A run of three straight defeats in the league suggest the FA Cup could well be a welcome diversion for Arsenal this weekend. With Manchester United crashing out to a last minute winner from Dirk Kuyt, one highly credible winner of the Cup has been eliminated. Considering City are also watching on from the sidelines, the biggest contenders for the Cup this year are an inconsistent Liverpool side, a fairly topsy-turvy Chelsea team and some motley crew from another bit of north London. This could well be a year to focus in on the FA Cup…
The injury situation going into this game is certainly more positive than it has been recently. Sagna is back in full training, so he’s available to play unless he’s severely lacking in match fitness. It’d be great to give him a start and see how he gets on – if he can’t last the ninety, he can always be substituted. Sagna’s return makes life considerably easier considering Johan Djourou is ruled out of this tie with a hamstring injury. Also back in the squad is Coquelin, who will certainly be involved to give Song a breather. Arteta and Henry are both nearly back with the squad training, so will probably be involved in our next fixture. Fears of an injury to Chamberlain have also been allayed, with the youngster only suffering from fatigue, so certain to be involved against Villa. Kieran Gibbs has been ruled out of this match.
Szcznesy
Sagna Squillaci Mertesacker Miquel
Coquelin
Rosicky Benayoun
Chamberlain Park Arshavin
There’s certainly an element of guesswork to this line-up. In goal we’ll probably have Szcznesy given Mannone’s loan and Fabianski’s injury. The defence will probably be shuffled to allow a rest for one of Koscielny and Mertesacker, with Squillaci coming in. While Vermaelen is fit for leftback duties, I imagine he’ll be rested with the Bolton away game in mind. Sagna’s return at right back will allow a natural replacement with Djourou out injured, though Nico Yennaris could start with Sagna coming off the bench to gain fitness.
Further forward, Coquelin’s return to fitness allows Song to get a breather, while Rosicky and Benayoun come into midfield to give Ramsey a breather. Chamberlain continues on the flank, though I’ve put him on the right to give Walcott a breather, and allow Arshavin to play on the left. Park starts to give Van Persie a breather.
Such a high number of changes represent a bit of a gamble: we’re weakening our side against Premier League opposition. That said, while silverware would be fantastic, top four is the be-all and end-all for the club, and gambling with players’ fitness and/or risking those on the injury threshold isn’t wise with Bolton away looming. That said there are plenty of first choice players in there – Sagna, Mertesacker, Szcznesy – alongside strong incoming players such as Chamberlain, Coquelin and Rosicky. The likes of Vermaelen and Koscielny can be on the bench to shore up the defence if we’re leading as the clock ticks down, whilst Theo and Van Persie can come in if we’re making a meal out of winning the game.
Overall, given the number of changes I fully expect this one to be a bit of a nail biter, and we’ll probably nick it by the odd goal. I’d love to say we’re going to win it with a solid performance and a comfortable 2-0 score line, but given low confidence and a potentially mix and match line-up, a narrow 2-1 victory seems best to bet on. Hopefully I don’t miss any goals – the game kicks off in the UK at 4pm, and I’m refereeing a game that should kick off at 2pm, so most likely I’ll have to roll into the pub in a slightly dishevelled fashion in full Lancashire FA refereeing gear having missed the first fifteen minutes. Enjoy the game though!
Well Phil if it is any comfort for you I will be facing the same situation as my game ends 45 minutes before the kick off. As I am expecting someone to check on my performance who will give his first impressions after the game and then have to take a meal at the club I will have to wait even longer before I can leave. Well but my hard disk will record the game so I will be able to see it in full when I come home.
Lets hope for a win. Any win in this case will do for me.
Any of you guys seen this website:
http://Www.debatabledecisions.com
Wonderfully simple approach and certainly validation of all the tremendous efforts put in on this website….
Yes Toby I have seen it and check it and compare it a bit with the results we do over here.
The biggest difference is that they only focus on the main decisions and use match highlights of MOTD I have been told. We over here do the whole games to get the bigger picture.
But he most important thing is that the final conclusion in general is the same.
What I don’t like over there however is the fact that they base some of their decisions on the words ‘it was difficult to see”. I know it sometimes is difficult to see for the ref but we over here mention this in the comment but we base our decision on the fact if the call on the field was correct or not. Difficult to see is fine to excuse a refs decisions or lack of it but for us it isn’t an excuse to call a wrong call as correct or the other way round
Phil,
Talk about bravery. In a Northern pub,in ref’s gear, supporting Arsenal. All I hope is, if we lose to Villa via a dodgy ref decision, you are the only Gooner present.
Phil – where is Lancashire do you referee? I used to be a member of Preston Referees (20 odd years ago!) – I am refereeing at 2 tomorrow but a youth game, so will be back home to watch by 3.30pm
Ha cheers Nicky. No doubt I’m a dead man!
Paul – I qualified through Lancashire FA, a couple of years ago but have only really got going with it very recently due to a couple of long term injuries. It was Lancashire FA because I’m from Lancaster, so when I graduate I’ll probably be back in that neck of the woods, but for the moment I’m reffing via a league run by my university to shake the rust off.
Talking about Referees, Did anyone see the penalty Chelsea got today against QPR, If that was against Arsenal I would throw the TV out the window with frustration.
Its a pure disgrace the standards we put up with in such an entertaining league.
@ RedGooner, definitely media won’t tell you this as he is an england player but he definitely DIVED.
i wonder if the the bright sparks at the fa disciplinary committee in their wisdom might see the logical inconsistency of punishing players/ teams for cheating retroactively but ignoring cheating by diving, we know the ref dealt with it on the pitch at the time wrongly, surely that makes the crime even more heinous, the perp is good at what he does, hence the need for punitive measures to assist the ref who hasn’t the benefit of review at the time!
no matter what the lineup is just no squillaci please…
Good luck for your review Walter!
Mahdain – worse would be overworking Koscielny/Mertesacker and having Squillaci in for a run of games. Plus he’s not tooo bad when he has a good partner next to him.
@Phil/Walter
A bit of an off topic question but something I would like to know. What is the way referees get promoted etc. I mean Phil just said he qualified through the Lancashire FA. Also that he refs university matches. Correct? How would you progress up the ladder to become a Premier league referee? Also, Walter, how is it different (if it is) in Europe? Sorry to throw this at you, but I’m a little unclear as to how the structure is when it comes to referees, and I’ve been trying to find out.
Arun
Actually, Matt Holland Steve Claridge DID highlight on Final Score that D. Sturridge dived and that, as we call foreigners who do it not very nice things, perhaps it would be a good thing if English guys didn’t do it as well…………
Jesus, this is getting worse, Wenger really has to sort this out
We witnessing the END!!!
As much as we can say this is not Wenger’s fault he is in the firing line, the board will simply wash their hands of him once fans decide to hit the finances. Wenger should come out and state if he did have money or not being a yes man will not help anyone.
Mandy I think we cant keep playing with 1 striker upfront we are not dangerous enough. But then again we only have one sadly.
I think it will be a hard year for us. Crashing out of FA Cup? Crashing out of Champions League (s00n..) and not finishing top four..it is quite sad really..
When did we get two penalties in te same game last time ???????
I told you before (last season) the refs in the FA cup have a different set of rules. As if they can do their job in a proper way without “instructions”
By the way two clear penalties and Dunne should have been sent off for the first one (at least a second yellow card)
The AAA must be bitterly bitterly disappointed. All those nice ‘Wenger has lost it’ stories also go into the dustbin. So much nice paper…all wasted…
@Arun:
My thoughts exactly
And sort it out Wenger did! Must have been a bit of a half time team talk. Credit to him and the players in the second half.
Lets hope they can use this as a turning point and build on it.
You do know what you’re doing!
That’s why you KEEP THE FAITH
:D:D
@Arun
I don’t think we have, not in last 15yrs.
Great response but we’ve been lethargic in he 1st half recently, praying this kick starts our boyz.
Also watch the number of comments “not go up suddenly” if you know what I mean
. You won’t if you’re part of the AAA though..so don’t bother trying.
@ Walter, must agree with you even ESPN mentioned that he must have been sent off : ‘anyday and everyday’ he said.
And it was so great to see Sagna back!
I’m supporting the Borough in the 10 days time, I think we all will be.
That was close, good win. Great second half. Great Gunners!
Coquelin/Sagna/Arteta back
Who else are we waiting on?
So when are Wiltshire/Disby/Santos/Gibbs due to return?
Yessssssssss! Great turn around – an exit or a replay avoided. Great stuff.
Shard – refs are assessed for promotion in England. You qualify as a level 10, and progress upwards as you get good feedback from periodic assessments. Some refs, such as Attwell, rise the ranks very quickly – possibly merit, possibly certain referees promotion being “guided”. Either way, there is a lack of transparency in regards to the quality assessment.
I myself would ref in an official FA league, but work via my University as I also coach in a sister league. I coach in the saturday league, and ref in the Wednesday and Sunday leagues, the winners of which have a playoff for an overall title. So they’re nominally separate.
I could ref in a typical FA league locally, but simply preferred to shake the rust off for a few months in a University league. From the summer, I’ll be able to start working my way up the ranks hopefully!
Perhaps A. Wenger should try an experiment of saying whatever he said at half-time fifteen minutes before kick-off?!
this win qill surely drive the AAA mad..they were having a field day at HT calling for wenger`s head saying that he doesnt know what he is doing..fantastic 2nd half perfromance whatever words wenger used at HT he should use them more often… and is it only me who is suprised that we were awarded a penalty? two of them is even more suprising..well played mike jones though im afraid this means one thing… no more penalties for us this season
@Arvind:
Lol
I don’t think 2 penalties is very common for most teams in any game, so I wouldn’t be invoking conspiracy theories about that…..
This was an excellent come back and good result. The ESPN commentators were preaching doom and gloom for Wenger at half time, it was doubly nice to win and leave them no option but to eat their words.
I think the team showed great character and their perfromance was at last rewarded.
@Mahdain:
I caught that too about the commentators
1st half: “Arsene is too stubborn about changing his strategy!”
Second half: “Arsene should be commended for fighting the detractors and sticking with his strategy!”
Just heading back from the Ems; great come-back performance in the first 15 mins of the second half and wonderful atmosphere!
Could have massacred Villa if the lads played like that the whole match!
Very nervous first half, as against ManU but the boys showed plenty of energy and drive in the second – very encouraging!
All played good in the second half but Ramsey was immense! Wonderful to see Arteta and Sagna back too! This’ll certainly build the confidence cos Villa are a good side! Come on you Gunners!
Incidentally, we all thought that the young ref had a good game?! However, surely Dunne should have gone with a second yellow?
@Anne,All: I’ve found that watching the game on mute calms me down and helps me analyze the ‘real game’ much much better. Unlike the cliche ridden trash that most commentators/pundits/experts speak. So the next time you think..wtf?? .. just push the mute button. The next time around..you’ll do it at the start and then thou shall attain football nirvana…
And I’ve not even seen the game yet thanks to a delayed telecast here in India …meh
Oh and lastly…yes of course we would beat more teams if we played “that” way (I haven’t yet seen the game). Surely though, we don’t set out trying to play lethargically from Minutes 1-45..go 2 goals down and then start playing. Just makes no sense.
A more rational explanation is:
a) We planned to play a certain way and the execution of those plans failed
b) The opposition played in a way that neutralized us
c) We got injuries in certain places, which made us more cautious
d) Maybe we can’t play like a 100mph train all 90″
Saying that the players or AW are fools/ for not playing that way the whole game OR playing halves selectively make no sense.
Also watch out for the referee being taken to task next time and give us no penalties at all.
@Arvind:
Note that, even though today was far from our best performance, we still won because the ref did his job with some semblance of fairness.
Only one team in the EPL has been awarded, and scored, two penalties in the 220 games this season – Fulham at home to Newcastle.
As I said, it doesn’t happen very often, does it??
you gotta love the Arsene..made all the AAA look like complete tools and not for the first time either..you should read what they were saying at half time..pathetic
@Arvind,
Come on mate, don’t be too simplistic & naive in your assessment?! Arsene in the main hasn’t been to blame for the poor performances; it’s been the players! Many are no longer little babies and need to take responsibility in a more dynamic manner rather than waiting for the boss to tell them! It’s called being a leader on the pitch with fight and desire; and that’s what we all saw in the first 25 minutes of the 2nd half! That’s why many wrongly see the same players as lazy at crucial times!
No Arshavin, was last week the end of him?
@Anne,
Yes the ref did his job well but the boys won the game alone with their desire, drive and commitment; which was plainly lacking in the first half!
My poor old heart can’t take games like that anymore, Call me selfish but can I please have 3-0 score lines after 5 minutes back.
I also watched the game on ESPN and thought the commentators especially one in particular was very anti Arsenal, calling for RVP to be sent off yet defending Dunne.
Anyone out there know the odds at half time of an Arsenal come back.
Adam-> The odds where like 8:1
@DC:
Yes, I certainly wasn’t trying to take anything away from the team with that comment.