Since leaving Spurs, he's faced successive relegations with Cardiff and QPR. He was on loan with Southampton for a bit last season, but they didn't seem particularly impressed with him and decided against buying him permanently. I can understand why, though. He's not looked very good whenever I saw him play for QPR or Cardiff. To begin with, it seemed bizarre Spurs let him go because he did seem to have potential. But in hindsight, it was the right decision, based on his subsequent performances. It would be a strange transfer if he goes to Liverpool, as there's been very little evidence to suggest he's good enough to play at that level, but I guess it would add depth in a position they are currently short in. Question marks remain over his quality, though!
That's what got me. I also had the impression he was quite handy but he's hardly had people banging at the door to sign him. Watch the pr*ck have an amazing game against us now. Supposedly he's available for it.
In thought he was at Villa? It's a good signing (and done very quickly) by Pool, I also heard that they reckon Sakho would be back.
I can't see Caulker slotting in seamlessly into the Pool back four. The communication between CB's takes time to nuture. I think it's an area that we should try and exploit.
True, I don't think by any means that itll be seemless, but i just think that options for a short term loan we're limited and they've done quite well to reinforce their squad to support their remaining cbs with an england capped centre back with prem experience in time for the arsenal game. Much better to have caulker as plan b than lucas
Games between us are erratic, it'll come down to who wants it more. Yes we have injury problems but that's no excuse we are the home team and will attack you. I'd look to soak up the early pressure other than coming at us.
If the plan isn't to soak up your pressure for 20 minutes until you have another 8 injuries then I seriously doubt whether we have a scouting team.
Given your frailties at the back, unless you've had some CBs return from injury, we should be looking to attack you, not sit back and soak up the pressure, I don't see this as a game like against City were we need to sit back and hit you on the counter, we need to try and dominate you and put your CBs under pressure. If we cause a couple of early moments of fear from your back line I could see your players worrying about being exposed and sitting back far more than normal. It might be worth holding on to the ball for a while as you will attempt the high press, but if we can get the early goal I think we have enough about us to see out the game.
Any frailties we have can be countered by us pressing you high which is what we will certainly do, soaking up that pressure may mean we take our foot off the pedal at some point if we don't get a goal and that's where you can hurt us. I'm not too bothered about you scoring early I'm more worried that if we don't you'll get one eventually.
Looking at the match news and it looks like several Liverpool players are back from injury, might not be quite as shoddy a team as I was expecting. Sakho, Henderson, Milner and Ibe look to be back in the team and they've brought in Caulker, so they've got a lot more depth to the team than it first appeared.
They will high press us but have CBs who aren't regulars and thus won't be up for a physical battle. We struggle passing through a high press if it's done right, so I say abandon that plan. Lump it long to Giroud, he'll give it to Ozil, and he can feed Theo and Campbell on the wings to score. Should be easy. Giroud will murder Lucas and whoever else it is at the back
These are the kind of games that Arsenal are expected to steam roll through but always end up struggling in. I'm expecting a close game.
Yeah, I've gone for a win in the prediction league based on pure optimism, but I think it'll be a draw. In any case, it won't be an easy game for us.
Hope our guys are up for this one,our last few performance's have been sluggish and we got dominated in the midfield in the Newcastle match until we scored.
Cech Bellerin Monreal Merts Kos Flamini Ramsey Campbell Ozil Walcott Giroud Subs Macey Gibbs Chambers Gabriel Arteta Oxo Iwobi No Ospina then
