The Only way is Up? - The Gooners match thread

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I wouldn't hang your emotional hat on OC excluding those three, Dibs. One or two might be the most you (we?) can hope for.

There will be changes, obviously. It'll be a major shock if Jussi stays sidelined; Holden can't yet start two games in a week, and NRC deserves the recall; so, more arguably, does Petrov.

There's a thing, though. From what I could tell, last night we played a 4-2-3-1 with inverted wingers - predominantly right-footed Eagles on the left, leftish Kakuta on the right. (Certainly both scored with their preferred feet from the 'wrong' inside-forward channel.) Does Petrov fit that idea?

Speaking of which: given the ultimatum, would you, dear reader, rather keep the formation than the players within it? You know what, on this occasion I think I would. A flat 4-4-2 at Ashburton is invitation to idiocy. A more fluid formation is needed, and by Jove I think last night we got it. Mind you we seemed to in pre-season; will OC again twist instead of stick?

[General Mannerheim]

Im no psychologist but in his interview ont official site, id say Wheater thinks he's playing on saturday!

[plymouth wanderer]

Im no psychologist but in his interview ont official site, id say Wheater thinks he's playing on saturday!

i fvcking hope so

[boltonboris]

Im no psychologist but in his interview ont official site, id say Wheater thinks he's playing on saturday!

Which will then mean he'll be bitter when he doesn't

[plymouth wanderer]

and who could blame him

coyle's has told him to take his chance surely he has

[Wandering Willy]

and who could blame him

coyle's has told him to take his chance surely he has

How exactly?

Hope he did but how is this conclusion drawn?

[thebish]

I'm confused...

is Wheater the new saviour? I thought it was Ngog - or maybe Tuncay - or Holden... can we have more than one?

[Beefheart]

I'm confused...

is Wheater the new saviour? I thought it was Ngog - or maybe Tuncay - or Holden... can we have more than one?

Not a saviour, just better than Knight.

[Wandering Willy]

I'm confused...

is Wheater the new saviour? I thought it was Ngog - or maybe Tuncay - or Holden... can we have more than one?

Of course.

He hit the post and he was mistake free on the wireless.

[thebish]

I'm confused...

is Wheater the new saviour? I thought it was Ngog - or maybe Tuncay - or Holden... can we have more than one?

Of course.

He hit the post and he was mistake free on the wireless.

isn't hitting the post a mistake?

[plymouth wanderer]

and who could blame him

coyle's has told him to take his chance surely he has

How exactly?

Hope he did but how is this conclusion drawn?

well coyle will chuck knight back in then if it makes you happy

you can only prove yourself when you play and he nearly scored and kept a clean sheet

not saying that is just down to wheater but by the sounds of things we played really well we looked settled (apparently) and considering they only had 1 real effort which was from distance and wheater dealt with the rebound (you no right place right time and all that) is good enough for me and he should stay there

plus any fvcker is better than knight

[Wandering Willy]

and who could blame him

coyle's has told him to take his chance surely he has

How exactly?

Hope he did but how is this conclusion drawn?

well coyle will chuck knight back in then if it makes you happy

you can only prove yourself when you play and he nearly scored and kept a clean sheet

not saying that is just down to wheater but by the sounds of things we played really well we looked settled (apparently) and considering they only had 1 real effort which was from distance and wheater dealt with the rebound (you no right place right time and all that) is good enough for me and he should stay there

plus any fvcker is better than knight

I'm all for better players being picked, and that's true of any position, I just don't hold with the idea that just anyone's better than Knight based on limited or no viewings.

[Armchair Wanderer]

There's a thing, though. From what I could tell, last night we played a 4-2-3-1 with inverted wingers - predominantly right-footed Eagles on the left, leftish Kakuta on the right. (Certainly both scored with their preferred feet from the 'wrong' inside-forward channel.) Does Petrov fit that idea?

Also, sounded like Gretar got busy up and down the flanks, not sure about Ricky. 4-2-3-1 with wingers on the wrong side drifting in seems a bit narrow without the fullbacks bombing on. Maybe we want narrow at the weekend, certainly without the ball. Not sure about Petrov on the wrong side.

After I heard somewhere that Paul Lambert played 4 different formations in 4 consecutive games at least OC's experimenting in the cup.

[Beefheart]

and who could blame him

coyle's has told him to take his chance surely he has

How exactly?

Hope he did but how is this conclusion drawn?

well coyle will chuck knight back in then if it makes you happy

you can only prove yourself when you play and he nearly scored and kept a clean sheet

not saying that is just down to wheater but by the sounds of things we played really well we looked settled (apparently) and considering they only had 1 real effort which was from distance and wheater dealt with the rebound (you no right place right time and all that) is good enough for me and he should stay there

plus any fvcker is better than knight

I'm all for better players being picked, and that's true of any position, I just don't hold with the idea that just anyone's better than Knight based on limited or no viewings.

Wheater is though.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

There's a thing, though. From what I could tell, last night we played a 4-2-3-1 with inverted wingers - predominantly right-footed Eagles on the left, leftish Kakuta on the right. (Certainly both scored with their preferred feet from the 'wrong' inside-forward channel.) Does Petrov fit that idea?

Also, sounded like Gretar got busy up and down the flanks, not sure about Ricky. 4-2-3-1 with wingers on the wrong side drifting in seems a bit narrow without the fullbacks bombing on. Maybe we want narrow at the weekend, certainly without the ball. Not sure about Petrov on the wrong side.

After I heard somewhere that Paul Lambert played 4 different formations in 4 consecutive games at least OC's experimenting in the cup.

Why thankyew, I believe I did mention it in the Norridge match thread

You're right that 4231 is narrow with inverted wingers; it can be widened by reverting wingers to their natural side. However you're also right that we should probably play narrow at the Library, partly to choke the hosts but also to cut in behind their midfield and keep them on the back foot.

As you say with inverted wingers you can get width from overlapping fullbacks. Strikes me that such a role better suits Steiner and Bibi (and definitely, if currently irrelevantly, Alonso) than it does Robbo and Boyata. In truth the latter two *might* be theoretically more defensively solid and therefore could (rightly or wrongly) get the nod at Arsenal; certainly the back four selected in the last two league games might be described as fulfilling function rather than flair.

[TANGODANCER]

Kakute apart, the back four got the highest team ratings in the Sun Football report.

[spikeykev]

Benayoun out, really hope we get a result Coyle's selection will be interesting. Really hope Wheater starts

[TANGODANCER]

Benayoun out, really hope we get a result Coyle's selection will be interesting. Really hope Wheater starts

It's only Wednesday. Time forthe whole squad to get to Lourdes and back before we get there.

[pagey_BWFC]

I'm confused...

is Wheater the new saviour? I thought it was Ngog - or maybe Tuncay - or Holden... can we have more than one?

Of course.

He hit the post and he was mistake free on the wireless.

From the BWFC match report:
"Villa's only attempt of note came in the 22nd minute following a momentary lapse in concentration from Wheater. And even with that slip from the former Middlesbrough man, making his first second start of the season, referee Darren Deadman could easily have blown for a free-kick in favour of the Whites. He didn't, and instead allowed play to go on, with Gabriel Agbonlahor heading way wide following a cross from Nathan Delfouneso."

If Wheater makes a mistake but no one was there to see it, did it really happen?

I'm sure if that was Knight with a momentary lack of concentration, everyone would have picked up on it earlier. Sure Knight hasn't been playing to well lately but look at who we've played so far and again it seems another case of Andranik syndrome with Wheater. I'm not to fussed who Coyle ends up selecting between the two, but from what i've seen they aren't all that different really. I'd be surprised if many of the people pushing for Wheaters selection can actually remember the last time they saw him play....The grass isn't always greener.

Anyway, i'm really hoping we do play 4-2-3-1 this weekend with N'Gog up top. I'll be a hell of a lot more confident if we do.

[Lord Kangana]

He was f*cking immense away at Wigan. Less so at Brum.

I do believe he's a slight improvement though. Can still be a trundler, but competes better in the air. Its an on balance better.