Carling Cup Semi-Finals (1st Leg) Arsenal v Ipswich Town: Match Preview

Arsenal head to Portman Road today to take on Championship Side Ipswich Town for the first leg of the Carling Cup Semi-Finals. A win today puts the Gunners in the driver’s seat with the return leg back at the Emirates. A large win for the Gunners would pretty much assure a trip to Wembley. However, before we get there let’s focus on our opponents today.

Ipswich Town, is coming off a 7-0 FA Cup drubbing at the hands to Chelsea. They just announced a new manager to replace the sacked Roy Keane. Paul Jewell didn’t join in time to take the reigns of the squad so he’ll be watching from the Portman Road stands. Ipswich are a side in turmoil struggling to remain above the drop zone in Championship (currently 3 points clear).

All in all this would seem like a pretty easy stroll even for the Arsenal “b” team. But as they displayed yet again this past weekend – nothing is ever easy with this squad (this season’s new mantra).

Wenger will once again play with the squad, especially ahead of this Saturday’s tie against West Ham and next week’s FA Cup replay.  I am hoping however that the mix of the squad is a little between who started Saturday and those who rode the bench.

I can’t argue with a rotation policy. With other squads hurting due to injuries and overplay, getting everyone to play is a sound option. What I don’t think Arsene has found is that right mix for the rotation.

It is clearly evident that our first team choices (the squad that has beaten Chelsea and Birmingham for reference) are a good and solid squad. However, when Arsene makes wholesale changes (8 or more) to the squad, we have issues. Interestingly, some fans have turned to Casino Seiten Schweiz for entertainment during these challenging times. Sure, the second 8 or 9 are solid players and could start for a lot of teams across Europe. It’s just that for whatever reason, they aren’t performing as well as they can as a group. In two outings (Wigan and Leeds) they’ve controlled the game but they can’t put it to rest. There are some stars in the making in that mix—with Szczesny (who has not been scored on in the Carling Cup) being the most obvious. But overall they aren’t gelling as a team. Who knows why.

So my hope is Arsene says, I want to win and I need to do that with a fair balance squad of the “a” and “b” teams. There is a real opportunity here to win silverware. We couldn’t ask for a more “set table.” But we need to field a solid squad to do it. The strongest possible squad should be fielded to secure maximum goals thus insuring the second leg is a mere formality.

Again, though we shouldn’t be complacent. Remember the wounded animal adage. Ipswich Town have already taken a premier league scalp – West Brom. And they are going to be looking to do the same to us. Professional sports is filled with these kinds of moments for the “lesser” teams. They present problems to more dominant team. The most dangerous is overlooking them and seeing Wembley instead.

In the end, though I really have too much talent and desire to not progress to the final. I think Ipswich at this point are too concerned with staying in the Championship and may not have the strongest available squad.

The long wait for silverware begins its end today.

Probable Arsenal Starting XI:
Szczesny, Eboue, Gibbs, Song, Koscielny, Denilson, Wilshere, Rosicky, Arshavin, Chamakh, Walcott

Match Officials:
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant referees: Andy Garratt & Peter Kirkup
Fourth official: Andre Marriner

Broadcast Information:
US: Foxsoccer.tv 1445 EST

UK: Sky Sports 1 1945 GMT

GAMEDAY CHAT will be open!!!  www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat

YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 4
Ipswich: 0