YOUR team for Arsenal

Sanchez is back for Arsenal...oh dear.

 

Niemi
Richardson Toby Van Dijk Shaw
Hammond Chaplow
Walcott Davis Le Tiss
Long

 

And if they win 2-0, but one's a dubious decision?

 

Never going to happen, but:

--------------------------Gazzaniga----------------------------
------------Stephens-----Fonte-----Van Dijk---------------
---Cedric------Wanyama--------Reed-------Bertrand---
-----------------------------Clasie-------------------------------
-----------------Long-------------------Mane------------------

Subs: Stekelenburg, Yoshida, S. Davis, JWP, Tadic, Juanmi, Pelle.

Happy to swap Stephens and Yoshida, or Clasie with either S. Davis or JWP in the starting XI.

 

Dunno. I'm told by arsenal supporting friends that they've had a better shape without him. When he plays, they tend to look for the long ball to the target man rather too often apparently. Sounded a bit familiar, that problem btw.

 

Sanchez is out

 

If the system is just a one-off for Arsenal, then fair enough. It might work. It would keep the game tight. Setting up like that it would be a question of if our players are capable of not making silly individual defensive errors, as that system is going to put us on the back foot. But very harsh to play Stephens over Yoshida!

 

And Stephens is also out on loan.

 

Gazza.
Cedric. Fonte. Yoshida. Bertrand.
Wanyama. VVD.
Davis.
Mane. Long. Tadic.

Subs. Stekenleberg. Juanmi. Reed. Pelle. Seager. Targett. Clasie.

If we don't get to grips with the midfield, Arsenal are likely to win at a canter. I'm thinking/hoping that VVD could do a passable impression of Morgan, and give the defence a bit more cover and break up play, as well as find time to push forward.
I didn't see much of the training videos, but did see, in one, VVD running at pace, at goal. Not sure if all the defenders were doing that, so hoping it is an indication.

 

Gazza
Cedric fonte vvd Bertrand
Jwp clasie tadic
Gaston Juanmi mane

433 with clasie in the pirlo role!
would maybe play Romeu in the 3 mid but want as many players that can create a goal as possible. Koscielny and mert will give pelle no chance in the air or on the deck so tricky feet Juanmi. No chance of seeing this line up ever in a Saints game though, ever ever......

 

We'd get ripped apart if we played that. No defensive midfielders?

 

Going to get ripped anyway, have a go for a change. Still 3 bodies in the centre of the park and isn't clasie a dm? Just because they're not big and African doesn't mean they can't tackle!

 

Although granted jwp and tadic can't really!

 

Clasie's not a proper DM like Vic and Romeu. Without one of those two on the pitch, Clasie will go forward and Ozil will have the freedom of Southampton to do what he wants.

 

The system could work with Mane in the middle of the front three, Tadic left wing and Davis as one of the CM's. Just needs tweaked (imo)

The system would require Davis at the very least over Tadic imo. I'd go with Wanyama as a DM with Davis and Clasie as the CM's a 4-3-3 personally.

For a 4-3-3 I like this
-------Tadic---Mane---Ramirez
----------Clasie---------Davis
---------------Wanyama
-Bertrand-VD/MY-Fonte-Soares
--------------Gazzaniga

 

My god these teams! I see people are in the festive mood.

 

If the result goes belly-up against Arsenal, I am sure a win for Bournemouth and Pompey will cheer us all up, if you are like me and support all the league teams in the BBC Solent region.

 

Bournemouth yes, Portsmouth can **** off.

 

I wish Bournemouth well, but not when they are just behind us. A win against Arsenal would change all that of course.