No Tiote for Stoke...

With Tiote suspended I'd like us to keep with just Remy up top and others supporting/running off of him.

With Shola up front we go a bit too direct which can work against some teams but not Stoke. I imagine Shawcross and Huth would love nothing more than us going long to Shola.

I'd like Ben Arfa to start centrally in the number 10 position that Cabaye's been playing. I'd then drop Cabaye slightly deeper. I think we'd be able to pull Stoke out of position more often with that set up.

Thought on how we should line up???

 

debuchy, willo, colo, santon
sissoko, cabaye, anita, gouffran
shola, remy

 

Pity we haven't got Tiote for this one, but that line up should be good enough to get us the points.

Just one more post and your rep should be showing.

Here's some to get you under way.

 

thanks agent bruce!
also, much respect to OP, however im baulking at the thought of cabaye dropping deep on boxing day at home... he needs to be forward creating chances! also, and if anyone's going to win areal challenges against stoke up top its going to be shola! would love to see ben arfa play but i think bench warming a bit more will fire him up for arsenal at home saturday. lets see becuase if sissoko picks up a yellow against stoke, he'll be out for arsenal and i can see ben arfa relishing the chance to slot in there, somewhere.

 

Rep Power 274499

There you go, you're on your way.

 

Krul
debuchy, willo, colo, santon
sissoko, cabaye, anita,
benny, remy, gouffran​

 

This would be amusing, i think hba would rip pieters apart. I do feel like pardew will try to find away for ben arfa to get into the team. Everyone knows hes more talented than shola...

 

Krul
Debuchy Mike Colo Santoon
Anita
Sissoko Cabaye Gouf
Ben Arfa
Remy
Just kill them with movement and passing, they won't know what hit them.

 

Wow, fancy seeing you back after all this time. If anybody deserves rep, you do.

Here you go.

 

Really?

 

"Oh Shola, woaahhh, oh Shola, whoaaahhh, he's going to Brazil because he's f*****g brill!"

 

I think the tactics are to bring HBA on against tiring legs.

It certainly worked at Palace.

 

Best song at Palace by a mile!

 

Ben Arfa in for me. I think the worst thing you can do against Stoke is expect to play direct football with success. We need the ball on the ground and Benny did more than enough in his cameo to get back in the side. I'd have him completely floating off Remy with the expectation that he's going to support the midfield.

 

Shola in for me. 45mins-60mins of giving their centre backs hell, then HBA comes on and takes all the plaudits. I could see Remy getting lost up there on his own. Shola can make space for him.

Have to say though I was impressed with HBA when he came on. Looked a little lighter, seemed a bit more up for it. He worked back in a couple of times aswell instead of just watching.

I think we can win either way.