Rex wrote:

We can all bemoan our lack of depth/quality in certain positions, but our manager needs to learn how to use the squad he has in a smarter way. As Klaus pointed out with Wilshere, the manager played him way too much the season when he had his big injury, and that injury was absolutely down to that. 

Eh? He fractured his ankle in pre-season...

It was a stress fracture as far as I can remember. It may have been avoided if he was used judiciously.

Just realised this is an early kick off right?

Retarded schedule, after we had a game on wednesday.

Rohit wrote:

It was a stress fracture as far as I can remember. It may have been avoided if he was used judiciously.

Fair enough. Don't think playing 44 games instead of 49 would have made much difference though.

When a player is in the "red zone" every extra game increases their chances of getting hurt significantly.

The fact that it happened the following season in pre-season should tell you it's not so much being in the red zone as his body failing to adapt to the rigours of week in week out football. With that in mind, the chances are the stress fracture would have happened unless he was eased in as a squad player.

That's not when it happened though. He was carrying that injury from the previous season, and it was only then he couldn't go any more. You are absolutely right; it is reckless to play a young boy in his first senior season 49 games. He should have been eased in.

Do not rest Sanchez. Don't even think about it. We'll lose any game he's not playing ATM.

We could rest him when we're in a slightly more reasonable situation in terms of squad (Feo and Giroud back in the flow, some options in midfield as well, certainly when Ozil's back).
Don't understand the Pod suggestions - if his attitude coming on wednesday was anything to go by, dude is not really in it any more, regardless of form.

Chez (hopefully)
Chambers Per Kos (!) Gibbs
     Flam  Ram
          Santi
Ox  Welbeck/Yaya Thankgod

Wonder if Santi won't be knackered having played so much and short recovery time. If both Yaya and Welbeck are well, I'd consider playing  Alexis at center and Welbeck on the left.

The donkey is certainly out after Wednesday, but the donkey is registered for PL so should feature. Hopefully off the bench behind Welbeck.

We should certainly have Alexis on the bench.

Rex wrote:

The donkey is certainly out after Wednesday, but the donkey is registered for PL so should feature. Hopefully off the bench behind Welbeck.

I like Giroud, fuck Man Utd.

I can see the logic in resting Alexis, we're fucked if he gets injured. At the same time, there are players who are "never" rested.. I never see Messi or Ronaldo at the bench in league or CL matches for example.

Well thats because they play less games and it's a less physical pussy league.

Messi probably gets kicked much more than Sanchez over a season. Don't think Schneiderlin is ever rested either.

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

I can see the logic in resting Alexis, we're fucked if he gets injured. At the same time, there are players who are "never" rested.. I never see Messi or Ronaldo at the bench in league or CL matches for example.

Ronaldo is just a physical freak of nature. Messi looked the same, but once the injuries started coming he is now injured quite often.

I agree that Alexis is a durable player who is rarely injured, but that doesn't mean we have to be stupid here. The PL is by far the most demanding league experience in his life, and for the first time in his career he is expected to play without a winter break. The boy clearly needs a rest based on the evidence of our last 2 games IMO. It also isn't like we will go from certain winners to nailed on losers tomorrow if he is on the bench.

I really hope that Podolski starts.

Rex wrote:

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

I can see the logic in resting Alexis, we're fucked if he gets injured. At the same time, there are players who are "never" rested.. I never see Messi or Ronaldo at the bench in league or CL matches for example.

Ronaldo is just a physical freak of nature. Messi looked the same, but once the injuries started coming he is now injured quite often.

I agree that Alexis is a durable player who is rarely injured, but that doesn't mean we have to be stupid here. The PL is by far the most demanding league experience in his life, and for the first time in his career he is expected to play without a winter break. The boy clearly needs a rest based on the evidence of our last 2 games IMO. It also isn't like we will go from certain winners to nailed on losers tomorrow if he is on the bench.

I guess you're right. I think we'd be alright with Cazorla in the middle flanked by Podolski and Chamberlain. Who starts upfront doesn't really matter for me. Welbeck and Giroud both have their own strenghts. Of course, none of this matters because Wenger doesn't rest players.

Wenger won't rest Sanchez, at least not this weekend, and rightly so. The maximum he'll do is take him off if we have a solid lead.

I am at a loss to explain the drop in production of every single player who has been played on the left for us in the past few years.
Arshavin, Ramsey, Cazorla, Ozil, Oxpot and now Sanchez.
Yes he scored that goal but he looked shattered after 80 mins without imposing his normal influence on the game.

West Brom's current PL form is as poor as ours, they've lost their last two games as well.
They've only managed one win at home this season and that was versus Burnley.
Seems in general they concede two goals to the opposition at the Hawthorns, however their strengths could drive right at the heart of our weaknesses - Brunt's good on set pieces, crosses, corners and Berahino's quick on the break.
We regained some kind of composure and intent in defence against Dortmund but if we revert back to the levels of idiocy shown against United and Swansea we'll drop points here.

Martinez has been decent in his limited outings so far, he lacks experience though, hope that won't be exposed.