I've just started a new game with Arsenal, I usually play with nationwide teams but I decided to go with Arsenal this time. I'm half way through my second season, winning the premiership on the last day with a 4-4 against Newcastle as well as winning the League Cup and Champions League and losing in the FA Cup Final.
Goalkeeper
Jens Lehman/Helton
- It's a tough decision deciding on who to start as Lehamn was number 1 last season before I bought Helton, managing to get 30+ cleansheets from around 50 odd games. Lehman hasn't been as good this season but that's mainly due to a failed tactical experiment where I went for a free roaming attacking midfielder, a holding midfielder, two wingers, two strikers and three central defenders. Helton has been in goal for the last three games and has kept three clean sheets.
Defenders
Left Back - Ashley Cole
Right Back - (I forget his first name) Cyan, Lauren and Toure alternate games
Central Defenders - Sol Campbell and Sami Hyypia
Subs - Phillipe Mexes (CD), Andrew O'Brien (CD) and Neil Clement (LB)
- I started the season with three at the back, changing from the sucessful 4-4-2 formation of recent years and although it started well it went down hill from then on. The back four hasn't changed much, apart from the subs who are all being built to take over the roles of the first team when they decide to retire. Te defence has been solid only letting in 14 goals during the Premiership game last season. Hyypia I got on the cheap, £2.5mil exactly. I still don't know why Liverpool let him go so cheap.
Midfield
Left Wing - Ronaldinho
Right Wing - Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires alternate
Central Midfielders - Patrick Viera and Steven Gerrard
Subs - Jerome Thomas (LW, RW, CM), Fabio Paim (LW, RW), Scott Parker (CM, RW) and Ray Parlour (CM)
- The midfield is very strong, with Viera and Gerrard holding the midfield giving Ronaldinho, Ljungberg and Pires to do what they please down the wings. Fabio Paim is a 14 year old I picked up I think from Porto or Lisbon. He started a dozen and a half or so games last season racking up double figures in both assists and man of the match awards. Jerome Thomas is from the youth team and started pretty much every game last season as a first team member was out injured pretty much every game and did so well he got an England call up and hasn't been out of the team since getting 4 caps, 1 being a start. I picked up Ronaldinho for £47.5mil and he was the reason for the failed tactical experiment, but he's settled in just as well on the left.
Strikers
Thierry Henry and Michael Owen
Subs - Djibril(sp?) Cisse, Jeremie Alliadiere, Dennis Bergkamp and Veiriniho(sp?)
- Henry and Owen are deadly, both picking up 30+ goals last season and are well past 20 this season. Alliadiere had a superb season last campaign racking up 18 goals in 23 starts and 18 subs appearences. Cisse signed during the window last season but had a tough time settling in but has doneso this season knocking in 14 goals.
At the moment I'm sitting 3rd in Premier behind Chelsea and Middlesborough who managed to secure the contract of Mendieta, Viduka, Kluivert, Lizarazu, Wiltord and Nedved last season. I don't know how they did it but they did and they currently sit top of the league, whilst I'm still in all three cups.
