Another Road Trip in domestic cup competitions tonight with the failure to win the original tie at home coming in handy for once. Whilst Toure’s absence leaves a big hole in the defence, William Gallas is there to fill it and to be honest, despite his lack of match fitness, there are precious few other defenders in the Premiership with as much ability and experience. It allows Arsene to pick Djourou in the centre safe in the knowledge that there is an experience pair of hands beside him. A win tonight would take out another of Toure’s suspension period, meaning that he would only miss the Aston Villa game in the Premiership. A by-product of his sending off is that he gets the rest he deserves for his efforts although he strikes me as the sort of player who wants to be on the pitch all of the time, an enthusiasm for the game demanding his inclusion.
Emmanuel Adebayor is also missing for at least three matches following the failure of his appeal against his dismissal in Cardiff. His ban is likely to be increased by another two or three games following on from the additional charges of Reacting In An Aggressive Manner and Failing To Leave The Pitch Promptly. In domestic terms, it looks as if Adebayor is going to get a spring break, the earliest return from five games out being mid-March.
The match against Blackburn is an ideal opportunity to get Sunday out of the Clubs system, the palaver in the media will be forgotten although you can just feel it in your bones that there will another Red Card tonight, a different Blackburn player throwing themselves theatrically to the ground in Savage’s absence cannot be ruled out.
A plethora of late injuries mean that the team could quite conceivably play in the Carling Cup and not have been noticed.
Almunia; Eboue, Gallas, Djourou, Traore; Hleb, Fabregas, Gilberto, Flamini; Baptista, Aliadiere
with a bench of:
Poom, Hoyte, Ljungberg, Denilson, Baptista, Senderos
I believe Arsene will rest Senderos ahead of the Reading and PSV games where I think he will partner Gallas and Toure respectively. Had Toure not been dismissed, I suspect he and Gallas would have been the pairing tonight with Djourou on the bench. At right back, I expect Arsene to risk Hoyte, keeping him on the bench for his versatility rather than Senderos who is purely a centre-half. Eboue will get the nod at Right Back despite his indiscretions but I would expect him to be on his best behaviour, not wanting to incur the beaks wrath ahead of his upcoming sentencing. Midfield is weakened by Rosicky’s absence but I suspect that Flamini will get the nod ahead of Denilson and Ljungberg to add some more steel and try to give the full-backs some protection.
The similarities with this and the Bolton tie cannot be ignored. Blackburn are capable of playing more to feet than Big Sam’s outfit and they will have to play a more attacking game than at The Emirates. They will also be looking to avenge two defeats in the past two or so months, motivation if ever there were any needed. Rovers will however be mindful of the beating they took at Ewood Park recently; comprehensively outplayed by ten men and they will be more cautious in going forward than a home side would in a cup tie, wary of leaving gaps at the back for Arsenal to exploit.
What a load of drivel how can ARSENAL of all sides complain about maybe a Blackburn player Theatrically throwing himself to the ground!! when that is what your side does 98% of the time!!! Nothing worse than a Bias Blog !!! try and be constructive next time!!
that team is really wrong
1) baptista appears twice
2) djourou, flamini are massive doubts
3) fabregas is rested
4) he said denilson will prob start
sort it out!
The thing about blogs is that you tell it as you see it from your own point of view. We are all biased in some way. This blog is a good deal fairer than most.
I suppose Jonny that you are going to deny that Savage is cheating bastard, well schooled by his current manger (as a player- he is a good manager) ?
Team will depend on who is fit and not suspended but I have got a feeling there will be a debutant, Randall perhaps.
Firstly Flint you assume that i am a Blackburn Fan?
I read a lot of columns from most fans sites to see what other fans think and is largely an interesting read!! i dont claim to be any sort of guru on Football but i just thought that this blog was somewhat off the mark when Arsenal are seen (and quite fairly i think) as consistent divers and cheats (with the exception of a couple!!) all im saying is for Arsenal to come out with a comment on other teams is a little hypocritical!! Dont get me wrong i whole heartedly agree that Savage is a well known cheat along with David Bentley (for all the talent he has, he goes down softer than Ronaldo). I apologise if you thought it was me having a go at your team. It just frustrateed me when i read it. Having said that i would like to say i think Arsenal are the best footballing team in the country and at most they are a joy to watch. Looking forward to seeing the game tonight. Im sure it will be a lot more exciting than the one at the emirates
As a Blackburn fan, I can’t see why we don’t play more of the same football as we did at the Emmirates. It worked, why change a winning (well, drawing) formulae.
Our only chance of success is if we can get a early goal (55 seconds would be good…come on Nonda!), and defend for 89 minutes. If it’s 0-0 with 10/15 minutes to go, Rovers will lose 4-0, as Arsenal’s counter attacking football is well reknown for being jolly good.
I can see Hughes putting out his strongest tie, as the FA cup is probably our best route into Europe for next season. It would go something like this:
Friedal, Warnock, Nelson, Zurab, Emerton, Gamst-Pederson, Tugay, Dunn, Bentley, Derbyshire, McCarthy
Bench:
Brown, Todd, Gallagher, Peter, Nonda
I’d be happy if we put that team out.
I just hope we win. Not really bothered about a good/exciting game. A win would be £15.00 well spent!
Jonny
Whilst I do try to fair, I am biased, I make no bones about that. You can see from the top that this about Arsenal; the club crest in the middle of the header gives it away. If that still baffles you, look at the photos either side, that may be a big clue as well.
As for criticising Savage, surely that is a fair deal? He went down like he’d been hit by a plank of 4 by 2 in the Premiership. Every football supporter in the land is a hypocrite – we accept things from our own teams that we find unacceptable in others.
Byron
The team that was a guess yesterday morning. As to its accuracy, long time readers here know that if I guess at it, then 80% of the guess will be wrong! Don’t take team news written here as the Gospel truth – I have no inside track on Wenger’s selections.
Wenger did not say that Denilson will start, merely that he will be there which is a world of difference. Where has the Fabregas news come from? I have not seen that although the inconsiderate bastards who employ me are expecting me to work today so I cannot spend much time looking for these things.
Rob
Blackburn cannot sit back completely, surely? If they wait 70 minutes for their first shot on goal then it could be all over by then. Not sure about this being BR’s best chance of Europe, if Arsenal finish in the top 4 then the 7th place team get a UEFA Cup spot which is still achievable. That said, I would expect Hughes to put out his strongest side knowing that Arsenal are “weakened” through injuries and suspensions.
Another Rovers fan here. Its gonna be real difficult not to sit back tonight with all your attacking prowess!!! im sure well try and hit on the counter especially seeing you have quite a few key players out!! but we need to be defensively tight before being overly attacking! set pieces could be key for us tonight!!
good luck to both sides
Yogi,
As Life The Hard Way has indicated, and made the point well, I dont think we have much option, but to stay back, 2 banks of 4, and Derbyshire running around like an idiot up front and McCarthy being his usual laid-back, and offside, self. All we can hope for is a freekick, 20/25 yards out, and Pederson’s golden left foot to work it’s magic.
With regards Savage, he did go down like a hooker with £50 in her hand, but, unfortunately, that’s the nature of the beast now-a-days. It is a crying shame.
good luck to both sides
That’s how it should be LTHW.
It will be a patchwork Arsenal side tonight so no one knows whether it will be a Reading or a Sheffield Utd performance.
Blackburn need to get on top of us early & they won’t do that by sitting back.
“theatrically throwing himself to the ground!! when that is what your side does 98% of the time!!! ”
Yes we cannot claim that it hasn’t happened but it is rare, certainly no worse than any other side & a lot better than many. We are more sinned against than sinners. Jonny , you sound as though you have been brainwashed by our wonderful media.
Flint
Your probably right. I think what youll find is we will come out all guns blazing for the first 10 or so, then in typical rovers style sit back. I havent really got a problem with us sitting back as long as we try to hit on the break whereas at the first leg we didnt appear to want to. Our tactics will depend on the unpredictable side that Arsene has been forced to pick due to injuries & suspension.
In conclusion obviously i hope we win but if we get beat!! i just hope we are all entertained and gain a little respect from other teams & the press alike in how we go about our performance.
LTHW
I have no complaints about the 1st game – it was a typical & traditional “get ‘em back to our place” effort.
I know Blackburn can & do play good football.
You seem a reasonable chap- what do you make of Jonny’s comments?
Hmmm its a tough one.. I dont think jonny is too articulate in getting his point across. Diving and cheating unfortunately is part of the game these days although i wish it was nt!! Savage is a cheat with regards to diving and gaining advantage for his team!! ( but he s a love him when he plays for you type of guy) i can certainly understand the boos he gets! He s also right about Bentley! Im a season ticket holder and have noticed this diving and falling over at every chance he gets. such a shame for such an obviously talented player.
Where jonny falls down is his complete attack on Arsenal. Of course Arsenal dive and cheat!! but none more or none less than any other football team in the premiership including Blackburn. Of course theres debate over the big four getting the decisions more but that is because it s highlighted more in the press because they are the big four!!
In conclusion the game would be a lot better without it but its an issue that can be resolved with help from Managers, referees and the FA. Until its addressed it will continue..
BUT its great for debates like this ha ha ha we all secretly love controversy in the game
sorry to go on
I think the only people that can stamp out the diving, and over acting are the players. Referee’s don’t seem willing to book players for simulation, and I would guess managers wouldn’t mind if a simulation got them an advantage.
On a similar note, if a player is fairly tackled, and the player who is tackled goes down like he has been shot in order to try and gain a freekick, but no freekick is given, is this simulation?
I totally understand your point rob! and i agree Refs dont seem to keen on booking or taking appropriate action on the offending player.
I understand it would be very difficult to police but if we can get co-operation from managers Refs and the FA to be harsh on players for a sustained period of time i truly believe players will start to take notice. It may take a couple of games of abandonment with red cards being produced but it would highlight the issue!!
this may not work but isnt it worth a try
what do you think ?
Cheating takes all forms & it has been about for all of the 50 years I have been watching it. For what it’s worth I don’t think it is any worse now either.
It is just you get so many camera angles now that it is emphasised, even if it is not actually proven. I would say that the majority of the time you just cannot tell if a player has dived or not. Sometimes it is so blatent, ie Campo a couple of weeks ago, but quite often you can see it a 100 times & not be sure, ie Ronaldo v TH. The game is played so quickly & athletically now.
We have the attitude these days to make possiblys into actuals with no defining proof, other than some tosser pundit has said so.
What irritates me as well is the defender, who knows he has committed a foul bringing an opponent down then stands over him doing a dive impression.
I don’t hold with “the big clubs get all the decisions” stuff. Like there has always been, you get “homer” referees – Styles being the best example.
Great valid comments from both Flint & Rob
Your right about the defender doing the dive impression. I also detest the showing of the imaginary cards! that deserves a booking in itself! It is so hard to determine what is a foul these days and of course simulation doesnt help. We are blessed with all this computer technology but at the end of the day it comes down to Common sense and opinion. Something that will never be universally agreed on as we re all different in our opinions. Which is a good thing or we would nt get enjoyment out of discussing like this!!!
fab news was said by AW in his press conference
“fab will be rested, denilson will come in for him…”
world of difference…
I do appreciate your blog though, so sorry if I am being pedantic. Teams are v hard to predict i know.
I’m with you there, LTHW, regarding the simulation of waving a yellow card. I thought FIFA brought in a directive to stamp this out i.e. booking a player that does it. Again, this directive has fallen by the by.
I would have to agree with Flint. Cheating, not to put to finer point on it, has been around for more years than it would seem. I remember Scott Sellars playing for Rovers would go over at the slightest knock, or leave a foot behind to be caught.
I think the introduction of a camera at every angle hasn’t made the referee’s job any harder, the referee’s of yore had to decide whether the foul happened or not, it just means that that the referee’s are under cricitism if they do get a decision wrong. And sometimes even the camera can’t tell if it foul or not. I wouldn’t want to be a referee.
I think some referees are biased against some clubs, and players. For example, and I don’t want to sound like a whinging northerner, even though that is what I may be, but it feels that some decisions go against Blackburn because we are deemed a ‘physical’ club. I’m sure the same goes for Bolton or other scrapper type clubs. Again, with players, if a player commits to a tackle, and it my be a fair one, but there is doubt, the free kick would go against that player if that player is Savage, or Viera (back in the day). However, a more cultured, none ‘thug’ player (not that Viera or Savage were/are thugs) the Gerrards and Lampards of this world, the decision would be more in favour of the tackler.
As a season ticket holder at Ewood, none of the matches that we have played have been dirty, but we are still top of the bad boys league. But that’s just me having a whine! It’s now off my chest, and I can get back to sensible discussions…
“I think some referees are biased against some clubs, and players”
This is very true and it works both ways. I am sure Bolton & Blackburn do have this problem but conversely they are also favoured by some refs, Howard Webb in particular. Same applies to Arsenal from a different angle, although I cannot think of a ref who actually favours us on a regular basis.
This need not be dishonest because it is one person’s interpretation of the rules. It is dishonest when this interpretation is not the same for both sides.
You must have noticed how differently continental referees view things. A non foul in England is very often a foul everywhere else.
Let’s hope it is a good game tonight, fairly played & refereed, & may the best team win!
Good luck to Blackburn,after tonight that is, because apart from the first tie,which we have covered earlier, they have always played well & competitively at Highbury & the Emirates.