Unai Emery has confirmed he’ll mix experience with youth when he picks an 18-man squad to face Blackpool in the Carabao Cup.
The Spaniard has already revealed that Petr Cech, who has recovered from a hamstring problem, will get a chance to play in goal and it’s expected that a number of Freddie Ljungberg’s under-23s will also get the nod.
The likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock all missed last night’s Checkatrade Trophy defeat to Cheltenham Town so they could prepare for Wednesday’s match at the Emirates.
Ahead of the game, Emery passed on some advice to the hopeful Academy graduates.
“The most important thing for the young players is to be alert every day in the training sessions,” he told Arsenal.com.
“They need to use the experienced players’ example, how they progress, and learn from them.
“For us, it’s about sticking with them and giving them responsibility in each training session, the confidence from working for us. Then, when they deserve it, it’s up to us to give them chances in the matches.
“Progressively, they can take confidence from being able to find their performance with their quality and with confidence.”
He added: “Each training session for them is very important and also when the matches come around, we can give them chances to take responsibility.
“I think this season we will need every player, including the young players.”
Yesterday, the medical team hinted that injuries will rule out Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal, Sead Kolasinac, Laurent Koscielny, Dinos Mavropanos and Mohamed Elneny.
The fitness problems, particularly in defence, are no excuse for Emery who insists his side are focused on seeing off the challenge of the League One side.
“For us, each match is our focus,” he said. “We’re looking for a good performance from the team, and also to give the players the chances to help us with their performances.
“We respect Blackpool, and we will take the responsibility to have the best performance in each competition so that we’re able to win the match.
“We will choose 18 players for the Blackpool match, the young players also. We are going to have a mix in order to get the best performance against Blackpool, to respect them. For us, the Carabao Cup is very important.
“It’s an opportunity to win a trophy and for tomorrow, a chance to play in front of our supporters at Emirates Stadium in this competition.”
Difficult to play a B or C team at the Emirates when fans are paying so much for tickets
You can get an adult ticket for tonight at £20, now. I think they started at £10.
Damn KSE
Yup, any chance for a silly complaint.
It’s obvious we don’t have the squad depth of some of our competitors (let alone City), so we’re going to have to rely on our academy more than ever. I know everyone looks to the window for purchases, but we don’t have the clout to buy as many as we need, plus we don’t have the pull to get CL level players. So I hope we almost do a “Project Youth 2.0”; not quite as drastic as version 1, but similar to what Spurs have done to get to the top 4. We have the likes of ESR, AMN, Eddie… Read more »
Dude, we have Ozil, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Sokratis, even Xhaka in their best years, and you’re talking about Project Youth?
Also, ESR and AMN have already got some minutes and will definitely get even more in Europa League and League Cup now. Eddie will join them.
There is also Reiss (sp?) Nelson, on loan now in the BL, but he singed a new contract and is an Arsenal player and looks a tasty prospect as well.
This comment is odd: “plus we don’t have the pull to get CL level players.”
Auba, Laca, Mkhty, and Torrieria … they are all top quality – CL level players – and just happened to have joined Arsenal very recently.
If Naisal meas Arsenal won’t be signing douchebags like Ronaldo, Neymar, Coutinho, or whomeverthefuck flavor of the week no. 73, who the hell cares.
Is Reiss Nelson a pyromaniac?
That was exactly my point.
Problem is Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Sokratis and Xhaka wouldn’t get into City or Chelsea teams. We are simply not competitive and that is down to the fact that our owner invests nothing in the club. Project Youth was the cornerstone of Wenger’s approach and I remember everyone wanting him Out. Seems like there is an identity crisis in our fanbase. We’ve lost conscience of who we are.
In the last few years we’ve bought:
Lacazette
Aubamayang
Xhaka
Torreria
Sokratis
Mustafi
Leno
And more that I can’t think of right now. We haven’t been a selling club for years, except for that mercenary runt Sanchez. It’s a myth to say we don’t invest, those days are behind us.
and looks like we let sanchez go at the right time based on his form since
Only a handful of players who left Arsenal ever went on to way more success. Those who joined City perhaps. Cesc to Barca and maybe RvP to United but after 2-3 years they all ended up elsewhere and worse off than we are now.
I totally disagree that Ramsey, Mkhitaryan or Xhaka wouldn’t get into the Chelsea or Man City teams. They’re all top class players who would fit into the squads very well
Jorginho is currently the EPL best passer of the ball this season, last season it was Xhaka overall. What stat proves your point, when you play Xhaka with a strong DM? Ramsey is only seen in a certain way by some Arsenal fans, he was all superlatives in Euro 2016 and when injury permitted him to have a long run in the Arsenal team.
It often seems normal to some, to criticize and undervalue what they have got. Some gooners do same to Ozil too.
Trust me, it’s just a mindset. Reality is different
Wow at the downvotes. This place is weird. Let me better explain myself; 1. This is an article about giving youth a chance. Why would I be talking about Ozils, and Aubas and Sokratis when the subject matter is about youth and giving youth a chance? 2. The article, is again about playing blackpool tonight. We obviously be playing the Ozil’s and Aubas as you’ve mentioned, so my point is about using games like these to give youth a chance for today and the future. 3. I made it clear “we don’t have the clout to buy AS MANY AS… Read more »
Also my comments about your future spending habits came directly from Raul himself I didn’t just make it up.
Should that have been “our” spending habits?
I really didn’t know we had more than one player called Ozil or Aubameyang.
Talking of being touchy…
I love how this site has a downvote button. i wish facebook had em
Blackpool:
Cech
Lichtsteiner Pleguezuelo Mustafi Jenkinson
Maitland-Niles Willock
Ramsey
Welbeck Smith-Rowe
Nketiah
Subs: Martinez, Sokratis, Osei-Tutu, Guendouzi, Mkhitaryan, Lacazette, Aubameyang
——————————————————————————————————–
Liverpool:
Cech
Bellerin Sokratis Holding Monreal
Torreira Xhaka
Özil
Mkhitaryan Iwobi
Lacazette
Subs: Leno, Mustafi, Lichtsteiner, Guendouzi, Ramsey, Aubameyang, Welbeck
———- without full backs ———-
Cech
Lichtsteiner Sokratis Holding
Ramsey Xhaka Torreira Guendouzi Iwobi
Özil
Aubameyang
Subs: Leno, Mustafi, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Mkhitaryan, Welbeck, Lacazatte
——————————————————————————————————–
Interesting that in the 3-5-2 formation you’ve got Aubameyang up front but in the 4-2-3-1 you’ve got Lacazette. Why so?
because in that formation the focus would be almost only on counter attacks and I think Aubameyang is better suited to that while Lacazette is better suited to the 4-2-3-1 formation where it’s a lot about holding up the ball and pressing opponents.
It’s Guendouzi instead of Willock and Mkhitaryan instead of Eddie.
Is it just me or has Emery’s english just got incredibly articulate and accurate in that Arsenal.com interview. I suspect some “editing”. I love the way he uses the language normally. It’s fun trying to work out what he means because you end up looking for the spirit of it, the gist.
Some interesting comments on this page today. Let’s be honest: our under 23s should be able to see off Blackpool at home tonight. Personally I’m hoping that none of our first team regulars start tonight. The Liverpool game is absolutely massive and we need to be fully prepared for that match. We saw what happened on Sunday when players are overplayed. Our focus this season is getting a top-four place, something that is beginning to look more and more likely as the season moves on. Spuds are stumbling and United under Maureen look rubbish. City, Liverpool and the Chavs are… Read more »
That’s an awful lot of absentees that could/should otherwise be starting in this inconsequential cup.
– Elneny, Mavropanos in particular.
Maybe a role for the limited Jenkinson today. Surely he should be good enough against Blackpool.
BUT yes mainly some of the younger players need exposure. Smith-Rowe, Nketiah etc.
Carabao cup (as is the moniker now) is frankly a nonsense cup (always has been).
Liverpool is the main event this weekend.
Biggest worry is in defense at Cback. We need to make sure all 3 of Sokratis, Mustafi and Holding are kept fit and available for weekend.
All kids for me tonight, at least most of them. Don’t take form into consideration, Blackpool will raise their level of play tonight in a way they will have never played before or after the game this season.
Anyone read the new bio about Emery?