Arsenal away build up

[Shaggy]

Now we've stopped the rot with another great result against the Mancs, I'm thoroughly looking forward to this one.

Tricky for us though - it's a bit of a no-win situation. What sort of side would you like Rafa to pick?

Torres & Gerrard should sit this one out for obvious reasons. Aquilani's only played 15 minutes of football in months so it's the bench for him. I'd like to see something like this...

-----------------Cavalieri---------------

Kelly (if fit)-----Skrtel-----Ayala---------Aurelio

-------------Plessis-----Spearing-------------

Babel-------------Pacheco------------Dossena (if fit)

-------------------Ngog-----------------


Degen in for Kelly if he's not fit, no idea about left wing if Dossena isn't fit.

[Bender]

wouldn't give Babel the time of day anymore...........but yeah i'd go for that side...Am expecting to hear how good arsenal's youngsters are....but then again these youngsters are now in their 30's aren't they

[PTP]

to be honest i'm not too arsed in a way with this game - the united win has just lifted the pressure - had we lost yesterday we would have gone into this looking at a straight 6th defeat which would have been a disaster.

No i can just look forward to this game and hopefully we will see a few lads taking their chance

i'd go with

---------------------cavalieri-----------------------

Kelly--------skrtel--------------not sure-----------dossena

Babel---------spearing-------maybe aquilani-------riera

----------------Pacheco---------Ngog--------------

[Shaggy]

Riera's out injured, surely?

[PTP]

**** it - play him anyway

[Exiled_red]

To be honest I'd be a little suprised if the team consisted of so few first teamers, I don't even know who to guess will be playing.

Is Mascherano's suspension next weekend? If so I wouldn't be suprised to see him play in this one. Cavalieri, Spearing, Ngog, Babel and Kelly (if fit) I imagine would also start. Not sure what the Dossena situation is as he doesn't seem to be involved much. I guess Aquilani may come on for the last 15mins or so if he's up to that stage of his recovery, I very much doubt he will be fit enough to start though

[Shaggy]

Yeah playing Mascherano is a good idea with the suspension in mind. I do think if we pick too strong a side though it'll put us on a hiding to nothing.

[Reece]

To be honest I'd be a little suprised if the team consisted of so few first teamers

So would I. You would have thought if that was Rafa's intention, he would have done so in the previous round against Leeds who are two leagues below us.

Don't really care much about this competition (in relation to the others), so would happily see a team of youngsters and reserves put out. With the injury problems we've been having I'd rather not risk any of our main first teamers in the game.

[Shaggy]

I just think if we pick too strong a side then it sets us up for a fall - thus sparking all the usual media bollocks, added pressure, lost confidence.

[Reece]

I just think if we pick too strong a side then it sets us up for a fall - thus sparking all the usual media bollocks, added pressure, lost confidence.

Yeah the 6-3 a couple of years ago springs to mind.

[Rafa_el_Gafa]

Carragher normally plays in the cup?

[DannyMan2006]

I just think if we pick too strong a side then it sets us up for a fall - thus sparking all the usual media bollocks, added pressure, lost confidence.

I don't think that matters, and the better side we put out, the better chance we have of going through.

I'm not particularly bothered too much about the result, but winning a trophy early in the season would also take away a lot of the pressure and it would be a great day out for the fans. So in that respect, we should put out a team strong enough to win.

--------------------Cavalieri----------------------
--------------------------------------------------
Degen-------Skrtel---------Kelly/Ayala------Aurelio/Dossena
--------------------------------------------------
-------------Spearing------Mascherano------------
Babel--------------------------------------Dossena/Riera/Eccleston
---------------------Voronin/Pacheco--------------
---------------------N'Gog------------------------

They are all players that haven't played a great deal recently and all need games, other than Masch who we anticapate being suspended for this weekend. I'd also hope Aquilani played some part, and expect Plessis also to feature.

[dww]

Without risking any injured players I'd play as strong a team as possible.

Do we know who is injured and suspended for this game.

I think it is the sort of game where our injuries might be a blessing in disguise allowing us to blood a few young players without too much pressure. I don't want to see a team full of squad/youth players though as a mauling would be bad for confidence. I still think we suffer from experienced reserves though.

Not sure I see any point in plying the likes of Dossena if we have no intention of having him in match day squads.

[Pablo]

I'm not particularly bothered too much about the result, but winning a trophy early in the season would also take away a lot of the pressure and it would be a great day out for the fans.

Agreed. I think we are going for this a bit more this season for that very reason. It will give us a huge boost to win a trophy again after going without for a few years.

I expect to see a few more first teamers that you guys have picked so far.

[Imy]

Now we've stopped the rot with another great result against the Mancs, I'm thoroughly looking forward to this one.

Tricky for us though - it's a bit of a no-win situation. What sort of side would you like Rafa to pick?

Torres & Gerrard should sit this one out for obvious reasons. Aquilani's only played 15 minutes of football in months so it's the bench for him. I'd like to see something like this...

-----------------Cavalieri---------------

Kelly (if fit)-----Skrtel-----Ayala---------Aurelio

-------------Plessis-----Spearing-------------

Babel-------------Pacheco------------Dossena (if fit)

-------------------Ngog-----------------


Degen in for Kelly if he's not fit, no idea about left wing if Dossena isn't fit.

I'd go with the vast majority of that, my team:

-----------------Cavalieri---------------

Kelly/Darby-----Skrtel-----Ayala---------Dossena

-------------Plessis-----Spearing-------------

Voronin-------------Pacheco------------ Babel

-------------------Ngog-----------------

Got to say though ain't confident at all though, the speed and interchange of passing and positions by the Arsenal youngsters I believe could and will probably cause us no end of probs, think we will lose this one.