Fasten Your Seatbelts - The New 2010-2011 EPL Season is Here!

So here we are -perched on the edge of the 2010-2011 Premier League Season. After months of summer lull, Cesc-gate,World Cup, and transfer hopes, we're back! Arsenal are not starting off the season easy by any means. We're at Liverpool and we are several men down due to injury or match fitness. We also are going to face the Mugmashers with either Almunia or Fabianski in goal as no one has been signed so as to wrench the position away from them. Wenger has stated that the goalie who starts Sunday is the team's No.1. I'm not looking forward to the unveiling. You all know that Fulham's Mark Schwarzer was the main rumor this summer, and he has put in a transfer request to Ol' Sparky who is reluctant (shock) to help us out. And, Schwarzer made even more of a case today for fitting into Arsenal as he did not play due to injury. His back to be specific. I say, let's go for Given who I'm sure is ticked to the core on losing his starting position to young Joe Hart - no matter how cute he is. Seriously, I can't see Given sitting the sidelines happily. He's the right age - let make an offer the scarfed Italian cannot refuse.

Back to our own injuries. DJ, of course if out so there is no back up for our centre backs other than our reserve player Havard Nordtveit. Diaby, Denilson, and Song are all back training after being out injured. I doubt they will start as they have not played one second of preseason ball. Our World Cup finalists are both healthy (even RVP!) but as they are supposedly not match fit yet, Wenger is waiting until the last minute to see if or how much they will play. That means that Ping-pong and Jack could get a start.

So I'm thinking our lineup could look a bit like this:
Fumbling

Sagna Koz Vermie Clichy

PingPong
Theo Jack Nasri Shavy

Chak-attak

My first soccer diagram. No idea if it's totally correct, but it's close. I figure Wenger will pick Theo over Tommy as Theo had a great game for England against Hungary and he probably wants to build on that confidence. Jack and Pingpong play only when Cesc and Song don't. Nasri has had such a tremendous preseason that I can't see him not playing every single minute. I think he's going to be our Man of the Match tomorrow.

As far as those Mugmashers go, Gerrard also had a great game against Hungary and will be facing our baby faced new defender Koz. Sagna will have to keep tabs on Joe Cole. Luckily, Torres is out injured but David Ngog will still try and give us problems.

One other note is that we are starting this season with knowing our manager has signed a three year extension to his contract. Yep - Wenger is ours until 2014. There's also a free video on the club site that has Wenger interviewed about his staying on four more years. It's clear he loves Arsenal and the players that he has nurtured and developed the last five years. He's hoping he'll get to see his vision come to fruition. I'm ecstatic he's staying. We know he's had offers from other clubs (Real Madrid) because he's a special manager. This is my eighth season as a Gooner and I can't imagine cheering for a team sans Wenger. Don't get me wrong, he does drive me crazy sometimes, and I know he has his weak points as a tactician, but he is also a football genius wrapped up inside a little boy who still loves the game. Let's see where he takes us this season...and let's go get those Mugmashers. GO YOU REDS!!! (Sigh...it feels so good to be able to say that again, doesn't it?)