Ok, I don’t mean for us but that is the view of Leeds boss Simon Grayson.
Last season and at the same stage of the FA Cup competition Manchester United were battered in their own back yard by Leeds United, well, 1-0. But be honest, if you and I all supported Leeds it would have felt like the biggest win and the score line wouldn’t have mattered one bit.
But, after that great result, they suffered big time. Leeds went on a dreadful run in the league, winning only eight of their next twenty five games, it was one of their worst runs in the clubs history.
Grayson has recently said:
There was a lot of euphoria because of our rivalry with Manchester ¬United – and the two divisions between us – and there would be a similar reaction if we beat Arsenal.
But if we lost to Arsenal and finished in the top six, I would be delighted. After winning at Old Trafford we went on a bad run and although it was due to -factors like injuries and ¬playing so many games in a short period, it was also a hangover from our FA Cup exploits.
The league is our bread and butter. Our priority is to get back into the Premier League. I would take losing if it meant finishing in the top six at the end of the season.
When Arsenal are on form they are the best team in the world, they are a joy to watch, I’m not sure what team he will put out but they all have the same philosophy.
Leeds got lucky though, they managed to get back on track and pinch promotion on the final day of the season but Grayson doesn’t want to leave it that close this time around. Right now they are on a good run in the league, they haven’t lost in the last ten fixtures and if they continue in their current form they are truly in with a great chance to return to the Premier League.
So what about us last season, what happened to our FA Cup run and what happened after we got knocked out?
Well, we went off to The Britannia Stadium to face Stoke City in the 4th round. Many a season ago we would have thought this game would be a walk in the park but that day it wasn’t, we were beaten 3-1, the score line felt more like 8-1, it was horrid. Many fans back then truly believe that Arsene Wenger had either taken this fixture too lightly with the side he fielded or he just didn’t have the FA Cup at the top of his list of priorities.
After going out, we drew away at Aston Villa, lost at home to Manchester United and then suffered another loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. So three games and only one point, not good! Then Barca ripped us apart twice but we managed to get back on some kind of track in the league, only to dip again.
I really hope that this season, Wenger takes this competition seriously and I think he will. The Carling Cup has been approached in a very different way, maybe he will do the same with the FA Cup.
Last year Leeds suffered after a winning, we could suffer this season should we lose, we shouldn’t of course but then we shouldn’t have last year either. Wenger needs to take Leeds seriously, if he doesn’t we could suffer the same as the Mancs did……
Have a good day all, let’s hope we are in the 5th round this season…….
morning…
back in an hour or so….
It’s time to comming back to (the new) Wembley and nothing better then beginning with those Don Revie boys, winners of 1972 Final (I didn’t forget alan clarke goal…and was the 100th final!). Nevertheless, if we reach both finals (Carling and F.A. cups) we must postphone the games versus spurs and Villa. One question: I didn’t remember the FA final fixture before the end of the season. am I right?
Morning Rico.
If Wenger can make so many (too many) changes against a premier league side like Wigan then I can’t imagine he won’t ring the changes today. That said we should still have more than enough to take care of Leeds so long as the guys that do play take it seriously. Perhaps the likes of Eastmond will see some action and I’d love to see Rambo get a run out at some point. All in all i’m quite looking forward to it, especially if my Nik is playing.
Hi guys/gals
Bendtner – i think your boy will get a run out, he’s got a point to prove too 😉
the selection should be interesting…
If Arshavin plays I hope it’s in the middle pulling the strings with a DM covering his arse. He could be great at that job without leaving our left back exposed. I wouldn’t mind a look at Ignasi Miquel either. There’s no way Djourou will play and Kos is allegedly being rested so who else could play with keystone Squillachi?
Wenger:
“I said since the start of the season that I have a big squad and that we will go for all the competitions,” he said at his pre-match press conference. “Our desire is to qualify on Saturday, we take the FA Cup very seriously.
“We rotated quite well I think [over Christmas] so we are not over-tired. I will play the best team available.
“I am very lucky because I have 25 players of a top, top level and choosing for any game is a big problem because I have an abundance of quality. The team who plays will be the freshest team and therefore the best available.
“We play on Wednesday in the Semi-Final of the League Cup and we have four days to prepare after the FA Cup, so it is no problem.”
On Friday, Wenger ruled out Jack Wilshere, Laurent Koscielny, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie. He then added that Aaron Ramsey, Carlos Vela and Kieran Gibbs would be in the squad while Wojciech Szczesny should probably take the gloves.
I think Squilli and JD will play at the back, Chesney in goal with Gibbs and Eboue…
AA should play, second striker with Nikki maybe? They both need a big peformance too
Szczesny, Eboue, Squillaci, Djourou, Gibbs, Denilson, Song, Rosicky, Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner –
Aaron Ramsey and Ignasi Miquel on the bench
Team in full: Szczesny, Eboue, Squillaci, Djourou, Gibbs, Denilson, Song, Rosicky, Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner
Subs: Fabianski, Fabregas, Vela, Walcott, Ramsey, Clichy, Miquel
Djourou in the squad, looks like AW has taken FA Cup more seriously then I thought he did.
I hope no injuries today.
Hi Stef, it’s not a bad side really, i like Nik, Chamakh and AA all in…
Morning all,nice post rico
So pleased to see Song in also expect goals from Chamakh perhaps Bendy if he plays up top instead of getting in Songs way
i thought Ramsey and Vela will play in the first team.
C ya in the HT Rico.
what a load of cack….
Hi Steve…
Nikki and Chamakh have been dreadful…..
Stef, i think they will be on soon and Theo I hope
Rico,
I saw your comment that you liked Bendy, Cham and AA. I thought that could be good too.
But Bendy has been as awful as at anytime I have seen him … no control. Cham has been as slow as a carthorse. AA … well what a frustrating player.
The whole lot, except for Chez, DJ and Gibbs have been dross! 🙁
Rico, but that is 3 changes already surely AW will keep one of them on the bench Chamakh is first to go out Nikki did good in my book.
I’ll put Vela in for Chamakh, what ur thoughts rico?
your right as usual rico dredfull keep the faith Sanches looks usefull
RA, Nikki and AA had at least had couple of chances and shot on goal.
Theo down the middle would be nice
RA, i cannot believe just how dreadful Nik has been, how much does he get paid??
Stef – you still think nikki did good?
I have just witnessed another huge Arsene Wenger mistake, if resting players is his way of making us competitive i wonder how long this stupid idea will go on. we either want to win or its pointless playing, to strip a side to rest them ,then bring them on as subs totally defies belief, how many dropped points do we have to have before he understands full strength teams win more games.
this result will not give us more rest time, i hope he’s happy
You are absolutely right Steve. Crazy tactics, and it has happened so often!
Rico, he did better then Chamakh his first touch is a bit off but he had some nice moves too.
Earlier changes might off done something, but u never know.
AW made two mistakes Chamakh and B52 doesn’t play well together same as DenilSong.
Steff, I think you may be slightly biased.
Bendtner was totally awful, he is just not good enough for Arsenal.
That also goes for AA, Eboue and Denilson.
Steve, that side should have beaten Leeds today, Nikki, Chamakh and AA were all off and the penalty by Denilson was just plain stupid by him… Cesc summed that up in his interview.
These players all talk about how good they are, they just don’t live up to all their talk…
Stef, Chamakh was off but Nikki mised at least four clear cut chances to score, his finishing, first touch and passing was dire…
I have watched Bendy play a lot of games and my opinion has not changed, for a striker he is very poor strikers may get one chance in a game and you must take them, bendy is slow very seldom uses his head has a left foot which looks like its pointed at the corner post, and in my opinion should not be a premier league player
True Steve!
I’ll be honest I like Chamakh more then Niklas but today he was shyt, Denilson was worse only positive impact he did was two shots on goal.
My only bias is towards the little Russian but I am always his critic when he doesn’t play well today he was OK.
Theo saved our arse today, but I have a feeling AW doesn’t like him much, he needs to put his feelings aside and bring him on earlier rather then later.
Well, that was embarrassing. Dire, dire, dire.
Too true Steve….
What about Squilli’s header on goal, ended up going out for a throw in 😮
Stef, theo was just being rested, i think wenger really rates him but is a little too cautious over his playing time – for me if he’s fit play him…
Hi agag, it was just that… shocking…
And now another fixture adds to our already hectic next few weeks…..
Its time Wenger realised that changing players as he’s doing; has a detrimental effect on players, they hate change, it throws out the rhythm of the squad,it very seldom gives good results, and as a football man he should know better, players get used to the same players feel comfortable, two changes to a team is about the maximum, the new players adapt quicker, and the existing players can handle it
Sorry RedA didnt mean to ignore you just fired up
I agree with the last 1 Steve, also some player combination doesn’t work no matter how many times they play together.
Steve, are you around for a few hours later? If you are i will post your latest email you sent me??
I have to pop off for an hour but will post it when i get back
Your right there Stef we need new blood, young Sanches looked quite handy i thought, in a decent team he might even score
this is the best blog around rico wouldnt go anywhere else
like leeds were ever going to make it easy
just shows though that those players arent in the first team for a reason and its games like these they have to show what they can do..and they dont..
Hi JJ your on the money there mate
i dont like it when we play three forwards in a 433 either..it dont work..we look shit when we do that..
aa chamak and nikki was abit of a shit forward line i would have prefered to see vela on the left and aa on the right and either chamakh or nikki as the point man
rosickys not the same player either..concerned about his form and id welcome a move for him to make way for hazard..
i dont mind rotation at this stage of the cup its only the third round..the game v ipswich is more important
hey steve..
Chamakh was awful, Bendtner was disastrous, and even by his lackadaisical standards, AA has set himself a new low…
Even if Denilson’s effort in the dying seconds had gone in, he would not have been able to redeem such a pitiful performance… 🙁
I understand where your coming from JJ i prefer our strongest team at all times, i understand with players like Vermaelen we can’t always do it, but we have to send messages to the other teams, that we are the team to beat and using the squad sensibly we should be able to do that, lets face it we know we played crap today but it doesn’t have to be like that.
we’ll be ok..
if my memory serves me correctly the underdog normally loses the replay after a spirited fight in draw..
plus we have a fresh squad for the next few games..which are pretty important ones..i think we need to play near our maximum strength squad for ipswich and blow em away first leg then squad players for secong leg when its already won..
one things for sure though those players that played today need to get their act together cos i dont think the fans nor wenger will be happy with an extra fixture to an already busy schedule..
i think wenger needs to make moves in jan..
Your a hard taskmaster AGG but i have to agree with you
id love our first team to play every game but if they did that and went all the way in every comp we are looking at 70 games a season..
impossible to play the amount of games in modern day football..
rotations needed.
weve found our PL team..we leave that alone…they play every game they can..cl as well
we can still win the domestics with rotating the squad just not filling it with kids like previous years..i think that same team will win at elland road..
think wengers got the right balance this year in the cups..hes going for em
im just worried he starts doing a ‘wigan’ every now and then in league..
JJ, i have to agree to dissagree there mate
😆 Steve. I do tend to defend Nik (as rico defends Theo 🙂 ), but there’s no point getting to the end of good passes only to waste them. He was in some really good positions, but as usual he missed some sitters.
Denilson is slooooow, can’t tackle, and has poor decision making skills. Can’t say I liked our fans booing AA though. Clearly, he has zero confidence, and that could not have helped. Having said that, he does so little to help himself these days.
But on to our silver lining… how fantastic were JD and Gibbo? 🙂
Hi, JJ. Howdy?
hey agag
denilsons other problem is his total lack of imagination due to his lack of composure..he hits so many passes per game cos he just gets rid of it as quick as he can..to the nearest guy normally and quick passes are pointless if they dont go anywhere..side to side just slows down the game..also, he hits the ball too hard alot..again he looks for the nearest man, even if that man is marked he will drive the pass to him and put him in all sorts of trouble..
i suppose this part of his game will dissapear with experience as he learns to be a bit more composed with age… but saying that hes played 200games now so it aint like hes a baby..i reckon denilsons fully fledged but hes not good enough..not consistently anyway
Agree AGG nice to see Gibbo come through the game unscathed, he needs a couple of games to get his sharpness back but he did ok, JD getting better all the time, Bendy, has never impressed me, i know he has scored a few but in my eyes with the chances our forwards get, not enough goals, he doesn’t seem ever to be ready when he gets the chance and has worn a bit thin with me Chamakh always looks awkward when he partners him, but to be honest i would rather Chamakh than Bendy anytime
in all fairness to our strikers this intermittent playing method doesn’t bode well with a strikers confidence shots that fly everywhere bar the goal brings everyone’s head down it seems to be working its way through the whole of our forwards, but it appears different if we score an early goal
JJ on Denilson: “he hits so many passes per game cos he just gets rid of it as quick as he can…” Couldn’t have said it better. I don’t care what his stats say, his passes aren’t ever meaningful. I don’t understand why he’s scared of the ball when he’s played for us soooo many times (too many times, in fact.)
Steve, Vela is the perfect example, he is playing with absolutely no confidence at the moment. Did he even get a whiff of the ball?
I cannot fault the line-up though. Our players have to take responsibility for this one. How many of those in the starting line-up are internationals again? They do not do themselves any credit. 😕
AGG, players who dont want away, and not a lot of interest from anybody else. can you blame them.
Sounds very much like Denilson, Steve. 😆 He is extremely loyal to the club though. Sounds like Rosicky too. What’s happened to him? He’s one of my favorites, but he seems to want to score only when playing for his country. To think he was so good in the pre-season matches. 🙁
AGG, granted what you say about Vela is correct, but when he plays well, very watchable. this guy has a great deal of talent, it seems he is not in Wengers plans at the moment, but in my eyes i think there could be a lot more to come from him.
Boo, huff huff, shopping took a big longer than expected 🙁
AGG, hard when you come in to cover for Nas and have to follow what Nas has done, not seen him on the flanks to often can he cross a ball, as the others struggle to get the ball in the air
Loyalty doesn’t win us games though 😉
About time we shipped a few out I say…
well for what its worth i think weve got a pre contract agreement with lille over hazard 😉
jj, so do i – wenger wants him and he wants to join. i don’t wenger would be so public in his admiration of the player otherwise….
Steve, i am going to keep your post now as it’s getting late, sorry, i hoped to be back a lot sooner. you have saved me a job for monday and tuesday now 🙂 🙂
rico, right after Christmas, i thought you would have been dieting most of the coutry is.
rico, it’s only ever a good thing if shopping takes longer than expected… 😀
The D&D twins can and should go. 🙂
No probs rico, glad i could help
😆 Steve, me and diets do not go together, they are a waste of time 😉
agag, not in the supermarket it’s not 😉 Now the high street shops, thats a different matter 😆
Denilson, Diaby, Rosicky, AA and Nikki can all go….
Sell them and buy two/three darn good players
Steve, so am I…..
i think it might have something to do with AA’s form
he knows hes losing his place in summer..
and if him and rosicky dont buck their ideas up i can see wenger making a move quicker than expected..
jj, AA is so frustrating, he’s such a talented player yet he plays so poorly so often, i still think he could go this month if he doesn’t sign a new contract…
Fair enough, very few can step in for Sami. 😉
rico, that’s a lot to ship out. 😀
AA, so far, has not been worth his record signing fee. Perhaps, he’s saving up his energy for our match on February 16, JJ. 😉
rico, HH has breached the 200K hit mark. Great job! Now, you can reward yourself with a high street shopping expedition. 🙂
i think he has been worth the money though agag
in his first 6 months anyway..we paid 15mil for a player that ensured us a minimum 30mil jackpot..
last season was dodgy started this season brightly but drifting out of goonerville more and more everygame..
its like hes purposely trying to generate a move
agag, it is 🙂 i think we have better coming through…
200k 🙂 thanks agag, not bad in just over five months…
Would i be correct in thinking that the game today counts as one for Sagna’s 3 match ban or is it just in the league
it is Steve, wednesdays counts too, he’ll only ‘miss’ the hammers game next saturday..
JJ, I have to wonder about AA’s poor form. He enjoys AW’s leniency: that is, he plays even when he’s not playing well, and for a loooong time (at least until recently) was a firm fan favorite. Strange one, that. But he is one of the few in our team capable of match-winning magic, so on that basis alone, I don’t want him gone… yet.
rico, you rock. 🙂 Go get some more shopping done, I say. 🙂 🙂
I see Theo’s “I dived” statement is generating quite the brouhahahaha. Well, maybe that is a tad too honest. But I’d really rather a naive Theo than a Rooney who swers that he has never dived in his life. 😛
Thanks rico,
I suppose we do have a positive for today, we have Nas Wilt Sag Ramb And would be nice to include Verm Click VP kos to come back for the return NorthWards
agag, i’d like Vela to have had as many chances as AA has been given, to be fair though, recently wenger has made it clear that AA is not part of his ‘best eleven’
Rock, more of a soul person 😉
When did Theo dive?? I didn’t see it 😉
theo dived?
well done 😉
winning mentality that..do anything to win
That has to be rico Wenger
but i didn’t see it Steve… 🙂
jj, not diving……
Last penalty he gets Mug
rico, that’s okay. I tend not to see Gael’s gaffes either. 🙂
I’m off. Good night, JJ, rico, Steve. 🙂
Nte Nte all
Night Steve and agag, have a good one….
just read the theo i/v, what an idiot!!
I have to head out to –
vcatch you all tomorrow, night jj if your still about….
Hi guys, missed you lot. I have had no net since the 1st.
Today’s game was horrible and for me, it showed the “second” team” are not up to the challenge. We need to cut the deadwood this summer and for the love of god, get in a striker who can beat the keeper.
A question for you.would the team who started this morning get promotion from the championship?
Hi Will, was just logging off when i saw your comment, you still about?
I am now, bastard Sky are useless. No net for the entire start of 2011.
That’s awful Will, I thought BT were bad enough, obviously Sky are worse….
The answer to your question is no, not the starting eleven….
The passing was sloppy, in fact, it was disgraceful and I was starting to become ashamed to be a Gooner. We were a laughing stock and even Fab had a pop.
It was awful, how many chances did we miss, the passing was heavy, or too short, sideways boring stuff…
Thought JD had a decent game..
you about tomorrow Will as i have to go shortly…
I want JD and TV as the central pairing and then another one brought in during the summer and someone promoted.
The Brazilian needs to be got rid of ASAP and it showed me, that without Nasri, Fab or Jack, we are shorn of attacking ideas.
It was good to see the Miquel on the bench though and we have Bartley coming back in the summer a lot stronger but wenger needs to buy a CH now….
Spot on re the last sentence….
Rosicky needs like minded people around him and I am sorry but Nik B needs to leave and a goal-scorer needs to be brought in.
The amount of shots that go straight at the keeper is our problem, we need a natural striker in the squad, someone who scares the opposition defenders on reputation alone.
I would put in a cheeky bid for Torres, he would score hat-fulls with us.
Like a shot re Torres, he just needs to be in the right side, ours…
Will, i have to go, hopefully you’ll have the internet tomorrow, see you then…
have a good evening…..
See ya later and yes, I will be around (fingers crossed)
Morning, new one up….