United Preview On A Busy Night
Jan 24th, 2019 by 'holic
What an evening to have to write a preview of the big match of the FA Cup 4th round at home to Manchester United. In Barbados seventeen wickets have fallen today as I type and Chelsea are two up on the Middlesex Nomads. This may well be finished very late tonight!
Hector Bellerin’s unfortunate injury in the comprehensive defeat of Chelsea last week may temper the mood a little. Who does Unai Emery start instead of him? On this weeks ABW podcast (see below) I thought he would plump for Ainsley Maitland-Niles although this nobody would give Carl Jenkinson a run. Stephan Lichsteiner can spend a lot of time with whoever gets the gig and educate them in the art of defending at the highest level.
Will Unai make any other changes to last week’s starting eleven? Let’s hope not. With the FA Cup looking our best chance of silverware this season I hope he resists the urge to go with a squad team. Update, eighteen wickets fell, and the Nomads will not play a Carabao Cup Final at their current home ground that they cannot fill.
United too will face the same issues. It’s being reported that David de Gea is not travelling for the fixture and that Alexis Sanchez will feature. What was once the biggest fixture in the domestic calendar is still significant with the combatants locked on 44 points in fifth and sixth place in the Premier League. Thank goodness for goal difference. Tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-finalists are very much in our sights.
The ‘holic pound
United arrive at The Grove rejuvenated under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. As with our 22 game unbeaten run let’s not dismiss them for beating teams they should. There is no question we played much better in that run, and so too have United since the laughable special one left.
The bookies are clearly torn. 1-1 is a nervous favourite at 6/1. Then they think 2-1 either way at 8s or 9s. I have a stupid fancy for 2-0 to The Arsenal at a market best of 15/1. I’m on it, but well aware it could be bombed early doors. It’s not my usual type of punt.
That leaves me with posting this week’s ABW podcast, and wishing all ‘holics a good one, as ever. Thank you for putting up with my brevity.
63 Responses to “United Preview On A Busy Night”
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When I turned over to see how our first innings was panning out I couldn’t believe the WIndies were 57-! It was good to see the Totts crumble yet again with silverware in site although that trophy has Citeh’s name on it. Donkey Dier showed what a fluke that penalty against Colombia was.
I fancy us to triumph 2-1 in a great Cup tie. I think you are spot-on about the team. I would go with AMN at right back. I’d love Cech to finish his career with an Arsenal Cup win.
Ornstein reports we are in negotiations with PSG for Nkunku. I have a feeling we will see another arrival too.
Thanks for the preview Guvnor.
Personally I think there will be a
few goals in this one so I’ll plump
for 3-2 and a late goal to send
Manure home sickened. Be good
to pop their current feelgood bubble.
Short but sweet, Guv’nor. I’d happily take 2-0. Preferably a never-really-troubled 2-0, but that may be too much to ask.
Silly Second@previous drinks: I think Swiss Ramble is/was an accountant.
“I think Swiss Ramble is/was an accountant.”
yes, but he is the only accountant that…you know
however i know he likes the bunnymen
guess what…i like em too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt9EADASRL8
The sack for Thierry seems very
harsh. What the fuck do they expect?
This was the game, this was what we looked forward to and this was what differentiated the men from the boys, sadly now this has become another game except for the 2 involved. The FA cup definitely matters but maybe just maybe this is Arsenal vs manchester united feeling is gone.
On to the game and I expect a good game, defensive mistakes and a 2-2 draw. Niles and Monreal as fullbacks( if nacho fit), Mustafi and Sokratis to be the defensive pairing considering Kos cannot be played week in week out, Torriera, Xhaka, and Ramsey midfield and upfront Ozil, Laca and Auba, this is our best team for the league and anywhere else as well. I sincerely hope Emery plays this team, Cech in the goal of course.
I have never heard of Nkunku, if he is any good, get him for we are running short of players and we don’t have return dates at all for some.
Spurs bottling it or should i say Chelsea winning it, either way, makes no difference for city will win the finals. One thing you must admit, Kante and hazard are class acts.
When the world’s richest clubs were announced and MU finished 2nd/3rd on the list,it was curtly dismissed. It is this sort of arrogance and condescending attitude that has given rise to many anti MU fans.
Yes they have won 6/7 matches in a row. Its about time Emery prick a hole ego balloon . This kind of run has to stop somewhere.
The Norwegian may have agreat start but he is due ablip like the old rf.
Any winning margin will make me happy. I am sure all gooner fans agree with me.
Just about the first time I can recall anyone apologizing for their brevity. Odds on Alexis not scoring would be the only juicy tidbit you left out Guvnor.:)
Therry Henry sacking is one of the weirder managerial moves in many a moon methinks. Outre, even, and that would be with an accent agu on the final e. Titi to return to the telecasts?
Ned
A very helpful analysis of the financials in the last drinks .
You summed it up very well.
We are still needing to sell our best player every season if we don’t qualify for the Champions League . And that’s just to break even .
That doesn’t sound as if the vision of those who built the new stadium is likely to come to pass. Player wages are out of control across the game but allotting the right wages to the right players is a huge problem as one we’ve got radically wrong. The only hopes are that apart from qualifying we negotiate some more stonking commercial deals above and beyond what we have now , that the next TV deal is even more generous as new players like Netflix and Amazon up the ante and tgat we can maximise the value of the Arsenal Brand globally. But that is a very uncertain base on which to set your financial projections.
It’s also almost certain that Stan wouldn’t dip into KSE’s coffers to finance investment in the transfer market . We are highly likely to remain a selling club despite the fact that individual fans play among the highest prices in world football .
I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it
I’m about to lose control and I think I like it
1979?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnjBRNLsMDg
Would rather have Monreal at left back than Kola and anyone at right back instead of AMN. Well almost anyone. He’s not a right back.
Nervous for once!
It’s the big one!
Come OOOOOOOOOOOOON!
Come on lads let’s do us proud!
A large zobrówka for everyone in the bar!
Come on!
@15 Arthur the Hooner?
BTM
Bloody iPhone ?
Sokratis for Mus isn’t a fair swap
Like deducting one from us and adding one for them, OM.
We need to shoot from the distance, the keeper is shit
Nothing new, Murphy’s law, still on for 2:1
Bollocks to that!
Probably game over.
ATG you mean twice bollocks, right
Abysmal defence for God sake!
We continue to make shitty teams look good
double bollocks
suckered so easily
“It’s the big one!” @14
No, it is not!
FUC*ing cunt*
The Mustafi Affect is now in full swing.
It is so easy to pick off this no defence Arsenal. 0-2. It could end up 5 or 6 nil. End of this season’s run in FA Cup.
Hope Sokratis’s injury is not a serious one.
Man Utd is showing how to defend by not giving any space for our attackers whereas we let Lukaku, Sanchez and Lingard the run of our box. Terrible.
Sub Xhaka please he’s awful!
Why can’t we cross that ball in when taking corners?
Get in Auba!!!!
Ah stop ya whining!!
This is how do it!
Good start! Shit middle and very good end to that half!
We seem to lose interest if we don’t score too many passes not enough movement in the final third!
Ramsey just brilliant shame he’s off!
We can still do em but we need to squeeze them in the second!
We needed that goal.
Mustafi just scares the life out of me. He causes mass panic in the whole defence. Someone in midfield needs to hold more.
We need to be a bit sharper up front. We look a bit laboured at times.
Next goal is vital.
Point gun at own foot. Fire. Repeat.
Still, 3-2 is on! Live in hope.
COYGS
Oh my word Kosser now injures! Ffs
So Steve, are you saying we need to defend better, be stronger in mid-field and more dangerous in attack?
You used to keep it simple and simply demand ‘more width’.
Now Ozil earn your fecking money
GBH
bullies
These Mancs are sneaky bastards. They are good at kicking someone down and they know exactly what they are doing.
Hey Dexter, moaning is one of the few pleasures left for an Arsenal supporter so don’t take that away?
Attacking subs, three at the back?
And with those subs, we slip into tippy tap bullshit football mode.
Scary subs for Utd – Martial and Rashford both with loads of pace and just what we dread.
Correct ksn
And we continue with tiki fckn taka
What the hell was that all about?
Feel sorry for Cech, with that defence
Maybe now you can see why Ozil has been out of the side. Tippy tap tippy tap has killed the momentum completely. Little three yard passes with everyone getting under each other’s feet. Awful.
And then they break and it’s game over.
One game every three months he can pump these lads up for a game nothing else!
Bollocks and amen to that!
Tomorrow…and tomorrow… and…tomorrow…
Lingard is such a wanker. Hate the cunt completely.
I think that’s a bit harsh Arthur. We have been more than up for this. We have been very unlucky with injuries to our two best centre backs when we have been struggling at the back. Kos and Sokratis looked very good against the chavs. If we keep both of them on the pitch then I think we are a lot stronger.
We do need to find much more of a cutting edge.
Proper Fergie time. Just like the old days.
Steve T
I don’t think it’s harsh one bit we have to find a balance this squad is full of international players at front we were very offensive and did bugger all with that!
If the Chinese discover walking football and pump money into that, Ozil would have somewhere to ply his trade.
And on that note, I’m leaving to catch the train 🙂
Good luck with the report H
Arthur. That’s not about the team being pumped up or not. The fact is we’ve been anything but clinical. It’s got nothing to do with Emery getting them fired up.
Pile of shyte we were careless as the damage was done in the first half!
Hope Kosser and Sokratis will be ok for the next game!
That was a mugging.
The two injuries were untimely to a ‘T’.
Both knocked us out of rhythm and cost us the goals. Until Sokratis’ injury we looked really dominant. Focus completely on the league and the europa league now. Champions league football could be really crucial for the future of this football club in the Kroenke era.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Steve T
I get what you saying but as usual we were in our usual self destructive mode, simple tasks not executed as they should have been.
Auba scored but apart from that he had very quiet game. Ozil was brought on too late the game was over by then!