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Lets start with the news relevant to the game tomorrow and Arsene has given us some mixed team news.
On Abou Diaby:
"He will have a test on Friday morning and we will go from there. At the moment he is 50:50. It is a small muscular problem that is very minor. But of course we are in the situation that, because we play so many games now, should we take a gamble or not with him? We are playing on Saturday, on Tuesday and then we go to Manchester City."We cannot say we didn't see this coming but as I said earlier this week, there is no need to slam the player or the club for his injury. He is able to play but would it be the wisest decision to risk a player who has hardly played 5 games of football in the last 2 years? I think not. I feel that Southampton at home is a fixture we should win without Diaby - whether we will is another story. It is also a chance to showcase our new-found strength in depth in midfield. With Diaby, Wilshere, Rosicky and Frimpong all unavailable for tomorrow, we can still call upon the likes of Arteta, Coquelin, Chamberlain, Ramsey, Cazorla. I would expect Coquelin to get his chance. I like him as a player and if he can put in a solid performance it would be great for his confidence and first team chances. I think that is incentive enough for a 21 year old looking to prove himself on the big stage.
On Theo Walcott:
"Theo Walcott is in bed with a virus. He missed the England game with a virus. He should be back today, so we will have to see how well he has recovered from that."This is a player that has been benched for the last 2 games and never even made an appearance in the last one. I don't think Wenger plans to use him unless he really has to which he clearly does not. I think this all has to do with his contract situation - if he agrees a new deal he will be a starter as he has been for the last few seasons. I don't think he should be a starter, at least until he proves he has improved his consistency and final product. Oxlade-Chamberlain is knocking on the door and is arguably already showing a greater effectiveness on the field. In some ways I feel for Walcott. He was brought in as a striker and was converted to a winger temporarily. This has lead to an unfair criticism of his crossing which was originally not his job. Ask any striker to put in perfect cross after cross and you will find that they aren't able to just as Theo is not able to. But he has been winger for a few years now and you would have hoped for some improvement, which hasn't yet been shown on the field. He shows he has good composure in front of goal and is clinical most of the time. I still feel his best position is on the defender's shoulder as an inside forward, finding the gap between centre-back and right-back.
Wenger also had some interesting comments regarding the situation of Bacary Sagna, after the defender publicly voiced his concerns on the sale of Alex Song and his contract situation. Wenger maintained his latest hard ball policy: If you are not believe in the club and what the club is trying to achieve, you are free to leave. And I quite like the policy even though it may drive certain first team players to leave for greener pastures. Robin van Persie wasn't satisfied with the club's direction - so we told him to pack his bags. Alex Song had a big ego and thought he was better than he actually was thereby demanding a new and improved deal with 3 years remaining on his current contract - out you go. Let us hope the club and Sagna find a solution which will benefit both parties. And before he has one year left on his deal please!
If yo want to read some interesting articles regarding Wenger's future (which I will be writing about in more depth on Sunday), Gazidis's view on the club's future and Wenger's assessment of Southampton's first few games, just visit www.arsenal.com/home.
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I have an early team prediction for tomorrow:
Szczesny
Jenkinson - Koscielny - Vermaelan - Gibbs
Coquelin - Arteta
Cazorla
Chambo - Giroud - Podolski
I expect Koscielny to come back tomorrow although Wenger and Bould might not want to change a solid formula. I just feel Koscielny is better suited to the fast paced, counter-attacking style Southampton have shown in their matches against City and United. As I mentioned before, Coquelin should come in for Diaby to provide that shield in front of the back four which will prove helpful against the counter-attacks which we seemed vulnerable to last season. Right wing is a tricky one because we have Gervinho and Chamberlain available. I have gone with Chambo because of his more creative capabilities and just because I love him as a player.
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A lot to digest this morning.
'Till Tomorrow
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