Evening everyone.
I know it's a bit early for a preview, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get back to you tomorrow. The press-conference has taken place already, so we are all set to discuss our options.
The back five
Szczesny should start between the sticks, with Emiliano (yes, he wants to be known as Emiliano) Martinez on the bench. I don't expect any surprises here.
I know it's a bit early for a preview, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get back to you tomorrow. The press-conference has taken place already, so we are all set to discuss our options.
The back five
Szczesny should start between the sticks, with Emiliano (yes, he wants to be known as Emiliano) Martinez on the bench. I don't expect any surprises here.
The defense is not as predictable. Debuchy and Monreal are set to start on the flanks, but the central pair can be any combination of the three players we have. My hunch is Wenger will play a more conventional Mertesacker-Koscielny duo, as Chambers is more like the German regarding his qualities, while dropping Per himself means dropping the captain. Unlikely.
Midfield
Can Arsene spring a surprise and start Chambers in the holding position? Hard to say, really. I'm leaning towards "no" for several reasons:
This means another start for Jack Wilshere, in my view. He hasn't really impressed yet, but the manager has huge faith in Jack and, besides, the choice is dire. The Englishman should help out Flamini to shield the back four, but I think he'll make frequent forays forward. Authorized by Arsene, naturally.
Ozil, meanwhile, should start in his usual position as long as I'm concerned. Flanks really aren't his thing, so don't push him wide and keep fingers crossed he'll manage. Playing on the flank requires retracing your steps to help the full-backs and Ozil is far from a good defender. If, for some reason (like not being sharp enough) the German won't start, then Rosicky is the only remaining option. Not that it's a bad option.
The front three
I've saved the worst news for last, though you could have got an idea from a pic below. Giroud's injury looks serious, with L'Equipe suggesting the Frenchman can spend three months on the sidelines. A broken foot seems the most likely cause.
Now, this is a blow. Just yesterday I've gone over why Giroud is such an important player for us. And now he's out, probably for long. This means some transfer activity is due.
First off, Arsene basically vetoed Podolski's departure by saying:
But who will start in Giroud's place tomorrow night? Sanogo, who's been talked up by the Ox? Campbell, who has talked up himself? Or Sanchez, despite not the best of showings against Everton? I don't even rule Poldi out. He's the freshest one, probably the most clinical finisher we have and has been with Arsenal longer than the previous three. I do think the German is a genuine option.
However, I'd put my money (if I had any) on either Sanogo or Campbell. Both are good at holding up the ball and bringing others into play. Personally, though, I'd love to see Joel up front. He's more experienced, than Sanogo, much more technical with the ball at his feet and quick enough to run behind defenders' backs. We know that much from the World Cup. What we also know, however, is that Arsene trusts Sanogo, which he showed time and again by starting the Frenchman last year in pivotal games against Liverpool and Bayern Munich and once again this year by starting Yaya on the opening day.
The flanks are the only place we have a plethora of options. I'd personally start Oxlade-Chamberlain and Cazorla, but you can never guess what Arsene will do.
The verdict
Do we have enough to go through? I'll be cautiously optimistic here, as I'm not very good at making predictions. We have the support of our fans, we play on a real pitch (contrary to what we've played on in Turkey) and we do have some genuinely good players, despite Arteta's, Gibbs' and Giroud's injures and Ramsey's suspension. Also, Bilic will watch the game from the stands, after he was sent off late in the day during the first leg.
A lot is riding on the outcome of this match. Not only whether we'll play among the best, but also the approval of our potential transfer targets, to say nothing of the hefty sum of money which we'll get for qualifying and which can be invested in new players.
And we now need not only a centre-back, but also a striker. This bit is clear. Remy, Welbeck and Cavani were named as potential replacements for Giroud in the immediate wake of his injury, but I just don't know. Wenger is an admirer of Cavani, but PSG doesn't look eager to let their only real forward go. Remy failed a medical at Liverpool (what are the chances of him doing likewise at Arsenal?) and Welbeck is, well, not good enough for a crumbling United side. Should we do them a favour and pay real cash for someone who didn't make it with Van Gaal's side?
Whoever we bring in, I don't think it'll happen before tomorrow's game. Right now we are focused on winning and going through, calling up potential targets is far from ideal preparation. Football first, transfer stuff later. But before the window closes, Arsene.
That's it for today. If something new and exciting happens between now and tomorrow's evening, I'll do my best to get back to you here. If I don't succeed, or there's nothing to report, then I'll return with a review on Thursday.
Until later and c'mon you reds. Tear Besiktas a new one
Midfield
Can Arsene spring a surprise and start Chambers in the holding position? Hard to say, really. I'm leaning towards "no" for several reasons:
- We treaded this territory before the Everton game and Wenger went with Flamini in the end. Whether Mathieu was good or bad I can only guess, as I haven't seen the game, but it's highly unlikely Flamini fell short of his usual effective manner. So the Frenchman should play once more.
- Chambers is exhausted. Simple as that. He played the three halves during the Emirates Cup and then went on to complete 4 games in rapid succession. The Englishman hasn't gone to the World Cup, of course, but he's only 19 and learning his trade in a relatively new position. Under the spotlight.
This means another start for Jack Wilshere, in my view. He hasn't really impressed yet, but the manager has huge faith in Jack and, besides, the choice is dire. The Englishman should help out Flamini to shield the back four, but I think he'll make frequent forays forward. Authorized by Arsene, naturally.
Ozil, meanwhile, should start in his usual position as long as I'm concerned. Flanks really aren't his thing, so don't push him wide and keep fingers crossed he'll manage. Playing on the flank requires retracing your steps to help the full-backs and Ozil is far from a good defender. If, for some reason (like not being sharp enough) the German won't start, then Rosicky is the only remaining option. Not that it's a bad option.
The front three
I've saved the worst news for last, though you could have got an idea from a pic below. Giroud's injury looks serious, with L'Equipe suggesting the Frenchman can spend three months on the sidelines. A broken foot seems the most likely cause.
Now, this is a blow. Just yesterday I've gone over why Giroud is such an important player for us. And now he's out, probably for long. This means some transfer activity is due.
First off, Arsene basically vetoed Podolski's departure by saying:
“Podolski is in the squad tomorrow and will stay with us.”This is, I'm sure, a necessity. With Giroud injured, we cannot afford to lose any players in that department, even though Podolski is far down the pecking order for that centre-forward position. We all know he CAN put in a shift there if push comes to shove, so him staying is good news.
But who will start in Giroud's place tomorrow night? Sanogo, who's been talked up by the Ox? Campbell, who has talked up himself? Or Sanchez, despite not the best of showings against Everton? I don't even rule Poldi out. He's the freshest one, probably the most clinical finisher we have and has been with Arsenal longer than the previous three. I do think the German is a genuine option.
However, I'd put my money (if I had any) on either Sanogo or Campbell. Both are good at holding up the ball and bringing others into play. Personally, though, I'd love to see Joel up front. He's more experienced, than Sanogo, much more technical with the ball at his feet and quick enough to run behind defenders' backs. We know that much from the World Cup. What we also know, however, is that Arsene trusts Sanogo, which he showed time and again by starting the Frenchman last year in pivotal games against Liverpool and Bayern Munich and once again this year by starting Yaya on the opening day.
The flanks are the only place we have a plethora of options. I'd personally start Oxlade-Chamberlain and Cazorla, but you can never guess what Arsene will do.
The verdict
Do we have enough to go through? I'll be cautiously optimistic here, as I'm not very good at making predictions. We have the support of our fans, we play on a real pitch (contrary to what we've played on in Turkey) and we do have some genuinely good players, despite Arteta's, Gibbs' and Giroud's injures and Ramsey's suspension. Also, Bilic will watch the game from the stands, after he was sent off late in the day during the first leg.
A lot is riding on the outcome of this match. Not only whether we'll play among the best, but also the approval of our potential transfer targets, to say nothing of the hefty sum of money which we'll get for qualifying and which can be invested in new players.
And we now need not only a centre-back, but also a striker. This bit is clear. Remy, Welbeck and Cavani were named as potential replacements for Giroud in the immediate wake of his injury, but I just don't know. Wenger is an admirer of Cavani, but PSG doesn't look eager to let their only real forward go. Remy failed a medical at Liverpool (what are the chances of him doing likewise at Arsenal?) and Welbeck is, well, not good enough for a crumbling United side. Should we do them a favour and pay real cash for someone who didn't make it with Van Gaal's side?
Whoever we bring in, I don't think it'll happen before tomorrow's game. Right now we are focused on winning and going through, calling up potential targets is far from ideal preparation. Football first, transfer stuff later. But before the window closes, Arsene.
That's it for today. If something new and exciting happens between now and tomorrow's evening, I'll do my best to get back to you here. If I don't succeed, or there's nothing to report, then I'll return with a review on Thursday.
Until later and c'mon you reds. Tear Besiktas a new one