| # |
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
| 1. |
Liverpool U23 |
13 |
10 |
0 |
3 |
30 |
13 |
30 |
| 2. |
Leicester U23 |
12 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
17 |
8 |
24 |
| 3. |
Arsenal U23 |
13 |
7 |
2 |
4 |
27 |
22 |
23 |
| 4. |
Everton U23 |
12 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
18 |
12 |
20 |
| 5. |
Swansea U23 |
12 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
23 |
22 |
17 |
| 6. |
West Ham U23 |
11 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
18 |
21 |
17 |
| 7. |
Derby U23 |
12 |
5 |
1 |
6 |
20 |
22 |
16 |
| 8. |
Manchester City U23 |
12 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
20 |
20 |
13 |
| 9. |
Chelsea U23 |
11 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
13 |
19 |
11 |
| 10. |
Manchester Utd U23 |
11 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
10 |
18 |
10 |
| 11. |
Sunderland U23 |
12 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
9 |
21 |
9 |
| 12. |
Tottenham U23 |
11 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
19 |
26 |
8 |
Of course the under 23 games are indications of the strength of the squad in depth, but not much more. Some players are brought forward quickly into the full squad – players such as Iwobi and Maitland Niles for example. Sometimes first team players get games in the under 23 matches to regain their own match fitness.
But looking at what we have here, Arsenal seem to have the edge, and quite a few of the Arsenal II team are players with first team experience.
We have obviously lost Wilshere from Arsenal II as he played against Newcastle and I would imagine he will play against Liverpool. But otherwise, among the youngsters we will have quite a smattering of first team players. Indeed given what Mr Wenger has said we could see youngsters only on the beach.
Speaking to Arsenal.com Mr Wenger said that Ramsey will not be back until January, and Mustafi is fit but will not be used against West Ham in the League Cup. That suggests he will get a match on Friday against Liverpool.
Walcott we are told is 100% fit and will definitely play against West Ham. He also suggested that virtually everyone who will play is an international which again seems to suggest that some of the promising youngsters will only make the bench. There is also a suggestion in what Mr Wenger says that Mertesacker will also play. I would also anticipate Elneny who is looking to me to be ever more purposeful and assured when he plays, will also get a full game, perhaps alongside Coquelin.
Danny Welbeck, Sead Kolasinac and Olivier Giroud look quite likely to start with a bench that includes a selection from Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Josh Dasilva, Eddie Nketiah, and Matt Macey, with a couple of those dropping out to make way for established players, just in case we get an early injury.
Last, if we take a look at West Ham’s last ten matches what we find is the typical new manager bounce…
| Date |
Match |
Res |
Score |
Competition |
| 04 Nov 2017 |
West Ham United v Liverpool |
L |
1-4 |
Premier League |
| 19 Nov 2017 |
Watford v West Ham United |
L |
2-0 |
Premier League |
| 24 Nov 2017 |
West Ham United v Leicester City |
D |
1-1 |
Premier League |
| 28 Nov 2017 |
Wycombe Wanderers v West Ham |
L |
2-0 |
League Trophy |
| 29 Nov 2017 |
Everton v West Ham United |
L |
4-0 |
Premier League |
| 03 Dec 2017 |
Manchester City v West Ham |
L |
2-1 |
Premier League |
| 05 Dec 2017 |
Luton Town v West Ham United |
L |
4-0 |
League Trophy |
| 09 Dec 2017 |
West Ham United v Chelsea |
W |
1-0 |
Premier League |
| 13 Dec 2017 |
West Ham United v Arsenal |
D |
0-0 |
Premier League |
| 16 Dec 2017 |
Stoke City v West Ham United |
W |
0-3 |
Premier League |
Six defeats and a draw in the last seven and then two wins and a draw, including an impressive win against Chelsea. This is the sort of thing that makes people say that all you need is to change the manager if there are problems. The only problem is, over time, it generally doesn’t last. Occasionally it does, but mostly it doesn’t.
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Looking forward to this game, if not to probably see some more of the youth get a game. WH does not play til Sat against Newcastle, so who knows who they will field.
//
You know this thing about changing managers, just does not apply to Arsenal’s situation, this is a completely different situation.
After so many years of AW, everyone now knows his weaknesses and strengths, but the fact is, he was the best we could have ever got considering the money and status of Arsenal, and he is still the best we can get considering the money and status of Arsenal club today.
That said, in the previous few years, Arsenal and AW has become stagnant, and in the last year we actually lost ground, not competing against top sides, and starting to lose ground against lesser sides.
Many fans think that AW has not grown, after all, after all these years, he should have masses of experience that can be used to take the club forward, but the experience the fans are seeing that has affected Arsenal, is his economical experience, which has done Arsenal a world of good.
On the footballing side, not so much, hence the team getting worse, or to put it another way, the team standing still, while most other teams have caught Arsenal, and the top teams are starting to run away leaving Arsenal in the dust when it comes to achievements and performances.
So no wonder that some call for change.
But there is no one available who would fit Arsenal’s requirements.
It looks like Arsenal will try to train a manager/coach under AW(lawd help us, i do not rate AW training methods today)and try to battle through, until a manager/coach who suits Arsenal becomes available, but who knows, they may only have managers lined up in case of something unforeseen happening to AW.
So we have to accept what the club is, moan a bit when things don’t go well, scream with joy when they do, and try to enjoy our life outside football.
OK, i’m off for xmas to slightly warmer climes so here’s a translation of one of AW comments.
English
“I wouldn’t like to compare. You want nobody to leave and see where we stand on that. But at the moment, it’s very difficult. Until the end of the season we know what he is, but after that I cannot tell you.”
In Jamaican
“Mi wouldn’t like fi compare. yuh wan nobody fi lef an si weh wi stand pon dat. But at di moment it very difficult til di end of di season wi kno wah him is, but afta dat mi cyaan tell yuh.”
Some may deduce that i am off to Jamaica, but sadly i’m only off to Southampton(which is slightly warmer than here, at least in summer).
Think is, I understood what AW said in both languages, but i still did not get the full meaning.
I think it is a result of AW thoughts being in French and then he tries to put them into English, this just does not compute in the most cases.
//
Anyway, for all those who go mad at this time of year, be careful, have fun and do not endanger others.
It was the mantra of my French teacher many years ago that to speak a language properly you have to think in that language. So I don’t buy the lost in translation tag . Wenger knows the language well enough and his thoughts are not betrayed by his vocabulary.
On to tonights team , I would consider Macey as the keeper . As we are likely to be facing Carroll for this one . Carroll is 6 foot 4 , Ospina 6 foot and Macey 6 foot 6. Only Mertesacker is tall enough to compete in the air and as we all know despite his positional nouse his jumping ability is not his best suit. They will be crossing and slinging high balls in at every opportunity. ” Keepers ball” should be the cry of the night. On top of this Cech wont go on forever and can we really consider Ospina to be the number one for a whole league programme.
Macey is a good keeper , he has the potential to be one for the future and he is good at penalties and tonights game does not have a replay and could easily go to a shoot out.