I have dozed and slept most the weekend and what have I missed? Not too much really. No great cup upsets to speak of. Bolton should have seen off Macclesfield and QPR should have buried MK Dons. Wigan fans will be slightly irked by losing to Swindon, but they know that fighting relegation is the more important battle. I have woken up for United v City, which is getting interesting.
When I was a kid I was completely transfixed by the FA Cup and would spend the whole of Saturday switching between Frank Bough on Grandstand and Dickie Davies on World of Sport. There were features on carworkers and shopkeepers who would be playing for ‘minnows’ like Bideford or Alvechurch against ‘giants’ like Derby County and Nottingham Forrest. Teams like Hendon would get a draw at St James Park and then get tonked in the replay. Blyth Spartans sounded strangely exotic, but wasn’t.
Now, somehow I’m unmoved. Have I just grown up or has the long diet of European football cast the FA Cup into the shadows? Then again, there was that barney we had up at Old Trafford! The one with the pizza. That got my attention but the competition as a whole doesn’t move me so much now.
The most notable thing to happen in the Third Round so far has been that someone at Anfield shouted racial abuse at a black Oldham player. A man has now been arrested. Presumably his defence will be that he found the club’s guidance on the subject confusing and that, in any event, he only meant the words in a friendly way to calm the lad’s nerves on the big occasion.
Meanwhile, the papers would have us believe that great transfer tussles are going on with Arsenal pouncing or, alternatively, getting snubbed over various players. Matius Suarez is the flavour of the weekend for Arsenal rumours and gives me the chance of two Suarez tags in the same post. Demba Ba also gets some mentions by those who’ve forgotten the stories they wrote last week about Newcastle struggling now the African Cup of Nations is upon us.
My transfer window predictions remain the same, in the following order of likelihood:
1) Henry plus a fullback on loan.
2) Just Henry.
3) Henry, a fullback and a striker.
Anyway, the odds’n'ends are taking over this post so back to the plot. Who will play for Arsenal tomorrow against Leeds United? Will it be the return of the King?
Part of me can’t wait. Part of me dreads the thought of some Leeds United numptie deciding to get fifteen minutes of fame by reminding Thierry just want cup football on a cold January evening is all about! Followed by an announcement that Thierry is out for at least six weeks.
We played Leeds in the FA Cup last year of course, snatching a late draw and then winning the replay 3:1. This was the team for the draw:
Szczesny
Eboue, Djourou, Squillaci, Gibbs
Song, Denilson, Rosicky
Arshavin, Chamakh, Bendtner
Vela, Walcott and Fabregas came on as subs and Cesc saved our embarrassment with a late penalty equalizer. In the replay the starting line-up was beefed up by Sagna, Koscielny and Nasri.
So what about tomorrow. Well we know that Thierry Henry is available and Chamakh. But Van Persie and Gervinho won’t feature.
How will Arsene Wenger perm four from: Coquelin, Squillaci, Mertesacker, Miquel and Koscielny? Is there a start for Yennaris maybe?
Up front, Wenger has talked of Chamakh and maybe Park. Perhaps he will play both with Thierry waiting on the bench.
Before the Fulham game, Arsene Wenger said that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was very close to a start but he didn’t feature at all. Will he be in for the Leeds game?
How about:
______ Szczesny _______
Kos _ Merte _ Miquel _ Coq
________ Song _________
_ AOC _ Rosicky _ Rambo _
___ Chamakh _ Park _____
Or is that a bit risky up front? What do you think?
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