FA: Arsenal vs Manchester United | 21/05/05

[Anonymous]

Its the BIG one

The Official Thread for the match (pre and post match)

Arsenal Vs Manchester United
Date: Saturday 21st May 2005
Time: 3.00PM UK TIME
Venue: Cardiff Millenium Stadium

Today next week,we will hopefully be outside Highbury celebrating the great victory.

 

[Lukazan]

I bloody hope so!

I dunno if my heart can take another defeat to those ****.

But we're the on form team and Man U are struggling, throw in the whole Glazer thing and they are a very troubled side just now. HOWEVER, IMO form goes completely out the window when it comes to Arsenal V Man U, it'll come down to who wants it more on the day.

I really hope we dish out a thrashing, I really really do. I believe beating them and lifting the FA Cup will erase the defeats at OT and Highbury this season and set us up nicely for next.

It's a must win really.

 

[Canuck]

They were lucky to pull it out against Soton. Of course we weren't entirely convincing against Brum either. I actually feel more comfortable with the fact that we are going into the cup final after the loss. That match showed the boys that they still have work to do to win matches.
I don't like losing! Especially to ManUre...

But I think that losing to Brum this weekend will make sure that we aren't in our arrogant and over confident mood. We need to approach this match carefully. ManUre will be up for it, and I think that it's a good touch of reality to see the result today. The match against Everton was a treat, but we know that that won't happen against every team, and certainly not against the Mancs. Though wouldn't it be sweeeeeet to beat them 4-0 or 5-0 or 6-0 or even 7-0? :mrgreen:

 

[galaxyheight]

I have a bad feeling that we may lose to those scums again. They seems to be on fire whenever they were against us this season and luck and referree decisions are always on their side. They can't beat west brom, norwich and chelsea and yet they can beat us not once but three times this season. Yeah it would be really hard to swallow if we lost to them again and man that would be really embarrassing and we would end up trophyless and not them. I think the players have this fear of playing against them ever since they beat us and ended our record. We need to get rid of this fear otherwise i can't see us beating them.

 

[kel varnsen]

hm, i'm not that confident. i think we'll actually lose this match, but i hope the players prove me wrong. bar the the everton game, we haven't been particulary good going forward lately. hopefully henry will be fit, but if he's not, we will struggle.

 

[the dawn raids]

well, theres no way our defense can perform like they did when we played them at highbury if we stand a chance of winning next weekend. and i dont see any way that they would to be honest *knocks on wood*. if Chelsea can beat them at Old Trafford with 4 or 5 starters out and we cant beat them with a full strangth side that would be really disheartening. h34r

 

[Mark]

If today's missing trio are missing again:

Lehmann

Lauren Senderos Campbell Cole

Fabregas Vieira Gilberto Freddie

Bergkamp V.Persie

If they return:

Lehmann

Lauren Senderos Campbell Cole

Fabregas Vieira Gilberto Pires

Henry V.Persie

I was feeling very positive about this final, but with today's defeat I'm slightly less confident about it. In a way though it could be for the best because we will be more focussed, but then again after losing for the first time in ages we could show the mental fragility we showed earlier in the season. Hopefully there'll be no sulking and we will go out there and beat them like we know we should. It would definetly make up for the other defeats this season.

 

[mood]

There's no excuses this time! - apart from the community shield back in August.. we haven't beaten Man Utd in a long long time.

What happened to the days where we beat United annually and much more frequently?

We have to win them on this one. Not only for the FA cup, but for pride over United.


My line-up:


---------------Lehmann----------------

--Lauren--Toure--Sol/Send----Cole--

--Pires----Gilberto---Vieira----Reyes--

--------Bergkamp------Henry----------


Van Persie as a effective substitute for Bergkamp later in the game.

Ljungberg to replace either Reyes or Pires later on in the game. He's not 100% fit, so he can't start and hasn't proved us his form yet.

About Senderos and Campbell. I do not want them to play alongside each other. I do not believe they'd work as good as if one of them has Toure alongside them. They lack a little pace and athletism.

 

[Ryanzinhhio]

We HAVE to win nothing less will be acceptable!! I don't think my heart will be able to suffer it even though I aint going!

Going to be very tough it is a cup final and anything can happen I just hope we get the breaks because we certainly haven't had them on previous meetings this year.

Wenger has some tough decisions to make

Centre backs

Right Wing

Centre forward


This is what he gets paid for though... I just hope he gets it right.

 

[James]

Campbell has to be dropped im afraid. Since he's come back in, the defence has lost its stability. That's been obvious

My side would look like:

---------------Lehmann----------------

--Lauren--Toure--Send----Cole--

--Pires----Gilberto---Vieira----Reyes(Cesc)--

--------Bergkamp------Henry(Van Persie)----------

Unsure as to whether Reyes and Henry will be fit, but thouse in brackets i would play instead of. Pires playing left wing with Cesc moving to right should Jose be unfit.

 

[famous no 10]

We simply must win...it will complete yankchesters season of misery, and herald a new era of man u mediocrity

3-1 to ARSENAL.

 

[famous no 10]

Funny really, on the red cafe site alot of man u fans think Arsenal are going to win this one...they really are depressed right now, poor dears. :wink:

 

[Gurgen]

Lehmann
Lauren Toure Senderos Cole
Freddie Vieira Gilberto Pires
RvP Henry

Subs:
Almunia
Sol
Fabregas
Reyes
Aliadiere

I've changed my mind about Sol, I think he needs to sit this one out. He's also been very unlucky vs. Manure this year. RvP needs to be in there because he can do the unexpected. We need a surprise factor.

 

[James]

Ooof! Dennis to not even make the bench?

 

[the dawn raids]

I've changed my mind about Sol, I think he needs to sit this one out. He's also been very unlucky vs. Manure this year. RvP needs to be in there because he can do the unexpected. We need a surprise factor.

Id agree with that, although Im still not sure about leaving Bergkamp out; he has been in rare form the last few weeks. Its a tough decision either way.

 

[Double_H]

i have a Bad feeling
but i think Bergkamp and Sol should be subs IMO

Lemon
Lauren Toure sol ash
Cesc Gill Vierra Pires
Henrry Reyes

 

[Anonymous]

i have a Bad feeling
but i think Bergkamp and Sol should be subs IMO

Lemon
Lauren Toure sol ash
Cesc Gill Vierra Pires
Henrry Reyes

So why have u put Sol at Centre Back?

 

[AFCG7]

I dont think we should start with SOl. he still looks very slggish and short of match fitness.. i hope Wenger starts Toure and Senderos..they are our best CB pairing at the moment.

 

[James]

Sol seems to put so much more build on when he has a few games out. He seems short of pace and fitness at the moment and the partnerships between him and Senderos isn't as strong as the latter and Kolo.

 

[Anonymous]

i have a feeling SOL will play with Senderos. but thats wenger for you.

He was sluggish and does not click with senderos. They are too alike. i wish kolo plays because we need that extra pace. Kolo & senderos make a great partnership.

I am going on record and say united will beat us, becuase we still cannot beat the big teams which i mean chelsea and united. Watching the liverpool and everton games , these team did give us defensive problems and even had chances. Better strikers like Ronney and RVN will punish us.