Hello everyone.
It's Newcastle today and, though I'm buzzed for the game (as I always am), the state of our squad is genuinely scary.
Team news
Koscielny, Monreal and Ramsey are all out. The first two haven't recovered, Rambo pulled a hamstring and various reports suggest he could be out for four weeks. Add Arteta, Wilshere, Ozil, Rosicky and Walcott and our squad is wearing rather thin. I'm not even including Diaby and Gnabry in this list. The current situation is so pitiful that Coquelin's loan has been cut short and he was spotted in training yesterday, with the manager suggesting he could use his Coq in the upcoming game against the Magpies:
"He (Ramsey) told me yesterday he was very positive and much better and that he would play, then he texted me late last night and said he was out. I called Coquelin back from Charlton."
So the task of putting together a comprehensible starting eleven is becoming ridiculously easy and genuinely daunting.
The back five
I'm not sure where we are with Ospina, but with a fit Szczesny and capable Martinez serving as backup, the Colombian is the least of our worries right now.
The defense IS worrisome, however. We have four fit defenders + Coquelin, so there are two possible scenarios: 1) Debuchy, Mertesacker and Gibbs all in their preferred positions with Bellerin on the bench and Coquelin at centre-back and 2) Debuchy alongside Mertesacker with Bellerin and Gibbs flanking them. I like the first option better, as our best defenders play in their natural positions, while Coquelin is physical and quick enough to hold his own, however, the second option seems more likely:
"That is what I have to decide. I have asked him (Debuchy) already.
Yes, of course [it's a big ask], but the solution I have to decide will not be ideal, it will be a gamble. But there is not a massive difference between right-back and centre-back."
Tell that Djourou. Or Chambers (though for him it may just be the other way around). Sagna was the exception, and, by the way, the Frenchman still hasn't played an awful lot at centre-back.
The midfield
Flamini and Cazorla are our only established players in their respective positions. Oxlade can do a job alongside Flamini and then we have Coquelin. Imagine such a pair of central midfielders: Coquelin and Flamini. Just what the doctor ordered.
That's why I think the Ox is a more likely candidate. Probably his best performances came from central position, so I'm not particularly worried about Oxlade playing there. I'm much more worried it'll his umpteenth game and that his last was four days ago, a full ninety minutes in Turkey. I'm also concerned about the general state of affairs in midfield and, especially, Ramsey's absence. The Welshman produced a stunning display away at Gala, it's a real shame to lose him like that. Fingers crossed his injury is nothing serious and he'll face Liverpool a week from now.
The attack
With Walcott unavailable and Oxlade occupied elsewhere (hopefully), Alexis should be reinstated on the right flank with Podolski coming in on the left. This seems the most sensible decision, especially taken Poldi's midweek performance.
Up top it's either Giroud (who criticised our game at Stoke and defended the manager) or Welbeck. If it was me making the call, I'd probably start the Frenchman and thus give him the chance to redeem himself after our last week's showing. However, I do not exclude the possibility of seeing Giroud and Welbeck together. I think Arsene is quite keen on this experiment and, after some good interaction between our strikers in the last couple of games, you can see why.
The verdict
I honestly don't know what to expect from this game. This season we are as unpredictable as my German teachers when giving mid-term marks (sorry for this atrocious metaphor). We had good games and bad games and then again good games and then once again bad games. There's just no telling which Arsenal we'll see today: the one that capitulated at Stoke or the one that ripped Galatasaray apart with a second squad. The fact that these two games happened inside one week probably tells you all you need to know about our (in)consistency.
The matters are only further complicated by Newcastle's recent performances. After an atrocious start to the season, which has seen them spend some time in relegation some and the fans calling for Pardew's resignation, the Magpies pulled their act together and won 6 of their last 8 games, beating Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea along the way. They are on the way up it seems, we are struggling and searching for consistency. Let's find some today. Please.
Come on you Gunners.
Finally for today, you can take a look at this (link), if you've missed it. The preview part is no longer relevant, but the thoughts on the manager are and, I suspect, will be for quite some time.
And I'll be back with you as soon as I can.
Until then
Follow me on Twitter (@AlexBaguzin)
