Lineups from 4.30pm GMT

ARSENAL LINEUP:

Szczesny, Chambers, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Wilshere, Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Welbeck

SUBS: Ospina, Coquelin, Flamini, Rosicky, Podolski, Cazorla, Alexis

SPURS LINEUP:

Lloris, Naughton, Kaboul (c), Vertonghen, Rose; Capoue, Mason; Chadli, Eriksen, Lamela; Adebayor

SUBS: Vorm, Dier, Fazio, Bentaleb, Lennon, Townsend, Soldado

Here we go again.  NLD at the Emirates.

Oh God.

The mood on the Spurs forums / news feeds is gloomy at the moment.  Actually that tends to be the norm these days…. we’re very adept at having a good old whinge and it’s been a turbulent start to the season.  New coach.  New captain.  The revelation that we’re probably going to be out on our ear for a season and Vertonghen’s ‘will he or won’t he sign a new contract’ saga.  Well he won’t.  He’s said so this week so that’s brilliant.

I’m not going to overindulge in the ‘woe is us’ sentiment as it’s helping nobody, not least my mood at the weekend.  Spurs have a wealth of potential but Pochettino’s system is yet to cement itself so we’re in for a rocky ride.  Again.  That’s what happens when you keep switching managers with different philosophies, you’re constantly hitting reset and as a result, the fans get jittery and take it out on Levy as the source of all our problems.  Already some fans are even screaming for Mo Po’s head on a plate following last week’s dismal performance against West Brom.  Knee jerk doesn’t even cover it.  Though it was dismal and I’m sincerely hoping that’s as rock bottom as we get.  If the team are due a wake up call, which they are, then the lead up to the NLD could do us the world of good.

Levy & Baldini were slated for not bringing in a new striker this window, opting instead to focus on the midfield and defense.  Though, in my humble view, it’s actually the midfield that we STILL haven’t cracked and missing out on Schneiderlin this time around was probably the biggest blow.  We’ve a respectable attacking line that in most cases isn’t operating to potential, largely because it hasn’t been unlocked.  Our DM’s are talented, but in Poch’s preferred system of fast passing, the likes of Capoue and Dembele look slow and indecisive.  Quite where the indifferent Paulinho fits in is also an enigma.

Schneiderlin, a player that Pochettino knows inside and out would have helped kick start the new order giving Lamela more opportunity to shine.  At least he’s better than last season!  That’s something right??  RIGHT??!  But we didn’t get him so it’s time to let the manager make sense of it all.  Maybe it’s Stambouli?  Who knows.  He’s literally just got here and, as yet another player who arrives at WHL as a critically acclaimed up and comer, he’s barely kicked a ball in the Premiership so there’s a strong chance that he’s another one who’s going to need a season to acclimatise.

Anyway.  So our mood going into Saturday is disgruntled to say the least.  Yes we won midweek, Mason scored a belter and even ropey Kyle Naughton had a good game.  But that’s the League Cup and I couldn’t care less if it disappeared from the the calendar next season as an event.  In fact I wish it would.

Come this weekend’s showdown we desperately need the big characters in the team to step up to the plate, although I’m having trouble identifying too many these days.  Apparently Younes Kaboul, given his recent ascension, is one of these characters and if he’s on the team sheet then he has to have a big game.  His form has been way below par and there are a large contingent of followers who question his place in the starting 11, let alone his leading it.  Now’s the time to prove them all wrong Younes.

Whoever is in our back four have a hell of a lot to contend with.  Wellbeck, I sense, is about to hit a run of good form and Sanchez is looking like an absolute monster for the Gooners.  Jack ‘usually massively overrated’ Wilshere is full of beans after last week’s very good goal so he’ll be chomping at the bit and Ramsey will want to atone for an uncharacteristic dip in form.

Deep breath!

Insight from Spurs fan Chris Jones – Drop him a follow on @cjonesy1978

‘Chris is a Tottenham fan.  And he’s ginger.  God was feeling PRETTY cruel the day Chris was born’.

‘Chris works in TV and once met both Sooty AND Sweep.  He’s not allowed to go within 500 yards of Sue though.’

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