Everton away match thread.

[Chippy]

Given we will have one eye on the return with Besiktas, I reckon we will lose this one.

[OneBardGooner]

Yup.

same old...same feckin' old.




WENGER OUT!

[falkirk goon]

Easiest prediction of the year so far..they are shite...we are shite....game will be a big pile of shite

[clockender1]

3-0 Everton.

Wilshire and Flamini will start. sanogo or Giroud will be up front on their own with no service - caz or Ozil will look lost with no one to play forwards to, and often receive the ball at feet whilst standing still.

form defender Chambers will be dropped for a rusty Per.

different faces, same tactics, same formation, same weaknesses - and they've had the week off to rest and Wonga is already moaning about fatigue.

Wenger will commend our spirit despite being a little bit jaded.

[donaldo71]

Lukaku will play out wide v Monreal.I wonder if Wenger will realise it

2-0 Everton

[Brady's left peg]

If we get a similar starting 11 to tonight we'll go down by the odd goal... if he has the bollocks to inject a bit of pace upfront instead of donkeys, we might nick a win.

[SPUDMASHER]

If we perform like we have in our two games so far then I think we'll lose this. We need to step up.

Having said that I don't think we were too bad last night given that we were in a hostile environment with a poor quality pitch (which definitely affects our style of football more than many teams [see Fat Sam's guide to hoofing] for reference) and that we are just getting back into the flow. I'm confident we'll turn them over in the second leg.

2-1 Everton, 2-0 if he plays Sanogo up front.

[DB10GOONER]

3-0 Everton.

Wilshire and Flamini will start. sanogo or Giroud will be up front on their own with no service - caz or Ozil will look lost with no one to play forwards to, and often receive the ball at feet whilst standing still.

form defender Chambers will be dropped for a rusty Per.

different faces, same tactics, same formation, same weaknesses - and they've had the week off to rest and Wonga is already moaning about fatigue.

Wenger will commend our spirit despite being a little bit jaded.

^ This. Unfortunately.

Although I don't see us shipping 3. I reckon either 1-2 to Everton or we might scrap a 1-1 in spite of the silly shit Arsene will pull (so well described by clockender above).

[Theoperator]

I just so hope Sanogo doesnt start, Im starting to wonder if Sanogo is being played so we can be fooled into thing how good Giroud is. Please please can Campbell get a start.

Rambo will be well up for it with no 2nd leg to be bothered about, and with Ozil back I fancy that Rambo and Sanchez could each score one 2-1 to us

[Gunner Rob]

the one positive out of last night is that Ramsey will now be able to go for it v Everton and be rested for Leicester City

[SPUDMASHER]

I just so hope Sanogo doesnt start, Im starting to wonder if Sanogo is being played so we can be fooled into thing how good Giroud is. Please please can Campbell get a start.

Rambo will be well up for it with no 2nd leg to be bothered about, and with Ozil back I fancy that Rambo and Sanchez could each score one 2-1 to us

I'm not convinced that Giroud is as bad as many on here would have you believe. He scored 22 goals last season which is only 2 less than the highly rated Sturridge. Granted, he is no Henry, but then not many are. I think if we can get our service to the front sorted out, and start playing with two up front so he has some support, he could be a pretty decent player. For me the jury is still out on him and I'm not going to get on his back just yet.

[Theoperator]

No he isnt bad, and will give his best- the 2 goals last year from hassling GKs shows his comitment, totally agree he needs support, and thats the real issue, meant really (in a roundabout way ) that it might fool some into thinking Giroud alone and the system is right, just the wrong player there as a striker in Sanogo.

Totally agree that some on here are too tough on Giroud- to survive and play all season as he did is credit enough especially with his personal life up and down

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

There is absolutely not problem with Giroud, his goal return is fine, his assist record is good and he brings people in to play very very well. The issue is that he alone cannot do it all.

Giroud last year was excellent, look at his stats with Walcott, a pacy winger who runs off him - its phenomenal. The problem was last year he lost Walcott, Ozil, Ramsey etc - all players that run off him (and show his worth more tangibly).

Giroud is a worker, a tryer and deserves every inch of the support he gets when he plays - he is commiteed aand brave too - willing to put his head where it hurts.

Is he GOOD enough? I would argue yes, some would no - id caveat my yes with the fact he is a 4-4-2 striker playing in a 4-5-1 and to be honest having a lack of pace means he often looks worse than he is because he cannot link play with the pacy players.

Giroud is more than good enough to play for Arsenal, our problems are of no fault of his - Giroud himself has said he needs someone to share the workload, I actually think Sanogo has something but certainly not yet and certainly not now - if Giroud had an understudy, someone keeping him on the top of his game it would be of huge benefit.

Giroud was a massive part of our season last year and i fully expect him to be this seaosn - he wont be winning player of the year anytime soon but he is a very important member of our squad.

[Bendtners Drinking Buddy]

P.S - Per in for Chambers and Ozil in for Cazorla - possibly even OX in for Sanchez ahead of Tuesday.

A point would be a very good result!

[Gunnersaurus]

You make a good case for Giroud BUT imagine what a better striker would produce given the conditions he plays in.

Giroud scored 20, Adebayor and van Persie were getting 30.

That is the problem, stats only tell half the story.

Fancy us to scrape this, reckon he will play Chambers where Arteta plays with Flamini beside him for extra protection and hold Jack back for midweek.

If Chambers does well there kiss goodbye to any DM coming in.