsey in the DM pivot, Santi in the hole, Welbeck and Ox on the wings and Giroud upfront. Keep Alexis on the bench for this one, just in case we need him: I would try and rest him for a week as he looks knackered to me (and therefore at injury risk).
Preferred (and more or less predicted team, depending on fitness of players):
This team can do it, and with Alexis and Pod on the bench we have two strong game changers available if needed. May the Injury-Gods be with us! 🙂
Sometimes it is hard to support the team whilst NOT being in isolation, especially if, like me, you run an Arsenal blog. The sort of stuff I read can make me so angry, but I just have to keep telling myself that everybody has a different way of letting out their frustrations. And losing to the horrible Mancs is always a disappointment, even when we played them off the pitch for most of the game, and are still winning the war over them – rather than this particular battle. Myopia is rife.
This is the bit that irritates me most: the inability by many (of wanting) to notice that we played much better than Manure on the day. We lost through a rush of blood by the goalie and unlucky deflection into our own goal by a dazed Gibbs. The defending after that was risky, and yes, also inadequate, and it cost us a second goal and therefore the match. We were not clinical enough up-front, which is something I have been pointing out for a while now. Jack should have done better with his chances, but at least he is getting now into those situations more; and it is just a matter of time before he starts putting them away for fun. And with Ollie and Theo joining the strike-force now, we should be hopeful of a step improvement being imminent.
It should not come as a surprise that the better playing team did not win – that’s football – shit/Manure happens. In two games we will have caught up with the Mancs again, and from there on we will leave them in our trails. Us is winning ze War.
Let’s live by the principle of TIANG – YANG: There is always next game – Yes always next game! 🙂
And I am very, very lucky to attend it at the home of football. Despite all the winching and moaning and one-dimensional dribble I have been reading on the blogs, I am so looking forward to seeing our boys in action against Dortmund; and to do so with fellow bloggers THMT and Nik is even more special. TIANG –YANG! 🙂
So how are we going to line up against Dortmund? Same back five probably as there are very few alternatives right now. Wenger gambled pre-season on Chambers and Monreal being cover for the FBs AND CBs and let’s face it, it is not working. So we are likely to remain vulnerable at the back, which means we need protection in front of them. I reckon we will see Arteta combined with Aaron again, as both had an improved performance on Saturday. Once more, the DM position is where we should have strengthened during the summer, but hey TIANG -YANG!
In the hole it has to be Rosicky for this one. Everybody Loves Rosicky. And against his former team he will be extra motivated to do well. He has the thrust and ball control of Wilshere and his passing and through-balls are also of a high standard. He will also help out defensively, so a must start for me.
Up-front, I was so hoping Ollie would start, with Alexis on the left and one of Ox or Welbeck on the right. We need our structure back and Ollie holds up the roof. BUT he is not eligible as he was not registered for the CL squad this time round… 😦
My predicted Line-Up:
My preferred line-up includes Ollie’s best replacement – in terms of structure to the team and best fit:
COYG!
Written by: TotalArsenal.
Message to all Regular Bloggers on Bergkampesque
Blogging on here is of course free and there are no nasty, intrusive adverts spoiling your blogging experiences. I earn nothing from running this blog and pay for the admin costs myself, which is fine with me.
I have chosen the Willow Foundation as the site’s chosen ‘Charity of the Year’. Bob Wilson, an Arsenal Great, is the president of the foundation and it offers truly fantastic help to those who have become seriously ill at a young age.
Willow is the only national charity working with seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 to fulfil uplifting and unforgettable Special Days. These Special Days enable them and their families to reconnect and refocus on each other while enjoying an activity of their choosing. A day for them, a day about them and a day that will create memories they will all treasure forever. – See more at:https://www.willowfoundation.org.uk/about-willow-0#sthash.dZZ2e9Od.dpuf
Please make a donation to the Willow Foundation – whatever you can afford. 🙂
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