Next three fixtures are West Ham, Stoke, and Liverpool. We need at least 7 points from these 3 to have a chance at CL football next year. I hear Diaby is out for this game. I am ok with a Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla MF. Poldy should be back. Chesney Sagna-Per-Verm-Gibbs Ramsey-Caz-Wilshere Theo-Giroud-Poldy
I'm actually a little exhausted for the players, though I imagine there will be a good screaming from Arsene prior to the game which should get them up and running from the start. 2-1 to le arse.
As in "we played played him only as a precaution that otherwise it would look like he could stay healthy for more than 2 weeks straight".
I was thinking more along the lines of "Diaby has played four games in a little over a week, and we all know he's brittle. It's probably prudent to give him a rest."
If its like a few years ago, you'll be overwhelmed for about 80 minutes with us going up 2-0 only to then underwhelmed and give up two in the final 10 minutes. We are saying the same things this year, about this squad, that we have said on here for the past six years. New players, same results. It's management. The difference between United and Arsenal are expectations. At United the expectation is that you fight for trophies. At Arsenal the new expectations are? Finish 4th? I think that's about it. If that is our attitude and expectation, then that' what we get. And every year we get a hell of a great fight for fourth. If you're like me you painfully hope we finish fourth because Lord knows that puts us ahead of Tottenham. I've given up on hating United (until the moment of kickoff, mind you) because I can't hate them like I used to hate them. They fight. Their squad is crap and every United fan knows it. Yet Wile E. Coyote buys more strikers to make up for his deficits. Every single player on that team, Rooney and RvP included, know they have to produce or its the bench. What is our plan? Arshavin (I'm going back to last season here and I am totally going to make up statistics) was in a 27 game slump, yet we trotted him out every damn game until finally Le Genius realized that he sucked. Would that happen at United? Not for any player in the squad. Sorry for the rant. Needed to get it out. Feeling better. I still love and believe in Wenger. I just truly believe he needs people around him that challenge him. Without dissenting opinions leadership gets shaky. I think if the competitive spirit came back we would be blown away by what this squad can do. On a side note and back on topic. I effing hate West HAM. Up the Gunners! 4-0 to the Arsenal.
I think we can take all 3 from this one, hopefully they show up for the first half. Always love getting home from work during the week and having an Arsenal match to watch.
My first game watching back in the states after being in London. ;( Some good results, some bad, and some absurd (the Newcastle match was one of the weirdest I've ever been at). Let's have a nice win here...
The Arsenal line-up is now out via Arseblog (Note: The way I type the players names is not the formation they will take): GK: Szczesny DF: Sagna, Mertesaker, Vermaelen, Gibbs. MF: Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla. FW: Walcott, Giroud, Podolski. SUBS: Mannone, Koscielny, Jenkinson, Santos, Frimpong, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Arshavin.