EPL – Stoke vs Arsenal – 1:30pm – 26/8/12 - SS1

Stoke vs Arsenal

--------------------------------------------------Britannia Stadium
---------------------------------------------Sunday 26th August 2012
--------------------------------------------------Kick off – 1:30pm
---------------------------------------------

My Preferred Lineup:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Szczesny
- Jenkinson - Koscielny - Vermaelen - Gibbs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Diaby - - Arteta
- Gervinho - - -- - - - - - Cazorla - - - -- - - -Podolski
- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - Giroud

Bench: - Fabianski, Mertesacker, Santos, Ramsey, Arshavin, Chamberlain, Walcott


My Score Prediction

- Stoke - 1 - - - Arsenal - 1
- Walters - -- - -Podolski

I doubt we will win this, could be a win or a draw.

Welcome to England.

One of the toughest away games of the season.

F**king hate them. will be so hard game hope we see new signings.

Chesney

New Signing Kosh Tv5 Gibbs

New Signing Arteta

Gervinho Cazorla Poldi

Giroud.

I'm praying that we make a significant signing before this game to give us some cutting edge, because we were sorely lacking in the department against Sunderland. We look decent, but decent isn't good enough.

I know that we need to give our new signings to bed in, but I still feel we are lacking something.

**** Stoke.

Glad we're getting this fixture out the way early on.

Hoping for a new signing before this game, something to liven up the mood around the camp.

Another drab draw on the card. We'll be lucky not to lose this one up north.

Welcome to England.

If that's England then I say **** the queen with a rake. Few teams that I despise as much as those ******* apes and their inbred fans, dirty kicking and mouthing off at refs, dives, and all of that on a ******* bambini-team-sized pitch.



**** that **** Pulis, too.

This ******* fixture. My least favourite of the season.

Hopefully we'll get out of there without any injuries to key players and a win. Giroud needs to start, we need his height and pysicality in the box. Both boxes actually.

------------Szczesny
Kos----Mertesacker---Verm----Gibbs
--------Chambelain-Arteta
Walcott-----Cazorla-------Podolski
------------Giroud

------------------------Szczesny-------------------
-Koscielny-Mertesacker-Vermaelen-Gibbs-
-------------Chamberlain-Arteta-----------------
-----Walcott-------Cazorla-----Podolski-------
-----------------------Giroud-----------------------

Bench: Fabianski, Djourou, Coquelin, Arshavin, Diaby, Ramsey, Gervinho.

No Jenkinson please.

Don't quite fancy this fixture still its a bit long.

Happy enough to get this out of the road early on.

We threatened today so hopefully can finish a few off next week, a win up there would be a breath of fresh air and four points from Sunderland (H) and Stoke (A) is a good return.

C'mon the gunners!

I'd prefer Coq or Yennaris ahead of Jenkers at right back

Need to win this but we'll have to be much sharper than today. Thank God we don't have to play CL play-offs. Hopefully Sahin's available for this although Diaby will no doubt start to add some steel and power. A score draw looks a likely outcome to me.

I though Jenks did ok today... Seems like im the only one though lol.
Want a Giroud start. He looked brighter than Podi. Fingers crossed we will have signed someone before this game. Kos and Ox being back will be a good boost.

We really shouldn't be fearing teams like this or making out they are harder than they are.

They just play with guts and try to park the bus, we really need to watch how Spain and Barca handle these situations whilst playing possession football as I take it that's what Wenger is going for again because they have to overcome this in nearly every game.

We should try long range as much as we can, hopefully one can go in early and give us the needed comfort.

Going for a 1-0 for us, not worried about new signings being welcomed to England, but Diaby might need to use that strength

Will post my lineup on Friday incase we sign anybody this week.

They just play with guts and try to park the bus, we really need to watch how Spain and Barca handle these situations whilst playing possession football as I take it that's what Wenger is going for again because they have to overcome this in nearly every game.

Spain don't always manage it and Barca are very reliant on the brilliance of Messi. One of the reasons Guardiola wasn't keen on letting Yaya Toure go was because it limited his options in terms of overcoming teams who defended deep.

There are really only two ways to overcome the problem of team who park the bus (well, three, but there is only one Messi). You either have a battering ram (e.g. a Drogba, Yaya Toure) who can physically bulldoze his way through or you get your full backs to push high up to give you an extra man.

Welcome to England.

If that's England then I say **** the queen with a rake. Few teams that I despise as much as those ******* apes and their inbred fans, dirty kicking and mouthing off at refs, dives, and all of that on a ******* bambini-team-sized pitch.



**** that **** Pulis, too.

Actually, I didn't learn this until today but all the pitches in the EPL now have to be the same size. So at least there is that... Shame the rest of the **** you mentioned still exists though.

Not to mention they will try and target Cazorla. I wish this wouldn't be the case, but you can almost guarantee they will. And poor Ramsey is going to receive the same **** as last time.

Park the bus? They wont park the fcking bus! They know how to score goals against us, and they know we'll be very nervous. Be prepared for an onslaught. They'll make us defend alright - you can be fcking sure of that.

Yeah I agree with The Jury they definitely won't park the bus. But the WILL tackle us with as much force as they can.

If the kick Santi I will make it my personal mission to assassinate Tony Poo-lis.

If the kick Santi I will make it my personal mission to assassinate Tony Poo-lis.

I will chip in some money for bullets and stuff, if it really comes to this.

At least we are not playing them on a miserable Winter day.

Feel we are more than equiped to play well against them, despite his short comings, Jenkinson will need to play this one due to his height. Only threat i can see is from set pieces. Merts can match Crouchy for height.

They'll be kicking us around the park all afternoon as usual and quickly get 11 men behind the ball as soon as we look threatening. But you know they will always move plenty of people up for every corner, every free kick and every throw in that **** Delap can get his dirty towel on. I hope to see some very fast and effective counter attacking from us in these situations.

I'd prefer Coq or Yennaris ahead of Jenkers at right back

Nah, put Yennaris or Coquelin at right-back and Pulis is going to exploit it.

We'll see Crouch and Jones peeling off to the back stick constantly and lining up against the right-back for an easy out ball.

At least Jenkinson has some height about him and isn't such an easy target for Pulis's physical tactics.

Whether he'll be good enough to deal with Etherington on the ground is another matter.

But against Stoke I'd take a 6'1" full-back over one who's 5'10" or 5'9" any day.

Especially if Wenger decides to play Koscielny over Mertesacker.

if kos is fit playing him at rb in this match could solve a couple of different problems

Giroud needs to start — I think he could be massive in games like this.