***Official Match thread : Arsenal Away***

[french_tony]

Confirmed:
Hart, Micah, Kolo, Komps, Zabs, Nige, Baz, Yaya, Jo, Milner, Tevez

[The Man In Blue]

JO!!!!

Cheltenham Rd, Cheltenham Rd, we are coming...

[citytilidie]

jo and no AJ fuck sake

[Blue Blood]

jo and no AJ fuck sake

Shocked at AJ's exclusion too tbh.

Maybe bobby has him in mind as an impact sub in the second half...?

[s1ty m]

Relief about the defence, but fucking jo? oh come on, that is daft.

[MaineRoadMemories]

AJ should start. Quite pleased about Kolo replacing Lescott for this one. I've seen Van Penis take the piss out of him twice before and was thinking he'd make it a hattrick tonight.

[Original Dub]

I'm sure this isn't going to be the spectacle that everyone thinks. I think that it'll probably be 0-0 or 1-0 to either side.
I seriously hope I'm wrong. I want to return the favour they did us at Eastlands, the twunts.

I'm with you saulman, all the way.

Is anyone actually confident of a win? I know we're more than capable of it, but I think the loss of Silva and Balo has Mancini cornered into having a repeat of the same fixture last season, especially now that I've just seen the team!!

[bluej]

Go on Jo lad!

[Mark (Blue Army)]

JO to win it for us

[Beefymcfc]

I read somewhere that the ref tonight is Michael Jones. Who ? At least its someone who doesn't have a bad history with us.

Last did our game against Brum and had a couple of good results with him last season. Saying that, Arsenal have had a couple of results under him including the 6-0 demolition of Blackpool.

[Beefymcfc]

Jo instead of AJ and Micah for Jerome, the rest is as expected.

[blues2win]

I'm worrried about Nasri targeting Richards. Also Zabaleta won't give us much penetration down the left because he's pretty right footed. Milner won't bring the creativity lost by Silva ( but then who would). Jo? I understand the idea that Tevez up front drops deep and we end up with no one but still I'd rather have Johnson.

Frankly I'm very worried. I'd take 0-0 in a heartbeat. Come on lads prove me wrong!

[dromoreblue]

Down to 10 men already, Jo starts. Were f****ed.

[Dameerto]

I'm sure this isn't going to be the spectacle that everyone thinks. I think that it'll probably be 0-0 or 1-0 to either side.
I seriously hope I'm wrong. I want to return the favour they did us at Eastlands, the twunts.

I'm with you saulman, all the way.

Is anyone actually confident of a win? I know we're more than capable of it, but I think the loss of Silva and Balo has Mancini cornered into having a repeat of the same fixture last season, especially now that I've just seen the team!!

I've got a sneaky slightly irrational feeling we will win.
COME ON CITY!!!

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Interesting choices. Kolo for Lescott , ok as I would say it's horses for courses. Same with Richards instead of Boateng.But let's face it defensively against the Arse it doesn't take much of a mistake to be made to look poor so whoever we have is no guarantee.

Milner I expect was a shoe in but Jo for AJ is a surprise.Not least because AJ has played well in the last 2 games or so.I wonder if Jo is seen as the better defensively or AJ has looked a bit deflated after the funeral or just that Jo has trained really well.

We will just have to watch and see.

[13021J]

Jo was a shock selection against Fulham away but I seem to remember he did quite well then. I'm pessimistic about this game but hope they prove me wrong.

A defeat is not the end of the world, we will still be in the mix for fourth. We were never going to win the league this season, but our time WILL come!

[markuse]

jo and no AJ fuck sake

Shocked at AJ's exclusion too tbh.

Maybe bobby has him in mind as an impact sub in the second half...?

possibly so since AJ does not have 90 mins in him as of now. I'd rather have him on the bench ready to come on against this particular team rather that having to watch him disappear from play for a whole half

[Beeks]

Jo to start?

You're having a laugh Bobby

[mr_nool]

i'm really nervous. The inclusion of Jo ahead of AJ hints at Mancini taking a very defensive and cautious approach. I think we will sit back and have Jo as an outlet for long balls, and then just hope that Tevez magically fixes everything.

[The Original Special One]

Go on Jo lad!

Great to see Mancini's rehabilitation, or perhaps that should be transformation, of Jo continuing apace.
Of course they were only friendly games but the manner of his goalscoring suggests there is a talent there who can be effective for us, and I believe Mancini sees Jo as his 'special project'