Reading vs Arsenal

I'm at work and can't really make a proper match thread, but I thought things should get going in here. We lost to Bradford midweek fielding a strong side, but I still expect to win against a poor Reading even away from home. All the players have to do is actually give a shit and show the drive they showed against WBA and they have the quality to beat Reading. We will have more team news today, but my early lineup would be:
Szczesny
Sagna Mertesacker Vermaelen Gibbs
Arteta Wilshere Rosicky
Cazorla Giroud Poldi
I really don't want to see Gervais ("Gervinho" is a disgrace to Brazilian footballers so he should go by his original name) and we all know what Rosicky is capable of.
Subs: Mannone Gervinho Oxlade-Chamberlain Koscielny Santos Jenkinson Coquelin
Prediction 3-1 win for us

I would really like to see that team Vanig but alas I think we will see Gervinho start and Rosicky on the bench :-(

I like the lineup as well. I don't even want to see Gervinho on the bench. He's been awful and incapable of doing anything right lately.

But knowing Wenger he will want to play him alot as he will be unavailable at AFCON soon.

Id like to see a four man midfield of Arteta, Wilshire, Cazorla and Rosicky, thats sexy as fuck!! But two would have to push a bit wide.

That would kind of remind me of Milan from the past playing Seedorf, Rui Costa, Pirlo, and Gattuso. They dominated possession and moved around all the time.

I like that line-up but I think it'll be the Ox on for Rosicky. Rosicky has looked very good whenever he has been on the pitch this season so I'd like to see him play but think Wenger will go for a pacey option instead of Gervinho and Ox fits the bill more. If Gervinho starts it'll be ridiculous. I never feel confident whenever he is playing in attack for us.

We don't seem to do easy games anymore so I predict a win but a close one.

Actually on what Mike says, id probably rather Podolski and Gervinho sat out and Ox and Rosicky played. Podolski has been so poor recently, doesnt look intertested.

Yeah that could be good. The best thing about Podolski is that he tracks back and defends. But attacking wise he hasn't been on form recently. Rosicky is one of the few players I'd trust to play out wide on the left (assuming Ox is on the right) and track back also.

When Rosicky is on the pitch it is rare that anyone bar Wilshere looks as hungry and up for games as he does. That is the type of player we need right now. It'd be good to see him play.

Arseblog reckons Walcott will be back and will start.

I say we will see Ox or theo if fit on the right and Gervinho on the left with Giroud up front. I don't see why Gervinho is the only player criticised in this tean. The way i see it is that he is the only one trying to beat his man and make something happen and should play for me.

Whether or not he tries or not is irrelevant. If I had the Arsenal shirt on, I'd try harder than most out there but I'd still be shit. Gervinho just isnt incisive, decisive or clinical enough to have in that team, especially one that is struggling to score goals

I'd rather have the lazy, uninterested Arshavin who doesn't track back or run at all in the team over Gervinho, because with him, you would have some (false) hope.

Gervinho hasnt been the worst for me, not like he is a supposed top international like Podolski or has about 50 caps for a team like Spain, both Podolski and Cazorla should be doing more as well. Gervinho is flavour of the week, last week it was Ramsey, a few weeks ago it was Santos, the team, as a whole, has been shit. End of.

MATCH FACTS

Reading and Arsenal have met 10 times in all competitions, with the Gunners winning them all.

The two sides have already met once this season, in the Capital One Cup, with Reading taking a 4-0 lead, only to be pegged back to 4-4 and losing 5-7 in extra time.

In that match, Theo Walcott scored a hat-trick with all three goals being netted in added time at the end of the first half (45), second half (90) and extra time (120).

Reading have won just one of their last 10 Premier League games at the Madejski Stadium (W1 D5 L4).

Arsenal have won none of their last six away games in all competitions (W0 D4 L2).

The Royals have only managed one clean sheet in the league all season, the lowest tally of all Premier League sides.

Reading have thrown away more points from winning positions than any other Premier League sides this term (17).

Arsenal have conceded the lowest number of second-half goals in the top-flight this season (six) while Reading have shipped the joint-most (20).

The Gunners have made the most passes in the Premier League this season (9221) while the Royals have made the fewest (4823).

Per Mertesacker has made more last man tackles than any other Premier League player this season (seven).

Vanig Bostanian wrote:M

Arsenal have won none of their last six away games in all competitions (W0 D4 L2).

Arsene Wenger -

“If you look at our season at the moment, we have not produced our performances at home, our results away are in the same bracket as the two top teams.

“Manchester United are top of the league. They have lost three games, we have lost four. We had more draws, especially at home, that is where we have lost the points.”


Points away from home this season:
Man Utd - 21 out of 27.
Man City - 16 out of 24
Arsenal - 10 out of 24



Anyway... I want Rosicky to start. If Walcott is fit he should start, too. May as well get the most out of him before he leaves seeing as our other forward options are pretty poor right now to say the least. This is the type of team that previous Arsenal sides, as the stats show, would have beaten with ease. We better win.

Well...its back to the nitty gritty tonight....

Most of our games this season have been somewhat of a hard thing to call...this I am fully 100% expecting us to get up and running...forget losing to a league two team..it was a cup game...it happens...this on the other hand would say a whole lot more to me if we were to lose....reading,bottom of the table..been awfull all season...not much good to say about them unfortunately....my predictions 4-1 arsenal...

Oh and does anybody know if this game is streaming as of yet I cannot find any links at least displaying a time....



COYG.

Oooo, Reading, we meet again...
Here's to a 10-8 win tonight:D

-----------------SZCZESNY----------------
SAGNA--MERTESACKER---VERMAELEN--GIBBS
--ARTETA--------CAZORLA------WILSHERE--
CHAMBERLAIN-----GIROUD---------GERVINHO

That's the team I think we'll see, though I wish Gervinho didn't have to play today. Either way, I expect a result. This team needs to stop underachieving and redeem themselves after the Bradford game. 3-1 to us, here's hoping.

Jason Morrison wrote:Oooo, Reading, we meet again...
Here's to a 10-8 win tonight:D

If we score 10 tonight I will buy you a case of larger!! Lol

Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Arteta, Wilshere, Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Podolski
Walcott striker or Poldi? Interesting

No Rosicky though

Walcott deserves a chance, Podolski lucky to be in the team for me,

Walcott should play centrally but ive given up trying to guess what Wenger is going to do

Arsenal subs: Mannone, Koscielny, Coquelin, Ramsey, Rosicky, Gervinho, Giroud
Very strong bench as well.
Surely they should be beating Reading tonight? Please?

Names mean nothing, they need to work hard and play well.