PL: Arsenal vs Portsmouth | 05/03/05

[KingReyes]

I'm off to London tomorrow for Saturday's match and the Munich one. Looking forward as always to see The Arsenal play, maybe I'll bump into a few lads from the forum like RockyRocastle(Sol), 1886 and the others who frequently go to the games. :wink: I will be in the North bank by the way.

Anyways we have a few players missing from this one but I'm still confident we can win. I think Henry will be back with RVP alongside him, with Cole out injured looks like Clichy stays at LB with maybe Quincy on the left. Other possibilities are Freddie on the left with Lauren/Quincy/Cesc on the right. Vieira in the middle with Flamini/Cesc as his partner.Its still hard to guess the line up, does Toure come back at CB or moves to RB. Or does Eboue come in? Who the **** knows?

Come on Arsenal!!

 

[Ratinho]

I think Pompey are infinitely weaker without Harry in charge, and we should sneak this.

In fact, we could do with giving Henry the entire week off before Bayern, and young Jeremie looked very sharp when he came on.

Probable?:

Lehmann

Lauren
Clichy
Cygan
Toure

Ljungberg
Vieira
Flamini
Fabregas

Henry
RvP

Whereas i'd pick:

Lehmann

Eboue
Clichy
Senderos
Cygan

Owusu-Abeyle
Vieira
Flamini
Ljungberg

Alliadiere
Rvp

 

[Gazza Martinez]

The only question for me is whether to play Toure or Senderos at CB. Wenger will probably go for Kolo to give him a bit of confidence ahead of the Bayern match.

Lehmann

Lauren Toure Cygan Clichy

Ljungberg Vieira Flamini Quincy

RVP Onree

 

[Lukazan]

I think Pompey are infinitely weaker without Harry in charge, and we should sneak this.

In fact, we could do with giving Henry the entire week off before Bayern, and young Jeremie looked very sharp when he came on.

NO WAY.

Not IMO anyway... it's an attitude like this that has cost us too many games so far this season, underestimating opposition.

Maybe Henry shouldn't play the full 90mins, but to completely leave him out of the squad would be madness.

 

[JazzG]

http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?arti ... ing+Pompey

Quincy might play. Henry has a chance of playing, Fred+Paddy will play, Cole might be rested due to his hamstring and Cygan has a problem as well :?

 

[patrick42uk]

in the past, resting henry has backfired for us. he seems to lose a bit of sharpness. tbh its unlikely he'll get a kick against bayern anyway, so he can do all his resting during that match.

 

[Hilal]

My team would be

Almunia
Lauren Toure Cygan Clichy
Ljungberg Vieira Flamini Qunicy
VP
Henry

 

[OneProudGooner]

Erm Tommorow don't you mean in 2 days... anyway think we'll be resting Cole this weekend for bayern and I for once I hope Cygan is fit we should give Senderos a breather aswell.

 

[JoseReyes29]

looks like cygan has an injury, cole too.

i reckon this will be the team:

Lehman
Lauren Toure Senderos Clichy
Ljunberg Vieira Flamini Quincy
Henry V.Persie


Henry may be rested for Aliadaire, ljunberg may also be rested. Eboue may be right back instead of Lauren. Almunia may also start ahead of Lehman.

Anything could happen.

 

[sabret00the]

i'd bench henry to keep him fresh but let him have a run out for 30 mins

Lehmann

Eboue Senderos Cygan Clichy

Ljungberg Flamini Vieira Edu

RVP Quincy


Flamini needs to make up for the midweek.

 

[JoseReyes29]

haha flamini needs to make up for midweek? he was excellent

 

[JoseReyes29]

and i think edu is still injured

 

[Chicago]

looks like cygan has an injury, cole too.

i reckon this will be the team:

Lehman
Lauren Toure Senderos Clichy
Ljunberg Vieira Flamini Quincy
Henry V.Persie


Henry may be rested for Aliadaire, ljunberg may also be rested. Eboue may be right back instead of Lauren. Almunia may also start ahead of Lehman.

Anything could happen.

Eboue I'm pretty sure won't be, he's supposedly more versatile and able to play at CB. With Cygan and Sol out we only have two CB's and Wenger will want a back-up in case they get injured or if he just needs to throw in fresh legs. I'd definitely agree with your original line-up with Almunia, Eboue, Aliadaire, Fabregas, last sub would be a tough call, lupoli or more likely larsson(unless I'm missing someone more experienced that isn't injured/suspended)

 

[Gooner83]

So was the Sheffield game, Persies ban?

 

[sabret00the]

haha flamini needs to make up for midweek? he was excellent

a handfull of tackles and running the pitch raggid don't make you excellent, he was misplacing passes left right and centre, i personally feel that although the work rate was their, nothing else was.

 

[namliam]

I actually have a bad feeling about this game. Our recent record against Portsmouth in the EPL has not been at all good and I can't remember us scoring more than a goal against them for many games now. Harry may be gone, but Portsmouth played well against Man U (who currently are playing very well) and I just have a feeling that if Arsenal are a little exhausted from their mid week excursion or are looking forward to Bayern Munich, we could get caught out. I think Henry MUST start (he never ever benefits from a rest) and tbh I would like to see what Qunicy can do up front and not on the wings. One player who could however do with a rest is Ljungberg who does appear to look a little ragged of late.

 

[awooga83]

Its vital we get a good result going into Bayern, recently we've struggled to get any consistent form we have had small spells of good results followed by a string of poor results. We should be able to beat Portsmouth as long as we don't take them for granted and we get our clinical finishing back because we have been a little wasteful but hopefully being at home will give us a boost. Cole looks like he's being rested and potentially Henry which is understandable seeing the amount of games he's started although without him we struggle but we should be able to get past Portsmouth without him and if Quincy gets a run out he'll be well up for it and could surprise them.

 

[Mbaki Mutahaba]

namliam..ur definitely right about Henry never benefitting from a rest. I don't remember a single game..in which he performed better after the rest then the game before he was rested.

 

[godfather]

I'd like to pick:

Lehmann

Toure Sanderos Cygan Clichy


Lauren Cesc Vieira Ljunberg


RvP Ali

 

[thierrys_girl]

I think we should put Thierry on the bench and bring him on in the second half if really needed. We shouldn't give him a rest cause like others have said he doesn't really benefit from one however if he not fully fit i wouldn't risk playing him, causing a bigger problem espically with the amount of injuries and suspensions we have at the moment and with the Bayern game next week.

Clichy can come in for Cole, Toure in for Cygan and Freddie to regain his place on the right. It would be nice to see Quincy get a premiership appearence here, he did well againest Sheffield and really changed our forward play.