CL | Ludogorets vs Arsenal | 1st of November at 19:45 (GMT)

[Tir Na Nog]

Remember Sp**s play on Wednesday and they're in more need of CL points than we are. I honestly don't see why we'd rest players playing on a Tuesday and then a Sunday. If it was Wednesday/Saturday I could sort of understand but there's honestly no need.

If we win tomorrow then we basically have Basel at home in December to rotate because we'll pretty much will already be through, but while we're not through yet we should just focus on getting there.

I can just imagine the conversion between Wenger and Alexis if he tells Alexis that he'll be rested tomorrow.

 

[SYS]

Spanking the Sp*rs is more important but we dont have to rest all of our first 11. Rotate where required trust Wenger to get that right

 

[OG J0E]

Win this and we only have to match a 1-1 at home against PSG, then match their result at Basel to top the group.

 

[SYS]

 

[Uncle Good-Advice]

If we win tomorrow then we basically have Basel at home in December to rotate because we'll pretty much will already be through

Unfortunately it's Basel away not at home, so it's not that straightforward. If there will be a chance of top finish in the group then Wenger will go for it and play his best team. So we need to win against PSG to rotate comfortably.

 

[razörist]

Really cool, took me about 7 seconds to spot him! Had to look really closely though.

 

[Makingtrax]

I'm glad I'm not the manager.....Wenger can't do anything right tomorrow.
If he rests too many we'll risk finishing first in the group, if he rests too few we could risk getting a win vs Spu*s....good luck with whatever he comes up with.

Wenger's his own man and rarely makes a decision that the fan's demand. That's probably why he's done so well

 

[Rocky]

Remember Sp**s play on Wednesday and they're in more need of CL points than we are. I honestly don't see why we'd rest players playing on a Tuesday and then a Sunday. If it was Wednesday/Saturday I could sort of understand but there's honestly no need.

If we win tomorrow then we basically have Basel at home in December to rotate because we'll pretty much will already be through, but while we're not through yet we should just focus on getting there.

I can just imagine the conversion between Wenger and Alexis if he tells Alexis that he'll be rested tomorrow.

The reason being because the season is long and this is one of the few opportunities to rotate. You're taking a short-term view. He's off with Chile after the Sp**s game.

It isn't a surprise that Walcott and Monreal have gone down. They've played a lot of football. Ramsey was brought back unwisely quickly. Lucas and Cazorla were impact injuries, but at least that was a game Lucas needed to be playing in. Cazorla wasn't essential for the home Ludogorets game.

Arsenal are not finishing below 2nd in the group. Hopefully they can rotate against Basel as well as this game.

Here's how the the conversation with Alexis might go. "I blatantly over played you last season and got you injured against Norwich in a game where we still dropped 2 points. Then you were out for 8 weeks and we never really got our form back again until the league was gone. Leicester won the league. You've played an enormous amount of football for Chile, with lots of travel, and you're off with them again in a week to play Colombia and Uruguay. We're qualifying from this group easily. Your team mates like Giroud are looking very sharp and hungry having sat out a lot of games. We've got 3 huge games against Sp**s, PSG and Man Utd after this one. You're our key player and I want you at your very best for those games. You'll need to be to hold on to the CF position because Giroud is looking extremely good and Iwobi is looking a bit tired and lacking in end product. You didn't dream of playing in the Champions League because you wanted to clash with giants of European Football like Ludogorets. You probably hadn't even heard of them until the groups were drawn. Your dogs miss you when you're away. Also, I'm the manager and it's my decision. You're staying in London, putting your feet up, and having a nice time and getting pumped for the Sp**s game."

Lot's of bullish 'play the first team' comments in this forum. Much less forward planning or acceptance of contrary evidence when injuries occur. Liverpool and Chelsea are looking dangerous and have no European football. Fatigue was used as an excuse by Wenger for the performances against Burnley and Boro. The same 11 has played the vast majority of minutes.

 

[razörist]

Play Ramsey from the bench, he'll have an international break coming on with a manager that has no chill. I don't want him to break down again. Time to use the squad depth again. Would have been a perfect game for Lucas but yeah. Alexis looked a bit tight and hurt at times against Sunderland, would love it if he's rested.

 

[Johnny_Blaze]

One of Sanchez or Özil has to be rested. I'd rest Sanchez and let Giroud start. The game against Sp**s is going to be brutal, and he'll need to be 100% for it.

 

[A_G]

Lot's of bullish 'play the first team' comments in this forum. Much less forward planning or acceptance of contrary evidence when injuries occur.

Actually people are thinking ahead by saying play a strong team, the idea is to get points on the board so you have the luxury of rotating later on. Imagine dropping points in the next two games and having to play a strong team in Basel just to go through like last season. The fixture list around that time is brutal, need to have qualification secured and play an EFL Cup side out there:
December 3: West Ham A
December 6: Basel A
December 10: Stoke H
December 13: Everton A
December 18: Manchester City A

Rotating 2 or 3 players is fine, but making wholesale changes like you've suggested rarely works as we saw last season.

 

[Preacher]

Hope Cazorla and Walcott will be ready for NLD.

 

[Rocky]

Actually people are thinking ahead by saying play a strong team, the idea is to get points on the board so you have the luxury of rotating later on. Imagine dropping points in the next two games and having to play a strong team in Basel just to go through like last season. The fixture list around that time is brutal, need to have qualification secured and play an EFL Cup side out there:
December 3: West Ham A
December 6: Basel A
December 10: Stoke H
December 13: Everton A
December 18: Manchester City A

Rotating 2 or 3 players is fine, but making wholesale changes like you've suggested rarely works as we saw last season.

No because Arsenal will be going through anyway. They'll be best off rotating for Basel as well.

What's the point in waiting until later to rotate if Alexis hits the red zone and more points are risked with jaded performances like the ones against Burnley and Boro

Need I remind you that you said no changes for the last game? They made 3 and won 6-0. Cazorla got injured, and Walcott and Monreal were out one game later. 2 points dropped at home against Boro.

It didn't work previously because they didn't have enough depth. Players like Debuchy, Ox and Gibbs playing with little minutes in the build up. The team not in such good form generally. People are quick to forget that just a couple of years ago Arsenal used to have 3 centre backs and their third choice CB was Calum Chambers! He's now their 6th choice CB!

Now you're looking at Giroud, Ramsey, Elneny, Holding, Gabriel on the bench.

Also, the Dinamo Zagreb game was in early September, before they'd built form and fitness. They lost their first two group games and now they have a lot of points in the bag. The situation is totally different.

I'm afraid we're just going round in circles. Will have to agree to disagree...

 

[David_Smith]

We have approached our dreaded November month. Results in this month will indicate the progress we have made.

 

[skip spence]

I agree with @Rocky , this is the perfect time to rest the big guns. Alexis should not start this, nor should Özil. Get Giroud and Ramsey in for some match fitness building. Let Iwobi and Ox play, maybe Holding too, certainly Xhaka.

The "reserves" should be enough to beat this rabble. If they're not, we will most likely go through to the 2nd round anyway.

 

[Maxim]

The "reserves" should be enough to beat this rabble. If they're not, we will most likely go through to the 2nd round anyway.

Apparently you didn't see the first game, but they threatened and if it wasn't for some extremely ropey goalkeeping on their part and a great performance from Ospina that game could have been very very different.

 

[SYS]

Hope Cazorla and Walcott will be ready for NLD.

There was news about Walcott training seperately and a doubt for Ludo game. Getting ready to trounce Sp**s i reckon

 

[berric]

When is the presser? Tomorrow?

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

Don't want to see many first teamers starting this one at all, don't even mind if we draw as long as we get 4 points min in our two league games. There's not a great difference in the fringe players anymore so should do a good job.

 

[crazyman]

It would be ludogorets to rest players without qualification secured.