PL | Watford v Arsenal | October 14 17:30 BST | BT Sport

[Mark Tobias]

Didn't realise both Mustafi and Kos were out. Need Per and Holding to step up here.

Hopefully see Özil and Welbz at some point.

100% agree on Welbs but Özil can see this one on the bench if Iwobi is handling himself right. Of course, if he isn't, then make the change. But I have a feeling more minutes can only be good for the lad and we may as well prepare for life after Mesut at this stage.

 

[Ceballinhos]

Banter club if we sell them in January for the quoted prices (£20M for Alexis).

What the hell? Why haven't we sold them during last summer & tried to replace them properly?

This makes no sense. Either you sell them during the summer to replace them. Either you keep them till the end of their contract (which was a terrible idea IMO).

 

[Mark Tobias]

0.1% of these votes are not being accounted for

 

[A_G]

 

[Makingtrax]

See Kola injury has been registered with the FA.

So thats Mustafi, Chambers, Kos and Kola all doubtful.

Great.

 

[Notorious Big]

We'll ruin them.

 

[A_G]

See Kola injury has been registered with the FA.

So thats Mustafi, Chambers, Kos and Kola all doubtful.

Great.

Looks like El Neny at CB.

 

[Mark Tobias]

See Kola injury has been registered with the FA.

So thats Mustafi, Chambers, Kos and Kola all doubtful.

Great.

We can blame hard luck for this but how many of us said we needed a CB and a CM for this season due to our injury concerns? Sorry, but that is bad management.

 

[Lookin' for a new Baby]

I was going to put us for a win, but I'm not sure now with the injuries to our defence.

 

[coolaa]

Cech
holding per Monreal
Bellerin elneny Wilshere Kolasinac
Welbeck iwobi
Lacazette

Ospina kos AMN giroud nelson Xhaka Walcott

Good enough

 

[Makingtrax]

We can blame hard luck for this but how many of us said we needed a CB and a CM for this season due to our injury concerns? Sorry, but that is bad management.

CBs . . we have 5 + Monreal and Kola. Yes we are unlucky to have three injured at once. But how many should we have?

 

[Mark Tobias]

CBs . . we have 5 + Monreal and Kola. Yes we are unlucky to have three injured at once. But how many should we have?

Trax, come on now.
First off, You yourself have often noted that we have one of the worst injury records out of all the teams.
Secondly, I am not sure where you get 5 + from. We have 4 +. Who is the other.
Thirdly, look at the below and tell me how as a manager this is considered enough. 2 of the 5 (I included Monreal) we kknew would be injured. A further 2 of the 5 are not exactly elite or even considered good enough for us by many. I tend to agree.

I've listed the problems here, above and below, and I am sorry but half this forum saw this situation happening so why couldn't Wenger or you? He's been in the game long enough and he has seen this exact situation transpire EVERY fecking season for more than 8 years now!

• 4 Per Mertesacker - CB - We know this man is at the end
• 6 Laurent Koscielny - CB - We know this man has a chronic injury problem
• 16 Rob Holding - CB - We are not sure this man can do the job yet
• 18 Nacho Monreal - LB/CB - Mr consistency. Wish we had 5 more
• 20 Shkodran Mustafi - CB - I like him, pity he is injured
• 21 Calum Chambers- CB - Come on, for real now?

 

[tap-in]

CBs . . we have 5 + Monreal and Kola. Yes we are unlucky to have three injured at once. But how many should we have?

Please don't mention Kola as CB, Wenger may hear you!

 

[Makingtrax]

Trax, come on now.
First off, You yourself have often noted that we have one of the worst injury records out of all the teams.
Secondly, I am not sure where you get 5 + from. We have 4 +. Who is the other.
Thirdly, look at the below and tell me how as a manager this is considered enough. 2 of the 5 (I included Monreal) we kknew would be injured. A further 2 of the 5 are not exactly elite or even considered good enough for us by many. I tend to agree.

I've listed the problems here, above and below, and I am sorry but half this forum saw this situation happening so why couldn't Wenger or you? He's been in the game long enough and he has seen this exact situation transpire EVERY fecking season for more than 8 years now!

• 4 Per Mertesacker - CB - We know this man is at the end
• 6 Laurent Koscielny - CB - We know this man has a chronic injury problem
• 16 Rob Holding - CB - We are not sure this man can do the job yet
• 18 Nacho Monreal - LB/CB - Mr consistency. Wish we had 5 more
• 20 Shkodran Mustafi - CB - I like him, pity he is injured
• 21 Calum Chambers- CB - Come on, for real now?

You're mixing up two issues here:
1 No. of CBs to cover for injuries, which is what the original post was about.
Holding, Chambers, Per, Kos and Mustafi makes 5 CBs
Monreal and Kola have both played there for us and previous clubs.
So that makes 7 possibles. Non of them have ongoing injury problems apart from Kos, but despite his Achilles he still played 33 league games last year. So not a issue like Cazorla or even Ramsey.

So I ask again, how many is considered normal to cover for injuries and how many other clubs have more?

2. Quality . . . Per is in his final year but he is still a class act - the club will be preparing to replace him next year. Kos is team captain and a great CB. Mustafi is 25 year old £30m German international and will come good. Monreal is our best player in my opinion. Kola has just joined but looks class. The only quality issues are Holding and Chambers . . . young and cheap. But I keep saying this until I'm blue in the face, there are only 3 clubs that can put £30m+ players all over the pitch and in many of their back up players . . and we're not one of them.

 

[Makingtrax]

Please don't mention Kola as CB, Wenger may hear you!

Back up CB

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Positive injury updates from Wenger I thought. Gutted Mustafi is out, but it's looking like Kos could be back fit provided he passes his late fitness test.

Welbeck, Özil and Coquelin all back in full training- great news. I don't think Chambers is too far away, and Kolasinac doesn't get injuries, injuries get Kolasinac.

Think we'll win, it'll be tough and Watford have started the season very well. But City went to Watford and slammed six, and Watford didn't even play that poorly .

We'll have too much firepower for them, much like City did. Chalobah and Capoue will be big misses for them. Going for a 4-0.

Lacazette x2, Özil and Ramsey.

COYGGG!

 

[NieThePiet]

• 4 Per Mertesacker - CB - We know this man is at the end
• 6 Laurent Koscielny - CB - We know this man has a chronic injury problem
• 16 Rob Holding - CB - We are not sure this man can do the job yet
• 18 Nacho Monreal - LB/CB - Mr consistency. Wish we had 5 more
• 20 Shkodran Mustafi - CB - I like him, pity he is injured
• 21 Calum Chambers- CB - Come on, for real now?

What's wrong with Chambers? He played a whole Premier League season last year.
Holding had great games last season - it's normal that young players will have up and downs.
It's Mertesackers last year, yes. He showed some months ago what he can do against Chelsea, so he will not be good enough for Watford?

You couldn't expect we will have 3 CB's injured at the same time (Koscielny yes, Mustafi and Chambers surely not). Besides Bielik and Sheaf are injured, how many CB's we should have in the squad? 10?

We will survive it. We played with Holding-Merte-Nacho against Chelsea, it should be good enough for Watford.

 

[Mark Tobias]

So I ask again, how many is considered normal to cover for injuries and how many other clubs have more?

That depends entirely on your formation. We have three spots to cover in our current formation. Of those, two of our main gents (per and Kos) we knew would be an injury risk. I would have preferred to have one more decent CB in case of injury. Not necessarily the next Adams, but some more cover. There are plenty to choose from in the league who fit this bill. Sagna on a free would have helped.
I love how you use this line. It is like you don't know how age and injuries combine into this demon.. "None of them have ongoing injury problems apart from Kos, but despite his Achilles he still played 33 league games last year." HOW FECKING LONG DO WE THINK THIS WILL LAST?

Sorry, but this is the same ill preparation we see every season. You can choose to ignore it but even uneducated people in the warehouse where I work see it, telling me in August "We need a CM and a CB, we're going to have shortages in defence this season". WHy can average joes see these situations before they happen but a man who gets paid millions of pounds a year can't. Half the forum predicted this.... I'll admit I wasn't one but I saw plenty posters who said "We need a CB, it is a priority". Were they all coincidentally lucky with their comments.

 

[Arsenal1508]

If Koscielny does not pass the fitness test tomorrow, I expect the following lineup:

----------------Cech----------------
---Holding------Per-------Monreal---
Bellerin----------------------------Kolasniac
---------Ramsey------Xhaka-----------
--Iwobi-------Lacazette-----Welbeck---

Strong bench with Sanchez, Giroud, and Wilshere.

Solid team with good workrate. That is enough to get a win and a clean sheet. I would like to see Chambers introduced back, but maybe Wenger will wait for him to play the Cup matches first. Would also love to see Wilshere start instead of Xhaka, but I dont think it will happen right now.

 

[Natnat]

It should be an easy win