The Arsenal team to take on BATE tomorrow – Who would you pick?

Eight years ago today, Arsenal beat the mighty Barcelona 2-1 in the Champions League, but those great European days are becoming a distant memory and we have now been relegated to playing in the Europa League. We should really be making mincemeat of most of the clubs in the second tier competition, but right now Arsenal have certainly made things hard for themselves after losing 1-0 to BATE in Belarus last week.

I would make the ridiculous but obvious statement that Emery should be picking his very best XI to make sure of victory, but I have the feeling that he thought he had done that last week (and against Huddersfield) and we all know how that turned out. Of course everyone is calling for the return of Mesut Ozil, but after seeing him on holiday with his fiancee Amine Gulse in Turkey at the weekend, I have a feeling that relations between him and the boss are far from being sorted just yet.

We are also in the dark regarding Aaron Ramsey, but I really think he should play, especially as Lacazette is suspended, and the Welshman would love to win one more trophy with Arsenal before going to honour-laden Juventus in the summer.

The good news is that Sokratis is back in training and I want him to line-up alongside Koscielny in place of Mustafi, but it is more likely that we will have a back three with the German incuded as well. Mavropanos is also said to be in contention, but Emery doesn’t seem to trust him yet..

So who do you think that Emery go with tomorrow, considering how important it is for us to score goals?

My choice is…

Cech
Maitland-Niles Mustafi Koscielny Sokratis Kolasinac
Guendouzi Xhaka Torreira
Ramsey Mhkitaryan
Aubameyang

What do you think?

Pat

64 Comments

  1. I’d say that’s a good shout, if not that team then it’ll probably be close. I don’t think Sokratis will play though, and Iwobi is difficult to predict when he gets dropped or not.

    Leno
    Niles
    Mustafi
    Koscielny
    Kolasinac

    Guendouzi
    Xhaka

    Mkhitaryan
    Ozil/Ramsey
    Iwobi

    Nketiah
    Aubameyang

  2. Well we need to win so no iwobi for a start
    Then obviously get ozil back in .
    Problem being emery will do the exact opposite to the 2 things I mentioned.
    Also needs to do away with this stupid 5 at the back.but what do I know I’m not paid millions a year to pick a team

      1. And how’s out been working out for us this last month or two ?
        The only time I would play iwobi is to bring him on in the last minute to waste time,because let’s be honest that’s all he’s good at is wasting everyone’s times when he does play for 90 minutes

  3. As much as I’d love to see Mavropanos play I don’t think he’s in the Europe league squad. Can anyone enlighten me on this?

    1. I think it’s something to do with home grown players GB… it said something about a B list, but he can’t make that as he’s only been with us for a year (2 is the requirement) not sure if this helps GB – sometimes when I try & explain things, I confuse myself ??

  4. Not everyone is calling for the return of Mesut Ozil. My team:

    ……………………………..Leno
    Maitland-Niles . Koscielny . Sokratis . Kolasinac
    …………………………….Xhaka
    ………………Ramsey ……………. Guendouzi
    …………………………Mkhitaryan
    ……Aubameyang …………………….Iwobi

    1. Bro you’ve got Niles, Ramsey and Mikhi on the right
      why not give it a break, annoying keyboard fanatic.

  5. Mr Admin, Having to come from a goal down what possible use can Mustafi or Xhaka be tomorrow? Or on any occasion come to that? Since Mkhi is equally as lazy and even more ineffective than Ozil , I would certainly play Ozil instead tomorrow. Torriera, despite a lean spell MUST be in instead of woeful Xhaka. My personal eleven- though I realise it will not be picked – is this: LENO, A M-N, KOS, SOK, KOLAS, TORREIRA , GUENDOUZI, OZIL, RAMSEY, AUBA, IWOBI. Even the two CB’s I have picked and a back four, NOT five, will bemore than sufficient to keep Bate out. We need goals and creativity. Had Lacaz been available I would have played him in place of Guendouzi( but not in his position) with an attack loaded formation. All the talk on here of late has been about OZIL. WHAT ABOUT THE GROSSLY OVERPAID, OVERHYPED AND EVEN MORE INEFFECTIVE MKHI, WHO WAS A STUPID MAKE WEIGHT TO ACCEPT IN THE SANCHEZ DEAL. United saw us coming with that one! With Cech retiring in May, there is no point in not playing our BEST keeper. And that is Leno.

    1. “Since Mkhi is equally as lazy and even more ineffective than Ozil , I would certainly play Ozil instead tomorrow.”

      Lmfao…. you’ve resort back to Ozil being a better option than Mhki Jon?? Because that’s the only thing you mean if you admit Mhki is even. ore ineffective than the lazy player who you insist is robbing us.

      “All the talk on here of late has been about OZIL. WHAT ABOUT THE GROSSLY OVERPAID, OVERHYPED AND EVEN MORE INEFFECTIVE MKHI”

      Jon is that really you??
      All the talk on here?
      Yes all the talk on here by you and your squad who always pointed out how lazy he is..
      As a you realist like you do say you are,I’m surprised it took you this long to figure out this about Mhki.
      Do you remember I’ve asked you once about what does Mhki bring to this team that justifies earning 120k?
      Do you remember you brushed it aside and never answered me?
      and now you’ve posted all these…

      1. If you can find one single post of mine on here Eddie, which you won’t, that says I ever rated MKHI ABOVE OZIL, I WILL GLADLY DONATE £100 to any charity of your choice. I will be clear in saying I believe Ozil is lazy and SO is Mkhi. Ozil is vastly more naturally talented than Mkhi, though he, Ozil, has had just ONE great perf this season , against Leicester . He has appeared in around 20 games. Mkhi has some talent too but is , IMO ever worse value for money than Ozil. I want them both sold in the summer and properly replaced by hard working talented players. Mkhi should never have been here at all. United saw us coming. For now, since we need to get goals against Bate, I would, temporarily, play Ozil, not Mkhi. Unless of course Ozil has another of his common sudden illnesses or back spasms that are as genuine as a nine pound note. Finally you well might find oneof my several posts criticising Mkhi and also calling him lazy. As he is far less profile on here Ozil and not as much the topic chosen, obviously I have not mentioned him as much. But I HAVE often stated he is lazy too.And so what if we disagree; is that not allowed?

        1. this is what happens when you read others comments and your gf made you watch princess bride 🙂

          jon fox: i love my arsenal, so naturally i’ll stick with my theory of ozil being the problem with it all, but when i challenged the six fingered man he left me with this! points at cheek and looks straight at camera and says (bet), so of course i will look for ozil wherever i go and will study the arsenal and point out what’s wrong with him so the next time when i meet him, i will say to this six fingered man hello my name is john fox you spoke ill of my arsenal i hate ozil and miki alike!

          Eddie Hoyte: enters the room puffing his chest, i have studied under the great tutelage of saint ozil who does no wrong he says, anyone who speaks ill of the saint shall get my sword and faint, for some reason i talk in rhymes!

          Jon: allez en guarde with the miki!!

          Eddie: parry with the ozil, advance and lunge with the miki!!

          Jon: Parry the miki with jedi mind trick, the fight is over the dust settles and hoyte is nowhere to be found, are protagonist waits for the dust to settle then spits on both the miki and the ozil… the argument is over but the weather changes yet again!! it’s a rain shower for heavens sake!! our noble jon looks up to the skies falls to his knees and says AGREE TO DISAGREE!!!!!!!

          ps: love you both was just bored 🙂

          1. My God, you are wasted on here Sal. You should write comic fantasy like your amusing but nonsensical post above, It will not be too difficult to find a publisher. I can possibly even help with that if you are seriously interested.

        2. Jon Fox, ummmmmmmm you really would play Ozil. It is very strange coming from you. And Ozil is better than Mhiki, ummmmm. At least after several abuses from you to me and from me to you, we can still find a common ground. I don’t like either Emery or Ozil more than arsenal but it is nice to give credits where it is due. We need the man’s creativity.

          1. Pat and this is also to Eddie, I have NEVER said, though it seems to be a misapprehension by some, that I have preferred Mkhi to Ozil as a player. I have often, as you well know, slaughtered Ozil in particular as lazy. I HAVE several times also said this about Mkhi too but the reason it has passed by unnoticed is that OZILis often the topic on here, but Mkhi, being a lesser player and less high profile is not often the topic. I try, and usually(though NOT always) succeed in keeping to the topic in hand, so have not slaughtered Mkhi as often. Nor have others who think as I do and for the same reason. Those defending Mkhi are also far fewer than those defending Ozil. You know that is true, i trust and will agree . To be very clear, even now, and despite firmly thinking Ozil will be on his way this summer, I STILL hope, but do NOT believe, it is not too late for Ozil to buckle down and show his one time world class talent more regularly. Little would give me greater pleasure, even if it means me losing my bet made with Ken a few weeks ago. What I want and what I think will happen are not necessarily the same thing. Is that not also true of any of us in our various ways in life generally.?

        3. Jon I was only surprised you that you could actually say you’d prefer Ozil over Mhki.
          I didn’t think that day would come

    2. @Jon Fox, The reason why Emery will continue to play Milkitaryn over Ozil, is that Milkitaryn has more attacking and penetrative abilities than that liability called Ozil…

      Yes I know you will talk about this;
      Do you know Milkitaryn all assists for Arsenal has come from open play compared to Ozil whose most assist came from setplays… Thanks to Giroud…

      Another thing is this, Yes both of them are lazy, but Milkitaryn runs more, recovers more balls from 50:50 situations than that liability…

      i have never seen Ozil challenging nor winning 50:50 situations….

      i play soccer very good, i will rather have Milkitaryn as a teammate than Ozil…

      Milkitaryn has magical footwork and tremendous ability to create something out of nothing….

      You all guys don’t have football sense and that is why you guys will never know all this things…..

      1. YOU play soccer “very good”?
        Get your boots and get down to the Emirates my old son.We haven’t got anyone of your quality at the Club.

  6. I really hope we dont go three at the back… Our attack looks toothless in that formation and lets be honest, our attack is our only strength right now.
    Leno
    Licht/MN Kos Mav Kola/Monreal
    Xhaka Torreira
    Rambo
    Ozil Auba Mhiki/Iwobi

  7. We have real problem with Ramsey and Ozil.For Ozil to be on holiday at such a crucial time simply means Emery has told him he is not playing tomorrow. As for Ramsey he is a Juventus player, I don’t think he can be relied on anymore.
    Czech
    Amn. Sokratis Koscielny. Monreal
    Torreira
    Mikki. Guenduzi
    Iwobi. Auba. Kolasinac

    1. Ozil wasn’t the only one that went away Cliff.. Iwobi went to France.. Auba went to Italy & I think Elneny went to Saudi Arabia? But everything as usual focuses on Ozil… I swear that guy won’t be allowed to breathe soon

      1. Sue, the word is pathetic.
        So from the analysis of Ozil’s situation, UE’s team will be without, Ozil, Aba, Iwobi and Elneny.
        It really does beggar belief what fans will say to implicate Ozil as a bad guy.

        I also fail to see what was crucial about the timing.
        We had already been knocked out of the fa cup, the ties of which were being played over the weekend.
        No premier league games were played, our game is not till tomorrow, so why is this a UE versus Ozil incident?
        I think the world has gone mad, I really do.

        By the way, I wonder if we will see the real first” nearly empty stadium” tomorrow night, with an official attendance of 59,000?

        1. Exactly Ken… the world has gone mad!!! Everywhere you look it’s all about Ozil… he has to step up… Will he be picked…. he’s not doing enough etc etc… drives me crazy, so I wonder what he must think! Hopefully he won’t read any of it!!
          Yes that will be interesting tomorrow… obviously there will be empty seats… who knows how many, no doubt we’ll hear all about it from the media for the next month at least (because you know no other ground has ever had empty seats before ?)
          The game itself will be interesting…. I hope UE gets it right and we win! I am a little nervous though….

          1. It just goes to show how far we have dropped as a team that we are questioning whether or not we will beat Bate Borisov at the Emirates!! I’m nervous too Sue.

            1. Too right, Andrew. I honestly thought we’d beat them last week, but no!!
              I wouldn’t mind if it was some decent well-known team, but a bunch of farmers that I’d never heard of before last season.. I mean who follows football in Belarus?!! Come on!!!
              And if we do go out, I can honestly say we’ll never live this down!! We’ll all be devastated!

      2. Well noted Sue.It was reported as if he was the only one who was away.
        If that is the case then Ozil must play,the earlier Emery effects this the better for him and the team.

  8. Admin your line up is twelve players not Eleven ? ……. My preffered line up
    Cech
    Niles Sokarits Koscielny Monreal
    Torreira Ramsey
    Suarez Ozil Iwobi
    Abuameyang
    With these, we will have enough creative players on the pitch to create chances and also have defenders that will put defending in mind before attacking.
    And at the same time have quality players on the bench to call upon, if need be, to change the complexion of the game

    1. Could’ve sworn admin went with the same backline as you did, Mustafi is probably the one most people on here would rather drop out. I agree with others, don’t like going with three CB’s at home, it encourages the other sides towards high numbers in midfield.

  9. @Terry Barry.

    If you’re reading this, I went and listened to the interview like you suggested.

    Ornstein did not say that orders came from the top to make life uncomfortable for Ozil. The interviewer asked him if this was the case – Ornstein answered that we are not privy to the technical decisions here, and he said that he doesn’t know that for a fact as it is just one possible theory. He said that he believes some of the higher archery do not believe he is living up to his wage, as does Emery, and that some of them were against giving him the large wages in the first place. All he believes is that we want Ozil to seek pastures anew in the summer. To sum it up, all he said is, that he is not playing so he will look elsewhere if he wishes to resume playing. I read all of this online as well, that is why I doubted your statements in the article, because if he had said what you believed, it would have broken the internet.

    1. The perils of spellcheck eh? I am glad, in a VERY FEW ways only, that I am of the older generartion who learned to spell properly whilst still in junior school. No criticism meant though. I cannot manage many things that todays younger folk can do without even trying. Swings and roundabouts etc!

  10. As long as Emery excludes Mustafi,Lichsteiner and Xhaka , we will get through.If we play with a flat back four, which I trust we will, Monreal should be our left back.

  11. Leno
    Nacho Kos Socrates Niles
    Kolasinic Guendouzi xhaka
    Ozil Ramsey Nketia
    Auba

    Czech
    Iwobi
    Torreira
    Miki
    Willock
    Saka
    Mustafi

    We really need players. Not very much to chose from.

    1. Not in my book Ozil is creating problems on and off the pitch it’s because of him we are losing our best midfield player Ramsey, Ozil’s magical passes all but dried up where Miki keeps geting injured and trying to get match fit but suffering another injury, if you watch Ozil in his Real days and now the two Ozils don’t compare chalk and cheese as I have said over a year ago someting mentally wrong with Ozil it could be Depresion or he just hates playing footbal, which ever it is he needs help in his own time he used up too much of Arsenals time and money , and yes he can give decent performance every now and then, the man playes 3-2-1 in six games 1 good game, 2 sick notes 3 mising in action

  12. Man City losing… But they’ll get over it win the second leg and move on. For us the losses keep racking up. Ok we may win the odd insignificant game

    1. They equalise just as I typed. Now that’s something we don’t do 😉 or when we do it’s all for nothing at the end

      1. They lead. With 10 men. Away from home. If anything Schalke are the German version of us. Get within 5 minutes of winning then end the match with NOTHING

  13. who knows when ozil will turn up
    over rated player people forget majority of his assist never game from open play but set piece
    players with class they don’t bring so much diversity because class is there to be seen
    I never read people question the abilities of santi-cazorla or sanchez or henry and so many more because we see it week after week what has ozil done for arsenal which big game has he performed before we even ask which one has he won for us
    do u know how much more talented players like
    aguero
    Silver
    de bryne
    hazard
    etc
    they all earn lesser with bigger performances
    his fans keep saying he our this his our that yet when ever he is given the chance to show us what he is he always go hiding and annoyingly he does so without even a fight…loses the ball at times like an amateur footballer…
    am sick of people telling me many things about him that I hardly see
    when I watch da Silver and even our own Santi ..i take delight because they are real cm’s
    even if statistics show ozil is 10000% better I will take any of those two any time any day

    1. will they think with their senses? No
      This is exactly what I said here just last week…

      They don’t know what it means to be a proper Central midfielder.

      maybe because they don’t have any idea about the game.
      Am a central midfielder, so I know a classical Central or attacking midfielder when I see one…

      Thank you so much Nonnylaw for reminding them
      I believe they are ignorant
      Ozil fanboys

      1. Yep!,,,
        Thought so.Modest to the last.So what type of central midfielder are you?
        And if you are so good who do you play for?
        Because I’ve never heard of you.
        Or are you just a legend in your own mind?

        1. @phil, am not a professional football player…
          I could have made a career out of soccer if I had venture into it….

          in my college and university days, i used to be called Fabregpass… just for you to know how good I was…

          My game style is more of Rosicky/Wishere
          I love to move forward with the ball, creating chances, pressing with full energy…
          Also a very good passer of the ball, whether short nor long…

          i hate laziness on the pitch
          i hate a player loosing possession of the ball and not fighting to get it back…

          I can’t Tolerate Ozil as a Teammate
          We will always fight even right on the pitch…

          1. iffybright, i was called “stud” when I was at uni, my wife laughs herself sily every time I mention it.

            Actually I made that up, but I could spot a good stud, so that must make me one yes?

            Every single person who played football thought they could be a professional..until realism set in.

            My team for tonight?

            Jon Fox (never stop giving orders, but can be lazy)

            Dan kit – Eddie Hoyte – Phil – B,O,T, ( never STOP arguing )

            TMJW – Grandad – Kenny Rolfe – Durand ( never START running)

            Sue – Pat ( never stop looking for Ozil, missing sitters )

            Subs.
            Uchman, BOT, Andrew E, Declan, jah son, john0711, s, d, admin, and another ten just to be on the same level as iffybright!!!

            Manager: ozziegunner…because after giving 100% in the first five minutes, you’ll all be in the hospital with him!!!!

            Me??? I’ll be telling anyone who wants to listen how AW could have moulded you lot into another “invincibles”…as long as iffybright rates him.

  14. Don’t know if am wrong but should Ramsey still be allowed to represent our first team knowing he’s signed a contract with another club. Doesn’t make much sense to me as he would be playing very cautious, handbrake up and with a contract in mind.

  15. No reasonable person will argue with you, cos you said it that irrespective of what stats say, you’ll still pick some certain players over ozil.

    That statement also means that irrespective of what he does, you’ll never approve of him.

    1. stats most times is a painting on a bad building stats shows that xhaka is one of epls best midfielders
      if you actually watch football then u should know that that…

      1. I watch football.
        I watch Arsenal (practically every game they play.
        And I can tell you quite clearly-GRANIT Xhaka is a very very average (at best) Premiere League Central Midfielder.z
        But what do I know.As you say-YOUR VERY GOOD AT SOCCER

        1. Granit Xhaka is one of the most useless midfielders to have ever put on Arsenal shirt….
          All this players statistics does not really reflect d reality…

          Midfielders are supposed to be mobile whether with the ball or off the ball,
          Xhaka making money out of football is one of the miracles i have seen
          Same with Theo Walcott who does not have a football brain and is making millions monthly..

          Xhaka does not even know how to change his positional direction when been pressed,
          This is the reason he gets dispossessed easily
          He doesn’t even know how to protect the ball…

          He can’t move with the ball…

          we lack proper crafty and technical midfielders
          This is why we hardly create good chances unlike those days of invincibles, even those days of Rosicky Hleb Fabregas diaby…..

          we need crafty men both in the central midfield and on the wings

  16. unai is no fool u think he doesn’t want to win matches…every manager does want to win just that u can never put ur money on ozil to deliver or even turn on….. we all pray he turns on today if played. I also believe one of the reason he has been dropped so often is we all know he has talent the manager knows that just like everyone else but he mostly do not put in the effort if ur are playing him at times it’s like playing with 10 men but u are leaving him on the pitch hoping that he will spring up with something special and yet he does not so u have to make a choice whether to gi with people who can at least put in the effort or some talent you are not show if it Will pop up….just like auba he most times doesn’t contribute to the team but he constantly turns up with the goal so his talent is paying dividends… and recently this can not be said of ozil…
    I believe he have had many problems last year which also contributes to his form and let’s not forget no international football for him to worry about his paid well where will the motivation come from

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