EPL – West Brom vs Arsenal - 3:00 - 13/05/12 - A.Player

Well i predicted we'd beat Norwich 4-0 so i'll go for 8-2 WBA.

This has disaster written all over it, Spurs might get the ultimate revenge for lasagna-gate in 06.

Yet again we are patched-up and limping over the finish line - I see teams posted with Coquelin, Jenkinson. Jesus, a long afternoon awaits.

I was just thinking the same thing.

We have Coquelin, Jenkinson and possibly Chamberlain starting and we also have several out of form players that could start as well including Gibbs and Gervinho, even Rosicky and Verms haven't been great lately.

The bench is one of the worst I have seen for a top four club, Chamakh, Park, Ramsey, Djourou, Santos and Fabianski.

Well i predicted we'd beat Norwich 4-0 so i'll go for 8-2 WBA.

Maybe you should stop predicting.

kidding! I'm not superstitious...

Not too optimistic, are we..

Anyway, 4-2 to The Arsenal.

Our optimism has long died after years and years of watching gutless, overpaid and overhyped prima donnas in Arsenal colours lose to some of the most average teams under the sun.

wow how nervous am I for this game. Long gone are the days where playing teams like norwich and WBA were guaranteed 4-0 wins minimum.

It's is going to be torture watching this, absolute torture. Hopefully we'll get a couple of early goals and go into half time with a lead otherwise a lot of Arsenal fans will be watching this with frequent trips to the toilet. When was the last time we went 5 games without a win by the way?

No early goals! Please not.

Ideally we snatch the three points in injury time.

SZCZ
Coquelin Kos Verms Gibbs
Song Benny
Gervais Rozza Oxlade
RVP

Hoping to see:

---------------Szczesny---------------
-Coquelin--Koscielny--Vermaelen--Gibbs-
-----------Song--Chamberlain----------
-Gervinho-------Rosicky-------Benayoun-
---------------van Persie--------------

With the above team I might have some semblance of confidence, but undoubtedly that will not be the team and thus my expectation is that we'll screw up, again. Kinda depressing to have such negative views, but there'll be even more pressure on the team with this one than there was against Norwich, an we all know how that ended up.

This season has been by far my most painful experience as a Gooner and I hope it doesn't get much more painful come next Sunday.

It's been a rollercoaster ride, in which we lost 8 lives, but we are still alive and kicking. Think this time we will not get any help and have to win. Nervous as hell, but also strangely confident, somehow we'll do it. Knock on wood.

Is Theo fit for this one? I want Coquelin to start in midfield but Jenkinson hasn't played in a while, so I think Coquelin will start at right-back.

If the team doesn't turn up for this....I dont know what I'll do.

We've been given yet another chance we better take it.

Wenger most definitely won't make more than 2 changes and he surely won't go into the final, crucial game with 2 youngsters who hasn't played for quite a long time before (Coq and Carl). The only way I can see Ramsey not starting is Djourou as RB and Coquelin as CM.

Expected Starting XI
Szczesny
Coquelin - Koscielny - Vermaelen - Gibbs
Song - Ramsey
Rosicky
Gervinho - van Persie - Benayoun


My Preferred XI
Szczesny - Koscielny - Vermaelen - Gibbs
Song - Coquelin
Rosicky
Chamberlain - van Persie - Gervinho

Predicted Result
Arsenal winning 3-1

Coquelin should play all day ahead of Ramsey in midfield. At least he defends. This will free Song somewhat while not slitting our throats.

Agreed. The midfield is the key. Arteta and Song worked fine together. Ramsey and Song was a disaster last match because none of them took the defensive responsibility.

We need a deep lying midfielder who can shield the defence and play the ball out of the defense. Coquelin can do both things. Coquelin's defensive awareness and intelligence is on another level than Ramsey's and Song's. I like Song, but it is tactical suicide to play him in midfield without a partner that knows how to defend.

Wenger should tell the players that the majority of them are playing for a place in the first team next season.

No Sagna, Arteta,Mertesacker or Walcott.

Time for a few players (not named Van Persie) to stand up and be counted.

Gervinho, Ramsey and Jenkinson(if he starts) if you guys start and play well then all will be forgiven.

Expected Starting XI
Szczesny
Coquelin - Koscielny - Vermaelen - Gibbs
Song - Ramsey
Rosicky
Gervinho - van Persie - Benayoun


My Preferred XI
Szczesny - Koscielny - Vermaelen - Gibbs
Song - Coquelin
Rosicky
Chamberlain - van Persie - Gervinho

Predicted Result
Arsenal winning 3-1

Coquelin should play all day ahead of Ramsey in midfield. At least he defends. This will free Song somewhat while not slitting our throats.

Agreed. The midfield is the key. Arteta and Song worked fine together. Ramsey and Song was a disaster last match because none of them took the defensive responsibility.

We need a deep lying midfielder who can shield the defence and play the ball out of the defense. Coquelin can do both things. Coquelin's defensive awareness and intelligence is on another level than Ramsey's and Song's. I like Song, but it is tactical suicide to play him in midfield without a partner that knows how to defend.

Is My Preferred XI really that good in goal? I'm not too keen on Szczesny at RB too, his crossing is poor.

I can not believe that I did that again. Thanks for pointing it out.

I would prefer to play with Szczesny in goal and Djourou as RB. It is not ideal but I trust Djourou more than Jenkinson at this stage.

Szczesny
Djourou Koscielny Vermaelen Gibbs
Coquelin Song
Walcott Rosicky Gervinho
RVP

Fabianski Squillaci Santos Ramsey Benayoun Chamberlain Chamakh

Is it really possible for us to f**k it up... again?

Somehow... SOMEHOW... It's still in our hands. Win this and we're third. One game. One cup final.

Sadly, the answer to the original question is "yes". It is completely possible for this team to f**k up again.

Going to be tense next week, but not as tense as it could have been.

We need to leave our legs on the pitch for this one. If Wenger can't get the players riled up for this one, he might aswell leave.

At least we know what we will get.

Lose = fifth
draw = fourth
win = third

--------------Szczesny

Coquelin - Koscielny - Vermaelen - Gibbs

-----------Song - Chamberlain

--------------Rosicky

Gervinho --------------------- Benayoun

---------------Van Persie

f**king go for it.

Forget hurting Ramsey's feelings. There are more important matters to attend to.

At least we know what we will get.

Lose = fifth
draw = fourth
win = third

Newcastle and Spurs are bottlers like we are, and might well lose or draw their final games. It's bizarre really, almost like nobody wants 3rd place this season

I think that Spurs will definitely win their match against Fulham. Getting 4th would suck. That CL final would be unbearable to watch.

Wenger, Rice and the coaching staff have to share the blame for our woeful defensive performances this season......do they ever bring up defending during the team talk?

Yesterday was a total horror show. We were so careless after 3-2.You would expect better from experienced heads.

Vermaelen and Chez worry me the most.

Score the early goal and defend , defend , defend!

We need an air of calm in the middle and I hope Wenger realizes that.

I haven't seen Ramsey play during the full 90 but it looks like he won't be able to handle the pressure.

We need an air of calm in the middle and I hope Wenger realizes that.

Arteta.

Wenger was not kidding when he said finishing top 4 would be like winning a trophy.

If we win,I really would celebrate this result like winning a trophy.

We should make a trophy our of own and have an open bus parade with the fan fare and everything.

Win and we are guaranteed Champions League football, if they need more motivation than that then they should be shipped out.

We need an air of calm in the middle and I hope Wenger realizes that.

Arteta.

That is why Coquelin would be crucial or Wenger needs to scream at Ramsey to stay the **** back.

I like Coquelin...I have said this before and I'm saying this again.

His performance Vs Spurs at WHL this season was one of the best from a holding MF playing for Arsenal...tackles, passing ,vision was superb.

He certainly should play in MF and not at RB.

Would play this, Chambo looked good when coming on Saturday, injected pace into the side which we badly miss with Theo out and Yossi deserves to keep his spot, played well and got some nice goals recently, also a surprising aerial threat, just needs to direct his headers better.

I also wouldn't be entirely against the idea of going 4-4-2 with Chamakh up top as a target man, would probably mean the defence getting even less protection than it did against Norwich though which would be an absolute disaster.