Gunners Get Set For the Long Haul

by Joel Martin

The next few weeks will be Arsenal’s most crucial and most difficult stretch of games they’ve had this year. Starting with the Carling Cup Final on Sunday, we will possibly play five games in two weeks.

The cup final is the least of our worries, and Wenger knows it. Hopefully our young boys can play with the same amount of vigor and enthusiasm they’ve showed this entire cup run. I wouldn’t be surprised with a win if they do.

I don’t know how Wenger is going to handle the two games leading up to our second leg with PSV. He could play half the first team against Blackburn in the replay and the other half against Reading next weekend. Tuesday proved, however, that this might not be the best course of action. We looked out of sync at Eindhoven because the first team had not played with each other in weeks. Part of that was due to Hleb and Gallas’ recent return from injuries, but most of it was due to the fact that Henry, Adebayor, Gilberto, Fabregas, and Rosicky had not played together for several weeks. They need to play with each other and be given a chance to gel in order to play up to their potential. If they indeed are the line-up we want, they need to play together at least against Reading in order to be on the same page come next Wednesday.

The result of this might lead to our exit from the FA Cup, but I think our reserve squad could handle themselves well against the Rovers. Diaby, Denilson, and Flamini have already put in very solid performances for us this year, and Baptista seems to only play well when he’s the main man in the attack. Who knows? We’re talking about a reserve team who went into Anfield and won 6-3, so anything’s possible.

Anyway, that same reserve side should be featured on Sunday in Cardiff, where the youngsters (and probably Baptista and Ljungberg) will be put to the test against the Blues. I have no idea what kind of squad Chelsea will field, but I am pretty sure the Carling Cup means as little to Mourihno as it does to Wenger.