Match Reaction - Farmer Giles and the Gang 1-1 Arsenal

[fakeyank]

If I knew what was going to happen I wouldn't bother following it. Nor would you.

I have friends who have partners that have cheated on them. I tell them never to go back to that person. They still do, hoping for a different outcome... it ALWAYS ends in tears. Heart hopes but the brain knows whats going to happen.

[Letters]

that's a very good analogy, well played.
But we really don't know, who knew we'd win 2 FA Cups in a row?
We've been wobbling a bit of late but no one is being properly consistent this year, the league is looking more competitive all round. While we're in the hunt I'll believe we have a chance although the annual pile up of injuries is starting to take its toll and if we fail to challenge this year then Wenger should be sacked if only for failing to sort that out.

[Power n Glory]

The FA Cup you can get lucky with the teams you draw. It's more unpredictable but the league doesn't work like that. 38 games and you face everyone.

[Kano]

that's a very good analogy, well played.
But we really don't know, who knew we'd win 2 FA Cups in a row?
We've been wobbling a bit of late but no one is being properly consistent this year, the league is looking more competitive all round. While we're in the hunt I'll believe we have a chance although the annual pile up of injuries is starting to take its toll and if we fail to challenge this year then Wenger should be sacked if only for failing to sort that out.

It's far easier to take a negative outlook because the odds are always stacked in that persons favour.

[Letters]

The FA Cup you can get lucky with the teams you draw. It's more unpredictable but the league doesn't work like that. 38 games and you face everyone.

Two years ago we played 3 of the top 6 in the Cup. All at home, but still. We didn't get easy draws. Last year we had a reasonable run but we had to go to Old Trafford.
We earned our trophies.

The league is harder but you don't have to win every game, you just have to finish above everyone else. And right now everyone else are as inconsistent as us, and that gives us a chance.

[Power n Glory]

Walcott is good (not great) and we can do better. My problem with Walcott is that he is hardly ever fit, and I am tired of the club gambling so much on crocks. Another person who I think is a great player is Rosicky, but what is the point of him? He has hardly made any significant impact over a season for us. I'd rather we get rid of crocks like Walcott, Wilshere and Rosicky and invest in people who can stay fit for 10 games at a stretch!

Theo being a long term solution up front is debatable but what should be clear is that we need to start bringing in strikers with pace. Go back to what we used to have in players like Wright, Anelka, Henry or even Ade.

The injury situation is ridiculous. I’m not sure clearing out the ‘injury prone’ players is the best way either because I think Wenger’s regime is the problem. Wilshere is a clear example. He picked up an injury on international duty, we misdiagnosed the extent of the problem and let him play on, it got worse and we found he’d actually been playing with broken bones! To make matters worse, we rush him back from that injury and he then picks up another injury. And we don’t learn from this because we’ve done the same with Ramsey recently. We’ve done it with Cesc. We’ll probably rush Sanchez back. It’s a serious problem and one we’ll continue to have as long as Wenger is here. He refuses to take responsibility for our injury problems. He’s practically blaming Sanchez for making himself available to play.

[Power n Glory]

Two years ago we played 3 of the top 6 in the Cup. All at home, but still. We didn't get easy draws. Last year we had a reasonable run but we had to go to Old Trafford.
We earned our trophies.

The league is harder but you don't have to win every game, you just have to finish above everyone else. And right now everyone else are as inconsistent as us, and that gives us a chance.

We were lucky to have two finals where we didn’t face bigger opponents. That’s the luck element. That’s why smaller teams can have more hope of winning a cup over the league. This shouldn’t need explaining.

[Letters]

But we faced and beat those bigger opponents earlier in the competition
There's always luck in football. Moreso in one off games which is what cup competitions are all about.
You still have to turn up on the day and get the result, something we notably failed to do in big cup games in the past.

I'm not sure what we're debating here, we seem to be agreeing with each other.

[selassie]

Theo being a long term solution up front is debatable but what should be clear is that we need to start bringing in strikers with pace. Go back to what we used to have in players like Wright, Anelka, Henry or even Ade.

The injury situation is ridiculous. I’m not sure clearing out the ‘injury prone’ players is the best way either because I think Wenger’s regime is the problem. Wilshere is a clear example. He picked up an injury on international duty, we misdiagnosed the extent of the problem and let him play on, it got worse and we found he’d actually been playing with broken bones! To make matters worse, we rush him back from that injury and he then picks up another injury. And we don’t learn from this because we’ve done the same with Ramsey recently. We’ve done it with Cesc. We’ll probably rush Sanchez back. It’s a serious problem and one we’ll continue to have as long as Wenger is here. He refuses to take responsibility for our injury problems. He’s practically blaming Sanchez for making himself available to play.

[Power n Glory]

that's a very good analogy, well played.
But we really don't know, who knew we'd win 2 FA Cups in a row?
We've been wobbling a bit of late but no one is being properly consistent this year, the league is looking more competitive all round. While we're in the hunt I'll believe we have a chance although the annual pile up of injuries is starting to take its toll and if we fail to challenge this year then Wenger should be sacked if only for failing to sort that out.

It’s simple really. Just go back to what you and FY were discussing. Nobody knew we’d win two FA Cups in a row but nobody would have had us written off for it either because it comes down to the luck of the draw. You never know which teams you will face. You might have an easier run. The league is different totally different and why people are so pessimistic.