In the final part of our fans side for the 2016 FA Cup final, we look at upfront. It should be easy right? With Danny Welbeck out injured, Olivier Giroud is the only choice? But not.
2 weeks ago, everyone wanted Theo Walcott to be sold, replaced with Raheem Sterling. A hat trick later, everyone is calling for him to start in the FA Cup final. It shows how fickle fans are.
Bar these two, with Welbeck out injured, there are not many other options. Maybe Sanchez up top? Or shock everyone and play Akpom – if he is eligible? I don’t know, I am now just trying to fill this out, make it look more than a two horse race to play upfront.
Moving onto the midfield in the 3rd part of our series as we pick who should start in the FA Cup final. We are specifically looking at the 3 in the middle, and the 2 wide men.
With Arsene Wenger recently saying that Mikel Arteta could be fit for the FA Cup final, could we see a shock selection with the captain being picked ahead of Francis Coquelin? Or will Arsenal play the 2nd final in a row without the club captain? Alternatively (although unlikely), Wenger could go for Flamini.
Ahead of them, the options are further complicated.
Aaron Ramsey has played much of the season in the middle, but recently played out wide right. Jack Wilshere has been on the treatment table, but came back with a bang last weekend. Then we have Santi Cazorla. Excelled in a deeper role against Manchester City, kept his place, but looked tired recently. Finally onto Mesut Ozil .The mercurial talent. So frustrating, yet so gifted.
Four in to 2 does not go. Do we then mirror recent formations of going 4141 to accommodate 3 of the 4? My head is starting to hurt.
And then we look out wide. Alexis Sanchez will start. That is a given. But what happens on the other wing? Does Theo Walcott start? Do we stick Ramsey out wide? Maybe even Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Tomas Rosicky? At least with Danny Welbeck injured, one small headache is solved.
In the second part of our lead up to the FA Cup Final, we look today at the defence, having covered who should play in goal yesterday (Click here for the result of the poll).
If at the beginning of the season, we’d have said our 1st choice defence was Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny & Monreal, you all would have said we were speaking a load of old codswallop.
Fast forward 9 months and it seems that is the case. Injury to Debuchy gave Bellerin his chance, which he took with both hands, and improved week on week, whilst at left back, Monreal has kept his place due to his own form, rather than anything that Gibbs has done wrong. However, it is not clean cut. In the semi-final, Arsene Wenger gave the chance to both Debuchy & Gibbs.
And deciding on the full backs is not the only head for Arsene Wenger.
With Aston Villa likely to play on the break, and with the pace and power of Benteke and Agbonlahor, it might also be favourable to play Gabriel and Koscielny at the back.
So who do you want to play in defence in the cup final?
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 