Which Arsenal Midfield for Newcastle?
16. Nov, 2006 
19 Comments
I wrote yesterday’s post late last night while fighting a nasty throat infection. That’s no excuse though for the error in my reporting on the England match where I inadvertently swapped Gerrard for Rooney as the goal scorer. My apologies and thanks to the kind gents that pointed it out.
As for misspelling meager, I’m going to have to stick to my guns with the American spelling. More than half of my audience is in London but I hope you blokes can deal with my yankness.
Baptista, Lehmann, and Ljungberg have all recovered from various injuries and illnesses and are thus available for this weekend’s match with Newcastle. I’m sure Lehmann will be started in front of goal over Almunia, but the real decision is whether or not Ljungberg will play over Flamini. Arsene has a habit of easing injured an unfit players back into matches through substitutions, so maybe we’ll see both.
I’d like to see Flamini back in the squad as a starter though, he played really well against Liverpool. Maybe Freddie can come on for Hleb late in the second. There’s a bit of a problem as well with news that Gilberto has returned home for family reasons. I hope that everything is okay for him and his family, the red and white will miss him. Apparently there is an 80% chance of him missing the match, so we should probably just count him out.
The real question then is, what is our midfield going to look like on Saturday? With Rosicky out and Gilberto returning home, we’ll certainly look a bit different in the center of the pitch. Arsene recently stated that with Baptista back he will be featured in the squad. Maybe he will fill Gilberto’s role as a holding midfielder. Despite being a forward/offensive midfielder, he does seem to have the ability to play more defensively.
Cesc is the natural choice for the middle, but who will our defensive midfielder and wingers be, who would you choose?
hmm, well playing Winning Eleven a lot… and whenever Gilberto’s out injured or in international duties, sometimes, I play Clichy on the left back, Senderos and Gallas on the centre, Eboue/ Hoyte on the right. “The FAB” Fabregas in the middle and right on his back is Kolo Toure.
well, there’s no reason why not to put him there, just like what we’ve all seen when Arsenal trashed Liverpool last Sunday, he scored one, showing his capabilities to go up front when our strickers had been ‘sterile’/ ‘barren’
well, it’s just in a game though… hehe
Legend #10…that’s definitely not a bad idea…and in fact Toure could be a great DM. Notwithstanding the fact that we have Denilson, Flamini, Diaby, Baptista, Djourou…and dare I say Song….in line for that spot as well…I think it is looking like we have some depth to the squad…or put a different way…I don’t think too many fans would object to those squad players filling in for Gilberto any time…
Ljungberg hopefully has a recovery like Scholes has had for ManU…he’s a winner and is one of the longest serving members of the squad, and one of Wengers first recruits…with him winning the Swedish player of the year…he needs to back that up by doing something other than having migraines and getting injured!
I want Denilson and RVP in the midfield for Gilberto and Rosicky…but Wenger will go with his favourite Flamini and Song
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Alex Song was taken up by Arsenal 4 his ‘exceptional talent’. I hav no doubt that without Gilberto the midfield shall consist of: Alex Song, Cesc, Hleb n Flamini. Ljunberg n Baptista will come on as subs.
LOL…exceptional talent. I can’t believe we were able to get a work permit based on exceptinal talent for Song. It must have done some convincing. He’s an ok player…has more presence than Flamini in the middle of the park…but clumsy. I’d like to see how our new Brazilian Denilson does. The lad just got called up for the Brazilian NT without even playing for us (nor them, but still got called up). I hope we fast track his development. It’d be an exciting combination to have.
On Flamini…I just don’t see what he brings to the side. Is he the best alternative to left winger we have? No. Is he good enough to be an alternative to Gilberto? No…becuase that’s what Denilson, Diaby, and Song will be for. So what’s his role? Hogging a spot away from one of our young starlets like Fran Merida.
I firmly believe that if Kolo was transferred to central midfield he would be a candidate for World Player of the Year by 2008. If that man was protecting our offence then trampling forward on the counter attack, the opposition would shit themselves. We ALWAYS look dangerous with Kolo going forward. PLEASE put him there Wenger with Phillip in the middle of defence with Willie.
ditto on legend#10 and donjohnni’s comments!!!!
Dare I say kolo would be even better that patrick in defensive midfield position!!!
Flamini is a great asset of the team. He may has exceptional talent but he makes up for it for his work rate. I really think he should start more often. I have no doubt that he will help Arsenal’s cause when the going gets tough. He’s the type of player to dig in and work tirelessly for the good of the team. Go dude!
Edited….sorry
Flamini is a great asset of the team. He may not have exceptional talent but he makes up for it for his work rate. I really think he should start more often. I have no doubt that he will help Arsenal’s cause when the going gets tough. He’s the type of player to dig in and work tirelessly for the good of the team. Go dude!
I like Flamster but I dont see what Song brings still. people waxed lyrical about him after west Brom but then I watched him against Everton and he was awful. I am sorry I just dont rate the man. If he gets in the team ahead of Denilson or Flamini then something is definitely doing on between him and Arsene!!
my midfield would be (from right to left)
RVP Flamini Cesc Hleb
up top Henry with Ade
So RVP on the RIGHT not left.
I dont see wenger giving a chance to Denilson, but I think both Baptista and Freddie will get some of the game tomorrow. doubt they’re fit enough to start.
Playing 5 across the middle, how about Flamini as the holding player, Denilson and Cesc making the plays with Hleb and RVP on the sides? May be fragile but if it clicked would cut the Geordies to ribbons.
It’s a nice idea but I reckon he’ll go with Flamster, Cesc and Hleb in the middlish, Walcott and RVP out wide with Henry ploughing on up front. What happened to a nice 4-4-2 with Walcott-Cesc-Flamini-Hleb and RVP with TH14 up front?
Surely play a 4-4-2 with rvp and henry up front. Henry might be rested for part of the game after playing a full game for france.
So this is the formation i think
Abedayor, RVP (Henry on after half time if needed)
Hleb, Csec, Flamini, (Song starts, Ljunberg)
Clichy Gallas, Toure, Eboue
Lehmann.
I don’t rate Song either and Flamini’s work rate is exceptional.
Hopefully everything is OK for the dear Gilberto on the home front.
R.I.P. to a true legend as well, Godspeed Ferenc Puskas.
Flamini will fill the gap as defensive midfielder.While cesc up front behind strikers.Henry and Beast start up front with the support from two wide winger;Hleb and Lungberg.
would love to see Kolo in the vieira position, however not sure his distribution is good enough. he’d make tireless runs forward and would protect the defence so much they probably wouldn’t get a touch, but in that role his passing would have to be absolutely spot on.
legend#10, do u understand football?
Tore is a centreback. Yes he’s versatile but if you haven’t noticed he hasnt changed his position for about 2 yrs now. This is because to create a great centre back they have to play there for a long time or they won’t learn the tricks. It was not that he overtook our “barren” strikers. There was a clear meaning why three defensive players scored our goals. We always give everything weve got in terms of attack. Wenger wont let them smack the ball up so instead he got the defenders to break through. They could contain 5 players but not 10. Our whole team can get back if the opposition counter.
I think cesc should be rested. we should use Baptista in fabregas role and one of our many dm like flamini, denilson or song
with gilberto missing out, we will be severely lack of experience in our midfield. to make it up for tat, i think wenger will definitely play a 5 midfielders today. he will probably get 2 DM in.. one featuring Flamini for sure and the other one.. Baptista or denilson. i do not see Song starting the game as he is probably just not good enough. but he’ll definitely be on the bench. anyway, whoever starts, im sure all arsenal fans will get behind the team and support them. a win against the toon is crucial — for the title race as well as the boys confidence.
I going to rest Henry and let Adebayor alone lead the attack like he did against Man U. The midfield as it was for the Liverpool game but Flamini switching back to fill Gilberto’s void and Baptista taking over right alongside ‘Cesc’tacular. If everything does go well then Cesc also needs a breather. He’s the only guy who has played every single minute of every single game so far (bar the CC games). King Kolo is right behind with 17 starts as well but he did get substituted in the CL game. Hamburg on Tuesday is a crucial game so it has to be taken into account as well.
I just think that Song needs some time on the pitch to build his experience. He has the potential to be an amazing player!