Gaffer: Arsenal's flawed defence is shocking and this isn't the old Gunners - Portsmouth can stun them under Fratton lights

Gaffer for the Day for the big one against Arsenal is Ryan Nash, 25, from Fratton who believes there’s no reason Pompey can’t pull off a Cup shock.
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We’ve both got 11 players on the pitch and with that Fratton crowd behind them under the lights, of course it’s possible.

This Pompey team is capable of grinding out results, is capable of frustrating teams and playing on the counter. We can do that, no problem.

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We won’t be used to being the team who don’t have the ball and if Arsenal put out a full-strength team it could be tough, but we’ve done it before and can do it again.

They aren’t exactly the Arsenal team of 10-15 years ago. They’ve got flaws and their defence has been shocking for three or four years now.

If we can play how we can I wouldn’t be surprised to see us nick a win.

It’s been said this is their last chance at winning silverware this season. I know they are going to play a few youngsters but if Mikel Arteta didn’t believe in them he wouldn’t play them.

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I do think he’ll be a great manager and he’s got great credentials.

Arsenal crashed out of Europe last Thursday.Arsenal crashed out of Europe last Thursday.
Arsenal crashed out of Europe last Thursday.

Winning the Cup will guarantee them European football and doing it by the league could even be a bit of a far reach for them.

Hopefully losing to Olympiakos could knock the stuffing out them, but then it could have the reverse effect and they could come out and storm us!

I’d go Craig MacGillivray in goal. Don’t get me wrong, I like Alex Bass but I don’t see that CMac did a lot to deserve to be dropped.

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It’s Arsenal and Bass is still quite young, and some of the goals he’s let in I think he could’ve been saved.

Then it has to be Andy Cannon in the 10 position with his work rate and quality, with Ellis Harrison up front.

I’d love to start John Marquis and he’s been scoring the goals, but I just think he gets too isolated. Harrison brings others into play and I think the way we play does suit him more.

I think the key men will be our two centre-backs. I’d say even by November time I’d written Sean Raggett but I think that partnership with Christian Burgess is rock solid.

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If Ronan Curtis plays how he’s capable he will be one to watch and he can be the one to make the difference going forward. You can tell that Ronan is going to be up for it.

If our key players play to their full ability we can do it, no doubt.

My Pompey line-up: MacGillivray, McCrorie, Burgess, Raggett, Seddon, Naylor, McGeehan, Williams, Cannon, Curtis, Harrison.

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