Arsenal (A) - CC Semi Final 2nd (not 1st!) leg, Thu 20th Jan 2022 (7:45pm)

[an tha 8,226]

It's a farce...whole season is being reduced to a farce because the powers that be have failed spectacularly to put in place and administer fair and proper rules.

[manwiththestick 5,151]

45 minutes ago, an tha said:

It's a farce...whole season is being reduced to a farce because the powers that be have failed spectacularly to put in place and administer fair and proper rules.

Too busy keeping Everton in check.

[dockers_strike 4,080]

I honestly dont know what the answer is to these postponements. It's easy to say just make them play but there could be consequences to that.

 

Im not so keen on the possibility of city, united, chelsea and others possibly playing oppos who have to field a rag tag team made up of the walking wounded and some U23s when the same oppos may have players back by the time they come to play us. Or, us forced to play an effective cup side with U23s in it while playing the shite, newcastle or palace etc.

 

Neither am I convinced it would 'even itself out' over the season. Like I said, Im not sure what the answer is.

[Lee909 12,916]

Been annoying that Arsenal might get Partey and Palace Ayew back from AFCON for the next two games while we are short. 

[Scott_M 6,583]

6 hours ago, Lee909 said:

Been annoying that Arsenal might get Partey and Palace Ayew back from AFCON for the next two games while we are short. 

Arsenal will probably send them out on loan.

[DaveT 693]

7 hours ago, dockers_strike said:

I honestly dont know what the answer is to these postponements. It's easy to say just make them play but there could be consequences to that.

 

Im not so keen on the possibility of city, united, chelsea and others possibly playing oppos who have to field a rag tag team made up of the walking wounded and some U23s when the same oppos may have players back by the time they come to play us. Or, us forced to play an effective cup side with U23s in it while playing the shite, newcastle or palace etc.

 

Neither am I convinced it would 'even itself out' over the season. Like I said, Im not sure what the answer is.

Not easy, as you say, however you can guarantee that the people who run football in this country will make a pig’s ear of it. About the only thing they do well is to negotiate tv contracts.

We’ve already seen winners and losers from this scenario. When we get to play our postponed game v Leeds, they’ll probably have Phillips, Bamford et al back. Should still beat them, but it won’t be 7-0, as when City played a massively under strength Leeds team. As you say, it definitely won’t even itself up. 

[an tha 8,226]

No Jones or Oxlade in training which likely means Milner starting again...I love Milner but he simply shouldn't be starting games for us anymore, especially with Henderson and Fabinho.

[JohnnyH 7,213]

1 minute ago, an tha said:

No Jones or Oxlade in training which likely means Milner starting again...I love Milner but he simply shouldn't be starting games for us anymore, especially with Henderson and Fabinho.

If the Henderson, Milner, Fabinho midfield stats tomorrow then we 're out.  It just doesn't work.

[Total Longo 3,616]

19 minutes ago, JohnnyH said:

If the Henderson, Milner, Fabinho midfield stats tomorrow then we 're out.  It just doesn't work.

If Ox and Curtis are unavailable, who else can we put in ?

[Jairzinho 25,275]

7 minutes ago, Total Longo said:

If Ox and Curtis are unavailable, who else can we put in ?

No-one. Play 4-2-3-1 with Bobby as the 10.

[devilsadvocate 42]

No mention of any issue with Jones from lijnders. 

[Bjornebye 33,148]

What’s up with Jones ???? 

[El Rojo 10,629]

 

26 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

No-one. Play 4-2-3-1 with Bobby as the 10.

Probably a better option than a pedestrian three of Milner/Fabinho/Henderson if Jones isn't available. I think we've used Jota in a deeper role a few times too, but it hasn't really worked. It's more than likely too soon for Elliott to start. 

 

While I don't doubt his quality when he's available, having Thiago as a key player in a very small squad is a real problem for us now. It's unsustainable. 

[dockers_strike 4,080]

Play the kids!

[Jairzinho 25,275]

38 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

 

Probably a better option than a pedestrian three of Milner/Fabinho/Henderson if Jones isn't available. I think we've used Jota in a deeper role a few times too, but it hasn't really worked. It's more than likely too soon for Elliott to start. 

 

While I don't doubt his quality when he's available, having Thiago as a key player in a very small squad is a real problem for us now. It's unsustainable. 

Yes, the problem is that really we need to first get rid of the players that are injury prone and not very good, then those who simply aren't very good, then finally the injury prone ones.

 

Keita, Chamberlain, and Milner have to go first. Then we decide what to do with Thiago, Jones and Henderson. There's only Elliott and Fabinho that I 100% want to still be at the club in 18/24 months, but I know we have to persevere with several of the others.

 

We've created this situation by doing fuck all in the transfer market. By winning the champions league and the league and then spending nothing. It's only Klopp keeping the owners con going. Even if we had a random top 15 manager in the world, rather than the number 1, we'd be floating around fifth to seventh for a couple of seasons.

 

It's shit. We're wasting a once in a decade/generation opportunity.

[dave u 7,485]

We don't need to 'decide what to do with Jones or Henderson'. The others, very much so, but there's no issue with either of them in terms of the next few years.

[Jairzinho 25,275]

9 minutes ago, dave u said:

We don't need to 'decide what to do with Jones or Henderson'. The others, very much so, but there's no issue with either of them in terms of the next few years.

I like Jones, but know that others aren't sold on him. He's 20, and clearly has plenty of talent. 

 

I think Henderson should be Fabinho's back up. I'm not convinced he'll be good enough in the last year or two of his contract.

[devilsadvocate 42]

1 hour ago, dave u said:

We don't need to 'decide what to do with Jones or Henderson'. The others, very much so, but there's no issue with either of them in terms of the next few years.

Deffo Jones/Henderson can still be key members of our squad and being English helps with the home grown rules. If we can sell Keita/ chamberlain & milner contract expires and bring in 2 top midfielders to complete with henderson/Thiago for starting places then we’ll be in a much better place midfield wise. 
 

3 out, 2 in would give us

 

2 new mids, Fabinho, Elliott, Thiago, Henderson, Jones 

[JohnnyH 7,213]

3 hours ago, Total Longo said:

If Ox and Curtis are unavailable, who else can we put in ?

Nobody.  We'd play Henderson, Milner and Fabinho and we'd go out.

[Mathewbet1 1,340]

It might sound mad but Nico Williams on the right of midefield could work, he's been good recently.

[aws 7,966]

We could switch Trent to RM. He spends most of the game there already. 

[dockers_strike 4,080]

8 minutes ago, aws said:

We could switch Trent to RM. He spends most of the game there already. 

He's probably been practicing and dropping hints to Jurgen.

[m0e 2,868]

We have far far bigger problems in midfield than Jones or Henderson.

 

Keita and Oxlade are far too inconsistent.

Milner is probably done at this level.

Thiago is far too injury prone.

 

Once that is all sorted, let's discuss Henderson and Jones.

[AngryOfTuebrook 24,033]

2 hours ago, Mathewbet1 said:

It might sound mad but Nico Williams on the right of midefield could work, he's been good recently.

Not as mad as having him on the right of the front three (as against Leicester). It could work.

[halewood pete 3,709]

Believe this will be flying at the Emirates tomorrow