Olympiacos vs. Arsenal - ITV1 19.45

Frisbee

Arsenal have already qualified top of the group and Olympiacos only need a point to guarantee qualification for the KO16.
However if Olympiacos lose Liege could see themselves go through on goal difference.

Wenger has named a very young squad, the only real first teamers involved being Song and to an extent Ramsey and Vela.
Senderos didn't even make the squad so it looks like he's on his way in January...

Possible Arsenal XI

---

Fabianski

---

Gilbert

---

Silvestre

---

Bartley

---

Cruise

---

Ramsey

---

Coquelin----Wilshere

---

Walcott

---

Vela

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Merida

Fuzzy_Dunlop

I'm actually quite looking forward to this!* Always enjoy seeing the likes of Ramsey, Vela and Wilshere. Will also be good to see a bit of Bartley in defence.








*possibly also because I'm studying for exams and the match is when I said I'd stop:p

Frisbee

playa3 wrote: »

I'm actually quite looking forward to this!* Always enjoy seeing the likes of Ramsey, Vela and Wilshere. Will also be good to see a bit of Bartley in defence.

+1

playa3 wrote: »

*possibly also because I'm studying for exams and the match is when I said I'd stop:p

+1

ErinGoBrath

Absolutely love Jack Wilshire. He's such a class act.

A season out on loan will do him the world of good and I have no doubt that after the loan spell he'll walk straight into the Arsenal starting 11.

Beau x1

Hey thanks for letting me know this was on ITV1, I would have been trying to stream it otherwise.

FYI guys, if you have sky digital you have ITV1. It's in 'Services' under 'Other Channels'.

Frisbee

Oh Jesus Pat Dolan is starting already:

"Tom Cruise, Top Gunner"

/facepalm

Frisbee

---

Fabianski

---

Gilbert

---

Silvestre

---

Bartley

---

Cruise

---

Ramsey

---

Song----Merida

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Walcott

---

Vela

---

Wilshere


The Youngest ever Champions League line up with an average age of twenty...

Beau x1

I kind of wish Song wasn't playing, I would rather keep him fresh for the weekend.

Still I can't wait to see the likes of Merida and Wilshere play.

Haven't heard of that Cruise guy before.

Frisbee

Beau x1 wrote: »

I kind of wish Song wasn't playing, I would rather keep him fresh for the weekend.

Same, either of Coquelin or Eastmond could have done a job there/

Redzer7

Love that lineup Silvestre kinda fcuks it up though .

speedboatchase

I see Tom Cruise is playing left full for us tonight, it's gonna be Mission Impossible to keep a clean sheet especially with us missing our Top Gun, Robin Van Persie. If he gets a clean sheet I think Wenger should buy him a Cocktail, pretty nervous though so I'll keep my Eyes Wide Shut during it, hopefully A Few Good Men will get up for the corners and have All The Right Moves, ...it's pretty Risky Business either way though, pity Van Persie is Far and Away for this one!

FearDark

For anyone who doesnt have ITV/UTV tuned in on their Sky boxes.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055038749

Youngest EVER team to start a champions league match. Cant wait to see how we play tonight, jack, vela, cruise - oooh yes

Redzer7

Silvestre 9 and a half years older than any other arsenal player starting .

FearDark

Very good first 5 minutes so far If anyone lets us down tonight it'll be that clown Silvestre.

tony1kenobi

speedboatchase wrote: »

I see Tom Cruise is playing left full for us tonight, it's gonna be Mission Impossible to keep a clean sheet especially with us missing our Top Gun, Robin Van Persie. If he gets a clean sheet I think Wenger should buy him a Cocktail, pretty nervous though so I'll keep my Eyes Wide Shut during it, hopefully A Few Good Men will get up for the corners and have All The Right Moves, ...it's pretty Risky Business either way though, pity Van Persie is Far and Away for this one!

Would you say Arsenal are The Outsiders then?

Beau x1

Walcott shot saved.

Redzer7

Pace of Gilbert there.

Beau x1

So far so good from this Arsenal side, Olympiacos haven't really started to play yet though.

The match so far is reminding me of how Arsenal played last season, seem to be trying to walk it into the net too much. I'm not too convinced yet, it's only be 14 minutes though.

Olympiacos had a nice chance there, but wasted it.

Beau x1

17 Minutes in and the game is alive now.

Vela seems to be always getting pushed off the ball too much, that's my only problem with him.

Frisbee

What is Walcott doing taking that free kick?

Both Merida and Ramsey have a better strike than him.

Redzer7

Walcott was in there, nice ball there from Ramsey.

Beau x1

Yeah I'm just not too sure about Walcott anymore, he has the pace but I question his finishing. Still he's only young, so it's hard to judge.

I can see this being an Arsenal dominating possession but not finishing game.

Frisbee

Beau x1 wrote: »

I can see this being an Arsenal dominating possession but not finishing game.

Big time, an Olympiacos goal will knock the kids confidence and get the Greeks in the crowd going nuts, which will intimidate them further.

Wilshere's delivery has been awful tonight.

FearDark

This is a game where Walcott should be stepping up... but its the same old Walcott, fast...but useless.

Frisbee

Awful game so far and can't see it improving unless it gets a goal soon.

Just saw that we only have 6 subs with no Watt. Vela has been fairly poor so far, Watt would have been a good option on the bench.

Redzer7

FearDark wrote: »

This is a game where Silvestre should be stepping up... but its the same old Silvestre, ... useless.

FYP .

Fuzzy_Dunlop

The level of bias from ITV towards arsenal, and any english players, is unreal. They played fairly well but haven't exactly created any chances.

Impressed mostly with Ramsey so far.

Pepe LeFrits

Walcott is barely back from injury. Cut him some slack.

tony1kenobi

playa3 wrote: »

The level of bias from ITV towards arsenal, and any english players, is unreal. They played fairly well but haven't exactly created any chances.

Impressed mostly with Ramsey so far.

English TV station.RTE do it with Irish players.

Frisbee

Good Goal

1 - 0

Leonardo

Redzer7

absolute ****. EDIT: Vela should of scored.

Frisbee

Great pass from Ramsey

Vela you plank, have to be putting those kind of chances away. Was straight at the keeper ffs...

Joeyjoejoe43

Frisbee wrote: »

Great pass from Ramsey

Vela you plank, have to be putting those kind of chances away. Was straight at the keeper ffs...

You'll have to get the tippex out and get Vela off the back of that shirt! :P

Walcott's movement has been good, just his first touch is terriblle, bit more game time and that should improve.. fancy Walcott to score actually..

Frisbee

Vela -> Sunu

Walcott -> Randall

Vela has been crap and 60 minutes is enough from Walcott on his return surely Arsene?

Put Merida LW and Randall in the middle.

tony1kenobi

Anyone know that line up they mentioned on ITV?Wengers first team sheet at Arsenal?

He said 9 English 1 Welsh and Viera. Anyone give it a shot?

Seaman Dixon Keown Winterburn Adams Parlour Merson Wright Viera and what Hartson?........anyone else hazard a guess?.....did I miss just one or am I completely arseholes?

Frisbee

Another poor miss from Vela. Needs to be putting them away, or at least working the keeper...

Joeyjoejoe43

tony1kenobi wrote: »

Anyone know that line up they mentioned on ITV?Wengers first team sheet at Arsenal?

He said 9 English 1 Welsh and Viera. Anyone give it a shot?

Seaman Dixon Keown Winterburn Adams Parlour Merson Wright Viera and what Hartson?........anyone else hazard a guess?.....did I miss just one or am I completely arseholes?

sounds about right, think Platt's the only one your missing..

tony1kenobi

Frisbee wrote: »

Another poor miss from Vela. Needs to be putting them away, or at least working the keeper...

You falling out of love with Vela?...I'll have a friendly bet...if he stays on he'll score.

Redzer7

Vela playing poor .

Frisbee

tony1kenobi wrote: »

You falling out of love with Vela?...I'll have a friendly bet...if he stays on he'll score.

Not at all, disappointed with his performance tonight. Well he's run himself into the ground, which I suppose is doing a job, but attacking wise he's done very little to hold up the ball and get at the defenders.

Wilshere Off -> Sunu On

Joeyjoejoe43

distribution from set pieces has been piss poor tonight.. at this level ya have to be able to put a corner/free into the danger area.. it astounds me when pros fail to do this..

Frisbee

Aye, our delivery has been utter sh*te all night.

Can't understand why Walcott is on frees and corners instead of Merida or Ramsey, he can't hit the broad side of a barn door at the best of times let alone when he hasn't played in weeks.

Having said that Merida did deliver a sh*te free kick aswell, but all Walcott's have been tripe.

EDIT: Fantastic corner by Merida there, first one Walcott hasn't taken and the first decent one we've had all night.

Frisbee

Theo Walcott in injury shocker

Why the **** was he left on for the whole game?

Joeyjoejoe43

very lucky that was'nt an injury! 13 on the physios bench would have been some dose!

tony1kenobi

Frisbee wrote: »

Theo Walcott in injury shocker

Why the **** was he left on for the whole game?

Wenger in slo-mo handshake shocker.

Not a bad result from a kids team playing a team fighting for their champions league lives.....

yahoo_moe

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Walcott is barely back from injury. Cut him some slack.

I'd agree with this mostly - his touch, dribbling, understanding and general sharpness will all improve with a few games back. However, he should never have been taking those free kicks ahead of Ramsey (even if Ramsey is more of a threat in the box).

Very disappointed with Vela recently - he looks lively but he's just not quite shining... I think he needs to work on improving his right foot because he's horribly one-footed at the moment and it's costing him. He should follow RVP's example and improve his 'chocolate leg'.

JPA

I don't know what ye expect from Vela considering he's barely ever played consistently. He needs playing time in the first team if he's going to do anything.

Frisbee

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Very disappointed with Vela recently - he looks lively but he's just not quite shining... I think he needs to work on improving his right foot because he's horribly one-footed at the moment and it's costing him. He should follow RVP's example and improve his 'chocolate leg'.

So have I.
It comes down to the system we play imo.
He needs someone up alongside him, he hasn't got the presence to lead a line by himself.

yahoo_moe

JPA wrote: »

I don't know what ye expect from Vela considering he's barely ever played consistently. He needs playing time in the first team if he's going to do anything.

I'm not expecting him to be a world beater just yet - but I'd like some reassurance that his cup goals aren't as good as things are gonna get for him in England. Mainly disappointed with his attempts to finish off the chances he's had tonight and against City, where he spooned one over trying to take it on his left as well.

Frisbee's got a point though - his best appearances have been in a 4-4-2, usually with Bendtner beside him, so he needs someone who can hold the ball up.

JPA

I'd say your opinions of Vela are warped though because he's been hyped up for a couple of years, rather than just being treated like an ordinary young player.

tony1kenobi

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Frisbee's got a point though - his best appearances have been in a 4-4-2, usually with Bendtner beside him, so he needs someone who can hold the ball up.

That's my thought....Eduardo the same....he can shine with another CF but on his own doesn't suit.....doesn't make either less of a player and it's not an insult to say neither are RVP....just need a different approach to shine..I think Edu and Vela are predators and natural goal scorers..they won't hold up play or have the vision Robin has.....Bendtner back will make a huge difference bacause he can play that other role.