It’s a sell out for the game and the first bit of good news is that MAF will do his customary walk across the pitch. As to which Fulham side will walk on to the pitch, the ponderables are as long as the old ‘green pole’. Stekelenburg is out, Richardson is out, but are Kaca and Amorebieta fit? What about Dejagah - why wasn‘t he in last week‘s team? Did Kasami do enough to merit another chance? And will Jol risk the new signings? On those two: Scotty Parker - Jol said, “he's done a lot of preseason work, but didn't play lots of minutes in the Spurs games.” Darren Bent - said, "I'm not just hungry to play football again. I'm absolutely starving. I'm ready to get going. Hopefully for the next game I'll get a piece of the action.” Starting at the back however. Mostly it’s straightforward - Stockdale will be in goal, bad thumb and all, Riether will play as will Hangeland. The problems start obviously with left back. Briggs did okay against Sunderland but, arguably, Riise is the one with experience. JAR is on record as saying, “So looking forward to getting my season started!! Where and when I don’t know, hopefully Saturday! Feeling great.” Our weak link is defensively on the left which is strange for a side with so many left footed players. Venger will be well aware of this so we can expect to see Walcott on the right flank trying to exploit it. And I’ve a sneaking suspicion therefore, that Jol will play neither Briggs nor Riise but that he’ll go for Amorebieta, if he is fit. [Incidentally, if Fernando Amorebieta does play, he will make Venezuela the 100th different overseas nation to be represented in the top flight.] Skipping forward, I’m pretty certain he will start with Bent and Berba. And that he’ll play Ruiz and Taarabt wide of them. I’ve got reservations about this because Arsenal can be more vulnerable if you attack them down the flanks. However Villa showed at the weekend that they are just as vulnerable if you hassle and harry their midfield, which is why I think we will play narrow. For the same reason I think he will play two defensive midfielders and that he’ll risk Parker (at least to start with) alongside Sidwell (who Jol seems to think can do no wrong at the moment). Boateng is an obvious option to Parker but he’s a wee bit behind the pace of the Premiership just yet and can come on later when Parker tires. Another option is to go with one central defender and play Dejagah or Kaca wide - as Bandit suggested in the ‘Signal of Intent’ thread. Personally I like the team he suggested, especially if Kasami played instead of Ruiz. But I just can’t see Jol going that way and I reckon the starting line-up will be -. ……………Stockdale…………. ..Riether…Hughes…Hangeland….Amorebieta.. ………….Boateng…..Sidwell.…. …Ruiz…………………………..Taarabt… …………….Berbatov…….. ………………..Bent….
It'll be very interesting to see what team starts. I don't we can make many assumptions (certainly on Sidwell "doing no wrong") based on a single competitive game. I think last season Ruiz would've started against Sunderland, fatigue or no but now we have options. If he is to play I suspect Tarby will make way rather than Kasami.
It's a tough call on line-up. We won against Sunderland, but it wasn't a sparkling performance. Even so, there are certain players who may feel very hard done by to be dropped after good performances last weekend, plus there are other absentees from last weekend who it makes sense to bring in. Leaving the defence for a moment, I agree that Bent will join Berba up front, leaving four midfield spots. If two of them are going to be filled by a combination of Parker, Boateng and Sidwell, that leaves only two from Taarabt, Kasami and Duff to stay in the eleven. It would be harsh to drop either of the last two after good performances that dripped hard work, and it makes little sense to drop Taarabt. What he needs at the moment is gametime to get up to speed in terms of match fitness. Also, if we've signed him for those moment of brilliance when he makes something astonishing out of nothing, he has to be on the pitch to do that. Add in Kaca, Ruiz and Dejagah and it's a sum that just doesn't add up. Amorebieta at left back is an interesting idea, but here's another one: Duff at left back. We've mentioned it in previous seasons, though I don't recall Jol ever going for it. It helps solve the midfield conundrum and he'd give us plenty of flair coming forward from that position while also providing a reliable work ethic behind Taarabt's flights of fancy. I can't make up my mind whether this would be a brilliant move or a terrible one - perhaps there's a reason why Jol has never explored this option, and perhaps Theo Walcott isn't the winger to try it against. My feeling is that Ruiz will be on the bench again, and he'll have to wait for a chance to show that he can respond to competition from Taarabt and Kasami. I suspect either Duff or Kasami will make way, although neither of them deserves it. It would be particularly tough on Kasami, who must feel this is his chance to finally break into the team. If he can't keep his place after scoring the winning goal and being man of the match by several people's accounts, he might start to think that he's never going to make it here. Balancing the needs of the team with the man-management of some of our players may be Jol's biggest task this season. As for the idea of playing three at the back, if we did that, the player who ought to miss out would be Sacha Reither. A few years ago I stumbled across a video on youtube (couldn't find it just now, but I didn't spend long looking) where Roy Hodgson talks about the strengths and weaknesses of different formations. His comments on three at the back were that the two outside men needed to be comfortable playing either as centre backs or as full backs. Of our current squad, Hughes fits that pattern much better than Reither. He also said that it's a mistake to expect the wide players to be 'wing backs'. Don't pick full backs there and expect them to constantly track back and track forwards. Pick attacking wingers there. If an attack comes down the flank, the centre back on that side comes out and one of the midfield players drops back to make a conventional back four. I don't know if Boateng has experience playing as a centre back, but he certainly looks like he's got the physical attributes for that role. Sacha is too small to contend for one of the three defensive roles, and he doesn't compete with Duff, Kasami, Ruiz, Dejagah for the wide right midfielder. I certainly don't see Jol experimenting with that formation this weekend though (and probably not at all).
I'm looking forward to tomorrow but not sure what to expect. The pre-season friendlies produced poor performances but I understand we can't tell a great deal from those games. We then produced another poor performance against Sunderland which was masked by a good win which gave us much confidence as fans and players. A lot of new signings, a lot of new options and certainly a stronger team. We just need the team to settle in and get used to working together. It might just click tomorrow. It's a good time to play Arsenal me thinks.
I think it will be; Stockdale Reither Hangelaand Amorbieta Briggs (Riise to slow for Walcott) Boateng Sidwell Duff Berbatov Taarabt Bent With Ruiz on for Taarabt at some point and Kasami on for Bent if we are ahead at 60mins, he could go the other way and start with Kasami or Ruiz and bring Bent on in the later stages. Parker coming on to replace Sidwell or Boateng depending on form and yellow cards.
Apart from the known casualties (Stekelenburg and Richardson), Jol has confirmed that Amorebieta is still injured. And that Kaca will be on the bench. But will the new boys play? Here is what Jol had to say in his lunchtime press conference: With plenty of training with their new teammates under their belts, both players are pushing hard for debuts in front of the live television cameras on Saturday, and Jol admitted that at least one of the new arrivals could play from the off. “It’s never 100 per cent because I never give my team away but there is a big chance that Parker will start,” he said. “We can expect Bent to feature. I don’t know about those two starting but they will be in the squad.” In further team news, Jol had disappointing information regarding the two players who departed the Stadium of Light pitch prematurely last Saturday. “Maarten Stekelenburg did a test today,” our Manager revealed. “So he was on the fringe of being fit but it was still painful, too painful, for him to start tomorrow so he won’t be in the squad. “Kieran Richardson will be out for the next three or four matches. He’s got quite a tear in his hamstring and that was very disappointing. And Fernando Amorebieta is still injured so he won’t be involved either. But Alex Kačaniklić will be back – he will be on the bench.”
And here is his internal video interview, which as usual has a little bit more insight into his team selection. Wry smile about the last time Briggs faced Walcott - Riise to play? Certainly sounds as though Parker will start - and Bent? [video=youtube;3hJJljTrPTA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3hJJljTrPTA[/video]
Kasami got a cheeky mention so he may well figure. We certainly didn't have these dilemmas last season!
I would be very tempted to start Bent tomorrow, with Vermalen and Koscielny out that only really leaves Mertasacker and despite his strengths his massive weakness is a lack of pace!
I'd be very tempted to start with Bent, not least because I've signed him for my Fantasy football side. I was going to make him captain as well - I might have to rethink that one.
Full team: Stockdale, Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise, Duff, Parker, Sidwell, Taarabt, Kasami, Berbatov
Well, the positive is that we have plenty of options for the future and once a few bed in with each other things will improve. We played some okay stuff - at times - and Scotty Parker showed what he's capable of. Unfortunately we had a few passengers in the first half, notably Sidwell (who was continually out of position) and Riise (who just can't hack it any more). To be honest, just back from the game and it hasn't fully sunk in. So, for now, I'll leave it with a well done to the debut man Darren Bent and a quiet wish that he had started the game.
just home. parker man of match, kasami played well, many positives, we played o.k just arsenal played better
