Tomorrow we have another tricky away game to play. But if West Ham was more a test of our mental toughness, Newcastle is going to push our abilities to the limit.
True, they are no Chelsea or Liverpool, but they sit sixth and that, combined with fact that it's going to be our third game inside six days poses a challenge.
Today's results have not gone our way, as both Manchester clubs won their respective games. Because of this we now occupy the second spot and in order to return to the top we need to win. Luckily, Chelsea play Liverpool tomorrow and one of them (hopefully, both) is gonna drop points.
It's still a bit early for the usual squad update from the manager, so we'll have to more or less guess, who'll play.
It definitely won't be Ramsey who, as we know, will be out for a couple of weeks (if not more). On the bright side, we have Podolski and Wilshere back. The former has already shown he can score goals, while the latter is presented with a chance to play on a more regular basis alongside Arteta.
I got to admit, I don't like the idea of those two playing side-by-side. For some reason this relationship just hasn't worked out, making our midfield too leaky for my liking. I think we'll see a more balanced duo of Arteta and Flamini paired up for the foreseeable future. This midfield contributes a tad less to our attack, but is rock-solid when it comes to protecting our back four.
However a Wilshere-Flamini pair looks pretty good, so, should the Spaniard need a rest, I think it's a rather interesting partnership. Not that we'll have many options in that case, but still.
Speaking of which, it looks high time to me to give our lego-haired skipper a breather. He played two full matches inside four days and now is definitely not the time to risk losing the Spaniard. Ramsey is enough, thank you very much.
All of this makes me wonder, whether we need reinforcements in this department. It's something Mertesacker noted in the wake of Ramsey's injury. While the message is a bit of this and a bit of that on the whole, we definitely need to add some players in January. I've already emphasised the need for a striker, but it's hardly the only position we should strengthen.
Sagna, for example, is very likely to leave during this window. Contract talks with him have been ongoing, but with little effect. In the summer, he'll be able to leave on a Bosman, so January transfer window is realistically the last for us to get something for the Frenchman. But we have no one to substitute him with, cause Jenks isn't yet ready.
We may also have a goalkeeper case on our hands. Viviano hasn't played once and will most likely leave after his loan spell expires, Fabianski has featured only twice, so I'll be surprised if he stays beyond January.
Anyway, I got a bit carried away. Our lack of depth is obvious, but we'll have plenty of time to discuss it further, when the window is well and truly open.
Back to our tomorrow match, Arteta is not the only one, who needs a rest. Same is true for Gibbs, Ozil and maybe even Giroud. Gibbs looked lively enough during the game, so he may still have some petrol left in the tank, but Ozil and Giroud are nearing that fabled red zone, in my opinion. We have Podolski back and firing, we have a fresher Bendther, if needs must, so give the Frenchman a rest. While Cazorla is perfectly capable to play under the striker, seeing as how he is rediscovering his form.
These are the changes I do expect, although it's hard to rest your best players against such a strong side as Newcastle, so a balance needs to be found.
One thing I forgot to mention is Koscielny. Laurent will most likely return and if you ask me, should be paired with Mertesacker once more. Vermaelen wasn't bad, but he also wasn't terrific. He's also not the last guy responsible for Carlton Cole's goal, though he's not the only one.
Overall, even with Ramsey injured, we have more than enough players to get a result. He have got a result there last year, despite the circumstances being much more complicated, so no reason not to repeat this feat.
I'll leave it here. Back with a review on Monday.
Until then
True, they are no Chelsea or Liverpool, but they sit sixth and that, combined with fact that it's going to be our third game inside six days poses a challenge.
Today's results have not gone our way, as both Manchester clubs won their respective games. Because of this we now occupy the second spot and in order to return to the top we need to win. Luckily, Chelsea play Liverpool tomorrow and one of them (hopefully, both) is gonna drop points.
It's still a bit early for the usual squad update from the manager, so we'll have to more or less guess, who'll play.
It definitely won't be Ramsey who, as we know, will be out for a couple of weeks (if not more). On the bright side, we have Podolski and Wilshere back. The former has already shown he can score goals, while the latter is presented with a chance to play on a more regular basis alongside Arteta.
I got to admit, I don't like the idea of those two playing side-by-side. For some reason this relationship just hasn't worked out, making our midfield too leaky for my liking. I think we'll see a more balanced duo of Arteta and Flamini paired up for the foreseeable future. This midfield contributes a tad less to our attack, but is rock-solid when it comes to protecting our back four.
However a Wilshere-Flamini pair looks pretty good, so, should the Spaniard need a rest, I think it's a rather interesting partnership. Not that we'll have many options in that case, but still.
Speaking of which, it looks high time to me to give our lego-haired skipper a breather. He played two full matches inside four days and now is definitely not the time to risk losing the Spaniard. Ramsey is enough, thank you very much.
All of this makes me wonder, whether we need reinforcements in this department. It's something Mertesacker noted in the wake of Ramsey's injury. While the message is a bit of this and a bit of that on the whole, we definitely need to add some players in January. I've already emphasised the need for a striker, but it's hardly the only position we should strengthen.
Sagna, for example, is very likely to leave during this window. Contract talks with him have been ongoing, but with little effect. In the summer, he'll be able to leave on a Bosman, so January transfer window is realistically the last for us to get something for the Frenchman. But we have no one to substitute him with, cause Jenks isn't yet ready.
We may also have a goalkeeper case on our hands. Viviano hasn't played once and will most likely leave after his loan spell expires, Fabianski has featured only twice, so I'll be surprised if he stays beyond January.
Anyway, I got a bit carried away. Our lack of depth is obvious, but we'll have plenty of time to discuss it further, when the window is well and truly open.
Back to our tomorrow match, Arteta is not the only one, who needs a rest. Same is true for Gibbs, Ozil and maybe even Giroud. Gibbs looked lively enough during the game, so he may still have some petrol left in the tank, but Ozil and Giroud are nearing that fabled red zone, in my opinion. We have Podolski back and firing, we have a fresher Bendther, if needs must, so give the Frenchman a rest. While Cazorla is perfectly capable to play under the striker, seeing as how he is rediscovering his form.
These are the changes I do expect, although it's hard to rest your best players against such a strong side as Newcastle, so a balance needs to be found.
One thing I forgot to mention is Koscielny. Laurent will most likely return and if you ask me, should be paired with Mertesacker once more. Vermaelen wasn't bad, but he also wasn't terrific. He's also not the last guy responsible for Carlton Cole's goal, though he's not the only one.
Overall, even with Ramsey injured, we have more than enough players to get a result. He have got a result there last year, despite the circumstances being much more complicated, so no reason not to repeat this feat.
I'll leave it here. Back with a review on Monday.
Until then