Quite a few questions awaiting to be answered against United by Konstantin Mitov
So it’s Super Sunday with Man United v Arsenal at Old Trafford. Can we do it? Can we stop a terrible run of defeats at their place? We’ll know soon. A win will surely settle them in fourth, but a draw most likely will do the same.
It’ll be a tough one, because we need to recover mentally. Will we bounce back from the Swansea defeat? I’m not sure. We have a major lack of pace. Without Chamberlain and Welbeck you feel that the side is two times slower. Theo will not start a game of such magnitude – so where does that leave us ?
Giroud had two games where he was completely shut off, and I feel that against United his presence will be minimum again. But we have nobody to come in for him, which is another reminder that we do need another striker. All the top teams have more than one.
Wenger doesn’t like a big squad. He doesn’t know what to do with it. Players like Rosicky and Walcott are benched in place of tired players for games we can afford to rotate a bit. Wenger follows the rules that when the system works for a few games, you don’t need to change it. That’s why people learn our trick and counter us with such success.
The goalkeeper is another major doubt for me. We’ll go with Ospina but his mistake against Swansea was another reminder that we do need a new goalkeeper. We’ve needed one for years. Go and buy Cech or Lloris and get done with it. I still remember two incredible saves De Gea made in that FA cup game. Practically De Gea’s heroics are the difference between United and Liverpool, which is the difference between the CL and Europa League.
We’ll line up with a squad very similar to our last 11 games. The problem is that Arsene is predictable, thus so easy to counter. United will most likely be what they’ve been all season. Long balls and crosses from the wing. Fellaini will be one we need to shut down.
Another one is Wayne Rooney. He always torments our defence and we really lose our shape in the back when we try to win a game. It’s a tough one to call. I wish we break the bad league record we have over there. Third place isn’t as big as second is for me, but I really wish we don’t play a Champions League qualification game.
Best of luck to the boys on Sunday!
Konstantin
Win ball back quickly and counter, tire them
Shut down crosses, make them need something special
They need this more than us and if it 0-0 with 15 minutes, money on us to capitalise on their mistake of pushing too many forward
Rooney & Shaw sidelined for this game, big opportunity if you ask me. Blind will play at left back where he’s a massive liability, and United have to now rely on Fellaini as a goal source. We have little excuse not to cement a win now. COYG!
So ManUtd is in a reduced state. We still have to do the job, we’ve just got ourselves an easier task.
Onus on them, we just need to keep it tight and not focus too much on defence in beginning and and of each half
Coyg 1-0 and 3rd place is ours
We can then rest players and give others game time before Fa cup aka Mickey mouse cup
A week ago we were looking at 2nd and now we settle for 3rd? I still want that 2nd.
So do I, but now we kind of have to rely on City dropping points, because we’re 3 points behind with 1 match in hand – and with our last away match of the season at Old Trafford, chances are pretty low that we will end up with 9p.
However, City are playing Swansea and the saints, there could definetely be points dropped there.
Rooney out and we win.
I actually think we’ll win at Old Trafford. Van Gaal has been just as bad as Wenger this season with some his tactics and decision making, but we have the better players, which should see us through in the end. What also helps us, is that Man Utd have to win the game, and Van Gaal likes to attack anyway, so we won’t see the Swansea/Chelsea tactics of recent games.
1-3 to Arsenal I’ll say.
COYG!!
We all saw how big teams play during champions league semis.Balance in defense and attack,not Defending like mourihno or attacking Like Wenger,attack when u have the ball defend as a team when u lose the ball
Did you not watch Barca Bayern.
Yup. Real and Bayern was sooooooo balance. They attack so much but didn’t forget to defend. (sense the sarcasm).
Barca and Juve yes. But Barca didn’t attack much as a team. They front 3 is so powerful they don’t need to worry much of helping them. Real? Like Bale and Ronaldo help defensively.
Konstantin, i usually find some of your articles make for bad reading, or negative reading is more like. I thought this one precise and straight to a point.
The issue with lack of pace can be a concern and as we are away from home it is concerning for sure. Gnabry if match fit could have been an option but not sure Wenger will throw him in to gain it. I think Welbeck will play some part, last ten to fifteen maybe even if hes fifty fifty i can see Wenger playing him.
GK a new one i couldnt agree more. Its a position where you just have to get the most experienced and safest looking keeper you can, and a young talented understudy up for the challenge of disposing of him. Or two older pros as long as there saving points alls fine.
Giroud, well we all sort of new his form would come to an end not just because everybodys eventually does but because Giroud isnt the type of striker that can do just as well no matter what tactics we face. He needs someone to shoulder the responsibility or blame. He looked aweful in our last two games but i cant recall him getting any great service either – Hopefully he will rise to the occasion .
Thats the problem with Giroud he needs alot of service to score we need a striker who can score goals out of nothing like Aguero does
Something out of nothing now that’s a laugh. Just admit you don’t like playing with a target and get off the comparisons between the 2 players.
It’s strange though, how everyone else also seems to be dropping form once Giroud stops scoring. Instead of looking at which striker scores the most goals, one could rather look at which striker makes the team score the most – and there Giroud has better stats than RVP. But Giroud alone is not enough.
Good point. When Girouds in the humour to entertain the rest of the players do get plenty of joy.
Still very negative in my opinion. ‘Wenger plays the same team and others get to know our tricks’…..think that could be levelled at mourninho for most of the season…Ospina error, well I know Neville thought so, but he thinks we should buy a keeper, but it was Koz who went missing and left Gomis a free header.
Either way we can win, if we remain balanced and stay calm. We dominated against Fellaini before and we can do it again. They’ve got to come out at us so were unlikely to face 10 players deep in their half. We could do with more pace but personally think we also need a solid hardworking team performance so cannot start Walcott. Hope Welbeck gets to go back to Utd and do some damage. 1-2 to us I think.
the opportunities to score will come, just gotta capitalize on them. So many went amiss during that Swansea match and we can’t afford to do the same playing against De Gea.
What chances?you must have been watchin a different match mate,no more than 1 or 2
Well I only watched this match once since we lost but I thought we had about 20 shots? Not sure ho many were on target
Wenger is a dictator he never listens to anybody this is the reason why we have not won league trophy in 10yrs, and we will never win it with players like Jack,Gibbs,walcot,Welbeck in the team overhyped british players ruining arsenal ie they all had injuries who did we miss
shut up @arsenalTickectHolder
Which home-grown players would you replace them with in our squad? I fully expect you not to grasp the importance or relevance of the question but just interested to know how these things are worked through in your head? Most of them haven’t played regularly this year – even when fit, so not sure how they are “ruining” Arsenal.
You’re damp right @jonestown1.
I wonder where @seasonticketholder watches his matches. Analogue TV with aluminium kitchen bowl aerial. Those kids ain’t ruining arsenal mate. They are the future if you don’t have a clue…
I agree with the rotation though. If we win at the OT, I think we can afford to rest some players before the final.
We need to play our reserves, and let them shine against Manure.
Then we can sell the starters!
Its really tough deciding d starting line up wid d players available. Wid ox and welbz still out it seems giroud is almost certain to start up front. D other imp. Decision is who plays at rite. So far Ramsey has done a good job given his qualities but starting him dere wud mean only Sanchez being d speedy outlet in d team. Last time we had ox Sanchez and welbz, ie. 3 pacy players. So to come down to only Sanchez wud mean d tactics being changed. Little chance dat Walcott may start ahead of either giroud or at rite at expense of Ramsey or some one else.
“We’ll go with Ospina but his mistake against Swansea was another reminder that we do need a new goalkeeper.”
I feel sorry for our goalkeepers. It takes only one mistake, and the rest of the good work you’ve done for the team is forgotten to some of Arsenal fans.
Goal-keeping is brutal. If the same “last game” logic is extended to all then Neuer and Lloris will be off the shopping list as well.