I think the outcome of City’s game against L’pool is going to galvanize us further: win or lose. Win and we have to win! Lose and we want the points gap to widen (City looks to be winning this one comfortably). Obviously, Xhaka is always a concern particularly against mobile opposition. I’d start Partey on the bench, as without him at Anfield is not worth contemplating. I imagine Arteta will go with a 433, but I’d prefer a 352 to keep winning the lost ball retention in the middle of the park. I think the 352 suits our available players better ands shores up our midfield.
Leeds have their 3 top players out, so moving the ball with one and two touch football to the final third is essential. Leeds like to play frantic or chaotic football when they get the time and room. Flooding the midfield makes that type of pacey football very difficult for Leeds to navigate.
Our lads will be up for it as the countdown to the Wolves’ game commences again today. Beat Leeds today and we’ll be 8 points clear again today. We need to be at our best at defending in their final third and if we can’t rob the ball there, then upset the Leeds balance enough to be dispossessed in mid field.
Partey looks fit and injury free with him not playing in Ghana’s last game. However, I’d still play him from the bench if need be. Obviously, Tomi, Elneny and Eddie are short with Tomi out for the season. I’d like to see some invention from Arteta for the Leeds game:
Ramsdale
Holding Gabs KT
White Kiwior Jorginho Trossard Zinchenko
Saka & Martinelli
Apart from KT, all our players are playing their preferred positions with Kiwior dropping to 6. KT is the fastest defender in the league, so should keep the high line in tact. Kiwior is no slouch either and can keep Jorginho covered.
I don’t see a Leeds Midfield being more pacey or as technical as the five we would be putting out whether attacking or defensively. Gabs is a powerhouse at the back in the air and Holdinho generally is good aerially and defending if pace isn’t used against him. Kiwior will be a good sweeper in front of the back three. Jorginho can do what he does best and be the midfield general using his experience over his lack of pace with a minder looking after him.
This is what I think we’ll see:
Ramsdale
White Holding Gabs Zinchenko
Ode Jorginho Xhaka
Saka Jesus Martinelli
Xhaka walk about free role the opposition doesn’t care about. Zinchenko inverting and Jorginho getting caught out being speed challenged with Xhaka. Arteta’s main hope is our front three finding the net several times. Leeds are likely to win the MF battles more with this tactical set up giving our defense too much work to do and I’d see a silly goal against at some stage.
Saliba is the biggest concern. It’s too risky to play him against Leeds, but should be saved for the City, BHA and Pool games. Partey is probably ok for today, but again Arteta should manage Partey’s involvements in all the remaining games to keep him as fit as possible by reducing Partey’s minutes per game.
I’ll predict 3:0 if we play 353 or 3:2 if we play our rigid system with keep players missing.
See you at the game.
Kroenke
Yeah I’m living in hope rather than expectation with Southampton.
Has a manager ever been sacked twice in one season?
I’m asking because if the answer’s no I’m sticking a tenner on Fat Frank being the first!
Walcott and ANM are Arsenal connections for Southampton.
ANM seems to be finally handled properly. Using his strength and positioning to effectively neutralize City players, particularly Grealish. Bit of an overgrown child who needs lot of explaining of pros and cons so he gets into his head to do his work. Definitely not our pompous Don Quixote de Chequebook
ANM is at fault for that goal. Should have charged at de Bruyne knowing that City have a monster size of Halland who will get at the end of the cross
But again Southampton missed a couple for not being able to connect to crosses or tap them in
Marc
At least he’s started where he left off… The decision making at that club is extraordinarily bad. It reminds me of that play, ‘the Producers’ where they’re deliberately trying to fuck things up.
Hoopah
Hiya mate. How’s it going in your neck of the woods? Any thoughts about tomorrow’s game?
Hi Kroenkephobe
Things getting hot over here, unfortunately the thing is about the weather
(Guess words start flowing when in the presence or addressing the great Raconteur par excellence)
But am close to the sea, so there are always cool breezes.
Going by precedent, we should win that one. The boys are all young and gungho and get unexpected results in their stride
City can score at will, must say
1-4
Morning all
Today is the day we really lay our title credentials out for all to see and fear by us winning this afternoon.
This is the game Arteta can win over even the toughest of His disbelievers of which I am one, not to be different or obnoxious, but because I feel Arteta has got his squad management wrong yet again, as he did last season and is winging it once more this season on hope and a prayer with our paper thing squad.
A win today will go a long way to Arteta proving his doubters wrong, as it’s a game we simply have to win and win emphatically to continue making out title statement to City, and for them to really take notice where a solid win in L’pool’s coveted back yard screams our intent that will dent City’s confidence and belief that we are not going to concede our points hold on the title.
At the point of being boring I still feel a 3-5-2 is both our safest and quickest ball moving line up and will nullify Diaz if he plays and shackle Fabinho who has been poor recently due to his lack of speed in the middle. I thinking Saliba is going to start and Arteta’s brinkmanship has been silly. I hope if Saliba is deemed fit, that he really is fully fit and not carrying a knock that hinders his performance.
Ramsdale
Saliba Gabs Zinchenko
Saka White Ode Partey Martinelli
Jesus Trossard
I believe this formation is best suited to attack L’pool’s weakest points in Trent Arnold and Robertson on out wide, which also is a main feature of Klopp’s attack with the overlapping full backs delivering killer balls into our box. Keep them occupied and we take at least 50% of Klopp’s attack away.
A five man very mobile midfield should be too much for the aging Fabinho, Henderson and young Elliott. We will need to cut the supply from those three midfielders to Salah, the improving very mobile, Gakpo, and Nunez who hasn’t really impressed with consistency. One thing the front three for L’pool has is pace in abundance including their full backs. If Arteta is planning a high line, it’s going to be risky without KT the league’s fastest defender, then my team needs adjusting at LCB.
The key to winning will be our one, two touch tempo with our press and movement off the ball, as much as it will be with our movement on the ball. Needless back passes and sideways will only spur L’Pool on more, as they recognise our negative play for what is is: us being negative and showing fear, which teams like The Bin Dippers feed off our weaknesses in our decision making that eventually spreads throughout the team.
For this reason Xhaka can’t play; he isn’t suited to this game nor the city name either. Bench? Sure, but nowhere near the pitch!
Liverpool are licking their wounds where putting a serious dent in our title aspirations would validate their CL expectations. Fenwick has been slow in supporting Klopp to the level required to maintain a title charge against City each season. Klopp is not happy and needs to make something happen to secure confidence from his squad ands owners because the manager merry-go-round is in full swirl at the moment.
I’ve no idea what Arteta is going to do outside of his usual line up that I strongly feel would include Saliba but make us weaker against L’pool.
What I do know is we can beat Liverpool at Anfield just as we did in 89 by 2 goals when no one gave us a chance. We won’t win the Title their this evening, but beating the Bin Dippers will bring back sublime happy memories and will actually feel like winning the Title, because beating L’pool and getting the 3 points affirms our grip on the trophy, as being legitimate.
2:3 in a pulsating game to us is my prediction.
Tony & KP-I’m quite interested to know what exactly was being spewed on LG by the “Looney Tunes” Chester and Spike brigade regarding those of us who post on LIG…unless I activate my VPN I can’t even enter the LG realm as Not So Positive Pete has blocked me for the better part of a year now…I guess the silver lining of that particular scenario, above and beyond the obvious, is the solace that comes from knowing that my very presence rattled the little man in charge to such an extent that he felt it pertinent to go the extra mile…feel free to enlighten me at your earliest convenience
the message from today’s fixtures was crystal clear, if you want to play in Europe’s top division you need to take care of your business when it matters most…City, United, Newcastle and even the 5th place Spurs, all secured 3 points, although I did feel that BHA deserved at least a point considering how Mitoma was on the losing end of 2 iffy decisions…on a side note, De Zerbi might want to cool it with the sideline antics, especially when he’s facing a combatant that’s not even willing to engage…how Stellini earned himself a red I might never understand, unless something happened that I wasn’t privy to…I must likewise give a shout out to our old pal Emery, who has quietly positioned Villa squarely in the mix for a Europa invite and we all know how much he loves the Thursday evening grind
In a way I somewhat empathize with MA’s current plight, considering the pressure he must be under as every pundit and their brother has gone out of their way to prop-up, rightly or wrongly, the importance of this particular match towards our title hopes…I very much doubt a lot of sleeping is in the cards for him this evening and, in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few gray hairs suddenly appeared overnight, so he better have his black lacquer touch-up kit at the ready
we certainly haven’t enjoyed a lot of success at Anfield in more recent times; in fact, we haven’t won a League fixture there since the start of the 2012-13 season, although we did win in 2020 on penalties in a 4th round Carabao Cup tie…in many ways, it’s these very sobering facts which actually make this such a measuring stick affair, in that if MA truly wants to orchestrate a cultural revolution of sorts, he simply must start to chip away at this and other lopsided narratives…fact remains when I watch City I still see a team that looks the part on most nights, but until we exorcise some of our past demons we will continue to wear the pretender moniker…so here’s hoping that MA has both his selections and tactics on point as we’re facing a team who, albeit unconvincing at times, soundly thrashed an in-form United a little more than a month ago
in the end, my heart says tie, whereas my head is a little less optimistic…I’m just praying that our piss-poor record at Anfield is negatively affecting my ability to remain objective and by this time tomorrow we’ll be waxing lyrical about how we ripped them a new one…Cheers
TRVL – as always eloquently put sprinkled with moments of smile bringing meanings.
The scurrilous slurs from from Pedro’s monikers led by NT were that we were the dregs of LG and LG is a far better place now we’ve been banished. He further went on to say he never reads LIR or would; however, a week ago he mentioned that he liked the post writer, which of course is yours truly, you and Ambarish keeping the main posts interesting.
Bob N16 being Bob true to form decided we can’t possibly be enjoying the ride of being top and snipes at anyone who isn’t feeling it or shows the smidgens of Arteta dissent! This is a guy who life is built around and dictated by The Arsenal with family coming 2nd, which I won’t illuminate further, but will if Bob decides any further digs at me or those on LIR is worthwhile. I assure you, Bob, it won’t.
Oh the irony of such pathetic cretins who feel the need to decide who are true Arsenal fans starting with “I’ve been on the stands in rain, sleet and snow home and away AFC Forever” – a real trouper. Guess working in a charity shop has its perks for time off 8 months of the year. His cave must be spartan, but being such a super, super fan comes at at price. Thank you for your service AFC Forever. Maybe you’ll get some form of award to put next to your Blue Peter Badge that Nigel always wished he had.
Basically, TRVL, you have to come down to their level for them to understand. Your literary prowess would have flown way above their heads. They would know you’ve insulted them, but just not how. Dictionary’s are too wordy for them. You just have to look how Pedro treats his posters and the level he writes at dictates the level of reader. I haven’t read a post written by him for 3 years, have you? It’s Roy of the Rovers at best or just simply school playground ruminations.
That said there are still good posters at LG who write about the football intelligently. which is why I skim through LG’s posts from posters who want to post and not fight or dictate.
For those posters, you will enrich LIR if you drop in to post and are very welcome.
TRVL- I echo many of your sentiments and concerns, but with life being cylindrical as in 2016 and 2023 PL, it’s the right time to put the Bin Dippers to the sword and today’s the day,
I know I’m putting myself in the ‘Poster’s Curse’ sights but at least it’s a worth game for it.