Jermain Defoe put last week’s illness behind him against Shamrock Rovers and showed that he is ready to face Arsenal this Sunday.

That would suggest that Harry might be looking to renew JD’s lethal partnership with Emmanuel Adebayor, but that would mean leaving out one midfield player from last week’s win over Wigan and it’s not easy to see who would miss out.

In goal, Brad Friedel should return and with Gallas and Dawson still injured, that would mean that the back five is likely to stay as it was last week.

In midfield, Lennon and Pienaar are unlikely to feature, so with Sandro, Bale, VDV, Parker and Modric all fit, the simple question is that old issue of whether to play 4-4-2 with Ade and JD linking up or whether Harry will revert to 4-5-1 with VDV dropping in behind the striker.

Here’s our team to face Arsenal, what’s yours?

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23 COMMENTS

  1. thats exactly my team too.people will say put sandro in and vdv up top,but for me too defensive.we need to scare the hell out of there defense and have a go at them.coys

  3. Would love to see Defoe running at Mertersaker. He is so slow its unreal. Defoe and Adebayor have pace, and Ade has height as well to hassle Krosceilni. Bale has been on flying form late, so Sagna will have a job on his hands, especially with Arsenal having no holding midfielder who will drop deep to pick him up. Hopefully Lennon is fit enough for the bench, and he can come on to change the game if we are behind. Sandro can also come on for Modric if we are holding on late, really does give us good options. Spot on with the team, Rafa coming in central and giving space for Walker to bomb up the right, with Parker’s energy tracking back and covering him. Nicely balanced.

  4. That is probably our best team! Bring on Lennon and Sandro later on in the game! Hope we do ourselves proud tomorrow! Looking a 2 or 3 – 0 win! If Liverpool can do it and we smashed them then i’m sure we can do it! COYS!

  8. like it. agree, you couldnt play that away from home, or against a tough midfield like man city but against the Arse we should be too much. COYS

  11. One problem Van leaves Walker exposed Lennon helps by tracking back Van can only run 20 yards the suffers from deep syndrome caused by tight hammys. Lennon must play sn d this would be who i would drop Ekotto . Freidel Walker King Kaboul Bale Lennon Parker Van Modric Defoe Adebeyor

    • Spot on, which is why I can’t escape the thought of rewarding townsend for his cameo midweek we all know arsenal play a very high line defensively so if we can get modric hitting little rink balls between the channel between Sanga & metsacker, gibbs& song we can punish rhem,there going to be expecting us to play balls out to bale so will expect us to attack them on outside & more than not will have worked on this but quick balls in behind & attack them on the inside channel & varying points of attack will be more fruitfull in exposing there weakness at the back.
      Another positive of playing townsend is he can help walker out defensively & attacking walker can provide width while townsend cuts inside ,
      Origanally I thought play defoe upfront with Ade but after thinking about it I don’t think we can afford to be pissing vdv off at this time & if needed putting two upfront in second half could be more of a positive game changer, the only other decision OS between parker & sandro normally i’d opt for sandro ( a lot of fans have jumped on d parker bandwagon & forget how good sandro was for us last season) but giving march fitness and the fact he hasn’t deserved being dropped & excelled in the three matches he has played.I’m convinced if we play at a high tempo there’ll only be one winner 5-2 to d spurs.

  12. Let us go ahead and beat Arsenal before we go on to hypothetical team selections. I just hope and pray the real Tottenham Hotspur’s are present at tomorrow’s game. No choking because it is a big game.

  13. Not for me… VDV would leave our right flank exposed in that formation and Walker doesn’t have the experience to deal with Gervinho/Walcott for 90mins on his todd and keep them quiet.

    Bale would also be limited in that formation by needing to provide assistance to Benni, meaning he can’t get at their suspect LCB Mertesacker.

    I would go:

    FRIEDEL

    BENNI KABOUL KING WALKER

    PARKER SANDRO
    MODRIC
    BALE LENNON (IF FIT)
    ADEBAYOR

    In that set up their full backs will be petrified to go past the half way line for fear of exposing the centre halfs to our pace out wide, meaning Modders can get on the ball with more time. Any counter attacks from the opposition wide men can be contained by Sandro/Parker assisting our full backs. And Adebayor can provide the platform for us to keep the ball in their half and the pressure on their back 4.

    Then we have the glorious option of completely switching it by bringing JD or VDV on, reverting to 442 or 4411, at around the 65 min mark to catch them off guard and really put them to the sword. It’s a doddle, this manager lark 😉

  14. I agree with everything except lennon for vdv pace on both wings put them on back foot bring on vdv in 2nd half ade brace defoe and vdv scoring as sub 4-1 god im excited and nervous and im gonna b their coys

    • I think Lennon’s fitness rules that out but I am sure we will see it that line up soon and Niko’s injury makes VDV the safest bet for the RM. I think either Rafa or Walker are going to need to adapt their game a little though. Should be fine attacking but defensively one of them will need to hold more than they usually do.

  15. Yes the OP has my exact line up too.
    Modric front and centre, Ade/Defoe up top, marvelous.
    We have a lot of options that will develop as the season goes on and will field different teams at times.
    But for tomorrow that line up is the best in my opinion.
    Confident that we win 3-1 tomorrow with the strikers getting the goals. We are better so this is ours to lose. Haven’t been able to say that about a NLD for more than a decade.

  16. Yep keep the same team that played pool.
    Can’t wait for tomorrow, few pints at the Bricklayers then of to war with the scum… COYS

    • I am so jealous I live in Aus I would love to go the the pub then the actual game rather than sit up late at night on my own and go to work knackered tommorrow.. Have fun and I wish I was there… lol

  17. I dont like having a lone striker, no matter how good they are. The defenders know where the majority of the crosses will go and mark the attacker out of the game. It is a simply a waste of good talent. When we have Defoe and Ade up front suspect defences (like arses) have to defend against two. With our pace on the wings the other two defenders mark the wings as well so there is space for Ade to do his magic, this is why we look crap with a lone defender and brilliant with the wings attacking. With our new midfield attacking and defending it is hard for a defence to cope and two strikers to destroy opposition.
    VDV is great but wrecking all this to keep one brilliant player happy does not make sense and holds back the rest of the team ….. bad strategy. In short I dont care if he gets pissed off having to come off the bench as an impact player. He plays how he wants, and if we need that type of play thats when he gets played.

  18. I can see that spud has 1001 coaches..lol. Bt there is only one outcome for d game.. Arsenal wins. In case u dont know walcot n gervinho are starting and i dont think your wing backs can handle them. Sagna is a good defender n will definitely mark out bale.but the same can not be said of BAE cos i dont see him coping with walcot pace. Gervinho is very trickish…walker has no chance against him. I cant wait for song to kick Cashbayor… He will soon get you guys piss off. Come on you Gunners.

  19. Well Sylvester: Game has finished and its about 6hrs later… those words of yours must be sticking in your throat by now. You got exactly zero right in your predictions!

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