The FA Cup

First topic message reminder :

Well, nothing on here much for discussion so thought this could begin.

At the moment Westisbest is probably pulling his hair out, whilst Wigan are marching on towards there second FA Cup in a row.

Howard Webb won the match for Arsenal against Liverpool. Tottenham were poor against Arsenal. Everton, now full credit there. 

Im backing Wigan to do the impossible made possible! Retaining the FA Cup!

NickisBHAFC wrote:Howard Webb won the match for Arsenal against Liverpool. Tottenham were poor against Arsenal. Everton, now full credit there. 

Im backing Wigan to do the impossible made possible! Retaining the FA Cup!

You must of missed Gerrard's 3 yellow cards in that match and Skrtel fouling Cazorla in the box. Who cares if Spurs were poor, we made them look poor. Wigan are a great story, I want ARsenal to win but respect them for what they have accomplished in the FA cup the last two seasons.

I dont agree with the Arsenal had it easy stuff. They are in the semi & the rest aren't, who we class as the other top sides. full credit to arsenal. Still don't think it's a gimme with Wigan & Hull.

As for Wenger, this is the perfect opportunity to win the trophy. fail to win from this position & well frankly he must leave & Arsenal need to move on in another direction.

As for City, total bottlejob performance. Quadruple, pellegrini is better than mancini....???? I've never rated manuel, he's a boring old fart too. To win just the carling cup shows no progression whatsoever. He wont be sacked but it's a total failure of a season, if they only win the Carling 'minor' Cup.

But Manuel has SWAG as Olly would say

socal1976 wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I dont really care to be honest, it only counts against Arsenal in this world where you think people care. My point really was that I don't feel like Arsenal will have done fantastically to win it. And I dont think they'll care one bit. As a neutral, it would be nice to see Arsenal do something convincingly

Good you go on with your desire to see Arsenal do something convincingly, I will be happy to watch my team ride their skill and luck to the FA cup if it comes to pass.

And why should you? I would love Arsenal to do something with a bit of dominance though, thats all.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:

socal1976 wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I dont really care to be honest, it only counts against Arsenal in this world where you think people care. My point really was that I don't feel like Arsenal will have done fantastically to win it. And I dont think they'll care one bit. As a neutral, it would be nice to see Arsenal do something convincingly

Good you go on with your desire to see Arsenal do something convincingly, I will be happy to watch my team ride their skill and luck to the FA cup if it comes to pass.

And why should you? I would love Arsenal to do something with a bit of dominance though, thats all.

That's the Arsenal fan mentality now. They're so desperate for a trophy they'll even sacrifice their boring tika taka football.

Fernando wrote:But Manuel has SWAG as Olly would say

Don't think I've seen worser clobber in my life!!! What was he thinking!

John wrote:I dont agree with the Arsenal had it easy stuff. They are in the semi & the rest aren't, who we class as the other top sides. full credit to arsenal. Still don't think it's a gimme with Wigan & Hull.

As for Wenger, this is the perfect opportunity to win the trophy. fail to win from this position & well frankly he must leave & Arsenal need to move on in another direction.

As for City, total bottlejob performance. Quadruple, pellegrini is better than mancini....???? I've never rated manuel, he's a boring old fart too. To win just the carling cup shows no progression whatsoever. He wont be sacked but it's a total failure of a season, if they only win the Carling 'minor' Cup.

Maurinho must be giggling under his breath as he watches City's season starting to disintegrate.  They're as good as out of the Champions League and they've been dumped out of the cup by a Wigan team that simply wanted it more.     Toure and Nasri were throwing hissy fits in the first half when decisions went against them, and what they hell Demichelis has on Pellegrini to keep getting picked, I don't know.  There has to be blackmail involved. If ever the word "liability" applied to a footballer in any team, it's Demichelis in the City team right now.   His pace is deceptive.  He's slower than he looks.  He needs more room to turn than an oil tanker and he concedes penalties in important matches when players have too easily gotten away from him.  OK, so one of those was Lionel Messi, but I reckon I could get goal side of Demichelis with lead divers boots on.

City were in the groove until Chelsea turned them over in the league. Sine then they've looked like show ponies who don't like it up 'em.  Wigan got stuck in yesterday and that was all they needed to do to rattle a team that doesn't realise they've been sussed and they can't carry on doing knocking in goals for jolly.

So.... The FA Cup is gone..... Europe is as good as gone.... and Jose's little horse is nine points ahead of them in the league and on a winning streak.   City do have three games in hand and a better goal difference, but anybody will tell you that points in the bag are always better than games in hand.   Not only that, but City go to Old Trafford in a couple of weeks time, and wouldn't Roonie, Van Persie et al just love to damage City's premiership chances.   Would they ever, Trevor.   United should come out like caged tigers against City and with the sort of fragile temperament some of City's players have shown lately, it's doubtful that they'd be able to cope.

As for the FA Cup semi finals.   Well, Arsenal have to be favourite now.   Wigan will give them a hard time in the semi for sure, but I wouldn't put my shirt on them.   Hull should get past Sheffield United who have looked moderate in every game they've played in the cup but have managed to edge out opposition that were feeble on the day.  

Arsenal vs Hull City in the final.   Hull might just pull it off for Brucie and I think that would make most non-Arsenal fans smile.  Gunners would start favourites though.

Agree about City since that night vs Chelsea. Mourinho's class has shown this season, when to pounce & when to put pressure upon a manager who, let's face it, before this season won nothing in European football. I've never rated Pellegrini, he does nothing for me, boring, dull & Mourinho walks all over him & then eats him up for breakfast. His reply to Mourinho was poor, he then attacked United stating what everybody knew already about City being the better team in Manchester.

Pellegrini's decision to stick with Demichelis is bewildering & is one of the reason's City's season is unfolding. How he can't see this guy is a liability is astonishing, just emphasises the guy is not a great manager in comparison to Mourinho. One 'minor' cup after spending £100m is embarrassing, he's making Mancini look rather decent with his league & F.A Cup victories.

As for the F.A Cup, agree on a Hull vs Arsenal final. It will be cagey for sure, could easily see Hull pulling off an upset with the experienced players they have.

Im happy for Steve Bruce, underrated manager.

CFCNick wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:

socal1976 wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I dont really care to be honest, it only counts against Arsenal in this world where you think people care. My point really was that I don't feel like Arsenal will have done fantastically to win it. And I dont think they'll care one bit. As a neutral, it would be nice to see Arsenal do something convincingly

Good you go on with your desire to see Arsenal do something convincingly, I will be happy to watch my team ride their skill and luck to the FA cup if it comes to pass.

And why should you? I would love Arsenal to do something with a bit of dominance though, thats all.

That's the Arsenal fan mentality now. They're so desperate for a trophy they'll even sacrifice their boring tika taka football.

That is funny a Chelsea fan claiming Arsenal play boring football. Personally, I want Arsenal to win and play good football.

John wrote:Agree about City since that night vs Chelsea. Mourinho's class has shown this season, when to pounce & when to put pressure upon a manager who, let's face it, before this season won nothing in European football. I've never rated Pellegrini, he does nothing for me, boring, dull & Mourinho walks all over him & then eats him up for breakfast. His reply to Mourinho was poor, he then attacked United stating what everybody knew already about City being the better team in Manchester.

Pellegrini's decision to stick with Demichelis is bewildering & is one of the reason's City's season is unfolding. How he can't see this guy is a liability is astonishing, just emphasises the guy is not a great manager in comparison to Mourinho. One 'minor' cup after spending £100m is embarrassing, he's making Mancini look rather decent with his league & F.A Cup victories.

As for the F.A Cup, agree on a Hull vs Arsenal final. It will be cagey for sure, could easily see Hull pulling off an upset with the experienced players they have.

I absolutely agree that while Arsenal are favorites there is still a lot of work to do and Wigan or Hull could knock us out. Hull has upgraded their team in the january window and have the kind of threat up front that can cause us problems. Plus it is a cup semi or final so you know the less fancied sides are going to come out and play with the kind of intensity befitting what will probably be the biggest match of their careers to date or ever. Plus all the pressure is on Arsenal. Already large swaths of fans and the media are praying and hoping for their demise so they can stick to Wenger and continue their 9 years without a trophy running joke. So I am not taking anything for granted but Arsenal have a great opportunity here to do something special.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:Im happy for Steve Bruce, underrated manager.

This.

Had this discussion with people the other day. He comes accross as a nice likeable manager as well. Not in the class of people like Billy Davies, Gus Poyet, Dave Whelan (Not a manager but you get my point, Harry Redknapp etc. 

Will be delighted for him, not because it will be funny watching Arsenal man sausage up, but because it will top of a superb few years for him.

socal1976 wrote:

CFCNick wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:

socal1976 wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I dont really care to be honest, it only counts against Arsenal in this world where you think people care. My point really was that I don't feel like Arsenal will have done fantastically to win it. And I dont think they'll care one bit. As a neutral, it would be nice to see Arsenal do something convincingly

Good you go on with your desire to see Arsenal do something convincingly, I will be happy to watch my team ride their skill and luck to the FA cup if it comes to pass.

And why should you? I would love Arsenal to do something with a bit of dominance though, thats all.

That's the Arsenal fan mentality now. They're so desperate for a trophy they'll even sacrifice their boring tika taka football.

That is funny a Chelsea fan claiming Arsenal play boring football. Personally, I want Arsenal to win and play good football.

I find the 200 passes style dull and tedious. Many people do.

CFCNick wrote:

socal1976 wrote:

CFCNick wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:

socal1976 wrote:

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I dont really care to be honest, it only counts against Arsenal in this world where you think people care. My point really was that I don't feel like Arsenal will have done fantastically to win it. And I dont think they'll care one bit. As a neutral, it would be nice to see Arsenal do something convincingly

Good you go on with your desire to see Arsenal do something convincingly, I will be happy to watch my team ride their skill and luck to the FA cup if it comes to pass.

And why should you? I would love Arsenal to do something with a bit of dominance though, thats all.

That's the Arsenal fan mentality now. They're so desperate for a trophy they'll even sacrifice their boring tika taka football.

That is funny a Chelsea fan claiming Arsenal play boring football. Personally, I want Arsenal to win and play good football.

I find the 200 passes style dull and tedious. Many people do.

I don't really care to have a debate about subjective opinions on preference.

There's no stats to back up styles of play Nick so I think you've won that one by default, I do agree though I prefer a more buccaneering style that's full throttle.

I wasn't starting a debate. I simply stated that Arsenal and Barcelona bore me to death with their pass, pass, pass, are they gonna shoo- pass, pass, pass, "Ooh he's gonna... pass, pass, etc.

CFCNick wrote:I wasn't starting a debate. I simply stated that Arsenal and Barcelona bore me to death with their pass, pass, pass, are they gonna shoo- pass, pass, pass, "Ooh he's gonna... pass, pass, etc.

That is your opinion and your entitled to it. And my opinion is that Chelsea are boring. Of the top sides this year they would rank 4th in a 4 horse race as a neutral. In fact, in general Jose is a master of making his teams as boringly efficient as possible. I think he left Madrid because he couldn't find away to make them boring enough. Great manager but I find the way his teams play to be dull, dull, dull. Now that he left Madrid they are about 4 times as fun to watch and are doing better in the standings as well.

CFCNick wrote:I wasn't starting a debate. I simply stated that Arsenal and Barcelona bore me to death with their pass, pass, pass, are they gonna shoo- pass, pass, pass, "Ooh he's gonna... pass, pass, etc.

10/11-
Arsenal goals -72
Chelsea goals -69

11/12
Arsenal goals -75
Chelsea goals- 64

12/13
Arsenal goals- 72
Chelsea goals -75

Arsenal outscore Chelsea in 2 of the last 3 seasons.

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

CFCNick wrote:I wasn't starting a debate. I simply stated that Arsenal and Barcelona bore me to death with their pass, pass, pass, are they gonna shoo- pass, pass, pass, "Ooh he's gonna... pass, pass, etc.

10/11-
Arsenal goals -72
Chelsea goals -69

11/12
Arsenal goals -75
Chelsea goals- 64

12/13
Arsenal goals- 72
Chelsea goals -75

Arsenal outscore Chelsea in 2 of the last 3 seasons.

Yeah? That's cute. What did Arsenal win in those seasons?

The only season you finished ahead of us was 11/12 and we won the FA Cup and Champions League.

Also,

09/10
Arsenal goals - 83
Chelsea - 103 (142 in all comps)

So in the last four seasons we've outscored you by nine goals.

I saw the 4 trash goals you guys scored against Spurs. Please not one of them was memorable. I would rather have one of our perfectly crafted masterpiece goals over the 10 of the type of goals you scored over spurs. Here is football as art:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuyY755KQdg

Or like the one we scored against Everton:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeG01vMNf18

Those are goals not the garbage Spurs handed to you this week. If those goals you scored counted as entertainment against Spurs please count me out. These are goals. Goals that frankly I have yet to see Chelsea score a single one of that quality.

Yeah we did that once. But we did it ironically to mock Arsenal.

https://youtu.be/BZIlV75U0wE

It doesn't matter how they go in.

What was that 5 years ago or something? Yes a cynical person who is the fan of a team owned by a russian rackateer and a manager who specializes in destroying the joy in football would say something like all goals count the same. Not in my memories they don't.

All goals do count the same. This is football not the nba.

You'll see. When Arsenal actually win something and it's either a scrappy goal or lucky goal you won't care.

And what makes me a cynic? You're just a butt hurt Arsenal fan.

Yes all goals count the same Maradonna's goal against England was the same as the 4 trash goals you guys scored against Spurs. I am sure for years to come people will talk about those garbage goals and tell their grandchildren about them. Nick, I watch football to be entertained. I don't watch it to vicariously live through the trophies of other men. Yes I will be extremely happy if Arsenal wins and sad if they lose. But it has minimal impact on my life beyond that day. I challenge you to find one goal Chelsea has scored this year as beautiful as the two I showed you. I watch your team, in between naps I take out of boredom so maybe I have missed the artistic football you play.

Wow. You're really butt hurt.

Of course those goals aren't going to be talked about for generations but we'll mock Spuds fans about them. You're don't live here so you don't have the tribal connection and banter with others at work and with friends we all have.

The goals memorable to me aren't memorable for their ability to make Arsenal fans jizz in their pants. There's Zola's back heel vs Norwich, Wise in the San Siro, Di Matteo's cup final goals, Hasselbaink's hat trick vs Spuds, Gronkjaer's winner against Liverpool (sealed 4th in 02/03, which without they wouldn't say doing a Leeds or doing a Portsmouth but doing a Chelsea), Lampard rounding Jaaskelainen in 05, all of Drogba's cup final goals, Joe Cole vs United in 06, Gallas scoring in the last minute vs Spuds in 06, Drogba's many many goals against Arsenal, Lampard vs Liverpool after his mum died, Torres in the Nou Camp, the list goes on and on. None of them anything like those Arsenal goals but all of them are better.

Just incase you're wondering Spuds isn't a typo.

CFCNick wrote:Wow. You're really butt hurt.

Of course those goals aren't going to be talked about for generations but we'll mock Spuds fans about them. You're don't live here so you don't have the tribal connection and banter with others at work and with friends we all have.

The goals memorable to me aren't memorable for their ability to make Arsenal fans jizz in their pants. There's Zola's back heel vs Norwich, Wise in the San Siro, Di Matteo's cup final goals, Hasselbaink's hat trick vs Spuds, Gronkjaer's winner against Liverpool (sealed 4th in 02/03, which without they wouldn't say doing a Leeds or doing a Portsmouth but doing a Chelsea), Lampard rounding Jaaskelainen in 05, all of Drogba's cup final goals, Joe Cole vs United in 06, Gallas scoring in the last minute vs Spuds in 06, Drogba's many many goals against Arsenal, Lampard vs Liverpool after his mum died, Torres in the Nou Camp, the list goes on and on. None of them anything like those Arsenal goals but all of them are better.

Just incase you're wondering Spuds isn't a typo.

I am not butt hurt Nick, I don't live in Islington; I could have just as easily chosen to be a fan of Chelsea. Except, you don't play the type of football I like to watch. About a decade and half ago I became an Arsenal fan because of the way they play. Back then they were winning trophies left and right, when they stopped winning trophies I didn't abandon them.

All goals count the same on the score sheet but don't provide the same entertainment value or memories. I am glad you have a lot of memories of Chelsea winning that is wonderful. But as a fan of the Arsenal I am proud, proud as hell that my team is one of the few teams in the world that has the technical ability from top to bottom to score goals like the ones I showed you. And despite all of Chelsea's titles they don't produce goals like that. They are mechanics, we are artists.

I'm not arguing the fact Arsenal score those types of goals.

Most of us don't choose our teams. They're either our hometown team or our Fathers team. When I went to my first game as a 5 year old we were in the middle of three seasons in a row finishing 11th. You can't accuse me of being a fan because they're a winning team. I applaud you for sticking it out but it's not that hard to do when you're still more successful than 75% of the league.

I don't begrudge you being a fan of whatever team you like and I understand you grew up a Chelsea fan. So enjoy there success. I am just giving you my reasons for liking Arsenal and it has nothing to do with vicariously enjoying their trophies. And I am not accusing you of gloryhunting either. I am just saying as you admit that ARsenal produce those type of goals. There aren't many teams in the world that produce those types of goals. Instead of being mocked for their style, I think the gunners should be applauded. And in no way would any neutral football fan look at those two plays I showed you and claim that Arsenal's style is boring.

Aside from those two goals 99% of it is boring though. They don't score like that every week.

CFCNick wrote:Aside from those two goals 99% of it is boring though. They don't score like that every week.

stoke are more exciting than chelsea, that is my personal opinion so you cannot debate that I am wrong, a bit like you saying Arsenal are boring. pointless debating your personal opinion.

Giroud's goal wasn't good enough to be nominated for goal of the round. Flynn's for Sheffield United was though.

Even the FA get bored of Arsenal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz21xVsAK-o

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

CFCNick wrote:Aside from those two goals 99% of it is boring though. They don't score like that every week.

stoke are more exciting than chelsea, that is my personal opinion so you cannot debate that I am wrong, a bit like you saying Arsenal are boring. pointless debating your personal opinion.

I wasn't debating that. The posts between me and Socal are about the meaning of goals not the styles between the two clubs. Why do you have to come with this defensive attitude 24/7???

I said I find that style boring and we moved on to another topic.

CFCNick wrote:

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

CFCNick wrote:Aside from those two goals 99% of it is boring though. They don't score like that every week.

stoke are more exciting than chelsea, that is my personal opinion so you cannot debate that I am wrong, a bit like you saying Arsenal are boring. pointless debating your personal opinion.

I wasn't debating that. The posts between me and Socal are about the meaning of goals not the styles between the two clubs. Why do you have to come with this defensive attitude 24/7???

I said I find that style boring and we moved on to another topic.

you find it boring and i find it exciting   

I like the kind of football that wins trophies.

CFCNick wrote:I like the kind of football that wins trophies.

glory hunter

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

CFCNick wrote:Aside from those two goals 99% of it is boring though. They don't score like that every week.

stoke are more exciting than chelsea, that is my personal opinion so you cannot debate that I am wrong, a bit like you saying Arsenal are boring. pointless debating your personal opinion.

Its ok for Nick to share his opinion, with all the talent Chelsea have on the pitch I would rather watch

1. Arsenal
2. Liverpool
3. Man City
4. Southhampton
5. Everton
6. Swansea
7. United

Anyone of those teams are much more fun to watch for a neutral for me than Chelsea and considering the hundreds of million pounds that Jose has to work with that is an amazing accomplishment.

I think it is almost certain that Wigan will beat Arsenal. The Gunners have not handled pressure situations too well in recent times. Wigan have no pressure at all.

Sanogo, Monreal, Vermaelen...

Oh dear.

Riveting stuff.

Whoever get's the 1st goal goes onto win in my book. Arsenal will get the confidence and score another 2/3 but if Wigan get it it will only give them more belief than they already hold to see them through.

PENALTY WIGAN!

Lovely stuff! Hang on you beauties.

How cool was Gomez there.

1-0 WIGAN!!!!! After a four minute wait!!!

Dave Whelan's leg is quivering in excitement!!

Have Arsenal actually won at Wembley before? Only other time I can remember them playing there was when we beat them in the 2009 semi. Oh, and the Carling Cup choke job.

CFCNick wrote:Have Arsenal actually won at Wembley before? Only other time I can remember them playing there was when we beat them in the 2009 semi. Oh, and the Carling Cup choke job.

fa cup 98

The ladies team have I'd imagine Nick.

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

CFCNick wrote:Have Arsenal actually won at Wembley before? Only other time I can remember them playing there was when we beat them in the 2009 semi. Oh, and the Carling Cup choke job.

fa cup 98

I meant the new Wembley. I know Arsenal have won at the old Wembley.