Good morning.
There will be some feeling as we travel oop north today we have far too much in common with the one legged man who entered into a bottom kicking competition.
Striker-less is an unkind phrase as midget gem and all round diminutive dynamo Jermain Defoe is ready, willing and able. As he proved the other night for England. But is he what we really need? Well, my dears …he’s what we’ve got. On an upbeat note, he’s never in his career have a better opportunity to ‘turn it on’ and really prove he’s worth his place. Nevertheless for me he’s benched.
I’d have to run with a 433 and essentially try to implement a ‘best of’ the preseason formations. This is a Premier League game of course so I’m struggling to see the benefit of Rafa as a substitute. That’s a scenario which says once Defoe’s finished bombing around like a mentalist for 65 minutes we throw on a guy who’s prepared to have a few shots from outside the 18 yard box.
Back four picks itself with Vertonghen and Kaboul standing strong front and centre. Dawson seems to lack the finesse for the Villas-Boas method, but the option to bring him in if he’s needed is a bit of a coup. Let’s hope there’s no hair brained scheme to sell him to Liverpool being considered.
Our midfield needs Sandro like a flower needs water. Despite his unavailability for the preseason the boss said of him, “He has had the best training possible in terms of playing time so you can say that he is one step ahead in terms of physical preparation.” Livermore should find Sandro inspiring company and whilst there is obviously no Modric, we are still fielding four players in advanced positions who I’d deem as intensively creative.
The deep lying front line will let van Der Vaart drift slightly forward of Bale and Gylfi who have clearly been developing an understanding. This could be dependent upon AVB’s instruction of course as close to the 433 High Line™ as we have yet seen. Despite the overuse of the phrase High Line™ the only glimpse we got of it was against Valencia went we went into ‘all hands to the pump’ mode after their second goal went in.
The last words from the boss: “It will be very difficult but we have our ambitions and strengths, which we will look to use. It will be a match fully charged with emotion but we have to be solid and stable. If we do that we can take something from the match.” This says to me he’s minded to avoid a loss, try a nick a win. He may well have got that just about right.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Kane get a game today. Not sure he is quite the finished product just yet though.
Where are we with any Modders replacements at the mo? I see Moutinho and M’Vila have been ruled out?
Running a football club like running a stock market enterprise and thus buying last minute players on the cheap or starting the competition with even less strikers than last season with the risk to drop valuable points, is a laugh.
It simply shows that there is no proper programming and, of course, no ambitions, if we look at the situation rationally, to achieve something better than last season.
Specially if we take also into consideration that all our main rivals have already strengthen their squads.
Makes me sick the amount of players Arse have bought! Sahin also on the way?
It’s all very well Levy being such a crafty negotiator, but the players he set out buy have all found new clubs or signed new contractswith their own clubs. He’s left with the left-overs season after season. I mean no one wanted Ade last year because he’s high risk. Who wanted Saha or that NZ bloke. Parker wasn’t exactly chased on all fronts either. We got the dregs and will get the dregs again this season. Although I credit Levy with a lot i.e. new stadium and new training facilities he fucking usless at pinning down the players he (or VDV) earmarks and always and forever ends up at the ‘end of season’ car boot sale. I wish he would realise that and get in a proper DOF with some power to do the in’s and out’s on playing staff.
Do we actually have a scouting team? I would love to know what they actually do all week?
Take a look at the players Arsenal have bought and ask yourself this: are any of them better than Vertonghen or Gylfi?
Strange how daws and thudd havnt travelled,thud actually looks trim minus the barnet.hard 2 predict the line up but id go brad,walker,kaboom,verty,lol,sandro,siggy doing the modric,azza blad,vdv,ronaldo, in front of those 2,midget gem,bring on livermore 4 vdv and push siggy up if we nick one.gutted im at a weird mans wedding when the games on,insensitive twat,coys
no chance of you naming your preferences or do we have to speak ‘goobildy gooke’ to understand what you are trying to say.
I think we all know Ade will arrive. We’re stronger than last season, just need to replace Mods and bring in one other if poss. Goons have bought, but they’ve lost too…
I don’t know that.
****** will not be there i would have Carroll on the bench..