PORTO - OFFICIAL THREAD

[QuartzGooner]

Porto thread:

Seeing as how the server problems wiped out the official thread, here is another one, sure Chippy will not mind on this occasion?

Please can this be a sticky?

[Ted B]

DRAW.

I have nothing else to say on this matter.

[Chippy]

Porto thread:

Seeing as how the server problems wiped out the official thread, here is another one, sure Chippy will not mind on this occasion?

Please can this be a sticky?

Quartz, I only did the first few. Rebel is now doing a fine job in starting a new thread and making it a sticky as soon as a game is over.

As far as this game goes I am not sure there is a huge advantage in winning the group. If we come second we might play Barca or inter, but if we top the group we might get Real or Villareal. The best team to get out of those likely to qualify is panathinikos.

Oh and didn't AW say he was going to start Eboue?

[digger]

DRAW.

I have nothing else to say on this matter.

Bore Draw.

Can't get excited about this one.

I'm going to spend 90 mins tossing my own salad instead.

[12thGooner]

With everything going on about the club at the moment, the discontent with 'some' of the fans the inconsistent results. i think this is a great opportunity to go out and play some football.

Eboue should start as heneeds to get out there as soon as possible and in a game where the result doesn't matter and the fact thats it away from home and sadly the home fans this is a good opportunity to break him back into the side.

[Where's Charlie fishing?]

Reckon Diaby might get a start on the left, and I predict Eboue will start on the right of midfield and play well for 70 mins before making way for Ramsey. Always nice to see Ramsey and Wilshere, but don't think either of them will start.

Bendtner should start and could do with a goal.

[donaldo]

Eboue should start as heneeds to get out there as soon as possible and in a game where the result doesn't matter and the fact thats it away from home and sadly the home fans this is a good opportunity to break him back into the side.

NO Eboue should be picked on merit.He was shit on saturday so should not be picked.We are a football club not a charity

[no. 1 is Perry Groves....]

NO Eboue should be picked on merit.He was shit on saturday so should not be picked.We are a football club not a charity

Absolutely - i could not agree more.

[NBM]

Surely bring him on as sub though, to help re-gain match fitness?

I think it'll be 1-0 to Porto, they'll want to prove a point after we drubbed them.

[Where's Charlie fishing?]

donaldo wrote:

NO Eboue should be picked on merit.He was shit on saturday so should not be picked.We are a football club not a charity

Agree with this to a degree, but certainly don't think AW subscribes to this point of view. Would be very surprised if Eboue doesn't feature - Wenger sees him as part of Arsenal's future and as such will want to get him match fit and playing well as soon as possible.

[Simon]

As expected, a lot of players are being rested for Saturday, according to the Club website. Gallas and Diaby are back, and apparently a very popular no. 27 is also available.



http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archiv ... e-fc-porto


William Gallas and Abou Diaby are back in the Arsenal squad for Wednesday's Champions League game against Porto.

Both Frenchmen sat out the weekend win over Wigan but Gallas (calf) and Diaby (abdominal strain) could return as Arsène Wenger's side look to cement top spot in Group G.

The Arsenal manager has rested a number of regulars ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Middlesbrough.

Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri suffered injuries against Wigan and will not travel to Portugal. Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie are also omitted.

That means there is room in Wenger's 18-man squad for some of the Club's Carling Cup regulars - Kieran Gibbs, Gavin Hoyte, Mark Randall, Fran Merida, Jack Wilshere and Jay Simpson.

The squad is as follows:

1. Manuel Almunia
21. Lukasz Fabianski
10. William Gallas
18. Mikael Silvestre
40. Kieran Gibbs
41. Gavin Hoyte
27. Emmanuel Eboue
20. Johan Djourou
17. Alex Song
15. Denilson
16. Aaron Ramsey
47. Mark Randall
2. Abou Diaby
43. Fran Merida
19. Jack Wilshere
26. Nicklas Bendtner
12. Carlos Vela
50. Jay Simpson

[Kevinho]

Wenger talks about feeling "guilty" if we were to get a tough 2nd round tie due to not doing enough to finish top of our group.

Then he announces this squad for the Porto game.

As much as I love Wenger, the guy doesn't do himself any favours at all
sometimes.

[SWLGooner]

I'm going to spend 90 mins tossing my own salad instead.

You'll have to clean up afterwards...

[Arsenal&Milan]

Well,now that´s interesting! We lost only last Tuesday at Burnley and now for the away game in Porto we are having half the team from the Carling Cup.I suppose Wenger never learns some lessons-remember last year we went to Sevilla and lost,thus way finishing second. I will have to watch the game and pray we don´t concede easy goals once again,but i´m not confident at all about our defence without Sagna,Toure and Clichy. Let´s hope Bendtner manages this time to use his chances that he will get at some stage in the game. So shall we see what happens tomorrow but unfortunately I´m quite pessimistic...

[Arsenal&Milan]

On the other hand though I´m hopeful for every game:that´s why on a more positive note I´m glad and excited. Glad because we are resting most of the regulars for the weekend game at Middlesbrough(although only winning there would have been worth the risk tomorrow!). And excited because I continue to believe in the players that are going to play at Porto. It´s just another chance for them to prove themselves at the big stage and better they use it! And still,we hammered Porto at home,so why not getting a positive result away with some of the other players? So the team I expect to see is as follows:Fabianski;Eboue,Djourou,Gallas(c),Silvestre;Ramsey,Denilson,Song,Diaby;Bendtner,Vela. With Almunia,Hoyte,Gibbs,Randall,Merida,Wilshere and Simpson all on the bench it´s not looking that bad. I would like to see in the second half Merida,Wilshere and Simpson coming on for Song,Diaby and Denilson respectively. So come Wednesday evening and Go Gunners!