FA Cup: Man Utd v. Arsenal [R] Pre/Dur/Post Match Comments

This game can go to a replay can't it?

Very tough game, and if we are wasteful/try to pass the ball into the net we will lose - simple as that.

As much as senderos has done well lately, I will still bench him for this game and Milan and give him a start the following weekend. If he is out there you can be sure that manutd will single him out and try to exploit his lack of pace/tendency to make rash tackles.

I kind of what to go 4-5-1 for this, because with the way rooney and tevez drop back we will be facing almost a 4-6-0 at times. Probably won't happen, though so I hope Eduardo and Ade are topping up on rocket fuel before the game so they can be all over the pitch.

Rosicky might be available for this, but if he is not fit - field Eboue. We need someone else who is able to get stuck in and use their pace.

RVP is still "a few weeks away" despite supposedly entering training 2-3 weeks ago. At this point I'm begining to wonder if we will see him at all this season.

Either way I'm almost ready to write this game off since we have Milan on Tuesday. I'd almost play this as a test run of what we will against them in the league. The FA cup is really the least of my priorities at this point. Beating Milan proves so much more than beating Utd.

 

Yep, if it's a draw the replay date is the following Wednesday with a 7.45 kickoff.

 

This is going to be like the cup final IMO. Ade will need to maintain his goal scoring form. I think this will end a 2-1 to the Arsenal with a late goal to win.

 

I think it will be 2-1 Arsenal, and a great way to prepare for the showdown with AC Milan

 

Call me crazy but I want it all-a win in this match and a win next week against Milan......I hope the boys are up for it. I know that Manure will be up for it since the debacle against Citeh ruined their big show......Rooney was only on a 1 match ban in the league right? he should be back for Saturday?

 

I wouldn't play Adebayor. I'd keep him fresh for for Milan and Brum.

I don't think this is a must win and I bet the Fergie will also hold players back and turn this into a kicking match.

I'd also give Kolo a few more days rest as he is still coming off an injury.

---------Bendtner

---------------Eduardo

Rosicky---Denilson---Gilberto----Eboue


Clichy-----Senderos----Gallas----Sagna

--------------Mad Jens------------------

Play a 4-5-1, play long and kick back.

 

I think both teams will go for it; neither side wants a replay with Champions League hotting up again and the race to the title in full force.

 

We've got to go for it in this one. ManU are having a blip in form right now, and we've been playing well. Hopefully Rosicky will be back and we can put out a full strength starting XI. A win in this game will go a long way towards snuffing ManU's season.

 

Hard to say what kind of squad I would like to see. Wenger has said that its #1 League, #2 CL, ManU has to be thinking the league and CL about equal now. I forsee both squads rotated abit, but hopefully an entertaining one. This is going to be the start of my nervousness till weds.

Anyone else think its a sound plan to request the 3 hours off to "vote" in our primary on tues, and watch the other CL matches? My polling spot is super quiet and can get in after the ESPN classic game. I would feel bad with my "dentist" appointment on weds.

 

I completely agree. This is a statement match. Our boys will want to prove that we deserve the League lead and ManU will want to take us down a notch.

I see a very cagey match with us coming out on top:

Sing it!
1 - Nil, to the Arsenal!

GO ON YOU GUNNERS!

 

I'm still a little skeptical about this one. The squad is missing too many players to put on an A+ performance against manutd and milan just 3 days apart.

Players who should be rested for Milan like Ade, Hleb etc. can't be. So they either need to half-ass the manutd game, or go all out and face Milan tired - thereby losing our greatest advantage over them which was our fitness and speed.

If we could have had Diaby/RVP out there on Saturday who can afford to give it 110% I would be confident in winning both, but the fact that we need to use pretty much the same 11 both times has me thinking we will either do well 1 of the games and poor in the other, or mediocre in both.

I'm picking Milan as the priority, and I wouldn't be too upset if we gave Bendtner, Hoyte etc. a runout, let our stars play not too strenuously and lose then move on to Milan close to strength.

------Bendtner-----Eduardo
Rosicky--Gilberto--Fab(unfortunately)--Eboue
Gallas-Toure-Senderos--Hoyte

We are not going to beat milan through the middle, we will beat them by having clichy and sagna going 100mph down the sidelines - which they will need a rest to accomplish.

 

FYP Yoss...

 

i know what shirt I'll be wearing while I watch this one....

[youtube]rDUwYqPj1YE[/youtube]

 

Yeah I'd have to say that Rule 1 is "Throw the form table out the window for United-Arsenal games", and Rule 1a is "Throw the form table even further out the window for United-Arsenal cup games". At least I hope those are the rules, given the way we've looked the past couple of weeks.

The teams need no introductions, even with the departures of key figures like Keane, Vieira, Ruud, and Henry. It wouldn't be out of the question to see a bit of handbags as well, unfortunately.

In the end, I'll go out on a limb and predict 1-0, to... someone.

 

"Some people get their kicks, stompin' on a dream..."

 

While they may recover, they won't be 100%. The milan game is where I feel you will reallly see the value of clichy/sagna being able to sprint the length of the field in the 88th minute to set up a chance. We are going to win by tiring them out and capitalizing on that - and to do that we cannot be tired our selves. Milan can match, or even beat us in technique- Flamini-Cesc will be going up against the "grown up" battle hardened version of themselves. In terms of experience we are no match, but physicially we are supposed to dominate, so I would do all I can to preserve that.

 

Does Milan have the weekend off or something?

 

No, but they have been and will be resting players ahead of this tie (like I wish we could do).

 

love that pict of keown.

arsene did say he would use a full strength side in the fa cup correct? that would mean toure and hopefully a fit rosicky?

rooney will be back and they were def. missing him this past weekend.

0-0 FT