How's it going lads? Just thought I'd give you a bit of an update about where we are as a team at the moment. Since the 4-0 walloping at your ground (), we've not been playing particularly good football and our passing has been unusually sloppy - which is not something you'd normally associate with Arsenal. The only reason why we've escaped is due to the lack of quality from other team's not taking advantage of our mistakes and having a top class goalkeeper in between the sticks. However, the bigger issue has been injuries to key players so in a way, despite our indifferent form of late, I'm glad we're still within touching distance at the top of the table and that we're looking good to defend the FA Cup again. Koscielny has been quite poor of late and as someone mentioned before in the thread, a long ball over the top can split our centre-halves like the red sea. I'm not sure what's been going on with Koscielny, who is usually a rock at the back, but he needs to buck his ideas up. And fast. We have some very tough games coming up and this is not the time for him to be losing form. Whilst we're on the topic of players out of form, Walcott has not been performing well either and I hope he doesn't start this fixture because he doesn't merit one. Rosicky coming back into our squad was excellent news initially; not just for depth, but because we have missed his acceleration and incisive passing in midfield. Unfortunately, he's apparently picked up a thigh injury and may not feature again in the season which is a shame. On the plus side, Coquelin and Sanchez coming back are huge boosts because they have been sorely missed. However, if anyone watched the Burnley game, the former looked slightly rusty and a bit cumbersome on the ball. One would like to think he will be slightly sharper for this match. Mertesacker will be back in the side I would assume because Wenger seems to love him but I would prefer for him to not feature in this one, especially if your attack will have as much blistering pace as I think it might. I'd expect the team to look like: Cech, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Ramsey, Sanchez, Ozil, Campbell, Giroud Honestly, you guys haven't given us easy games in recent years and I wouldn't expect this game to be any different. That being said, if we do want to win this title, we have to win this. I've gone for a 3-2 Arsenal win, but we're so unpredictable at the moment, I wouldn't be shocked with any result. Best of luck for the rest of the season and I hope you get a place in Europe
I can see goals in this. The way to beat United was to stalemate them as they create few chances, so we had to be ready to take one of the few chances we got (as United are good defensively). Arsenal are likely to give us more chances and I expect the game to be more open. To win, we have to be at our defensive best despite playing in a more attacking manner. I can see 3-2 either way.
We've said this before on this forum, but I'll say it again, Arsenal are a very nice side for Saints to play. Saints have several styles of play and one of them gets right under the skin of Arsenal's defence. It's a mixture of long and short ball from the middle or diagonals of the pitch, upto Pelle [maybe Austin if Pelle's not fit] for holding up and laying off, or over the top for Long and Co to chase. It's designed to dominate either or both CBs and rattle one of them so much [often it's Koscielny], that he starts fouling in crucial areas and can get himself in real danger of being sent off. I know Koscielny is usually solid, but when he starts to foul and tries to get away with it that's when it becomes obvious he's wobbling. Mertesacker, although slow, becomes less of a threat to the stability of the back line in this situation, because even if he's beaten he tends to stay relatively clear headed about it. Considering that, Arsenal's best form of defence is to attack. Giroud will be lucky to get anything out of either Fonte or van Dijk, in my opinion, so the real threat is going to come from Sanchez, as per usual. If Saints can smother him then Ozil had better be in superb form. Arsenal will need to come out all guns blazing from the first whistle because I suspect Saints will adopt a defensive 5-3-2 without the ball and 3-5-2 with it, which often produces slow football and is something with which we contained and frustrated ManU without really breaking a sweat. If Saints can't get the upper hand we'll attempt to stifle the game, and if we do get the upper hand then Arsenal had better hope Koscielny keeps his cool. Arsenal's best tactic, in my opinion, is to play fast and be quick in their passing, which is something they can do very well at times. And don't try to walk the ball into the net all the time, because Saints usually restrict any attacks to outside of the penalty area. Personally, I think it will be a tight game which either side could win. I'm not over confident that Saints can win this one, but neither would I be surprised if we did. Funnily enough, I don't see a draw here either. Far too many variables.
It will depend on whether we have one of our "bad" days,where every decision goes against us, the ball bounces unfavourably, lady luck deserts us on the night or some players don't give their full 100% for whatever reason. Given a level playing field, a fair Referee and a few useful breaks we could get a result. As Mr Wenger will say after we have another certain penalty denied, "I did not see that!".
Alternatively, we will get a result because the opposition was poor and off form on the night................
Well if we don't win or indeed lose, I wonder what time TinTin will come on... My view is we may lose but play very well, in keeping with the v. Positive thread. I only ever ask we play well and to our potential, I'm usually happy with that!
Just to add to my overtly realistic post in a super happy-clappy thread. Saints to win 3-0. I can't give my usual favourite score for a game of 3-1 because I don't want to give Arsenal any crumb of comfort when we put 3 past them. There you go. In line with this thread.
Watching Ron always puts me in the right frame of mind before a game And the star question at the end, would he like to comment on John Terry not renewing his contract at the end of the season? Well, seeing as he's the manager of Saints who are playing Arsenal tomorrow I'd say in a world of infinite questions why did you come up with that one? Ask him about Chips and Mayonnaise mate, that's something he really knows something about.
Had a dream last night about this match...can't tell you about it as it is the really, really positive thread.
