Please explain to a lost Yank [Archive]

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jordanz

30 Mar 2004, 02:26 PM

Potomac Red Devil

30 Mar 2004, 02:40 PM

OK - So Fox Sports World shows a ManU/Arsenal game tomorrow (Wed) here in the states. Then, it shows a ManU/Aresnal game on Sunday. The game on Sunday is an FA Cup semi-final. I thought that ManU lost any chance of winning the FA Cup. Can someone bring a confused Yankee up to date on this?

The game tomorrow is a tape delayed broadcase of the English Premier League game played between the two teams last Sunday.

The game this weekend is the FA Cup semi-final game.

Achtung

30 Mar 2004, 02:57 PM

I thought that ManU lost any chance of winning the FA Cup.

Nope, we're still alive in the FA Cup. The game this weekend is a semifinal against Arsenal. The winner will advance to face either Sunderland or Millwall in the final.

It's the Premiership that we have pretty much no chance of winning. :(

jordanz

30 Mar 2004, 03:10 PM

Right - that must be it. As I understand it - there is no playoff in the EPL. It's a single conference so the one with most points after the last game wins.

Achtung

30 Mar 2004, 03:13 PM

Yep, everyone plays 38 matches and whoever has the most points at the end is the winner. Single-table, as it were.

The FA Cup is more like the NCAA basketball tourney, a knockout competition that features hundreds of teams from all over England.

Cou5

30 Mar 2004, 04:19 PM

The game is being played on Saturday, but not being shown until Sunday. What game is being shown live Saturday morning? If it's any other game, could someone please try and explain the rationale.

Gunners11

30 Mar 2004, 04:26 PM

Don't get too worried because after the match ManU will be out of the FA Cup too.

Cou5

30 Mar 2004, 04:40 PM

Don't get too worried because after the match ManU will be out of the FA Cup too.

Quite possibly, but can you be so sure if Henry sits this one out?

Gunners11

30 Mar 2004, 04:41 PM

Quite possibly, but can you be so sure if Henry sits this one out?

I see your point, but I just read the article from football365, and after that how is AW gonna tell Henry that he has to sit...I wouldnt wanna have to do that.

Cou5

30 Mar 2004, 04:49 PM

I see your point, but I just read the article from football365, and after that how is AW gonna tell Henry that he has to sit...I wouldnt wanna have to do that.

Personally, I dont see TH sitting. Too big of a game, but with the CL game on the horizon...what is more important to AW. The company line will be all three competitions are important, but the achilles heel of Arsenal have been Europe and for that reason he may sit. If (and when) ManU win, I would want TH in the game so no excuses can be made (about his absence). It hasn't been the best season, all that's left is the Cup.

Gunners11

30 Mar 2004, 04:53 PM

Personally, I dont see TH sitting. Too big of a game, but with the CL game on the horizon...what is more important to AW. The company line will be all three competitions are important, but the achilles heel of Arsenal have been Europe and for that reason he may sit. If (and when) ManU win, I would want TH in the game so no excuses can be made (about his absence). It hasn't been the best season, all that's left is the Cup.

Welcome to Big Soccer by the way... I dont see TH14 sittin either. Most people feel that we have the EPL just about in our grasp, so I would say the next importance is the CL, so by default the FA Cup is third. Henry will have to sit sometime, I just dont see this being that time.

Cou5

30 Mar 2004, 04:58 PM

johno

30 Mar 2004, 06:08 PM

Welcome to Big Soccer by the way... I dont see TH14 sittin either. Most people feel that we have the EPL just about in our grasp, so I would say the next importance is the CL, so by default the FA Cup is third. Henry will have to sit sometime, I just dont see this being that time.

Best case scenario... Henry sits... Arsenal lose to us... play rested Henry against Chelsea and get hammered 5-2 with Henry pulling up lame because he was not match fit... (I know thats a stretch but hey, this is fantasy) misses rest of season and the most exciting finish to an EPL season ensues... ManU fall 1 point short of Chlesea who win the cup, Arsenal free-falling drop to third and ManU hoists the FA Cup...

lol... where did this rubbish come from? well except for the FA Cup hoising, which we will be doing...

Anteaters FC

30 Mar 2004, 06:51 PM

Sounds good to me!

Cou's right about the possibility of collapse...maybe if Kev was managing, though.

Actually, should Man Utd win in the semifinal, and if Chelsea give Arsenal a tough game--maybe even winning, shocking the Arse, who all think that they own Chelsea--it could be a rough end run for them. They have Liverpool (so no problem there!), then go to Newcastle two days later on a Sunday, then host Leeds on that Friday. Sure, it's Leeds, but it was also Leeds that humiliated them at Highbury last season and they'll be fighting for survival. Then Spurs (easy win), Birmingham (fighting for the fourth CL spot, will give a tough game), Fulham, and Leicester.

Those matches right after the quarterfinal will be crucial to Arsenal winning the league. Four matches in 11 days--the first three in six days alone! Players will get tired, injuries could happen...and if they go on in the CL, they'll be up against Real Madrid and will have midweek fixtures, while Chelsea can rest easy and focus on the league.

It's not over yet, just ask those sportsbooks that handed out payments last year on Arsenal winning the league!

Sofabloke

30 Mar 2004, 07:50 PM

Henry will definitely play both the Man U and Chelsea games. This is just Wenger mind games. In fact I think it will be the same 11 that starts both games (unless Cole gets his place back from Clichy).

Whatever happens in these two games, I would not be surprised if some players are rested in one of the league games after that. Also, I Arsenal go out of either the FA Cup or Champs League then I would expect them to loose a premiership game - Liverpool, Newcastle and Leeds all have plenty to play for.

Will make no difference though as they will still win the prem.

Mac_Howard

30 Mar 2004, 08:48 PM

Mind games! According to Wenger at around this time last week Vieira, Pires and Campbell were all doubtful for the Man Utd game. How many of those didn't play?

Achtung

30 Mar 2004, 11:17 PM

Those matches right after the quarterfinal will be crucial to Arsenal winning the league. Four matches in 11 days--the first three in six days alone! Players will get tired, injuries could happen...and if they go on in the CL, they'll be up against Real Madrid and will have midweek fixtures, while Chelsea can rest easy and focus on the league.

And that is precisely the reason its so difficult to win the Treble. The fixture list just gets more and more pressing as the season moves on, and teams have loads of trouble dealing. Early in the year, you can be in four competitions and not play more than two matches in a ten-day span. But that all changes gradually. No one said winning even the Double was easy, let alone all three. The hard part is yet to come for Arsenal.

bigtoga

30 Mar 2004, 11:45 PM

Mind games! According to Wenger at around this time last week Vieira, Pires and Campbell were all doubtful for the Man Utd game. How many of those didn't play?That was all for the benfit of Santini and Sven so that Whigner's boys could beg of finternational duty, I think

Achtung

03 Apr 2004, 12:58 PM

Don't get too worried because after the match ManU will be out of the FA Cup too.

So, jordanz, since you're new around here, this sort of comment is what we commonly refer to as putting your foot in your mouth. Sometimes its also known as not putting your money where your mouth is, or just plain being a pr1ck.

Sure is hilarious in retrospect, though...

Cou5

03 Apr 2004, 01:56 PM

Don't get too worried because after the match ManU will be out of the FA Cup too.

Any other insightful predictions for today? How about Duke/UConn, Ga Tech/OK St, or maybe Quakes/United. You're 0 for 1.

Keep trying.