Arsenal face Sam Allardyce’s Sunderland team tomorrow, and the Black Cat’s have finally found some form under their new boss and have won their last two games without conceding a goal. Big Sam has changed the formation to three at the back and he intends to stick with it, but he also has injuries to key players in his side.
Sam said in the Sunderland Echo: “Obviously at this moment in time, it seems to suit the team, but if you get injuries in certain areas, then we might have to change.
“But while the team is playing well in that system and producing results, then you stay with that.
“Our injury scenario means we’ll have to tweak it because we haven’t got Seb or Jermain Defoe.
“Other players will have to step in and do the business.”
All the news in the papers are about Arsenal’s mounting injury crisis, but Sam says they will always be hard to beat, whoever plays. “Listen,” he said. “the Man United’s, Arsenal’s, Chelsea’s and Man City’s have much more capability of coping with injuries than we have,”
“They keep 24 international players and that’s why they’re still competing in the Champions League and finish in the top four when they get injuries.
“That’s no disrespect to my players, it’s just a fact of life.
“We’ve got Jack Rodwell, Jermain Defoe and Seb Larsson not playing, who are three big, big players with Premier League experience who we could do with being available for Saturday.
“They’re not there, so let’s hope the players who step in can cope. “
So maybe Arsenal fans should stop moaning about our injuries and just get on and deal with it. It will be 11 v 11 on the day, and the team that plays the best football will hopefully win the game….