We have a game against PSG on April 29 and Thomas Partey, due to his idiotic yellow against Real Madrid, will be suspended from the game. Mikel, in his last press conference, wasn’t sure about Jorginho’s availability for the PSG game. So, we don’t have a DM for the biggest game of our season, the semi-final in Champions League. However, the positive thing is that we can use today’s game and the game against Crystal Palace on 23rd to find a solution.
There’s a problem as well to this. We are sitting on 2nd position and Liverpool has a 13 points lead with 6 games to go. We won’t catch up to them, lets be real. Also, there’s a very good chance (still) that we end up outside top 5 and don’t qualify for the Champions League next season . Forest is sitting on 5th position, only 6 points behind us. We have to not only prepare for the PSG game, but we have to make sure we don’t lose games, confidence and our form while doing so. A conundrum Mikel needs to go through!
Ipswich are a tight team. They will most likely get relegated after a sensational Premier League promotion but they can make fun of you sometimes. They don’t have anything to lose and this gives them some freedom to cause chaos. We have to manage this chaos, from the midfield. I’m a big Partey fan but we have only 2 games to find a solution for PSG game, and I would rather let him sit on bench. There are a few options we can try –
Move Timber to LB, put Ben White back to RB and promote MLS to midfield. A midfield of Odegaard, Declan Rice and MLS should be able to hold the fort against Ipswich and if it clicks, we find a solution.
The second option is to keep the defence line as it is, with Kiwior + Saliba as CBs, Timber on the right and MLS on left and introduce Nwaneri in the midfield. This is the best solution according to me, we are disturbing only 1 position (Thomas Partey) and keeping the rest of the winning squad in their position.
Mikel might also bring back Merino in the midfield and put Trossard up top, this is the most likely solution but I have never been convinced with Trossard as a striker. Against PSG, with Donnaruma in their goal, he wouldn’t be so much effective.
Back to today’s game. Calafiori will not be available along with the usuals – Havertz, Tomiyasu, Gabriel M and Jesus. It’s Ipswich last chance to survive the relegation and I am pretty sure they will put up a fight. This is the third consecutive year where we are playing on a Easter Sunday, and we have drawn the last 2. It makes me nervous a bit, but we should go through.
Also, it would be exciting to see one of the Nwaneri or MLS start in the midfield, because (I know you will come after me) ultimately we would have to improve on Odegaard.
We need to win, and we can do that in first half. Lets start the usuals, score couple of goals and then introduce Nwaneri / MLS in the midfield. We can start with that line up against Crystal Palace to practice one more time.
What’s the weather there? We have been suffering with this heat and the only thing keeping me sane is football. See you during the game, I have my set up ready.
KP
Ozil was last minute purchase as he only became available in the afternoon of the last day of the window.
He was offered to AFC who had the all the contract team available except Wenger. IG read the fax from RM and tried to ring Wenger – phone not switched on. After 10minutes of trying to get hold of Wenger IG was getting angry – he was chain smoking and swearing. Eventually he took control and negotiated with RM & Ozil’s reps.
When the deal was done Wenger made contact only to be told AFC had a new player. He was gobsmacked.
That is the basic version.
Chile does sound good – it is built on copper. I met the Minister of Mining a few years ago – she explained when the copper price is high the earnings are spent on infrastructure and when it drops they stop.
Tell me one place devoid of trolls. War is not the answer, never has been. It’s not going to be a war, both countries understand that. India only destroyed 9 terrorism centres along the line of control in pakistan occupied Kashmir in retaliation to killing of 26 people. Sounds fair to me.
Sadly, Kashmiris have been the victims of all this since forever. Kashmiri Pandits killed in lakhs and thrown away from their homes, demographic changes happened, and a place named after the grandson of Lord Brahma – Rishi Kashyap has been developed as a hatred ground for India.
Ozil was class till we had Sanchez. We fell into a situation where we could only afford to keep one, and we took the risk with Ozil. Sanchez left, Ozil got his big fat checks every week and the spark in him died.
With Giroud up top, Ozil and Sanchez in the ranks, Wenger should have spent well on defense and a DM and we might not have fallen so much.
The problem I have with Odegaard is that, we are made to believe he is the Ozil, but he is not.
Omg Ambarish what justification. Good to note your views. Thanks for enduring me all these days. Bye
Madhu
I am equally disappointed with what happened with the martyrs wife. But that’s not a reason to not to do something about 22nd April.
I’m not starting into this current Kashmir dispute because I simply do not know enough (I bet you’re all thinking that doesn’t stop me normally). All I will say is that colonial Britain made a complete mess of partition in the late 40s. The same has to be said for what Britain did in the Levant and the Balfour declaration. Telling people who can live where and who has to make way is a terrible way to conduct foreign policy.
Almunia – I had half an eye on the game last night. Provided we prevail (and I don’t rate our chances) I think we’d be better off facing Inter. Despite losing to them in the group league (which in retrospect has added to the tournament I think), we’ve historically been terrible against Barca and I reckon we have an inferiority complex after so many hammerings. Let’s see what happens tonight. We’re not out of it but the lads need to be at their very best. Recent league form hardly inspires.
Mkhitaryan was a makeweight wasn’t he in the Sanchez transfer? A weird transaction where both clubs got fucked while financially the two players made millions. It was ever thus.
KP
You are not alone in knowing little about Kashmir. India is way down on Freedom of the Press , and given the good mobile communication and a ruling dispensation flush with money , there is a gargantuan IT network with party freelancers being paid @Rs2/- per post at the ” sapatos de tropa ” level , so misinformation just stares at oneself. So difficult to make an assessment normally.
KP
Religion has a lot to answer for as most of the conflicts over ages have been fought with religion being the over riding factor.
Over the last weekend we were in London visiting our daughter who now lives in South London. She needed something from IKEA so instead of visiting the closest branch we made our way to Brent Park. A stones throw from IKEA is the fabulous Neasden Temple and at the end of the Temple car park is a south Indian restaurant. We have eaten at this restaurant and visited the Temple a few times. The Hindu sect are friendly and welcoming and the atmosphere in the restaurant was great.
Meanwhile over in India Hindu Modi was seeking an eye for an eye.
Had enough of religion/politics over this side aswell,don’t envy anyone stuck in that kind of conflict (or any other). Just stay safe,life is short enough.
As for tonight I really don’t have a clue. On paper psg are significantly better but 2 things would stop me from betting the house on them. One,they are serial underachievers in this competition and the weight of expectation must lie heavily on them. Remember throwing away that 3 goal lead in the Nou Camp?
Two,Arteta’s Arsenal always seem to be at their most dangerous on the back of a poor run when most people have written them off. I can think of a few times when he has managed to navigate his way back from the brink. It would be a surprise but not unfathomable.
KP, that Sanchez/ mikhi deal was bizarre as was the contract extension for Ozil which precipitated his downing of tools. Darkest days of Wengers tragic decline.
The irony was that he was penny pinching still and within a couple of years Arteta was in place burning through money like a sailor in a whorehouse.
Will be interesting to see what the tactics are for tonight,overcoming deficits has not been his strong point. Can prove us all wrong tonight and we’d be delighted. As Red said to Andy,hope can drive a man insane. He must have been a gooner.
Latest comments from El B – Liverpool have achieved less points than AFC did in the last two seasons. Whoopee.
It took years for many to realise Wenger was a spent force including Stan and Josh. It will take a lot less for the same supporters to realise El B will never be a top manager. This season is his last chance to achieve fame – if he fails next season will be too hard for him to keep up.
Match day post is live.