Will Blackpool leave the Gunners feeling tangoed?
As the club prepares for our first home game of this new season, we take on the Championship play-off winners Blackpool. The club clad in tangerine produced the surprise result of the Premier League’s opening weekend, thrashing an abysmal Wigan 4-0, away from home. They continue their travels this weekend, whilst their ground has upgrades completed. Are Blackpool capable of extending their good start at the expense of the Gunners?
In short, no. Blackpool faced a side last weekend who I predicted to finish one place above them in the league, both propping up the league at the foot of the table. Arsenal will present a completely different proposition. We play with pace, guile and with players who are on a different level. We’ve had problems with the Premier League’s ‘smaller’ clubs over the last few seasons, even at home – and I’m thinking the only thing that can beat us this afternoon is ourselves.
If we play with confidence, and race out of the blocks we should be out of sight before Blackpool will have a chance to realise where they are. Allow Blackpool into the game, even for a few minutes and their resolve will stiffen and they will become another of those teams that successfully park the bus, and then the danger of them sneaking something from a set piece could arise. I’d expect Arsene to field an attacking side, possibly a 4-4-2 looking something like this:
——————– Almunia ——————–
Sagna — Djourou —- Vermaelen — Clichy
———————- Song ———————-
Walcott ———- Rosicky ———- Arshavin
——– Van Persie ——— Chamakh ——–
I think it’s vital to play a front two, we’re bound to get plenty of chances, and we need people to finish them. If we won’t play with a two guys permanently up front against the Premier League’s newest club, then I doubt we ever will. I’d like to hope that Rosicky gets the reward for his excellent second half against Liverpool, likewise Walcott ahead of Eboue. Wenger hints that Fabregas won’t start whereas he does for Song and/or Djourou – making me think that Song will come in for Diaby and our young Swiss will cover the suspended Koscielny.
A clean sheet would be a welcome morale boost for Almunia, who I expect to continue in goal, and as much as I hate to hold the same opinion as Mark Lawrenson, a score of 3-0 would represent a decent afternoon’s work for the Gunners – and I’d like to see both Chamakh and Van Persie on the scoresheet.
The clock returns!
The Emirates will see a welcome return to the named stands of Highbury for the first time this game, including the naming and installation of the revered Clock End. I wish I was going to be at the Emirates for this – most of the games I saw at Highbury were in that end, and I always felt that just calling the bits of the ground quadrants didn’t cut it. I know it’s only semantics, but we’re a club with wonderful history and we should be proud to have it emblazoned across our stadium, much like the scenes from our past that now adorn the walls. It’ll all help build the Emirates into a true Fortress Arsenal, just as Highbury once was.
I’ll finish up today with a little gripe regarding our transfer policy. It is being reported that in our bid to land both Mark Schwarzer and Sebastien Squillaci we’re under-valuing and under-bidding. In both cases I believe the figure is around £2 million. For a club as financially strong as we are, I find this galling – and a little hypocritical. We held onto captain Cesc this summer, some believe, as Barca wouldn’t meet our valuation – which is exactly what Fulham and Sevilla are doing, and for a lot smaller gap in moolah. I think it’s a good thing that Wenger has been financially prudent over the years, securing incredible deals for most of our players. However, he and most of us have identified immediate gaps in our squad’s quality – a keeper and a centre back. Arsene has identified players to fill those gaps, now stump up and land them!
