Arsenal Pre-Match thread (+poll)

[maddog]

Seeing as the Shrewsbury game is done now and the post match thread is turning into a bit of a melee I thought we should look forward to Sundays game and bring back The Optimeter after a two game break. Let's get that optimism rolling!

I felt Mahrez would be dropped for this one after the Chelsea match and that feeling certainly hasn't changed tonight. Whether Albrighton is fit to start is another story... I hope he is along with Jeff on the flanks.

Ulloa will be nicely rested after his night off and I can see him causing a few problems. I'm keeping my fingers crossed NP will have a joker up his sleeve, whether that be Vardy surprisingly thrust into the starting line up or a new signing perhaps.

Arsenal aren't without their injury problems. Giroud, Gibbs, Walcott and Arteta look to be out. Sanogo has a knock and their German contingent aren't quite up to their A-game yet after their extended post world cup break. Sanchez looked off at the weekend. More of the same from him hopefully.

They conceded two sloppy goals from crosses against Everton so that is where they are vulnerable at the back. Although with our seemingly endless lack of crossing ability (See Mahrez Saturday and Knocky/Mahrez/King tonight) we may struggle. If we don't trouble Arsenal by getting some good crosses in it will be difficult to get anything from the game, their main weakness is defending set pieces and we need to deliver the dead balls of a Premier League side in that department.

Something so simple as kicking a still ball from a corner seems to baffle our players and it has done for years... Considering they train all week and are paid millions it is quite embarrassing sometimes to see so many corners wasted with pitiful crosses not going past the first man or flying over everybody in the box.

Let's also hope Besiktas kick the crap out of Arse tomorrow night. Rest assured if our level of performance isn't exponentially stronger than tonight we will lose by 3 or 4 or even more possibly.

Last time Arsenal visited the walkers I was there and a certain Craig Hignett grabbed a late equaliser. Let's hope one of our boys can pop up with more of the same Sunday.

2-1 Leicester with positives aplenty like Chelsea away only this time three valuable points.

Come on you blues!!!

[ealingfox]

0-3 and could be more.

 

If James has been out for a month with a sore shin presumably Drinkwater's out for the season and Hammond's cramp should keep him out til the New Year.

[ScouseFox]

christ almighty the thought of jamie vardy running around mertersacker is making me moist

if he's still injured 0-2.

[Brooksy]

If Vardy, Drinky and James are back 1-0 win.

 

If not, 3-0 defeat.

[BenKimberlin]

Confident for this one as long as vardy plays. I think he needs to give the team the extra belief and he will be the final piece in the puzzle. We need Moore and Morgan to keep up the effort and passion in order to hold off players like Cazorla and Ramsey who really can punish you. We need our wingers to be countering with real pace and skill and our team need to have the bond that we showed last season. All considered 3-2 Victory to the boys in blue !

[Thracian]

We badly need reinforcements, both in terms of key players returning and new players coming in. Our squad wasn't nearly strong enough even before our catalogue of injuries and tonight's result won't do anything to help confidence levels, not just because we lost, which was bad enough, but because we got taunted at times.  Three or four nil.       

[TheUltimateWinner]

Kasper

RDL

Moore

Morgan

Konch

Drinkwater(if possible)

King

Hammond

Nugent

Ulloa

Vardy

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[Grewks]

If we hadn't had played tonight then people who had been saying we could win.

 

 

 

If we play like we did on saturday, we will win.

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

Go 4-4-2 If Vardy is fit, let him at them, Mahrez putting him through time and again will be nice to see.

[MattGamble92]

Vardy will give us that much needed energy, pace, work rate and genuine fear factor we have been lacking so far. If he's fit he has to play.

Arsenal will prove too much for our defence if De Laet doesn't up his game.

Hammond and King should start again for me despite if James or Drinky become fit. They deserve to keep their places.

I'd take a point. Think anyone would. Just wish tonight hadnt happened. Its turned a positive 2 games despite the results into no wins all season in my mind

[Merging Cultures]

and tonight's result won't do anything to help confidence levels, not just because we lost, which was bad enough, but because we got taunted at times.

I'm sure our multi millionaire champions are concerned about how a team with lots of inexperienced players fared against Shrewsbury in a cup game we are not focused on. Their confidence must be shocking after their performance against Everton and Chelsea...

[benpicko]

Mahrez should be dropped... what? He was basically our best player against Chelsea and everybody on the Chelsea forums thought we were insane bringing Albrighton on for him, especially after Albrighton was to blame for one of their goals

 

His corners were shit and he didn't finish when he could have done, but with Vardy back I'd like to think that Mahrez's ability to pick out an incredible pass will work out better for us than it has so far

[KFS]

I think we'll get something here

[Simmo86]

3-nil Arsenal

[Col city fan]

I have a sneaky feeling we'll draw. Vardy needs to play.

[Finnegan]

If we seriously start with Albrighton and Schlupp and no Vardy, I think I might cry.

Appreciate Knockaert hasn't really shown up this season yet but really want to see the best out of he and Mahrez. We were great last year, I hope we don't slip back in to being ugly and uninventive.

Don't think Mahrez deserves dropping, personally, and don't think Schlupp should be playing as a winger. If we don't trust Konchesky to be a left back at this level then don't play him. If we want pace down that flank, start Schlupp at LB.

He won't grow if he doesn't play and changing his position every season will do **** all for his development.

[Dickov22]

Why on earth does Mahrez deserve to be dropped?! Ridiculous. Been our most creative player in both games so far. Great idea to leave him out. Christ

[Royston.]

3-3 just like back in the nineties at Filbert Street.

 

If we dont score at least a couple against Arsenals defence then shame on us. 

At the other end however I can see Arsenal scoring at least three.

[Fox92]

The Chelsea performance gave me hope ahead of Sunday. But Arsenal are strong, and we've got to watch their ability to counter attack.

[maddog]

Why on earth does Mahrez deserve to be dropped?! Ridiculous. Been our most creative player in both games so far. Great idea to leave him out. Christ

His completely abject delivery in the final third in his last two games... See approximately 10 missed opportunities to cross/create when in acres of space at Chelsea (I was at the game). Three corners in the first half were a horrendous waste also.

Yes he got into those positions but running into empty space and consistently producing nothing is poor. If a replacement is fit and available Mahrez should be benched. If Albrighton is still unfit to play then there's little choice but to play Mahrez really. To say he was our best player is deluded in my view. I feel his performance doesn't merit another start if we have another option, 'our best player Mahrez' is an illusion of grandeur, and frankly a disturbing thought for the capabilities of the rest of the squad.

If he starts I hope he produces a lot more dangerous final balls that may result in goal scoring opportunities or perhaps goals themselves. Crosses especially. If he continues to try run through top class full backs and waste clear early crossing opportunities he should be given a rest on the bench. This is the Premier League not The Championship.

Why does Mahrez deserve to start again? He certainly hasn't been very creative in the last two games.

[BenKimberlin]

Arsenal aren't all that. We must watch out for their midfield though. Their striker(s) we can deal with and we can run rings around their defence if we get mahrez and vardy going at them we just nedd that finishing touch that was missing against Chelsea.

[Dr The Singh]

Hopefully they will pick up a few injuries tonight!!

[Dickov22]

His completely abject delivery in the final third in his last two games... See approximately 10 missed opportunities to cross/create when in acres of space at Chelsea (I was at the game). Three corners in the first half were a horrendous waste also.

Yes he got into those positions but running into empty space and consistently producing nothing is poor. If a replacement is fit and available Mahrez should be benched. If Albrighton is still unfit to play then there's little choice but to play Mahrez really. To say he was our best player is deluded in my view. I feel his performance doesn't merit another start if we have another option, 'our best player Mahrez' is an illusion of grandeur, and frankly a disturbing thought for the capabilities of the rest of the squad.

If he starts I hope he produces a lot more dangerous final balls that may result in goal scoring opportunities or perhaps goals themselves. Crosses especially. If he continues to try run through top class full backs and waste clear early crossing opportunities he should be given a rest on the bench. This is the Premier League not The Championship.

Why does Mahrez deserve to start again? He certainly hasn't been very creative in the last two games.

I was at Chelsea too. I didn't say he's our best player, I said in the first two games I think he's been our most creative player. Yes his corners were poor but give the lad a break, he's 22 and was playing against an exceptionally good Chelsea defence. Interesting that you think Albrighton deserves Mahrez's place. Based on what?

Also against Everton had Mahrez not been in the side we'd have lost the game.

[ADK]

I'll go for a draw.

[theessexfox]

Kasper

 

De Laet

Moore

Morgan

Konchesky

 

Mahrez

King

Hammond

Schlupp

 

Ulloa

Vardy

 

Confident we'll put up another good fight but Arsenal are very good, think they'll have too much.