Arsenal (H) - FA Cup | Post Match Thread

[the blue panther]

Didn’t the rags beat you guys recently? Seems like 100 percent of teams United plays better at home. Oh no the shock and horror that Arsenal will probably do the same. To me sounds like you are trying to turn this into a statement match to reassure yourself

We're champions of England and enjoying chasing you down. Maybe you didn't see the Manchester derbies this season - never mind. You need to go away and do some research on the 2 games, then come back and pontificate as much as you want, if you feel that's appropriate.
While you're researching, check out a few seasons back, when Liverpool made a better start than you - having 51 points at this stage - and we chased them down from 8 points back. Or 2012 when we were 8 points behind United with 6 games to play and we chased them down.
It's serial winners chasing serial bottlers, with Arteta looking like a frantic amateur on the touchline as his panic attacks increase.
Arteta came back to Papa on Friday and had his arse spanked. He blinked and didn't put out his strongest team, and lost. It's understandable - he wouldn't want to have started his strongest team and lost. You're here trying to excuse a defeat and find solace, which reveals how nervy you are about what's to come in the 2nd half of the season. As always, we're gonna enjoy the ride.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Having watched the match (finally) there's something I take from it that is I think more significant than the result.
Mikel Arteta worked hand in hand with Pep for several years. Pep certainly learned from him — he's said it, if there's one thing Pep likes doing it's blowing smoke up the opponent's arse; hey, maybe it's sincere — but Arteta certainly learned more from Pep. He knows how Pep sets up, he knows his tactical preferences, hell, he knows how he thinks. And he saw that, day after day, week after week, with City players applying it.
Until you actually play a team, you don't really know them. For sure, Arteta and his players knew a lot more about City than we did about them. This Arsenal is a different beast to previous seasons (although the signs were developing at the Emirates match last season). Now we've played them, and I think it's taken away that slight advantage. They'll have Ødegard and Martinelli from the start next time, for sure, but they'll essentially play the same way. We now know. Won't be easy to stop, and I'll admit that they impressed me, but the players now know exactly how it's going to be.
I think that's more significant than the actual result. Plus the fact that we dealt with them, of course, and we're virtually the only team along with Newcastle United to have done that.

By the way, on current form, Ortega's definitely a better shot-stopper than Ed. But his distribution's pretty shit, let's face it. In any case, it's not comparable. Which is fair enough. I'd still pick Ed for league matches, just for that factor.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

It was like Arsenal TV between the twat Dixon and Mr Wright in the studio. We had bloody Roy Keane in our corner for balance?!!! Lol

If we ever saw a piccy of tv ex-pro footballers on a seesaw the whole fuckin' lot of 'em would be sitting on the same end and moaning that the playground equipment wasn't working as it should do!

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Crazy how we knocked out the current best team in England and still the majority of what I've been reading across several threads is just negative bollocks from the same clueless fucking morons you usually expect to see in there.

God, I fucking despise the user base of this site.

 

[Ederson1000YardDrive]

Having watched the match (finally) there's something I take from it that is I think more significant than the result.
Mikel Arteta worked hand in hand with Pep for several years. Pep certainly learned from him — he's said it, if there's one thing Pep likes doing it's blowing smoke up the opponent's arse; hey, maybe it's sincere — but Arteta certainly learned more from Pep. He knows how Pep sets up, he knows his tactical preferences, hell, he knows how he thinks. And he saw that, day after day, week after week, with City players applying it.
Until you actually play a team, you don't really know them. For sure, Arteta and his players knew a lot more about City than we did about them. This Arsenal is a different beast to previous seasons (although the signs were developing at the Emirates match last season). Now we've played them, and I think it's taken away that slight advantage. They'll have Ødegard and Martinelli from the start next time, for sure, but they'll essentially play the same way. We now know. Won't be easy to stop, and I'll admit that they impressed me, but the players now know exactly how it's going to be.
I think that's more significant than the actual result. Plus the fact that we dealt with them, of course, and we're virtually the only team along with Newcastle United to have done that.

By the way, on current form, Ortega's definitely a better shot-stopper than Ed. But his distribution's pretty shit, let's face it. In any case, it's not comparable. Which is fair enough. I'd still pick Ed for league matches, just for that factor.

Given we're likely to concede more shots to Arsenal maybe we should play Ortega? Agree he seems to be a decent stopper.

Think pep will still pick Eddie though.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

We're champions of England and enjoying chasing you down. Maybe you didn't see the Manchester derbies this season - never mind. You need to go away and do some research on the 2 games, then come back and pontificate as much as you want, if you feel that's appropriate.
While you're researching, check out a few seasons back, when Liverpool made a better start than you - having 51 points at this stage - and we chased them down from 8 points back. Or 2012 when we were 8 points behind United with 6 games to play and we chased them down.
It's serial winners chasing serial bottlers, with Arteta looking like a frantic amateur on the touchline as his panic attacks increase.
Arteta came back to Papa on Friday and had his arse spanked. He blinked and didn't put out his strongest team, and lost. It's understandable - he wouldn't want to have started his strongest team and lost. You're here trying to excuse a defeat and find solace, which reveals how nervy you are about what's to come in the 2nd half of the season. As always, we're gonna enjoy the ride.

I have it on good authority that one buttock was smacked somewhat gently, and the other was fondly caressed.

 

[JewelZee]

Stupidly, guess what? I already said De Bruyne has been out of form, but he's still a better option than "x" because he has the quality to deliver a pass at the right time, non? Oh shit, we HAVE seen that! Whereas Bernardo, which you've not bothered to back in your response but chose to deflect, has done...?

Gundogan has come in and controlled the mid, doing what I said would, could and should do, making himself a nuisance, making the attack better supported as well as an outlet for defence. Again, I'll repeat about Bernardo, what I said earlier, except been the outlet that retains and passes back.

I love Bern but he, in no way at the moment, deserves a starting berth over Gundogan, outside of injury and natural rotation.

But, you see it differently and that's fine.

I'm never going to doubt KDB's ability or Gundogan's nuance but for me at this time neither are anywhere near their peak in terms of performance. Gundo isn't remotely near the form he displayed in '20-21 or even parts of last year. And KDB looks ragged, slow, and sloppy more often than not. I have never seen a slow, sloppy Bernardo even on his worst day. We can agree to disagree, that is OK, but I just don't see how we can accomplish anything this season, let alone catch Arsenal, with KDB and Gundo paired together in their current form. Not that I need anyone's backing, but I believe I'm far from the only City supporter who feels this way at this time. If Pep continues in this direction I have no choice but to hope I'm proven wrong on this one.

 

[KS55]

We are becoming very Spursy. Crap first half followed by much better second half. Do they really need a Pep talk to get them going?

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

We are becoming very Spursy. Crap first half followed by much better second half. Do they really need a Pep talk to get them going?

Well, even the first half, I just didn't see it that way. Initially, for twenty minutes, we were rattled by them, and looked panicky. We didn't like their press, and we didn't look comfortable with their one-touch passing. And it took two good saves by Ortega to keep us in the match.
As the half wore on, I felt we got their measure more and more. And frankly, I have it very even over the whole half. Except, as I say, for those first twenty minutes.

 

[KS55]

I'm never going to doubt KDB's ability or Gundogan's nuance but for me at this time neither are anywhere near their peak in terms of performance. Gundo isn't remotely near the form he displayed in '20-21 or even parts of last year. And KDB looks ragged, slow, and sloppy more often than not. I have never seen a slow, sloppy Bernardo even on his worst day. We can agree to disagree, that is OK, but I just don't see how we can accomplish anything this season, let alone catch Arsenal, with KDB and Gundo paired together in their current form. Not that I need anyone's backing, but I believe I'm far from the only City supporter who feels this way at this time. If Pep continues in this direction I have no choice but to hope I'm proven wrong on this one.

I tend to agree with you. Current players have done wonders for us but the midfield is beginning to creak and we must look to the future.
I favour Foden as a No. 10, with Haaland and Alvarez up front. Midfield three would be Rod plus two, maybe Jack and Bellingham. We would then need full backs to provide width.
Pep doesn’t like a No. 10, hmmm…..