Nine Jimmy Rimmers – Arsenal and Football

You kind of feel that the fantastic result achieved last Saturday afternoon deserves greater reward than to keep us exactly where we were in the league – fourth by virtue not of points or even goal difference but on goals scored. But that’s the tight spot we’re in and, unless Chelsea completely implode, it could be that tight to the end.

So the reward Arsenal get for coming back from 2:0 down to win 5:2 is the fact that it’s worthwhile pulling off the same success tomorrow. Hopefully without the 2:0 down bit!

Here’s how its stands:

Tomorrow we go away to Liverpool at lunchtime and Chelsea go to West Brom in the afternoon. Spurs host Manchester United on Sunday. So basically we’re still where we were last week. Chelsea have the easier game and we have to assume they will win. We have the tougher game that we have to win to stay on the pace.

We’re still waiting on fitness reports for Rosicky and Koscielny, with the former being the most doubtful. That could mean a second consecutive start for Yossi Benayoun. Vermaelen also took a knock against Spurs of course thanks to that crunching tackle from new England captain Scott Parker. Perhaps it made all the difference in Stuart Pearce’s eyes! But Vermaelen played 90 minutes for Belgium ob Wednesday.

Hopefully that’s a sign of his fitness rather Belgium’s misjudgement. If not we’re a little bit thin at the back again with Djourou and Squillaci unfit. I guess it would be a choice of Song or Miquel. But with no Coquelin or Frimpong, Song would be missed in midfield.

Liverpool are missing Agger through injury, so Van Persie can look forward to the tight embrace of Jamie Carragher. I’ve never understood how Carragher gets away with handling his opponents so much. They may also be missing Gerrard, but that isn’t confirmed as yet.

Should be a good game with both sides coming off the back of a success, though hopefully Liverpool’s struggle to overcome Cardiff is a good sign for us.

Probable team? Hopefully -

_______ Szczesny ______
Sagna _ Kos_ Verm _ Gibbs
________ Song ________
__ Arteta __ Benayoun __
Walcott _ RVP _ Gervinho

Come on you Gunners!

Wayne Rooney has just had his best ever season, playing as a lone striker supported by attacking midfielders.  England have Wayne Rooney.  England has attacking midfielders.  Capello seems to favour a big traditional centre-forward who can receive the ball reliably, hold-up the play with strength and pass accurately.  Heskey does this well and if Capello sticks to his system, I would think he sticks with Heskey.

But I also think that to do this would waste the fact that England has one of the best forwards in the world at the moment.  Anyone who has watched Rooney’s powerful acceleration and determination to put himself in the box on the end of a pass knows that he doesn’t need someone to hold up the game for him.  He is the game.

Play him at the front, with Gerrard or Lampard just behind.  On current form that would be Gerrard.  Then play three supporting players behind them.

Put Barry in front of the back four.  This does two things.  It sets Lampard and Gerrard free because they know they don’t have to check to see if the other one is covering the defence.  It helps to cover the fact that England have lost their two most agile central defenders.  Terry and Carragher are going to have to rely on their experience of reading the game and their strength.  They could do with Barry cutting out the pacey runs through the middle when they are caught square with their backs to goal.

Come on England.