Help Me Pick a Team to Face Arsenal

By: Daryl | July 24th, 2009

Big game coming up vs Arsenal at home. We’re third, they’re second (it’s 2012 so Man City have finally spent their way to first place). It’s the 4pm game on Sunday, which means we’ll be on Sky Sports. No pressure then.

Here’s how Arsenal are shaping up:

(click to enlarge)

From previous encounters, Toulalan helps Fabregas pull the strings in midfield and needs to be watched. Let’s hope Theo Walcott doesn’t recover from his fractured wrist in time. That man (he’s 22 now, and I like to imagine he now sports a full beard) is dangerous.

So we’ve got several options as to how we go about this, and – as usual – I’d like your input. Here are the questions:

1. Strategy – Do we stick with 4-1-2-1-2 and attack them? We’re at home, but they’re good. Especially in central midfield. Alternatives are: pulling the AM back to CM to form a 4-1-3-2, or maybe a cowardly 4-5-1 counter-attack. Maybe even match Arsenal with our own 4-4-2. What should we do?

2. Players – Keeper and back four picks itself. Same as last game. Jonas and Arshavin make sense as the wide players given Marquinhos bad form, Diego makes sense as AM, and Laurito has to be one of the strikers (or the lone striker).

After that it gets a bit more complicated. So, based on your answer to question 1…

a) If it’s 4-1-2-1-2 then does Veloso or Camacho start at DM?

If 4-1-3-2 or 4-4-2 then who plays central midfield? Does Diego simply drop back, or do we go with a more orthodox CM?

b) Up front, who should partner Laurito (assuming you agree Laurito should start)? Lewandowski or The Pog? The Pog is the more senior player (he’s acting captain in Coloccini’s absence) and sometimes turns it on for big games, but has hit a bad patch of form. Lewandowski looks more likely to do something right now, but isn’t exactly on fire either.

c) Given his recent useless form, does Marquinhos even deserve a look in?

Here’s a screenshot of the squad, with recent form (last five games).

(click to enlarge)

ps Don’t be fooled by The Pog’s recent form rating. He got a 9.6 in one game, which makes his recent form look artificially impressive. Without that one game he’d be in the mid to low sixes.