Starting XI for Arsenal?

[PalmettoBlue]

I always thought MH would use De Jong against the top sides. My prediction:

Given
Richards Toure Lescott Bridge
De Jong Barry
SWP Ireland Bellamy
Adebayor

[Alex Sapphire]

I think we'd be better fielding IX

[PalmettoBlue]

We don't need but 9 to win, surely?

[Alex Sapphire]

hope you're right.
I'd be happy to see 2 defensive-minded midfielders like you say, although last time we started with Stevie in his "new" deeper role:
Hart,
Zabaleta, Dunne (c), Richards, Garrido,
Kompany, Ireland,
Wright-Phillips, Vassell (Elano 70), Robinho (Hamann 82),
Benjani (Sturridge 88).

[TheGOAT]

---------------------GIVEN-------------------

RICHARDS---TOURE--LESCOTT---BRIDGE

-------------------DE JONG------------------

--------IRELAND------------ BARRY---------

SWP-------------------------------ROBINHO

------------------ADEBAYOR----------------

[Michael Brookes]

Assuming Tevez and Robbie are out:

---------------------Given---------------------
Richards----Toure---------Lescott-----Bridge
SWP---------Ireland--------Dejong-----Barry
-------------------Ade------Bellers-------------

[rick1894citizen]

---------------------GIVEN-------------------

RICHARDS---TOURE--LESCOTT---BRIDGE

-------------------DE JONG------------------

--------IRELAND------------ BARRY---------

SWP-------------------------------ROBINHO

------------------ADEBAYOR----------------

Agreed, if robi is out then bellers instead and a cameo for Weiss when were 2-0 with 15 to go ;o)

[lets all have a disco]

---------------------GIVEN-------------------

MAD ZABBA---TOURE--LESCOTT---BRIDGE

-------------------DE JONG------------------

--------IRELAND------------ BARRY---------

SWP-------------------------------ROBINHO/BELLAMY

------------------ADEBAYOR----------------

[Bingo Lewis]

----------------------LAHAD

O'DUB-----RONK-------------BMD------CTK

KUWAIT------BINGO-----NQDP-------PATRICK

------------J68---------------GILLIE

[lets all have a disco]

----------------------LAHAD

O'DUB-----RONK-------------BMD------CTK

KUWAIT------BINGO-----NQDP-------PATRICK

------------J68---------------GILLIE

Not sure about the centre of the park,there aint enough bite.

[The Man In Blue]

----------------------LAHAD

O'DUB-----RONK-------------BMD------CTK

KUWAIT------BINGO-----NQDP-------PATRICK

------------J68---------------GILLIE

Not sure about the centre of the park,there aint enough bite.

fuck all pace up front too. cant see them two forwards dropping the shoulder and jinking past vermaelen. hughes out.

[BmoreBlue]

---------------------GIVEN-------------------

MAD ZABBA---TOURE--LESCOTT---BRIDGE

-------------------DE JONG------------------

--------IRELAND------------ BARRY---------

SWP-------------------------------ROBINHO/BELLAMY

------------------ADEBAYOR----------------

looks good to me, although i think richards will get the start. bring petrov and weiss on the wings at 70 mins.

[Beefymcfc]

----------------------LAHAD

O'DUB-----RONK-------------BMD------CTK

KUWAIT------BINGO-----NQDP-------PATRICK

------------J68---------------GILLIE

Not sure about the centre of the park,there aint enough bite.

Fuck me, that midfield would get spanked all over the park! Kuwait will go missing, Bingo will be doing the 'Half-Time' Pint, Niall will refuse to play for Hughes and Pat will have other things on his mind (namely being back home!).

As for the rest, does anyone see a problem ;-)

[ronk]

It's best to pair a ball winning centre-half with a ball playing centre half.

I think BMD and I would both be primarily ball winners. We'll do our best though.

[Wooders]

---------------------GIVEN-------------------

MAD ZABBA---TOURE--LESCOTT---BRIDGE

-------------------DE JONG------------------

--------IRELAND------------ BARRY---------

SWP-------------------------------ROBINHO/BELLAMY

------------------ADEBAYOR----------------

Dare I say "this" ?
Actually I would play Richards over Zabba if fit

[Wonderwall]

----------------------GIVEN-------------------

RICHARDS---TOURE--LESCOTT---BRIDGE

-------------------DE JONG------------------

--------IRELAND------------ BARRY---------

SWP-------------------------------PETROV

------------------ADEBAYOR----------------

TAYLOR
ONUOHA
ZABALETA
WEISS
SYLVINHO
BELLAMY
BENJANI

[john@staustell]

Agree with most on this. Jongers in for Tevez, 5 in mid, one up front. Hassle Arsenal all the way. They dont like it up 'em, so I suppose there's a chance Bellers will be in somewhere - instead of Robson probably on the left.

[Wonderwall]

Sagna and clichy are key to arsenal breaks so putting the flyers on and asking them to push on is paramount for me, it will stifle arsenal as they will be very wary of the pace and wont want to get caught too high up the pitch.

[Robinho_Is_GOD]

The team I would choose is:

------------------------Given

Zabaleta---------Toure-------Lescott-------Bridge

Weiss-------------Ireland------Barry--------Petrov

------------------Adebayor-----Bellamy

I don't think that Robinho will be 100% fit, and so I wouldn't risk him when we have a player the calibre of Petrov ready to step in if needed, and SWP for me seems to be playing laboured football, Don Fabio thinks the same also, and dressed him in a suit for the big England game in midweek.

He (SWP) never seems to run at the full-back anymore, not sure why, but without him doing that, there is no threat from the right hand side of the field, hence why Ade has to drift over there or Tevez or Robinho when they are playing, to try and make something happen, so I would put him on the bench and start Vlad.

Subs: Taylor, Onouha, de Jong, SWP, Garrido, Sylvinho, D Ball

[Ted Hughes]

SWP, playing more of a narrow role, was City's best player v Arsenal last season, dominating the midfield & creating goals. Probably his best game for City since he came back.