Clichy, Adebayor, Hleb and Denilson excel. Who will play against Blackburn?
What a quality game of football! Probably slightly easier to say after your team played somewhere near our best with a few key players out and just won a tight cup tie.
However contrary to some reports I would say Bolton played a full part in an entertaining game and played the game in the right spirit.
The whole team was excellent and worked very hard. I thought the return of Hleb was instrumental and Rosicky continued his improvement to goo effect in an impressive midfield display.
Diaby was still going strong at the end of another tough tackling display that helped set the tone of the performance.
Hleb and Denilson combined deliciously at times and Hleb was full of touch, vision and his usual desire and strength. He was outstanding for his 80 minutes or so.
Denilson looks a special talent and combined with some neat touches and tackling ability he drives on from midfield and sets the tempo for the rest of the team. A superb display.
The whole defence was resilient and in particular Gael Clichy epitmomised our hard working display. He really is coming back to somewhere near his best, his ability to turn defence into attack is something which is integral to our style of play.
Up front Adebayor led the line very well and never let his head drop even after missed a gilt edged chance. He really is a top player and works so hard that you have got to love him.
It was so satisfying the way we overcame Bolton our 'bogey' team that even the fact Meatloaf aka Fat Sam's whinging about the ref can take nothing away from a truly deserved victory.
Roll on Blackburn. But who will play??
I would expect Cesc and Henry to be restored to the bench perhaps but not to start given the importnace of Tuesday night.
I would think the line up will include Almunia, Senderos, Hoyte, Toure, Clichy, Walcott, Ljungberg and Aliadiere but as for the rest I am not sure at all!
Suggestions please!
posted by JoeBoni @ 7:26 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
i have a feeling clichy will be rested
What about Diaby as a starter versus Blackburn? Gilberto could use a rest.
If Clichy rests, that probably means that Traore will start against Blackburn. I think the side against Blackburn will be like a Carling Cup side.
Assuming Djourou and Hleb are injured for Blackburn, but could be ready for PSV;
and assuming that Flamini, Gallas, Eboue, and Van Persie are out injured for both games;
my guess for the Arsenal team against Blackburn:
Almunia
Hoyte Toure Senderos Traore
Denilson Cesc Diaby Ljunberg
Aliadiere Baptista
Bench: Walcott, Gilberto, Henry, Clichy, Poom
Against PSV:
Lehmann
Hoyte Toure Senderos Clichy
Hleb Cesc Gilberto Rosicky
Adebayor Henry
Bench: Djourou, Denilson, Diaby, Aliadiere, Ljunberg, Walcott Almunia
I almost forgot - come on you Gunners.
Hleb was ridiculously good in the first half. I don't think I've ever seen a midfielder play better. He seemed to have been taken over by the spirit of Zidane. Although he did opt to try to pass when things opened up for him in the area towards the end of the half, which was not ideal.
That perhaps sums up the half for Arsenal: We played some absolutely mesmeric football that made our players look in a completely different league to their opposition, but failure to put the ball in the back of the net meant that the scoreline didn't reflect this. It seems an all too common problem. Although I guess you can't account for missing sitters and if Baptista had put his far post chance away the game would most likely have been dead and buried.
What's Big Sam been moaning about? I've not seen that. Is he upset at Adebayor disgracefully being given offside in the first half, Ben Haim staying on the pitch for as long as he did after receiving no card at all for cynically taking out Aliaksandr Pavlovich as he ghosted past him into the penalty area, or Anelka bizarrely not being shown a red card after bringing down Adebayor on the edge of the box when there was an open goal in front of him?
There were a few times during the game when him and his players were going mental at the ref, but I could never really work out what for. The one time I remember was when Hleb won the ball with a slide tackle, seeming to prompt Ben Haim to charge out of the defence towards him and knock him over after he'd passed it on the touchline. Allardyce, his players and the crowd seemed to be incensed with Hleb clearly playing the ball in a slide tackle. Very strange people.
Denilson does indeed look a bit special. Which is nice. Adebayor's improving nicely as well. I really wasn't sure about him at the start of the season but recently he's been looking like a genuinely excellent footballer. Baptista was pretty disappointing, I thought. Far too many poor touches. Hopefully we'll see the best of him before the season's out.
I almost forgot. The goal we conceded. Have you ever seen marking as bad as that from a corner? All the players and coaching staff should be ashamed of themselves for that. It was utterly ridiculous. Do they even practice corners in training? It doesn't look tom me as if they do.
Will the real Jack Cregan please stand up! Classic stuff..
The camera angles were superb and allowed up to really see the whole of the team's movement which was what undid Bolton in the first half especially. The way Hleb and Rosicky glide in off the wings is reminiscent of Ljungberg and Pires and we are starting to get back to that fluid / total football 4-4-2 we have all enjoyed over the last few years.
I would agree that we need to be more clinical in front of goal otherwise we will come unstuck in the big games but the signs are promising as we are playing with a great spirit and belief.
Fat Sam has lost the plot! When can you say that you think you have been treated harshly when Ben Haim clearly blocked off Baptista when he was through on goal and didn't even complain about it at all!?!
One shot which I thought summed up Allardyche's bizarre rantings was when was shouting 'that's fucking rubbish Chris' repeatedly when the ball was in play!!
Overall his team were desperately luckt to stay involved in the game for as long as they did. Why he can't just admit that they were outplayed is beyond me.
Joe Boni
Hey Boni,
I was going to write a comment, but I will just quote you and cite your previous post.
Right on the money brother!
I will only add a little point on Freddie. I hope the goal has given him some confidence and more importantly, pace. Because he looked absolutely atrocious before the goal. He came to life after, but still seemed out of pace.
I am still very unsure whether he is worth anything close to the reported 60K he is paid each week.
Perhaps he should have followed in the footsteps of another midfield fiasco and joined Charlton along with Song.
Sorry to be so gloomy after a magnifiscent paerformance, but it does not take away from my impression that Freddie looks lost out there.
Prove me wrong Freddie!!!
To all a great weekend.
Gus J.
PS. What's the deal with Gallas being in the squad tomorrow? Would Wenger risk him? And what about Chelsea on Sunday?
Very interesting about Gallas. Let's assume he's 100 percent fit - he's had long enough to recover. He and Senderos start together. I don't think they've ever played together.
And in central midfield - Cesc and Denilson. The question that has been on everybody's lips for about three weeks: Can they play together?; we find out tomorrow.
Henry and Aliadiere up front. The French strike force - for club and country - that would be interesting.
If Aliadiere wrote an autobiography, I'd read it: why the hell couldn't he get a look in at Celtic or West Ham? Of course Argentina's World-cup-starting-central-midfielder Mascherano couldn't get a game at West Ham, so that's not the worst company.
Walcott and Ljunberg on the wings. Traore to step up to FA-Cup level at right back, and the one player who can't be rested, and doesn't need a rest anyway, Justin Hoyte will complete an all-English right side.
Almunia in Goal.
Almunia
Hoyte Gallas Senderos Traore
Walcott Denilson Cesc Ljunberg
Henry Aliadiere
Come on you Gunners. Let's have a run of clean sheets and pick up the goal scoring; keep everything else the same.
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