Saturday, April 12, 2008

Arsenal fans want all Guns blazing

Arsenal supporters want their side to attack Manchester United on Sunday in a desperate bid to keep their title hopes alive.


Voting on the IFan website, loyal Gooners are keen to see Arsene Wenger ring the changes after the agonising Champons League exit to Liverpool in midweek.


Nothing less than three points will realistically keep the North Londoners in the title hunt but they face a United side that trounced Wenger's team 4-0 in the FA Cup and were able to rest key man Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday.


IFan voters would spring a surprise in goal by naming Jens Lehmann ahead of Manuel Almunia. Even though the German made some unnecessarily divisive and negative comments in the press after the Anfield woe, he gets the supporters' nod.


Perhaps the fans are remembering his magical late save to thwart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in an Old Trafford clash last season.


Emmanuel Eboue should be switched to right back, allowing Kolo Toure to partner captain William Gallas with Philippe Senderos axed after his slack defending on Merseyside.


Gilberto Silva is the natural replacement for ankle injury victim Mathieu Flamini and there are starts for Theo Walcott, who dazzled as a substitute against Liverpool, and Robin van Persie in an attacking line-up.


United's fans obviously fear Rio Ferdinand will be sidelined, even though Sir Alex Ferguson has suggested the England defender is fit enough to play.


That would leave the fans nominating an unproven pairing of John O'Shea and Gerard Pique in the middle of the back four, something that would certainly make the home crowd nervous.


Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves, both in good form of late, squeeze out Paul Scholes and Park Ji-sung is rewarded for a couple of perky performances with a slot on the left ahead of veteran Ryan Giggs.


United fans want to see Carlos Tevez start in a two-pronged attack alongside Wayne Rooney with Cristiano Ronaldo playing on the right.


IFAN Manchester United team: Van der Sar; Brown, Evra, O'Shea, Pique; Ronaldo, Carrick, Hargreaves, Park; Rooney, Tevez.


IFan Arsenal team: Lehmann; Eboue, Clichy, Toure, Gallas; Walcott, Gilberto, Fabregas, Hleb; Van Persie, Adebayor.

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