Arsenal vs Manchester United 12.01.2025 KO: 15:00 GMT

Another fixture that frankly we could do without, and given we are playing Spurs midweek I’m certainly hoping that a lot of first team players are not starting. The same should have been the case midweek. And whilst it’s never good or acceptable to lose any game of football, but this squad is barely holding it together with injuries, form and fitness. So if we don’t make it into the 4th round could be a blessing in disguise. I do not see any likelihood of reinforcements coming in January, less because of transfer fees and more because of wages. There are links of Italian clubs interested in Zinchenko, and like Xhaka he probably would do well in a slower league….this possibly might free up wages somewhat.
The thing is who knows what the real story is behind what we spend on transfers and on who

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

And whilst it’s never good or acceptable to lose any game of football

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It's never acceptable?
Who died and made you Karen?

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Originally Posted by Letters

It's never acceptable?
Who died and made you Karen?

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Really? That’s what you’re taking issue with. Yes it’s never acceptable….do you think any manager of our club has ever reacted to defeat with “oh well that’s fine, never mind”

Another slog incoming.

No replays though apparently which is good.

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Yes it’s never acceptable….do you think any manager of our club has ever reacted to defeat with “oh well that’s fine, never mind”

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“oh well that’s fine, never mind” and "it's completely unacceptable, let me talk to the manager" aren't the only two options.

Sometimes a manager is disappointed with a result but basically thinks the team played well and got unlucky or was screwed over by the ref or whatever.
There are such fine lines in football, to say a defeat is "unacceptable" is ludicrous. I mean, I guess it depends on the game. If we were playing Preston North End at home then sure, defeat in that would be unacceptable. But most of the time we're playing teams that aren't at enough below us in level that a win is guaranteed and any other result is "unacceptable".

Here and in the other thread you're doing that thing again where you're acting like you're in a fine dining restaurant and the wine is corked. It's a bit silly. Football is a competitive sport, we are neither guaranteed nor owed success. You seem to be one of those fans who will only be satisfied with perfection. I used to sit near people like that and it was all a bit wearying.

0-3 Hojland hatter

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Originally Posted by Letters

“oh well that’s fine, never mind” and "it's completely unacceptable, let me talk to the manager" aren't the only two options.

Sometimes a manager is disappointed with a result but basically thinks the team played well and got unlucky or was screwed over by the ref or whatever.
There are such fine lines in football, to say a defeat is "unacceptable" is ludicrous. I mean, I guess it depends on the game. If we were playing Preston North End at home then sure, defeat in that would be unacceptable. But most of the time we're playing teams that aren't at enough below us in level that a win is guaranteed and any other result is "unacceptable".

Here and in the other thread you're doing that thing again where you're acting like you're in a fine dining restaurant and the wine is corked. It's a bit silly. Football is a competitive sport, we are neither guaranteed nor owed success. You seem to be one of those fans who will only be satisfied with perfection. I used to sit near people like that and it was all a bit wearying.

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And you’re being ridiculously pedantic homing in on a particular word or term

What you’re doing is essentially saying “well you’re being combative in a completely separate post so I have to assume the same here”. I will hold my hand up and say I’m guilty of it with 21 Brain Cells.
Bu If I’ve got your back up on another thread maybe address it there, rather than as I say taking issue with one word which in the context of the post is self explanatory. The point being where as neither the fans or the club regard any defeat as an acceptable thing, conversely there might be an argument for saying that defeat here could be a blessing in disguise. Now if you had argued with that, and said actually I disagree with you….we should make every effort to win the FA cup fine.

But this? I’m not even trying to be contentious. And frankly I’m trying to convince myself the best recourse isn’t just to tell you to fuck off :lol:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

And you’re being ridiculously pedantic homing in on a particular word or term

What you’re doing is essentially saying “well you’re being combative in a completely separate post so I have to assume the same here”. I will hold my hand up and say I’m guilty of it with 21 Brain Cells.
Bu If I’ve got your back up on another thread maybe address it there, rather than as I say taking issue with one word which in the context of the post is self explanatory. The point being where as neither the fans or the club regard any defeat as an acceptable thing, conversely there might be an argument for saying that defeat here could be a blessing in disguise. Now if you had argued with that, and said actually I disagree with you….we should make every effort to win the FA cup fine.

But this? I’m not even trying to be contentious. And frankly I’m trying to convince myself the best recourse isn’t just to tell you to fuck off :lol:

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Come on man. Letters is only pointing out that saying it's never 'acceptable' - ie able to be tolerated or allowed - to lose a football match is hyperbole. It's never a good thing for any team to lose, and a very poor performance might be unaceptable. But I don't think unacceptable is a suitable adjective to use in terms of a result.

As for Sunday's match. We all know that the manager is not going to play a significantly weakened team, and I'm not even sure that he should. Given what we have seen this season, there is no guarantee that resting players on the weekend would improve performances/results against Sp*rs or Villa anyway...

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Originally Posted by IBK

As for Sunday's match. We all know that the manager is not going to play a significantly weakened team, and I'm not even sure that he should. Given what we have seen this season, there is no guarantee that resting players on the weekend would improve performances/results against Sp*rs or Villa anyway...

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I don't think we should be resting players. It's Utd in the Cup ffs, obviously we want to win this one.

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Originally Posted by IBK

Come on man. Letters is only pointing out that saying it's never 'acceptable' - ie able to be tolerated or allowed - to lose a football match is hyperbole. It's never a good thing for any team to lose, and a very poor performance might be unaceptable. But I don't think unacceptable is a suitable adjective to use in terms of a result.

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But that’s the point, to take a word employed here for hyperbole and to then interpret it in its most literal sense to cause an argument is a dick thing to do. I’ve already put my hands up and said I’m guilty of it, but I’m in no mood for this bullshit when actually I haven’t been contentious

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Originally Posted by Letters

I don't think we should be resting players. It's Utd in the Cup ffs, obviously we want to win this one.

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It’s funny how you didn’t start with this point in response to the OP

Yours is a valid point of view, but one I just don’t happen to agree with. As IBK states there is no guarantee that fresher legs would guarantee better results against Spurs and Villa, I’d sooner not pick up injuries for a game I frankly don’t give two shits about.

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Yours is a valid point of view, but one I just don’t happen to agree with.

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Well sure, but that's because you say you don't care about the FA Cup.
I do.
And there's no right or wrong about that, it's just different attitudes towards the competition.

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

But that’s the point, to take a word employed here for hyperbole and to then interpret it in its most literal sense to cause an argument

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I honestly didn't know you were using hyperbole. Your comments in the other thread and on numerous other occasions make me think you really do believe that any other result than a win is "unacceptable" to you in any game. Which seems silly to me. In your response to my first post you doubled down on that, so... :shrug:

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Originally Posted by Letters

I honestly didn't know you were using hyperbole. Your comments in the other thread and on numerous other occasions make me think you really do believe that any other result than a win is "unacceptable" to you in any game. Which seems silly to me. In your response to my first post you doubled down on that, so... :shrug:

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Maybe I’m being uncharitable but human speech is littered with hyperbole, even when people say that they mean something literally they hardly ever do. And I thought it was obvious in the context of what I was saying that, no club ever accepts defeat even though there is an obvious inevitability about it.

When I say certain results are unacceptable it’s in the confines of we’ve given ourselves little margin for error, and therefore it’s unacceptable to not win games that we must win in order to chase Liverpool down. I want us to win every game but I don’t literally expect it.

If we were twelve points clear and drew at Fulham and Everton, it’s fair to say the context has shifted and whilst frustrated i could likely be more philosophical about it


I also cannot stress enough how much my mind is screaming at me “Why on Earth am I having to explain this even though there is no tone in text”

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Another slog incoming.

No replays though apparently which is good.

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Yes but this could be the game where the tactics of 'bore the opposition, everyone in the stadium and the people watching at home to death until they submit' might actually happen.

It's been months now so it can't be much longer :good:

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Originally Posted by IBK

As for Sunday's match. We all know that the manager is not going to play a significantly weakened team, and I'm not even sure that he should. Given what we have seen this season, there is no guarantee that resting players on the weekend would improve performances/results against Sp*rs or Villa anyway...

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And to be honest, a loss would be unacceptable.






;)

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

I also cannot stress enough how much my mind is screaming at me “Why on Earth am I having to explain this even though there is no tone in text”

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Even though? It's because there's no tone. I've explained why I read your message the way I did, the context being other posts.

I’m in a group of one it’s fair to say in my attitude towards this game

Although not for a second am I saying it’s better if we lose, I don’t feel that way and I’d have no way of remotely justifying that belief even if I did

But I don’t care about this game. It’s not a feeling that’s been influenced by recent results or a fixture pile up either. I’m hyper focused on winning the league to the exclusion of everything else. When it comes to Arsenal it’s my obsession, and I’ll be a miserable prick about this club and until this is set right

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Originally Posted by Letters

Even though? It's because there's no tone. I've explained why I read your message the way I did, the context being other posts.

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Oh honestly. I didn’t want this argument to begin with

I accept that things that should be obvious, maybe aren’t…especially when it comes to a pedant who was looking to start an argument

Need to play the first team, going out of this will see our season spiral.

Seen it too many times to believe any other outcome.

Thought for a while we would lose this though, even before we played Ipswich.

Has the same feel to it as the Liverpool tie last year. We were in a funk and it was the kind of fixture we just didn’t need at the time.

Saying that, United are not very good and losing this would be a a gigantic kick in the balls. I’m going to predict an extra time defeat.

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Has the same feel to it as the Liverpool tie last year. We were in a funk and it was the kind of fixture we just didn’t need at the time.

Saying that, United are not very good and losing this would be a a gigantic kick in the balls. I’m going to predict an extra time defeat.

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The game could be very similar, chance after chance missed.

Not sure, those chances missed against Liverpool were from open play. We create nothing from open play and they (United) soil themselves every time we have a corner

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

Need to play the first team, going out of this will see our season spiral.

Seen it too many times to believe any other outcome.

Thought for a while we would lose this though, even before we played Ipswich.

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Agree with everything, especially the part in bold.

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

Has the same feel to it as the Liverpool tie last year. We were in a funk and it was the kind of fixture we just didn’t need at the time.

Saying that, United are not very good and losing this would be a a gigantic kick in the balls. I’m going to predict an extra time defeat.

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Do they still have ET or does it just go to pels?

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Originally Posted by Mac76

Do they still have ET or does it just go to pels?

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Thirty minutes extra time first

Team: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Maitland-Niles, Jorginho, Merino, Odegaard, Martinelli, Havertz, Jesus

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Team: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Maitland-Niles, Jorginho, Merino, Odegaard, Martinelli, Havertz, Jesus

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Maitland-Niles back from the dead. :bow:

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

Maitland-Niles back from the dead. :bow:

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He’s still at Lyon isn’t he?

Anyway his clone appears to be playing left back for us today

Strongest back four right now with Lewis-Skelly there.

Subs: Neto, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji.

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

Strongest back four right now with Lewis-Skelly there.

Subs: Neto, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji.

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If Calafiori was fully fit, it wouldn’t be. But another muscular injury…boy is made of glass

But for my money he’s far quicker and technically accomplished that this Hale end lad. Which is good news for Martinelli, means he will have an excuse for hiding

Calafiori. :lol:

Maybe he's sick but more likely an injury.

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

Calafiori. :lol:

Maybe he's sick but more likely an injury.

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Muscular injury which makes me think we are rushing him back too soon each time

Frankly when you look at Odegaards form, it can be argued that we’ve done the same there

Manchester United: Bayindir, De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez, Mazroui, Mainoo, Ugarte, Dalot, Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund
Subs: Onana, Zirkzee, Malacia, Eriksen, Yoro, Amad, Casemiro, Antony, Collyer

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Muscular injury which makes me think we are rushing him back too soon each time

Frankly when you look at Odegaards form, it can be argued that we’ve done the same there

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I don't know what Bologna do in order to get him and Tomiyasu on the pitch but I'm not sure it's covered by employment law.

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

I don't know what Bologna do in order to get him and Tomiyasu on the pitch but I'm not sure it's covered by employment law.

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Probably similar to what the World Anti-Doping Agency is appealing over Jannik Sinner for

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Originally Posted by McNamara That Ghost...

Strongest back four right now with Lewis-Skelly there.

Subs: Neto, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, Partey, Rice, Trossard, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji.

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WTF, Rice is on the bench? Why on earth? Apart from him, that's a pitifully weak bench. Trossard is there for a like-for-like switch later in the game, but nothing at all that could change a game.

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Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn

WTF, Rice is on the bench? Why on earth? Apart from him, that's a pitifully weak bench. Trossard is there for a like-for-like switch later in the game, but nothing at all that could change a game.

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You’re saying this as if it’s something new

Faggot Lineker and his anti-Arsenal BBCunts are off and running. Keown kicking back on what's important.