Three Parter today, and it’s a case of “you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine”.
Picture this, we’re about to play Utd at home, it’s a must win game for both teams and everybody is fit as a fiddle and on top form, with one exception, Olivier Giroud is injured.
We are a few games into the season now, and have witnessed a few seismic changes. The form of Ramsey, the central Arteta/Flamini axis, and the inclusion of Mesut Ozil. How does your First XI line up now, and we can limit this to the midfield and attack, as I wouldn’t mind betting we’d all select the same back five.
This idea comes on the back of talk about False No 9’s, as well as chat about various striker back-up options. Also, to date, Arsene has not had the luxury/problem of selecting from a full squad. You do, well almost!
I am going to complicate things, and that is why this is a Three Parter. I am going to give you two further selection headaches. First, it’s 0-0 until the 70th minute, when The Arsenal score, and second, it’s 0-0 until the 70th when the unbelieveable happens, and Utd score. On 71 mins, you can make one substitution for each scenario.
So, I’m asking for:
Your starting front six, and how they line up.
Then, your Arsenal 1-0 up plus substitution.
Finally, your Arsenal 0-1 down plus substitution.
Remember, it is a Must Win game for both sides. I said “I’d show you mine”, but I’m going to have to think this through, so hopefully, see you in the comments with your suggestions.
Written by MickyDidIt
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Morning anyone.
I have not thought it through yet, but am toying with theFalse 9 line up. I am pondering this:
Santi Diaby Ozil
….Arteta Ramsey
ha ha ha Micky 🙂 you owe me nothing, you make me laugh and that’s priceless, ta xxx
Rasp – i think I told you about polish man (do not confuse with lovely polish women). They are drunks and womanizers at the best of times.
Diaby pound for pound is a starter i think…. Especially in a midfield battle with fellaini and carrick for height and power
Flamini over arteta for his aggression and legs
Thats quite an engine room – Flamini, Ramsay and Diaby… they would run Utd ragged
So I’d think about starting
Flamini
Ramsay Diaby Cazorla
Ozil
Podolski
Then at 1-0 up – Arteta for Cazorla
At 1-0 down Walcott for Ramsay – movel Podolski over to the left and play Ozil central but withdrawn so that he has two runners to hit left and right…
No room for Jack coz diaby fit is a lion
:O
Front 6: Giroud, Cazorla on left, Ozil through the middle, Theo on the right, with Ramsey and Arteta behind.
1-0 up: i would bring on Flamini for Ramsey and ask him and Arteta to sit. Use Theo’s pace on the counter.
1-0 down: i wouldn’t change the original line up….can’t wait to see Ozil, Santi and Theo together. The only thing i may do is put Podolski on for Cazorla. Think Podolski is the best finisher at the club.
I strongly suspect Theo is going to feature a lot in the 1-0 up scenario.
Damn, need to re-think my line up, as I’m a man short 😦
D98
Interesting that you too would consider Diaby.
Right, had a rethink
Start:
Pod Ozil Santi
…Ramsey Diaby
…….Flamini
1-0
Pod off, Theo on. Ramsey told to sit deeper alongside Flamini.
0-1
Same as above.
Flamini, Ramsey, Cazorla, Rosicky, Oezil, Podolski/Walcott.
1-0 up
Walcott in for Rosicky.
0-1 down
Podolski in for Walcott.
Think Diaby could have been an Arsenal great but i don’t think he’ll ever be fit enough to get a long enough run in the team. Technically Theo is nowhere near the class of Ozil and Santi, but he gives us blistering pace which causes fear in opposition defences, and stretches the game out. Teams can’t just sit a watch the play in front of them, Theo gives us a real option in behind. And with the weight and timing of pass of Ozil, i think this will be a good combination.
Tricksy type question this.
Start with:
Poldy – Vermaelen – Gnabry
Ramsey – Arteta – Diaby
Gibbs – Kozzer – Mert – Sagna
Chezzer
If 1:0 up or 0:1 down; Only make substitutions dependent on circumstances regarding injuries, who is playing well, who is playing crap.
I am available for matinees, bar mitzvahs and as the next Arsenal manager!
Is it really 40 years ago? Seems like yesterday!
Micky, you are the master.
But stop with this talk of Diaby, that’s just some sort of sick joke played on Arsenal over the past seven years and more. In the sage words of Imagination,”Open up your eyes and look around;
It’s just an illusion, illusion, illusion….”
On the basis that we would want to pass the buggers to death, my starting front six without Olly would be:
Wilshere Arteta Ramsey
-Walcott – Ozil – Cazorla
Sub if 1-0 up: Flamini for Wilshere
Sub if 0-1 down: Podolski for Cazorla (unless Theo is anonymous, in which he case he gets subbed for Poldi).
Well bowled, Micky.
I must say I’m loving Marvin’s TV5 at centre forward and not even playing Ozil and Cazorla. With our paper thin squad, too. 🙂
Cazorla Podolski Walcott
………………Ozil
……..Ramsey Arteta
Sub 1-0 up
Jack for Podolski and swamp the midfield
Sub 1-0 down
Rosicky for Walcott and push Ozil further forward.
Chas,
I keep all my good bits clean, polished and immaculate in a cabinet in case they get broken.
I would keep Ozil and Santi spruced up and threatening looking on the side lines to scare the opposition, and in case they got injured, and also charge £5 for anyone who wanted to walk around them.
In Micky’s hypothetical world anything goes! lol
Great idea Micky – but you and the rest of them are MAD (Diaby, indeed 🙄 )
Clearly the line-up in front of the back five has to be:
Flamini Arteta
Theo Ozil Ramsey Santi
(Ozil plays the balls through for Theo and Ramsey to score repeatedly, so we’ll be 5-0 up with 20 to go, but I’ll indulge your other hypotheses anyway):
1-0 up after 70: No changes
0-1 down after 70: Podolski on for Santi
I thank you 🙂
Arteta, Wilshere and Ramsey.
This gives you a great base to retain the ball, break up play and transition from defense to attack. Utd will drop Rooney onto Arteta to stop the ball out of defense, but then Ramsey or Wilshere will pick it up and Rooney will be cut out of the game. With Ramsey’s running, Arteta’s accuracy and Wilshere’s transition, we will likely stop the ball getting to their front man (some Dutch c@nt).
Ahead of that, it’s Walcott right, Cazorla left and Ozil in the false 9. Creativity, pace and bringing the midfield runners in to play. It’ll also cause the Utd defense so much trouble, that their midfiled will sit deeper, giving Ramsey and especially Wilshere some space in front of them to turn/run.
At 1-0 up, we bring on Flamini for Wilshere (only if Utd are pressing forward, otherwise I wouldn’t make the sub until the last 10mins)
At 1-0 down, it’s the Ox for Wilshere. Ox goes left, Ramsey right, Cazorla and Ozil sit behind Walcott up top. Arteta sits deep.
That might leave us a bit exposed, but I’d rather lose 2-0 having really gone for it.
Arsenal’s first choice elevan:
1. Viviano
2. Bellerin
3. Koscielny
4. Vermaelen
5. Monreal
6. Diaby
7. Cazorla
8. Ozil
9. Podolski
10. Rosicky
11. Giroud
Another fantastic post Micky. I think my front six would be,
DM: Flamini
CM: Ramsey
AM: Ozil
RW: Theo
LW: Santi
CF: Podolski
Arsenal score on 70 mins: Santi off, Ox on, to add a bit of counter attacking danger.
Man Ure score on 70 mins (yeah they wish): Flamini off, Jack on.
Ouch Jamie, that looks good.
None of the False 9 stuff. Crikey, Ozil, Santi and Theo surrounding Podolski sounds absolutely deadly.
On reflection, I’d merge Yours and Rocky’s:
………Podolski
Santi Ozil Theo
….Arteta Flamini
Mind you, it hurts leaving Ramsey on the bench.
Judas playing?……Ping Pong must start
Fantastic stuff, Micky. I would start with Ramsey on the right (based on current form).
………Poldi
Santi Ozil Ramsey
….Arteta Flamster
If we are 1-0 up, no change.
If 0-0 or 0-1 (never going to happen, though), bring Theo on for Ramsey to provide a more direct approach.
Great fun!!!! 😀 😀
Prince
I like that idea 😀
Santi-pod-walcott
flamini-ozil-ramsey
giroud unavailable
With 1-0 lead arteta in for walcott ( ramsey moves left wing, santi to right ) arteta- flamini shield back four – new wingers try to help control posession ( rambo does his defensive work as always. )
Down 0-1 replace flamini with rosicky
After submitting my choices, i went back and read the others posted, no disrespect, but mine is the best haha
😉
Jnyc after going 1-0 up, would you rather go ultra-defensive or play counter and use the pace of walcott and ox to your advantge?
Chas
You do circulate in strange circles to attract all these tweeeeets 🙂
I am going to watch the England match.
Am I suffering withdrawls? A fever?
What score do you think, Micky?
Do we want England to qualify?
What’s wrong with following Lukas Podolski?
Actually Chas, I take that back. Any more from The Arsenal Gentleman? Genius those cards he did.
https://twitter.com/ArsenalGent
Rasp is going tonight.
What I want to know is, why?
Chas
To be honest, my answers would be: “Don’t know, and Don’t care”.
I want Brazil to win the competition.
If England had some players I liked as people, some who could play exciting football, then I’d be more enthusiastic.
Love the Arsenal Gent link 🙂
Chas
Rasp mentioned picking his son up at the airport. He also mentioned some Polish Skinheads, so my money says he going for a fight.
Rasp looks a bit like a polish skinhead. Mr Sheen. 🙂
Rasp is a martial artist, isn’t he?
My God, you’re right. He’s a double agent. Cripes.
Need to pop out for 20 mins to cut pigs toenails
Ahhhhhhhhh, I almost missed this one, what a brilliant post.
You are all wrong of course, well 26 is close as usual 🙄
Ramsey,Arteta,Flamini
Walcott, Ozil, Cazorla.
One up, change? Why on earth would we want to do that?
One down and here comes my ace.
Drum roll………..Bendtner for Flamini
I think the Rasper used to be in this band… (not very skinheady)
Start:
Flamini Ramsey
Walcott Cazorla Podoski
Ozil
at 1-0
Arteta for Podolski , Ramsey up the pitch, Rosicky for Cazorla to left wing
at 0-1
AOC for Walcott, Rosicky for Podolski
Er… that’s the same as my line-up LB.
Same old LB, Always cheating 🙂
In my excitement to write my team I never noticed yours Rocky, but it is interesting that we shared the same view about not making a change at one up.
The Podolski–Flamini swap is the most obvious but what I think people have forgotten is the need for an aerial threat at that stage of the game and Bendtner provides this far more than Podolski.
Rasp – are you 1:26min of the clip with lots of black hair?
and why on earth are you singing about Tottenham??!!! shocking
come on Poland! you have nothing to lose, show those Anglikom how to play for your country!!! Polska, Polska, Polska!!!!!!!!!!!!
I toyed with the Bendy solution at one down LB, but in the end thought we were more likely to pick our way through with a bit of Ozil magic (and we’d have the CBs and Sagna for set pieces).
Wow, LB, that’s thrown a spanner in the works (Bendy), and I thought I’d done that with Diaby 🙂
Evonne
You’ve just failed the Norman Tebbit Test 🙂
Right, well best go and warm up the telly and get prepared to be bored rigid.
Imagine the atmosphere might be good, and hopefully the Poles can drown out the din from the England Band.
Great game, very exciting
Good point Jamie, but after 70 id stick with more conservative sub– earlier might be different
Very good game, Rooney’s putting a great audition for joining the Arse….
Szczesny having a good game tonight.
I hope Woy gets James “I’m very interesting” Milner on for Townsend soon, we need solidity and ball retention now.
Wilshere coming on…..
my poor boys 😦 they look more like a team than the English mob, but are technically worse.
Lewandowski is a striker we don’t need; wasted 3 great chances tonight and 2 against Ukraine
Hi evonne. I agree that Lewandowski hasn’t been great (though with one chance he could make his mark yet….). And the Polskas have been cohesive. But I wouldn’t say England have been lacking as a unit – I just wish they were less gung-ho when they’re winning, seeing Cahill go up front unnecessarily is bloody annoying.
Oh yes, Gerrard has been about the worst England player tonight and now he scores!!!!
Aaron Ramsey scores a late equaliser against Belgium! And Ozil scored earlier.
typical stevie me!
hi 26, yes, your lads looked more as a unit tonight than they looked for many years now; fair play to Roy H. Still, there were parts of the game they looked like they didn’t know who’s next to them
Anyway, me is not happy. Good night my English friends! with friends like this… 🙂
Night evonne!
So Europe’s teams next summer will be Belgium, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia, England and Spain, plus four of Croatia, Sweden, Romania, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Ukraine and France.
Oh f***, Ozil went off injured.
Just in so haven’t see others yet.
Starting 6 without Giroud is difficult as I expect we all have come to accept.
So at kick off:
………..Arteta……..Flamimi…………
(That parts a no brainer)
Theo……………Ozil……………Cazorla
……………….Podolski………………….
Go 1 up replace Santi with Ramsey drop Ramsey back into the two defensive and and move Ozil right, Pod left Theo up front for the counter.
Go one down, bring on Nik B for Arteta.
Aaron Ramsey scores a late equaliser against Belgium! And Ozil scored earlier.
http://siambbgun.blogspot.com/
FRONT 6
Flamini, Ozil, Ramsey, Arteta, Walcott, Giroud
1-0 up Ox for Theo.. keep speed to expose a team pushing forward
1-0 down Podolski on
4-0 up bring on Gnabry and Frimpong
I think you have to term the selection under realistic starters because, I’m sure many in the comments section, which I haven’t read yet, would want Diaby in the line-up (I do too) but that’s, sadly, not realistic enough. Diaby is probably too broken to consistently play in the top flight and as hard as it to admit, we must and move on.
Anyway, quibbles aside; my attacking line-up with Giroud injured would be:
Ramsey-Flamini
Walcott-Cazorla-Podolski
Ozil
Leading 1-0:
Ramsey off for Arteta
Trailing 1-0:
a) Ramsey off for Wilshere, keep same shape
b) Ramsey off for Rosicky in taking left-wing, Podolski pushing further up.
Arsenal’s current best 11?
Shezzy
Rambo Rambo Rambo Rambo
Rambo Arteta
Rambo Özil Rambo
Rambo
And I’m not Welsh.
Your starting front six, and how they line up:
Bendtner-CF
Walcott – right midfield
Cazorla -left midfield
Ozil -central midfield
Arteta – DM
Flamini – DM
Sagna -fullback
Per-CB
Kos-CB
Gibbs-fullback
Szcesny
Then, your Arsenal 1-0 up plus substitution.no change
Finally, your Arsenal 0-1 down plus substitution: Podolski for Bendtner
Nice to see Bendy getting a cautious thumbs up from mant AA-ers. I have the feeling he is a dark horse this year. So be it. Let Bendy get a chance to redeem himself.
If he helps us win against Chelski in the League Cup, I will certainly sign up as well…..
Morning all.
Really enjoyed watching England.
Loved reading through all your team selections. It makes such happy reading knowing what options Arsene has in his Arsenal 🙂
I take it from comments, that Ozil will be fine, so we have come through this ordeal unscathed.
t-80 hours
Sad thing is, I’ve been waiting a full ten minutes to post that accurately. Nearly there though 🙂
watching the news – you’d think that Engerland have already won the world cup!!
neamman – the trick was that Giroud was not available
Herr ertates – I forgot to answer your question. Right, I like living dangerously, so I’d play the usual suspects (Ramsey, Cazorla, Wilshere, Ozil, Walcott) and Bendtner to start with.
Draw after 70mins and no obvious problems – no change
We are winning – off goes Wilshere, on comes Flamini
We are losing – good bye Walcott on comes Podolski
now you can move the goalpost and remove Ozil from the squad, or is bad luck to even suggest it?
The worst thing is Ox didn’t even crop up in my head as an option….or maybe that’s the best thing demonstrating that we have quote some depth.
I know Micky said everyone else 100% fit but the risk of using Diaby and having him break down in 10 minutes is too great to use him in starting line up.
GiE – and you believe anything that Micky says? pssshhh…..
GiE
My Diaby insertion was my first line opening comment and was me putting the blog before ego. Kind of a conversation stimulator 🙂
From vital Arsenal
“O.K. Tuesday’s internationals. A false alarm over Laurent Koscielny it seems, he played the full 90 in France’s 3-0 win over Finland. Olivier Giroud might have scored, it might have been an own goal. The important thing is, his limbs are still attached.”
Arsenal star Mesut Ozil limped off injured from Germany’s thrilling 5-3 victory over Sweden in World Cup qualifying, raising doubts over whether he will be fit for the return of Premier League action this weekend.
The midfielder picked up the knock in a clash with less than 10 minutes of the match remaining, and was replaced by Julian Draxler. He immediately went down the tunnel for treatment, which will give Arsene Wenger pause for thought ahead of Arsenal’s match against Norwich at the Emirates on Saturday.
Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/247989.html#BLEGilhIr7O85ixM.99
Sorry everyone, I walked the dog and forgot about the post 😳
There’s a New Post …………….