Should Arsenal play Bellerin or Coquelin against Newcastle?

We know that Arsenal are having terrible problems keeping enough defenders fit for the visit of in-form Newcastle United this evening, not to mention the in-form-but suspended Calum Chambers, but I think we can all safely say that Kieran Gibbs, Per Mertesacker and Martin Debuchy are certainties to start the game.

We all thought that this meant that the Spanish youngster Hector Bellerin was nailed on to take the right-back position, but Arsene Wenger has announced that he won’t make a decision until today. Le Prof said yesterday: “He (Bellerin) is getting better from game to game,”

“At the start he was a bit inhibited, but in the last game I think he played with more freedom.

“Defensively I have 24 hours to think about my options and I will find a solution for tomorrow. We have to play somebody with almost no experience or somebody who is not used to playing in the position.”

At first I thought he was talking about Semi Ajayi, who has trained with the first team occasionally this season, but then we find out that Wenger has brought back Francis Coquelin back from his loan at Charlton, so now it looks like a straight fight between Bellerin and Coquelin.

Personally I think Wenger will go with Coquelin, who has filled in in that position before, but who do you think Wenger SHOULD choose?

Tags Bellerin Coquelin

18 Comments

    1. “We have to play somebody with almost no experience or somebody who is not used to playing in the position.”

      There is the dumb, the dumber and the dumbest. For a football manager to say something like that, he has to be just THE DUMBEST. Did Arsene really use the pronoun “We” there??? #Pathetic.

      It’s as good as saying, “Hey, we can get someone like Crowley and play him as our goalkeeper, it’s all oK.”

      One of these days, Wenger will force Steve Bould to play as our Winger.

      1. Give it a rest, aren´t you quite the pearl clutcher?? Couldn´t just answer the question?

        For the life of me I can´t truly figure out what you´re going on about? Injuries are injuries, point out the problem in the reality of the below:

        “We have to play somebody with almost no experience or somebody who is not used to playing in the position.”

        And you´re on about pronoun usage, and please stop with the hashtags; you look silly. Apologies in advance as I recognize his trollish characteristics…

        #yourenotdoingitright

        1. Wow!!! “Pearl Clutcher”.

          Well, no offence taken. But to be frank, aren’t such comments (not yours but Wenger’s) damn annoying? He could have rectified all these problems before the start of the season. It was very obvious we needed reinforcements at the back, but he neglected the pertinent.

          The problems are obvious, but saying all these senseless things to the press is damn embarrassing. First he says, “We won’t buy if everybody is fit.” Has everybody been ever fit at Arsenal?

          Now he says, “We have to play somebody with almost no experience or somebody who is not used to playing in the position.” Why should we now use someone “with ALMOST NO EXPeRIENCE or SOMEBODY WHO IS NOT USED TO PLAYING IN THE POSITION”, when he could have rectified all this long before now? It wasn’t like we all did not see this coming. It’s embarrassing. Now he’s put us all in a mess.

          I don’t wish the club ill, I pray we go above 4th (Jesus, I hate playoffs). [@Manamongst ]

  1. Coquelin; is better than he was two year ago. He is an improving player. Experience over physical skill.

  2. Off subject.
    Is it time for Wenger to get a spokesman.? His statement saying he’s not out to win a popularity pole every week is the latest bizarre comment.
    I’ve got news for you Mr Wenger,on £7/8 million a year that’s precisly what you should be doing.Though you can’t make everybody happy all the time cutting out foolish statements like that may go someway (not much though)to calm down the natives. I

  3. Coquelin has to play in midfield, ´cause Rambo is off for a month, Wenger owerplayed him (too), surprice, suprice…

  4. I say play both so one can push up and the other stays back as cover. All we need to do is hit them on the break. I think the OX will run the show today. No trying to play the ball in the net just hit the dam thing. And I would play IPOD today for a good 70 min

  5. How can Coquelin bench the fit Flamini? Flamini is one of the strongest Gunner who hardly gets injured. I think the boss brought Coquelin back to cover for injured Monreal at LB and for injured Ramsey at CDM. If we look into Arsenal defenders list, we can see: BFG, Koscielny, Debuchy, Gibbs, Monreal, Chambers, Bellerin. And Coquelin, on loan-Jenkinson, upcomings-Hayden and Ajayi. Those are 10-11 defenders currently at Arsenal. I think Coquelin loan deal to Chalton has expired. That could be the reason for his coming back. But I am not sure. There is no qauranttee a replacement for Vermaelen would not have been injured by now if he has been signed. Moreover, the boss has hinted of bringing-in a new body into his defense line in January. I encourage him to try by allmeans to get a top CB in Jan for the 2nd round assault in the season. Let us look into the Gunners midfielders. We can see there: Arteta, Diabi, Wilshere, Ozil, Ramsey. Those 5 are currently injured. Sorry about that. There are also there: Flamini, Cazola and Oxchambo. Is Cambpell a midfielder or an attacker? Anyway, there are 8 recognized DMs and AMDs at arsenal midfield. But due to lack of proper steal in the Gunners’ midfield, there has arosed a demand from the Gooners to the boss to get a Matic into Arsenal midfield. I agree. Because injuries are too many in the Gunners’ midfield and we want to win 3 titles this season. Arsenal Tactics: I think Podolski can track back to tackle and defende well. He should cover the left back and I understand he passes the ball well too. He can attack from deep in today’s game with Newcastle to support Giroud. Cazola should be play the no10 role and not Sanchez. Sanchez should attack from deep midfield behind Giroud. And Giroud should wake up from his Britannia slumber and be committed in today’s game. My fantasy starts for the Newcastle game: Szczesny, Debuchy, BFG, Ajayi and Gibbs. DMs: Flamini and Cazola. AMDs: Sanchez, Oxchambo-to play centrally and Podolski. ST: Giroud. Welbeck should be on the bench to rest for the Anfield battle. But am I the boss?

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