Sandros Twitter "I am! Got to represent my country but I'll be back-don't worry!" In response to someone asking him if he's going to travel with Brazil.
It's basically irrelevant discussing what team we think will play in these times with Mr Stubborn at the helm. We know he'll put Friedel in goal We know he'll go with 1 up front We know Gallas will play The team will be Friedel, Walker, Gallas, Caulker, Verts, Huddlestone, Sandro, Lennon, Dempsey, Bale, Defoe I don't think AVB will start Ade against Arsenal to be honest - he played with a lot of passion on Sunday but didn't really do a whole lot. It's incredibly frustrating at the moment with the lack of flexibility in the selections.
the lack of flexibility might have something to do with the lack of player's because we are missing half a team through injury,3 player's in your team are doubful for the game,if the papers are right,Walker,lennon,and Defoe
That would have me gnashing my teeth. So there's something to be said for these ridiculous friendlies after all. Panama, eh? Well, at least it's a big, meaningful game for Spain. Not like you'll miss your best player due to them playing against the Little Sisters of the Poor. Thing is, if Dembele and Parker were healthy, missing Sandro would be unfortunate, but not that big a deal (meaning you'd miss Cazorla more). If Dembele could play and Parker couldn't, missing Sandro would be a serious problem, but maybe not that bad (meaning it would be about like you missing Cazorla). With Dembele and Parker out, missing Sandro means we've got no quality at all at DM/playmaker (meaning it's probably even worse for us than missing Cazorla is for you). Our best hope is to play Ade and Defoe and hope to outscore you... if AVB plays them both, which he probably won't.
There's been too little mention of how bad the injuries are. Four out of four (okay, maybe four out of five) of our best midfielders/playmakers says it all. Looked at another way, it would be kinda weird for a team missing half its best players to do anything but struggle. People might save their AVB daggers for when the team is back to some semblance of health. Though of course I'll be muttering and swearing myself if I don't see Ade and Defoe for any reason other than injury.
Some Arsenal injury news . . . http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...-Wojciech-Szczesny-fit-to-face-Tottenham.html
What do Woolwich,Highbury and Emirates have in common? The best answer will get the Wenger water bottle award.
I am not keen on blaming injuries for poor form/results. All teams have injury problems. I could argue that Man United have had 3 CB's injured all season and have had to play Carrick there at times, yet are currently top of the table. Most people say we miss Dembele the most and yes we do, but as a new player to the club and someone who has only started 4 league games for us, there has to be a ceiling on how much we have really missed him.
If you add a few letters and take a few away they all spell; My old man said be an arsenal fan and I said ......
Except OS we do not have another player like him in the squad, he is providing what we had with Modric & VDV.
That's true Spurf, I am just a wee bit anxious we don't expect too much from Dembele when he returns. I do get an impression he has been elevated to a superior level in his absence in some peoples' eyes.
I hate to infer that any side is a one man team, and I'm not here, or with my comment in the Bill Nich, but he is the only player that resembles a playmaker, so to me it is hard to argue that we don't miss him considering results since. I say this with caution and trying not to give the impression SC points out.
I think we are stuck with expecting too much from him as apart from young Tom Carrol we have been left by the management without options. Keeping VDV for one more season would in hindsight have been the best option IMO.
I doubt that VDV would have been sold if AVB had realised that he wasn't getting Moutinho. At least, I hope we wouldn't have been that stupid!..
