Well, today is the proverbial biggest game of the season for Arsenal and Manchester United. The preview and inevitable pre-game transfer rumors are both out of the way. Now it's time to get down to business.
As the irrepressible Arseblog said in his call to arms: Manchester United are not our rivals, not our competitors, not our peers: they are the enemy. Treat them as such.
Lineups and your comments after the hop.
Arsenal (4-4-2): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Gibbs, Walcott, Fabregas, Song, Nasri, Van Persie, Adebayor. Subs: Fabianski, Eboue, Silvestre, Diaby, Denilson, Vela, Bendtner
Man Utd (4-5-1): Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Park, Ronaldo, Rooney. Subs: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Evans, Giggs, Scholes, Berbatov, Tevez
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239 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 239 of 239Good to see Rafael already has the United whiny face down pat. Wonder if that's an integral part of training.
Glad to see that, with nine minutes left, Arsenal's realized the game started.
Arsene's got a textbook facepalm going on.
@ MG: I'll be sobbing when they buy Babel, though. He's the personnel mistake you can see Rafa making from two seasons away.
Player grades:
Nasri: B
Everyone else: F-
Fans vote Stevie G PFA Player of the Year. I think the difference in performances between Gerrard and Giggs are so disparate that one can only think that the vote was rigged for Giggs.
"'ll be sobbing when they buy Babel, though"
Nah. He's going back to Ajax. Babel and five million for Suarez.
"It hasn't been Arsenal's night."
Derek Rae, like Musberger but with an accent.
This transfer season promises to be both interesting and infuriating, but I guess that can be said for every transfer season. The only one I think is going to happen for certain is Barry.
And United will say they're not doing anything, then buy another thirty million pound striker.
I still don't get how Barry fits into the mix.
Ronaldo's gone, and as much as it pains, me, so is Tevez. 30 million seems a little low for what will be paid for Benzema. And I don't want to think about what will get spent on Ribery. Absolutely ridiculous.
Or a 63 million pound winger. I really, really want the Glazers to lose all their money.
If Barry goes to Liverpool... I don't know what I'll do. I have no idea why we'd want him!
"as much as it pains"
Wait are you a United fan?
I want a center back with the size of Gooch, the tenacity of Gattuso, and the skills of Maldini.
Is that too much to ask for?
@epi: The best explanation I heard was that he's versatile...but really, he's only versatile because he can sort of play a lot of positions we don't need him to play, and flat out can't play the one position we'll need him to if Babel leaves.
Barry's who we play instead of Lucas when Masch or Xabi can't. Also, he might take Javier's place against the Stokes and Wolves of the League. I think it's a decent move, especially since we'll get him for about 10 million less than the asking price last year.
Yes, Mike. I am one of those monsters. I plan on killing and eating my dog tonight as a sacrifice to the Gods for victory, even though it's her birthday.
That was the worst 90 minutes of the year.
Adam Hammill or Paul Anderson will be regular bench fixtures next year, I can feel it.
They really aren't that far off. They need a supporting striker if they aren't sure Nemeth is ready, and they need a right back to cover for Darby.
@Haaskivi: Why are we buying him again? Oh, he must be that one transfer a year that Rafa gets horribly wrong and wastes more money on. That must be it. OK, got it.
Jay Spearing should fill in Lucas' role. And in a pinch, Plessis.
The only reason to buy Barry is to play him at left back. And frankly, I've heard worse ideas (Heinze, Gabby).
How did Anderson do for Forest this year? I know he was pretty good for Swansea last year.
He was playing well until he shattered his arm and wrist in a really nasty nasty fall.
videoAbout fifty seconds in.
"I really, really want the Glazers to lose all their money."
Maybe we can facilitate the process. I heard the Glazers supplied Michael Vick with puppies.
God damnit, that was bad.
Doubtful, PR. Glazer made his fortune on trailer parks. With the way the economy's looking, he may come out money ahead.
Really? Always wondered where their money came from.
Two words: Nazi Gold
Agreed, That was the worst 90 mins since last year @ Anfield - but at least I am not pissed at the refs this time. It was over before it ever got started rather than the elation of that great Theo goal getting promptly flushed down the toilet a minute later.
I'll stand up and clap. A few months ago I didnt think Arsenal could beat anyone, so one game from the finals ain't too bad.
It may or may not have taken me 10 minutes to write that all out. That figure doesn't include the 5 minutes it took me to realize "Georger" will never be correctly spell-checked by Blogger.
Not until I'm infamous.
Well that was definitely one of the most painful matches I have had the pleasure of watching. Ref was totally in the tank for Man U for most of the game. That being said, Arsenal were quite simply nowhere to be found tonight. Came out strong in the first five minutes, then gave up by the 10th.
Terrible. Tube ride back from the pub was dead silent; most people were coming from the match and everyone was just sort of staring at their shoes. And honestly, if it turns out to be another Chelsea-Man U final, I will strangle someone. Ideally Cristiano Ronaldo, diving cunt that he is.
That was the absolute worst half-day I've ever taken off from work. 11 minutes in, and I had to freaking wonder if Arsenal even KNEW what game they were playing? Fuck the world if we get a freaking Hollywood sequel tomorrow...If Barca doesn't dick-stomp Spartak, my liver may never recover...
And Sarah, please find CR and unleash your anger if Chelski win tomorrow - the world would be a better place without him...I've never seen a douche I've hated so much without personally meeting/interacting with them...
I didn't waste 1.5 days of vacation to then watch another day of vacation get wasted by a sequel of last year. There is only so much enjoyment I can take from CR and EBJT missing penalties, no matter how much I drink...
Dear Professor: guess who would have come in handy this year? Lassana Diarra. Ring a bell? Ever heard the name before?
Please, please, please, Barcelona, let me get what I want...
you crushing ManUre in the final 4-1.
You want Utd to even get one, jjf3? Fuck that.
If Chelsea and United meet in the CL finals again it means only one thing: the (g)ods have a sense of humor, but no one is laughing excepting them.
I didn't even watch the final last year. I couldn't decide which team I wanted to lose more, so either team winning would have made me angry. I did watch the replay of the penalties though, to laugh at JT.
@EF: No, I don't want ManUre to get even one. I'm just being slightly realistic, as Barca's backline are, um, a wee bit porous, to put it kindly...
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