FA Cup Quaterfinals: Arsenal v Manchester United; Match Preview

It used to be that matches between Arsenal and Manchester United were the staples of the season. Fergie and Wenger going at each other like two mad men. The teams going at each other like the match were a bar room brawl. Ah, those were the good ol’ days.

But in recent years the good ol’ days have been replaced by not so good days. Arsenal have taken one tack in development and United another. Arsenal took a step back to produce their own talent while United had a mix of older, proven players, intermixed with talent from the reserves. For Arsenal it has meant 5 very lean season. For United it has meant fighting off the emergence of Chelsea with their sugar daddy Russian. In terms of the Arsenal v United rivalries things chilled.

That was until this season. In his first interview this week, since his self-imposed media ban, Fergie came right out and said the re-emergence of Arsenal in the title race was unexpected to him and almost everyone else. He went on to say he thought the title race would be between United and Chelsea with City and Spurs fighting to push out Arsenal.  In his telling of it, he was almost whistful for old times.

Such as it is that when the two teams meet this Saturday on the pitch at Old Trafford, old acquaintances will be met once again. Both teams have not had very good runs. The Arsenal misery is well known. For United it has been two losses in a row and an investigation into Fergie’s comments about the state of referees in the FA. Neither manager has been joyful.

Both teams will need some sort of result. For United, losing again would be paramount to indicating that a full fledged crisis were about to ensue. For Arsenal it would signal to certain camps that the March swoon is full gear. Both things can mean only one thing – this might actually be an FA Cup match to watch.

I am mixed on what kind of side Fergie will put out. He has a Champion’s League against Marseille in the midweek so he could go with a mix of starters and reserves. For Arsenal there is now no such Champion’s League to chase. It is all or nothing on two runs in the domestic scene. That means it is likely that a first team squad will play with maybe one exception.

For the midfield to go it needs an engine. Our key choice is out due to his lingering thigh injury. That would leave Rosicky as the main choice and likely even though I have someone else in mind, will still be the choice. But I am going to come out and say it – Rosicky has been woeful. He has had some good moments but overall he is just not the player he was before his lingering injuries. So to me bringing him in as our cog is not in the team’s best interest. That is why I want Wenger to bring in Aaron Ramsey. Let Ramsey get back in this one. He showed at Cardiff that he is not showing any lingering physical or mental after effects of the broken ankle. He has the requisite speed and skill I think to partner successfully in the midfield with Jack Wilshere. I say give him the shot. Sadly though, as much as I would like to think Wenger reads YAMA, I think it will be Rosicky starting.

Starting in goal will be Manuel Almunia who looked to be gone in January but Fabianski’s injury kept him here. Now with the injury to Szczesny, Almunia gets a chance at redemtion, or at least a chance to have two months showcasing his skills before he is sold off. This is a perfect opportunity. He is playing behind to better center-halfs than he has had recently and if he can somehow be solid enough to keep Arsenal fighting for the title and for the FA Cup, he could still wind up with a cushy job somwhere (just not at Arsenal). I think he days are numbered and he is going to want to prove something to everyone, especially those of us (like me) who have been clamoring for his head.

It’s been a deadly two weeks for Arsenal. The mistake that cost them the Carling Cup and then getting jettisoned out of the Champion’s League were right on top of each and have brought out the boo birds in force. The quadruple was never a reality. I don’t think I heard anyone from the club say they would win them all- just that they were competing in them. Well now they are down to two. Wenger has his hands full trying to get his charges to move beyond Tuesday’s debacle.  Again his managerial skills are going to be called on. He is going to have to show that he can get this team up after such a drastic fall.  Will he remains to be seen.

Probable Starting XI:

YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 1
Manchester United: 1

As always game day chat is open come on in at match time: www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat

The Final Word:

Arsenal are currently looking for a keeper on an emergency loan. Wenger has someone in mind but in his press conference said he would not release the name. Rumours are circulating that it is Allan McGregor of Rangers who was interestingly left on the bench for the Gers tie against PSV Eindhoven. Szcesny is likely to be out until April. The squad cannot call back Mannone because he was injured whilst out on loan to Hull. So four keepers looked good at the start of the season but now we only have. Wenger will have one signed this weekend I believe. Though sitting on the bench for Arsenal will be reserve keeper James Shea.

Finally, this word on being a fan. We’ve all had our arguments over the team and the club and the direction it is going in. However, none of us should ever doubt that we are Gooners and that even though we are happy or absolutely pissed at our club, it is our club that matters to us. That is why when I was listening about the NFL’s decertification I listened with interest to a fan who had this to say about whether or not they would watch the NFL when it came back from a lock out – and I paraphrase here – “I learned long ago to separate myself from the business side of sport lest it tear me up. Now I sit in front of my TV and watch sports for the entertainment of it. You have to ask yourself like Russell Crowe did – “Are you not entertained.” If your not move on.” And that’s it. When watching Arsenal, I think you have to just ask yourself are you entertained? That what sports are. They are a form of entertainment. True my heart aches with every failure of any of my sports teams. But I always get over it because it is just entertainment. We need to maybe think about that more as we sit and argue and bitch at other about the team. Be prideful but remember this is entertainment.

Until then . . .

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