Two In, Seven Out for Porto tie + Predicted XI
A massive seven players are out of Arsenal’s Champions League squad for tomorrow’s final game in Group G against FC Porto.
As the Gunners have already qualified – and with one eye on Saturday’s Premier League clash at Middlesbrough – full-backs Bacary Sagna (flu), Gael Clichy (hamstring), strikers Emmanuel Adebayor (rested), Robin van Persie (thigh) and Kolo Toure (calf) are also staying in London.
Captain Cesc Fabregas (knee) and Samir Nasri (ankle) will also be missing from the squad, while French duo William Gallas and Abou Diaby are welcomed back into the side.
Youngsters Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs, Gavin Hoyte, Mark Randall, Fran Merida, Jack Wilshere and Jay Simpson all make the travelling squad, which also includes midfielder Emmanuel Eboue – who was jeered off in Saturday’s home game against Wigan.
Gooner Talk’s Predicted Starting XI
Almunia
Djourou – Gallas – Silvestre – Gibbs
Eboue – Denilson – Song – Ramsey
Diaby
Bendtner
Thank god I didn’t fork out the money to watch this reserves team play!!
Deva vu, yet again the manager seems intent on chucking away first place in the CL group.
Almunia
Djourou- Gallas- Silvestre – Gibbs
Eboue – Denilson – Song – Diaby
Bendtner – Vela
i dnt fink wer going to win the match in porto!
goin 4 the draw :s
why wenger!
I dislike finishing second with a weakened squad as it opens Wenger up to criticism. See comment #2. I also dislike losing, period. But it’s the way he does things – playing the odds that it’s better in the long run to rest players for the xmas schedule and the first round FA Cup than wonder what if when you get Barcelona in the knockout round. Not least b/c momentum built up over Dec-Jan-Feb can pay off in the knockout stages. An injury in January to Cesc or Adebayor for being knackered also means we are playing “what if’. so leave it out. The man gets paid to make unpopular decisions that only pay off some of the time.
————–Fab————–
Eboue—Gallas—Djourou—Gibbs
————-Song————–
——Denilson—–Ramsey——
JW————————–Vela
————Bendtner———–
Then a similar system for Saturday…
————-Almu————–
Sagna—Gallas—Djourou—Gael
————Denil————–
——-Cesc——-Nasri——–
RVP————————Vela
————Ade—————-
If the DM does a good job Cesc and Nasri can both bomb on without a number 10 in their way. RVP plays well at right forward and Vela’s directness would be too much for J. Hoyte. Ade can play the channels if he wants as the midfielders and wing-forwards can fill in for him.
When United or Chelsea rest players, it’s a sign of their strength in depth. When Arsenal do….they’re fielding a reserve team.
Whiners of the world unite!
I didn’t think Cesc, Nasri and Clichy would both be out on Saturday too but it seems they may well be. Bring in Song, Ramsey, Silvestre in their place…
Oh no no no no no, please gooner chris assure me atleast clichy, cesc, and sagna will be fit for middlesborough. It’s simply the biggest game of the season, we cannot afford to muck around in this difficult fixture.
Almunia
Eboue Djourou Gallas Silvestre
Ramsey Denilson Song Diaby
Bendtner Vela
Clichy and Fabregas won’t play, Wenger made that fairly clear in his pre-match interview mate.
Hopefully Bac will be back in a couple of days, I think the might be fit for Saturday.
How could anyone think of playing Djorou anywhere but centre-back and Eboue anywhere but right-back on the evidence of this season?
We are screwed then. This is becuase he will end up playing denilson and song in central midfield. That will not work, it’s simply too defensive. wenger has to take a risk, so basically he has to play ramsey somewhere, preferebly in a 4-5-1 formation.
GK – Almu/Fab – possible room for improvement?
RB – Sagna/Eboue – Plenty good enough
CB1 – Gallas/Toure
CB2 – Djourou – New one please!
LB – Clichy/Silvestre
DM – Song + New one please!
CM – Cesc/Denil/Ramsey/Diaby – Damn good!!!
RM – Theo/JW – Young but good
LM – Nasri/Rosicky – New one please!!!
CF1 – RVP/Dudu/Vela – Fuck me!!!
CF2 – Ade/Bendtner – Possible room for improvement?
I know its been said a million times but this squad is three to five players short of being very, very strong. And surprisingly experienced. The weak positions are obvious to anyone except Wenger. Why?
Because Wenger must consider a player who is capable of playing two positions as two bodies within his squad. With this logic we have extra RM cover from Eboue and Denilson, extra LM cover from Diaby, Dudu and Vela, extra DM cover from Djourou, Toure and Denilson and extra CB cover from Song and Silvestre.
Unfortuneately this logic is flawed. As soon as you fix one problem (move Denilson out wide), you face another (less central cover). It just moves the headache rather than curing it…
So get down the drugstore Wenger… Get us some prescription strength ‘super-class’ talent and you will have a squad that would be the envy of many….
(Sorry for the long post – I’ve been brewing it for a couple of days)
I’ll go for
Fabianski
Eboue – JD – Gallas – Silvestre
Wilshere – Song – Ramsey – Gibbs
RvP – Bendtner
Its a tough team to pick from such a weak squad. Hoyte might play RB with Eboue RM but that shouldnt be allowed to happen. Gibbs shouldnt play LB against such a good attacking team and there is no good left midfielders that could provide cover for him. Im not sure that Vela will play because AW never seems to pick him.
Stu – RVP is left at home with his ‘chocolate’ leg.
If he plays two up top Vela must start. If he goes for Diaby in the hole then Vela will miss out for sure…
I would love to see Vela in a five man midfield with a holder or two and the rest on the front foot (Holland, Portugal, Brazil style) rather than the flat four with a link man in front which Wenger seems to like.
Almunia
Eboue Djourou Silvestre Gallas
Whilshere Denilson Song Diaby
Bendtner Vela
the team should be one of these 2 as follows:
4-5-1
Fabianski
Eboue Djourou Gallas Silvestre
Wilshere Song Denilson Vela
Ramsey
Bentner/Diaby
OR
4-4-2
Fabianski
Eboue Djourou Gallas Silvestre
Wilshere Denilson Diaby Vela
Ramsey/Simpson
Bentner
Notbad team either way i think with both selections incorperating teqnically good wingers with pace, skill and an eye for a pass height upfront and either a playmaker (ramsey) or strength and speed (Simpson). and a very expierenced back 4 its better than most teams in the champions league and 4 defo in our group. Remember porto have a great attack but defensivly are terrible, not able to deal with players running at them with crosses or passing around them and come on eboue youve got the support of me and im sure many more of us which out way the fakes as long as you where my clubs colour your one of us till the end thick and thin prove those foney fans wrong cmon the gunners
———-Almunia
Eboue – DJ – Gallas – Silvestre
———Song—————-
Denilson – Ramsey – Wilshere
—– Bendtner
—Vela
OR
———-Almunia
Eboue – DJ – Gallas – Silvestre
———–Song—————-
Wilshere-Ramsey-Denilson-Vela
——–Bendtner
There is a possibility that Denilson might be rested, considering Nasri being 2 or 3 weeks out with injury, so we’ll have to see. However, what I’m very sure of is the back 6 – from Almunia to Song, and the fact that Vela and Bendtner will start.
The other 3 spots in midfield will be from any of: Denilson, Diaby, Wilshere, Ramsey, Simpson, Gibbs, Randall, & Merida
A draw will be enough to progress, so calm down lads.
Rather depressing always seeing whinging comments from gooners these days.
Erm, a draw will be enough to top the group. Sorry about that one.
Eboue – Denilson – Song – Diaby
is worse then
Selly – Morrow – Jensen – Carter
Neither group would make any chances, but at least the 80s players could defend
Are Denilson, Eboue and Diaby’s assists this season just a figment of my imagination then Chippy?
Arsenal Starting XI tomorrow
Almunia
Eboue Djourou Gallas Silvestre
Denilson Song Diaby Merida
Bendtner Vela
Subs:
Fabianski
Gibbs
Hoyte
Ramsey
Randall
Wilshere
Simpson
to be honest i see playing a big team in europe as more advantage to you then playing a little one. so reserve away!
——–Fabianski(give him a chance)—-
–Hoyte–Djourou–Gallas–Silvestre
————– ————
——Eboue:)–Denilson–Song–
————-Diaby————-
——–Vela
————–Bendtdner———
DONE!
Fabianski
Eboue-Gallas-Djourou-Silvest
Wilshere-Ramsey-Song-Diaby
Bendtdner-Vela
Almunia
Eboue-Gallas-Djourou-Silvestre
Ramsey-Denilson-Song-Diaby
Bendtner-Vela
Almunia
Eboue-Gallas-Djourou-Silvestre
Denilson-Song
Ramsey-Diaby-Merida
Bendtner
Vela is either starting for tonight or as a sub. I cant see Wenger play him out wide because he never do that and my prediction is the 4-4-2 with Bendtner & Vela up-front
Better to rest players and finish second than tire everyone out, get some injured then draw Mourinho’s Inter Milan (they finished second in their group).
Leave the Bendtner out why dont we try Jay he is a natural center forward and with the mode of arsenal play we work well with a center forward not a wide striker look at henry we have lacked someone to play there please
Nic is wasteful and does not provide leadership he is arrogant and not creative he thinks that he is a top world class striker and this ai far from the truthy instead of working hard he wastes the other teams away
The Team will hopefully be
Almunia
Eboue – Djourou – Silvestre – Gibbs
Ramsey – Denilson – Song – Diaby
Bendtner – Vela
almunia
eboue djourou gallas silvestre
ramsey denilson diaby vela
simpson bendtner
this would be the winning team tonight,i really hope that wenger plays diaby in the cesc role and vela in the left wing
this will be the team
Alumunia
Eboue – djourou – Gallas – Silvestre
Denilson – Song – Ramsey – Merida
Diaby
Bendtner
or
Alumunia
Eboue – djourou – Gallas – Silvestre
Denilson – Song – Ramsey – Diaby
Bendtner – Vela
He will play Sylvestre at Left Back and Eboue on the right of midfield and will prob play Diaby off Bendtner. The rest is quite predictable but my 1st choice would be:
Alm (gk)
Gallas (cb)
Djor(cb)
Gibs (lb)
Eboue (rb)
Ramsey (cm)
Song (cm)
Diab (lm)
Wilsh (rm)
Vela (SS)
Bendtner (cf)
If Simpson was a bit more experienced I’d start him ahead of Bendtner cos he has been cack of late. Also I feel he has more to offer coming on as a sub against a tired defense. I think Wil;shere could be affective cutting in from the right, especially against a European footballing team like Porto.
arsene said eboue will play at right back, and he also said that vela will play.
i think Hoyte has shown that he could do a job so i say start him at RB,its plainly obvious Eboue will be startin at RM.I dont know bout Gibbs starting though but thats the experience we want because to tell you guys the truth finishing 1st or 2nd doesnt really matter much with Arsenal its jus a matter who turns up at the next game really.
as much as i can harp on about why Wenger wont do this or that its pointless becoz that bubble of his is immune to any of those attacks…
so moving from that i think we need to start wiv sumn like this
Almunia
Hoyte_Gallas_Silvestre_Gibbs
Eboue_Denii__Ramsey__Diaby
______Bendtner_____________
__________Carlos’Vee_______
this way Wenger will open up his options for Middlesborough game such that Eboue in for Denii because apparently Denii will be fatigued….[Wenger style]
so he can start wiv
Alumunia
Sagna_Toure_Djourou_Clichy
Eboue__Cesc___Song__Nasri
_______Van.P_____________
__________Adebayor______
we all have to admit Song gives us a bit more solid central mid in that he doesnt go ahead of Cesc much and Eboue’s speed on the wings would be welcome at the moment.Diaby for Nasri if he doesnt recover.
jus tryna think like Wenger-contradict yourself as much times as possible until you get to kick off and which ever answer you get at the time is the one he will choose hahahaha
YOU GOTTA LOVE THE GUY THOUGH…
The formation should really be:
———-Almunia—————
-Djourou-Gallas-Silv-Clichy—–
——Denilson–Diaby———–
-Wilshere—————Merida–
——Bendtner–Vela————
Not realy bedtner but arsene wobt play simpson so i have to put realisticly