Besiktas, Injury concerns and Cesc

So early in the season, with players yet to fully recover from World Cup exertions we have back to back games. Does this improve match fitness or it just gives the medics less time to improve the fitness of the players? I do not know. What I do know however is that one of our main focus this season should be to avoid playing this early in the competition.

We all love to watch Arsenal, and any extra game we get we cherish but the big picture with this game is that it is better avoided. Qualify top 3 in the league and you earn yourself more days to recover from the weekend games and keep your freshness. We have seen times without number how Arsenal have faltered on their return from Champions league trips, case in point would be the away defeat against City last season.

Much ado was made last season about the ‘red zone’ and how quickly our players get there because we use a small squad to execute a large amount of matches. Champions League Qualifiers and FA Cup replays are games that you best avoid. I do not know enough about medical science to join the argument about training methods contributing to our high injury record but I feel fixture congestion and poor squad management are directly proportional to more injury concerns. We have a bigger squad this season; it is our hope that the manager uses it well.

On the injury front, Gibbs and Sanogo are already out and did not make the trip to Turkey. Gibbs would be missed more however as the quality of business the club has done this summer means that losing a striker would not be as damaging as it would have been last season. Giroud, Sanchez and Campbell can play a role there while we have only Nacho Monreal to cover for Gibbs. The problem now would be, should any of central defense pairing pick up an injury during the game we would have to move Nacho there and maybe Flamini to the left side of defense. Picture this for a defensive cover.

Debuchy —-Chambers——Nacho—–Flamini

I guess we need to start praying nothing happens to Koscienly as he seem a little on the brink, we are lucky he is available to play with all the injury news that has surrounded him early this season.

Asked to pick a team to play at this stage of the competition certainly wouldn’t be Besiktas, but you as you lay your bed so shall you lie. The Besiktas coach says they are not playing Arsenal to swap jerseys and would put up a real test.  I think he might have broken the hearts of many of his players there as I can see them licking this lips waiting to strip all our starting eleven and even players on the bench of their lovely Puma kits. Swapping jerseys must be a big thing in turkey, isn’t that where we signed Andre Santos from? Famously remembered for swapping jerseys with a never to be remembered Dutch Cunt?

Speaking of players that should never be remembered, what was all the fuss about Cesc yesterday seriously? So he had a good game, did we expect him to have bad games? He is a quality player, but he is not our quality player. Chelsea fans have a right to make noise about their new bride but I personally wouldn’t be joining issues with them trying to convince a Chelsea fan that Ramsey or Ozil is better?  I think the problem with Twitter is all the RT for only player FAV for another and then the whole argument starts. Like Kermit, that ain’t none of my business.

Hope we win today, as much as it is a match that would have been avoided, a win today would be a great boost for the teams spirit when we take on Everton on Saturday. Cheers Gooners!

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