Arsenal

[Steve007]

But seriously, its difficult to be optimistic about Arsenal at present, when you see this sort of performance (and that is from someone who tries to look at the glass half full). It looks as if fourth place is secure unless the self destruct button is even more firmly pushed than at present because the cushion of points should suffice, but this team really needs to get into a cup final. win something and progress from there. A bit of weeding out would also not go amiss.

What if all these rested players still get beaten on Tuesday? That way we have gone out the cup for nothing!

I really like Wenger but he really does infuriate me at times. He job is to win trophies. Why do players who get such a pampered lifestyle need to rest so much? I remember Liverpool playing over 70 games one season and only using 14 players! On a diet of beer and fish and chips! So how can today's highly trained athletes not manage two games in a week?

[Cosmic_Guru]

What if all these rested players still get beaten on Tuesday? That way we have gone out the cup for nothing!

I really like Wenger but he really does infuriate me at times. He job is to win trophies. Why do players who get such a pampered lifestyle need to rest so much? I remember Liverpool playing over 70 games one season and only using 14 players! On a diet of beer and fish and chips! So how can today's highly trained athletes not manage two games in a week?

My thoughts exactly - why couldn't Song and Arshavin have played? Surely better to have played them yesterday and rested, if necessary, on Tuesday (might even have wound up Fergie too, for added bonus points). Cup semis don't come round every year. In days of old players played on through injury to the probable detriment of their longer term health, but these are young and very fit men - playing twice a week for a month should not be impossible.

[Marzipan Travolta]

I really like Wenger but he really does infuriate me at times. He job is to win trophies. Why do players who get such a pampered lifestyle need to rest so much? I remember Liverpool playing over 70 games one season and only using 14 players! On a diet of beer and fish and chips! So how can today's highly trained athletes not manage two games in a week?

While I mean no disrespect to some of the legends of the 70s and 80s top-flight football is a far more physically demanding sport now than it was 20 years ago. A lot more thought is put into long term strategies and campaigns too.

There's surely a reason Wenger didn't get Arshavin on earlier. What it is I don't know.

[Silent Runner]

What if all these rested players still get beaten on Tuesday? That way we have gone out the cup for nothing!

Surely he didn't leave Arshavin on the bench with one eye on Tuesday?

[Steve007]

Surely he didn't leave Arshavin on the bench with one eye on Tuesday?

There's no other reason for it.

And if ever a game was meant for Song, yesterday was it. The last two months he's really become a tough tackling no nonsense player. If he played yesterday it would have allowed Cesc to venture forward and do all the things he's good at instead of remaining anonymous for most of the game. It would also have meant Denilson wouldn't have played, which would have been fantastic as Denilson is shit.

[Dude Ranch]

Really disappointed not to see Arshavin play too.

Surely he didn't leave Arshavin on the bench with one eye on Tuesday?

I've been shaking my head for most of the day thinking about this. Leaving your real genuine match winner on the bench is just mystifying. I can't think of one possible reason, especially given the sloppy performance of virtually everyone yesterday. A half at least. 45 minutes to run at them!

And if ever a game was meant for Song, yesterday was it.

You'd have thought so.

Overall, Wenger got this one wrong, wrong, wrong.

Anyone watching the second semi? I wouldn't be surprised if you're not. Amazing how much better organised Everton are than us, albeit with little ambition against United's stiffs, and how they're willing to run themselves into the ground.

[Steve007]

run themselves into the ground.

van Persie wouldn't understand the concept. It's why I'd quite happily see this lazy fucker leave this summer for a small fee than next summer for nowt.

[Dude Ranch]

van Persie wouldn't understand the concept. It's why I'd quite happily see this lazy fucker leave this summer for a small fee than next summer for nowt.

He's an enigma to a certain extent. On the ball he's always likely to make a chance or score. He's extremely talented. But how often does he go missing? How often does he come off and you wonder if, really, he's had a good game? I'm not sure but I do know that when I see Rooney and Tevez making it happen for 90 minutes, Torres and Kuyt, Kevin fucking Davies even (pukes).. Well, it does raise questions.

[Lucas]

What if all these rested players still get beaten on Tuesday? That way we have gone out the cup for nothing!

But what the point of that be? It's not like we've any chance of winning the league, so why not go at least go for it?

It's very unlikely we'll beat United over 2 legs, so we'll end up with nothing again this year.

[Steve007]

But what the point of that be? It's not like we've any chance of winning the league, so why not go at least go for it?

It's very unlikely we'll beat United over 2 legs, so we'll end up with nothing again this year.

If you are in a semi-final you have to go for it. Tuesday shouldn't have even been considered. I am furious that we are one step away from a cup final and our twat of a manager doesn't deem it important enough to play his best side.

Chelsea & Everton took the semi's seriously, is it any wonder they are in the cup final?

I'm fucking livid still.

[jayboy]

The thing that concerns me is that Chelsea found great success in just hoofing the ball into our half, and I don't think they even got out of second gear.

We would have had a great chance against Everton in the final too.

Does anyone else feel RVP Is fast becoming a luxury in the team we can ill afford?

[Dude Ranch]

Does anyone else feel RVP Is fast becoming a luxury in the team we can ill afford?

I refer you to Steve007 .

Yes, he might well be a luxury. Looks particularly lazy when compared to someone like Tevez who runs his nads off. On the other hand, he is class.

[Daley]

I think everyone has pretty much summed up how I felt. Wenger got the team selection massively wrong. Picking Song was the "no brainer", I would have had him in in place of Denlison (what does he do?) or Diaby, whose main job on the pitch seems to be to give the ball away in dangerous positions. I don't think Wenger was thinking about Tuesday. He just got it wrong. Arshavin had to play.

[mop]

I think we have to accept the fact we'll never get the best of both worlds from him.

He'll never run like a loon ala Teves but at least he tries a lot more then Berbatov.

I'm still in a daze over the line up for Saturday but we do have to move on I guess - just as long as tomorrow's starting line up isn't as big a blunder.

I also think it's funny how we're all suprised Song didn't start. Not long ago we all would have murdered someone for such a suggestion. I sure hope he can keep up the good form.

[Daley]

I also think it's funny how we're all suprised Song didn't start. Not long ago we all would have murdered someone for such a suggestion. I sure hope he can keep up the good form.

Song is easily ahead of Denilson and Diaby in my view. I know he does boring things like make tackles and pass to his own team mates but what can I say, i'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to central midfielders.

[Mars]

I am still so gutted about the result, especially knowing that we could be going up against Everton (no disrespect) for a chance to win our first trophy in a long time. I was really excited about seeing Arshavin against Chelsea, was Wenger really worried about the pitch not being suitable for his style of play?

Fucking thrown it away, a great chance for a trophy. And those players that were on the pitch didn't exactly cover themselves in glory either. Really distressing for the fans.

[SeanR]

t.b.f. the pitch was like fucking furry icing on a shit-cake.

[Lucky]

It has to be said that we were missing 4 of our back 5 and if we had won this game it would have been unbelievable really. We were somehow 10 minutes away from ET until Fabianski decided to continue rushing around like he was Basil Fawlty.

I don't think Wenger rested players for Tuesday I just think he totally fucked up the team selection. Leaving out Arshavin was incredible, if ever a game was set up for him this was it. Also leaving out Song and playing Diaby (I think he's now firmly my least favourite Arsenal player) and Denilson was a shocking decision.

Should have played 4-4-2 and just went for the win, it's a cup game afterall, no point in playing 4-5-1 and just trying not to lose. Arshavin, Walcott, Cesc & Song with RVP & Ade up front might have just given them something to think about.

If we had to play 4-5-1 it might have even been better to play Arshavin instead of playing RVP as some sort of winger/wing back/wide left/half back bollocks.

So dissapointing.

I really can't undersatnd the thinking behind this one, 4th place is all but in the bag, in the CL all we've got to do is beat arguably 2 of the 3 best teams in Europe to win it, surely this was our best chance of a trophy this season.

What a load of fucking bollocks!!!!!!

[Dude Ranch]

Should have played 4-4-2 and just went for the win, it's a cup game afterall, no point in playing 4-5-1 and just trying not to lose.

This gets me actually. Wenger always says we only know one way to play, we attack, we don't know how to play for a draw etc. etc. and fair play, it's usually true. But sometimes, like Saturday, we have a game set up for us to go hell for leather and we don't .

[Silent Runner]

It has to be said that we were missing 4 of our back 5 and if we had won this game it would have been unbelievable really. We were somehow 10 minutes away from ET until Fabianski decided to continue rushing around like he was Basil Fawlty.

What’s the verdict on Fabianski then? He had a good game in midweek but Saturday was a total horrorshow – he got away with charging off his line in the first minute but he just kept doing it – he must have no football brain. I think the boss will need to stick a ‘keeper on his shopping list for the summer unless there’s some up and comer in the squad I’m unaware of.

[Lucky]

I think he's too eratic, no composure at all. A good shot stopper mind, but you need a bit more than that to be a top class keeper. I bet he's good in 5-a-side, not that that helps us in any way.

Surely Wenger is just taking the piss out of us with this.

[Mars]

At least we can put him in defence if Sylvestre or Djourou get injured.

[RivaOni]

I think its unfair to criticise Fabianski too much, he's not really played in an important match for us before, and certainly not against opposition as strong as Chelsea. The back four were forced upon us because our injury problems but I think if at least Gallas had of been there, things would of been different, even so, Toure should have been marking Drogba really, not Silvestre.

Wenger made mistakes with the team selection, that much is obvious, and thats blown our biggest chance of Silverware this season, but the problem there lies in the attitude the top teams now have to the FA Cup, its an unimportant trophy in many managers eyes, and indeed the press' if a top four team only wins the FA Cup, or only the League Cup for that matter, that season is written off as a failure.

I think Wenger needs to make some major alterations to the team, the structures fine and there's a fair amount of quality personel, but the foundations are weak, especially without another quality CB to come in if (more like when in regards to our players) Gallas or Toure are injured, it says alot that we have a pretty decent unbeaten run going which is ended when our defense is at its absolute weakest (I think even West Brom would have enjoyed playing against that back four + Fabianski), and it'd be easy to say that is why Wenger chose the line up he did, but that doesn't make sense either as our strongest midfielder, Song, wasn't on the pitch...

Ah balls

Van Persie and Adebayor out for the Liverpool match, Sagna's back.

So that'll be

.................Fabianski

Sagna...Toure......Djourou....Silvestre

Walcott...Fabregas....Song/Denilson....Arshavin

...........Bendtner......Eduardo?..........

[Daley]

Is Djourou back? I'd play Gibbs ahead of Silvestre. I don't rate him at all.

I doubt Eduardo will play, he will probably play all three of those you mention in the middle which is what he bloody well should have done on Saturday.

[RivaOni]

Ah yes had forgotten Djourou was injured

Arsenal (from): Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Arshavin, Song, Fabregas, Walcott, Bendtner, Eduardo, Mannone, Eboue, Nasri, Diaby, Vela, Denilson, Ramsey.

So Silvestre where I placed Djourou with Gibbs on the left, hopefully Denilson on the bench, he's not strong enough to support Fabregas yet. I think he should go for Eduardo and Bendtner up front, or Eduardo with Arshavin playing behind him as I really don't rate Bendtner at all, but I do reckon Bendtner will start.

[Lucas]

I think its unfair to criticise Fabianski too much, he's not really played in an important match for us before, and certainly not against opposition as strong as Chelsea. The back four were forced upon us because our injury problems but I think if at least Gallas had of been there, things would of been different, even so, Toure should have been marking Drogba really, not Silvestre.

This. It seems clear to me that he doesn't trust the defence, so feels he has to come out and try and meet these passes.

Would Man Utd won shorn of there two first choice full backs and best centre half? Based on recent evidence, probably not.

[SeanR]

4-3-3

mark my words.

[phresh]

Would Man Utd won shorn of there two first choice full backs and best centre half? Based on recent evidence, probably not.

We played quite a few games without those in our clean sheet run!

[Dude Ranch]

So Adebayor and van Persie out for tomorrow. No big loss. But..

My dad has always said that he finds himself questioning the training methods at times. I mean, when you look at it it's either that the players aren't in physical shape due to the training, that they're physically not up to it to start with, or it's a run of bad luck. Well, it's some fucking run of bad luck. Four or five years I reckon of being fucked over by an injury list as long as your arm. That's not bad luck. So, are the players we buy made of glass or are they not prepared right? All teams get injuries but do you ever see any other team up against it like we always are? I do think it's something the Club needs to look at, whether it's physical conditioning or transfer policy. Cos I genuinely believe that the full squad can challenge for everything. Again, you'll always get injuries but what a waste of time when you're always 25% down on your top players.

[Dude Ranch]

We played quite a few games without those in our clean sheet run!

You might well have capable replacements. Or at least more of them. And you can't say you didn't miss Ferdinand recently. From untouchable to shambling mess ( ) with the loss of one player.