Written by Mean Lean on Sunday, 27 February 2011 10:08
Well Sunday has arrived at last, it is a Wembley cup final day and I must say the nerves have been eating away at me since after we put Stoke City to the sword. I was watching the pre match goodness on Arsenal TV Online last night before I wrote this and I felt myself trembling away at my desk.
Just in case you haven't heard this before but it is five years since we last lifted a trophy, well at least one that didn't have the same name as our stadium anyway, and it could be something very special for most of the current players who are yet to go all the way in a competition with Arsenal.
Had we had a full strength squad then doing the predicted line up would be a piece of cake, Arsene's new 'A' team as many have labelled it basically picks itself but with our captain Cesc 'pass master' Fabregas missing with yet another hamstring injury along with Theo 'The speedster' Walcott (I'll spot adopting made up wrestlers nicknames now) who has a sprained ankle, it means that the duo will not take any part in the game this afternoon.
The good news is that Robin Van Persie, Laurent Koscielny and Abou Diaby all return after missing our victory against Stoke on Wednesday evening. You would expect both Van Persie and Koscielny to walk back into the team at the expense of Chamakh and Squillaci although the latter would have a case to start given the playing style of the opposition. Squillaci and Djourou gobbled up pretty much everything that Stoke had on offer and you would imagine that today's opposition will also toss plenty of high balls into the box as often as they can.
Theo Walcott's electric pace will be missed and his movement to get in behind the opposition would have been key for Arsenal to exploit but given the recent improvement from Andrey Arshavin, his absence has been cushioned somewhat.
It is Cesc's absence that is the right head scratcher, at least for myself.
Perhaps apart from Tomas Rosicky we do not have the same type of player who depend on their passing and vision more than anything else. Whilst the likes of Nasri, Wilshere and Ramsey are all good passers of the ball but none of them have the same level of vision and can pick a pass in the way that Cesc can, at least not just yet.
Birmingham City are likely to pack their midfield and limit the spaces in central areas so whoever will be playing in that role will have to be sharp and link up with our attackers very well.
Arsene has several options at his disposal. I think the candidates will be between Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner and Tomas Rosicky. Each player could make a good case for starting the game.
If Diaby is the chosen player, I do not imagine that he will be played in exactly the same role as Cesc's. Whilst his drive and ability to go past players would benefit the team he is not the best and linking up play and creating chances with his passes however his drive, height and power would be well suited to the role that Jack Wilshere currently plays in.
A potential partnership with Alex Song would give the side the physical power in midfield that could be needed against what is likely to be a physical Birmingham City side. It would also free Jack Wilshere to play further forward in Cesc's role, where he has the more appropriate tools to slip passes into Van Persie and combine with Nasri and Arshavin in the wide areas.
The only downside with this selection that I can see is that it breaks up the partnership between Song and Wilshere that has worked so well all season, it also asks a young Wilshere to change his role for the team. A role that he is probably more natural at doing than his current second holding role but one that he hasn't done for 90 minutes since we knocked Tottenham out of this very same competition early in the season.
Samir Nasri has often been the player detailed to give the team the creative edge in Cesc's absence and he could be called upon once more to play in his favoured central position. Nicklas Bendtner could fill in on the right hand side which would give the team an extra aerial dimension both offensively and defensively.
Bendtner has made the assist in our last two consecutive games. His form is looking sharper and he gives the team another goalscoring option whilst on the pitch.
The downside to starting Bendtner on the right is that it often unbalances our forward line and we end up losing a little bit of creativity. Personally I think Bendtner would be a better option from the bench.
The inclusion of Tomas Rosicky for Cesc Fabregas would be the change that would make the least amount of impact on his team mates. It would allow Jack Wilshere to continue his partnership with Alex Song and it would allow Samir Nasri the chances to run behind the Birmingham defenders. Rosicky is a similar player to Cesc, a player that lets the ball do most of the work and his goal against Leyton Orient may have given the Czech the confidence that he seems to have missed in recent months.
If we were talking about the Tomas Rosicky of August then I would have put my money on this being the line up, the trouble is that we have not seen the best of Rosicky for a long time and I believe that there are players in the squad who are more likely to make a bigger impact on the game.
If Diaby and Song can gel well together and moving Wilshere further forward does not affect the team in a negative way then I would go for the first team. Diaby's height and drive would be helpful and without Cesc in the side, I want to see Jack Wilshere on the ball as well as Samir Nasri as often as possible.
In the captain's absence, I think Jack Wilshere will take another step forward this afternoon. In recent weeks he has really started to mature on the pitch. He was very comfortable playing for England and then stood out against Barcelona in a midfield full of world class talent. The Wembley stage is the perfect platform for Wilshere to weave his magic and elevate his name even further.
If he plays behind Van Persie then his final ball will have to improve a little from certain games where he has over hit his passes.
I believe that if Wilshere, Nasri and Arshavin play well then we will win the game. Birmingham will not be able to stop those along with Van Persie if they are at their best.
@OleGunner correctly pointed out on Twitter that Birmingham City are likely to target Gael Clichy by putting Zigic on him during set pieces. It is a tactic that they have employed already this season, especially at St Andrews. We will have to make sure that Koscielny is focused and ready to win the knock downs. We will have to be disciplined defensively and counteract whatever they throw at us but it is the opposite end of the pitch that I expect our team to be switched on.
Not many teams can handle us when we fly out of the traps and I expect our players to play with no fear and go straight for the Birmingham throat. We cannot allow them to build their wall and settle into the game we need to play one touch football around their midfielders at speed and open them up as often and as early as possible.
The talking is almost at an end, lets get those red and white beauties on the pitch and let us collect our first piece of silverware this season. If we show hunger, commitment and focus then Birmingham City cannot beat us but it is down to us to produce the performance that we know we can.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS, DO US PROUD!
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