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Should Jack Wilshere start? Monaco can wait!

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

“There’s a good understanding and collective desire, and that unity will be key for us. We know we are in front of three important months in our lives and we want to commit to doing well.” – Arsène Wenger

I suppose he’s right. The next three months will determine our season, just as it will for all other clubs. We are fighting for a top four place, well, I hope the team are still fighting to win the league and as much as that spot is realistically unachievable, it should be the aim because then 3rd or even 2nd could be ours. Then of course there is the defence of the FA Cup and the Champions League fixtures return next week. The latter competition just a pipe dream perhaps but funny things happen in football….

Crystal Palace are fighting for their own season and they are far from being safe in the league but credit where it’s due, Alan Pardew has done them the world of good since he took over from Neil Warnock in January. He bombed into the transfer window, signed a few players including Yaya Sanogo and looks to have sorted things out. From being in the relegation places to five points clear of the danger area in just a couple of months so they are definitely on the rise.

Sanogo of course can’t play today which is a shame really as it would have been interesting to see how he faired against our defence and I think the loan rule is silly anyway but that’s another story….

Palace have got pace up front, of that we can be sure – Jason Puncheon, Yannick Bolasie, Wilfried Zaha and even Dwight Gayle so they’ll be at us from the off so our defence need to be alert and focussed. And our old boy Chamakh will be out to do us some harm…

Francis Coquelin needs another good solid performance in midfield to slow them down and take control and unless we come out of the blocks early like we did against Boro and take control of this game, Bellerin/Chambers and Monreal/Gibbs will need to think twice before bombing up the pitch like wingers because Palace have the wide players to hurt us on the break.

But we have pace, wide players and a centre forward in good form and I’m sure Pardew will be pretty worried about Cazorla, Sanchez, Walcott, Ozil and Giroud and what they are capable of doing to any side when all signing from the same song-sheet…..

I hope Gabriel starts alongside Koscielny with Monreal, Ospina and Bellerin making up the back five.  Coquelin is a certain pick these days as is Alexis, Cazorla and Giroud which leaves two places for Welbeck, Ozil and Walcott to fight for. Or maybe Jack Wilshere will be thrown into the mix as he’s now fighting fit and healthy but should he start today?

With a Champions League fixture on Wednesday, who knows what will be going through the managers head when it comes to team selection but I hope it’s nothing other than picking the right team to face Palace and getting 3 points on the board this afternoon….

Monaco can wait….

COYRRG’S.

rico

191 thoughts on “Should Jack Wilshere start? Monaco can wait!”

  3. allezkev says:

    My team today, depending on fitness;

    Ospina, Bellerin, BFG, Koz, Monreal
    Coquelin
    Alexis, Santi, Mesut, Theo,
    Giroud…

    Save Wilshere/Rosicky for Monaco…

  4. allezkev says:

    Hmm, forgot Welbeck, maybe the physical aspects of Danny’s game would be more useful in a match of this nature?

    So Welbeck for Walcott

  5. allezkev says:

    It shows the strength of the squad we have now, that the first XI doesn’t pick itself anymore…

    Ramsey won’t walk back into the team, that’s for sure, and a symptom of the influence of Coquelin on Wrngers thinking now…

  7. rico says:

    About time too, for far too long now it’s all been too easy for players as they had no competition for places…

    Arteta is another who will struggle to get back in imo….

  13. Marinello says:

    Good post Rico. Funny how times change, a few years ago, we would be fairly confident of taking 3 points away against a team who have only returned to the top flight after a few years in the championship.
    But then football has changed during this time in that on a good or bad day, all teams in the Prem are capable of taking points off each other.
    Who starts in goal for Arsenal today?
    I fancy a 1-3 result.
    Marinello.

  18. andrewh1313 says:

    re Eastenders, both my wife and I are about to give up after returning for the last few years. Thought it stupidly messy episodes with so much happening, the climax an anti-climax ;-), and too many untold loose ends like Max wiping the car-lot video tapes never explained. Then worrying so much a ten year old knows what he has done. Maybe it’s just us, as others all enjoyed? But going to watch more Nashville, Breaking Bad and Saul episodes. Never thought I would prefer US TV!!

    Back to today, cant remember having so many positions where one or the other ie Gibbs/Monreal, Chambers/Bellerin would not obviously weaken the team.

  22. rico says:

    Out now Andrew, and thanks re the post…

    Agree re the team too as Kev said earlier, it’s sure been a while since we have had selection problems…

  23. rico says:

    Full team: Ospina, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Welbeck, Ozil, Alexis, Giroud

    Substitutes: Szczesny, Gibbs, Bellerin, Gabriel, Wilshere, Rosicky, Walcott

  40. HenryB says:

    Hiya, Rico,

    A top Post and neatly sums up the game options today, with sage advice to concentrate on today’s match and not worry about Wednesday’s game against Monaco. 🙂

    Does anyone have a stream?

  44. allezkev says:

    No seeing game, but I suspect that Arsenal are defending deep to try and negate the pace that Palace have up front…

  45. allezkev says:

    No Akpom on the bench is disappointing, but I suppose if we want such a strong bench that something has to give…

  46. allezkev says:

    Joey Barton sent off…

    What a waste of talent, potentially a great player, but wtf goes on between his ears is anyone’s guess!!!

  53. HenryB says:

    Thanx, ts, that is appreciated. 🙂

    I saw the last part of the half — a little difficult with the buffering – but a better picture than the other stream.

  54. tsgh says:

    True JM… we are lucky to have 11 on the pitch imho…

    Still can’t believe Man Utd fluked their way to this stage of FA cup after luckily going past Preston and struggling against Yeovil and Cambridge…

    If anyone wants proof this league is fixed…

  56. HenryB says:

    ts,

    Have we been dirty, or just rubbish with our tackling? Or is the Palace diving likely to get someone sent off?

  57. tsgh says:

    I think our final ball has been below par; but we are playing deeper so…

    CP have been a bit robust in their tackles and the pitch is like an ice rink…

  62. tsgh says:

    We are winning but we really need to ‘up’ our away form..

    The worst away points per game tally in 6 years… 2nd worst in this league this season.

  74. tsgh says:

    ha ha ha… Agag. OG12 is too slow I heard… lol

    I am very happy for OG12… he is showing why the chavs wanted him to replace Drogba 3 or so years ago…

    SC19 is a different player now… he seems to have matured like fine wine… he is sweeping behind Le Coq very well…

  120. Joaquim Moreira says:

    in 1 minute they scored and another ball hit the goal!
    We didn’t played anything in the second half…
    If we play like this next wednesday , maybe 3 or 4 to monaco

  124. tsgh says:

    Oh Matic suspension wont affect CL…

    Congratulations to Swansea, for the first time in their history, they’ve done the double against Man United.

  128. rico says:

    I don’t think Bellerin was 100% so AW had little choice but to play Chambers.

    Had he played Bellerin and his injury worsened, we’d all be cheesed off. My gripe is why have him on the bench… At least he wasn’t needed…

  129. tsgh says:

    Yanited genuinely play like Stoke now… 😛

    What happened to the total Dutch football?

    Still Yanited managed to beat us 2-0 with XI of Sar, Brown, Smalling, Evra, Rafael, gibson,Oshea, Wooney and Hernandez in 2011

  139. Rick says:

    Evening Rico and the House.
    I’m still trying to work out how the game finished with 22players.
    The Coq and Ledley very lucky to complete 45mins let alone the game.

  141. HenryB says:

    If anyone does not know the Barca v Malaga score – as ts says, the game is finished – but they are showing the re-play on Sky 406

  142. Rick says:

    This morning the U18’s lost away to WBA 2-1
    The team was made up of school boys and first year scholars with the older players left out with mondays cuptie in mind.

    Kev I have no info on Jay Beckford . It looks like we were fast out of the blocks on this one. I was told to expect 2or 3 signings for the acadamy this year this is the first.

  152. Rick says:

    BT whats the betting that tonight the mod experts say that it was outside the area and should not have been given. Its about time luck was on our side.

  158. BT62 Gooner says:

    Rico, to easy for them, Mr Clattenberg and Co, helped Arsenal today,we were average, 3pts as you say is the ‘goal’….Onwards and upwards ..

  163. Rick says:

    Hi Agag hows things.
    Wavy your 12.44 this morning about giving mony to possible rivals.
    I have no doubt that Barnet and Boringwood charge us for the use of their
    grounds for the youth team to play there, but as entrance to the games are free I do not think we are putting much into their bank accounts.
    I agree with Kev about playing at Brisban Road you would get much more gooners going there then you get at the other two.

  165. joe says:

    Evening all, Good result but the pitch was a joke we couldn’t play football and palaces plan long ball and fall over when touched

  172. allezkev says:

    Rico 😉

    So, it seems that Arsenal, may have been lucky….

    Well so bloody what?

    About time too!

    As for MotD Rick, well they can feck off…

    Arsenal periodically get the rough end of the stick…
    So when we get the smooth end, I embrace it.
    And bollocks to all the haters. 😀

  180. scottfromoz says:

    Morning all.
    It was a slugfest of a gem, with little moments of beauty, but we got it done.
    3 points, and we toughed it out…….we even gave a bit of stick which was great.

  186. allezkev says:

    Morning All

    Morning Rico.

    To me, the foul on Welbeck was worthy of a pen. The Palace player fouled Danny just outside the box and then again ‘on the line’ which is part of the box.

    That’s a pen, end of…

    Yep, Danny was offside, and do I care?

    Nope…

    Let’s see what the Mancs get away with when we go up to Old Karsey…

  187. allezkev says:

    Wenger mentioned rotation in his post-match I/v, so I guess we should expect 2,3 or even 4 changes for Monaco…

    I’ll give JM my line-up about an hour before kick-off, ok JM? 😉

  188. potter says:

    Yep, Danny was offside, and do I care? Nope.

    Makes up for Ozil who was onside , do I care ? Not now , spitting feathers at the time.

  189. allezkev says:

    Potter, you should transcendental meditation…

    Adam taught me how to relax during a game, using deep breathing techniques…

    Of course 5 pints of Peroni also help… 😀

  191. Joe says:

    Watched the match yesterday in a pub with the Chelsea and Man Utd on at the same time as well it’s been along time since this has happened.
    I was not able to enjoy their results like I should have because Arsenal had me on tender hooks right up till the end. 🙂
    On the pitch it was a disgrace even man utd and Chelsea fans in the pub could not believe how bad it was that’s why I commented on it yesterday.
    I think the state of the pitch was deliberate ploy by palace which is wrong and should be looked at by the PL.

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