Arsenal (H) - 25 February

[Bert]

Craig Big Six Pawson in the middle for this one. 🙄

[Guest Mickyblueeyes]

Rodgers, please PLEASE do not start Youri ****ing Tielemans. And if you do start him PLEASE PLEASE don’t make him our ****ing captain. 
 

 

[volpeazzurro]

8 hours ago, TrentFox said:

If we assume 4-2-3-1 is the selection, then there would seem to be just the two spots, (as holding midfielders), where any disagreement exists on ‘best team’ currently? All the options there have merit. Personally, I’d go  Wilf and Youri to freshen it up. And would likely snap back to Mendy and KDH, as almost a reverse of the call he made yesterday, around 70 mins. I’d get Youri back in as I think he advances the ball with more care than any other option there. 🤷

And passes it to the opposition, Mendy far less so. We just don't need Tielemans, all fur coat and no knickers 🤣

[Dan]

Feels very fickle but this weekend, what both teams did, has sapped my confidence for this one. We're conceding too many chances and goals, Arsenal create loads. I'll be shocked if they don't get at least 2 goals.

 

1-3.

[Yes N'Didi]

2 hours ago, Bert said:

Craig Big Six Pawson in the middle for this one. 🙄

And Stuart ‘I didn’t see anything wrong with the Sabitzer challenge’ Atwell on VAR.

[Nicolo Barella]

I think the 11 will be unchanged to be honest. 

[Supergray22]

45 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

Feels very fickle but this weekend, what both teams did, has sapped my confidence for this one. We're conceding too many chances and goals, Arsenal create loads. I'll be shocked if they don't get at least 2 goals.

 

1-3.

I think you missed a digit of that one. 

[Gamble92]

21 minutes ago, Nicolo Barella said:

I think the 11 will be unchanged to be honest. 

I think it should be. I don't see anything positive about Tielemans coming back in. We need to start learning to play without him. 

[Ian Nacho]

Will be a tough game. Can see them going 1 on 1 at least once which spells goal with Ward in goal. 

[BenTayfour]

A contrary approach from the UTD game :

 

                      Iversen

 

Castagne Amarty Souttar Faes Kris

 

      Praet          Ndidi          KDH

 

                     Maddison

           

                        Nacho    

 

I don't know how it will fare but it's the as defensive as you can get line-up.

Edited 21 February 2023 by BenTayfour

[BenTayfour]

 You Know, the inevitable battering cannot be stopped so let's turn it into a circus.

                   Iversen 

 Soyuncu Vestergatrd Souttar Faes

 

                Amartey       Evans 

                                                      Ward                                     Bertrand

 

               Smithies     Rodgers

[Sly]

19 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

Man City of all teams changed their approach to concede possession and killed Arsenal on the transition by forcing mistakes from their defenders. We could try to do the same thing with the way our team is setup. That probably would mean more of a 4231 type of shape instead of 433 and get our attacking wide players and striker to press at the right times.

 

It might have gone unnoticed at Old Trafford, but the reason things changed so much in the second half is that Ten hag put on Sancho and moved Rashford wide. Those two pinned back our fullbacks Castagne and Kristiansen and it changed the entire outlook of the game. Arsenal can do the same with Saka and Martinelli / Trossard, which is a problem. First half against Man United we were winning the ball back so quickly and kept the pressure on them relentlessly, but this was no longer the case in the second half.

 

I think we can score against them, but every time I see Arsenal play they make so many chances that we are bound to concede. Will hope for a result, and it is possible we could get one, but we really have to be on our A-game to do so. Try to keep Odegaard quiet if possible, though he has been one of the best players in the division this season. 

 

 

You’re spot on.
 

I’d actually change the entire shape for this game, based on what I saw in the 2nd half at Old Trafford and what we’ve seen Arsenal do this season.

 

The wide players at Arsenal will tear us apart and we’ll have little to no protection with both Barnes and Teté on either side of the midfield.

 

I’d be tempted to offer additional protection of the defence to start the game with a double pivot and utilise wing backs. 
 

                         Ward

 

Castagne  Faes Souttar Soyuncu Kristiansen 

                   Ndidi     Mendy

 

             Tielemans   Maddison

 

                     Daka 

 

Arsenal will want the win. I’d look to change the shape later on and deploy both Barnes / Teté and Iheanacho, in lieu of a centre back, holding midfielder and Daka to try and change the game up. Only reason I’d favour Daka to begin with is his pace as a single outlet, as like the Man City game, I think we’ll be rooted. Vardy looks shot and has offered next to nothing all season. 

 

[Raj]

Do people realky think BR is going to drop Ward now?

Cmon get a reality check.

It's not happening.

[filthyfox]

Simple... this is a loss

[Solihullfox]

Judging by his god awful performance on Sunday, yet again, if Soumare plays then Arsenal will playing against ten men.

 

I still have no idea what he brings to the team 

[NAKC20]

10 hours ago, Yes N'Didi said:

And Stuart ‘I didn’t see anything wrong with the Sabitzer challenge’ Atwell on VAR.

Stuart Atwell is 4th official so im sure some will tell him what they think of him. Hope Brendan sticks the digital board where the sun dont shine

Edited 21 February 2023 by NAKC20
Add more

[Claridge]

17 minutes ago, Solihullfox said:

Judging by his god awful performance on Sunday, yet again, if Soumare plays then Arsenal will playing against ten men.

 

I still have no idea what he brings to the team 

absolutely nothing, terrible signing

[Devonfox1884]

I think it should be the same team that started on Sunday. I don’t think a poor 15 minutes after half time before Brendan changed things should force mass changes to a side who completely outplayed United for the majority of the first half.

 

As a two I believe Mendy and KDH give the side a nice balance in midfield, and I saw nothing from either Soumare or Youri when they came on, if anything it got worse from that point.

 

Hopefully Ricardo can manage an hour or so against Blackburn and get himself more in contention for that spot at RB in the coming weeks as, although I thought he was better on Sunday, Castagne is just generally very average at the moment for me.

[harpendenfox]

In reality by full time we will have played three of the top four in a fortnight and secured a minimum of three points, which we would probably all have settled for before we kicked off against Spurs. Along with some familiar failings we also played well for 30 minutes at Old Trafford, and could/should have scored two goals in that period.

 

In all likelihood we will lose on Saturday, but I retain a glimmer of optimism that I haven't had until recently. I hope we pose some threat, take the game deep, and avoid shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes. In other words if we are to lose, let it be that it is because Arsenal play well, rather than we self-destruct.

 

But I'm going to suggest a 2-2 draw

[Sunbury Fox]

I was really optimistic before the Man U game as I thought it was a really good time to play them given their other priorities, they were missing 2 key midfielders and we were on fire. In the end, it proved to be a huge reality check that we can't really try to go toe to toe with the top teams with our current team. If we go for a similarly open approach against Arsenal we'll be rinsed again. I think Rodgers might go for a similar approach to the Man City home game - be really solid and defensive, try to stay in the game and then have a bit of a go in the last 15-20 minutes in the hope of nicking something. 

 

Just wondered if we could try playing Maddison as a false 9 with Barnes and Tete running off him. Maddison is obviously great at holding the ball, playing through passes and winning free kicks so he might be able to do this. Playing him as a false 9 enables us to pack the midfield with 3 CMs (which is how Everton stifled Arsenal), whilst still having a threat on the break. But it is risky as we've never tried it before. 

Edited 21 February 2023 by Sunbury Fox

[st albans fox]

A few arsenal players missed training yesterday 

partey, Jesus, Jorginho, nketiah, saka, zinchenko 

 

expected only Jesus and partey unlikely to make the starting line up from the six 

[Dusty]

I’d drop KDH for Youri. KDH looks lost on that right hand side and is always cutting backwards. One of his strengths was being direct but he’s less confident to do that when the balls on his right foot so seems pointless having him on there. Mendy did a really good job in the last game of pressing the utd midfielders when madders pushed the centre backs and I thought it worked really well.  

[LVFox]

As said above, Youri for KDH, and id move Maddison back into more of a midfield 3

 

[daddylonglegs]

if your proposed team starts with danny ward in goal, you need to give your head a serious wobble

[David Hankey]

I don't mind what the starting line up is.

 

What I am more concerned about is taking our chances, particularly early on in the game, when it can have a tremendous effect.