-----------Pantilimon------------- -------Coates-Oshea-Kaboul------- Yedlen-------------------------PVA --------Catts-Mvila-Gomez-------- ---------Fletcher--Lens------------
-----------Pantilimon------------- -------Coates-Oshea-Kaboul------- Yedlen-------------------------PVA ---------Catts---------Mvila--------- ------------------AJ------------------- ---------Fletcher--Borini------------
-----------Pantilimon------------- -------Coates-Oshea-Kaboul------- Yedlen-------------------------PVA --------Catts-Mvila-Lens-------- ---------Fletcher--Watmore----- I would not want to start Watmore all the time but the lad in on a high and playing with confidence, give him a start and see what he can do, Football is a confidence game.
Someone made the point about Watmore tiring himself out before the end of the game, and needs to play a bit smarter. Until he does so, he should remain an impact player for the last half hour.
Watmore has great potential, but at the moment his main assets are youthful enthusiasm and pace. Against Arsenal his pace is less of an asset because they have similar pace thoughout their team. They are less likely to cope with crosses coming in towards an aerial presence (Fletcher) and then having to scrap for the knock downs. Fletcher and Borini up front for me with Catts, M'vila plus AJ (to supply the crosses) in midfield.
@Smiffy says pace won't be a real asset against Arsenal. Can't disagree with that. I agree about flipping it over every few games though. And if AJ does go down in the new year, he should have learned to pace himself for 90 minutes by then.
If we bring him on with 20/30 mins to go he could change the flow of the game - providing we're still in the game. He'll give them something extra to think about, just as he did against Palace. A great problem to have IMO.
Im still more inclined to start him and bring aj on. Reason. 60 mins of watmore they will be more tired thsn aftet 60 mins of aj. Both are capable of doing something against tired legs. Just watmore will tire them out more.
Borini's runs should help us here, as he's quick and intelligent and he works hard (if not always smart). I'm in the Dunc for the second half camp here, keeping Fletch as the main target.
Not sure why there is this feeling of breaking Watmore in the 1st team gradually. The lad is 21, if he is good enough then he gets picked, simple. He is bang in form right now, so I don't see Arsenal being troubled too much with him on the bench. I would ask, who out of our crop of forwards is better than Watmore at the moment. He plays for me, all day long.
Will we get the best impact out of him by starting him though? For the team I'd keep him on the bench, there's a huge difference between running at fresh quality defenders than there is running at tired quality defenders. When he comes on makes us incredibly dangerous among tiring opponents. He's helping us to pick up points coming off the bench. I see no reason to change it while he gets used to the the league. This is a tough run of fixtures
Why hasn't anypne else than if it's that simple? Well given Duncan can play Left Right and Center Wenger had better hope he has a defender who's versitile
From what Wenger's been saying it sounds like Koscielny might be fit for the bench but not starting. If that's the case, given that he is far and away their best defender, I would start Watmore and let him run at Mertesacker and Gabriel for 60 mins.
