Still some 4th Round loose ends today, including another Liverpool derby (as if the last one wasn't heartbreaking or recent enough for the red half of the city), and a trip for the Gooners to the former roost of Aaron Ramsey, the youngster they lifted from Cardiff like the proverbial candy from a baby.
So come Arsene wth us after the jump. Maybe a liveblog for the 11am game from Anfield, but for now, here's your playground.
LINEUPS:
Cardiff: Enckelman, McNaughton, Gyepes, Roger Johnson, Kennedy, Rae, Parry, Ledley, Burke, Bothroyd, McCormack.
Subs: Heaton, Capaldi, Purse, Eddie Johnson, McPhail, Comminges, Blake.
Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Gibbs, Nasri, Ramsey, Song Billong, Eboue, Van Persie, Bendtner.
Subs: Almunia, Diaby, Gallas, Vela, Denilson, Wilshere, Adebayor.
Surely a straightforward win for the visitors, right?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
FA Cup Sunday Open Thread
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0-0 at the half, and we look uninspiring. Last 5 minutes contained several good opportunities for Cardiff with the ball bouncing around in the box, and then Bendtner misses a sitter
Between this match and yesterday's ManUre-Spurs debacle, I think the "magic of the Cup" must mean it's a work of magic that any of watch shite footy like this.
I can't believe I got up to watch this.
Switching from my 2007-08 Walcott jersey to my 2004-2005 Henry jersey...maybe the magic of that year's cup will bring the Gunners some luck.
Now the Gunners are huffing and puffing but still nothing.
An Eddie Johnson sighting!!
You're to blame for this, Spectator.
I know I am.... Should have never said it was good that Aston Villa got a replay. Bah.
No Keane in the squad today, wouldn't be shocked if he has played his last game.
Yeah, Rafa really needs to be given full control of transfers, as he averages about one good signing every eighteen months.
Beckham scores for Milan! GREATEST PLAYER EVERRRRRR!
I hope he dies, soon.
Georger, you thinking 'Pool sells Keane, or that Rafa lets him rot on the bench?
Posh Spice is flapper
She wears a WonderBra
And when she's shagging Beckham
She dreams of Ginola
Judging by how inept Rafa is, I would say he will manage to either let him rot or loan him, so there is no money coming pool's way.
"I think Robbie Keane has a future here. I wanted to pick 19 players, but could only have 18."
WOOO VOTE OF CONFIDENCE!
Two things we know for sure:
Germans love David Hasselhoff, and Spaniards hate Robbie Keane.
Is Howard wearing Khaki shorts?
Oh my god I've got a French stream. This language is ridiculous, it just sounds like a Python sketch.
Ronaldo'esque dive from Pieneeineenenear there. Get a haircut pillow biter.
Wow that is one of the dumbest bookings I've seen, why the hell would you go up for the ball like it's a game of volleyball? Excellent decision by the ref, oh how I loathe Cahill.
More lovely commentary from whoever the soccernet gamecast guy is
"Hold the phone! What a piece of trickery from Jamie Carragher! A little Cryuff turn foxing two Everton defenders before he slices his shot into the side netting. My word, the world has officially gone mad."
Pretty much.
I ran a six flat forty in high school and I'm fairly certain I could beat Dossena in a foot race.
My favorite! A shot going so wrong it ends up a throw in. Come on Babel you're better than that (or are you?).
Good morning, all. I'm watching either a French or Chinese broadcast of the Merseyside Derby; anyone have, you know...English?
I thought I had French, but it may be the language of Nien Numb, Lando Calrissian's copilot from Jedi, I just can't make up my mind.
Short corners: working since ... never.
i r a q g o a l s dotcom has been working for me... although we here condone internet piracy arrr
I'm fairly certain mine's Chinese, now; I can watch one of two, they're definitely different languages, but the color in one of them blows and I can't see the Liverpool players when I fullscreen it.
Maybe I should just pay for Setanta...?
The French 4 stream I got off myp2p is solid, pretty good picture quality and it is playing in winamp.
22 minutes in to my feed and I still am listening to the announcers, for some reason
Oh, I can't not listen...it's strangely fascinating.
Liverpool will be seeing Tim Cahill in their dreams!!
Two straight games with free headers off corners from Cahill.
I hate this team. Which team am I talking about? I don't even fucking know anymore.
@Georger - I'll have to try find to your stream to translate.
Also, LESCOTT!
I'm slowly remembering that the goal earlier this week wasn't actually a corner, by the way. It was pretty close, though.
Oh yeah it was a free kick from right near the corner wasn't it. Same thing essentially.
These Frenchies sure have some spunk though.
Three straight years without any silver (Community Shield doth not count) = Rafa gtfo.
Incidentally, Spectator's an awesome commenter who should be canonized. Thanks for the info.
What the fuck was that Babel? First rule of hockey, you don't stick handle in your defensive zone.
The one striker system is not working against a team that can actually defend (SHOCKING!), I'd put my nonexistent house on Rafa not making any tactical subs until at least the sixty five mark.
This sucks. I do have an English stream though... google around for Sports on some sort of Laptops
From the LFC forum
what notes can he possibly be making????
"note to self: never ever mark Cahill"
"note to self: never ever employ width"
"note to self: Kuyt is the greatest footballer on earth"
"note to self: pick up eggs and milk"
He's really hamstrung himself; I mean, what tactical change is there to make? Looking at the bench, I would probably take off Babel for Riera, but with Wigan on Wednesday I'm not sure you want him in. Every other bench player is of lesser quality than what's out there.
On the plus side: the Liverpool-Everton rivalry finally has some teeth to it again. We haven't had an enemy from across Stanley Park since the days of Southall and Cottee, and now Cahill is firmly it. Still, I wish he'd die in a fire.
Also, death to Dossena as well.
Magnakai: no need for massive changes. It's simple: get control of the midfield again. Everton play that frustrating, ankle-biting mode of football, and they stack their back 4 and midfield 4 only about 10 yards apart, leaving little to no room. Reassert the midfield and they'll break eventually. Neither Arbeloa nor Dossena can cross, so what's the point of still trying the wide route?
There's gonna be a sending off in this game, you can feel it.
I think it was last week that the commentator said that Everton only cost 25 million pounds to assemble. If true, that's pretty amazing.
Steve Finnan would be a better option on the right than Kuyt right now. He just is not a midfielder.
And Babel ...... if he is the next Henry, it ain't gonna be with LFC because he is d. u. n. done.
I would argue this is the worst team in England at corners. Absurd.
Nice rip by Mascherano.
I wonder if running a 3-5-2 would be a better use of the players Liverpool has. There's depth at centerback and two guys who can run forever and defend on the wings; you could really get the best players on the team on the field, AND dominate the midfield, with that lineup.
I doubt that as Fellaini cost 15 himself.
Say it again: it is no coincidence that Liverpool's highest ever point tally in a season came from a year when Gerrard played as a right winger.
Rafa is a bad manager. Plain and simple.
I would argue this is the worst team in England at corners. Absurd.
You obviously haven't seen many Spurs matches.
I can only think of one time in two years that they have scored from corners.
If Spurs take short corners when they actually have a few people that can cross, then I would agree with you.
Ah. I thought you meant at defending corners. We're shite at both, at any rate.
Oh yeah my bad, I should have clarified.
The highlights of the Watford/Palace game are sickening. That was like five of seven goals scored off corners, I cannot fucking fathom what that must be like, to actually get excited when your team gets a corner.
Let's see, leaving out some of the fringe players, and according to Wikipedia and other sites...
Howard = 3 million
Hibbert = homegrown
Baines = 5 million
Lescott = 5 million
Yobo = 5 million
Jagielka = 4 million
Neville = 3.5 million
Valente = 1.5 million
Arteta = 2 million
Cahill = 1.5 million
Pienaar = 2 million
Osman = homegrown
Vaughn = homegrown
Saha = free
Yakubu = 11.25 million
Fellaini = 15 million
Anchibe = homegrown
So that's 55.75 million pounds... More than 25 million, but still, not a lot to produce this team. (And yes I have way too much free time.)
I just realized that I'm wearing a blue shirt. Maybe THAT'S the problem.
If you subtract their sales I would imagine it's close.
Still, that is incredibly impressive. Especially considering LFC has 70 million worth of strikers and can't buy a goal, literally.
Yeah. It's to the point now, where when Spurs are awarded a corner, I consider it a goal kick, and when the opponent is awarded one, I consider it a goal conceded.
And with Yakubu and Fellaini not in this game, that's probably about 25 million in players on the field.
My three year old just called Jamie Carragher "gross".
Carragher gets booked for complaining to the ref in the tunnel, Ferguson gets knighted for it. I don't understand the British, but I am starting to understand how the empire crumbled.
Gamecast running ahead apparently, I guess Gerrard scored.
oh my GOD what a setup
Howard really should have saved that one.
I'm no 'Pool fan - but I think Rafa needs a bit of Benayoun in the middle now to keep the momentum going after the Gerrard goal...
The width isn't there and Everton's tight line can deal with the poor crossing.
Yossi can come in - form a bit of a triangle up the gut with Torres and Gerrard, use his twinkle toes on those "Slow but steady" Hibbert's, Baines' and P Neville's of the world, and perhaps some trickery will lead to the game winner.
BEAUTIFUL backheel from Torres to set up Gerrard.
terrible goalkeeping.
yup - poor keeping from Timmay.
but Torres was brilliant
in unrelated but related excitement... I REALLY need ESPN to buy Prem League TV rights because these Spanish/French on for 10 minutes, off for 5 minutes bullshit JustinTV, Sopcast, P2P feeds, are like trying to watch the half-fuzzed out half-clear Playboy Channel no 98 as an 11 year old when the whole family has already gone to sleep.
Bad dive by Mascherano
and of course, while on the ground he looks up at the Ref and waves his imaginary card - classic Javy.
Riera gets the 15 min run out. Benayoun needs to move if Israel are to have have any chance of WC Qualification. So much talent just WASTED on the bench.
Yossi can't expect to get any time when Kuyt is easily the frontrunner for the Golden Ball this year.
Dossena just dying to go back to Italy.
Pienass with a classy trip, I really don't like that guy.
Wow. Jagielka. Most under-rated defender in EPL (suck it Barclay's) this season?
As for Benayoun:
It's a shame for Yossi because at West Ham, Racing Santander, & Haifa - he was given the "influencer" role - almost Gerrard-esque in the attacking half and he thrived as a SUPERB assist man / free kicks / creative runs - but at 'Pool he has obviously been shifted to the wing since no one does the Gerrard better than Gerrard and Yossi has just been put out of position for going on 2 years now.
Torres clearly picked up a knock yet Rafa makes no attempt to sub him. It isn't as if he is the only chance of saving this joke of a season or anything.
Question for the 'Pudlians: Would you rather have had a loss than the replay to keep the schedule lighter?
League is slipping away. Champions League looks like a taller order than it did 2 weeks ago. The FA Cup might be winnable. A couple of wins in the league might right the ship, but a couple of more draws and you're also scared of Villa.
And really, if there is only one thing you tell your team before taking the pitch wouldn't it be: "Oh, and make sure you mark that Aussie prick on set pieces."
No, because even if they don't give a shit about the Cup, which they do judging by the XI, they can just throw youngsters out there next time.
Still, whatever, its over.
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