United v Arsenal Still Has Significance
May 16th, 2015 by 'holic
Manchester United versus Arsenal, and neither side can win the title. Those are words that have not applied to this fixture too many times over the last twenty years. Not that this match is insignificant at all. The runners-up spot in the League will almost certainly be Manchester City’s if they can beat Swansea away tomorrow, and Southampton at home next Sunday. Should they falter then Arsenal are likeliest to overhaul them.
Then there is a separate battle to avoid fourth place in the table, and a Champions League qualifier in August. Victory at Old Trafford would cement at least third place for Arsenal and condemn United to that play-off. Even were the home team to triumph then Arsenal could keep them in the last qualifying place in our final two home games against Sunderland and West Brom.
This is the pointed end of the season, and the FA Cup Finalists will be looking to regain form and confidence quickly after Monday night’s surprise reverse at home to Swansea. We looked at the injury list on Thursday, and we still have a very strong squad to pick from, but after fielding an unchanged starting line-up for five consecutive Premier League fixtures the boss hinted at some changes.
“We have three games to finish the season and it’s important that everybody contributes until the end. It’s important that at some stage you freshen up.”
Freshening up could take many forms. Caution could mean that those who have not put in a full week at Shenley, Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck, getting a rest until Sunderland visit the Grove on Wednesday. Theo Walcott has been clicking his heels on the bench lately and could replace Aaron on the right. Jack Wilshere and Gabriel may also come into the picture. I hope the full-back positions are not tinkered with.
For the hosts Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, and Luke Shaw will not feature, and defender Jonny Evans is a doubt, but Angel Di Maria, Robin van Stapleton and Marcos Rojo are available again. One would assume that van Stapleton and Falcao will be the candidates to replace Rooney, with Jones coming in for Shaw as the only changes from the United side that won at Crystal Palace last week. That result was perhaps made all the more impressive by Palace’s 1-3 win at Anfield this weekend?
The ‘holic pound
Dat guy scores at Old Trafford
Now we did win an FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford 1-2 just ten short weeks ago, but our rare-of-late recent League triumphs on United soil have been by that famous ‘one-nil to the Arsenal’ margin, and that is the choice for the destination of the ‘holic pound. The market is surprisingly generous about this outcome, Paddy Power for example offering nines against it coming to fruition. That suggests my confidence could be misplaced. We’ll see.
As usual I look forward to hearing the traveling faithful loud and clear on the match broadcast, and I wish you all a wonderful day/weekend out in the north-west. As for the rest of us let’s hope for a good signal, and three crucial points to ensure that Champions League group phase place.
Have a great one, ‘holics.
169 Responses to “United v Arsenal Still Has Significance”
Most interesting result of the day was Saints 6 Villa 1 as far as I was concerned! Nice to see some reverse momentum affecting Sherwood and his lads.
Nice scene setter Maestro. I fancy us to take a 1-1 draw tomorrow which will be an excellent result. Hopefully Swansea can do us a favour but I think City will make them look much worse than we did.
Still third and another FA Cup is none too shabby.
Thanks Ttg,
Enjoy your Sunday.
Cheers Holic.
Still loads of scores to settle with that miserable Mancunian mob – lets chalk another one off tomorrow.
We may have our own little dramas about Ozil, Theo or whatever, but nothing that gets said here will ever get near the Tiny Totts having kittens because Danny Rose dyed his hair “Arsenal” red today.
Just seen Palace’s penalty. Outside the box, ref has an unobscured view and is ten yards away at most.
That’s our ref in the Cup Final.
Chosen just because the man who should have got the gig is ‘controversial’, Cynic.
MC being embarrassed by the FA. Shame for the game.
But karma 🙂
Thanks Holic,
excellent penultimate last preview but one for this season., as Mr Coleman would have put it although I may, on this occasion, be more accurate.
I can’t see the full backs being changed. Debuchy is still injured i think. The only worry is that the excellent Hector Bellerin may still lack the know-how to prevent the cheating little turd that is Ashley Young from winning dangerous free kicks or, worse still, penalties.
Here’s hoping we can follow that fine FA Cup win with our first league win up there for far too long.
To those travelling, here’s hoping the Surrey Red Devils don’t clog up the northbound carriageways too much.
2-1 to The Mighty Arsenal for me.
Their “chosen” ref, Martin Atkinson, had a complete mare at Sunderland today. All our refs are poo.
Our refs are all poo – and that’s officials. 😉
‘Clatts’ 🙁 is far and away the best referee, and should have had the Final last year.
He’s a shit of a human so his peers are making him wait.
It could cost us.
Moss is a complete and utter clown.
Atkinson, another clown, had the 2011 Cup Final.
Bollocks to the referees. How is the family, Trev?
On current Villa form Mr Magoo could ref the Cup final and it wouldn’t save them. Can’t see us losing if Moss donned claret and blue and joined in frankly.
Different at OT though. Manure aren’t the same without their biggest shite Rooney, and missing Carrick could be even more significant. But they’re lucky buggers and we have a habit of cocking up against them.
Even so, if the right Arsenal team turns up we should at least draw, or possibly … 1-3 is the tip.
Öskar
Thanks for the Xcellent preview gunner. 🙂
Now to relieve the dirty red mancs of the precious three points with which they were expecting to abscond. 🙂
Spillchuck says guvnor = gunner
Not too far off, I must say but for heavens sake can someone turn the cannons on the dirty rotten spillchucker. 🙁
Excellent preview, ‘Holic. I would take the classic scoreline in a heartbeat and doubly so if it lands the ‘Holic pound but my gut tells me that ttg may be on the money with his 1-1 prediction.
A win today would be quite nice.
In other news, water is wet.
Back in New Zealand for a visit after leaving twenty years ago – still raining so could do with a revitalising win but would grudgingly take a draw, a groin strain for van Stapleton and a red card for Young who gets dumped on by a seagull as he slopes off.
UTA.
Cheers H! Keep a clean sheet and we’ll win up there.
Noosa knows, as does Lars.
COYG
2/1 against us winning. I’m definitely on that. 🙂
Morning Esso, and all.
Thanks Holic,
The family is good. Daughter is doing well day to day. The underlying problem remains unsolved – awaiting ( for a change) two MRI scans, but she’s ok and I’ve got her a ticket for Sunderland on Wednesday 🙂
Hope you’re enjoying the very rudest yourself maestro. 😉
Morning Esso !
Cheers, ‘Holics.
Good preview, Guv’, even if having to read it from a hospital bed…most uncomfortable.
Come on, you rip roaring.
BMBD
Sorry to hear they institutionalized you Lonestar. I hope you are alright and will be out and about soon. 🙂
Trev I hope you and the daughter enjoy today’s and Wednesday’s games. 🙂
Thanks 8ball.
All the best to you too, Lonestar, with whatever ails you.
Thanks, 8ball. Unfortunately, it’s not me, but my little boy gooner who’s infirm at the moment. Been locked away since Thursday, but hope to be discharged today. That would be anice excellent and much appreciated outcome…add a win over those devils, and i’ll ask no more for some time (at least not until May 30th).
Stay well, my friends.
BMBD
I hear John Moss went to leave for his game yesterday but he got in his car and all the doors fell off. 😉
Thanks, Trev. Same sentiments extended to you for your daughter.
It’s a horrible time, Lonestar.
Good luck to your son.
Indeed, Trev mate. But we’ll all “be back in the high life again…”
Of that, I’ve no doubt.
*boilk*
All the best to the Lonestar son, young Gooner presumably. 🙂
Never mind the bollocks, here is the Sex Gooners!
Unlike some overweight caucasian with false hair.
Struggling to get that top knot down?
Always craved thicker locks?
Come to Silly!
(sign up for fashion trends and promotions – now)
Come on you fuckin’ Swans.
FLAPPYHANDSKI
🙁
Best Wishes going out to you parents and your young uns.
Cheers for the preview H’.
Must admit, I’m not as up for this one as I usually am, but I’m sure that will change as we approach kick off. We need to beat those twats, don’t care how, just do it.
COME ON YOU GUNNERS
Watching the Swans v Citeh game.
Seems the desicion to “sell the wrong Pole” might have some merit.
Arsenal unchanged.
“Seems the desicion to “sell the wrong Pole” might have some merit.”
Heh, my thoughts exactly H2H.
01 de Gea
25 A Valencia
12 Smalling
04 Jones
05 Rojo
17 Blind
08 Mata
21 Herrera
31 Fellaini
18 Young
09 Falcao
13 Ospina
39 Bellerin
04 Mertesacker
06 Koscielny
18 Monreal
34 Coquelin
19 Cazorla
16 Ramsey
11 Özil
17 Sánchez
12 Giroud
All good thanks, Trev.
Unchanged again, blimey…
6 in a row.
A first for Arsene.
I remember saying a long, long time ago when the unfortunate Flappy acquired his nickname, that he either didn’t have the mental strength to cope with playing for a club of this size, or he would have to move away for a long time to rediscover his confidence if he was ever going to play here.
Maybe I was right, maybe not. Who knows or cares. It is good to see him doing well because he always seemed a very genuine and popular lad with the other players, regardless of whatever shortcomings he had at the time.
Could a swap of our Poles be on the cards in the summer ? Very doubtful at best but stranger things have happened.
I demand a goal and two assists from Ozil. At least one goal from Giroud. More than five minutes on the pitch for Theo. A clean sheet.
Or I will sulk.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Again 😉
Good man, Holic.
What happened to “freshening up”?
I demand an assist for Theo – he really needs help to score. 😉
H2H @39,
Tottenham were unchanged yesterday too – still shit. 😆
😆
🙂
Good question, Trev. Hope Rambo doesn’t get injured for the Final this afternoon…
No sulking allowed, Cynic 😉
COME OOOON!
Let’s feed them to the wormmsssss!
COME ON!!!!!!!!
trev and lonestar, best wishes for your kids. I hope a win for our boys today brings a joy that is infectious and brings healing.
come on you gunners!
COME ON YOU GUNNERS.
Tree and Lonestar
My thoughts are with you.hope things are back to normal asap
Trev
It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t throw in a typo
ach, Aaron.
Dear Santi. We are wearing yellow. Thanks.
Cheers fellas.
Did they water this OT pitch today or ice it ?
Nice of Sky to put Gary Neville on co-commentary. Booo!
Don’t worry ttg,
I twigged what you meant. 😉
Fellaini is just clumsy – Neville
Pffttt!
how does fellaini get away with all that elbowing is beyond me
Young dived – forward somersault with half pike
gack.
Shit – marking ?
Ospina beaten on the near post again
Playing really poorly IMO
*sulky*
Oh shit.
Don’t know why Wenger kept the same players from last week.
We need some fresh blood. Why do we have a big squad and can’t utilize it?
Well that was piss poor from monreal.
And they were doing so well.
Getting run all over here. Non existent all over the pitch.
Have to be able to keep the ball better than this
This is a match made for Rosicky. The energy level is so low right.
ttg, to be fair monreal should have had a-h, and it was a sweet volley. sick as it makes me to say it.
Why is he insisting on playing Ramsey wide, when the middle is his position? Like having balls on a nun, him out wide. They’re just playing around us and finding gaps at will.
That Mike Dean he’s soooo macho and commanding
In a Larry Grayson kind of way.
Do we ever actually stop a cross coming in ?
About as often as we have shots on target.
Cynic, I really dont know why he keeps playing Ramsey on the wings. We have theo sitting on the bench doing nothing. Too stubborn sometimes I guess. Ozil and Carzola have been piss poor.
As was very obvious against Chelsea, we have to be a lot more powerful
Needs a change at half time but he will sit on his thumbs until the 70 minute mark as usual.
He could take off any one of Ozil, Cazorla and Sanchez
Our famouss midfield is being dominated.
fellaini dived.
Sloppy, slow and poor. We look physically weak.
Poor is the word for it.
Ozil not up for it?
This was a “chance to make a statement” ………….
we look timid.
I really don’t care who he takes out. We do need a better attitude in the second half. This is just piss poor. I will bring in Rosicky and Theo and push Ramsey back to the midfield where he belongs. It’s not like he is protecting Bellerin on wings. We need someone to push Ashley young back.
It is a statement whether it is the kind of statement we were expecting, or not. 🙁
I think we are making one, trev. just not the one we wanted to.
great minds, bt8b.
That was as poor as I’ve seen in a while.
Absolutely nothing is clicking. We are flatter then a year old cola, no penetration, no movement, no ideas, no attempts on goal and horrendously sloppy in possession.
Only plus point is that at 1-0 down we are still in the game, but we need to come out a very different team then the one that just stunk the place out in the first 45.
COYGs FFS.
We play once a week and still come out looking all tired and shit.
We really are shit today arent we so far?:(
38% possession and no shots on target. I would suggest that we need to improve a tad.
Still, Up The Gas. Great result. Holic will know what I mean.
Do Arsenal pay out bonuses for finishing fourth??
We haven’t got third yet… better get it together, lest we face another playoff for the CL spot…
COME ON!!!!
Boom
BAMM
Typical Arsenal effort.
Oooh, I was well wide.
At least we got a shot off, Steve.
You were even further off the mark than me Brother Holland.
Guilty.
Lethargy thy name is Arsenal. Poor marking, loose passing, looking lost. Someone needs to get a grip of proceedings and compete for the ball.
All is not lost but we need energy and fight out on the pitch, time for Jack and TR7 to make an appearance NOW!
COYRs
..sorry..!
Oh, we’re warming up Flamini !
@88 – Without wishing to bang on about it, he never is. Just do not get the love.
So Sanchez is struggling and we have Flamini ready to come on? Did my ears just hear that?
this is shit. this is very very shit. wtf are they doing? what’s wenger doing to change it?
Our midfield has been neutralised and we are playing far too many long balls to an isolated Giroud. Neither Ramsey or Sanchez are near the top of their game. I think Jack and Theo are neede.
I think we look like the Under 14s playing
Make a change AW.
We look a man down. Wtf?
Why wait till the 85 mins to make changes. Just make the changes already. Same team for the past 6 weeks and we wonder why they are playing so poorly.
Cmon boys hang in there
Second best all over the pitch.
toothless. Ugh.
He will wait till we are 2-0 down before he makes a change so predictable.
Getting better but poor old Giroud is slower than I am
Take ozil off.
70 mins gone and nothing. Please make a change???
How predictable. 71 minutes and here come the subs.
Taking off the fucking right back?
Come on Arsenal Mk II
Thank you
Theo!!!
Theeeoooo !
Always loved him !
Deflection. Who cares
Why take Bellerin off and play Coquelin at right back???? Not sure I get that.
Theoooooooooo with a stroke of luck.
Lucky but there’s a fucking message in that.
If you fucking shoot, you can fucking score.
Fucking fuck.
And stuff
Theo!!
Slop. But it still counts!!
Thought that was in
Please don’t smile when you miss chances
Come on Arsenal.
Valdes has conceded a goal every 8 minutes in a Utd shirt
finally looking better
No Tommy R yet again.
I thnk Sanchez and ozil needs to sit out the next match
5minutes Fergie time
Why are they moaning – such an obvious offside
Yessssssssss!!!!
a lucky goal saved us. better in the second half, but poor overall. glad to have 3d nearly wrapped up.
Could have been worse, good that we did not lose, last 20 mins were on the level I would have expected from us for whole game.
I’ll take a point given how we played in the first 75 minutes.
Bizarre subs by AW. But what a difference.
Dare i say thhat walcott shoulda been on sooner?
And jack looked quite decent.
Better second half but why do we have so many of these performances.
Round pegs – round holes, maybe.
Masterclass substitutions from the boss. Predicable? Doesn’t matter when it does the job.
Shit game, shit performance but a decent point.
In all honesty I thought it was a game with two very average sides. It looked like two heavyweights who have entered their 40s being trudged out for one final payday.
Do the machems on Wednesday and we can all have a nice relaxing Sunday.
I’ve said it once before and I will say it again. Well done The Gas.
Playing Le Coq at RB and putting Rambo back in the middle where he belongs made the difference and well done Feo, we needed a bit of luck.
The HFB should have won it for us but I suppose you can’t have everything when we were so abject for 60mins.
Heavyweights Steve ?
If only. Still too many small players for me when we play the top teams in Europe or the Premier League.
Compare with the presence of Adams, Keown, Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp.
I know they were special players but their physique allowed them to play as well as they did.
And who was that old grey haired bloke that came on for ManUre ?
Ramsey was awesome once he moved in the central role… Santi was really off his game today… Now that the pressure is less against Sunderland, Santi and Sanchez should be rested for Wilshere and Walcott. And if we are going to play Szczezny in the Cup final – we must play him in the last two league games.
Today the second half was much better and Giroud’s hard work should have been rewarded but his excellent stretched effort was stopped by de gea’s flailing left leg…
And whoever plays, can that please be the end of the Ramsey at right wing experiment.
Good forecast, ttg.
Trev. It’s been the same for years, just make sure you only whisper it though. You know what will happen if you shout it too loudly??
🙂
The TTG pound is red hot today ( see 1)
We ended much the stronger side and United were hanging on St the end- Steve’s analogy works well.
We didn’t start the game fast enough and I was bemoaning the absence of the Ox who was so good here in the Cup. They are a shadow of past United sides with the long ball to Fellaini being their main attacking gambit. Not sure Van Gaal is on brand for a United manager.
Santi was very off colour today and when Ramsey moved centrally and Wishere came on we controlled the game. I thought the Coquelin/ Bellerin swap was interesting and Theo did well helped by Rojo being replaced by a naffer. Alexis looked a bit knackered today and Giroud caused problems but as many of them were for us! He is so slow when you are counter- attacking but he holds the ball up well and he almost scored when in the second half
Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.
Bleedin’ Gas, Steve 😉
Two VERY TOP teams . Arsenal is almost there !
After many years of nurturing , polishing ” no name ” young players , players coming from nowhere , AW has created a team capable of top challenge .
Piss poor performance for the majority of that game, way too many players not up to par, but we were getting better just before the changes and in the end only one team looked like they were gonna win and it wasn’t vaG’s boys.
I think we went there playing for a point and that’s what we got and it suits us much better then them so overal a good day.
Wil be interesting to see who starts mid week.
Happy enough with a point.
Cynic – your agenda is massively fucking boring.
There, I said it. Again. Shame but facts.
Haven’t posted on here for a while, but I recall saying back in the dark, kneejerk, “Wenger aaaat” days of the autumn that I was entirely confident over the course of the season, the class of our squad would come to the fore and we’d finish 3rd and hopefully make a successful defence of our FA Cup…
We’ve nearly done that – so credit where credit’s due – but in some respects, a couple of underwhelming performances are probably no bad thing in leaving no one (least of all, Wenger) complacent about the work that still needs to be done with the squad to take us to genuine title challenging/Champions Lge contender level. As Trev has said, I still think we’re crying out for some genuine physical authority in the centre of midfield. Vieira/Petit/Edu/Parlour should always be the template for Wenger (considering he won with them!) – and as much as I like Cazorla, and think his skillset gives us great options (particularly against weaker opposition), I’m not sure a midfield spine of Coquelin/Cazorla/Ozil is really strong enough to impose itself and physically overpower better opposition.
The good news is it’s probably only a couple of additions – albeit significant ones – needed. A sharper, predatory CF is needed to counterbalance what Giroud offers, and obviously a more imposing CM. I’d also like to see the Right-Wing spot held back for the Ox, Theo & Welbeck rather than used as a means to accommodate our plethora of CMs. Much like earlier in the season where Ozil played out left to accommodate Wilshere and Ramsey, so it looks like Wenger is playing Ramsey out wide to save making a difficult decision between Ramsey, Ozil and Cazorla. I also think the reason for the odd choice of putting Coquelin at RB at the expense of Bellerin was with a view to next season. He’s probably deciding whether to sell Jenkinson or not, and he’s probably just satisfying himself that in a worse, worse case scenario of injuries to Bellerin and Debuchy that he has other squad options for RB rather than just Chambers….
Spot on, Esso. Massively fucking boring it is.
If being able to see when a player is having a completely ineffective game for the umpteenth time and saying so is having “an agenda” then .. so what.
Easy tigers. Have a massively rose-tinted view of proceedings. >>>>>
I was in church, when the game was on today here in Atlanta. I recorded the game. I have watched 38 minutes of the game so far.
I just looked at what I wrote after the Swans game last week to see if it applies here. I will also add that if year in and year out you only get 1 point from each of the big teams and they get 4 points, it really becomes insurmountable or perhaps a psychological block for the whole team. You be the judge.
I am new to this site. The biggest problem I see with Arsenal is that now that Wenger has a bigger pool of players to pick his line-up from, for a given, he does not know how to the right line-up to field for a given game. He does not know when to substitute. It is going to get worse next year when Ox is back & Gnabry becomes available. Why does Ramsey play on the wings ahead of Theo? Does that help spread the opposition defense? Alexis/Carzo/Ozil do not always have to play 90 minutes pretty much every game. Someone please tell Wenger it is okay to make substitutions at halftime, and not always wait 15 minutes to go in the game. I do not think Giroud should have been substituted in the last 2 games. Is there a policy that says because you paid a boatload of transfer money for a given player, then that player has by default have to play? Give Gabriel & Chambers some game time.
Gregory
Nice post, good to see you back and nice to see one of the more patient fans speaking some sense.
The prannet Piers Morgan , professional gobshite is in the Sunday Times today claiming that it’s time for Klopp. It’s as if qualifying for the CL – when you inherited some of the shite he inherited from George Graham, and then built the modern club we have is a trifling achievement.
It’s a monster achievement. Finishing above Spurs is nowhere as difficult but no other Arsenal manager has finished above them every season .
I do think you make a good point that if he was tempted to leave the squad as is the last two performances might change his mind. I don’t think he will leave the squad unchanged but I believe he is right to think long and hard about this squad . It’s basically a strong, well- balanced squad and I’m led to believe that we are unlikely to buy a CB as Chambers will step up and we have other options.
Third just behind Citeh and the FA Cup will mark a decent season but we could have really done with turning up at home to Monaco . That still niggles me.
Serious hangover today which has taken most of my attention. Watched the game from a pit of my own making, hoping both that we would score and that my eyes would stop hurting. Happy with a point.
Vodka shots with red wine chasers on the bar for those feeling brave…