A Bould Test of Gunners Squad Strength
Jan 27th, 2017 by 'holic
Another FA Cup weekend looms, along with all the anticipation and hope that it brings. For some there is still a bit of an aura surrounding this competition. The prospect of another Wembley Final is always an appealing one.
Perhaps a little bit of the gold dust is missing for we will probably see two squad teams at St Mary’s on Saturday evening. Southampton of course have already booked a day out at Wembley when defeating Liverpool in the semi-final of the EFL Cup this week.
Arsenal’s progress may or may not be hampered by the events of this afternoon. Arsene Wenger has been given a four-match touchline ban and £25,000 fine after accepting a Football Association charge of misconduct last weekend, and this starts with Saturday’s match. We can think it is or isn’t harsh, but it is the reality of the situation. Steve Bould can and will step up to the plate.
We will rotate on purpose although our midfield options are sparse in the extreme. With Granit Xhaka suspended, Mohammed Elneny at the African Cup of Nations, and Santi Cazorla injured, we are left with a senior pairing of Aaron Ramsey and Francis Coquelin. Neither have been overused this season so I would like to think they will be up for three important matches in the next eight days.
David Ospina should confirm his status as the cup goalkeeper but we have options for the four ahead of him. Hector Bellerin was on the bench last week but could well get the nod to return and gain match sharpness ahead of next weekend’s trip to the bus stop in Fulham.
Similarly Kieran Gibbs is in line for a recall on the left. Should Arsene rest his first choice central defenders he has the option of pairing two from Gabriel, Per Mertesacker, and Rob Holding.
The boss may take this opportunity to give Alex Iwobi another audition for the playmaker role again. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lucas would then be likely options to play wide with Danny Welbeck up front?
A bench incorporating Mesut Ozil, Alexis, Olivier Giroud, and a returning Theo Walcott, should they be needed, may reassure those of a nervous disposition. There has been much talk of the strength of Arsenal’s squad, and at Southampton we will find out how strong we really are.
The Saints have been forced into utilising their squad as they have an Arsenal-esque injury list, and have also lost skipper Jose Fonte to West Ham. That didn’t stop them deservedly beating Liverpool and those players will be keen to impress manager Claude Puel with the chance of a Wembley appearance on the horizon.
The ‘holic pound
If you have listened to this week’s A Bergkamp Wonderland podcast you will know I was in very bullish mood when we recorded it. It’s a matter of public record now so my investment will be in a 2-3 win for the Gunners. At 25/1 it is a long shot, but both sides are capable of fashioning chances and may be prepared to throw everything at the other to resolve the match on the day, rather than add an unwanted replay into their schedule.
To the travelling faithful as ever I wish a cracking day out. I hope the boys put on a show for you. The rest of you who may be peering out from behind the sofa will have me for company!
Have a great one, ‘holics.
64 Responses to “A Bould Test of Gunners Squad Strength”
Bosh
Bosh bosh.
Robbie Savage has the hair of a complete cunt.
It matches the rest of him perfectly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EVFdPjFR5s
Evening ex-neighbour. 🙂
Evening Steve. 🙂
Cynic knows! 🙂
Honestly don’t know what Savage has done with his bonce. It’s worse that Dennis Wise’s Hitler wig.
*than
One of the chaps I drive up with has to attend a pantomime with his family in Southampton tomorrow evening and has been warned by his wife not to attempt to follow the match. I’m sure all of us have been there where family solidarity is tested by Arsenal playing. I certainly have. Thank goodness for a vibrating phone that you can look at surreptitiously!
I hope we can win and I hope they do rest a few because we will. This is our best chance of a trophy. My guess is 2-1 with Danny Welbeck notching the winner!
Nice preview Guvna.
Here’s to another step towards another fine lunch in Friends restaurant in May.
Evening H and one and all. Nice preview.
I hope we play a decent side and not too many changes. For me, this is not just the best opportunity to win a trophy but they only really genuine hope that we have to win a trophy. I hope that Southampton’s exploits in midweek will take their toll. With the absentees it would have been an ideal opportunity for Jack to make a name for himself.
To be honest I have absolutely no idea what the starting 11 will be. I just hope that we are in the hat with no replays come the draw.
Robbie Savage is to commentary what Robbie Savage was to football. What a total bellend.
Oh yeah, and I blame the ref!!!!!
?
Have we bought anyone yet???
A first for me. Reading the Arsenal Bard HOLIC while enjoying a celebration of THE bard in the Kingdom. Doesn’t get much better. (It’s the interval and Shetland’s fiddlers are bowing up a storm). 3-2 HOLIC? I’ll take that.
Fine summation H
Should be a cracking game,neither side will want a replay.
We will have to start on the front foot,otherwise a team more experienced than Preston,won’t be missing the chances they did in the previous round.
No idea of the lineup,but with Watford off a short turnaround on Tuesday,followed by a lunchtime visit to the Bus Stop on Saturday,those matches will have priority.
So a chance for some bench warmers to step in to the spotlight.
On the subject of Arsene,
due to his inability to control his emotions,now like Granit,unless there is a replay of our game tomorrow,neither of them will be pitchside for a league game until the big one at Anfield on 4th March.
Another salient point,if we do lose tomorrow,then after the Munich away fixture on the 15th Feb,we won’t kick a ball in anger again till the game at Liverpool 17 days later.
Not ideal.
Ned has logged on as Clive???
I wouldn’t have the temerity, Steve T.
Angry ball kicking sabbatical? What is the world coming to? If that is the case we had better use our anger constructively in the next 20 days.
It’s hard to predict the side. Perhaps
Ospina
Bellerin Mustafi Gabriel Gibbs
Xhaka Ramsey
Walcott Iwobi Sanchez
Welbeck
Bench: Martinez. Holding Monreal Maitland- Niles. Ox Giroud Ozil
Sorry I was on autopilot It will be Coq for Xhaka
Bogeys permitting we should be winning with Saints in anti-climactic mood after doing Pool. A fine opportunity to check the value of Danny and Lucas I would have thought. And Rob Holding too.
Presumably AW is allowed to ‘advise’ Bouldy by phone? So a touchline ban is worth what exactly? He’ll probably get a better view of the game from wherever he’s banned to anyway.
Chris. Maybe he will go to Australia to get a better view?
Or he could come to New Zealand and watch with me, bt8, and never miss a thing. Not sure my gf would appreciate him sharing the bed though. 🙂
Perhaps…
Ospina
Bellerin Mustafi Holding Gibbs
Ramsey Xhaka
Lucas Ozil Welbeck
Sanchez
Bench: Martinez Monreal Maitland-Niles Ox-Chamberlain Giroud Walcott
Greetings Every one.
Whatever happened to Ox’s abilities as a midfielder? Remembered some scintillating displays against AC Milan some seasons back in the middle of the pack. He could play alongside Coq at some point in the game?
I’d be looking forward to a 1-2 win. I also wish to see Lucas & Danny starting this game besides anything else.
UTA!
I’m sure there will be an interesting line up. All I hope for is a decent game to erase the memory of that awful evening in the League Cup where we were never at the races.
I will be with you Holic viewing from behind the sofa. 2-1 to us with Hector scoring the winning goal, I wish.
COYRs
I would be so happy for Hector in that event, Delia. 🙂
Off to the South coast shortly for my first visit to St Mary’s.
Come on you Gunners!
She wore, she wore, she wore a yellow ribbon ……
She wore a yellow ribbon in the month of Jan-u-ree?…
COYG
Pool disintegrating….!
😀
I think they will get away with it in the end, but ho ho ho ho…
Klopp is … plop!
They may indeed @cynic.. but the look of klopp with his mouth hanging open for the umpteenth time is priceless.
😀 😀 😀
Cheers, Holic !
2-3 in our favour sounds just fine, as does
Fulham can play at the Cottage,
Southampton can play at The De……
that’s no good anymore, is it …. ?
That’s three losses in a row at Anfield for Pool. Hopefully, the way that football seems to work. this means Scousers will come out blazing and take out Chavs on Tuesday.
So, Poo must have been reading around the Goonerverse and have come up with this clever scheme to eliminate the risk of fixture congestion and improve their chance of a first title since God knows when. You’ve got to admire that Klopp. When did our manager last come up with a really innovative idea like that?
Wenger aaaaaaht!
On a somber note, R.I.P. John Hurt. Most remembered for his role as Caligula in “I, Claudius”, portraying a psychopathic sexually depraved egomaniacal nutter with bad orange blonde hair, who becomes ruler of a declining empire and thinks he’s a god.
Thankfully nothing like that could ever happen again, right? ?
BJ – Holic has NOT got bad orange hair. ! ?
Spuds disintegrating…!
😀
Here’s our team for #SFCvAFC again: Ospina, Bellerin, Mustafi, Holding, Gibbs, Ox, Maitland-Niles, Walcott, Reine-Adelaide, Lucas, Welbeck
Subs: Martinez, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Gabriel, Monreal, Iwobi, Alexis
Now this could turn out to be a very,very,very,very,very funny day for all us Arsenal fans living in High Wycombe !
Shit, Totts win 4-3.
Spawny gits.
Hope I’m wrong, but that team ?
“Come on you red imps”
That was the chant all arounde at the first English football match I attended, abour 40 years ago. Lincoln City v. Bradford City circa 1978. Wouldn’t mind seeing us face the red impe in this year’s final, the only problem would be that that I might need to find out what an imp is. 😉
BJ @34. Interesting drink but too choreographed. 😉
C’mon boys let’s go
Not overjoyed with that midfield.
COYG, get Bouldy his first win.
Get in, Welbeck!!!!!
Oh Danny Boy
Oh Danny Boy x 2
Welbeck again!!!!!
Theo!!!! Great work by Welbeck again.
Theo!!!
Buzz buzz buzz Bouldie releases the handbrake.
Even this Southampton second team plays quite well, a well coached team and certainly no pushovers. However, Arsenal have been too good today. The league match when we visit them in late Feb or early March will be a lot tougher.
Theo again!!!! 4-0.
Alexis at this point is just…overkill…!
😀
Is it just me or really Ox actually plays good tonight in central midfield position?
Hatrick, Theo. Lovely goal.
5-0 up with 5 to go? Not even we can fuck that up!
?
Might be an idea for Arsene to sit in the stand every week!
All we need is a clean sheet and another assist for Alexis to complete a great day for us.
More direct today than in recent memory and as abject as Southampton have been, we’ve made more chances today than in a handful of recent matches and scored five times.
I hope those watching this have learned a lesson.
Attack with purpose in future please. No more strolling about.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>