Capital one cup tonight, many of the first team will be afforded a rest ahead of the premiership trip to Old Trafford this Saturday. Arsene’s line up is likely to include a number of fringe players in need of vital match practise while a few younger more raw players will be utilized from the bench. We have a high number of fringe players more used to first team action that can provide the necessary experience for a cup game like this. Reading will be no push over and the policy of fielding a team with the majority youngsters has been relaxed over the past couple seasons.
Although the capital one cup is way down the managers list of priorities to achieve each season there is still an element of seriousness in preparation for the competition. Arsene fields the teams he feels can win the games they play by ensuring the right balance between experience and youth is struck. In the home ties there are more opportunities to field more youth as the occasion and buzz from the crowd can have a positive effect on their performance. In away ties the pressure is a lot different and the younger players have to be in Arsene’s eyes up for the challenge.
Reading is far from an easy game, they are a premiership level team now and will be highly motivated to progress in the competition. The relationship between arsenal and reading has been a good one over the years; many young players have experienced loan spells at the club to further their development. Steven Sidwell made a permanent transfer to the club after a good loan deal there and most recently Benik Afobe enjoyed the promotion experience after joining the club on loan towards the tail end of last season.
The game tonight will be a chance for players such as Andrei Arshavin, Johan Djourou and Theo Walcott to stake a claim for inclusion to the squad for Saturday. Theo is likely to receive the opportunity to play in his favoured role to continue his ongoing battle of proving his worth as a central striker. Arshavin has the opportunity to earn a role in the team now that a void has been created by the injury to Gervinho. There has still been no official clarification of the injury to Gervinho. At the game on Saturday he seemed to pull up after planting a cross from the byline. He hobbled off the pitch and as the game carried on the medical team spent quite a bit of time tending to the Ivorian. He was eventually taken from the field of play on a stretcher. Arshavin impressed in parts in the last round against Coventry and a repeat tonight will definitely put him in contention.
Ignasi Miquel and Johan Djourou are likely to continue their partnership at the back whilst Carl Jenkinson may get a run out after losing his place to Sagna on Saturday. Serge Gnarbry is likely to get more minutes on the pitch to impress the gunners faithful. Wenger clearly likes the boy and the capital one cup is the perfect platform to showcase his talent; he is likely to be joined at some point by his german compatriot Thomas Eisfeld.
Eisfeld is probably one who has yet to be given many chances to play first team football this season, after impressing with some goal scoring displays for the first team in pre-season I half expected more opportunities for the German. Understandably the role he plays is fully stocked in the first team squad so chances like tonight need to be utilised to remind the manager of his potential.
One possible surprise in tonight’s line up is the return of Szczesny. Although Dami Martinez warrants an opportunity to play against Reading the chance to blood our Polish keeper in some first team action may be too tempting to ignore. Sczcesny joined the squad for training yesterday and being a keeper the fitness side of his game is not as essential as say a midfielder. The old Trafford game on Saturday may be in sight for our number one so do not be surprised if he is named in the team tonight. This would be a massive boost for the team, the fans and all concerned with arsenal. No disrespect to Vito Mannone who has had some good games for us but it is quite clear he is not ready to wrestle the number one jersey from our Polish stopper.
Emmanuel Frimpong is likely to start the game to continue his rehabilitation from injury. Our Ghanaian Hardman will relish the opportunity to play in this game and is in no rush to force his way into the first team. The two injuries he suffered over the past two seasons are enough for him to be cautious and not rush back and risk breaking down again. I for one hope that he is over the big injuries and can now kick on to the next stage and fulfil the potential he showed before injuries. It all starts from tonight. Although slightly nervous of the outcome of the tie it is not impossible for us to gain a win. Reading although likely to contain more of their premiership line up can still be beaten. We have enough quality and experience to give as good as we get. Come on you gunners!
Enjoy your day people.
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Gambeano Snitch AFC 
The rumours are that our No.1 wont be starting tonight and rather not risk him before united game. I think gibbs recovering from injury is the most important , without him I cant see us winnning as we have been very easily opened up on the left side.
Also we have our wn supporters club but would like to know if there is a official Arsenal club/pub in Cape Town where we can watch games?.
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fingers crossed on gibbs, would be great to have szczesny back tonight but you are right wenger confirmed game is too soon for him. sorry cant help you on supporters club
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I honestly believe we should play theo and the ox on wings with podolski in striker role.His finishing is class and ox and theo can make thing happen as we have struggled to open up teams.Cant wait for rosicky to be get back
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Podolski should be tried in the central striker role, he has a great finish and i think he has more to his game than just protecting the left hand side
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I don’t know this guy at all and honestly he sodnus like a long term project not someone for the first team right now. If Wenger thinks he has possibilities then sign him. Wenger is better at finding rough diamonds and polishing them than anyone else.I think Wenger will go into the reserves of one of the big clubs to sign a short term loan deal for a striker to back up RVP and the rest of the front line. I don’t see him signing Podoski for a320 million as a backup. And with the midfield getting healthy I don’t see us sitting down a midfielder to play a 4-4-2.I don’t think the deadwood clean out and replacement signings will happen until the summer transfer period, with not much happening in January. Of course you never know, if we beat Man City, win out in December and Wenger decides to go for the league .
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let us kno if there is an Arsenal pub
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first thing is first Mohamed, jenkinson has not pevron any quality so far he has done a good job of booting it long or providing walcott with the ball.Wenger needs to stop spending small amounts on (miyachi and jenkinson) and buy pevron 3/4 players that are pevron and more experienced lb and at preferably as Gibbs can not be relied upon and we can not keep hoping van Persie stays fit. I have not seen this kid play but you tube videos are not good enough. Rossi or I hope are one of the strikers brought in, gotze in the summer as wildness is back and will be like a jan transfer chamakh, arshavin, squilaci, denilson and rosicky out
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We need to appreciate the qaliuty we have in Wenger and learn to walk along. Jenkinson and Oxo came in from a lower division. Koscienly had only played once in the French first division and many doubted him. These have all turned out to be qaliuty. We berated Wenger when he bought Jenkinson because he cost only only 1m pounds. He proved in a short while that he has qaliuty before he got injured. If Wenger wants a player, let us give him and the player a chance and see what the outcome will be. He has unearthed enough gems in the past to earn our confidence.
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You raise a good point. It appears that his maeaegmnnt style is to nurture and encourage his young players, being careful not to harshly criticize or undermine their confidence in any way. As a result, everyone on the squad is enthusiastic and confident but not getting to that next level. Is there a hypothetical cut-off age, say 25, when you’re allowed to tear a strip off someone when they make a mistake, without damaging their psyche? Everyone agrees that Arse8ne is a technical expert, but how are his people maeaegmnnt skills?
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I think Arshavin should go. It would be good for him and good for us. Yes, Arshavin is a wofnurdelly talented player BUT he seems to have choosen to give it half measures because he wasn’t being played in his favourite position. Last few seasons we had Cesc surely he must have appreciated that Cesc was our best creative midfielder and that a Cesc-Arsh midfield pairing was a non starter.Great players give it the full bananas regardless of what role they are asked to play Le Coq, Ox, Rosicky, Benny are good examples.Sadly Arsharin seems to have chosen to drop his shoulders and slump around like an extra from Night Of The Living Dead.I will miss Arshavin, especially on the podcast, but I truly doubt that we would ever get the best of him unless we were willing to play him in the position he wants to play. With Ramsey, Rosicky, Jackie all ahead of him next season, we would get a zombie rather than a player if we keep him. 4 1
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vertonghen would be great, as would the above, but yeah someone like vireia is more likely we need porven for at least the next 2 windows there wont be anything like that sort of change, you cant change half the squad halfway thourgh a season, i would expect squid, maybe arshavin, maybe rosicky and maybe chamakh, at most 2 of those 4 out this jan and a max of 2 in no more a move for gotze is out because of injury, hazard looks set to go elsewhere, inter or madrid most notably, shaqiri would be great but basel wont want to sell halfway thourgh and hes cup tied, i am begging for podolski and vertonghen make my xmas come true arsene
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