Line-Up – Page 8 – Bergkampesque

Giroud v Davies, Pod v Wenger, Ozil v Fitness: Hull City Preview + Line Up

April 20, 2014April 20, 2014TotalArsenal

Hull City vs Arsenal Preview: Time to Cement 4^th

Intro:

This fixture lines up with another important fixture in the league, Everton vs Manchester United. We will have to hope United will beat Everton and we can extend our lead to 4 points. That will nearly lock up 4^th place for us, as Everton still have to face Manchester City. People say this is an FA Cup final rehearsal, but I disagree. The FA Cup final will be a different stadium, a different atmosphere, a different competition, and different players (Jack will be back for us, Long and Jelavic will be cup tied for them). That being said, this is still a big game and a definite must win for us.

This fixture last time:

Last time this fixture was played, it ended up in a very comfortable 2-0 win at the Emirates. Bendtner scored early in the first half, and Ozil scored early in the second half. I don’t expect to see Bendtner play tomorrow (or ever again in an Arsenal jersey), but Ozil will return tomorrow and I hope he gets on the score sheet again.

Line-up:

I expect Flamini and Ozil to return to the lineup, and I reckon Santi and Kallstrom will be dropped. I believe Santi will be dropped due to his small physical stature, and Poldi will stay in due to his more physical presence being lined up against the fast and physical Elmohamady. Flamini will go up against the big presence of Huddlestone. I expect Verm to keep his spot after a fantastic performance against Carroll midweek, and due to Gibbs’ late fitness test.

Key Battles:

Giroud vs Davies: Davies is a talented, physical centre back who has really come into his own this season. Giroud will face a tiring and very physical battle, especially in the air. But if he wins it, then Giroud could be looking at a goal or two tomorrow.

Ozil vs fitness: Ozil has had a long rest and after that, he will be firing on all cylinders. Being an attacking midfielder is partially instinct, but a lot of it is like being an artist. Inspiration is key. Watching lots of football and seeing what other players do is important for a CAM because it gives one an idea of things to try in games. After so long out, Ozil will have lots of ideas, but he will have to be fit to produce his usual world class passing and assists.

Podolski vs Wenger: This is another chance for Podolski to show Wenger what he can do and grab his spot for next season. Two goals mid-week is a good start, but he needs to be more consistent and score more goals per minute to earn his spot, because scoring is pretty much all he is good at (relatively, he can do other things, but not so that other players in our squad can’t do these better).

Casualties of War:

Arsenal:

Monreal and Gibbs face late tests, Diaby is back but not fit, and Walcott continues to be out with his ACL injury. Wilshere and Gnabry should be back soon, hopefully next weekend.

Hull City:

Hull doesn’t appear to have any injuries that I can find. Long and Jelavic will return after being ineligible for the FA Cup semi-final.

Predictions:

I predict a 3-0 to the Arsenal. Giroud, Ozil, and Sanogo will all score in a comfortable score line for the Arsenal.

Questions:

1. What are your predictions for the game?

2. What is your preferred line-up?

3. Do you think Everton will drop points again

COYG! Let’s seal 4^th place this weekend!

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

4-4-2 till the end the season? Arsenal – West Ham Afterthoughts

April 16, 2014April 16, 2014TotalArsenal

After the FA cup semi-final game against Wigan I was critical of both Cazorla and Podolski. I felt they did not do anywhere near enough to justify the trust Wenger put in them, their seniority in the team and the wages they collect every Friday afternoon. But yesterday, against the Hammers, they both performed significantly better, powered on by the veteran playmaker Rosicky behind and around them.

Cazorla played with a lot more zest and invention, even occasionally taking on defenders in and around the box to make things happen. He added another dimension to our attack yesterday, benefitting from Rosicky’s drive and willingness/ability to motor on our attack.

The other big positive yesterday was the Pod’s brace. We all know that if there is a chance in the box, Lulu is the man who should be at the end of it. His hammer of a left foot is absolutely deadly, especially in the box.

This has made me think again about what to do with the Pod: should we keep him and where should we play him in our formation/team?

The problem with him is other than a great finisher, and the occasional attempts to go past his man on the left flank and get the ball in the box, he does not offer much to the team. Wenger does not appear to like these sort of players: we only have to think about Arshavin, who although a different kind of ‘left winger’ – let’s face it, neither of them really are – also had special individual attacking qualities but was neither blessed with great stamina and team spirit.

Without Theo, Jack and Ozil, the Ox still learning and Rosicky unlikely to play each and every game till the end of the season with the same vigour as last night, will Wenger opt for what looks like a 4-4-2 formation during the last games of the season? With Giroud (or Sanogo) our main target man and the Pod feeding off him with the same hunger and deadliness as he did against the Hammers?

Could this be Arsene’s new Plan B?

I thought it looked like we did indeed play more or less in a 4-4-2 formation, albeit with the full backs providing most of the width. Rosicky helped the DM-pivot duo of Arteta and (the growing on me) Kallstrom in the middle to keep things tight (and we have been looking a lot better defensively over the last two games, despite the two goals conceded), whilst Cazorla seemed to revel in his free role behind the two central attackers (with Rosa adding thrust and creativity).

I have little doubt that a 4-4-2 formation could be a safe way towards gathering as much points as possible till the end of the season, especially with Ramsey (and soon Ozil) coming back to full fitness and Kallstrom and Flamini being available too. But will it mean a lot of crosses into the box, with both Pod and Giroud attacking them, and with Cazorla lurking for any scraps?

Would this formation suit Pod best?

And finally, would Wenger really go back to such basic formation, even just as a temporary measure to keep us above Everton?

Over to you, FFGs 🙂

TotalArsenal

Arsenal-City Preview & Ideal Line-up: 4-2-4 with FlamTV in ‘2’!

March 29, 2014March 29, 2014TotalArsenal

Of portents, signs and not much tactics…My very short match preview, if you will.

Normally, I’d be all about tactics and how to play the game, maximise our strengths and so on. But, time, tide, injuries and such have taken their toll. So, today, a bit of a metaphysical approach. First, the “context”.

For me, this is now a “nothing to lose” game. The “must win” before the last game or two was if we’d won or drawn Chavs and beaten Swansea. It would have been the 3rd of my 3 top games of March (Spurs, Chavs, City). So far, we are 1W and 1L (followed by a draw against Swansea).

Now, the must win games are Everton and Wembley (at least nearer term)…

Bigger picture.

I didn’t expect to win the league, so that we are close and will hopefully remain so, is good enough. We are in the picture for one of the better trophies so should be happy about that. For those disbelieving regulars on this site, re-read the tone after 3-1 loss at home to AV in game 1… My overall take, we are not so bad as the last two, and not quite so good as the first 65% of the season that came after the AV game #1. Without injuries it is far closer to the latter than the former, and so be it…

Now on to the game tomorrow / today itself.. I think we need to focus defensively and play our game. Not too aggressive. The first 20 mins are our downfall or our victory all too often. I think we play for the 0-0 or 1-0 stolen win, given the cast of players available. My lineup, I have two, the “standard” and the “jgc chefs special”. I expect the first, which is:

I see Flamini wanting to make up for last time and we still need some steel.

Now the chef’s special.

This one says that if you stop Yaya you are a long way to stopping City. Of course, easily written in a few key strokes and they’ve plenty of others to step up and attack but basically, it’s time to clog the middle and I think for those who want to see something really different:

Yes, gentelfolk, the world famous 4-2-4-0. Nothing says I want to hammer any ***hole who comes down the middle like Flamini-TV5 in the middle. Rosicky will have to drop more to provide some service forward perhaps.. Kallstrom has played outside back and can again methinks, if you are worried about Jenks.. The front 4 can be more fluid and will have to work forward and with some aggro as needed, but Rosicky, Pod and Ox are all comfortable going forward at the front if needed and perhaps that would open up some “threat” we have not been able to with all our injuries. Finally, I have a major prize for anyone who a) believes this will happen; and if b) it does actually happen!!

Now, onto the omens, because tactics aside, with all these injuries, it’s gotta be about the burnt offerings and reading the chicken innards. So, here goes…

The SIGN: I wore my Arsenal jersey today for the first time in awhile, mostly due to different reasons of not being able to on prior game days. I have not worn it since we were last winning lots, as happens.

The PORTENT: Was out riding a kids duathlon course with my 7 and 10 year olds this afternoon. The 10 year old blasted ahead as he does, I was with the 7 year old. Anyway, he’s a bit of a dreamer and, how shall we say, tends to use all the footpath, as he looks about at everything. In doing this and going around/between a couple of people while riding in front of me, he loses it on a small footpath edge and falls .. Of course right in front of me.

I have few options here. There are people and small dogs everywhere (and I know how Gerry is about running over dogs!), but I am headed right towards his neck (likely also bad). So, swerving to a side we put several years of bicycle racing experience to work and bunny hop him. Sadly, not clipped in like the old days so height is limited, but I miss him and do my first ollie over the handlebars in 20 years (it’s not magically gotten any more fun, I have to say!).

The OMENS:

The bad ones: Well, we crashed and there were huge tears (not to mention the 7 year old 🙂 ). Equally, I dislocated a finger and his perfect 7 year old chin is marred by a small cut from his helmet straps.

The good ones: Well, the ladies cricket team was there playing and rushed to our aid, and both he and I like sporty young women. He eventually did ride the 6km home, an attractive 20-something physio cricketer helped me stop from pointing left whenever I meant forward.

The great one: My Arsenal jersey was unmarked or damaged.

So, read what you will into all that… I am calling it either 1-0 Arsenal or 37M – 3 City. It’s all about the first 20 mins for us lately so…

Gentleman (and Ladies)….

Find your couch (to hide behind)!!

cheers — jgc

Arsenal – Swansea City Preview: Same team bar Koscielny?

March 25, 2014TotalArsenal

Time for our Lion of Flanders to motor us forwards again?

Get Back on the Horse!

Kicked off the horse (and then stomped upon) Arsenal must hoist itself back into the saddle to play Swansea City tonight in a league make-up match. This is a match that we simply must win and win in a bit of style to right the wrongs from Saturday’s indigestible lunchtime date with Chelsea. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time this season where we’ve needed a visible response. After shipping 6 goals against Manchester City in mid-December, we held Chelsea goalless at home in a nil-nil. That same score-line followed our horrific 5-1 loss at Anfield in a similar home match vs another “big” club: Manchester United. Swansea, even though they beat us 2-nil in this same fixture last season, have had a difficult season, replacing (up and coming?) manager Michael Laudrup, with Garry Monk, but still languishing only 4 points above the relegation zone. Arsenal, we thought, was having a much better season but amidst another (all too predictable?) “injury crisis” seems to find itself unraveling at just the wrong time, despite the fact that winning this “game in hand” could see us pull within 4 points of the league leaders–despite the spanking we’ve just received at their hand. Dropping points against Swansea would move us from another single (and isolated) 90 minutes of humiliation into a full blown end-of-season crisis. We need to move on from the Chelsea beating by winning the 3 points we gave away so easily on the weekend.

Additionally, the match has implications for more challenging encounters on the horizon. Manchester City comes to our stadium on Saturday and we must show a certain readiness for that one. After that, Everton away looms. They’ve just beaten the team we play tonight (Swansea, in a 3-2 scoreline) and they are the team who will be hoping we drop points to make that match a true “6-pointer.” We stand 8 points clear but they have a match in hand, so any incentive we give them means our CL spot will be “up for grabs” in Liverpool, to borrow the famous quote of twenty five years ago….

We can only play the matches one at a time, so let’s keep our eyes on the ball and focus on this one.

Swansea come to Ashburton Grove not having won in their last 8 matches, but they may catch a big boost with the return of Miquel Peréz Cuesta, more commonly known as Michu, the man who scored two late goals to beat us in this fixture last season. If he takes the pitch, many will fear his “sounds of silence” goal celebration and it could be an interesting test for our central defenders, given that Captain Tomas Vermaelen will be at the start of “at least 4 matches” alongside Per Mertesacker due to a Laurent Koscielny calf strain. Wilfried Bony, always a handful just because of his raw strength and power, may also prove a threat.

On the other hand, new Swansea manager Garry Monk may try and control the match by keeping possession rather than pressing for goals. In their position, and with so many Arsenal midfielders missing, this could be the best path to nicking a single point or more. In a relegation battle, each point is precious and given our own troubles, the Swans may be sniffing blood in the water. If they can keep us from scoring (as they did in last season’s fixture) putting Michu in as a sub might further inhibit our attack, given that I believe we’ll start with our better attackers on the pitch rather than the bench.

With that, I give you our starting 11. I believe Wenger, a manager who believes or at least wants to believe in his players, will go with the guys who “failed to show up” at Stamford Bridge. As such, the only change will be Vermaelen for Koscielny. I realize this is at odds with those who favor dropping as many as possible, but so it goes. We’ll see.

If there’s some fiddling in between those two extremes it could be a chance for a debut for Kim Källström (in place of Tomáš Rosickỳ). I know nothing about the Swede, but he provides double the umlauts which we’ve been missing since Mesut Özil twanged his hamstring at Bayern Munich. On the other hand, Rosickỳ has three special accents/symbols above the letters in his name…. My expectation is that KK could make his Arsenal debut as a sub if we appeared comfortable in the match; otherwise, his signing is another albatross around our manager’s neck and I doubt the legendary manager, under immense pressure once again, would dare to use him. If we must chase the win, the more expected subs would be Yaya Sanogo and Serge Gnabry. Not a lot of experience scoring late goals, but you never know, and Gnabry’s nice one against the same team in South Wales earlier in the season might prove a lightning-can-strike-twice sort of opportunity…. Flamini and Monreal or Jenkinson might be the more conservative route to help lock up a win.

Predicted starting 11:

Bigger issues.

In this age of an in-your-face, everyone-is-a-pundit news (and scream) cycle, we went—in the space of 15 minutes—from celebrating Arsene Wenger’s 1000^th match as Arsenal Manager to lamenting that it probably meant he was due a few more. Jose Mourinho’s words about Wenger’s “legacy of failure” echoed—without even being uttered—after our 6-nil defeat. Can the manager turn that humiliation into “just 3 points” or will it be the straw that finally cracks the camel’s back, and now, out of (what remains of the concept of) respect, we are consigned to watch the big humped beast fall into full collapse? My hunch is that Wenger is a better “manager” than many of us think and that we will respond to the adversity and build the tiniest of platforms heading into another tough battle against a club with which we aspire to actually compete. Or at least that’s my hope…

What do you think?…

Written by: 17highburyterrace

Preview – Arsenal Predicted Line-Up. The cannon will be loaded!

March 21, 2014March 21, 2014TotalArsenal

Just a quick one, as I have been busy over the last few days (and the regular match pre-viewers are all hiding 😉 ).

Tomorrow we are going to beat the Chavs. Why? Because it’s Wenger’s special day and the team will show an incredible unity and hunger, and because karma has a date with the self-adoring one.

Forget about the statistics, the history, the Maureen-factor – tomorrow is Wenger-Day. We are going to fight for every ball and for each other, we are going to load the cannon and shoot the proverbial out of the Chavs.

It will not be nice, it will not be pretty, some players might get hurt, but we will win tomorrow. We will win it for Arsene.

Predicted Line-Up

This is the line-up that will do it:

Maybe Rosicky starts instead of Arteta or Flamini in the double DM-pivot; he could also start instead of Podolski. Is he fit? I reckon he is, but he would be a good game changer to come on in the second half.

It could be that Wenger goes for the unpredictability and uninhibited thrust of Sanogo instead of Giroud. But I reckon the man from the French Alps will start once again. Maybe KK starts in the hole and Santi moves into Pod’s position…. all possible. But whoever plays tomorrow, they will give their all: you can count on it!

Time to load the cannon. Time for battle.

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Victory for Arsene - Victory Through Harmony. — Victory for Arsene – Victory Through Harmony.

TotalArsenal.

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners! Predicted Line Up

March 16, 2014March 16, 2014TotalArsenal

Let’s make it Three out of Three NLD victories this season!

What it means in a nutshell:

A glorious Sunday morning carries the promise of a fine day of football. It is the NLD: a game outside of time and space – ninety plus minutes of pure here and now football. Yes, the despicable Chavs have just lost three very valuable points and had two players sent off (especially Ramires missing next week’s game is a real bonus); yes, Mansour City lost their best player for the next few games; and yes, Pool are likely to get beaten by the Mancs this afternoon. All interesting (potential) developments, but for us only one thing matters: do everything possible to win the game against the Spuddies today.

Let's make it three out of three today - Let's do it for Theo. — Let’s make it three out of three today – Let’s do it for Theo.

Much noise has been made about our injuries, but I reckon there is no such excuse for today’s game. Our back five will consist of: Szczesny, Mr Reliable, BFG, Kozzer and Nacho – maybe even Gibbs is fit again. At this stage of the season we are really lucky to have all our defenders available, and especially against the Spuds, who only scored on average a little bit more than one goal per home game this season (16 goals in 14 home games), this will be vital. The mean threat will be Adebarndoor but the BFG and Kozzer will be ready for him, whilst the former – our real captain – also likes to score against our North-London enemies and celebrate it in their faces.

Of course, it would be great to have the likes of Ozil, Rambo, Jack and Theo available for today’s derby game, but with Arteta, Santi, Ox and Rosicky available we have still good alternatives. It also looks like Kim Kallstrom might be available, and who knows, he might become an instant hero today… On top of that, Pod, Giroud and possibly Sanogogogo are available, and I really don’t see any reason to be worried about our ability to field a strong line-up today.

The Spuddies were outplayed by a very fit and impressive looking Benfica less than 72 hours ago. They played compact against them and never gave the ‘skinny chicken on a ball’ shirt wearers much time on the ball. That is exactly how we should play them: press them hard in midfield, keep it tight and give them no time to settle. I feel we need to take the initiative in this game rather than sit back and absorb their pressure initially, as this might give them time to settle into the game and play away some of their post-Benfica nerves and worries.

On the other hand, it might be better to sit back a bit and kill them off with counter attacking football/ quick switchovers, as Benfica – typical Portuguese football – were also able to do. I am not sure whether we have the right players available for this, though, and prefer us to take a 4-5-1 approach today.

So for me, the preferred line up is:

The five of Flamini (deepest), Ox, Arteta, Santi and Rosicky in midfield should allow us to dominate this crucial area and create plenty of opportunities. I am going with Sanogo upfront, as I felt Giroud looked knackered against Bayern throughout most of the game and things are clearly not right with him at the moment. He might be a bit of liability today, and I feel he might start on the bench.

The only doubt I have with this line-up is the lack of regular goal scorers. Ox has started to score and we know that Santi can be lethal, but Arteta, Rosicky and Sanogo cannot claim to have been prolific for the club. So maybe Pod will start instead of Sanogo or Rosicky, or he will be used as a super-sub – his best role in my opinion – later in the game.

I am really looking forward to this one: a great opportunity to make it three out of three against the Spuds this season and to create a nice, large gap between us and them, bringing the next St Totteringham’s celebration really close. 😉

So let’s focus on just this game, give our all and show them who the Kings of North London are.

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners – Up The Arse! 🙂

TotalArsenal.

Bayern – Arsenal Predicted Line Up: Will Wenger Surprise Us Again?

March 10, 2014March 11, 2014TotalArsenal

Tomorrow night, in the futuristic, brand new Allianz Arena, Arsenal will play a ‘nothing to lose’ Champions League game against the reigning European Champions. Anything can happen tomorrow: from a drab goalless draw, to 120 minutes of spectacular football followed by a nail-biting penalty shootout; from a glorious aggregate win over Die Lederhosen to a very heavy defeat. I cannot predict the outcome but have no doubt that Wenger will field his strongest team, with a strategy to win whilst playing football as it should be played.

So, no parking of the London double bus as the London Oilers once did, but also no kamikaze approach. Getting the balance right is key and Bayern might not give us much chance to play our game anyway; as, especially under Guardiola, they like to dominate teams and suck the lifeblood out of them. They will want to do the same to Arsenal but let’s pump some lead into them instead.

So let’s cut to the chase: how should we line up to give ourselves the best possible chance?

Four things are vital:

Solid approach to defending as a team: especially the two players in the DM pivot and our mid-wingers are key and need to be picked with defending duties and qualities in mind;
Possession of the ball will be key and we need players who can pass and hold on to the ball in confined spaces as good as possible;
We need players who are able to add thrust and speed to our attack; especially our midfielders need to possess these skills;
We need leadership and composure and, of course, passion.

Gibbs is not available and neither is Nacho, and realistically, we have two options: Vermaelen or Sagna (Jenkinson to be our left back). I have a feeling Wenger will go for Vermaelen this time as he will need Sagna on the left to keep Ribery quiet. Vermaelen needs support though, and we will play either Cazorla or Rosicky as our mid-left. I have a feeling it will be Rosicky.

FlamTeta in the DM pivot again? Yes, I reckon that would make sense. The area in front of our D will be most important for keeping it tight and both Arteta and Flamini will have to give their all to keep the Bayern midfielders away from our box, and also not allow them to shoot from just outside it as much as possible (often our Achilles’ heel against Bayern)…..they also will have to support the full backs and will simply be tested to the max. We could play Ox or Rosicky next to Flamini (or Arteta) but I reckon we need both of the Frenchman and Spaniard’s experience to fully protect our back-four.

Then the most exciting area: ‘the front four’. What is Wenger going to do? Sanogo is injured, so we should expect Giroud to start, but…… Wenger might go for speed up-front, as BM will play with a high-line and Giroud might not be as effective as he usually is in the centre of attack, as he lacks the speed to really worry them. But, he might be very important for our ability to hold on to the ball and get our midfielders involved in our attacks…

Wenger might suprise us once again with an alternative attacker…maybe Ox, or even Gnabry? I am going to go with Giroud, just marginally. He scored at Bayern last season and looked sharp and refreshed against Everton, but it is his hold-up play and ability to bring the midfielders into play which will add so much value to the team.

If we do not opt for speed and thrust in our CF, we will need to have it in our midfielders; especially as our normal ‘wingers’ – the full backs – will not be able to go forward a lot in this game. Ozil is a given, and, in current form, Ox is as well. It was two years and five days ago when AOC played the best game of his career – against Milan at home – and let’s hope he can produce a similarly dynamic and inspiring performance.

But who to complete the (attacking) midfield: Cazorla, Rosicky, or even Pod? As said earlier, I reckon it might be Rosicky as he adds so much drive and energy as well as good control of the ball in tight spaces. But Cazorla played well on Saturday and starting to hit fine form and also scores a lot more than the Czech….

The slightly conservative predicted Wenger line-up is:

But I reckon he will do something a bit more daring, as to be able to play his very best players and find a good balance between solidity and attacking prowess.

So maybe, he will go for this more adventurous line-up (with one of Flamini and Arteta):

We will have to wait and see, but I reckon both line-ups have their merits and will provide plenty of leadership, composure and passion to the team.

Come On You Rip Roaring Gunners – Make Us Proud!

TotalArsenal.

Speed & Thrust: SanoGOGOGO, Ox & Gnabry starts? Preview.

March 8, 2014TotalArsenal

Arsenal vs Everton Preview: Road to the FA Cup Final

Intro:

The home of football features the game of the weekend.

Arsenal now faces the biggest game of their season: an FA Cup quarter final draw against Everton. Success means a trip to Wembley and our best chance at a trophy this season. ManchesterCity is the only team that should be capable of beating us of those left in this competition. Meaning one of our potential final or semi-final fixtures should be fairly easy. Getting past Everton will have a reward at the end. COYG.

This fixture last time:

Last time we played Everton was a 1-1 draw at the Emirates with Deulofeu scoring a late equalizer. It was a close game and we can expect another close one today.

Here is my expected line up for tomorrow:

I predict us to start a line-up with lots of pace, which is why I’d exclude Arteta from the line-up and include Chamberlain. It’s a risk, but Wenger is a risk taker. I also think Gnabry and Sanogo will start to compliment Ozil. Everton’s back line is fairly slow and with our pace, plus the advantage Ozil gives us, we shouldn’t have a problem getting in behind them. We just need to take advantage of our chances and be switched on from the minute we step on the pitch.

Key Battles:

Sanogo vs Everton Defense: Based on my predictions, I see Sanogo starting tomorrow. And therefore, he will have to have a good game. His pace will compliment Ozil, but he will have to make use of this advantage and punish Everton’s slower back line players.

Gnabry vs Composure: We have seen a lot of Gnabry this season and he looks great. His main issue however, is that he seems to take shots from range a lot and doesn’t seem to be able to calm himself before attempting at goal. If he can stay calm and take some composed shots at goal, he could become a real goal threat for us.

Mertesacker vs Everton Wingers: Everton have incredibly pacey wingers in Mirallas and McGeady. Mertesacker will have to watch for diagonal runs made by these wingers in behind him and make sure he’s not chasing back, as his lack of pace might be exposed. However, if Mertesacker can be watchful and position himself and his fullbacks wisely, Everton will have very little goal threat from close range and will be reduced to shots from range.

Casualties of War:

Arsenal: Arsenal continues to be injury stricken. Ramsey and Kallstrom are both still out. Wilshere has also been hit by an Agger shaped injury bug and Koscielny has had a scare, but we pray he will be ok.

Everton: Jagielka is the only recent injury for Everton. He is however, their captain and a major part of their defense. This is a huge loss for Everton and will give us a major advantage.

Predictions:

I predict a good old 1-nil to the Arsenal. A hard fought victory with a surprising goal scorer. Perhaps Gnabry or Sanogo; perhaps Ryo off the bench. Either way, I predict lots of drama and a good game between two top quality teams with two top quality managers. This could be a game we look back on and say: this is where the trophy was won.

Questions:

1. What are your predictions?

2. What is your line-up?

3. Will this game potentially win us the FA Cup?

COYG! Let’s get to Wembley!

Thanks for reading! 😀

Written by: Dylan.

Let’s pull those Lederhosen down! Bayern preview + Line-Up.

February 19, 2014February 19, 2014TotalArsenal

Santi had one of his best games ever in Munich, but will he start today?

Duke Senior:
‘Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And this our life, exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.’

By Shakespeare.

‘Ieder nadeel heb zijn voordeel’ (Every disadvantage has its advantage)

By Johan Cruijff.

Whilst Bayern have to come to terms with their current unbearable lightness of being, Arsenal have actually been facing some severe adversity.

The big loss against Pool was a huge shock to the system and put our feet firmly back on the ground. Subsequently, Arsenal played more compact and disciplined against the Mancs, but our ‘safety first’ approach led to not enough chances to get all three points from the game. It was progress nevertheless. And then came the Pool FA cup game and further progress was made: a solid and disciplined performance saw us edge through to the last eight and give the Dippers one on the nose. Sweet indeed.

Today, we are hoping for one more step forward from those last three games. Only if we are at our very best tonight (and the referee does not spoil it) can we get a result against Bayern. We need to be disciplined throughout the team and concentrate for 90+ minutes. You only have to look at the Martin Demichelis incident yesterday to realise that the previous sentence, despite stating the bleeding obvious, is never truer than in a CL game.

Guardiola does not want us to have the ball tonight, as he believes we can hurt them if we do. The idea that this true gentleman – the antithesis of Maureen in almost everything – is combining the best of Bayern and Barca into something even better than its parts – Bayerlona – is very scary. I have not watched Bayern a lot this season, but we can expect a physically strong team with an even better ability to pass the ball round and not give it to us.

Key to our survival is therefore to hold onto the ball when we have it and impose our own game on them. This is something we have not been good at recently, especially against the top teams who have pressed us high up the pitch. We also need to protect our ‘D’ with a solid wall and our CB’s and ‘DMs’ have had some very good games to practice on this recently (this was one of our weaknesses in our last home encounter against BM).

There is no Ribery and no Shaqiri, but Schweinsteiger is back after an injury and they are pretty spoiled for choice in midfield. Muller, Robben, Schweinsteiger, Kroos, Martinez etc are all fantastic footballers who will press our midfielders hard.

It is also key to start both compact/disciplined and with a high tempo, not allowing them to settle easily and, at least now and again, force our game on them. This will not be easy, but our recent games against Pool and the Mancs have been very good practice sessions, and as such we actually hold an advantage to Bayern who have not had a challenging game for a while now.

So how will we line up?

This is a question of choosing for compactness (4-5-1) or speed/counter-attacking football (4-3-3). The Back-Five is very likely to be Sz, Sa, Me, Ko, Gi and the double DM is likely to be manned by Flam and Jack; and Ozil and Giroud are also likely to start. This leaves us with the ‘mid-wings’. In one way, I would like us to start with Ox AND Gnabry and really take the game to them. Just go out there and enjoy ourselves… But that would leave the likes of Cazorla, Podolski and Rosicky out and we need their experience and maturity….

Therefore, I expect Wenger to go half way with one of either Gnabry and Ox and one of Cazorla, Podolski and Rosicky. Rosicky offers both compactness and decent speed, but he seldom scores (or even assists). Pod scores when he wants but does not offer the compactness and required stamina for a game of this stature. Santi likes a free role and is great support for OG and Ozil, but not so much for his full back…. Not an easy choice for Arsene to make.

With Ox in scintillating form, I expect him to play ahead of Gnabry tonight. He could offer the X-factor tonight, but he will need to play with full discipline and composure throughout the game, and let’s hope he learned from his lucky escape on Sunday…

So, here is my predicted (and preferred) line up for tonight’s super clash:

It could be Rosicky for Ox, Santi, or even Jack, but I reckon this will be close to our starting eleven. Will it be enough to beat Bayern? Aber sicher! :) — It could be Rosicky for Ox, Santi, or even Jack, but I reckon this will be close to our starting eleven. Will it be enough to beat Bayern? Aber sicher, jawohl mein Herr! 🙂

I have a good feeling about this game and Flamini is right that we have momentum again. Let’s hope that our recent adversity will have strengthened the team’s resolve and desire to finally claim a big CL scalp once more. Now that would be sweeter than sweet!

COME ON YOU RIP ROARING GUNNERS!

Time to pull down those Lederhosen and show them who is top Arse! 🙂

TotalArsenal.

Time to play Jack in the hole, Ozil and Pod on wings, Rosa and TV as DMs?

February 12, 2014TotalArsenal

Thanks to our midweek friend Anichebe, Arsenal can take a breath again, and approach tonight’s game with a bit more calm. Even if we lose tonight, the gap with the Chavs and Mansour City will/can only be two points, which can still be overcome during the remainder of the season.

But that is just the mathematician in me. We all know that we need a convincing win tonight to fully revive our believe and hope in our team, and wash away for good that horrible taste of the embarrassing loss on Saturday.

I do not have much time, so I will leave the pre-match tactics to the BK regulars and catch up with you later. 😀

However, I will give you my predicted and my desired line-ups for tonight, as it will be interesting to see whether Wenger will change anything. I am pretty convinced he will not play Arteta and Jack in the DM pivot again, but other than that I reckon he will not change too much.

Predicted Line-Up v Mancs: