Arsenal away

[Red_Polo]

I didnt say play an attacking game, i just said dont sit back and wait for them to come onto us.

I agree. You can't just sit in your banks of four and react to them, you have to press them hard all over the pitch and stop them getting into a rhythm.

[Rashid]

Arsenal won't allow us to play with any tempo, we will be chasing he game from the off. I reckon Rafa will take a draw so get ready for a draw or a defeat.

I think we need to win, we have nothing to lose.

[bazza76]

Arsenal won't allow us to play with any tempo, we will be chasing he game from the off. I reckon Rafa will take a draw so get ready for a draw or a defeat.

I think we need to win, we have nothing to lose.

Rafa wont play for a draw, thats not his style.
We will press all over the filed, wether or not we are motivated enough to play like we are the home team is aonther matter.

[Shaggy]

I agree. You can't just sit in your banks of four and react to them, you have to press them hard all over the pitch and stop them getting into a rhythm.

Yeah, DJS misunderstands me. There’s a difference between having a slightly defensive mentality and “just sitting there and letting them come on to us”. I don’t think we should do that at all.

We’re at our best when we press high up the pitch and play at a high tempo. All I’m saying is we shouldn’t be gung-ho, and first and foremost we make the **** sure we don’t get beat. If we apply that plan properly, the rest should follow. Should.

[Morph]

I think we should go all out to get the first goal, I think I read a stat something like - we haven't lost a game were we've scored first since 2005.

Get that goal, and then let them try and break us down and play on the counter. Everton tried to do it but ended up with a draw, there's no reason we can't do it and get a win.

[Slammer]

What worries me most about this game is not the fact that its Arsenal....its the fact that we haven't a clue what team we are gonna put out! If we play our strongest line-up which i think is something like we have played the last 2 games with we should be more than capable of getting 3 points.....

[WILF]

What worries me most about this game is not the fact that its Arsenal....its the fact that we haven't a clue what team we are gonna put out! If we play our strongest line-up which i think is something like we have played the last 2 games with we should be more than capable of getting 3 points.....

If everyone is fit I would expect to see

Reina
Finnan
Carra
Sami/Agger
JAR
Gerrard
Alonso
Momo
Garcia
Kuyt
Crouch

Don't know if Rafa will want Aggers pace over Sami's experience, but I think the rest of the team now picks itself

[tattylashes]

Think we can win this one and I think Rafa will not make the mistake of setting the team up for the draw again. It is going to be a nailbiter, but Henry is still a bit off, while Gerrard is suddenly back to form and I think Alonso and Momo will handle Fabregas. I'm sure Rafa will study the CSKA Moscow games with interest. I see playing Arsenal as almost a 'European' game given their style and I think our team plays that style exceptionally well. Think the way we played Juventus in 2005 would be perfect (as would that scoreline). Should also bear in mind that both Fowler and Luis love to score against Arsenal. I'll never sleep now - overexcited thinking about it.

[Morph]

Think we can win this one and I think Rafa will not make the mistake of setting the team up for the draw again. It is going to be a nailbiter, but Henry is still a bit off, while Gerrard is suddenly back to form and I think Alonso and Momo will handle Fabregas. I'm sure Rafa will study the CSKA Moscow games with interest. I see playing Arsenal as almost a 'European' game given their style and I think our team plays that style exceptionally well. Think the way we played Juventus in 2005 would be perfect (as would that scoreline). Should also bear in mind that both Fowler and Luis love to score against Arsenal. I'll never sleep now - overexcited thinking about it.

Thing is we've come a long way since we played Juventus in that match, over 1.5 years, and I don't think we'd be doing ourselves justice setting up like that, which was basically to defend and catch them out on the counter. However I wouldn't mind a Garcia wonder goal, so in that aspect why not.

[tattylashes]

While there is no question that we set up to defend when we played Juventus away, I see our strategy in the Anfield match as high speed all out attack (but maybe that was not the set-up and it just turned out that way), which is what I would like to see against Arsenal. Think keeping possession will be even more crucial than usual too, to state the obvious.