4th Wembley Final in 5 years. It is a home game and we must approach it as a though we own the ground.
My first attendance at a League Cup Final was as a youngster and I am still scarred by the event. Don Rogers scoring in the mud as lowly Swindon beat my heroes in a David and Goliath victory. The year before I watched the highlights of Dirty Leeds in black and white – I should point out that this was 7 years after Spurs last won the League 🙂
Today: Our away form is so disastrous that if Mr Wenger sets up his team to be conservative we are bolloxed; quite frankly this Arsenal defence is not good enough to halt the City attack. So, the answer is to be on the front foot from kick-off.
Sadly, we have a history of starting games slowly, feeling our way into the match, assessing the opposition and then trying to step up a gear. I expect the same today.
We have a plethora of attacking talent, if they fire as a unit, we could be kushtie. Ozil and PEA will cause any team problems … IF.
And what of Manchester City? From top down the Northern Oilers have created a powerful organisation. The inevitable, financially driven, ascendancy took time but today MC are clearly a cut above the opposition on a season long basis, same as PSG and BM (and the Chavs , until the Russian lost interest). But on a one-off game they can be beaten, Wigan did it.
Evidence of the financial doping? Mr Weger has spent￡349m in his 21 years as AC manager. Guardiola has spent ￡371m in his 21 months at MCFC. This sums up all we need to know about why AFC are not competeing for the title.
How can we win? A couple of sending-offs would help – preferably Sterling and Stones. A lucky goal or two from Hector and Nacho. A few thrilling saves from Ospina and defensive meltdown by the City defence. It is possible..
My Team:
Ospina
Koscielny Mustafi Monreal
Bellerin Ramsey Xhaka Elneny
Wilshire Ozil
PEA
The above team has little potency and it will require a goal or two from midfield.
The Number 5.
We have lost more League/EFL/Rumbelows Finals than any other team, 5
We have only scored 5 goals on the way to the final.
There will be 5 goals in the final, let’s hope they are in our favour.
COYRRG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks Itinerant Musician 🙂
Do we think Ramsey will start? He likes a Final, for sure
I believe we always play better against an attacking team or when going in as underdogs.
I also believe that whoever wins the final will lose the Thursday match.
While I am at it, I also belive in the holy trinity of The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite and Goriilaz (thankyou Mick Jones)
GOYG
that should be COYG!!!!
VP. I thought your Holy Trinity would be AC/DC, Kylie and that bloke who sings “your the voice, try and understand it”
VP
Go On You Gunners works 🙂
Re Mick Jones. I was a massive Clash fan, and saw them more than any other band by some distance, but I think MJ went downhill with those other bands
Ok, fresh air, or rather, very fresh, air
Micky, BAD suits the occaision –
Situation no win
Rush for the change of atmosphere
I can’t go on so I give in
Gotta get myself right outta here
or
Axis spins so round and round we go
Where we’re goin no one really knows
Here we here we here we here we go
Feel the fire way down below
an Australian equivalent would have to be –
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds,
The Birthday Party,
Grinderman
Bloody hell VP
I’ve been outside tending my bonfire, cogitating. Lo, you’re now onto Nick Cave. Nice work
Anyway, re the cogitations
Some fans: Versus a City. they’re richer than us. We’re fucked. No point
Some fans: Versus a Hull. Hate being favourites. I see a banana skin. No point
You really wouldn’t want many football fans in the trenches with you, eh?
Last thought
It takes two seconds for Mesut to slip a sitter onto the Auba plate
Is Henrick cup tied also
Freddie baby
Henrikh is cup tied
What do you mean by “also”. No one else is.
And they’re off.
Slow start for Ant & Dec
Thanks Raddy, the best I can do today is listen to the game on Arsenal.com
GN5
You can always watch any game on this site although you might have to listen to the commentary in Russian.
http://livesport.ws/en
Spurs luck their way to another win. I think Kane must have gone down to the crossroads and sold his soul.
Top work Raddy. If that elusive beast ‘the good Arsenal’ turns up, we can win ….
One of our Achilles heals has been to concede a second goal soon after the opposition scores. We shouldn’t panic if they go one up, unless there is 5 minutes to go that is. We have the quality to create chances and with a resurgent Ramsey playing and hopefully Auba showing his quality, we can score against City.
What’s the thinking about Jack? I reckon he won’t start after his run out on Tuesday.
LB, I ran the address through a security check and the result was that the main site is secure and free of threats but the site add on’s are compromised and the recommendation was not to open the site.
Not being very tech savvy I will opt not to take a risk, thanks anyway I really appreciate your help.
Team news. BR scores 10/11: Chambers starts not Elneny
Chambers????? Really??? He’s not good enough for Arsenal
That’s our weak link, he’ll be exposed by their quick footed attacking players … major mistake by Wenger
Not sure about 3 at the back but very happy that Wenger has put some ball players in midfield. It’s ok having Elneny and Xhaka, but they don’t add enough defensively to outweigh what we lose offensively.
It’s important that we threaten City with the ball and keep the ball when we have chance in order to give our defence a rest. Having the likes of Wilshere and Ramsey in the team should help with that. Personally, I would’ve preferred Wenger to be really brave and bring Mkhitaryan in for Chambers and play 4 at the back, but he’s understandably worried about what City can do.
I wonder if we will play 4 at the back with Chambers in midfield. A man marking job on De Bruyne? Would be a bit of a curve ball.
Nah, he’s going for 3 at the back, Chambers hasn’t got the pace to keep up with De Bruyne FGG.
Polish legendary trainer Kazimierz Gorski, who caused the English some upset once said: the ball is round and there are 2 goals. Yes we can win 🙂 I loved the old boy and I love you too Raddy, but we cannot win.
Shame on Wenger for not spending more, tight git.
Hoping for nacho to score when we have Aube and Welbeck, and Iwobi? says it all
bring it on, I am watching very very very apprehensively prepared for the worst.
We can win Eddie ….. it’s a cup final, we’ve got a good recent record in cup finals.
not you as well Rasp! I am not going to say I love you too
Looking at the City team and Bravo, Danilo and Kompany starting is good news for us. I also think Ramsey and Wilshere can give Gundogan and Fernandinho problems in midfield.
I look at the City side with Sane, De Bruyne, Silva and Aguero and just worry that we don’t have that firepower in our side. Even if one of those is quiet the others can hurt us. If they keep Özil quiet we will struggle to create and get up the field.
Okedoke, here we go
Supremely confident is what I am 🙂
🙂 Eddie … I know I’m irresistible
sorry, you didn’t send me a valentine’s card. All boyfriends with no card had to go, soz
one of the commentators, not sure who said that Ramsey can run, he has legs. Really?
You’d think in this age of advanced prosthetic make up tools, thanks to the Hollywood luvvies, we could have snuck Miki onto the pitch as, say, Welbeck or su’ink
what for micky? he’s not exactly been brilliant or su’ink
well, our boys are a much better looking team, that’s a good start
Or if we painted them to look like the pitch we could play 14 players
It all seems so obvious doesn’t it Erik. Really isn’t complcated
10 mins gone and we have looked good upfront
Didn’t realise Mkhi was Cup tied!
I’m liking Wilshere on the left as he seems to be keeping himself in front of De Bruyne when we don’t have the ball to stop it going into his feet. We look to be playing quickly on the counter too.
I reckon that would’ve been offside if Aubameyang had scored. Can’t stand VAR but might change my mind if it helps us here!
What the hell was that!?
Okay, so we are one nil down, we must concentrate on not conceding a second … loads of time to go.
Stupid goal to give away, awful defending
Started well and then Mustafi gifts the a goal
Hate to say it but if Mustafi had dropped to the floor he’d probably have won a free kick.
FGG. Then what is the point of VAR.?
No way was that a free kick. We’ve seen Mustafi do this before … rank amateurism
Walker just won a free kick on the wing and barely got touched. Falling over wins free kicks because the refs give them, not VAR. Aguero would’ve been blown up before he even got to the edge of the box.
Do I think it was a foul? No way. Do I think the ref would’ve give it had Mustafi gone down? Yes.
Our set plays have been awful.
Daft thing is we’ve spent most of the half falling to the floor winning soft free kicks except the one time we needed to.
City are playing terrible here. If we wake up we can get back in this game.
Chambers been our best player!
We don’t pass the ball anymore. I know City will press us but our passing game in those tight areas is non existent. We play long balls over the top and hope for scraps. Since when has that been a tactic of Arsenal football club. Not good enough so far.
Shame about the goal but otherwise ok
Not a bad half-except for Mustafi’s blunder- get some steel man, this is a Cup Final.
Auba had 2 clear chances should be 1-1, but that is the breaks.
Maybe a 2 goal second half for the W and $h*ty wilt under the pressure.
Ever the optimist but the Arsenal are still in this!
Referee had a terrible half. Both Ramsey and JW getting chopped with no protection from Pawson.
Not creating much upfront as yet but pleasantly surprised at how competitive we have been.
Losing our best goal scorer is a blow
The half time analysis has summed up their goal perfectly …. Mustafi should have got back more quickly and been goalside
jack has been hit 5 times and the ref ignored the last 2,
Agreed Rasp. Was he even looking at the ball when the keeper kicked it?
Hopefully Fernandinho chops someone early second half and gets sent off.
Wilshere has done a bit of diving aswell though. He’s on the way down before he gets touched.
BTW when PEA and Kompany chased a ball and Kompany covered him, I think PEA was pushed in the back. Need to see a replay
Ospina’s distribution is dreadful
Not good. Was relying on him getting sent off!
De Bruyne and Gundogan will play deeper now which could be bad for us. KDB in that deep role is very dangerous if he gets a lot of the ball.
Nobody to pass to. Players having to beat 2 or 3 just to find a yard.
Comical defending by us again …. Ospina keeps playing our defenders into trouble
Bum
Asleep from a set play once again.
How many times did we have the opportunity to get the ball up the field without pissing about at the back.
Offside by a full meter!
None of the players have turned up.
Shocking from back to front. Awful.
Xhaka has been embarrassing.
As a team and as players we give up way too easily
We have given up.
Could get embarrassing
Our response …. bring on Welbeck 😳
Chas just meant everyone we bought in January is cup tied (referring to aubameung)
Thats Ants right
Man, shame that, but as Chas said earlier the spenders were favored by 2 or 3 to 1.
Grrr.
Europa is Arsene’s last stand.
If he does not get the same back 4 to play for 5-10 games straight this season will probably go down as Arsene’s worst ever.
I don’t care what Wenger has achieved for the club. If the level of respect his players are willing to give him is to stroll around and not be arsed chasing back in a Wembley Final then he has to leave. Personally, I’d get rid of the players, but we know that isn’t going to happen and we all know that another manager could come in and get double the effort from the same group.
Time for change, because what I’ve just seen here is a new low.
Aaron …. money has had nothing to do with the way this game has gone. Our players have lacked effort, lacked fight, been weak and unadventurous
I don’t think Ramsey can be fit
Rasp
That is very generous.
Rasp- I do agree with that statement.
1st goal said it all, dreadful.
I’m in complete agreement with FGGs last comment ….
I think that the first half showed we can compete.
The second showed the gulf in class. Would MC have bought Xhaka? No way, they only buy the very best available.
BR,
Compete? We were only 1-0 down because City were so shit. Even then we were second best.
The whole issue is that we haven’t competed. How come Wigan can work their arses off for 90 minutes and throw themselves at every challenge yet we can be arsed running back 30 yards? I don’t mind losing to a better team, I do mind not putting in the effort.
Whilst I understand the angst, none of us expected to win, we expected to get hammered and we have been.
FGG. I am not looking for an argument, I am as disappointed as you, but apart from straight after their second we have worked hard. The difference between the teams is quality not desire.
Where I do agree with you is the need for change
…. I repeat, the poor quality of our performance has nothing to do with money
Did I expect us to win? No not given recent performances and current morale
Did I expect us to turn up? Would have been nice
Do I expect a centre back to understand you can’t be offside from goal kicks? I bloody well do. How Mustafi has let Aguero be behind him for their first is ridiculous.
The most disappointing thing? Our general shape 5 at back (and not over committing) did actually prevent them from opening us up too many times. They only managed 1 more shot on target than us. But we conceded twice from dead ball situations where the players switched off and that’s inexcusable. And we did not keep the ball or work for each other anywhere near well enough.
Think there is still some getting to know you with PEA and rest of team they don’t seem to understand where he wants the ball. But that is scant excuse for the way the team played today.
What a terrible day of sport.
Spurs win, MU win, Arsenal and England (cricket) lose.
Money doesn’t buy desire and willingness to defend. Wigan had more of that than we did, and our team cost far more.
Lack of effort, lack of heart, lack of respect for the manager and the fans.
No doubt money is why City have a fantastic team, but its the player/manager relationship that is driving them to perform to this level every week. That relationship at Arsenal went a while ago and needs to change.
2018:
Chelsea D
Forest L
Chelsea D
Bournemouth L
Palace W
Chelsea W
Swansea L
Everton W
Spurs L
Ostersund W
Ostersund L
City L
Won 4
Drawn 2
Lost 6
It’s not even March!
I’m beginning to understand why we have a dinosaur as a mascot 😦 …. but really … why do we have a dinosaur? Is there any relevance to the club/our history?
Rasp…..a very clever marketing ploy. That and the fact that a cannon running up the line in soft foam would look like…… 🙂
As for dinosaur it works. Who did G want to see at Ems Cup and why did we sit in front row. Gunnersaurus of course
😂 fair play GiE, It was an honest question
I know, I must admit when I was a JG there wasn’t a mascot as such but I remember Stopit & Tidyup (some litter picking campaign thing) visiting Highbury one day, saying hello to JGs, I don’t think they banked on my party of 14 year olds having just competed in Arsenal 5 a side and getting access to that days game tearing poor Stopit apart at the seams when he went to shake our hands. 🙂
I do t like Gunnersaurus, but we don’t have any animal associations as far as I am aware but as I say seeing it anew through children’s eyes they are switched on to it.
Right what shall we talk about….curling….no, rugby….no. Bugger it’s grim week.
Billy Morgan did us proud 👍
If anyone has not entered post-match rehab yet, then I highly recommend roast chicken followed by a Romeo y Julieta No 3 cigar 🙂
There’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Game could easily be snowed off this week
I’ll be taking up the skeleton
Ok, this is what really shows the new levels of disinterest
We all know that as we speak two prominent AA’ers are tucking into a Full English, and not even a solitary pic
Morning Micky, life and the Arsenal Carry on. Unfortunately I’m on my way to work and I’m really crap at putting videos up 😁
Morning All,
Beaconsfield has no mobile or internet coverage
Match report
Who are you calling prominent?
Match report mark 2
chas must have left Beaconsfield
Green with envy.
But, I am taking a solo trip to California for a couple of weeks on Weds a.m. Can eat as much full fat, fried food as I want.
Itinerant musician with flowers in your hair?
good morning Gunners
Did we win? Did we fuck. Another shite game. How many more are we to endure before Wenger realises that he can no longer manage a top team?? What is the matter with that man, it is so obvious that due to his age, fatigue and hell knows what else he is going backwards.
It has been a long time since we had a team that was worse than this.
some psychopath kills, mutilates and scatters parts of cats to be found
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M25_cat_killer
this is really scary, Lilly is not going out again.
sorry for taking it from ‘your’ twitter page, but this is just irresistible
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