Garnetts Away, Not A Cup Tie To Savour
Jan 1st, 2010 by 'holic
Mention of West Ham has the tendency to make me twitch. Not as badly as Harry Redknapp when he finds an Inland Revenue envelope on the doormat, so perhaps a little flinch would be a better description.
Why? Well generally it’s true we have got the better of the Hammers on far more occasions than they have beaten us, but when they win it tends to be in important matches when we are hot favourites. Particularly, it must be said, in cup ties.
An FA Cup quarter-final at Highbury in 1975 kick-started my ‘flinch’. Two goals from Alan Taylor saw us knocked out. The North Bank was not a peaceful place to be that day. Five years later we were expected to retain the trophy in our third consecutive FA Cup Final appearance, but lost to a Trevor Brooking header. I believe I read somewhere that in his career he scored three goals with his nut. That’s how rare it was. We were a long time getting out of the Wembley car park after that one.
While the record books show that we have won just three of fourteen FA Cup meetings with the Hammers, the painful defeats are not exclusive to that competition. The Irons were not only the last club to beat us at our spiritual home in the Highbury farewell season, they rubbed salt in the festering wound by being the first club to turn us over in the Premiership during the inaugural season at the Grove.
Logic dictates that the struggling hosts should not divert our passage to the fourth round, but they will be lifted by the fact that they have already held, to a 2-2 draw, an Arsenal side stronger than the one likely to start on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger, whilst pointing out that forty-eight hours remain and things could still change, was upfront about the likelihood of some ‘rotation’.
“We had a few players who played on the edge the other night and I will try not to take too big a risk for some players who are medically vulnerable at the moment, and protect one or two more”
I’ll wager that means a rest for William Gallas, in outstanding form but looking as though he has been carrying a strain or two of late. That would also explain the speculation surrounding a possible return for Philippe Senderos, although it may also give him a shop window in which to demonstrate his qualities to potential suitors.
I assume that Manuel Almunia will also make way for the ‘cup goalkeeper’, and I am assuming that Lukasz Fabianski is fit to take part. The other likely ‘restee’ you would imagine will be Andrey Arshavin, although I would expect him to be on the bench if required.
With such uncertainty surrounding the starting eleven I am loathe to put the ‘holic pound on a final score wager. I am therefore having a pop at Sportingbet’s offer of 100/30 on the game being all-square at half-time, with Arsenal winning in ninety minutes.
If you are going, the weather forecast is for a cold but sunny day, so take that hoody and have a good one. ITV have the game for those without a ticket in the UK, so the demand for streams shouldn’t overload the supply.
Quick Update
I have had a good mooch around behind the scenes today, so you will find updated Hol-Picks and PopuHolics pages, if that is what takes your fancy. I recommend the Hol-picks because there have been some cracking pieces penned by Arsenal bloggers in the last week.
That’s all for now, so have a great weekend, ‘holics.
19 Responses to “Garnetts Away, Not A Cup Tie To Savour”
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Anything over 18 from Scotland will do for me today, ‘holic.
Great write up once again…
On the subject of our shared passion (besides drink), I feel very good towards the weekend. Fabianski is always good for adrenaline, and I guess we have little to fear. Diaby, Ramsey and Song will ravage the opposition and Eduardo, Vela and Rosicky ditto. Hope both central defenders are rested.
On another note, we apparently agreed another deal for a young Brazilian, Zezinho from Juventude. 17 years of age and pace, power and Brazilianness on the wing or in midfield.
Gotta love being a gooner.
Shout out to Little Jack Wilshere, who celebrates his burfday today, and who will probably not feature sunday cause of his impending loan to Burnley.
Last question: who do we wanna buy. Anyone?
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Methinks the biggest news of the day is that WEnger said there would be no January departures. Last lifeline for Phil?
Eighteen sounds fair enough to me but maybe we`re talking about different things.
With the Gunners in high spirits at the moment I`m expecting a result in Arsenal`s favour irrespectve of the team line up. For the short time Rosicky was on against Pompey he seemed to be enjoying himself and Ramsey had just jumped off the Christmas tree along with Nasri. Eduardo is not at his best but in the company of Vela and Rosicky he could blossom.
What ever the result it`s an opportunity for Wenger to rearrange the deck chairs a little.
Good test of our strength in depth. It really should be good enough to overcome WH, and if not, then it invalidates Wenger’s claim that he doesn’t need to buy. In other words, the guys who play this game are the first ones to step in for injured players, so they should be good enough.
Personally I think they will. I’m going for 3-1.
A coke for me as usual. Nah, make it an orange juice – gotta watch the teeth after all those stories…
The twitches and flinches are understandable, I always get a cold shiver everytime we’re up against the Hammers.
My mind wanders back to that terrible day at Wembley in 1980, I was standing in the second tier right behind the goal were the ball ricocheted off Brooking’s head (it wasn’t really a header was it?) The only other thing from the match I can really recall with any clarity (no pun) was that wonderful tackle from Big Willy Young (the real wonder was that he wasn’t sent off). The sad trip home on the train/tube back to Holloway in almost silent disbelief is what I remember most.
Anyway, that’s more then enough doom and gloom on this the first day of 2010, (HNY everyone) so on a more optimistic note I think that we have more then enough in our squad to come away with a win. We’re not the only ones with first teamers missing, WHU are missing quite a few too, but they have nowhere near the quality in depth that we pocess.
So, come on you Gunners, let’s start this year as we finnished the last, with a bang!
I’ll have a nice pint of cider tonight please barman.
Cheers.
Sounds like we were close to each other that fateful day, H2H. On the Monday I left for Belgium for the ill-fated Cup-Winners Cup Final against Valencia. I don’t think there has ever been a week of such misery for Gooners. The double looked nailed on, but the lads had taken four games to get past Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final, and faced horrendous fixture congestion in that final week. After two Cup Final defeats, if I remember correctly, they had to play the final league game and got hit for five. They were shattered, bless them, and Liam was on his way to Italy too. Don’t think I ever felt as low. If there was an internet then some of the clowns we see today would have had to commit suicide to make their point!
‘holic,
I’m not sure if they do it anymore, but I got my ticket for the Wembley game the old fashioned way by saving up the coupons in the programmes and sticking them on to that special card that you had to hand in fully completed to have the right to buy a final ticket. (If you didn’t have a season ticket)
I didn’t make it to the Heysel, my mum wouldn’t let me go to that one, I watched that one at home with my younger brother who was in tears at the end of the penalty shoot out. (me too, but don’t tell anyone.)
Thinking back to that season, if I remember correctly, most of that team must of played close to around 60 games, and I think Brian Talbot played the lot. (I could be wrong). It does make you wonder why players lately, not just ours, seem to get injured so easily. Were the guys just tougher back then?
I know what you mean about the Hammers, holic, I attended some of those defeats. I never go to Upton Park with a confident feeling. I’ve had great experiences before, during and after games there but whenever we’ve won, I always leave breathing a huge sigh of relief — esp. in cup ties.
But we will have Song there, our rock in midfield. And I like Fabianski a lot. It will be good to see Senderos again, I hate to see him not playing. I still believe there’s a great CD in him somewhere.
I’ll be cheering them on until I lose my voice.
You will murder us tomorrow ! We are playing our kids and they are now match for your kids ! Arsenal represent all that is good in football, bar your lack of Englishmen.
No disgrace to lose to your lot, we are wretched though at the moment.
Hope you win the league.
Drinks come thick and fast in this new year, ‘holic.
Another cup of coffee for me this morning, thanks.
Cheers Joe, fair play to you fella.
H2H, programme vouchers died about the same time as the bond scheme and all that old malarkey. We now have more season-ticket holders than tickets if we get to Cup Finals 🙁
You are right about the number of games that season. I saw every one live bar the last. Brussels just knocked the stuffing out of me.
…and good morning, Ollie. One coffee, coming up…
…with a dainty little Belgium biscuit 😉
Une Madelaine si’l vous plait.
Red wine please. Anything will do.
Keep the faith….
Don’t really dare to write something do I?
Of course we are the Arsenal and therefore the best team in existence, but on the other hand – it’s West Ham in a Cup Tie?!
I hope for the best but please allow me to expect the worst.
For any West Ham fans visiting – second half of your game against Chelsea you really showed who is the worst team in London, and it wasn’t you. Well played and I really do wish you all the best… after tomorrow of course. I’m hoping for a 10-0 to Arsenal. It isn’t realistic but if we are just 9-0 up, don’t count out the Garnetts. They have, time and time again, showed us that they can play football on the occasion!
In the end – lovely old tie. May the best team win!
shit its stoke 4th round…
its a choice between winning that game and how many injuries can we afford?????????????
Sorry about the bet there ‘Holic. Only half a minute away from getting it spot on. Good win in the end though!
2-1 to the Arse! And Arsene pulled it out of his magic Hat! Merida and Jack will want to forget this one as neither did anything to convince me that they are knocking on the proverbial first team door, however they need only to look at Ramsey for an example of patience and hard work. I love the way he is always looking for the ball.
The draw could have been kinder, Stoke away and more Delap long ball shenanigans.
I had to chuckle when the final whistle went at Old Trafford. Why would you post on your official site that you had drawn those “minnows” Leeds United? I believe they call that Hubris 🙂
well done the Arse!