Looking ahead: the next two games « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade
By Phil Gregory
After three defeats on the trot, it makes sense to have a look at the next few fixtures coming up to see where our season is going to get back on track. After three league defeats on the bounce, the FA Cup offers a little welcome respite provided Alex McLeish’s Aston Villa side don’t kick us to pieces and add to the injury list. With this tie being at home, we’ll probably see a little bit of rotation in order to rest a few of the more jaded legs amongst our first choice squad. The likes of Squillaci, Rosicky and Chamberlain will be likely to see starts. I’d definitely start Yennaris too – Djourou really struggled with Nani and the youngster came in and did well. This game would be a good opportunity to see how he does over the course of a high pressure, ninety minute game and he could well make the right back slot his own. With Fabianski back fit, he may too be given the nod – while Szcznesy won’t be getting tired, in the event he gets injured it would be better if Fabianski was match ready.
It’s always a bit of a gamble swapping players out, especially with us being in dire need of a win to bring some positivity back to the team. I expect Wenger to take a long term view though, and those players who will benefit from a breather over the course of the season will get one. I really wouldn’t expect more than three outfield changes though: with results as they are recently we can’t afford to gamble excessively. The FA Cup could yet prove to be a piece of silverware for the Arsenal this season.
What will be crucial for this game, given a potentially makeshift starting eleven and a general lack of confidence, will be the home crowd. Villa aren’t the well-oiled, stubborn machine they were under O’Neill, but they will still pose a threat to what is a very injury-hit Arsenal squad. The home supporters will have to get behind the lads out on the pitch and should do so through thick and thin anyway: we all want Arsenal to win games, and booing is only detrimental to that.
A few days after this weekend’s FA Cup game, we’re travelling away to Bolton. The Reebok stadium is never the kind of place you want to go to with a run of three league defeats behind you, but Bolton have really struggled this season and shouldn’t be too much of a struggle, provided we play to the best of our ability. Perhaps our current plight of having zero fullbacks will be of benefit for this tie, with the set piece threat of Bolton negated somewhat by the presence of the possibly two centrebacks in the fullback positions. Three points at Bolton would come in very handy, and with Blackburn at home after that we could start putting this atrocious run behind us.
Ironically, my ticket for the Bolton game has just come through the door. When I ordered it I didn’t expect we’d be struggling as much as we have been on the run-up to this game, so hopefully my trek over to Bolton isn’t in vain. Fortunately my journey isn’t quite as long as some of the other fans who’ll be in the away stand with me: studying at Leeds Uni means I don’t have quite so far to go to for some of these Northern away days.