Venue: HOME Kick Off: 19.45 GMT (15.45 EDT) (09.45 HST) TV in USA: NBC EXTRA TIME 1 _________________________________________ After this weekend, even optimistic old farts like me, need a good rebound ...to turn the frown upside down. This month marks 45 years since I went to my first Arsenal match, so it's had plenty of ups and downs but I wouldn't wanna have beeen a fan of any other team. This match also falls on the birthday of a couple of people... Sir Reg from Pinner ...and me !! Usually I would be at Lahaina Coolers to watch a Tuesday match live, and welcome any visiting Gooners from around the world... instead I'll be hosting my Birthday Golf Tourney on this, the last day of Jeff L's Hawaii tour. So let's hope that the lads can regain their dignity and give us a resounding victory. COME ON YOU GUNNERS !
I fully expect another "we can't afford to lose this game" setup after this weekend's debacle. 0-0 and the resulting mass hysteria around here.
It's just such total bullshit that NBC decided to relegate this crucial match to their EXTRA TIME service, in which if you have DISH, YOU'RE SCREWED out of watching!!! Shame on you NBC!!! .....and SHAME on you DISH for not offering this package to your customers like DirecTV offers it's customers!!!
Funny thing Rog, I actually said you should see us out to Wembley for the rest of the season before I noticed this thread. Ask, and ye shall receive.
I got the Akpom one from twitter, went and googled it and sure enough we had recalled him. With Bendy out of the squad now, and no reliable backup for Giroud it looks like he may at least see the bench. The other two were questions. Our midfield is in shambles at the moment, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Hayden on the bench. As far as Bellerin, our defense just got destroyed and that might be good news for him. After all we recalled him for our youth teams, and now would be the time to give him some time assuming Sagna is in fact as good as gone. Honestly, I think we could use the injection of use at this point. With so much of our core hurt or mentally damaged we need something to kick start us.
The FA have ruled in our favor: both Gibbo and Ox available for this game. Bellerin and Akpom also in the squad. Also: a rag has reported that Fabianski to start, Chez dropped.
apropos of nothing, save Elton and Watford ... that puts me in mind of his step into Christmas video where, if one is observant enough, you can see that he pays homage to the hornets. a couple minutes in, during a brief 'middle eight', he picks something up and holds it in front of the camera, making a cheeky, childish, look-what-I-got face. and if you look closely enough, you can tell that it's a Watford membership/season ticket packet.
I saw in a couple of tweets today that Fab may be the start....I am all for it. Chez had a stinker last week end and should be sent to the bench for a few games.
Ox has got to start on the wings tomorrow. I don't understand how the decision to start him at CM for arguably one of the most important games of the season because "his future is in central midfield" was made. You can't change a player's position in the middle of the season, you have all summer to do it. So I really hope we see two proper midfielders tomorrow. Why not start Kallström? When will Ramsey be back?
A win puts us 4 points behind Chelsea...which is sort of funny. 3-0, Giroud with 2, Arteta with 1. COYG
OK, I just barely made it to the MD thread for this one, although I'm not going to be so lucky as to watch the match live today. Boy 24 posts 3 hrs before KO that's not so hot. But then again it's Swansea on Tuesday, not Chelsea on Saturday. I was MIA for the last thread and the last match. Maybe it was just as well, huh? That was embarassing! But perhaps the scoreline was so bad because I never really had a chance to say... COYG!! Yeah right... delusions of grandeur. Anyway now our goal is to win out, as much as possible, cement the 4th place trophy, and if we're lucky get the 3rd place zero-qualifications bonus. All the time keeping Spurs forever in our shadows.