FA Cup Fifth Round Draw, 26th Jan (ITV1, after Chelsea - Stoke), 17:35

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1 Sunderland
2 Cardiff City
3 Southampton
4 Charlton Athletic
5 Brighton & Hove Albion
6 Nottingham Forest or Preston North End
7 Hull City
8 Sheffield Wednesday
9 The Arsenal. :bow:
10 Everton
11 Wigan Athletic
12 Chelsea
13 Manchester City
14 Liverpool
15 Swansea City
16 Sheffield United or Fulham

Ties to be played on the weekend of 15 and 16 February 2014

Come on Arsenal. :bow:

[milla]

Next round, Arsenal FC vs AFC Bournemouth :good:

[Marc Overmars]

As always, a pub team at home please.

[Özil's Panoramic View]

As always, a pub team at home please.

"Why?"

[Niall_Quinn]

Away to Watford I would think.

[Munchies]

Away to Watford I would think.

Wouldn't mind that myself :coffee:

[Syn]

Would plow numbers 1-8.

[milla]

At home to Nottingham Forest would not be bad either. :coffee:

[WMUG]

Huddersfield or Hull away would do me nicely :)

[Ollie the Optimist]

Nottingham forest away. would love to go there

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Thread updated.

[WMUG]

Thread updated.

In which case, Hull, Sheffield Wednesday or Sunderland away plox.

[Marc Overmars]

Bet we get City away.

[Özim]

Bet we get City away.

I really hope not, that would be very bad and the end of our cup run.

[Niall_Quinn]

That's the spirit!

[Penguin]

If the 5th round fixture wasn't wedged between the Man Utd and Bayern matches I wouldn't mind City away actually. It would be a great chance to correct our pathetic display in the league match against them and knock out our biggest competition for the FA Cup.

But playing against Liverpool, United, City and then Bayern in a row would be overkill. We need a nice, easy draw so we can rest everyone.

[Munchies]

Hoping for a shitty team at home.

Will consider going to the game if it is.

Charlton wouldn't be bad, been a while .

[Xhaka Can’t]

Remember that day they schooled us?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

This is on soon. If we get Chelsea or Citeh I am kicking somebody in the nuts.

[Munchies]

Remember that day they schooled us?

:lol: Bad times. I mainly remember Henry's FK, Di Canio's pelanty, and RVC's goal when I think of Charlton in recent times

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Andros Townsend and his dad are doing the draw. :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

It's time!

[Niall_Quinn]

His dad looks likea fat wrighty

[McNamara That Ghost...]

:popcorn:

[Munchies]

Andros Townsend and his dad are doing the draw. :lol:

They both look like cunts

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Man City vs Chelsea!

:haha:

[GP]

:popcorn:

[Niall_Quinn]

Gypos vs chavs lol

[Munchies]

YES !!!!!!!

[GP]

Something else for Mourinho to moan about.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Sheffield United or Fulham vs Nottingham Forest or Preston.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

The Arsenal. :bow:

Vs Liverpool.

Ouch.

[GP]

Liverpool! :lol:

[Munchies]

Meh, atleast we're at home.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

:haha::haha:


INb4 Mourinho moaning about the fixture list being biased to us. :haha:

[GP]

We'll beat them.

Again.

[Niall_Quinn]

Lol fixed draw. How do they do it? Different texture on the balls maybe?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Brighton vs Hull.

Cardiff vs Wigan.

[Niall_Quinn]

Top four all against each other. Close on impossible for that to happen by accident.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Sheffield Wednesday vs Charlton.

Sunderland vs Southampton. :popcorn:

Everton vs Swansea.

[Marc Overmars]

FFS. :doh:

[Munchies]

Mourinho :haha:

[WMUG]

Top four all against each other. Close on impossible for that to happen by accident.

It's pretty unlikely to flip a coin and get 7 heads in a row as well, but if you flip it 100 times, then there's something like a 1/3 chance of it happening.

Then again, this is football.

[RomfordPele]

Not sure I get the conspiracy. Why would they want all four top teams against each other? Surely they want marquee draws later on?

[Xhaka Can’t]

Something else for Mourinho to moan about.

This is even worse than Wenger's fixture computer.

[Munchies]

Liverpool (A) (League)
United (H)
Liverpool (H)
Bayern (H)

:popcorn: :faint:

[Niall_Quinn]

It's pretty unlikely to flip a coin and get 7 heads in a row as well, but if you flip it 100 times, then there's something like a 1/3 chance of it happening.

Then again, this is football.

So if they'd have had 400 balls in there and just kept drawing then eventually two huge money spinning ties which also serve to give the lower clubs a better chance in the next round would have come up?

[Munchies]

Fucking hell, Why do Chelsea play one week after us in the champions league ? FFS

[Niall_Quinn]

Not sure I get the conspiracy. Why would they want all four top teams against each other? Surely they want marquee draws later on?

Chiles said it at the start. Not enough giant killing. Glamour of the cup and all. Statistically it's possible for the balls to come out like that, but it's very very very unlikely. If it doesn't happen again in the next hundred years then fair enough,

[Niall_Quinn]

Jose,Jose, Jose, can we all suck your cock?

[Munchies]

Jose,Jose, Jose, can we all suck your cock?

Wtf ?!?? :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

BT will air our game I presume. Man City - Chelsea is bound to be first pick, for ITV.

[Marc Overmars]

Would have been nice to get a pub team to break up that tough run of fixtures.

Ah well, at least we know when the collapse™ 2014 is happening now.

[Heisenberg]

Tough draw, but we're at home and if both teams play at their best, we would come out on top. Annoying that we won't be able to rest anyone.

City and Chelsea :pal:

[Niall_Quinn]

Wtf ?!?? :haha:

Sorry, was trying to get a job with ITV

[Xhaka Can’t]

BT will air our game I presume. Man City - Chelsea is bound to be first pick, for ITV.

Dunno, combined there are far more Arsenal and Liverpool fans. Either way, I have both.

[RomfordPele]

Chiles said it at the start. Not enough giant killing. Glamour of the cup and all. Statistically it's possible for the balls to come out like that, but it's very very very unlikely. If it doesn't happen again in the next hundred years then fair enough,

So the FA have decided its best for the fa cup 'brand' to have a mid ranking premier league side in the semi finals and finals rather than the big guns? Genuinely don't get it. A top four final would pull in much bigger global audience for them than if we end up with Fulham or Cardiff sneaking their way through. Surely the money men would want to keep the big boys apart?

[Özim]

Something else for Mourinho to moan about.

:lol: Didn't moan at all, just said you have to play the best at some point!

[Özim]

Tough draw for us, January signings absolutely crucial now or we'll crumble like a flake in a vice!

At least we're at home.

[Munchies]

I'm not too happy with our fixture list really.

United/Liverpool/Bayern

All 3 days apart.

FFS

We saw how bad the fatigue was against Napoli/United/Shitty earlier on in the season.

[GP]

I'm not too happy with our fixture list really.

United/Liverpool/Bayern

All 3 days apart.

FFS

We saw how bad the fatigue was against Napoli/United/Shitty earlier on in the season.

:shrug:

Just got to get on with it.

Only Mourinho moans about fixture schedules.

[Xhaka Can’t]

:shrug:

Just got to get on with it.

Only Mourinho moans about fixture schedules.

Careful now - you don't want to get on the wrong side of Maureen's Defender-in-Chief.

[Özim]

We saw how bad the fatigue was against Napoli/United/Shitty earlier on in the season.

Yeah we seem to tire really easily, that was much earlier in the season as well, our squad just doesn't seem able to cope with a few tough games one after the other.

[Marc Overmars]

I'm not too happy with our fixture list really.

United/Liverpool/Bayern

All 3 days apart.

FFS

We saw how bad the fatigue was against Napoli/United/Shitty earlier on in the season.

Then in March it's

Possible Cup quarter final
Bayern A
Spurs A
Chelsea A
City H
Possible CL quarter final
Everton A

:blink:

[Munchies]

:shrug:

Just got to get on with it.

Only Mourinho moans about fixture schedules.

:lol: I guess, but that fucker has a week in between their fa cup game and the champions league. Think City play Barca in the same week as us though.

Squad wise, at the back, we only really have Vermaelen as a CB, so hopefully he's not injured by then. Up front, we only have Giroud/Sanogo/Bendtner, and I don't trust playing either of the latter 2 in any of these games :(

[Özim]

:lol: I guess, but that fucker has a week in between their fa cup game and the champions league. Think City play Barca in the same week as us though.

Squad wise, at the back, we only really have Vermaelen as a CB, so hopefully he's not injured by then. Up front, we only have Giroud/Sanogo/Bendtner, and I don't trust playing either of the latter 2 in any of these games :(

True and Giroud will probably be tired and anonymous at that stage. We really need to sign a player or two if we're to have any chance of success in anything IMO.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Fuck it, we can still do it.

[The Emirates Gallactico]

Hopefully, Theo and Diaby aside we have a full squad to pick from for that run in.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I'm suspecting that a lot of the angst here is as much about how many of those matches are away as it is about the teams involved. But, we tend to be playing better away. That said, it is an awful run of fixtures.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Well at least we can concentrate on the league...

[Niall_Quinn]

So the FA have decided its best for the fa cup 'brand' to have a mid ranking premier league side in the semi finals and finals rather than the big guns? Genuinely don't get it. A top four final would pull in much bigger global audience for them than if we end up with Fulham or Cardiff sneaking their way through. Surely the money men would want to keep the big boys apart?

Dunno the motive, but it works out at something like a 0.001% chance I think.

[Niall_Quinn]

I'm suspecting that a lot of the angst here is as much about how many of those matches are away as it is about the teams involved. But, we tend to be playing better away. That said, it is an awful run of fixtures.

Need to get results in the first couple of matches and it'll be fine. Fuck the first two up and we'll probably collapse. In other words, no more Everton performances. And obviously we need to avoid getting mike dean.

[fakeyank]

Those fixtures in March is most likely going to be the time when the wheels come off the wagon.. again!
4th place trophy Is coming home tbh

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk

[Syn]

Wenger should've chucked the game. Knew this would happen. On the plus side, win this game and we've only got one potentially tough game against Chelsea/Man City that stops us from lifting the cup.

[Syn]

Wenger should chuck the Bayern games and try to win this and the league. But the players wouldn't have any of it even though they won't do well in those 3 games in 7 days. CL is still the most important thing for Europeans.

[AFC Leveller]

The March fixtures are excitingly scary. Chelsea, Spurs, Bayern and Everton all away.

Spurs and Everton i can see u getting 4 points but Chelsea away will be tough as usual and Bayern, well it depends on how well we do at home i guess but still tough.

Would be nice to head into those fixtures with a world calss striker signed up as well as Drax or that French winger at Sociedad.

[Letters]

Dunno the motive, but it works out at something like a 0.001% chance I think.
It's funny how when the big sides are 'kept apart' it's a fix because 'they' want a big game for the final and when the big sides are drawn together then it's a fix because...oh I dunno, it just is :sulk:


:coffee:

[Munchies]

The decent thing about the March fixtures (bar Bayern) are that there is at least a week of rest between the games.

3 days between these games isn't ideal. But seeing as the season has gone so far, I'd expect Wenger to go for:

Chesney starts United/Bayern, Fabianski against Liverpool.

We only have one back-up CB in Verm, so I imagine Kosc/Merts will both start against against United and Bayern. And Verm/ either of the 2 start against Liverpool.

Our deep lying midfield 2 will probably be Arteta/Ramsey against United and Bayern. Flamini/Wilshere for Liverpool.

Our front midfield 3 will be Cazorla/Ozil/Gnabry against United/Bayern. Probably Pods/Rosicky and Cazorla for the Liverpool game

Giroud is all we got tbf :faint:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Be7NI44CYAA7HDx.png

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Our game against Swansea would be postponed if we were to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup, I think.

Liverpool's fixture to be postponed then would be Sunderland (h).

Citeh's would be Villa (h), in addition to their match with Man Utd (a) already being postponed due to the COC final.

Chelsea's to be postponed if they beat Citeh would be Spuds (h).

[Niall_Quinn]

Not a bad set of fixtures if you ask me. Take Bayern out of the mix and there's nothing dramatic. Chavs away will be tough. Liverpool away maybe. But are we really worried about Utd or the spuds? Palace, Sunderland, stoke, Swansea, all wins. I agree with syn, ignore the Bayern match as part of the sequence. We're not expected to win that but apart from the chav game I'd makes us favourites in all the rest. Bout time we considered that our opponents don't see us as an easy touch either. If its scary for us then it's scary right back for them. The gypos won't look forward to comi g to our place with their comedy defence and ack of home ref.

[Özim]

If its scary for us then it's scary right back for them. The gypos won't look forward to comi g to our place with their comedy defence and ack of home ref.

Somehow I think the fear factor was diluted somewhat when they knocked in 6 against us.

[Niall_Quinn]

Somehow I think the fear factor was diluted somewhat when they knocked in 6 against us.

Gloat all you want but the ref was the biggest factor in that game. They can't expect the same deal at our place.

[GP]

Gloat all you want but the ref was the biggest factor in that game. They can't expect the same deal at our place.

They can and they will.

[Niall_Quinn]

They can and they will.

I'll be kidnapping, and probably torturing, mike dean the day before.

[Özim]

Gloat all you want but the ref was the biggest factor in that game. They can't expect the same deal at our place.

Not gloating at all, just pointing out facts, when a team knocks in 6 goals against you I think the fear of playing you will be dampened.

Now I didn't actually see that match as I was out, but I know you guys like to talk about the ref and how it was all down to him, but it's a bit like the boy who cried wolf, when you blame the ref all the time perhaps people stop believing that was actually the case.

[Niall_Quinn]

Not gloating at all, just pointing out facts, when a team knocks in 6 goals against you I think the fear of playing you will be dampened.

Now I didn't actually see that match as I was out, but I know you guys like to talk about the ref and how it was all down to him, but it's a bit like the boy who cried wolf, when you blame the ref all the time perhaps people stop believing that was actually the case.

And also, what about Pires against Portsmouth?

[GP]

And also, what about Pires against Portsmouth?

Same old Arsenal!

[Özim]

And also, what about Pires against Portsmouth?

When he was a boy he never cried wolf.

[Munchies]

And also, what about Pires against Portsmouth?

Still remember where I was when I saw that, precisely in Asda and quite a few people were gathered round the tv that had the game on moaning :lol: .

[WMUG]

Is there a video of that anywhere? Haven't seen it in years.

[Munchies]

Is there a video of that anywhere? Haven't seen it in years.

Tried searching for it now as I was curious too, can't find it either.

[mkkreuk]

Not gloating at all, just pointing out facts, when a team knocks in 6 goals against you I think the fear of playing you will be dampened.

Now I didn't actually see that match as I was out, but I know you guys like to talk about the ref and how it was all down to him, but it's a bit like the boy who cried wolf, when you blame the ref all the time perhaps people stop believing that was actually the case.

you had a point upto that point...

[Özim]

you had a point upto that point...

I wasn't commenting on my interpretation, just on the fact these guys blame the referees decisions almost every match. Thus my point stands.

[mkkreuk]

I wasn't commenting on my interpretation, just on the fact these guys blame the referees decisions almost every match. Thus my point stands.

Except that this is in an Arsenal forum. Thus you would expect most arsenal fans to have watched the match, and seen with their own eyes the impact of the ref on that game. They were better than us, but the ref certainly influenced the result.

It doesn't matter what "people" stop believing.

[Letters]

Except that this is in an Arsenal forum. Thus you would expect most arsenal fans to have watched the match, and seen with their own eyes the impact of the ref on that game. They were better than us, but the ref certainly influenced the result.

It doesn't matter what "people" stop believing.
You would expect most Arsenal fans to, you know, support the team rather than sniping at them at every opportunity and acting like they just can't wait for them to fail so they can moan about us not winning a trophy they thought we had no chance of winning anyway. Meh.

[Özim]

Except that this is in an Arsenal forum. Thus you would expect most arsenal fans to have watched the match, and seen with their own eyes the impact of the ref on that game. They were better than us, but the ref certainly influenced the result.

It doesn't matter what "people" stop believing.

Well no, people have a life outside football, I watch football but sometimes I have other things that need doing, I'm not a kid with nothing better to do that sit and watch telly all day long.

My observation is one of how people blame the ref every week, I've watched plenty of games and where the ref didn't do a whole lot wrong but is once again blamed for this and that.

[Özim]

You would expect most Arsenal fans to, you know, support the team rather than sniping at them at every opportunity and acting like they just can't wait for them to fail so they can moan about us not winning a trophy they thought we had no chance of winning anyway. Meh.

Nice little indirect dig, you sound like Wenger :run:

[Niall_Quinn]

Well no, people have a life outside football, I watch football but sometimes I have other things that need doing, I'm not a kid with nothing better to do that sit and watch telly all day long.

My observation is one of how people blame the ref every week, I've watched plenty of games and where the ref didn't do a whole lot wrong but is once again blamed for this and that.

Only problem being that nobody blames the ref every week. Otherwise a flawless argument.

[Özim]

Only problem being that nobody blames the ref every week. Otherwise a flawless argument.

Ok let me rephrase that, almost every week. I think there's been about 2 occasions when they haven't.

[Niall_Quinn]

I think there's been about 2 occasions when they haven't.

I like hyperbole, use it myself all the time. But there are limits.

[Marc Overmars]

Not that I think the standard of officiating is any good but in fairness the ref does seem to be called into question everytime we don't win a game on GW, or even mid-game if we haven't taken the lead or something.

[Niall_Quinn]

Not that I think the standard of officiating is any good but in fairness the ref does seem to be called into question everytime we don't win a game on GW, or even mid-game if we haven't taken the lead or something.

And the ones who perform well (apply the rules) get pointed out too, not that there are many of them.

[fakeyank]

Wenger should chuck the Bayern games and try to win this and the league. But the players wouldn't have any of it even though they won't do well in those 3 games in 7 days. CL is still the most important thing for Europeans.

:gp: