17 Mar 2018 07:16:27
Against Stoke:
Monreal or Kolasinac? I felt for Kolasinac v Milan, as he appeared to have his confidence back and was playing well again, only to be dropped for Monreal. I am a great believer in continuing with a player in form.
Welbeck or Aubameyang in the main central striking role? Again Welbeck has started to regain his form and looks far better played centrally than out wide. We seem to have the choice of 3 central forwards, none of which look as though they are as good played wide.
17 Mar 2018 08:55:10
Does it matter?
As far as the premier league is concerned we may as well go on the pitch in flip flops Bermuda shorts and shades.
17 Mar 2018 09:04:28
For a minute there I thought you said either Welbeck or Aubameyang for the central striker role.
17 Mar 2018 09:33:28
To be fair as you pointed out that he had 1 good game against Milan that does not constitute been in form mate.
17 Mar 2018 09:59:12
If arsene started welbeck ahead of aubameyang you'll see me personally escort him to a psychiatric ward. Didn't think welbeck had a good game against Milan myself regardless of 2 goals.
17 Mar 2018 10:14:54
Hi Sanago, I said 'returning to form', don't forget that Aubameyang cannot play in the EL, so we need to keep Welbeck ticking over and build his confidence, we will also hopefully have Lacazette back.
If Welbeck and Kolasinac were rewarded for decent performances by being retained in the starting line up their confidence will grow. Whilst Monreal and Aubameyang will have to work hard to dislodge them.
If first eleven players are selected come what may, then complacency can creep in and squad players that cannot secure a first team place even when playing well can become disillusioned. The genius of SAF was to rotate the Man U players, bar a core of 5ish players that were essential. He once went 62 matches without selecting the same starting line up and look at his trophy haul. Squad players need to play otherwise they take time to settle back to form. I recall the great Bergkamp need 4 or 5 matches to regain his form after injury.
G62 - of course we need to turn up for the remaining league matches and try to win as many as possible.
17 Mar 2018 10:38:26
RG our league season is over and has been for quite a while now, yes of course the players should put on a performance for the fans and I was actually joking about flip flops but let's not pretend that we have anything left to play for when it comes to premier achievement, it's just a case of getting the seasons fixtures for filled and drawing a line under an absolutely terrible season that has seen us left high and dry and with a quater of the season remaining become a premier league irrelevance.
Yet more wallpaper to try and cover up yet more cracks that always always reappear the next season is all there is left for Arsenal in this premier league season mate.
17 Mar 2018 10:42:18
You cannot drop Auba and Lacazette needs game time
Danny can play out wide as he’s never the solution for centre forward - never eve ever and should not play there just he tried in a few games. We looked toothless with him.
17 Mar 2018 10:55:23
I have to agree sy4. I still think that the PL is very important in respect of gaming confidence and going on a run whilst getting the jan signings all gelling before more arrivals come in the summer.
17 Mar 2018 11:28:28
But lads last season with our 3 at the back we finished the season well against teams already on the beach and everyone declared great things would happen and we had turned yet another corner and all would come good this season because of how we finished last season.
12 months on and?
If we took 20 points from a possible 24 remaining this season it would count for nothing next August why?
Because it never has in the past.
Last season 7 wins in last 8 games plus the fa cup and a year later we are not just further behind the top team than ever but now completely out of touch from the top 4 if not top 5 after only 3/ 4 of a season.
Nothing we do between now and May will mask the fact that there is now a big 5 that doesn't include Arsenal.
17 Mar 2018 11:38:17
62,
I hear what you’re saying but the need to play well in the league is to improve form for the Europa Dopa.
I’m sure we won’t finish in a different league position no matter what we do, but let’s play well. Move on Wenger in the summer and start to look forward.
Lacazette is back in training and he will need minutes and confidence built, not Danny Welbeck who is just a squad player and if need be can be used on the wings or better still as a make weight in a summer upgrade.
I regularly thank the lord that the OP is not our manager.
17 Mar 2018 11:41:12
62 - we need to get the new boys integrated into the culture and team. I don’t care about the league but the new guys need to use this season to adapt and I want the EL.
Let’s also set the right mentality - you MUST put a shift in and deliver or you get dropped. We play our best players and we have discipline and heart.
I want Mikki. lava and Auba to settle and figure out how we play with Ozil.
Then see who stays in midfield and who goes.
17 Mar 2018 12:29:02
If we change manager then next season stands a real chance of being different but if Arsene is still in charge next season then only the Europa league matters.
We can bed in all we want but come next August under Arsene things will just be the same as they have been for a decade.
How many seasons have we finished well only to fall apart all over again the next season.
In recent seasons we've spent money we've signed players without losing won cups but continue to be less and less competitive over 38 games each premier league season.
I just don't see how these last 8 games will have any bearing on next season as we will either carry on as always or a new man with new ideas will come in.
17 Mar 2018 14:28:03
That’s all fair and well 62 so are you suggesting that there’s no point in trying then just give up. Winning the remaining matches is better than loosing them however you slice it.
17 Mar 2018 14:37:46
I agree gunner, i really don't think these last 8 league games, win lose or draw are going to make any differrence to next season. It is a mess we have players who can play this comp and not that and some can play both. Will auba playing impact welbeck or lacca? Or do they need to play to make them fitter? The most important thing for me is to some how win the EL and wengers goes and we bring in a new manager, new players and a new attitude. Our league form is considtent year after year, it needs a new conductor, our players need a purpose and reason for fighting for a place, that can only be achieved with wenger gone, completely. I really hope for the sake of this club, it happens.
17 Mar 2018 14:55:53
Steve these 8 games will not help the new manager in anyway as he may well not want many of our current players or wish to play the way we will play in these 8 games.
If Arsene is our manager next season then our next 46 league games are all highly likely to be pretty irrelevant in terms of deciding who is either champions or top 4 or 5.
8 meaningless or 46 meaningless games this is the question?
17 Mar 2018 18:12:22
Since when is diving to win a penalty and scoring a lucky rebound tap in, that ramsey really should have buried, suddenly classed as good form? Welbeck is really quite bad, he is playing because he is the only senior striker available, he shouldn't start ahead of auba or laca.
17 Mar 2018 20:40:10
SW whatever your oponion on welbeck, we need him in the EL. He might get a ban for diving anyway, that's iwobi in then.