Aah, Paul Robinson. The Arsenal fans favourite goalkeeper
FA Cup time once more as Blackburn Rovers provide the opposition for the ninth time in this competition. The Lancastrians have scored just once in their five previous visits to the one true part of north London, the most recent of which ended goalless at The Emirates almost six years ago to the day. Benni McCarthy grabbed the winner six minutes from time in the replay at Ewood Park as Arsenal’s trophy drought extended into its second season. Mart Poom on the bench? Players we forget as having passed through the doors, a bit like Jim Leighton’s shortlived spell at Arsenal.
On their descent into the Championship, Blackburn were trounced 7 – 1 in the Premier League here last season en route to relegation but that will not prey on Arsenal minds, barely even remembered. Arsène was keen to point out that the match will be taken seriously, preparations will be thorough as if this were the Final to prevent a recurrence of the League Cup exit at Bradford. Of course there is the chance to rectify matters should a replay be required, a subject which taxes minds at the Football Association as their premier competition moves towards a straight knockout tournament.
Eschewing return matches is contentious; smaller clubs who have defended stoutly for 90 minutes would rightly argue that they deserve a payday and the chance for glory. Money for the owners, heroism the players; the former can be solved by changing the revenue split on matchdays with Premier League clubs offering up 50% of any home tie, the latter a tougher problem to solve which is perhaps why the FA have made FA effort to deal with it. To do so removes some chance of upsets upon which the Cup has thrived for nearly a century and a half. Yet this tie proves the problem for managers in Wenger’s position; a replay would bisect the two legs against Bayern Munich. Taking a lead to Bavaria would to my mind put him in the position of resting key players for a domestic cup tie; as he observed, get past Bayern and the possibility of winning the trophy gets closer.
Which dovetails into today’s game. Injuries to key personnel last weekend will surely dominate his thoughts. I cannot bring forward any justification for risking either Wilshere or Koscielny for this match, even if they pass a fitness test. We have enough depth in the squad to fill their positions, even without relying on Sebastian Squillaci. A natural caution ought to apply, especially in Wilshere’s case with over 500 days out of the squad following his previous injury; it cannot be worth the risk,
Not just the injured either, there is strength to the argument that Cazorla dropping to the bench with Walcott would be a viable option today. The danger here is that too many changes are made. Ordinarily this fixture is one that Jenkinson would have been pencilled in for; his suspension put paid to that. Coquelin could slot in at right back if Bacary Sagna is needed centrally or given a rest but I doubt that will happen with Ignasi Miquel surely coming in to partner Per Mertesacker at the heart of the defence. Too many changes in the rest of the team
Midfield offers the toughest choice. Abou Diaby and Aaron Ramsey seem certain starters, so who to accompany them. In Cazorla’s absence, the return of Little Mozart to the pitch is most likely, offering the flair and spirit to make play waft across the Emirates turf effortlessly. After his pivotal role in last season’s charge to third place, this campaign must have been hugely frustrating for the Czech international. He might reasonably have supposed that Cazorla would take the pivotal playmaking role but injuries once more blighted any hope of domestic cup and substitute appearances. This afternoon will perhaps change that?
The line-up I expect Arsenal to start with is:
Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Miquel, Monreal; Diaby, Ramsey, Rosicky; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud, Podolski
Perhaps Arsène will bit the bullet and include Coquelin at right back with Arshavin on the left. It seems a risk for what many consider to be the club’s one real chance of silverware this season but with the Champions League tie against Bayern on Tuesday night, you would not blame him for resting as many players as possible. Putting some on the bench offers the opportunity to rectify any shortcomings if they emerge. Even with changes, Arsenal have enough quality to progress to the next round.
Enjoy the match wherever you are watching it.
’til Tomorrow.
well maybe we’ll smack 12 passed bayern next
our seasons been like that..
Today at midday at Talksport a listener predicted a 0:1 victory for Blackburn.
I laughed of course.
May be we are as deluded as Arsene? It’s sometimes useful to listen to other clubs’ fans to get some prospective.
My boss is a Liverpool fan. He once said that he has nothing against Arsenal because we are rubbish and getting worse. He said if we keep deteriorating with the same speed, we’ll soon get relegated.
I laughed of course.
The team selection and the tactics were poor today. How many of you thought giroud was going to score when his service from the wings came from gervinho and Ox? Do either of them have an assist this season? If they do its very few. Who thought gervinho or Ox would score? TR7, Diaby and arteta are not goal scorers. If we didn’t get a penalty or a nick a goal on a corner we were going to struggle score with that line up especially against a team that has defended as well as Blackburn has
Nothing better than wallowing in self pity – your boss, being a Liverpool fan, probably has an NVQ in it
You should phone up Talksport yourself – they’d love it
I don’t blame you for laughing SV. With all due respect, your boss obviously doesn’t know what the f*ck he’s talking about.
Ah here’s Bill.
It’s like pissing in the wind here these days.
Here’s to Tuesday night anyway.
This season, domestically we are struggling big time.
So why not play the strongest team in the FA cup? Why this emphasis on the phoney game with Munich? To prove we are a European force?
We have not been one since the semifinal defeat 1:3 at home to ManU. The hopes were so high, but the result so devastating and the gulf in class so obvious that after the game Arsene promised consequences.
I’m still waiting for them.
Our CL participation is meaningless and counts only due to the special status it gives in the domestic football.
So, here is my prediction about something meaningful.
When we finish the league 5 points behind the Tots and outside the top four, Arsene will mention his previous 15 years record of qualifying for CL. It will make us more thankful for his past achievements of course.
This is the same Bill who at 2.50 today who announced ” This team should be more than strong enough to get a result”
And now tells us all about poor team selection
Ho Ho Ho mate
Wasn’t that your prediction lat year SV
And the year before that
And the year before that
And the year before that ?
i would have gone with podolski up front bill, instead.. said that at the start but seeing giroud didnt fill me with tears i still thought we’d win..
should have won, had enough chances..tactically though i agree we are abit naive sometimes..
like from set pieces..
Harry
How many times has it been said that we will have finally learned our lesson? If something was ever going to change it would have happened years ago. You can’t honestly tell me you don’t get frustrated seeing the same things happen again and again and again.
To start with Gervonho was a bit of a gamble. He missed a sitter at Bradford, and again today. He is a good player, I like him. But his erratic nature as well as annual African cups do not make him a reliable player. So, why persist with him as a starter in tough cup games?
It will ruin his career.
nothings going to change..
the difference is Arsenal has 20 corners+ and nothing happened, put it the other way, Arsenal conceded 20 corners and try to guess how many goals we would let in ? The OX has ample time and space and chance after chance to run down the right flank, but no end product. At the other flank Gerv can run behind the defenders and again put in a pass with no end result. It is inevitable the Arsenal lost by a sucker goal.
I’m afraid the way to play against Bayern Munich is defence first and hold the shape and break quickly. I know it doesn’t sound like the Arsenal way, but hey, a well organized and ‘slow’ built up play to lower the fast tempo which Bayern will certainly brings into the game is more a tactical approach than chasing them and eventually run out of steam. I have no dream of a win but a draw at home is definitely a great and achievable result.
It’s to be epected thesed days, Harry, given how we have been cocking up.
Blind faith no more.
i predict gervinho will be one of those players who ends up on loan for the next 2-3 years until his contracts up..
unless wenger can convince everyone hes africas best and flog him in summer..
JJ
We have no depth up front and we really can’t afford to rotate as much as we did. Giroud is a decent player but he can’t create goals, he needs service from the wings. The other 2 have not been scoring or assisting this season. I still think Ox will be a great player but he has a long way to go. We had no goal scorers in the midfield. Blackburn has defended very well and the only way we could have won that game would have been to nick a goal from somewhere and keep a clean sheet.
This is typically Arsenal, I’m afraid, ever since we became one of the greatest sides in Britain.
To clutch defeat out of the jaws of victory and vice versa.
Bayern Munich should be aware that an Arsenal side in turmoil, despondent and following an unexpected defeat…..is a dangerous adversary indeed.
They should be afraid…very afraid.
LadyArse raised an interesting point about our bench lacking a striker and Bendtner not getting a game at Juventus.
I think Bendtner would be worth 8 points and a couple of cupsets for us this season. Not because he is great, but just because he would fill in the gap.
And the only reason he is not at Arsenal is his irreparable fall out with Arsene. In other words, Arsene’s bad man management.
Isn’t it ironic that currently Bendtner could easily claim the starting role in the striking position, but he can’t because he left due to a lack of playing time?
It would appear your boss is not alone in not knowing what the f*ck he’s talking about.
Why am I even bothering. Rhetorical question. Old habits die hard. It’s a knee-jerk reaction to stick up for the manager when he’s getting in the neck from idiots on all sides. I should know better. I think this place has, er, “evolved” (or perhaps the opposite is more appropriate, whatever the word is for that) into something I no longer enjoy or wish to participate in. You’ll all be glad to hear that no doubt. If you even noticed my presence. Mr Rose tinted is leaving the building (at last!)
I’m not going to bother answering Bill, it’s futile isn’t it my friend.
You disappoint me though Bob. It’s all “blind faith”, you know that, get behind the manager and the team and then make these judgements, if you must, at the end of the season. Arsene has earned that from us all. These things happen. Cup upsets. We are still in Europe, and a big big game on Tuesday. Should be exciting, but all the ott misery makes me dread it. I hate that it should come to this. Media lockdown now and look forward to next week..
COYR
Anicoll @ 9:49
Even negative me isn’t going to whine about the team before a game. Do you want to see realism in the morning of a game? in theory we should have been able to nick a goal somewhere and keep a clean sheet. However, given what we have seen this year it’s not hard to predict we would struggle to score.
If you have to lay the goal at anyone’s door it’s probably Walcott’s – he sort of stood there and watched as their left-back made a 40-yard run past him for the flick-on.
But then it’s a bit harsh, as he’d just that minute stepped onto the pitch.
The goal was absurd. As well as being Blackburn’s only real chance, the miscue gave the shot a weird trajectory that wrong-footed everyone. Feels like any mistake we’ve made recently has been punished with a goal.
Performance-wise we didn’t get out of second gear, but nine times out of ten it would have been enough to get by them. The team selection was fine – it didn’t quite click, but kept Blackburn pinned back and created decent chances. Although got to say that AOC looked like he was trying to force things too much – not seen too much of him since he got subbed off vs Man City, but he was coming into good form at the end of last year.
If people were more patient, and the club wasn’t shouldering the burden of eight trophyless years, they’d mention how the cup is unpredictable and results like this can happen.
A little perspective from Birdkamp. At last. Thanks.
bendtner isnt the answer.. lol
although hes better than chamakh..
i know bill, ive said myself we are most destructive when we play 433 with 3 natural finishers..
weve only got three in the squad so when we need to rotate it makes it tough
The result is disappointing. No doubt about it. The ridiculous reaction, though all too predictable, I find even more profoundly disappointing.
Ah well.
@JonJon
Bendtner is certainly better than a striker-less bench.
And I’m not holding my breath that we’ll rush to buy a striker of a significantly better quality than him. The triumph of experience over hope.
The more I read this blog and some of the contributors the greater my respect for writers of fiction and humour
Nick Bendtner – injured since December – did you see him at Parkhead on Tuesday ? Nor did I
prior to that with 6 starts with Juve – no goals
And that is your big plan SV ???
@Harry Flowers
The reaction is natural. The football fans are frustrated that their team lost a home cup tie to a championship side.
Simply pointing out your shameless inconsistency Bill
Before the game you say a strong line up
We lose
After the game you blame the line up
Don’t really know what you think do you ?
Without the benefit of hindsight
I actually think rotation is the key here, Wenger doesnt seem to want to rotate enough. YOu can not honestly tell me that the starting eleven against blackburn was not a strong squad,…you can hardly call it a B-team. Last year rosiscky drove arsenal forward towards the end of the season. Diaby is not exactly a bench warmer on his day and Girven-oh-no is supposed to be another hot property after his AFCNs performances.
On paper, that team should compete against some of the best in the premiership, so why is it that the numbers don’t add up with arsenal on a regular basis.
Maybe Wengers to busy analysising the statistics that oversight has allowed ignorance towards both tactics and instilling a winning belief and resolve into the players.
Tempo, belief, maturity and composure are all words often used to describe arsenal by the big man himself. Maybe he should add ‘non’ before each one in the next interview.
@anicoll5
I have no plan. I’m just writing some rubbish online.
Which may be more or less humorous than someone who thinks that the manager who got rid of Bendtner and bought Park is untouchable.
If it was just today, or just Bradford, or just Norwich, or just Villa I think it would be more acceptable, but this season is becoming one unwanted broken record after another. AW has never gone out of the FA Cup to a team from a lower division, never been beaten by a team that far down in the League Cup, the club hasn’t lost to Norwich in decades. All of those records have gone this season, these aren’t records that have been around for a few seasons some are decades old.
“If people were more patient, and the club wasn’t
shouldering the burden of eight trophyless years,
they’d mention how the cup is unpredictable and
results like this can happen”
Good point, but people are in general rarely patient, unfortunately. It’s not just the way most humans work. It really is a shame, but one doesn’t need hindsight to predict that the longer it takes to get that trophy monkey of our back, the harder it would get.
It’s slightly ironic that we’re finding it seemingly more difficult to get to the finals of these domestic cup competitions even though Arsene has been taking them more seriously in the last couple of years.
Ah well, bring on Bayern.
SV
I’m not happy about life and I don’t think AW has got it right, but even I can’t side with you on Bendtner.
Bendtner had to go, so did Park (still don’t know why we ever bought him) and so did Chamakh.
Ha, no problem, HF.
Tuesday can’t come fast enough. Got my heart set on one outcome – an already determined full-strength Arsenal team is now completely pumped up, with too much focussed anger to feel any inhibitions.
Afterwards people will say, “Arsenal are crazy. The can lose to Blackburn and Bradford, but still beat Bayern 3-0!”
Isn’t the next line about Squillaci earning £100,000 a week SV ?
Anicoll.
I guess i have to stop being hopeful or having any positive thoughts before a game
.
I do have to give you credit for your consistency.
Birdkamp. I still believe Ox will be a top quality player for us in the same way that Theo has matured but Ox has not been a factor this season. In retrospect, he should have been sent on loan and we should have added another attacking player last summer and certainly in January. Lack of attacking depth is really hurting us since we can hardly afford to rotate our forwards. We are in real trouble if we have any significant injuries
I doubt Park has any idea why we bought him especially as we hijacked him from Lille
Still when people demand you spend money then what can you do ?
if we wanted to avoid a striker shortage then bendtner nor chamakh we should be looking at..
three letters
rvp..
He’s had a lot of games and contributed to big wins this season, Bill. A few weeks ago I was raving about him, but Man City was a bit of a kick in the nuts for him I think.
Looks like I’ve created a club of Nicky Bendtner fans, with me being the chairman and the only one member.
Call me a clueless idiot who I undoubtedly am, but I would be happy to have him in the squad. Not that it’s realistic. He’s gone.
Birdkamp.
I didn’t really see what you were raving about back then. He has had plenty of playing time but has 2 total goals and 2 assists for the season. We have had the discussion a outing blooding youth several times before. Results have to come first.
We both know there’s much more to a performance than bald statistics. And the best way for real clubs to build winning teams is to blood youth. Let’s not go over than again.
It’s my fault.
I belittled Blackburn before the game, and told them to stick to chicken.
The karma fairy was reading.
the korma fairy
Certainly, AW can be critisized for the team selection, resting so many first rank players, but yet how many of us can say that we would not have done exactly the same? I certainly would.
26 shots, with half on target, is pretty good going, and on a normal day should and would have been enough, but yet not enough today. Did their goalie play a blinder today? like most other goalies against us?
That’s life.
Did not Manure lose at home a season or 2 ago to leeds?
So disappointed and frustrated and sad all rolled into one. I hate bus parking teams. Got to pick ourselves of pronto. Big game coming up and we must get into the right frame of mind asap. F–k.
Cool ; harry; zinc bravo and carry on. Sick and tired of the yoyo behavior exhibited by the support. If you’re behind the club and the team only when they win ; you are not needed.
UP THE GINNERS OF ARSENAL!!!
UP THE GUNS……
I haven’t noticed the departure from this site of those being critical or seeking change?
Bill, JJ, etc still rock up and comment here.
They still do support the club, and as such are entitled to vent, criticize or applaud.
Pretty predictable that Blackburn would park the bus, and either hope to nick one, or force a replay.
What’s the shame therefore was our inability to execute, and our lack of striking options was apparent to all
Arsene Wenger:
“It is very disappointing that the two [defeats] have happened in the same season but I prepared these two in the same way that did in the 16 years before.”
Something makes me feel uneasy about this quote. And makes me believe that we are doomed.
did he really say that?
Jigsol
They did lose to Leeds and to Palace last season but tell me how many trophies Fergie has won since 2005? Thats the point when you have titles coming out of your ears no one cares if you lose to lower division teams.It matters when you are trophyless for 8 years.Today was our best hope of silverware look who is in the 6th round draw Millwall Barnsley Blackburn and Oldham