Arsenal v Tottenham

Mario Leontiou wrote:Any other alternative to Rosicky in the middle, with Ramsey out? Benayoun? Arshavin? I don't want to sound too harsh on Rosicky as he has been better than the rest these last few weeks but I can't remember the last time Rosicky took control of, a made a difference in, a 'big' game. And with Tottenham's midfield their strong point it's worrying.

id like to see arshavin there.

----------------SZCZESNY--------------
SAGNA--KOSCIELNY--VERMAELEN--GIBBS
SONG------------ARTETA-------ROSICKY
CHAMBERLAIN---van PERSIE----GERVINHO

That's the XI I would go with.

Zaid Derweesh wrote:

Mario Leontiou wrote:Any other alternative to Rosicky in the middle, with Ramsey out? Benayoun? Arshavin? I don't want to sound too harsh on Rosicky as he has been better than the rest these last few weeks but I can't remember the last time Rosicky took control of, a made a difference in, a 'big' game. And with Tottenham's midfield their strong point it's worrying.

id like to see arshavin there.

No longer here buddy. Why not Benayoun?

Still cannot work out why benni has not been played more....ok he is not our player as such and no doubt Wenger wants to give our boys more game time but he has bags of energy ability and experience.....

Surely we need that right now...

OsamaMahfooz wrote:

Zaid Derweesh wrote:

Mario Leontiou wrote:Any other alternative to Rosicky in the middle, with Ramsey out? Benayoun? Arshavin? I don't want to sound too harsh on Rosicky as he has been better than the rest these last few weeks but I can't remember the last time Rosicky took control of, a made a difference in, a 'big' game. And with Tottenham's midfield their strong point it's worrying.

id like to see arshavin there.

No longer here buddy. Why not Benayoun?

Maybe Benayoun. I'm not really sure where he works best, maybe that position would be good for him. I remember when he replaced Arteta recently and he was poor. But further up, he might be more effective. It's just that that was the position Arshavin was always good at - before Arsenal. And he's never really been given the opportunity there with us.

Benny gets my vote.....what could be worse?

I am looking forward to this game so badly. Totenham may show that they arent up to it completely. Against Liverpool they played as if they are happy with a point. Maybe they play with the smae mentality against us and get punished.

Tottenham are in an interesting position - adrift in 3rd, very little chance of catching the Manchester clubs, even less chance of being caught themselves.

Conversely, we really need to win.

I'd like that to translate into us "wanting" it more, but football doesn't seem to work like that.

i actually think the spuds understand the importance of this game more than our players. as fans we care a hell of a lot mor about this tie than the majority of our players

In terms of who replaces Ramsey, I think we'll almost certainly use Rosicky, but I'd go 4-4-1-1 (/4-2-1-3) using one of the following systems:

-----Arteta---Song----

Theo--------------Gervinho

----------Ox---------

-------RVP--------

Or

Gervinho--Arteta-Song--Ox

------------RvP-------
-------Theo-----------

Or maybe Gervinho through the middle.

Chris, I do like the way you think and the two systems you'd like us to put out (har har) Spuds' strength is in the middle of the park but then playing Ox behind RvP or RvP behind Theo? Don't you think it's eaiser for them to double on one or effectively take both out the game? I know it doesn't look like it's been working but Theo and Gervinho or OX on the wings really helps keep their fullbacks busy. Even if we're not passing to them they do track back. I'm worried about Bale's freekick's and the supply-line to Adebayor... He's eager to score against us.

I don't think Wenger is going to change our set up before such a big game. It is not a game where we should test new formations.

ralph avedikian wrote:I don't think Wenger is going to change our set up before such a big game. It is not a game where we should test new formations.

I agree with this. While I think it could be interesting playing 4-4-1-1, I wouldn't want to test it out in such a big game. There won't be any surprises in formation in tomorrow. I'm quite sure we'll go:

Szcez
Sagna Kos TV Gibbs (Strong back line I think)
Arteta Song Rosicky
Theo RvP Gervinho

With the Ox as an option off the bench, on paper that's a strong team. But it's all about the mentality of the players and the fight they show. If we press the way we did in that 3-1 win against Chelsea, and force mistakes, we could really get a result. But we just cannot afford to be slow in transition from offense to defense. I forget where I read this, but someone had said that our main problem is getting organized after we lose the ball. We take too long to do that. Some work on the training ground should be able to sort that out.

Predictions guys? Heart says 2-1 to the Arse, head says 2-2.

Tottenham will and always have been fired up for North London Derbies.
Arsenal have never had to really fire themselves up for it as we have always been better than them. Not so this year. Or last.

Out of our starting XI tomorrow, there are probably only 2 or 3 players who would currently get into the Tottenham starting XI. That's a damning reflection on how poor our squad has become. IF on the off chance the Arsenal players go out there tomorrow to restore some sort of pride, the fans will get behind them 100% and it could make for a blistering good day at The Grove. We may even nick a goal and go on a win it.

I have my doubts this squad is capable of that though. Could be a real defining moment in Wenger's tenure if we lose in the manner that we lost at Milan and Sunderland. IF we win, this could restore a push for holding onto 4th. Hell, why not push on then for 3rd?

However, I do feel that Arsenal will lose this tomorrow. And will lose by at least 2 clear goals. If they put a shift in and give it 100%, I won't be bitterly disappointed and will sing the clubs name long after the final whistle.

3-1 Tottenham.

Word is that Gibbs is injured and is out for tomorrow.

News which I guess is up there with the 'grass is green' and the 'sun is bright'.

Gibbs will hence forth be known as Tampon. One week in, three Weeks out.

We do like collecting injury prone players

So, Squillaci, Mertesacker, Coquelin, Ramsey, Diaby, Wilshire, Santos, Frimpong and now Gibbs out. Arshavin gone, some squad that is.

Gibbs is a big blow. Means Vermaelen will be out on the left, so Djourou will have to play. If Koscielny doesn't make it too, who will he play in the centre? Song (but then, no one to play in CM)? Miquel?

Jenks1981 wrote:So, Squillaci, Mertesacker, Coquelin, Ramsey, Diaby, Wilshire, Santos, Frimpong and now Gibbs out. Arshavin gone, some squad that is.

it's either we are Arsenal or we are unlucky.

Stephen Mitchell wrote:Gibbs is a big blow. Means Vermaelen will be out on the left, so Djourou will have to play. If Koscielny doesn't make it too, who will he play in the centre? Song (but then, no one to play in CM)? Miquel?

For Gods sake our squad is appalling right now, Gibbs had better be ok.

Schzesney, Fabianski, Almunia

Sagna, Jenkinson, Djourou, Vermaelen, Koscielny

Song, Arteta, Rosicky, Benayoun

Walcott, Van Persie, Gervinho, Chamberlain, Park, Chamakh

Thats our fit players and its screaming a change in formation and tactic for this weekend for me.

It's not really an issue of squad size, it's more to do with them being seemingly made out of fibreglass. When everyone is fit we have Sagna, Jenkinson, Gibbs, Santos, Coquelin, Miquel, Djourou, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Squillaci and Mertesacker, Song (with a couple of others who have played a little ie. Yennaris).

For any normal team that would be more than enough.

Jenks1981 wrote:Schzesney, Fabianski, Almunia

Sagna, Jenkinson, Djourou, Vermaelen, Koscielny

Song, Arteta, Rosicky, Benayoun

Walcott, Van Persie, Gervinho, Chamberlain, Park, Chamakh

Thats our fit players and its screaming a change in formation and tactic for this weekend for me.

Are Koscielny and Chamakh fit, then? I thought they were both significant doubts.

Even worse then, I think we need to match them tomorrow and go 4-4-2 and try to win each individual battle. They are going to overun our midfield if we go with 3 and then 3 forwards not really contributing off the ball as much.