Arsenal vs. Saints - Build-Up

Return of 4-2-2-2?

 

Suprised re Djenepo and Boufal but both have had long Intl trips.

Bless, sleeping 1st class really takes it out of you. Tbh I doubt if that's the reason as Ralph hardly ever starts them anyway, god only knows why.

If the two central midfielders are PEH and JWP then Arsenal will have a field day.

Is Ralph trying to get the sack? Everyone fit and that’s what he comes up with? Give me strength

Think Ralph’s given up looking at the midfield

Ralph doesn’t do himself any favours with these slightly baffling team selections.

Is that the weakest midfield Saints have fielded since our return to the Premier League? Meanwhile, it appears our best midfielders are on the bench. Hopefully, Ralph knows what he's doing.

Cheers for Adams, Ross. Fully fit squad and he’s nowhere to be seen.

Still don’t think Ross or recruitment should take all the flak here.. surely Ralph approved these deals but none of our three summer signings make the team today.. if you don’t think they are better then what we have why sign them..we are not really in a position to just pad the squad and are not gonna improve until we buy better then we have

I feel pain

Return of 4-2-2-2?

 

Suprised re Djenepo and Boufal but both have had long Intl trips.

It'll be tactical. They aren't that long international trips.

Bit of an odd team but whatever, I'm expecting a loss anyway.

Long afternoon.

Unless were making a quick double substitution to catch them out

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

It'll be tactical. They aren't that long international trips.

 

Bit of an odd team but whatever, I'm expecting a loss anyway.

Particularly when Mali last played on Sunday. No excuse not to be playing Djenepo really.

So we're going with a CB pairing of Stephens and Bednarek, with JWP and PEH as their 'protection' in midfield. Arsenal may not be any great shakes at the moment, but they will cut through that like a knife through butter.

And our two most dangerous attackers get dropped to the bench. Again.

Is Ralph deliberately trying to get the sack?

Is that the weakest midfield Saints have fielded since our return to the Premier League? Meanwhile, it appears our best midfielders are on the bench. Hopefully, Ralph knows what he's doing.

It looks woeful on paper. Despite how bad we are, surely playing the best players available is an absolute must?

We are playing 4-3-3. Dunno why people are thinking that we are only playing 2 in the middle. I'm annoyed Djenepo isnt starting mind.

It'll be tactical. They aren't that long international trips.

 

Bit of an odd team but whatever, I'm expecting a loss anyway.

Tactical is one word for it, clueless is another.

That midfield and defence is hopeless

Their defence looks equally as bad; the difference is the forwards they have.

Why obefemi over djenepo?

The clockwork mouse yet again. It's obviously his work rate, pace and power added to his tactical nous, goal a game dead ball delivery, unbeatable in the air and frightening in the tackle. Undroppable obviously.

Wtf is this?

Jwp in front of back four offering the “protection” [emoji2359]

No Boufal, no djennepo?

If we get hammered today he may as well **** off with his weird ass team selections

How does Djenepo miss out?

It’s stuff like that that does Ralph no favours at all

The clockwork mouse yet again. It's obviously his work rate, pace and power added to his tactical nous, goal a game dead ball delivery, unbeatable in the air and frightening in the tackle. Undroppable obviously.

Absolute joke

How does Djenepo miss out?

 

It’s stuff like that that does Ralph no favours at all

This

Ralph's over-thinking it again. I can see us losing heavily.

Well at least we have two actual fullbacks in the fullback postions....

It says so much about the squad though that what ever CB, in a two or a three, combination the manager puts out my reaction is " oh bollix"

Romeu being dropped is a bit WTF he is the only central midfielder in the squad that I rate the other three all make me go "oh bollix" when ever they appear on the team sheet.

I guess the new Shane Long won't play for long his first big sprint and he will limp off....

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Why not Boufal or Djenepo over Obafemi? It just doesn’t make any sense, like most of what RH is doing at the moment.

That midfield and defence is hopeless

 

Their defence looks equally as bad; the difference is the forwards they have.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Why not Boufal or Djenepo over Obafemi? It just doesn’t make any sense, like most of what RH is doing at the moment.

Can only be pace. He'll do OK if his hamstrings can make it through a game.

Why not Boufal or Djenepo over Obafemi? It just doesn’t make any sense, like most of what RH is doing at the moment.

Obafemi won't last the game anyway usually after one breakneck speed sprint he pulls up with a hamstring injury.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk

Oh dear this could be another embarrassing afternoon. I predicted 4-0 initially and I see no reason to change that, although I would not be surprised if it’s worse. Just don’t understand why a Ralph plays a defensive side at home and a defensively weak side away to one of the better attacking teams in the league. Quite baffling, other than to confirm that while he may have a fully fit squad, he also has few options selecting from a sub-standard group of senior players - basically it probably doesn’t matter who he picks...they are all equally incompetent.

F*ck me. What has Obafemi ever done to warrant a start?

And Armstrong over Romeu in centre mid? Really? We need some bite in there against an arsenal team who are known bottlers but technically light years ahead of us.

Bless, sleeping 1st class really takes it out of you. Tbh I doubt if that's the reason as Ralph hardly ever starts them anyway, god only knows why.

Well, it does. Any sort of long flight makes you tired, it doesn't matter how nice your seat is.

Relatively attacking.. not much else he can do ... maybe Djenepo on...but probably only for the 2nd half when we're desperately chasing the game..

It was a toss up between Mane, Vardy or Aubemeyang to captain my fantasy team. That line up has made it an easy choice sadly.

We’re gonna get smashed with that lineup away at Arsenal.

Would love to know what all the armchair pundits on here think our formation and team should be?

Obafemi aside, who I assume is there purely for pace in transition, what better options do we have? Romeu is too slow to press and the bench is hardly packed with players deserving a start.

It was a toss up between Mane, Vardy or Aubemeyang to captain my fantasy team. That line up has made it an easy choice sadly.

Eh? You can’t change your captain after the teams are released for the first game.

We’re gonna get smashed with that lineup away at Arsenal.

Proabaly but in the current mood it would be said whatever the team...

Romeu, Boufal and Djenepo on the bench!

Absolute idiot. If the club was a dog it would be close to the dreaded injection.

Ridiculous.

Romeu, Boufal and Djenepo on the bench!

 

Absolute idiot. If the club was a dog it would be close to the dreaded injection.

 

Ridiculous.

I love my dogs, but if this team was one of them, I wouldn't get it euthanized, Id take it into the garden and kick it to death.

Would love to know what all the armchair pundits on here think our formation and team should be?

Obafemi aside, who I assume is there purely for pace in transition, what better options do we have? Romeu is too slow to press and the bench is hardly packed with players deserving a start.

Personally I would have Yoshida, clearly our best central defender, over Stephens or Bednarek, and if we are going with four at the back then Romeu over Hojbjerg or JWP as they've both been awful all season. Then obviously Djenepo instead of Obafemi, if no other reason than to save us the inevitable substitution when Obafemi gets injured.

I understand Ralph's thinking to a degree - we're not scoring enough goals and Arsenal are terrible defensively - so Stephens and JWP play for set piece threat, JWP, Hojbjerg and Cedric play because he's obsessed with having players that can cover other positions, Armstrong plays because we needed to change something in the midfield. Obafemi is the only slightly strange one but must be there for pace against their slow defence.

On the plus side, if we do manage to stay in the game for 75, we have a reasonably strong bench in some areas....

Sent from my SM-T590 using Tapatalk

http://ripple.is/soccer/13063-arsenal-live-stream

Any other streams? my IS is saying dont go there

Going for 36 mins on the Obefemi coming off injured sweepstakes