Arsenal v Brentford Wednesday 3rd Dec 730 PM KO: Page 2 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Arsenal v Brentford Wednesday 3rd Dec 730 PM KO

lorddulaarsenal

I’m going to the Villa match on Saturday so I can shout and put off the Villa players.

RocktheCasbah

lorddulaarsenal is it bad that I read that as "pull off the Villa players"?

flobaba

lorddulaarsenal 07:30PM!

Qwiss

HomeSteak They are a very good team, away game and all that and we simply don't do that well against them

Like Newcastle and Fulham?

Panda

Rotation needed for this but there is a fine line between rotation and losing the rhythm of the team.

I'd go:
Raya
White-Mosquera-Hincapie-Calafiori
Zubi-Merino
Odegaard
Saka-Gyokeres-Eze

Qwiss

There is no way I'd rest Timber for this. He's the only senior, experienced player at the back. Until Saliba is 100% he has to play.

Don't think we should rest Rice for the same reasons. We need him getting back and helping out the defence while its missing so many starters.

Tactics

Qwiss I may be misunderstanding you but are you suggesting Timber is more experienced than White? Or Rice more experienced than say, Merino?

I think we are only missing 2 starters or 3 (if you you think Hevertz is above Gyokeres in the pecking order). That's actually not that bad at this stage of the season.

Big Willie

flobaba 07:30PM

No, 12:30pm

awooga83

This is one of the type of matches that can give us a feel about where we are compared to other seasons. We had a little wobble at Chelsea, on its own not terrible in an away match, but home to Brentford you need to be right back into the winning momentum. Of course the challenge for us and Arteta is too often previously we've not been able to deliver that ruthless efficiency.

If we drop points suddenly city are right there and our record and seeing out that kind of run off is not great. Win and you start to reinforce that we are a different team this season which psychologically can impact your rivals over time.

Qwiss

Tactics I'm saying they're more experienced than Hincapie, Mosqy and Calafiori. Merino doesn't protect the defence like Rice and Whites been a non factor this season. Throwing him into a makeshift back 4 would be reckless.

Tactics

Qwiss We have the option of playing a more defensive player in Norgaard. A double pivot of Norgaard-Zubi is more than solid enough against Brentford.

White already played alongside Mosquera and Hincapie against Brighton, a team of similar quality as Brentford. I think they'll be fine. I was shocked at how fitter and sharper Chelsea looked against us. I think we should trust the squad especially with the early kick off at Villa in mind. We could always make changes at half time if things aren't going well.

Everyone keeps talking about what a great squad we have, we'll probably need to question that if we can't trust few of them to play a home match against mid-table sides like Brentford.

I am actually expecting Arteta to play his strongest available team. And we are bound to see posts at some point in the season of people criticising him for not rotating enough when someone goes down.

Big Willie

Tactics We have the option of playing a more defensive player in Norgaard. A double pivot of Norgaard-Zubi is more than solid enough against Brentford.

Are we trying to get a 0-0?

Tactics White already played alongside Mosquera and Hincapie against Brighton, a team of similar quality as Brentford.

And that was our shakiest game defensively during a period where we conceded no shots on target for weeks on end.

Tactics Everyone keeps talking about what a great squad we have, we'll probably need to question that if we can't trust few of them to play against mid-table sides like Brentford.

That's the thing. We are playing our squad. Hincapie is playing because Gabriel is injured. Mosquera is playing because Saliba is injured. Eze has been playing because Odegaard is injured.

Qwiss

Tactics Everyone keeps talking about what a great squad we have, we'll probably need to question that if we can't trust few of them to play a home match against mid-table sides like Brentford.

We are already using quite a few of the squad players due to injury though. that's the issue. Plus some of the players coming back are less than 100%. The likes of Odegaard, Gyokeres, Madueke, Martinelli are all coming back from injury and wont be at their top level. I think people are taking Brentford for granted here. The Brighton match was different as it was far less important than this.

Tactics

Big Willie I'd play a midfield of Zubi-Merino-Ode (that's 2/3 of the midifled Spain has been using recently) but he didn't think it was solid enough defensively, hence why I replied that we have the option of playing a more defensive player in Norgaard instead of Merino

Mosquera-Hincapie looked shaky in the 1st half but they looked solid in the 2nd half. Mind you, that was Hincapie's 1st game of the season if I'm not mistaken.

Those are mostly forced changes and not what I'd class as properly making use of the squad. Arteta has the habit of running key players into the ground and only turns to squad players when he's forced to. I hope he uses his squad better considering the amount of money we have spent on our squad over the years

Big Willie

Tactics Arteta has the habit of running key players into the ground and only turns to squad players when he's forced to. I hope he uses his squad better considering the amount of money we have spent on our squad over the years

100 agree. It's a gripe I have had with him for a while but

Tactics Those are mostly forced changes and not what I'd class as properly making use of the squad.

This is using the squad, at least in the cicumstances we find ourselves in. Doesn't make sense resting key players when your two CBs are both out at the same time. Try to get through the next game or two until Saliba gets back then we can think about resting Tiber or Zubi/Rice. Can't rest both Zubi and Rice at the same time, certainly not currently.

If we get our defence back we can easily rest Rice for Eze if need be or Zubi for Norgaard. For now we have to push on and get maximum points with our strongest team against bith Brentford and Villa. Rest players in the CL after Villa.

Tactics

Big Willie Uhm did anyone suggest resting both Zubi and Rice? I certainly didn't - see my preferred line up above. I'd go Zubi-Merino-Ode

To me using his squad means playing a squad player when he has the option of playing either a starter or a squad player. He's criticised for playing squad players only when he's forced to (because of injuries or suspension). If you say he's properly using his squad now because he's playing squad players to cover for injured starters, then you shouldn't be criticising him for not using his squad because he's always turned to squad players when key players were injured. What he's doing now is no different.

Anyway, let's agree to disagree. Hoping for a solid win tomorrow no matter the line up.

Big Willie

Tactics If you say he's properly using his squad now because he's playing squad players to cover for injured starters, then you shouldn't be criticising him for not using his squad because he's always turned to squad players when key players were injured. What he's doing now is no different.

No, he's using his squad how he should be currently, not that he shouldn't have rested a player or two here and there with our starters all available. You rest players when you have your main team fit and out a couple players in on rotation.

If you're having to play rotation players because you didnt do that then it's unfortunate (and self inflicted) that they won't be ready with plenty of minutes under there belt. However you don't compound that by resting players when your already missing a number of key players.

Dom

As much as Timber needs to be rotated, the only way to do it tomorrow would be to go up 3-0 by half-time and swap him for Ben White.

Mirth

This isn’t the week to talk about rotation. We have Villa and Brentford - both tricky opposition. We’ve already dropped 4 points in 3 league games - at our level that’s not great.

Next week we have Club Brugge and Wolves at home - that’s when we should make big changes and give Rice, Zubimendi, Saka and Timber at least one game off. For now they have to soldier on.

Klaus

Mirth Next week we have Club Brugge and Wolves at home - that’s when we should make big changes and give Rice, Zubimendi, Saka and Timber at least one game off.

Absolutely. Those games will be a great opportunity for Gyökeres and Madueke to bag a few and build momentum too.

Sicario2

This is a must win btw

TambourineMan

Sicario2 100%.

Tam

Big Willie If you're having to play rotation players because you didnt do that then it's unfortunate (and self inflicted) that they won't be ready with plenty of minutes under there belt. However you don't compound that by resting players when your already missing a number of key players.

Which is exactly where we are with the Timber and White situation. White could have had more minutes to both play himself into form and rest Timber. Had we done so, we’d either be in a more comfortable position to play Timber as the supporting/experienced head in defence knowing he isn’t being run into the ground leading into a hectic December/holiday spell, or have White come in with some semblance of consistency.

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