If the title has gone...we'll probably win easily. :ninja:
At least it isn't as long to wait until the next game - I really hate one game a week.
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If the title has gone...we'll probably win easily. :ninja:
At least it isn't as long to wait until the next game - I really hate one game a week.
A kind fixture to have at this stage at least.
Result obviously the most important but we need a dominant performance too.
We're playing for self-respect now, need a strong home performance so I can go to the pub (reasonably) happy afterwards :)
Also I think it will be St Totteringham's Day :beer:
Saliba is doing some light training but won’t make this match. Hearing he could be risked for City which would be a huge gamble but I also think playing Holding means an almost certain defeat, unless he has the game of his life.
In short: :rose:
Zinchenko also remains out.
Xhaka at RB with Trossard in his position? Arteta will probs stick with Tierney though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
The only defender we had who could step in seamlessly was Tomiyasu due to his versatility. We just have to accept that rigid players like Tierney and Holding may cause the system to malfunction because you don’t get the same level of distribution into midfield. If Tomi was available he would be playing left back ahead of Tierney I’d imagine.Quote:
Originally Posted by IBK
It should be fine here against the worst team in the league but against the better sides it’s going to look very scruffy like it did last year.
Agreed re the distribution - which is why I think Xhaka might fix that at LB...Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
some good news at least :ninja:Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
0-3 Ward-Prowse hatter
Probably. Zinchenko is obviously one of our most important players, as we saw against West Ham.Quote:
Originally Posted by IBK
Its funny but my immediate thought was that we are likely to misfire in attack, because Zinchenko is such an important component of our ball progression. But we started like a train at West Ham without him in the team. It's easy to think of him as not really a defender, but its the control that he gives us that we missed badly on Sunday. Tierney just can't offer the security and connections that Zinchenko can. However, Tierney hasn't really had the playing time to get into his groove, so I am hoping that his defensive game at least will be more secure tomorrow. Security on the ball wise - maybe Trossard to replace Xhaka?Quote:
Originally Posted by GP
Won't surprise me at all though to see exactly the same starting 11 against Southampton. Hope they are looking to make amends...
or you could mention the match against Liverpool, where the same reversal took place and he was on the pitch for almost the entire game and was comprehensively done to give away the second goalQuote:
Originally Posted by GP
Agree with a lot of this post though the Trossard in the Xhaka role is something I've never contemplated and still would only make sense to me if we were chasing a game or something.Quote:
Originally Posted by IBK
The part in bold though will bring about a wry smile if it holds, and I do think it will hold.
Why wouldn’t you play the same 11 and tell them, batter and don’t stop until I fucking tell you to stop.
Someone is due a fucking hiding by us, not stopping at 4
Go for a huge goal margin, don’t pussy it. Lay down a fucking marker and give City something to think about. 7 points on the board regardless of games played is better than no games in hand and one point ahead.
I think tonight is a game where you can afford to mix it up somewhat.
I would consider playing Jorginho and Partey together just to see if it’s a partnership that might work at the Etihad
I think Saka probably should be benched for this game and Trossard or Nelson played
And although I have no issue playing Holding tonight I would maybe give Kiwior a start to see if two left footed defenders can play together because Holding is just too slow to be played against City.
who would Jorg be replacing - Xhaka?Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
definitely Saka should not start and Trossard should be given a run out
Kiwior certainly needs minutes but do we give Gabriel a rest ahead of Citeh?
I doubt he’ll bench Saka, he probably thinks it would send out the wrong message after the missed penalty. Even though Trossard deserves a start ahead of him.
Just praying we don’t make tonight harder than it needs to be. The writing is already on the wall for next Wednesday and a flaky performance tonight will have City salivating.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
Instead of Xhaka yes
And I’d play Kiwior instead of Holding to see how he plays alongside Gabriel with a view of making them a potential centre back pairing against City
I have zero expectation that any of this will happen
Yes i suspect so too, silly really, he could just sit down and explain to Saka that it's resting him for Citeh or whatever and say the same publiclyQuote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Things we can agree on :shock&horror:Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
A Partey and Jorginho partnership should have been tested at least once, and so should Kiwor instead of Holding seeing as even the blind can see his pace is an issue.
Yes it can be argued that making all these changes just before Citeh is s crazy and confirms we're succumbing to pressure...but is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results not the true definition of insanity (according to "Einstein" anyway)??
It would be a no brainer if he wasn't learning on the job.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
Quote:
Originally Posted by 21_GOONER_SALUTE
In an ideal world change would be made to a team before it becomes necessary…but if you’re winning games you will become more reticent to change things up.
Regardless of what Xhaka has or hasn’t done, it seems sensible to me to look into the possibility of whether two midfielders who play a more defensive role can work together simply because even with your strongest defence you need that extra protection when going away to a big side.
Apparently the whole “Definition of Madness” quote attributed to Einstein is apocryphal, read this very long article once about how there is this tendency to misattribute quotes to famous people. This is of course clearly irrelevant to the point that if something isn’t working in a football team to attempt to remedy it (either through tactical or personnel changes) is not unreasonable.
Frankly after last week the only player I can definitely say I want to start is Jesus
Yeah, probably why I put the quotation marks on his name...though people swear its the sort of thing he would have said.Quote:
Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
As for the team, the undroppable on current form to me is Martinelli, and thats saying a lot.
But whatever Arteta chooses to do today, the fact is this is the last dress rehearsal he has before the main event, if he's smart, he'll make it count.
Wasn’t acquainted with him, so not sure. A lot of Einstein’s theories turned out to be wrong (and in his lifetime…worth looking up a chap called George LeMaitre) but I guess the thing with science is the expectation that you come up with ideas and then someone will tweak your ideas when they come up against other discoveries that disprove your suggestions.Quote:
Originally Posted by 21_GOONER_SALUTE
Oh and Einstein would definitely have been cancelled because some of his views on non white civilisations :haha:
This has nothing to do with football however but it is interesting all the same
Martinelli isn’t doing a lot wrong but does sometimes drift out of games and like Saka there is an argument that he has been over played
Jesus even with the yellow card was our best player against the Ammers and I think the one thing everyone agrees on here (I think) is that it was folly to remove him
Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Partey, Vieira, Odegaard, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Trossard, Jorginho, Nelson, Walters
Southampton: Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Bella-Kotchap, Perraud; Walcott, Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Elyounoussi; Alcaraz, A. Armstrong
Subs: McCarthy, Lyanco, Caleta-Car, Aribo, Orsic, Onuachu, S. Armstrong, Sulemana, Diallo
Xhaka not on the bench which suggests to me that the only reason he isn’t playing is because he’s not fitQuote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
Yep disappointed that Arteta hasn’t taken the opportunity here to change things up
If I’m right and Xhaka isn’t fit for Wednesday i don’t think I’d want Vieira starting that game.
He was ill this morning apparently
Yep just read that on sky sports websiteQuote:
Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...
Completely forgot Vieira even existed.
Wishful thinkingQuote:
Originally Posted by Marc Overmars
Hopefully he’s been in the gym and upped his protein intake.
The way it's going with injuries, next Weds willl not just be a defeat but a total nassacre
Let’s just win this first because if we don’t it’s all going to be pretty academic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac76
Nassacre Hussain. :bow:
Come on you morons.
Time for a response.
OMG RAMSDALE
0-1 Alcaraz
Fuck off
Let me guess along with Ramsdale being a mong, we also backed off them ridiculously
No Ramsdale just provided an assist. Dickhead
Sunday league shit man. How is he making such a lazy pass a minute into the game?
Absolute moron.
Martinelli getting a bit of joy at least.