Guys
Let’s move on from the last week and think about Rennes.
With our form picking up since the BATE defeat, our confidence should be high despite the disappointing draw yesterday.
One man with a bit to prove will be Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, who will want to right a wrong. With Laca suspended for both legs, Auba will be key to our chances.
It will be interesting to see if Mr Emery goes full strength, with Man Utd coming up and the reverse leg the week after.
Lucas Torreira should play, given his suspension.
Rennes took the unusual step of postponing their league match this weekend in order to prepare for our visit. Can you imagine if we called off the NLD in order to play a Europa game .
Rennes are in pretty decent form, and beating Real Betis in the previous round shows they won't be pushovers.
Their dangerman is probably Ismaïla Sarr, the Senegalese international contributing goals and assists from wide and is their top scorer.
Hatem ben Arfa is well known, while Mbaye Niang was once heavily linked with us. Clement Grenier in central midfield is a French international previously with Lyon and Roma. His partnership with Benjamin Bourigeaud is one of their strengths.
Rennes
posted on 4/3/19
Up front they are more than decent.
posted on 4/3/19
comment by BO$$™ (U6401)
posted 9 hours, 7 minutes ago
comment by Chris H (U15205)
posted 27 minutes ago
Rennes are terrible and we should smash them.
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So were BATE.....
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And we comfortably beat them over two legs.
posted on 4/3/19
comment by Bats (U18355)
posted 12 hours, 26 minutes ago
Cech
Jenko Mustafi Nacho Kola
Torreira Gwen
Ramsey Özil Mkhi
Auba
Should play this team. Rest our CBs and Xhaka for United. A tight loss will not be a disaster with the return fixture coming before a 2 week break. The players will be able to go all out not having to be worried about conserving energy for a weekend match like will happen in the first leg
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Why would you rest our centre backs? If anything they have both played to little this season. Sokratis/Kos are a wonderful partnership. Play them as much as possible. Every game matters to the end of the season!
posted on 4/3/19
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 9 hours, 31 minutes ago
comment by Bats (U18355)
posted 12 hours, 26 minutes ago
Cech
Jenko Mustafi Nacho Kola
Torreira Gwen
Ramsey Özil Mkhi
Auba
Should play this team. Rest our CBs and Xhaka for United. A tight loss will not be a disaster with the return fixture coming before a 2 week break. The players will be able to go all out not having to be worried about conserving energy for a weekend match like will happen in the first leg
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Why would you rest our centre backs? If anything they have both played to little this season. Sokratis/Kos are a wonderful partnership. Play them as much as possible. Every game matters to the end of the season!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Because we have Massive game against Man Utd a few days later it will have big impact on who gets top 4
posted on 4/3/19
comment by 4everanarsenalfan (U20629)
posted 33 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 9 hours, 31 minutes ago
comment by Bats (U18355)
posted 12 hours, 26 minutes ago
Cech
Jenko Mustafi Nacho Kola
Torreira Gwen
Ramsey Özil Mkhi
Auba
Should play this team. Rest our CBs and Xhaka for United. A tight loss will not be a disaster with the return fixture coming before a 2 week break. The players will be able to go all out not having to be worried about conserving energy for a weekend match like will happen in the first leg
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Why would you rest our centre backs? If anything they have both played to little this season. Sokratis/Kos are a wonderful partnership. Play them as much as possible. Every game matters to the end of the season!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Because we have Massive game against Man Utd a few days later it will have big impact on who gets top 4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Providing we do not get run ragged the CB's should not be overly tired for the Man Utd game. Continuity in terms of the defence and developing their relationship together is arguably just as important or more so than giving them a rest which they probably don't need.
Koscielny has only come back recently so should not be too tired and Sokratis has not been over-used this season and does not look tired but would be more due a rest than Laurent.
I do think it would be silly to take a risk in the first leg away from home by making dramatic changes to the defence, considering our injuries i don't think there is even much scope to make changes at CB other than Mustafi coming inside and Maitland-Niles/Jenkinson or Lichsteiner playing RB/RWB.
Should Koscielny or Sokratis pick up an injury though and miss the Man Utd game then that could be a problem indeed.
posted on 4/3/19
*Lichtsteiner
posted on 4/3/19
comment by 4everanarsenalfan (U20629)
posted 42 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 9 hours, 31 minutes ago
comment by Bats (U18355)
posted 12 hours, 26 minutes ago
Cech
Jenko Mustafi Nacho Kola
Torreira Gwen
Ramsey Özil Mkhi
Auba
Should play this team. Rest our CBs and Xhaka for United. A tight loss will not be a disaster with the return fixture coming before a 2 week break. The players will be able to go all out not having to be worried about conserving energy for a weekend match like will happen in the first leg
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Why would you rest our centre backs? If anything they have both played to little this season. Sokratis/Kos are a wonderful partnership. Play them as much as possible. Every game matters to the end of the season!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Because we have Massive game against Man Utd a few days later it will have big impact on who gets top 4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So what? The more they play with each other the better that understanding gets. Both have missed huge parts of the season with injury so you cannot say that they are tired!
posted on 4/3/19
comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 5 minutes ago
Should Koscielny or Sokratis pick up an injury though and miss the Man Utd game then that could be a problem indeed.
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You can get injured in training. Injury is part of the game and its not worth worrying about it tbh. There is an issue that injury is more likely with fatigue but as you suggested earlier in your post that is really not the case with either player.
I don't think its worth overplaying the importance of the Man Utd game. Looking at the schedule we are done with top 6 teams after Utd. Whereas they still have to play each other. Whats more most of our games away are against teams that are sitting in mid-table with very little to play for apart from pride. I would love a win against Utd but honestly a draw is just as good.
posted on 4/3/19
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 5 minutes ago
Should Koscielny or Sokratis pick up an injury though and miss the Man Utd game then that could be a problem indeed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can get injured in training. Injury is part of the game and its not worth worrying about it tbh. There is an issue that injury is more likely with fatigue but as you suggested earlier in your post that is really not the case with either player.
I don't think its worth overplaying the importance of the Man Utd game. Looking at the schedule we are done with top 6 teams after Utd. Whereas they still have to play each other. Whats more most of our games away are against teams that are sitting in mid-table with very little to play for apart from pride. I would love a win against Utd but honestly a draw is just as good.
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Had the referees done their job properly this weekend just gone then we would have gained 3 points on Man Utd & Spurs.
Southampton should have had 2 penalties
posted on 5/3/19
comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 22 hours, 41 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 1 hour, 1 minute ago
comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 5 minutes ago
Should Koscielny or Sokratis pick up an injury though and miss the Man Utd game then that could be a problem indeed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can get injured in training. Injury is part of the game and its not worth worrying about it tbh. There is an issue that injury is more likely with fatigue but as you suggested earlier in your post that is really not the case with either player.
I don't think its worth overplaying the importance of the Man Utd game. Looking at the schedule we are done with top 6 teams after Utd. Whereas they still have to play each other. Whats more most of our games away are against teams that are sitting in mid-table with very little to play for apart from pride. I would love a win against Utd but honestly a draw is just as good.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Had the referees done their job properly this weekend just gone then we would have gained 3 points on Man Utd & Spurs.
Southampton should have had 2 penalties
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Aye we have suffered without VAR for a very long time. I think Arsene Wenger staying so long embedded in views that we were soft and often dived. I think its coloured a whole generation of refs. I am glad Emery didn't make a big fuss after Saturday and allowed Shearer etc. to do it.
I think the two clubs that voted against VAR last season were Man Utd and Chelsea. Says everything on who plays the media game to influence refs.