Written by Mean Lean on Tuesday, 06 December 2011 14:08

The last group game of the Champions League is often a time for tension, for concern for fear of elimination into the dark black hole that is the Europa League. That problem is not ours for this season as our boys have handed in their assignment with weeks to spare, leaving the last minute, late black coffee nights for our domestic counterparts. I hope they all miss the bloody deadline.

Tonight Arsene's Carling Cup collection get the chance to strut their fancy stuff along with two extra's who have joined the party. Thomas Vermaelen and Andre Santos have made up the numbers from the team that swiped away Wigan at the DW stadium over the weekend. Perhaps the players wanted some Brazilian tunes to help them relax pre match and Vermaelen is there to give some advice to Chamakh and Park about where the back of the net is.

Jokes aside, I hope that the only viewing of Santos and Vermaelen is when the camera pans on Arsene Wenger and our two players are in shot on the bench in the background behind the manager. I imagine that both players have been brought to add a little bit of experience to the squad and perhaps they will be used from the bench if need be. Or perhaps the manager believes that they have enough in the tank for an extra game.

Arsene was saying that this group of players would be more likely to give a better account of themselves as they have something to prove and I guess he is right. They certainly did not look like pushovers against Manchester City last week and I expect them to give it a good go tonight. With the pressure off, hopefully the youngsters will go and express themselves without the fear of making mistakes and the senior players can gain some valuable playing time to sharpen up those dusty boots.

What I do find very interesting is the strength of depth that we have available while we heard the complete opposite at the start of the season. Like I mentioned in yesterday's blog, at least two players will not start the game who you would expect to start this type of game. This is of course without the likes of Gibbs, Jenkinson and Diaby who if were fit in the last week would have started tonight.

In the last round of the Caring Cup, Arsene has plumped for the 4-4-2 choosing to play both Chamakh and Park as a duo in attack but I am not sure if that will be on the menu this evening. I would imagine that we will continue with our usual system (4-2-3-1) and it will be either Chamakh or Park to lead the line and two of Rosicky, Benayoun or Frimpong.

I have my doubts about the use of the 4-4-2 because the game is away from the comfort of the Emirates so the home side could be more adventurous, especially given that they need to win to stand any hope of qualification to the knock outs. That system is also not a system that Arsene tends to use in European games, even during the 2003/04 team we used to switch Wiltord out to the right.

So a team that needs to win versus a team who has no fear of defeat should make for some entertaining viewing. Hopefully we can avoid defeat for starters and it would be great to get both Chamakh and/or Park a goal or two. I would love to see Rosicky and Benayoun playing together, two hard working ball players who would keep the ball very well but I am not sure if there will be room for the pair of them. I hope so. Arshavin needs a good performance and hopefully he can get just that tonight.

Alex Chamberlain is also another obvious player that we are all excited to see. According to Arsene he has been doing well in training and is coming along nicely right now. With the African nations only a month or so away the likes of Chamberlain, Arshavin and Benayoun need to be ticking the boxes because it will be down to them to replace the impressive Gervinho.

Whatever happens tonight, we can get to enjoy the match and hopefully they can do themselves proud.

COYG.

Mean Lean's Predicted Line Up

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Comments (13)

• 06-Dec-2011 14:41 | | selorm  - serious
  

  you not seriou,don't tell me this is the line up

• 06-Dec-2011 14:53 | | MeanLean
  

  What would be the problem with this line up?

• 06-Dec-2011 15:06 | | samuel  - Mr
  

  this is there chance to leave all they've got on that pitch and show the manager that they are worth being given a chance. I would love to one time see Arshavin, Benayoun, Alex, Rosicky with Arshavin leading the stricking line.

• 06-Dec-2011 15:15 | | saintann  - wrong
  

  the line up fabianski,yannaris,dj,squil,miquel,frimpong,coqul,rosicky,alex,arshavi n,park

• 06-Dec-2011 15:15 | | richie
  

  Well ML I can't see anything wrong with it! That looks like a strong line up to me.

• 06-Dec-2011 15:45 | | Anonymous
  

  

• 06-Dec-2011 16:04 | | dkgooner  - Who can it be?
  

  With Chamakh and Gervinho off to the ACN in the New Year, we could be a bit short of cover up front. AW has allegedly denied that he is interested in Anelka because he has someone else almost lined up in the January window.
  http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/125122.html?CMP=OTC-RSS
  Now that should get the speculation going. Has to be a striker, surely.

• 06-Dec-2011 16:08 | | Eric  - mmm...dont know
  

  what about
  fabianksi
  yennaris squillaci , vermaelen(replaced with djourou after) ,miquel(replaced with santos afterwards...who could even play left mid)
  
  Frimpong , Coquelin .
  Alex Ox , Arshavin/Benayoun Benayoun/Santos
  
  Chamakh.Park

• 06-Dec-2011 16:27 | | MeanLean
  

  Exactly. There are plenty of players who need the games as well. Especially the likes of Coquelin and Chamberlain.

• 06-Dec-2011 16:35 | | MeanLean
  

  I think he was saying that Anelka already has a move lined up not that Arsene has a player lined up. That was the impression I got.
  
  There seems to be the usual rumours going around right now though. Pato (Tevez going Milan), Gourcuff, Podolski etc. I wouldn't be surprised if these are just media or/and agent planted stories.
  
  We shall see what happens.

• 06-Dec-2011 20:44 | | dkgooner  - Whoops
  

  Yeah ML - totally misread it,
  I'm such a rumour monger.
  Mind you, the way Chamakh and Arshavin have played the first half, I hope he does have some buys lined up. I'd put those two in the January sales - 2 for a quid - any offers? Not likely

• 06-Dec-2011 22:07 | | dkgooner  - Audition results
  

  Mannone - dumped
  Djourou - dumped
  Squillaci -
  Miquel - very promising
  Benayoun - Arsenal MoM
  Arshavin - don't give up the day job (what? this is the day job?)
  Chamakh - dog poo
  Chamberlain - tried hard but still very naive
  Frimpong - bit overwhelmed at the beginning but got back into it
  Coquelin - ditto

• 06-Dec-2011 22:29 | | richie  - I'm kinda with DKG
  

  Chamakh Arshavin Squillaci and Fabianski were unbelievebly poor tonight. Before the game some asked only that the youngsters showed some fight and the will to win that sadly proved lacking. My only wish was that our kids got some valuable Champions League expirence, well they certainly got that! This was a baptism of fire. If our youngsters thought the Greeks would roll over and capitulate they soon found out the hard way that CL games of this nature ain't a day at the beach.
  
  Olympiacos had everything to play for and indeed most of their players ended the game thinking they'd done enough. Certain of our players, the likes of those above gave so little that it might be hoped that they follow Anelka and Alex at Chelski and ask for a move, I'm usually loathe to criticise our own but failure to put in the neccesary graft needs pointing out, Shava & Chamakh didn't even turn up for the shift, never mind put in the effort looking for a first team place.
  
  Djourou had a poor game but at least he tried. Trying, but playing badly is forgiveable, not trying at all is hard to take and even harder to forgive.

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