Not Really A Shock As Arsenal’s FA Cup Run Ends

Stoke City (3) – (1) Arsenal
Denilson (42′)
The Britannia Stadium, Stoke

What can you say about that?

Arsene only played 2 first team players (Fabregas and Denilson) and we lost 3-1. Stoke scored in the first 70 seconds from a trademark throw-in we didn’t deal with, and although Arsenal played their reserves Fabregas added that bit of quality which made Arsenal tick.

I did wonder why of all the players, Fabregas was picked in the starting line-up – surely he is the one player you would want to protect going into massive league games against Villa, United, Chelsea and Liverpool?

Ramsey would have been an adequate replacement, and one he was introduced in the second half Arsenal looked more lively.

The game could have gone either way in fairness, and as the scores were level in the second half and we were controlling all the possession, Stoke hit us with a sucker punch and from then on the game was over.

I can’t be bothered doing individual player ratings, but Walcott in particular was awful. I joke that he’s just a sprinter but today he didn’t help his cause. All that pace, no control or composure on the ball – you wonder if they kid has actually progressed since he arrived. I’m not expecting Maradona-esque control after returning from injury but I would expect one or two signs of quality. And he’s not a kid anymore, he’s 21 now.

Sol Campbell on the other hand, and Silvestre, both had decent games. Both made some last ditch tackles and overall did well. Fabianski was hit and miss, and wouldn’t have Almunia losing any sleep about the number one jersey.

Traore was his usual self – shaky at the back but offers that something in the attacking third, and Eastmond, Coquelin and Thomas were reserve players thrown in at the deep end. Vela was on the periphery as usual and couldn’t impose himself on the game.

Substitutes Arshavin and Eduardo couldn’t get into the game when they were introduced but Ramsey added something to Arsenal’s attacking play.

In the end, Stoke were in our faces, never gave us any time on the ball and were very physical. I did think their tackling was over the top at times but the referee wasn’t interested in protecting our players.

Summary?

Well Arsene rested his first team players, played his reserves and tried to nick a passage into the next round of the FA Cup. If we won, then fine but if we didn’t then it would hardly make much of a difference on our season. The fact is a lot of supporters weren’t too bothered about today’s game because Arsene hasn’t had the FA Cup as a priority for about four seasons now. The fact that Liverpool, United and now Arsenal are out shows how (sadly) the FA Cup has been devalued over the years.

I do have to mention the ITV coverage was hugely biased, and the whole incident where Arsenal won a free-kick from a handball was hilarious. For a solid 5 minutes, the commentator was moaning about how it didn’t hit his arm and there wasn’t any intent so it shouldn’t have been a free-kick. Then they showed the reverse angle (where it clearly hit his arm) and he soon shut up. How ridiculous.

I understand they’re all for shocks in the cup, but to w*nk over Stoke like they were Real Madrid for 90 minutes was uncomfortable to watch.

 

19 thoughts on “Not Really A Shock As Arsenal’s FA Cup Run Ends

  1. Sol and Sylvestre were by far our best players. Eastmond didn’t do too much wrong either. JET and Couquelin got better as the game went on. I thought we could nick it when we made the subs. BTW why 3 subs in one go? Wenger was playin a risky game.

     
  2. What a sorry B team we got. Best youth academy my ass. Ridiculous line-up, shitty play, shitty players and a game plan with no brains attached to it. Screw that, but at least we still got hope for big time this season.

     
  3. me again. Delap and that blue towel really cheesed me off. Its like our players changing boots or the groundskeepers quickly watering the pitch during a throw in.

     
  4. TA, I disagree, I believe that entire back line was deplorable, and if it weren’t for them we may have had a chance.

     
  5. SOL was awesome,SILVEST should never play 4 arsenal again,he causes PANIC everytime he plays.

    Sack the goal-keeping coach!!!!!

     
  6. Would have preferred a win than a defeat but I don’t really care that much about this result. Fair play to Stoke; now let’s fix our eyes on the big prizes. We have bigger fish to fry than the FA cup this season.

    Arsene was right to play a weakened side given the injury crisis.

    Fabianski was average, Coquelin was truly frightful, Sol and Sylvestre were OK, Traore was poor, Cesc was good, Denilson was OK, Eastmond was OK, Vela was poor, JET was average and Walcott was abysmal.

     
  7. I agree Walcott has serious confidence problems. Whilst I understand he has been out that should not affect your control on the ball. He looks woeful. It was nice to see someone win headers in the back with some authority, Campbell did well, but the flanks were awful. Traore is in the Walcott mode, no confidence. His defending is terrible maybe a reserve midfield option is his future. I think if JET got more support and quality service he could have done well, I was encouraged with what I saw. His physical presence is good, he won some headers (haven’t seen that in a while) and he has good touches. Overall, to many reserves to win. Now lets win these games we have coming up. GO Gunners!

     
  8. I think the ref of the game is horrible, there was at least 6 seconds D14 dry his ball, how can he allowed? Stock played phycisc games, and ref should protect the player after the ball was released.

     
  9. ITV are a bunch of wankers. They moaned about Arsenal’s freekick (whatever happened to still having to defend the set-piece?) and yet made light of Delap taking fucking ages on EVERY throw in! And the tackles were a disgrace. Fabregas could have been severely injured by Shawcunt and Delaps late, late challenge on Silvestre was a joke. The number of times their players fly into tackles (and very late too) was shocking. The referee was shite.

    The kids didn’t stand a chance. Too many changes and the team loses its flow. You can’t blame them at all for thrown into a patched up side.

    I thought the two old timers at the back had really good games, but were let down by the two full backs.

    Stoke are just a rougher, dirtier version of Wimbledon and won’t get far. But with Peter Reid involved what else would you expect.

     
  10. What a waste of time!! If Wenger was seriously interested in throwing the game, why bother with the subs at all? Start a side with an average height of 5’10 made up of youngsters, chronic underachievers, and a couple of fossils and this is what we can expect. I agree that Fabregas and Denilson should never have been risked. This is just the kind of game to have one of them break his leg and there goes our season. Kudos to Stoke, they did what you would expect and they ever took their chance on the counter. I see this as a win for Wenger; at least now the kids know what it’s like to have to fight and the baggage like Vela and Walcott can’t moan about their lack of playtime. Beyond this, our depth is stretched to the breaking point with no relief on the horizon. Sell Walcott and buy ASAP!

     
  11. Fabregas can dictatevthe tempo in the middle of the park; Ramsey’s can’t (not there yet).

    It makes a huge difference, especially considering we had a relatively inexperienced midfield.

    Not including Fabregas would’ve signalled to the vultures (British press) an intent to throw the game.

     
  12. I am an old fart and us old farts still think of the fa cup as important and it is difficult to appreciate that it isn’t these days. fact.

    good to see uncle sol again. not bad given that he hasn’t played this season. not bad at all.

    keep is poor (sorry!) and i don’t really rate denilson either. and haven’t seen mucvh from vela either.

    let’s hope aw brings in a few more before d day. but i doubt he will.

    one bit of good news: arsenal do have a truly brilliant young keeper. he’s on loan at brentford. 6’4″, top class and doesn’t panic.

     
  13. I’d have said opportunity missed there, BUT if Mr Wenger learns from
    this game that Fabianski and Silvestre have no future at AFC I’ll be happy.
    I’m pissed off that in the news all yesterday and today Stoke were quoted saying they’ll kick us off the ball, and when the commentator interviewed the prick at the end he goes “we got in there faces right from the start and stopped them playing”
    The spirit of fair play in the FA cup lives on….

     
  14. This was another example of how much we need some new quality signings and to get rid of the deadwood we have (Silvestre, fabianski, denilson, eboue, clichy, traore and gallas being the deadwood). I’d just love for us to sign dzeko, yaya toure and a good left-back (as gibbs is injured) but don’t think its gunna happen. Please arsene sign somebody good, we need more players as the squad is well stretched at the mo and there is certainly no sign of the injuries letting up which aint good news considering the fixture lineup that is ahead

     
  15. errmmm tosspot who said that we dont have the best youth academy just coz we lost 1 f*****g game against thugs really… and btw remeber that we have like 10 players injured…. and 2 in africa!
    diaby,rvp,sagna,song,eboue,djourou, and some others who ive forgottwen but still playin fab was uneccessary!

     
  16. Another thing, can someone please tell me why we are packing senderos’s bags and keeping silvestre??? I know senderos aint the best put he has proven he can come in when asked and do a decent job on occasion which is a damn sight more than silvestre has ever done. A perfect example is when we went all the way to the CL final setting a Champions League record for 10 clean sheets on the trot in which senderos played in 7 of them games, how many clean sheets have we kept with that man u reject

     

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