Tiresias

At least 1 of Given's saves don't think a lot in the league would have made, but yeah no use hitting it long range right at keeper

Hope Given hasn't made Cabaye more cautious about his shooting from outside the box, think he'll terrorise a short on confidence keeper.

If he stops getting game time I'd worry a bit about him wanting to move on, and that may agitate Colo as well...may be a bit premature but think he's still very important

Yeah probably actually hardly lacking in the centre.

Jonas definately should be used against stronger teams with good wingers, he'll hold up the wings and get possession, against a team where we really want to be testing their full backs and anticipate being domiinate, there's a good argument for stronger players. Looking at his stats for Aston Villa game his passing was good but he never successfully passed into box, and only once even tried, his shots weren't good either, but his passing was, and he tackled successfully more than Tiote or Colo (not by much) and further up the pitch. I wonder if he could actually be moved into the middle should we lose one of our main midfielders to injury.

is Ben Arfa likely to start? I'd imagine sub appearance. Him, Cabaye and Tiote in midfield is :fwap:

I'd like to see standard expected back line in a 4-2-3-1 with tiote - Cabaye Obertan - Marveaux - Guti Best 60 mins in HBA on for Obertan, Marv moves to left and Guti to right. Sammy on for Best later perhaps.

They're a team looking to prove a point, can't afford to be complacent. If we play well, like against Villa should win though, should at the very least keep a clean sheet.

Still start him ahead of Raylor

isnt he out injured?

Fairly sure the premier league games were cancelled due to worries about fans arriving and leaving on icy conditions, nothing to do with the pitch.

The best premier league team is the one you support, and frankly you'd be a bit odd of a fan not to think that. Unless he means most successful.

Almost week on week pundits say they don't know anything about a player, when if they'd worked out who they were going to talk about they could just do a quick google before MotD, but knowing about football is apparently asking too much for TV pundits. Like the guy who said Mertesacker was no good for Real Madrid, not realising Mertesacker has never played for Real Madrid. And the one who said all Bundesliga teams play in the same style, and people who go on about Gareth Barry as a "top top" player...

I'd rather we risked Raylor than risked Santon early, I'd be rushing him back for a derby or a big game, don't need to now, perhaps a late sub on?

I wonder if he'd be better playing off the striker in a 4-4-1-1 and given fairly free role, but then better players ahead of him there perhaps, but maybe would have preferred that than having Shola up front almost by default in a 4-4-2

Wondering recently if the increasing popularity of 1 striker and 5 midfielders may prompt some brave teams to have a 3 man back line and try a 3-5-2 sort of thing. Doubt it'll happen to be honest, 3 man back lines are used in Italy a bit, where the loss of width isn't so important since most teams play up the middle, but it's hardly been working for Inter at the moment, so skeptical. Might be a decent idea against a vastly inferior team using the 4-5-1 defensively, with little goal threat. Suspect Villas Boas only manager who might try it, but again doubt it. This all has bugger all to do with Cabaye, though I have to say I was skeptical of playing him as deep as he seemed to be, but he seems to have plenty of energy to attack, so happy to see him in the eventual 4-2-3-1 that seems to be the plan in front of defence.

We obviously want wingers who cut inside at the moment, and when ben arfur's playing his central playmaker role, their ability to score is going to be more important. Dunno yet if he can finish well, but he's got the speed. Our passing from deeper midfield is looking good enough to make up

Have to agree with Marveaux starting instead, obertan impact sub for some pace, but we've already got Sammy for that. That said not entirely doom and gloom over him, potential there

Loan move wouldn't surprise me, January prices are inflated.

I think giving the opportunity to impress to players like Gosling is very important for all competitions actually, it's no good letting them rot on the bench, or bringing them in to cover for an injury and finding they're not good enough. I don't want us to throw a weaker side at this game because we're not taking it seriously, it's more about making sure noones over worked. Ideally we should have a team that we can sub on to bring to reliable strength in great need.

It's true football has evolved away from target men and more towards inside wingers scoring goals, but there of course has to be a whatever works attitude. With Cabaye HBA Marveaux etc hopefully we have enough to play good football that won't get found out against a team that won't be fooled by hoofing it up, and are solid at the back (Blackpool serves as a warning in a way against assuming good football will always work). Possession game has got so good in Spain that it dries up any supply to a traditional target man, which is why it's dying out in Europe level football. Not sure defenses in english league good enough to make them so superfluous, but I also think that more teams in premier league play better we may develop some better england players, and it would be a waste of our players now to say, right hoof it up...

I think they probably need someone to actually go and buy players against Wenger's will. If Cabaye had gone to arsenal imagine how much everyone would be raving about him lol.

Oh I agree he has cocked up badly in not realising the fresh crop of youngsters wasn't good enough and not bringing in a new generation earlier. Fabergas and Nasri transfers were handled badly, and had he done what he should have in the transfer window before last season probably could have kept Nasri (well ok probably not, lot more money at city lol). But who would Arsenal get in to replace? I doubt anyone else could do much better tbh, and Wenger knows all the players well. He could take a step back to a director of footballing role, but which manager would want him breathing down their neck? Villas Boas might have been an interesting high risk gamble but now he's going to fail at moulding the old set in their ways Chelsea team, and be discredited, he could have easily slotted in to an attacking pretty football arsenal philosophy but brought some willingness to revolutionise, however he is pretty untested.

Actually Tiote completed more passes, but only 1 proper one into box...that led to the goal...

The mass intake of breath every time he's tackled in the pitch by the fans will be something to behold...