By Bulldog Drummond
Our reviews of the possibilities in this match have reached the conclusion that both teams will put out their second XI, although in West Ham’s case, because they don’t have the strength in depth that Arsenal have they will include a modest number of first team players.
Looking at the results of both sets of under 23 teams confirms the fact that we have the better selection there, as well as with players from the first team squad who are not regulars.
So what could go wrong?
First West Ham could choose to put out its first team squad. That could catch us, but I suspect they won’t simply because they have the same sort of busy league programme as anyone else and the last thing they want to do is disrupt the momentum of the wins over Chelsea and Stoke and the draw with Arsenal.
West Ham have games against Newcastle, Bournemouth, West Brom and Tottenham, and if they can keep their current momentum going they must think that they might be able to get three wins out of those four and lift themselves out of any threat of relegation.
True, West Ham beat Tottenham in their last League Cup match, but they played a Tottenham second XI and as even the Tottenham adoring commentators on Radio 5 admitted last night, Tottenham has no strength in depth. I was driving when I heard that said so I couldn’t write it down, but I am pretty sure those were the exact words, and there was no dissent among the panel – quite an admission. Indeed the truth of it is shown by the fact that Tottenham are bottom of their reserve league.
The bookies also think Arsenal are clear favourites to win the quarter-final with West Ham and there have been suggestions in the media that Arsène Wenger is going to prioritise this competition as one Arsenal can win. Of course he wants to win, and of course he knows it is a competition he has never won, but “prioritise”? No I think not.
What he said was, “I think as well that we have so many quality players who did not start on Saturday, so you cannot say that you prefer to play a player who has played three games in six days to a guy who is at the same level and is completely fresh. The players who will start are basically all international players, so that’s why I think [changing the team] makes sense. You have to show the trust and the confidence that we have in the players.”
David Moyes said much the same using the phrase, “I have been fortunate enough to have been at some big clubs before and you need to win trophies. All the big clubs win trophies but you can’t go about with a 25-man squad and not give other players a game.
“So you will see all the teams make changes. Those teams will change again later in the tournament because they want to win trophies.
“The Premier League is a priority but do I want to get to a cup final? 100%, I really do, it would definitely boost the club. But with the run of games we’ve got at this moment, and at this time of the year, more important is our injuries and squad size. We don’t have enough players to make wholesale changes. I wish I could say that but I can’t.
“I think the players are ready to go, they are in good spirits, we will pick them back up and wheel them out again and go. Maybe this group needs consistent football. We are still finding out about the players – who can play two or three games in a row and who is not so good at it. Who doesn’t look so good in training the day before but performs on the day of the game. Until you get to know the players and what they are really like it is very difficult to judge them.”
We’ll look at the teams in the final article in this series, and then its off to London, again.
Arsenal and WHU could use some of their U23 teams tomorrow. So how have they been doing?
Arsenal II: how have they done so far – and how we compare with WHU II.
Arsenal v West Ham United. Do we continue to use the reserves for this game?
Even if you don’t have much interest in Arsenal’s history, you will probably have heard that in 1919 Arsenal were elected to the first division. You may even have heard that there was skulduggery afoot and that Henry Norris was at the heart of it all.
The full truth is currently being revealed for the first time in the long running series on “Henry Norris at the Arsenal” from the Arsenal History Society. We’ve just reached the end of 1918, and I can tell you, whatever you have heard before will not be the reality that actually unfolded in that extraordinary period.
Arsenal, 11 – 31 December 1918. A 9-2 victory, the chairman becomes an MP, footballers unionise has just been published, with the story continuing every two or three days. And oh yes, there is definitely some match fixing involved.
Arsenal fans are generally known to be great moaners, in fact probably more than any other premier league support group. Each week these moaners pick on a set of arsenal stars and flog to pieces for perceived below par performance on the pitch. In recent time it has been the turn of granit xhaka, unfairly for that matter, and ask, is xhaka really as bad as the moaners make him to be?
West Ham will field their first team – no doubt about it COYI!
Claret
You will need to field your first team if you want to stand any sort of chance of getting to the next round – no doubt about it COYG!
Get your facts right spurs did not play a 2nd 11 they played more first team regulars than west ham did.
With the comments made by commenters above, it looks like some commenters want Le Boss to start his preferred first XI team for this Carabao Cup match against the West Hammers tonight at the Emirates Stadium. But be as may be liked, that’s not going to be possible. For, as we all know, there is a big game against Liverpool in the PL on the horizon which demands Arsena rest all the high caliber Gunners to excuse them from the West Ham Carabao game to be in top gear for the big PL game on Friday night’s and win it. And should that be the logic behind Le Boss employing this tactics, I support him wholeheartedly.
Nonetheless, I am of the believe of Arsenal beating West Ham in the Carabao today’s night irrespective whether David Moyes field his 1st or 2nd XI team for the match dose not really matter. What matter most from the point of Arsenal view is for the selected Gunners selected by Le Boss to play this match to bounce on the West Hammers, pound them thoroughly and collect all the hammers in their hands and hammer them exceedingly with the hammers in the game to get rid of them from the Carabao Cup this season and qualify for the semifinal match at Wembley. And Arsenal being a Wembley specialist in recent times, we all know what result will happen there.
The training photos from yesterday showed Josh Dasilva 43 fairly prominently. He is a promising midfielder and, unusually for Arsenal, a big lad. I would love to see him get a start to provide that physical presence that our other midfielders don’t have. He is also excellent with free kicks.
Please give some details
There were some notable absences from the U23 squad who played on Friday evening. Midfielders Josh Dasilva, Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson and striker Eddie Nketiah all played no part in that game so I would expect them to feature tonight in some form (even if only on the bench).
In addition to those four defender Ben Sheaf and third choice keeper Matt Macey who did play on Friday were also featured in the photos from yesterday’s training session.
My guess is that most of these six will probably make the bench for tonight, probably with one or two first team regulars.
As I said in my earlier comment I don’t think it will be long before Josh gets a first team game and I wouldn’t be unduly surprised if it comes tonight.
This suggests that in their TinPot Cup game the Spuddies and State Aid Utd both played teams with a very first team leaning; http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41661462
You have a point there on the physical aspect as concern the use of Josh Dasilva. Physicality is an added advantage in the game. I’ll google him to know more about him.
Samuel, have a look at this for info on the youngsters; https://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/
Thank the heavens he rotated, Moyes was always going to risk a number of first team personnel to keep the momentum and try get one over Arsene, no dice 1-0 to The ARSEBAL!
Danny, perfect squad selection for the game and a clean sheet for the future of England in the heart of defence, another performance from Debouchy and restbite for a number of the team!
In the next run we get the advantage of playing earlier here and later in the next two fixtures!
Interesting note, Wenger confirms that we are getting a rawer deal with fixtures than ‘any’ other team!
Added to that another back 4 and what’s more he brandished the youth and blooded them again. Enthusiasm can be a blessing in youngsters.
Now we do the double header and pray for the easier tie. A consequence of which will be a drifting in the league as we miss EPL days for the cup, but we are better when the pressure is on.
Stick with the kids provided we don’t we don’t get a manchester club, especially with United’s ridiculous squad depth curtesy of an enogorged squad!
with a little luck City will feel the effects of ET against Leicester and suffer for it, due to their minimalist squad.
NB never let your star player take the last or penaltimate penalty (unless its Alexis) everyone knows that, even the worlds best player struggles with that kind of pressure.
Elsewhere I must admit a portion of pride at hearing Wenger echo my own sentiments regarding Ozil revitalised performances, calling for those displays not only to be heralded as example for his teammates, but also an indication of his commitment and demonstrative of the example of leadership not usually attributed to the midfield maestro!
Next Alexis needs to find his Midas touch once more, Aaron needs to bring back those late runs, Jack needs to force the issue regarding formation and Theo and Danny need to start the new year as if they were interested in fighting for their seats on that plane.
A spot of catch up by the teams around us is required to put a bit more pressure on that team who can afford to lose a game or 3, a little too much freedom
To look for march winners of you ask me.
They aren’t scoring freely, but that Arsenal rhythm is definitely coming back, with humility they will find that swagger to instil fear once more into opposition. If you want to improve play better opposition and everyone is raising their game to get a whiff of a win against us, now we overcome!
One very happy gooner and usually I want us to drop this cup at the Qtrs!
COYG!
In Arsene I trust
In Alexis I trust
In Mesut I trust
In the FA, just kidding!
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/11178066/ian-wright-arsenals-handling-of-alexis-sanchez-and-mesut-ozil-contracts-has-been-disgusting
With friends like these, who needs enemies, I seen your crib, you need the cash huh!
Still sore about being sold to Watford are we, diddums, it’s funny how people want the negative experiences they struggle with to befall others.
Yes the board have put the club in a unsavoury position, yes Alexis is going through the motions at this point in time which still amounts to sheer quality, just not sublime impact! But surely selling him to a rival is bad, no worse for the club than giving him autonomy over his next move whilst praying he is as good and loyal a guy as I think.
If say you did some patriotic stuff, whilst being stictxhed by the object of that passion, you might go through the motions awaiting acknowledgement, you may even wish to be elsewhere, yet in your heart the fire lingers. Its in your hands but to tip the scales it may take an offer equal to the quality you have on your best day,. To accept otherwise would be farcical and lack totally and conviction and compromise you to the core!
Still at home with the dogs, that is not a guy who has thrown in the towel.
Alexis, wake up, time to win trophies.
On transfers, possibly we could release a Walcott or a Welbeck, even a Mo (although it would cut almost as a Gibbs did, but no Jack should leave. Our three best midfielders all being asked one question, do you want it?
Its the same question I asked 2 whom I hold dear to me, and boy isn’t it costing me to find out that answer because I didn’t sign them to contracts of one kind or another.
Hindsight is 20/20 but I’d do it just the same again.
If it was me, I’d release Danny and Theo to anyone (Dtate Aid, S’hampton because I want them performing and on that plane and with Nelson, Iwobi, Niles, Adelaide, Willock and a couple others I think we could reasonably cope without one or the other and bring in Meyer early.
China needs to play, start him anywhere, that boy isn’t raw, definitely some Berahino and Cole in it. Sometimes responsibility is the way to polish an uncut gem and up front you can afford a little negligence, that boy is a predator! He’s angry because he knows it!
You only get one in a few humble strikers, Rashford, mmm….. gimme!
Me old China, Chuba and what is with changing is to isn’t randomly with the predictive grammar later on sentence so I don’t see it!
FU Apple and your crap, damned phone, good thing I got it free.
Disney please go all out for rights to next season, this channel hoping is ridiculous!
A contractor who cannot afford to tarnish its reputation, who said things would never change.
Just need Hazard to get a move with that Real money they never spent, De Gea to follow as clearly they are taking a hit this season to achieve something. Toby you didn’t sign did you, because you can have whatever’s you want to cross the divide, look you walk into that back four and provide cover for Koscielny and Shkodran and obviously you take up the mantle of the former. Or is it Real for you too, that would be wonderful, they have almost as many places opening up as we do!
Dortmund missed a trick, doesn’t seem as though your key men want it and that could extend to Pulusic, and you’d still make CL, you know it, we know it, everyone knows it! Meyer might even know it 🙁