Arsenal set for weakened XI against BATE Borisov

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Before the lesser games, the Europa League and Copacabana League Cup, I have written short blogs about how I expect to see us line up. For the game against Doncaster, I nailed my prediction. 100% right. Even correctly predicting that Alexis Sanchez would start.

I have no inside knowledge. I do not pretend that I have a source in the club who give’s me the team sheet the day before the game (which when I tweet it out is often wrong). I do exactly what every other fan and media outlet does. I guess. Predict. Make it up as I go along.

Unlike others, however, I take no interest in the actually announced squad, or who is wearing what bib in training. It would probably make it easier if I did.

Now the Europa League and Copacabana League Cup have been competitions that have had 3 purposes this season:

  1. Give youth a chance
  2. Keep senior players who are not playing week in week out a chance
  3. Give 90 minutes to players returning from injury

This round of the Cup, in my opinion, will be different.

With 3 games in a week, and 5 hour flight to some Eastern European town, and Brighton set to turn up to Islington on Sunday, we should not be playing any player expected to be in the first team squad in the Premier League.

All 18 members of the first team expected to make up the squad against Brighton should not travel to Minsk. They should be left at home in their slippers watching on their dodgy Kodi boxes.

They should have spent the time since WBA training on their own, creating two separate training groups, Thursday and Sunday.

Whilst 3 games in a week is not an issue for Arsenal, we should take the opportunity to give the senior players the time off.

So who do I think should play then?

Usually David Ospina will play in cup games, but he should be left at home for this one. Instead Matt Macey should go in goal.

Rob Holding has found himself sitting out the match day squad in recent weeks, with club captain Per Mertesacker making the bench. He will get the chance to play 90 minutes once more. The Europa League is going to be a good competition for him.

With Calum Chambers out for 3 weeks with a hip injury, Krystian Bielik will partner Holding in defence. The Polish centre back is still just 19!

The other centre back position is up for grabs. Will Mattheiu Debuchy be forced out to France, will he go for Mertesacker? Or will Wenger go left field and play a striker at centre back. Personally I would go for Debuchy, but I think Wenger will go against my advice of leaving everyone at home and play Per Mertesacker.

It will be as you were in the wing back positions as Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles get more game time.

Mohamed Elneny has been an ever present in the Europa League and Copacabana League Cup (I think, I have not actually checked), but with him starting Monday, and in line to play against Bournemouth, I do not expect him to start.

Whilst Jack Wilshere made the bench for the game against WBA, I would be surprised to see him there again for Brighton. With Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez fully fit, the centre of the park will be Aaron Ramsey and either Granit Xhaka or Elneny. This will leave the other of the two on the bench, and Wilshere falls out. He will start against BATE.

Having sat out against WBA, I do expect Alex Iwobi to start against BATE. Whilst he will also be on the bench against Brighton, the fact he was not involved against WBA indicates he will start in the Europa League.

Jeff Reine-Adelaide should start behind the strikers. If the youngster is to show his worth, these are the games he needs to be playing. I would actually like to see him play alongside Chuba Akpom and Eddie Nketiah. The 3 play together in the youth teams so should know each others game.

Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud might feature in Wenger’s mind, and I would not be surprised if both start. Or at least Walcott. But I would leave them at home.

So my team to face BATE Borisov:

Macey

Holding Mertesacker Bielik

Nelson Wilshere Iwobi Niles

Jeff

Akpom Nketiah

Anyone out there today, enjoy yourself, and stay safe.

Keenos

No excuses as Arsenal face 3 games in a week

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Arsenal set for fixture congestion as they face 3 games in a week was an elongated headline I read before Monday’s game against WBA.

Whilst 3 games in a week is tough, it is not an excuse for any lack of performance.

The hit grabbing media – who will write anything to get that advertising revenue – have gone in hard on the fact that Arsenal faced WBA, then have a 10,000 mile trip to some backwards Eastern European country, before facing Brighton at noon on Sunday.

Admittedly, the fixture list could have been a lot kinder to Arsenal.

We could have played against WBA on Saturday – although this would have still lead to 3 game sin a week with Chelsea (Sunday), Doncaster (Wednesday) & WBA (Saturday). And we could have faced Brighton at 4pm rather than noon (the extra 4 hours are oh so important).

But 3 games a week is not new to a side like Arsenal. Any team who has played European football consistently over the last 2 decades would have got used to playing 3 games in week.

A Premier League fixture on a Sunday, fly out to a Champions League fixture on Wednesday, before playing again in the Premier League on a Saturday. 3 games in a week is often the norm for top sides.

Arsene Wenger has long been a critic of the way the Premier League allow TV companies to dictate the fixture list, damaging the chances of English team’s performing well in Europe. Why do they allow Sky or BT Sports to schedule a game on a Sunday when that side is playing in Europe mid week? The extra days rest would be massively advantageous. Especially for away ties in the knock out stages.

Other countries do it. When Port won the Champions League in 2004, the Portuguese FA postponed weekend games before a Champions League tie to enable them to gain from extra preparation. Often when we have played Barcelona, Bayern Munich or PSG, or opponents have had the advantage of 1 day’s extra rest.

A lot is being made about Arsenal playing thrice in a week, but it is a story of nothing, unless people actually want to talk about the bigger picture of how regular this happens.

Arsenal can actually thank their lucky stars that the fixtures either side of the Europa League tie in Belarus are at home, against relatively easy clubs. Brighton and WBA.

In years gone past, we have travelled to Sunderland on a Sunday, had an away game against Barcelona, before travelling to Liverpool the next Saturday for a 1pm kick off. 3 away games on the spin against some difficult sides (OK, Sunderland are not difficult but it is a horrid journey).

If we were in the Champions League, we would be looking to put out our strongest XI for all 3 games. As it is only BATE Borisov in the Europa League (I say only – we will probably lose), we can play a fully changed XI.

Any player involved against WBA, and any player expected to be in the match day squad against Brighton, should be left at home. Even if this means us playing an inexperienced, young team, the fact is the Brighton match is more important.

Leave the 18 players expected to play against Brighton at home. Do not subject them to a 5 hour flight plus all the additional travelling to and from the airports – the time difference is not an issue; it is 2 hours. Let the senior players forget about the game. Have them training with the just the Brighton game in mind. Split the squad into two for the week.

Today will be a rest day for those who played yesterday anyway. Massages and Jacuzzis. With the team set to fly out to Minsk tomorrow, the two squads will barely see eachother anyway.

And of course, Arsenal will take a chartered flight back from Belarus. Landing back in London at about 6am Friday morning. All those on the flight will be given the day off, before rejoining the squad on Saturday for the Brighton game.

These international superstars, who are often used to flying around the world for their country, are used to it.

Recently Chris Gayle spoke about T20 cricket. He said players are used to landing in the city they are playing, heading to the hotel for a nap, before playing the next day then flying out again. They get used to it. Footballers are similar.

These days when sides have squads of 25 internationals, all on millions of pounds a year, any player should be able to step up and perform.

3 games in a week is the norm for Arsenal. It has happened countless times over the last 20 years. It is no excuse.

Keenos

Gareth Barry re-writes history – ignoring 104 years of football

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It will always annoy me. Frustrate me. Piss me off. The re-writing of football history as if it begun in 1992. As if there was no football before the Premier League and Sky TV.

Premier League record this, Premier League greatest season that, all supported by Sky who own rights to no other football. It is an attempt to re-write history for corporate game. And it annoys me.

Liverpool have 18 league title’s. It does not matter that they have not one the Premier League. They have been Champions of England. 18 times.

1989 will always be the greatest end to a top flight season. There is no debate. And Jimmy Greaves – with 357 goals, is the highest scoring player in top flight history.

So last night Gareth Barry broke Ryan Giggs appearance record. But of course, it was not an all game record. It was not even a top flight football record. It was Ryan Giggs Premier League record.

Arsenal even gave Barry a special shirt to mark the occasion.

633 games plays. A remarkable amount for an outfield player. Aston Villa, Manchester City, Everton and now WBA. Well done Gareth Barry. But you have not broken Ryan Giggs record. He played 672 top flight games. It is almost like his 40 appearances in the First Division count for nothing. Only another 39 to go.

But of course, Giggs himself is someway off the record.

Now I could not find top flight only records – I am sure someone does have them, but with 1005 league appearances, Peter Shilton must be wondering why the fuss is being made about Gareth Barry.

Barry, incidentally, has the 138th most league appearances in English and Scottish football (no idea why Wikipedia put them together). Giggs himself is just 76th.

This is the top 100:

 

1 Shilton, Peter  England 1005
2 Ford, Tony  England 931
3 Armstrong, Graeme  Scotland 910
4 Hutchison, Tommy  Scotland 863
5 Alexander, Graham  Scotland 844
6 Paine, Terry  England 824
7 James, David  England 791
8 Redfearn, Neil  England 790
9 James, Robbie  Wales 782
10 Oakes, Alan  England 777
11 Beasant, Dave  England 774
12 Burridge, John  England 771
13 Trollope, John  England 770
14 Dickinson, Jimmy  England 764
15 McCall, Stuart  Scotland 763
16 Sproson, Roy  England 761
17 Tait, Mick  England 760
18 Bonds, Billy  England 758
19 Clemence, Ray  England 758
20 Jennings, Pat  Northern Ireland 757
21 Worthington, Frank  England 757
22 Moss, Ernie  England 747
23 Chapman, Les  England 747
24 Millen, Andy  Scotland 745
25 Hartford, Asa  Scotland 744
26 Ball, Alan  England 743
27 Allison, Wayne  England 743
28 Hollins, John  England 743
29 Parkes, Phil  England 743
30 Bruce, Steve  England 737
31 Sheringham, Teddy  England 734
32 Mills, Mick  England 732
33 Methven, Colin  Scotland 732
34 Callaghan, Ian  England 731
35 Seaman, David  England 731
36 Williams, Geraint  Wales 728
37 Perryman, Steve  England 725
38 Peters, Martin  England 721
39 McAllister, Gary  Scotland 720
40 Channon, Mick  England 718
41 Summerbee, Mike  England 716
42 Harris, Ron  England 716
43 Knox, Keith  Scotland 715
44 Cockerill, Glenn  England 714
45 Cairney, Harry  Scotland 710
46 Neal, Phil  England 706
47 Curle, Keith  England 708
48 Wile, John  England 705
49 Lee, Rob  England 703
50 Melville, Andy  Wales 703
51 Martin, John  Scotland 701
52 Southall, Neville  Wales 701
53 Gooding, Mick  England 700
54 Futcher, Paul  England 698
55 Matthews, Stanley  England 697
56 Tunks, Roy  England 694
57 Jones, Roger  England 693
58 Fazackerley, Derek  England 692
59 Allchurch, Ivor  Wales 691
60 Cowans, Gordon  England 688
61 Winterburn, Nigel  England 687
62 Newman, Rob  England 685
63 Knight, Alan  England 683
64 Irwin, Denis  Republic of Ireland 682
65 Meredith, Billy  Wales 681
66 Cherry, Trevor  England 680
67 Hunter, Norman  England 679
68 Speed, Gary  Wales 678
69 Chamberlain, Alec  England 678
70 Marshall, Gordon  Scotland 677
71 McGeown, Mark  Scotland 677
72 Mullery, Alan  England 676
73 Stancliffe, Paul  England 676
74 Robson, Pop  England 674
75 Simpson, Paul  England 673
76 Giggs, Ryan  Wales 672
77 Beagrie, Peter  England 670
78 Foster, Steve  England 669
79 Moore, Bobby  England 668
80 Powell, Chris  England 667
81 Martyn, Nigel  England 666
82 Coyle, Owen  Republic of Ireland 666
83 MacPhail, John  Scotland 664
84 Stewart, Marcus  England 664
85 Kiely, Dean  Republic of Ireland 664
86 Keen, Mike  England 663
87 Cooper, Davie  Scotland 662
88 Hector, Kevin  England 662
89 Dobson, Martin  England 661
90 Edwards, Rob  Wales 661
91 Nevin, Pat  Scotland 660
92 Gabbiadini, Marco  England 659
93 Bryce, Tommy  Scotland 659
94 Beardsley, Peter  England 658
95 Walker, Mike  Wales 656
96 James, Leighton  Wales 656
97 Jackson, John  England 656
98 Thompson, Steve  England 655
99 Walden, Richard  England 655
100 Gemmill, Archie  Scotland 654

 

Keenos