Written by Mean Lean on Sunday, 17 April 2011 09:41

After Manchester United lost their FA Cup semi final match to their neighbours and rivals Manchester City, victory today against Liverpool at the Emirates could very possibly change the momentum at both clubs. The phrase 'must win' is often bandied about but if this isn't a must win game then I will eat my red and white hat.

The squad has been boosted with the return of some key players to give us pretty much a full strength squad apart from only a couple of individuals. That is almost unheard of in April for Arsenal. We could have done with that a few weeks earlier but it is what it is. Alex Song, Johan Djourou and Szczesny should all come back into the side giving the team a very strong feel to it. The only big player we have missing from the side is Bacary Sagna but Emmanuel Eboue who scored at Bloomfield Road last weekend gave the side an extra dimension going forward in his last outing.

I do not expect Daglish to go 4-4-2 at the Emirates so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the impressive Suarez move to the left when defending and then pushing up to support Carroll when on the attack. It will be interesting to see how the battle between Eboue and Suarez pans out. If Eboue manages to push forward then he could force Suarez to run the opposite direction to protect his side. The Uruguayan forward is not opposed to working hard for his team. When Liverpool are attacking then Eboue will have to be switched on to deal with the intelligent and quick movement of Suarez.

Another very interesting and obvious match up will be the powerful Carroll against Djourou. Carroll is one of the best players that I have seen in a while at attacking balls in the air and Djourou appears to be our strongest defender from high balls. We will have to limit their service by keeping the ball and playing in the Liverpool half but even with 40% of the ball, Liverpool will still try to play difficult balls in our penalty box for our defence and keeper to deal with.

While most of the team looks pretty straight forward, I wonder if there is a selection problem for Arsene in center midfield. Alex Song's fitness and sharpness will be important but if the manager believes that he is ready to play then the question marks then arise about Song's partner. Jack Wilshere has been fantastic this season but has come off the boil a little in the last few weeks, perhaps the continuous games including that for the National team have taken its toll but he has now had a week of rest. Abou Diaby on the other hand is fresh and had a fantastic game against Blackpool last week, scoring one and contributing massively to another.

I suppose it is down to whether Wenger wants the extra power and running in midfield against the likes of Meireles, Lucas and Spearing. Or perhaps he feels the side need the guile and link up between the deep midfield and Cesc.

The other choice for Arsene is to choose between Arshavin and Walcott but I imagine that Theo will get the shout, especially considering his impact from the bench last weekend.

Mean Lean's Predicted Line Up:

One to watch: Emmanuel Eboue

Plenty of defensive and offensive responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Emmanuel Eboue this afternoon. A player who can be fantastic one moment and then shaky the next. I expect Liverpool to defend narrowly with special attention being made to Walcott on that side so Eboue could find himself as the spare man at times. His powerful running could give important space to others and could also make one of their key players run towards his own goal but at the same time, Eboue will have to be at his best defensively as Suarez is getting better in every game he plays in.

Mean Lean's Match Prediction:

Arsenal 2 (Song, Nasri) Liverpool 1

I expect a close contest between two teams who should work very hard to get something out of the game. It is important we dictate the game and press them high up the pitch from the first minute. With a week of rest and Walcott and Nasri in wide positions you would think that this would be very possible. Victory is a must if we are to put pressure on Manchester United at the top. It feels like a very long time since we won at the Emirates and now is the time to change that.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS.

If you missed the Q&A with Liverpool fan Tony from Anfield Red then you can read his responses here. You can also catch my responses to his questions on his own site here.

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Comments (46)

• 17-Apr-2011 10:44 | | arsenal man
  

  I agree with you on all fronts, we need to win to give us the confidence to beat spurs in our next match.
  COYG

• 17-Apr-2011 11:09 | | herbzal  - dj
  

  go gunners. i place my bet on the gunner to win 2-0

• 17-Apr-2011 11:30 | | Wenger Boy
  

  Make or break now. Win the next two and we're right in it. Win the next four and I think we'll win it. But it all starts with a win today. Let's do it.

• 17-Apr-2011 12:22 | | Adams  - trepidation
  

  Wondering if karma will bite me on the a55 today for the way I vociferously enjoyed Man U's FA Cup exit yesterday...
  
  Nice to be back at (practically) full strength going into the final push.
  
  Win today please please please please please please

• 17-Apr-2011 13:05 | | richie
  

  The make or break week for our season

• 17-Apr-2011 17:32 | | Adams  - Fuck shit bollocks
  

  

• 17-Apr-2011 18:53 | | richie
  

  Played well enough to win but the Ref will end up as the star of the show

• 17-Apr-2011 19:09 | | dkgooner
  

  Played well enough to win - do you really think so?
  I thought they looked bereft of ideas in the final third.
  Sometimes I just wish Wenger would put Chamakh and Bendtner up front and we just hump long balls up to them and hope for a knock down.
  But the time for post-mortems is after the patient is dead, so no further comment from me.

• 17-Apr-2011 19:38 | | richie
  

  Like all Gooners I'm gutted especially after such a rollercoaster afternoon. The Ref's intervention to even things up was something out of Hollywood/ Roy of the rovers.

• 17-Apr-2011 19:39 | | Adams
  

  Agree with you dkgooner. We just didn't look like putting an incisive move together. Can't complain about the ref - he called both pens correctly in my opinion.
  
  Obviously totally gutted, but I wish we would take bad results with a bit more dignity and sportsmanship. I rarely criticise Wenger but why the fu

• 17-Apr-2011 19:40 | | Adams
  

  That should end
  
  Why the fus hand at the end?

• 17-Apr-2011 19:41 | | Adams
  

  third time lucky
  
  why the flip didn't he shake Dalglish's hand at the end?

• 17-Apr-2011 19:49 | | richie
  

  Yes DKG we might not've been at our fluent best but we created enough chances, without enough of our players crowding the box to score. In some ways it reminded me of the Highbury days, people sat all around me were shouting shoot shoot! Whenever one of our own approached their box, because it seemed like we were, yet again looking for the perfect goal, trying to walk it in. The Pool had few chances and both Suarez & Caroll were kept quite.

• 17-Apr-2011 19:51 | | richie
  

  Shit I missed that

• 17-Apr-2011 21:10 | | MeanLean
  

  Fitting 'one to watch' in the end.
  
  To be honest, I am a little too annoyed to comment in depth about what happened.
  
  Referee had a mare at the end. Played imaginary added time and Lucas 'played for' 'the penalty by putting his body in front of Eboue and then falling over yet we are still nowhere near our best and that has been the same over the last few games.
  
  We have lost our sparkle, lost our sharpness and we do not look like stringing wins together.
  
  It is such a disappointing to end to mostly a very strong season. *sigh*
  
  Have a good evening all, I am off for a bath and then bed.

• 17-Apr-2011 21:25 | | mr h
  

  Keep heads up!!
  
  For a supposedly terrible team, we are close. Closer then we have been for a while.
  
  'Why so sad?'
  
  Yes, it is second place and not first, but, it is second place with a nothing budget against teams with an everything budget. ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY, and neither is the EPL won in a day. Dynasty's take time to build.
  
  Yes, you can buy one or two trophies with the money that Man city r Chelsea or Manu have spent, but you can build a dynasty and own the league. LEARN BUILD GROW or BUY BUY buY????
  
  Patience vs impatience???
  
  I have read so many blogs calling for heads... KNEE JERK mean anything?
  
  I'd agree if we were falling further off the pace, but we aren't... season by season we are improving. THis is not an overnight strategy, this is a long term plan that is working. If it wasn't working, we would feel that a draw is a win (Liverpool, fighting for FIFTH PLACE) and not a loss ( ARsenal fighting for the league).
  
  VICTORIA CONCORDIA CRESCIT
  
  Live and die by it or go elsewhere!!!!!!!!

• 17-Apr-2011 23:23 | | Gino93
  

  Why oh why on earth can't anyone just f...ing shoot the ball when in the opposition's box? I mean we could get a deflection, a rebound, a mistake by the keeper, etc... This Arsenal team is just too stressfull at times. Forget about the ref, forget about Eboue. Can't we defend a lead (that we probably didn't even deserve) for just a couple of minutes? Aren't we supposed to be challenging for the title? I really feel bad for Wenger. So much faith put in these players and they never fail to disappoint. I am really looking forward to the transfer window. We need to get a very selfish striker who would not be scared to shoot on sight at every opportunity. I am sick of all this passing trying to walk the ball into the net, as if the other team is just standing still and watching us. Slick passing in midfield is great and a must, but when in the box please take a fucking shot people!
  
  I am still fuming hours after this game. This can't be good for my health, can it?

• 17-Apr-2011 23:50 | | richie
  

  Adams calls it right the Ref had a good game. 2 pens - one clear. The second soft, but a pen nonetheless. Kuyt bought it, sensing the defender he stopped and Eboue clumsily contacted. I have to hold my hand up and say I didn't think the Ref got the second one right on first viewing, but rewatching with the benefit of a Motd replay. I have to say the the ref got all 3 major decisions (2 pens and a free kick) in the last 8-12 mins correct. The only point of contention is where did the other 4 mins come from? 4 mins can be had over 45 mins but to get 4 mins in 8 extra time mins beggars belief. The arranging of the wall for the free kick didn't take 2 mins never mind 4 so we have to wonder if the ref was looking even things up. Our problems are the same old same old. Not converting our chances, and our players not quite professional enough (Eboue's clumsy contact was nieve in the extreme). As I've said above and I've not changed my mind after watching Motd highlights. I thought we played well enough against the Pool to win it, we banged on the door enough but failed to open it, in open play.

• 17-Apr-2011 23:56 | | richie
  

  Arsene walked forward to shake hands but he was complaining about the Refs final decision and Kenny D swore at him and waved him off from shaking hands, it was hand bags nothing more.

• 18-Apr-2011 00:08 | | richie
  

  I said Kuyt it should've been Lucus as you all know

• 18-Apr-2011 08:37 | | richie  - Regretably the Ref got it right
  

  100% Lucas played for it! There was no intention from Eboue he didn't make a challenge, but when Lucas stopped looking for contact there was reasonably heavey contact. Eboue's only fault was naivete! Because he should've realised making any contact in the box with any player at that time would cause that player to tumble, which Lucas did buying them a really soft pen. The Ref had 3 tough decisions to make and called all of them correctly. The only problem I have with the Ref is where the extra 3-4 mins came from?

• 18-Apr-2011 10:52 | | CHGooner  - Kin ell
  

  You lot just don't get it do you? Ref's fault, why don't we shoot, what a disappointment... yadeyadeya... blah blah blah.
  
  same again next season chaps? just cut and paste any comments, any Wenger excuses, anything you like. This team hasn't got what it takes, and this manager hasn't got what it takes. The only question worth asking now is whether the club (Kroenke)has got what it takes? Will he take the tough (but very smart) decision and get rid of Wenger or at very least put him on notice that for £6m a year he has to address the issues properly and actually win something next season or it's good-bye?
  
  1 win in 6 (against Blackpool) at the end of the season with home darws against Sunderland and Blackburn AFTER you have gone out of all the cups in a fortnight. How many refs, pitches, injuries etc can you balme for that. Arsenal FC the most predictable bottle jobs/collapsers in football history. Nobody does it better....

• 18-Apr-2011 11:03 | | richie  - A little bit at a time.
  

  Without a major collapse on the part of Manu'er i.e we beat them at ours and both Chelski and one other out of Newcastle, Everton, Blackpool, or Blackburn draw with them plus we've got to win each of our last 6 including The tiny totts @ theirs, stoke @ theirs, bolton @ theirs, fulham @ theirs, & the villa @ ous. Its over As you'll imagine I did the above as a joke (with loads of irony for CHG). Barring a miracle which for us seems to be a tall order at the moment its finished, but unlike some if we finish 2nd I won't call this season a total failure, disappointing that we came so close it may be, but total failer its not we as a team, and as a squad are better than we were last season. Thats progress. Still mathermatically as they say we can't give up until the fat lady sings.

• 18-Apr-2011 11:07 | | richie
  

  So name who you'd put in his place who you think'll do a better job so we can discuss your prefered choice, and do us all a favour name someone realistic.

• 18-Apr-2011 11:52 | | CHGooner
  

  Richie, that's not my job. That's the Board's job and they should bloody well do it.
  
  If it WERE my job I would see who's available etc and START with the following :
  
  Hiddink
  Redknapp
  Villas-Boas
  Rijkaard
  Hughes
  Lippi
  Hitzfeld
  
  Of course if I were on the Board of a FOOTBALL BUSINESS, I would expect to have dossiers and reports on leading managers/coaches worldwide so would not be like a rabbit into the headlights when our coach/manager needed changing.

• 18-Apr-2011 13:37 | | Anonymous
  

  Hiddink is always available for lumps of dosh
  'arry are you sure? Your having a laugh ain't you?
  Now everyone will know where your coming from.
  Villas-Boas where's his record for us anaylise?
  Rijkaard play's great football but he ain't ever built a team and he ain't got anywhere with Galatasary.
  Mark Hughes to manage our team? He had millions and millions to spend so I understand why you'd like him you always calling for buys but he couldn't even make top 4 with all that wedge.
  Lippi so we are talking defend a 1 nil like the old days?
  Hitzfield maybe? But we'd need to change the team from A to Z they ain't his style.
  Typical you think its your job to criticise and the boards job give you the silver wear you crave no matter the cost to the club.

• 18-Apr-2011 13:49 | | CHGooner
  

  What cost to the club Anonymous? Our wage bill is £110m a year, our manager cost £6m a year and every year we bottle it and usually quite pathetically. it is pitiful to hear him making the sort of excuses he makes.
  
  You can make a case for or against anybody. As i said that is the board's job. Wenger has had 14 years to get us to where we are and if you think where we are is great and worth £6m a year and a £110m wage bill then keep him on. Just don't wrirte about expectation, or belief in winning stuff. That is not on the agenda. If you want to write a lexicon of poor tactics, no leadership, excuse making and failure to address the issues our guy is the best there is.
  
  As i said just cut and paste the excuses from any of the last 5 years. they are pretty interchangeable.

• 18-Apr-2011 13:58 | | MeanLean
  

  Really want to join in the conversation but haven't got the time at the moment. I will add my match thoughts later this evening at some point.
  
  I will say one thing though. It does appear that you think Wenger's job is easy CHG and all he is doing is cocking it up. You do not seem to give the full story.
  
  It is very easy to say our players do not have A, our manager does not have B, he should be doing C but Wenger has not just walked into the position we are in and is now going backwards.
  
  Do you think all those managers you have listed would have been able to manage the club with the resources Wenger has had in the last few years and managed to get a squad built for the future competitive?
  
  While you are rightfully frustrated that we haven't taken the final step. How about the previous steps? The steps that others haven't managed to do with 10 times more outlay.
  
  What is your thinking?

• 18-Apr-2011 14:32 | | CHGooner
  

  Fair enough question ML, and you are correct that on the back of that calamitous throwing away of any chance of at least taking the title race to our game against Man U at The Emirates I was/am spitting feathers. However you are right to ask where I and the growing number of fans who no longer believe in Wenger stand (I think even you will admit now that we are far from a small minority?) in terms of his overall record.
  
  Before I give my full analysis and views I wish to state clearly and unequivocally:
  
  i) Arsene Wenger is clearly a highly intelligent man
  ii) He probably knows more about football and footballers than I know about everything put together
  iii) I believe is an honourable man
  
  Right why do I believe so strongly then that we need a new man at the helm?
  
  i) Tactics, team building and winning mentality . In these areas he has shown himself to be weak. The fact that the SAME problems persist season after season cannot be a coincidence. Tactically he is poor, he rarely sets a team up to win a specific game and seems to have little idea of how to change a game that is going away from us. Team Building? Everyone will point to The Invincibles. Well as I've said before that team was built on the bedrock of the 98-02 teams which Wenger developed. He took 'Old Asenal' blended it with some exciting and new talent. However he was already showing signs of strange behaviours. Do you remember the senmi against Man U at Villa Park? He left TH10 on the bench and played Alliadiere! result 0-1 Treble gone. early signs of forthcoming mental weakness ensued with a poor loss at home to Chelsea after being 2-0 up on aggregate with 45 mins to play. End of Champs Lge (with Monaco and Porto to come, best chance we ever had bar 06) . This upset me - and worried me - We were MILES ahead in the league. 2 defeats there and we would still win it, but defeats in those games cost us two trophies. Not the acrtions of a true winner in my view.
  
  ii) Excuses and Lies. Sorry I just don't trust anything he tells us - and to a certain extent the club- any more. The examples are so many, but the most recent was the denial that it should have been a penalty to Liverpool. All managers say silly stuff, but that really was top silly. Embarrasing really. He makes excuses ALL the time. Look he really needs to sort out the real reasons why we collapse in individual games so often and at the end of every season.
  
  iii) Failure to address issues. We spent £16m on Squid and Koscielny. that is a TERRIBLE waste of money. Buy a proper Premiership Centre Half. Buy Shay Given. For crying out load man buy a top midfielder when Cesc goes. Buy a proper striker, NOT Chamakh.
  
  iv) stubbornness, refusal to listen. Listen To Patrick Vieira! We need to have palyers like Adams, Parlour, Keown, Dixon Bould, etc etc. Now PV4 is not a racist or Little englander Xenophobe in my view, just somebody who recognises that the team and squad lacks balance. Wilshire coming through is a VERY good thing but augment that with one or two others that will fight and scrap and 'put their head in where others won't put their feet'. Vieira's comment Richie, not mine..
  
  v) Failure to accept that what he has built is simply not good enough to REALLY challenge, and so make the changes. This is the key and why I believe we need a new man. He won't do it and to me I believe this is unforgivable. His ego is more important than AFC it seems and he would rather 'prove me wrong' than do everything to win trophies for Arsenal.
  
  These are my VIEWS and thoughts. You and others may disagree with them, but they are honestly held and come from a REAL Arsenal fan, not a Johnny come lately.

• 18-Apr-2011 14:35 | | mr h
  

  Damn straight ML.
  
  While I do feel the pain of the result, I can always readjust my sight and see just a little down the line to what is being established. A self reliant powerhouse of world football. What this club has achieved over the last decade and a half is to create a system whereby we can continuously promote talent from our youth system and occasionally fork over the dollar for gems of players.
  
  The final stages of this system are obviously coming to a head, and those who haven't achieved what they were expected to achieve will have to be let go and replaced by others who can get the job done.
  
  There aren't that many managers who are that great. Some names are often bandied about, but without regressing from the last decade and a halfs development, very, very few of them could improve on the foundation that has been laid.
  
  I do agree that if RIce leaves then Wenger needs to employ his successor and groom him for the role of eventual manager, as such he will become well versed in the Arsenal way. And you will then not have the problem of taking a managerial u-turn that someone like Hiddink, Jose Mourinho or even Rijkaard would bring.

• 18-Apr-2011 14:45 | | Fatso
  

  We have the resources but Wenger doesn't want to spend so let's stop this nonsense that Wenger has limited resources. Which future is Wenger building the squad for? This is the closest we came to winning something in 6 years. Next season we'll be very luck to finish among the top four. I don't think we'll have as many penalties. We were very lucky this season. Most refereeing decisions went in our favour.

• 18-Apr-2011 18:03 | | Man United Killa  - too many choices
  

  Richie,you make it sound like Wenger is the only person who can manage Arsenal.Wenger was just another ordinary manager before he took the Aresnal job.Arsenal made him who he is.How many people knew him until he showed up for the first interview and failed?
  I dont want to go into names but there are lots of choices.Some of you seem to be afraid of change and that is killing us..changs is inevitable.I am not for sacking Wenger but its not like we cant get a replacement when he is gone.
  If he does not deliver and keeps taking us for a ride,he must go.

• 18-Apr-2011 18:05 | | Man United Killa  - I like
  

  I agree with your assessment.If you were in the business you would know who is available for what and who has what ability.Its not like Wenger was a world beater before he came to Arsenal anyways.It was a risk they took and it paid off.
  Hold on!!Change is coming!!

• 18-Apr-2011 18:15 | | Man United Killa
  

  where were AWs records before he joined us.Have you forgotten they let him go when he was in Monaco after a poor 94-95 season?
  
  Rijkaard never built a team?Who built that team that beat us in the UCL in 2006?and who built that team Pep Guirdiola's success hinges on?Dude!you need to have your facts straight
  
  Mark Hughes.I agree with you..he is a clown.
  
  Lippi.Fantastic..what happened to 1 nil to the Arsenal.do you even know what that is?
  
  Hitzfield is fine by me.In any case,change is a good thing.The change from A to Z will be replacing the garbage with quality.is that not a good thing?
  
  Wenger answers to no one it seems.On top of that,he has made it clear he does not give a rats a** what the fans think.need I also tell you that the AST has been branded a bunch of silly people?

• 18-Apr-2011 18:18 | | Man United Killa
  

  and what shows they couldnt have done a better job than Wenger.Guess what--there can only be one captain per ship.Wenger was not a top class manager before he joined Arsenal.he was just okay.dont make it sound as if he is God.Well I forgot..for you,Wenger never does wrong.He is always right.

• 18-Apr-2011 18:46 | | richie
  

  Sorry CHG but its you that persists with this excuse of a lie yet again, Arsene never took the old Arsenal and blended it to make the invincibles! Arsene only played one player from old Arsenal regularly "Ray Parlour" Keown came on as a sub in only 8 games remember 11 games are needed for a premiership medal. The invincibles were Arsene's creation and no matter how many times you attemp to include George Graham in the mix with your beloved British spine, its simple he wasn't there not in body or spirit. By the way, If you only arrived with GG you are a Johnny come lately, at least to me.
  
  Where do you get this view that your thoughts are shared by a growing number?

• 18-Apr-2011 19:07 | | richie
  

  CHG I feel like I should've answered the above but Annonymous makes a few very good points that I don't really need to rehash. But first I wanna clear up something. £110m is the least of the any in the top 4 Chelski's is 172m Money City's 133m ManU'ers 131m. On top of all that we payed the least to buy our squad by miles so his point really is valid. Our whole squad cost less than Torres. Chelski have been through a whole host of managers (including one you name that you want to bankrupt with) and yet they ain't won any more than us after spending Millions. Like Annymous I don't like your ecconomics if nothing else.

• 18-Apr-2011 19:27 | | richie  - A voice of reason
  

  Well said Mr H

• 18-Apr-2011 19:33 | | richie
  

  I not only remember the semi at Villa Park I remember exactly how I felt after the match.In frustration I smashed my car into a celebrating Manx fans car right outside the ground. Happy days of a sort

• 18-Apr-2011 19:39 | | CHGooner
  

  Read a few other blogs Richie, listen to the boos in the ground, get out a bit mate. I promise you your man is on increasingly dodgy ground with most fans, We've done The Invincibles to death. Best ask the likes of Th10 and PV4 if you don't understand yet

• 18-Apr-2011 19:41 | | CHGooner
  

  Oh and by the way you muppet I started watching Arsenal in 77. Once again you say something stupid and baseless. Well done mate.

• 18-Apr-2011 20:28 | | MeanLean
  

  I shall respond to anything directed my way a little later. Got a few things to do first.
  
  I have added the match thoughts which you can find on the home page.
  
  Thanks all.

• 18-Apr-2011 20:42 | | CHGooner
  

  Apologies to Richie, I shouldn't have called you a muppet. That isn't fair. Genuinely sorry. You are a fellow Arsenal fan and you are entitled to your views, I was just upset that you made a comment about me that was not based on anything. Sorry again, uncalled for.

• 18-Apr-2011 22:02 | | MeanLean
  

  CHG, my response to your post is on the new blog..
  
  http://www.arsenalvision.co.uk/reviews/3595-liverpool-h-post-match- thoughts-predictable-attack-to-blame-not-emmanuel-eboue.html

• 18-Apr-2011 22:10 | | MeanLean
  

  Great comment Mr H

• 18-Apr-2011 22:34 | | richie
  

  I certainly read other blogs like the gunning hawk and desi gunner but mostly everyone's still positive. The boo's in the ground are from the corporate fans not the real supporters, after the match walking up through highbury fields with hundreds of our own who can walk home, yet again there were no Arsene out views aired, only we're getting better we're improving we're not far away again.

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