Nov 15
The way I see it 10 of the 11 starting spots in the team pretty much pick themselves:
Lehmann
Eboue
Clichy
Gallas
Toure
Hleb
Gilberto
Fabregas
Rosicky
Henry
There is one place up for grabs. Robin Van Persie is the current incumbent, playing on the left instead of through the middle but I think it’s fair to say that he hasn’t exactly been considered a great success in this role. With Freddie Ljungberg now fit, Julio Baptista not far away, Adebayor not long back, Aliadiere putting in great performances in the Milk Cup and ickle Theo Walcott eager for a game, who should the place go to?
33 Responses to “One starting spot up for grabs”
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November 15th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
While I wish we had (2) Rosicky… we only have ONE… so I guess that opens up a spot for Gilberto in the middle!!!!!!!!
yes, yes… I know its a typo error…
no big deal.
I wish Aliadiare would get a legitimate chance to play in the team, because I simply don’t feel RVP or Adebayor are consistent enough to merit any kind of automatic selection.
I’d also like to see Baptista get a run of games to see what he can do, otherwise, no point in having him. Perhaps BOTH will play often in the FA CUP?
Let’s hope so.
November 15th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
Wenger likes VanPersie, and VanPersie has showed over the last few games hes getting used to the role playing left. him and henry will get a better understanding soon.
i think baptista should play against crap teams and rosicky moved to the left.
November 15th, 2006 at 9:54 pm
I would like to see all of them get some games, and all those 10 get a rest from time to time. (Henry included; but on second thought no rest for Lehmann.) I know it is not the Wenger way, and I don't have any argument that the above 10 are currently first choice. But as the others get some games perhaps that can be reassessed.
Also I would like to see adjustments based on the opposition. Baptista, Adebayor, and either Djourou or Senderos for Clichy away to Bolton and Blackburn? I think it would be interesting to beat Bolton by going through them for a change. Not likely if history is any judge, but who knows what injuries we'll get.
November 15th, 2006 at 11:52 pm
I haven’t seen RVP do ANYTHING recently or EVER on a consistent basis. He plays better off the bench than starting, we know that… and he is much more of an individual player with individual skills… than a team player, which is how Arsenal play football… as a team.
He has a lot of learning to do if he is going to partner TH14 effectively.
He has the skills to be excellent, but so far, hasn’t shown any consistency or comraderie.
November 16th, 2006 at 12:33 am
Given our recent struggles against specific type of opposition, I would rotate. The back five and Gilberto would remain constant.
In Europe and in England against teams that play football (ManU, Liverpool, West Ham, Wigan, etc.)
CM - Cesc, Rosicky/Baptista
WM - RvP/Ljunberg, Hleb/Walcott
S - Henry/Ade
In England against teams that “park the bus” or play very physical (Villa, Everton, Bolton, Blackburn, etc.)
CM - Cesc, Rosicky/Ljunberg
WM - Henry/RvP, Hleb/Walcott
S - Ade/Baptista
Unfortunately, I can’t see a position for Aliadiere in the 4-5-1, although I do feel that he deserves a chance.
I also struggle to see Cesc rested and that is a major concern.
November 16th, 2006 at 4:08 am
well, it looks like wenger is going to stick to 4-5-1 from now on. This is what i think i’ll squad will be the next few seasons.
GK: Lehmann/Almunia
LB: Clichy/Traore
CB: Gallas/Senderos
CB: Toure/Djourou
RB: Eboue/Lauren
LM: VanPersie/Walcott
CM: Rosicky/Diaby
DM: Gilberto/Denilson
CM: Fabregas/Baptista
RM: Hleb/ljungberg
CF: Henry/Adebayor
November 16th, 2006 at 5:08 am
I think Flamini should be given the extra spot.
He brings a directness and a presence in middle that we lack.
If we are are playing with 5 in midfield have Cesc,Hleb and Rosicky play in front of Flamini and Gilberto.
In a 4-4-2 drop Rosicky or Hleb( for a striker) or move one of them(probably Rosicky) into the Bergkamp role.
When(not if!) we go a goal up we can then bring on an extra forward.
Having 2 ‘artists’ like Hleb and Rosicky is a bit of a luxury when we are in a tight game and we cannot drop any more points in the league.
I definitely feel like we can win the Championship this season, seeing as we beat ManU at home.
Also I am a big fan of Aliadiere. I think his hard running style would add something extra to our play.
Hope Wenger gives him a chance sooner than later.
November 16th, 2006 at 5:11 am
Even drop Cesc and play Hleb,Flamini Gilberto and Rosicky across the middle.
Obviously not for the big games but as he still only 19 I think we should rest him as often as we can.
November 16th, 2006 at 5:18 am
oops. Disappointed I missed out one of my favourite players and a key man to the team, although I wish he would stop with his recent attempts at visionary passing.
November 16th, 2006 at 5:49 am
I’d go with a fit (it’s a long shot) Freddie Ljungberg down the left myself: workrate, team play, excellent runs into the box. But I do think that rotation will have an important role to play and am a bit gutted that Diaby isn’t going to be fit for Bolton…I’d love to see this XI for our trips to the north west
Lehmann
Eboue-Toure-Senderos-Gallas
Ljungberg-Silva-Diaby-Baptista
Henry-Adebayor
Certainly this year we have more options and I don’t think I’d be averse to seeing Henry on the bench for some games.
November 16th, 2006 at 7:44 am
Good to see we’ve got 2 Rosiky’s in midfieild
November 16th, 2006 at 10:02 am
i?ve been watching him lately……..that guy is has athletic and dynamic as EBOUE himself. the only difference between them is that he packs a shot that would have made the roberto carlos of the 90s proud!
i say TAIWO FOR ARSENAL !!!
if we have eboue on the right and taiwo on the left, we will be f-cking UNSTOPPABLE….and if u had Toure running from deep, u are talking TOTAL FOOTBALL…
what about clichy? well, they can rotate! and besides clichy can also play left midfield.
November 16th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
We were talking about him a few months back. I saw him in the AFCON earlier in the year and he’s got a shot and is a descent defender but I’ve been watching him a bit this season and his passing is fairly poor. I don’t know that he’s definitely better than Clichy.
November 16th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
You’ve got to be kidding me. van Persie’s spot should be played by van Persie. There’s no free spot. RvP is just too damn talented to not play. Only a fool would have him on the roster and not play him. He’s arguably the most naturally talented player on the team, to include Henry.
You guys were bashing Reyes last year while he was doing a bang-up job for the team and was ESSENTIAL to us making the CL final last year. (Before you even begin to argue with that point watch our CL games again FIRST and THEN tell me that I’m wrong. I know because I watch those games often, but some of us have a bad memory.) He came in and put the great Pires on the bench for crying out loud and you still weren’t happy. Before Reyes, it was Pires isn’t as good as Overmars was. Now, it’s van Persie. Give me a break.
Give the guy until the spring and if he’s not ripping teams apart by then, we can look for a replacement for next year. We’re talking about a guy who’s won several games for us this season and is second on the team in scoring, and you’re talking about benching him. WTF!
When I see van Persie, I see someone who can be the new Rivaldo in a couple years. Just give the kid some time to settle at this position. Bobby needed time. The only person we have that might do a better job there is Henry, but he’s got much more experience playing that position. Be patient guys, time will tell. Time always tells.
November 16th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Yep his passing isnt that great….but Eboue?s passing is just as bad!
The main thing i like about him is that he has EXPLOSIVE and insane pace….he?s a terrific athlete.
So basically you can say he has all the benefits of eboue and also all the disadvantages. Ofcourse he is not a perfect player, and eboue wasnt when he came….but he can always learn under wenger.
Advantages: explosive pase, great shot, dynamic, decent cross, very good man-marker
Disadvantages: not really a great passer of the ball (just like eboue).
So basically the main question is: do you want a left sided version of eboue???
I say a big YES.
November 16th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
i?ve never been that a big RvP fan, but i?m also beginning to feel that RvP is far more useful than people give him credit for.
i agree with u, i think RvP is less in the mold of bergkamp and more in the mold of rivaldo (but then again even rivaldo was never loved by barca or brazil fans) so there might be some parrallels here.
one thing is for sure he is very talented. even henry said he has the most natural talent in the squad (but then again maybe he was being diplomatic). one thing is for sure i am fully in favor of giving him a good crack this year. he has won us valuable points already….he might still explode later.
he and clichy are basically the only natural left footers in the entire team.
November 16th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
I say we move for Darren Bent when Charlton goes down. Yes, they are going down. Their CB’s are absolutely horrible, esp. El Kakourhi or whatever.
It’s no mystery that Wenger is a fan of Bent. Arsene called Curbishley the day he signed Bent and congratulated him on signing an excellent player and said he was surprised that it took so long for someone to sign him. That’s documented.
We need an out and out striker with pace who’s clinical in front of goal. Bent fits that mold. He just signed an extension a few months back so he might cost a little bit but he’d be worth the money, whatever the money. His movement off the ball is geared for our style of play. He’s a bit like Anelka and would bag another twenty-five league goals a year for Arsenal, easy. He would definitely improve the team.
And the icing on the cake; he’s English!
November 17th, 2006 at 12:06 am
I like Bent a lot. If we sign him, we’ll have to get rid of Ade.
November 17th, 2006 at 12:11 am
Lehmann, Ljunberg and Baptista are back!!!
Gilberto will most likely miss out due to family reasons. Rosicky is still injured.
Who do you think will be the central midfield trio?
Flamini + Cesc + Ljunberg is my guess.
November 17th, 2006 at 12:20 am
I appreciate the debate over formation and players. However, I think it is a bit irrelevant. Generally we line up in a 4-4-2 or something equivalent when we are at full strength. I think Wenger tinkered a bit with formations last year, especially during Champions League. I think this was a transitional stage in the first full post Viera year. This year, we are really building a solid team for years to come. The first choice back four played together for the first time last weekend and looked great against a solid team. There is some solid defensive depth as well. Hleb and Rosicky are beginning to come into their own. They will only be supplemented by players like Ljungberg (when healthy) or perhaps a transfer like Ribery. Fabregas will rightly be the offensive creator for years to come. Gilberto is a rock in the center of the park. If Diaby can return to form after his injury he will be the heir apparent in this spot. Also, Muamba seems to have a bright future (a link to some comments about Muamba attached below) Henry has another 3 after this contract. The question remains who will be his best foil. I thin Henry has played best with players who are not solely goal scorers. Kanu was great at holding up the play and allowing people to play off of him. Bergkamp scored some great goals but he created a lot of great ones as well. It is a lot to ask for someone to be the next Kanu of Bergkamp. But it is important to remember that ADE and RVP are young and still developing. We have yet to see Baptista, but it is obvious that he has the skills and physical tools to do well in the Prem. There are also players like Aliadiere and Bendtner who are capable of things. I think things look good at Ashburton Grove for the next few years and I didn’t even mention the players like Walcott, Flamini, Denilson, Senderos, etc. I can’t help but be excited. In the meantime, stick with the 4-4-2 as each players address and continue to let them sort out where they are best suited.
http://www.eatsleepsport.com/news_details.aspx?story_id=1&l_id=1&c=England&t_id=1&lg=Premiership
New to Arsenal America. Love the chatter. Where is the best Boston bar to catch up with other fans?
November 17th, 2006 at 12:32 am
Looks like no Gilberto for this weekend.
Gilberto has been ragged on a bit, on this space. I disagree with most of it. He does his job very well. He snuffs out a lot of counter attacks. And he allows Fabregas to have creative liscense in the midfield. I think he has given a few balls away in the last few games. But he provides a good outlet when players are under pressure and I think he will tighten it up as the season goes along. I think Diaby was his natural understudy. Not sure if he will ever recover from the brutal injury. (I hope so) Hopefully we cope in his absence. It would be very interesting if Denilson takes his spot.
November 17th, 2006 at 11:38 am
Gilberto is easily the most underrated player on the team. His defensive midfield skills are not noticeable, but they are fantastic.
As far as the lineup, the starting XI should be:
Eboue, Toure, Gallas, Clichy
Ljunberg, Fabregas, Hleb
Rosicky
van Persie, Henry
Gilberto is interchangeable, and perhaps preferred to Ljunberg.
With Rosicky feeding in that CAM role, he can both get passes to the strikers and take some shots of his own.
About RVP, he's a fantastic striker, and it woul dbe a horrific mistake to fail to utilize his skill.
November 17th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
RvP is suspended for the newcastle game.
and there is absolutely no way fabregas and rosicky can start together in the middle. they are both small, attacking midfielders. one of the starting midfielders will have to be flamini, denilson or song.
November 17th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
Is Rosicky even available or is he still injured? I thought he was out for another week. It will be very interesting to see how we get on without Gilberrto and his experience. We could bring in Djourou and put Kolo in Gilberto’s position like Danny T was talking about last week.
November 17th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
I am just worried about who Wenger is going to bench. Alex Hleb played a game for Belarus in midweek and we all know Wenger is touchy about his fatigue levels what with him being taken off in nearly every game.
Agree RVP should start the games. He’s looks like a square peg in a round hole yet he is still assisting left right and centre. He starts every time for me.
I think Fabregas could possibly hold the fort without Gilberto. Let’s face it, Newcastle are crap. You know if the game is level we’re gonna be playing 1-2-7 in the last 15 minutes anyway so why not just go all out attack from the start? At least we won’t have that feeling of frustration at the end thinking we should have lynched them earlier. Fabregas and Rosicky for me with Baptista in a withdrawn role and we destroy Newcastle.
November 17th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
em, i even forgot, rosicky is still OUT.
and lets be realistic, flamini WILL start.
newcastle is weak, maybe walcott will get a start on the left with hleb on the right.
November 17th, 2006 at 6:13 pm
If we draw again tomorrow there is something seriously wrong with this tem against also-rans. What’s worrying is that we actually don’t play well in these games in the sense of creating clear-cut chances. I’m just looking for fluidity tomorrow.
Think we will regret starting Flamini. We will take him off when we need a goal and wonder why he started in the first place. He wouldn’t even get in the newcastle team.
November 17th, 2006 at 7:19 pm
Joshuad… a lot of players have a great deal of talent… and potential. It means f*** all. You have to produce… regularly.
Henry is more talented than Henry… you might want to rethink that one, its laughable. RVP is maddeningly inconsistent. He does not play well with others, and that is not the Arsenal way. Arsenal are all about passing and setting up each other… to a fault.
I like RVP… he provides an option we need. But the fact is, he’s better off the bench. He plays better when he comes on, than he does when he starts.
Reyes?
I am so happy we sent him packing. He was another player with all the hype & potential that NEVER produced any where close to what we needed from him.
Don’t insult Pires. Reyes didn’t put him on the bench. Pires had more goals than Reyes EVERY SINGLE YEAR Reyes was here.
I hope RVP lives up to his potential, but I won’t hold my breathe waiting. He needs to be less selfish and much much more consistent. Having said that… I prefer him to Adebayor.
November 17th, 2006 at 7:22 pm
Josh man… gotta calm down a bit.
I like Darren Bent too, but he would NEVER score 25 goals easy for us. Not a chance in hell. I’d prefer Andy Johnson to him, frankly… but we missed the boat on AJ.
I don’t see Wenger moving for another striker. If I had my choice in the EPL for something “reasonable”… I’d like to see Anelka come back and line-up next to Henry. But I know its not going to happen. Neither is Darren Bent.
November 17th, 2006 at 7:24 pm
Boston / Cambridge… PHOENIX LANDING in Central Square.
November 17th, 2006 at 7:26 pm
Gilberto is VASTLY under-rated. Its only in his absence, that we start to see exactly what he contributes to the team… in shielding the back 4… and his outstanding positioning in defensive midfield.
November 17th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
Thanks. I’ll be there. Sounds like it won’t be on at 10:00. Just have to wait until 3 then.
November 17th, 2006 at 8:43 pm
Couldn’t agree more. And he seems like the one guy on the team we do not have natural cover for. This weekend will be very telling. Otherwise, AW will have to think about looking for some cover in the January transfer window. I don’t think Flamini can do it full time. Diaby is going to take a while to get back to full strength. Denilson is very young. I have always been a fan of Steven Appiah. He is a bit more of an end to end midfielder in the mold of Viera. He is not a holding player like Gilberto or Makele. But I am sure he is itching to get out Fenerbache and into the prem. He is as good as, if not better, than Essien. And we wouldn’t break the bank to get him. In other words; a classic Wenger buy.