As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
nut flush gooner wrote:Normally wouldn't be bothered with this game, but I am taking my 8 year old nephew to his first competitive Arsenal game tomorrow and he's really looking forward to it.
Ohh those where the days when we got that excitement and anticipation going THOF!
Sean wrote:I've suffered through TOF's verbal diarrhoea and the most he says about leaving is that it would have been difficult to stay had we lost the final (12:21), although he claims he 'doesn't know' if he would have left.
Looks like we shall see Ospina, Elneny and Welbeck start tomorrow as well.
my god that is depressing reading, I remember when we could stick out a relatively weakened side and they looked like a pretty intimidating XI for a rival side to take on.
armchair wrote:Wenger really is a genius. He started all this de-valueing the FA Cup business. Playing second string sides, saying fourth place was more important.
Then when all the other clubs took notice and started doing the same, Wenger outflanked them and won the fukin thing more than anybody! The crafty French fucker!
Arsene really does know
The fa started the devaluing the fa cup business
Allowing man utd not to defend it so they could chase World Cup votes in some meaningless club tournament
The fa cup is still a big thing to me
my god that is depressing reading, I remember when we could stick out a relatively weakened side and they looked like a pretty intimidating XI for a rival side to take on.
look at the team we started v carlisle in 2001
------------Manninger-------------
Dixon----Stepanovs----Vivas----Cole
Ljungberg----Vieira----Parlour----Pires
-----------Bergkamp----Wiltord
Hull are a better side than Carlisle were then
With Stepanovs and Vivas in central defence I'd expect us to need 3 or 4 to outscore Hull or Carlisle.
Wembley on the horizon.....get the yellow ribbons back out !
Looking forward to this even more now that I've got a business trip on Tuesday and have timed the flights perfectly so I miss that whole sorry episode ahead
armchair wrote:Wenger really is a genius. He started all this de-valueing the FA Cup business. Playing second string sides, saying fourth place was more important.
Then when all the other clubs took notice and started doing the same, Wenger outflanked them and won the fukin thing more than anybody! The crafty French fucker!
Arsene really does know
The fa started the devaluing the fa cup business
Allowing man utd not to defend it so they could chase World Cup votes in some meaningless club tournament
The fa cup is still a big thing to me
That is just an easy excuse that people keep trotting out when it suits them - maybe the fa did devalue the cup THAT SEASON, but that is no justification or defence for the way that the clubs have devalued it since. Clubs haven't downgraded the cup cos of that debacle........clubs have pushed the cup down because the financial rewards do not justify prioritising it. Tomorrow we will be playing a hull team that are top of the championship.........do you think that the hull fans would prefer to win the fa cup over regaining their place in the premier league ? No fucking way would they, and that is why they will play a weakened line up - what we will basically be left with is some hull players who will be conscious of not getting injured, some hull players who are not good enough for this level, some AFC players who will be trying to show what they can do, and several AFC players who will think that they are too good to be playing in a game that no-one seems to give a shit about
Not sure it cut and dry that they'd prefer promotion to a cup win. But even scrapping hard for a draw would give them about a 1-2% chance of winning it.
