Jan 12
I fully understand AW’s policy of playing the kids in the Carling Cup to help them gain experience of playing in big matches, and I expect him to keep faith with the same squad that defeated Liverpool 6-3 this week for the two games against Tottenham in the semis.
But here’s the dilemma…..should we advance to the Final, if you were Wenger would you still select the same team for Cardiff or with the prospect of winning some silverware (with a passport to Europe attached as well) would you start Messrs Henry and co to make sure we end up with something in the cabinet this season?
11 Responses to “Poser for Wenger”
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January 12th, 2007 at 11:08 am
Either play the kids the whole way or do not play them at all…I would not play the kids in the Semi Finals and then not in the Finals should we go on. I also disagree with what he did last year (Played the kids in the 1st leg and the First Team in the 2nd leg).
January 12th, 2007 at 11:14 am
If you have a chance to WIN the Cup… you try and win it.
Perhaps we play a few more veterans / stars… in the Final if we get there… and we could do the same against Tottenham.
Its about winning trophies at the end of the day.
Its great experience for the kids to play in the Cup… and we should play them as much as possible, but if we can win the trophy, we go for it with our best.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Play the kids right till the end I say. I don’t care about winning this poxy cup, although I do like to see the kids play in the competition - for that reason alone its existence is worthwhile. But the trophy itself has become valueless.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Well, this cup is just an extra decoration.
First couple of games, we AW let no names to play, and he kept adding a bit more expereinced players.
For the game vs. Spurs, play the kids ..with some help from an older player. Like Toure against Liverpool. Rotate the players and dont risk them.
Let the kids feel the trophie. Play Ali … Play Babtista ..Almunia … Houyte, Denislon, Theo, … these guys a bit more ready than players we used in the first game vs. Everton or whoever. Use Henry and the guys if you are short of players.
I know it is Spurs, and we just hate to lose against them. But the team that started the tournament to finish it with some help from the starters.
January 12th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Silverware is silverware so we must give ourselves a strong chance of winning, so I would suggest a mix of youth and first teamers.
But after Liverpool Baptista and Aliadiere have at the very least earned the right to start against Srurs.
For Spurs I would play:
Almunia
Traore-Senderos-Djourou-Hoyte
Rosicky-Flamini-Fabregas-Walcott
Baptista-Aliadiere
For the final, I would go:
Almunia
Clichy-Senderos-Toure-Hoyte
Rosicky-Silva-Fabregas-Walcott
Baptista-Aliadiere
January 12th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
I’d continue with the mix of youth (2/3) and veterans (1/3) that have got them to this point. There is no point in changing that mix because it provides a great incentive to young players coming through. It’s the Arsenal way and we should be firm in our committment to our young players. It also shames the other teams who will play their strongest teams if we well.
January 12th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I’d play exactly the same team again against Spurs in both legs. It would be hilarious if we knocked them out - it’s a no lose situation.
January 12th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I rememeber a situation in 1980 where we had to play four games in one week which consisted of playing W.B.A at home on Easter Saturday, then Tottenham away on Easter Monday, then Juventus at home in the Cup Winners Cup semi-final 1st leg two days later, and then ending the week by playing Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough.
To lighten the load, the then Arsenal manager Terry Neill decided to field a mixture of youths, and reserves along with Chippy Brady, Alan Sunderland, Pat Jennings and John Hollins against Spurs.
The F.A warned us that if we lost this game we would have points deducted for fielding a weakened team.
We won the match 2-1 with goals from Paul Vaessen and Alan Sunderland as well as unearthing a jewel of a player who later became a Highbury legend…..Paul Davis who made his first team debut for us.
January 12th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
I would play the following team
Almunia
Hoyte-Senderos-Djourou-Traore
Denilson-Diaby-Song-Walcott
Baptista-Aliadiere
They get two games. If they win, brilliant. If they lose, they learn something.
January 12th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I don’t think that the passport to Europe will carry much weight since it’s just a trip to the UEFA cup, and barring something disasterous, Arsenal would at the very least qualify for that anyway.
January 18th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
OK
I agree with this team, but who is on the bench, Fabregas, Henry & Toure or Randall, Lansibury & Connolly?