The heat is on Arsenal once again, as it so often seems to be at this time of the season. It looks like a fight for the last two Champions League places is all we can look forward to and that appears to be looking like a tense and nervous affair in itself.
But Arsene Wenger does have two other pieces of silverware still available and we have very winnable draws in both competitions.
As much as we are all hoping for Arsenal to go further than we have in years by beating Europe and as much as we would prefer winning the Champions League to any other trophy, the chances of Arsenal managing to do it this year against cluns likr Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are pretty slim.
So are we once again going to be looking at the FA cup to put some gloss on our season, so is it time for Arsene Wenger to stop doing the usual tinkering with the Arsenal squad that he does in these games and pick the strongest possible team for Saturday.
We are at home to a lower league side but they are in great form and have gone top this week. This 90 minutes could be massive for us at the end of the season and if we mess it up it will be an absolute disaster. We have a whole week before the next game after all. Tinker time over for Arsenal? What would your starting Line-up be?
Would love the gunners to repeat as winners! Coyg!
Agreed, Greg.
Bob, just curious, what’s a “cluns likr”? Trolling till you use spell check, you almighty reporter, you. Do like the good work on here, otherwise. i
who the F don’t want us to repeat as winners?
Arsenal has versatile squad that could make some noise in champions league. We are the favorites to win against Monaco. From the quarters finals and on the game plan and in game adjustments are vital to be successful.
Sir Alex used Welbeck instead of Rooney against Madrid in the away leg a few years back. His plan was working till Nani took a red card.
Our away team could be deadly if we play counter attack football. Welbeck starts up front with Walcott and Sanchez on the wings to lead the counter attack.
I agree! I would love to see this front three with Özil just behind them and Le Coq and Carzola playing a bit deeper. I think Gabriel deserves his debut with either koscielny or Merty getting a rest with chambers and Gibbs as full backs. Shezny (however you spell it) should get the start between the sticks.
It would be very entertaining to watch that line up attack
Can anyone explain why we go from being a really energetic switched-on team against Man City to looking like we’d just climbed of the aeroplane from a stag weekend abroad last night?
I’d love to know the answer to this, because Southampton put in performances that look like they’ve drunk out Starbucks every single game, and although they don’t always get the results, they always put in the maximum effort, which is all the fans can ask for.
Only thing I can attribute it to, is what’s going on behind the scenes, because everything else looks the same.
Agreed, we used to win a lot of games with late goals because of our fitness levels.
It appears our players simply don’t have the required levels of fitness, which causes them to look apathetic in games and lose concentration.
we should bring back Poldi….
Mancini doesnt like him…
Poldi got dropped, subbed and left out and etc……at Inter
Yeh because our bench is much more comfortable.
Thanks, Egypt. I mean, Ezat. Your analysis of our team being weakened is spot on. Especially considering we didn’t extend contracts for any of the players you’ve listed. And others play with a considerable work rate that they got tons of time (think Poldi). Oh wait, he tracked back? Good for our midfield to have him up there letting them do all the work. And that’s coming from someone who values what he does do well. Campbell getting loaned when he was playing at top levels when given his chances was also clearly a bad decision. Same with Sonogo. And you never complained that we needed another CB, either. Oh, wait.
Thank the lord baby jesus you’re not an Arsenal fan or the manager of Arsenal. And thank the lord baby jesus that we have someone that can see both the trees and the forest at the same time, unlike your focus, which is stuck looking at trees. Smoke on, brah.
Caveat: I will hands down retract my position and admit you are right about all things arsenal, if this summer we sell both Alexis and Ozil, and get zero world class players into the fold. Much like what had been happening before the summer of 2013.
Wrnger is the problem
How can you say that! It’s not like he is responsible for buying, selling, training, managing or motivating the Arsenal players?! Oh wait..
Can’t see him changing too much.
He usually gives some of the kids a run out but he can’t be so stupid as to risk more failure when the league has long passed us by.
More concerned about Wenger’s inability to change anything in play, he appears to carry on with the same set up, Spurs game was a farce, camped in our half against a 2 man team, ridiculous.
Most good managers would have given orders to push out and get forward but Wenger just sat there watching it happen and doing nothing!
thats the league cup…
FA Cup is a mix ….approx 80% senior and 20% junior
“some of the kids” I said not an entire team.
I know the difference between the League and FA Cup.
Am assuming Sanchez Ramsey
Wilshere Ox are injured.
I wouild prefer to rest Ospina Bellerin
Mertz Monreal Coq and Cazorla.
Doubt Wenger will rest this many but still.
Szcz
Chambers Abreu Kos Gibbs
Flamini Rosicky
Wallcot Ozil Wellbeck
Giroud.
Bench Ospina Mertz Monreal Belerin Coq Cazorla Akpom.
This still the senior A team….apart from Carzola and Coq…
FA cup is sudden death.
Not time to be blooding youngsters.
like Bielik,Zelalem or Maitland – Niles.
We also have too many seniors who need playing time
like Szcz, de abreu, Gibbs, Chambers, Flamini , + Wellbeck.
there are two trophys in the EPL that matter, the league title and the FA cup, every team that do not win the league are dying to win the FA cup, so lets not diminish it, the UCL is a long shot w teams that just buy every great player, honestly, barcas front line is neymar, messi and suarez, not easy to beat… the EPL changed when city & chelskie fell into huge cash, top 4 is now ligitimate to 7 teams, not easy anymore, even united cant seem to win the league anymore, arsenal responded by buying ozil and sanchez, so we are adjusting to compete, but expectations need be aligned with the changing environment.
My team to play Middlesbrough
………………..Szczesny
Gibbs….Hayden…Gabriel…Chambers
…………..Bielik……Flamini
Welbeck…….Rosicky……… Walcott
………………….Akpom
Think Hayden is still injured?
No Ozil or Sanchez?
Can see the papers now.
“Arsenal out of cup playing a 17 yr old on debut
and with 75 mill quid on the sideline” 🙂
That back line is scary as hell @fredcowardly. I know it’s Middlesbrough and we are at home, but we can’t take them that lightly, if lightly at all.
FA Cup is time to rotate the seniors rest some tiring legs….
3 to 4 changes should be sufficient….
Mid IS not to be taken lightly, we must play our senior squad plain and simple. We have a huge change to repeat as champions and with champions league qualifications we will be able to attract another “sanchez” into our team this summer.
OT: From the trend I’ve seen in the past few seasons,Wenger seems to be pulling in one world class player every year.
From my assessment of Arsenal I think we are like 3-4 world class players short.
I think a CB,DM, B2B and ST…maybe we can do without a CB but Kos performances lately haven’t been convincing. Ramsey has been awful for most of the time as a B2B so I feel we need another mature player who can read the game and understand his role. Wilshere hasn’t been convincing at that role again and if they both don’t change then a B2B is needed.
I’ll act like Kos will be world class like we know he can be when fully fit,meaning we only need 3. DM, B2B, ST.
DM: Krychowiak, Wanyama, etc
B2B: Schneiderlin, Sissokho, etc
ST: Cavani, Dybala, Benzema,Falcao, etc
So one player each year would mean we can start competing for major trophies in 3 years time. I don’t know if most arsenal fans can wait for that long.
Suggest which three world class players you would pick based on the positions above…be reasonable.
Negative vibes all around from you lot.COYG.Cheer you em on this weekend, theywill beat Middlesbrough. Wait for the draw with anticipation, then move on up to gain our usual 4th spot.
Oops! There I go a bit of negative there.Sorry.
Szczesney
Chambers Merts Gabriel Gibbs
Flam Bielik?
Walcott Rosicky Welbeck
Akpom/Giroud
With our midfield nightmare he may do something like this. I’d obviously prefer one of Cazorla/Ozil/Alexis to be playing. He also may choose to rest Merts over Kos, play a youngster or switch Chambers to CB and keep Bellerin in. Welbeck and Walcott I will imagine will start, as will Rosicky and Flamini. Worst situation is a midfield pair of Flamini and Coquelin – this would be overly defensive and very poor. A central three of Coq, Caz and Ros would be my preference. I’d like Akpom to start though he may prefer Giroud.