Arsenal - Luton, April 3rd, 19:30 UK Time.: Page 2 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Arsenal - Luton, April 3rd, 19:30 UK Time.

Claudius

Pepe LeFrits we should rotate using the bench, not wholesale via the starting lineup. There are two things that happen if you make wholesale changes to starting team

first, you could just have inferior players, so you’re losing out on positions/zones you’d normally win
second, other players need to compensate. So now the other starters are working harder, tiring out more.
Just better off with a light rotation, and then smart subs. Having a full bench again means we can make the exact sub as and when it’s needed

Pepe LeFrits

Claudius we should rotate using the bench, not wholesale via the starting lineup. There are two things that happen if you make wholesale changes to starting team

I agree, I'm not advocating for wholesale changes but we need to use the guys on the fringe of the starting XI. Trossard, ESR, Zinchenko and the likes. Fitness depending, of course. Something like:

Raya, Zinchenko, Gabriel, Saliba, White, Partey, Rice, ESR, Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard.

Rice, White, Odegaard, Havertz and Saka all look like they need a rest to me, but I wouldn't fancy resting them all at the same time.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Burnwinter you're right. We do need better squaddies now. This is no experiment or crèche no more.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Maybe Zinchenko starting for Kiwior and Jesus for Havertz would suffice for tonight.

I'd love to rest Ben but he's critical and Tomiyasu doesn't fill me with as much confidence.

Big Willie

Burnwinter Thing is times have changed and potential aside, squaddies such as Nketiah, Vieira, Smith Rowe and Nelson are currently levels down from our XI. Every point is crucial, so the best time to use the second stringers is after we've secured results.

I'd agree with most of that aside from ESR. He just seems to be levels down from our XI because he doesn't play and people have forgotten how god he is. And no, he doesn't not play because perennially injured.

goon

Big Willie

The one aspect he's been levels down recently has been with his intensity. I think it's been quite stark how little he runs and presses compared to others. Same goes for Eddie and Vieira.

For fringe players hoping to get some more mins, you'd think they'd cover every blade of grass and and press like crazy but they get caught ball watching quite a bit.

Burnwinter

Big Willie Yep, Smith Rowe is an elite talent. He's gone to waste for mysterious reasons. These days I think his brittle body's been a bigger part of the problem than I used to believe: I thought Arteta just had it in for him.

Thing is you wouldn't at the moment be throwing Smith Rowe on before Trossard if we needed a goal with twenty minutes to go.

I wouldn't be against starting Smith Rowe versus Luton, just as long as it's not along with lots of other guys like Vieira, Partey, Nelson who haven't been playing as well. Everything's too important now.

Tam

I'm most worried about Odegaard after his shift at the weekend. He did a power of work and was visibility shattered relatively early on in the second half, to the extent I thought we may sub him. As the game went on his passes got looser and he didn't have the intensity.

We don't have a replacement for him. To an extent we can, and have, got by without Saka, Martinelli, Jesus and Havertz. Not sure we can pick up the slack without Odegaard.

I'm hoping he has supernatural powers of recovery, can give us a blinding first half and come off early in the second with a three goal cushion.

Burnwinter

Tam We don't have a replacement for him.

We don't. Goals have reliably dried up without him.

Claudius

Pepe LeFrits Zinchenko has been coming back into the team. Sunday worked out without him. Kiwior gave us a lot of physicality early on against that brute Haaland. And then when Doku came on, Tomi was perfect - players often say he is our best one-on-one defender. So I think Arteta maximised his resources there.

But against Luton, yeah, he’s a great option at some point in the game.

Don Pacifico

Yeah, I think it's as much about resting tired legs as it is about warming up those that haven't had much game time that will need to sub in over the next couple of months.

Zinchenko, ESR, Vieira, Jesus, Partey, Tomiyasu all need minutes in order to gain some sense of sharpness.

Burnwinter

Don Pacifico Zinchenko should probably play, true.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Claudius didn't Doku rinse Tomi at least once?

Clrnc

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert It's perfectly fine to been rinsed by Doku once. Tomi rinsed him twice though with perfect tackles and bought some time near the end by attracting a foul

Claudius

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert he did. But Doku is one of the best dribblers in the league. I’d expect him to rinse Tomi once or twice - especially an unfit Tomi

DiabyKungFu

Clrnc It's perfectly fine to been rinsed by Doku once.

Our lockdown leftback clamped him twice immediately after Doku came on and spooked Doku into going over to the left side in the reverse fixture at the Emirates this season. Inconvenient for the agenda of the day, though.

Qwiss

Clrnc Luton are understrength but every week they go out give big teams a game regardless. You can make a couple of changes but not put out a team like we're playing a League 2 side in the Carling Cup. The idea of dropping Odegaard, Saka, Havertz and Rice at the same time is way too much. Smart rotation means you drop one or two first teamers here and there. I wouldn't mind seeing one of Saka or Martinelli rested depending on fitness and one midfielder replaced by Partey. Then Tomi for a full back. I wouldn't go with more than that though. Certainly not starting Reiss Nelson, he'd be lucky to get minutes off the bench for the rest of this season.

Gurgen

At this stage of the season you can't rest too many players. Every game is a must win.

daredevil

Luton away was the only time I questioned whether our D was for real or just another hoax. No team has scored more in a single game against us this season than bloody Luton.

SimplyThePest

Claudius So was Gervinho... 😃

Claudius

SimplyThePest well, I didn’t comment on how good he is. 😁

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