**SPOILERS** The Football League Cup 2010/2011 Final

Caporegime
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He pushed his head down as far as it would go, not out of the way, and if his head was going to hit the players running towards him then the rest of his body would too (as, y'know, it sticks out of his neck as opposed to his arm or the side of his body).

He was just basically a bad winner, doesn't reflect on the whole squad so I don't see the need to defend him.

He's clearly leaning into the oncoming players:
CE4T7.gif

So Bowyer would have caught his right shoulder too but that wouldn't have hurt half as much as the hit to the face from someone at running speed.
 
Soldato
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Here's my take on things today:

**** *** Arsenal.

We had a trophy plated up and ready for the picking, the picking should have been easy (it is Birmingham after all). But no.

It doesn't come much easier than today. We blew our chance of winning a trophy. Today should have been easy.. in light of how we were today we won't be winning anything in the closing months.

It isn't even Koscielny's fault because we should have been commanding from the second the match started.. all of the Arsenal team failed today.

Another year where we win nothing.
 
Don
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On a brighter note, it's only the CC, it isn't the FA Cup.
No one will have remembered Birmingham had won it in a couple of years, Blackburn, Spurs, Middlesborough even freaking Leicester have won it in this decade.
 
Associate
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Such a waste of a valuable european competition spot.
We're now going to be represented by team that's probably going to be in the championship next season and only in the Europa league due to a last minute ballsup by their Carling Cup opponents instead of more deserving prem team who've put in bags of effort to finish top 6/7.

Not a waste, would rather see Brum there than Liverpool.

Also, they were the better side today, and lets not forget the first minute balls up by the assistant referee. Had he got the decision correct, we could be talking about an even more comfortably Brum win against a 10-man Arsenal.
 
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He's clearly leaning into the oncoming players:
http://i.imgur.com/CE4T7.gif[img]

So Bowyer would have caught his right shoulder too but that wouldn't have hurt half as much as the hit to the face from someone at running speed.[/QUOTE]
Clearly nothing; also you seem to ignore the fact that the player could've slowed down or changed direction rather than barge a player that's sitting on the ground.

Why are you so convinced that all Brummie players must be egalitarian servants of football? I'm a United supporter and think that personality-wise Rooney is probably a bit of a ****. This doesn't make me any less of a United man, just an independant-thinking human being.
 
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Bebe aside? :p

Indeed.

You really have found your sense of humour, haven't you? :D

You better STFU.

The last few players we have signed have cost peanuts in the grand scheme of things, Bebe, Obertan etc are all utter **** but look at the signings of Evra and Vidic, Vidic was 7 million iirc, what do you think we would get for him if we sold him in the summer?

Good buys that add to the squad without spending shed loads :)
 
Soldato
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Cheer up, Arsenal fans. The North London derby was originally scheduled for today. You'd rather lose the Carling Cup final than have Spurs do the double over you this season, right? :p
 
Don
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You better STFU.

The last few players we have signed have cost peanuts in the grand scheme of things, Bebe, Obertan etc are all utter **** but look at the signings of Evra and Vidic, Vidic was 7 million iirc, what do you think we would get for him if we sold him in the summer?

Good buys that add to the squad without spending shed loads :)

Most managers will at sometime find a bargain or 2 but that's not what you said.

You implied that Taggart's transfer philosophy is similar to Wenger's, it's not though. Wenger won't pay a penny more than he believes a player is worth. Taggart on the other hand has (within reason) typically spent whatever it takes to get the player he wants.

I won't get into talking about what players are worth and paying over the odds etc, but Fergie and Wenger are very different in their approach.

One thing is for certain though, if Wenger is simply refusing to spend money that is available, his philosophy has harmed Arsenal over the past 5-6 years. Who knows, in a few years time maybe it will all fall into place with the ffp regulations coming into play and Arsenal's debt being smaller and smaller; Arsenal might become the most powerful club in the transfer market and reep the rewards of Wenger's approach.
 
Soldato
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Birmingham were obviously lucky to win it, but what annoys me more is seeing such a poor team beat Arsenal. I can only think of one team worse than Birmingham for the "hoof" tactics aka whack it up there high and hard then win it somehow and scramble it in, and that's Stoke with that guy that basically shoots at goal from his thrown ons. Birmingham lob it up there every time to that lanky **** where as Arsenal play good football that I like watching. The winning goal was trademark to the "Brum way". Complete amaetuer school boy tactics embarassing to watch. Arsenal did the usual of dominating but never scoring so have them selves to blame as well.
 
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Most managers will at sometime find a bargain or 2 but that's not what you said.

You implied that Taggart's transfer philosophy is similar to Wenger's, it's not though. Wenger won't pay a penny more than he believes a player is worth. Taggart on the other hand has (within reason) typically spent whatever it takes to get the player he wants.

I won't get into talking about what players are worth and paying over the odds etc, but Fergie and Wenger are very different in their approach.

One thing is for certain though, if Wenger is simply refusing to spend money that is available, his philosophy has harmed Arsenal over the past 5-6 years. Who knows, in a few years time maybe it will all fall into place with the ffp regulations coming into play and Arsenal's debt being smaller and smaller; Arsenal might become the most powerful club in the transfer market and reep the rewards of Wenger's approach.
You're not taking the pre- and post-Citeh eras into account though, which is exactly when 'Taggart' starting sounding exactly like the Blind Voyeur.

Fergie may still be willing to spend £35 million on players, just not on Andy Carroll. ;)

(It was going to get mentioned eventually...)
 

TNA

TNA

Caporegime
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Koscielny makes a HUGE mistake in every game he plays, usually more than one, and they've cost us on many occasions already, he's prone to monumental screw ups, that isn't going to change, neither is Wengers quite horrific substitutions, nor his inability to see past Theo/Rosicky/Sagna/Diaby/Denilson/Song's uselessness.

Every reason Arsenal didn't win, are fundamental things Wenger brings to the team and has done for 5 years, every choice was foreseeable, every single one. Seriously, take off your best striker 2/3rd's of the way in, because he got a little knock in the first half and was basically straight back on, then the second best player on the day.

You're playing fairly badly, you DON'T take off two of your best players, against Stoke, sure, in the league, with a hugely important game right after, in a Cup Final, only if you're demented. Why on earth was Theo/Wilshire even playing in the SToke game? He loves Diaby, he was fit, why didn't he start, what about Denilson. He's a joke and has been for a long time.


lol drunkenmaster. Still don't see who could replace AW and do a better job overall for us. Funny on bbc 606 some people keep saying WENGER OUT! Cracks me up every time. We beat Barca and currently 2nd in the prem currently, yet people still want AW out. Amazing...

I must admit AW does make some strange subs at times and weird tactical choices. But I really think if he left we would risk slipping from being a top 4 team. In my opinion AW does not get enough respect for what he has done and is doing for us.

If we have the money, in the summer I would like to see us buying a proper defender and proper striker who can convert the million chances we get into goals. A striker who is not scared of bloody shooting when he get the ball near the box. RVP is great, but injured too often :( Spend money wisely in those two positions and we could win something next season. Don't see us winning anything this season, even from before today, I thought the only thing we would win would be the CC, but that's gone now.

I have been a Arsenal fan all my life and don't get why people go on so much about cups. Sure it's great to win titles, but it's also very important to build a great foundation for the clun, be profitable, be in top 4 in prem and play attractive football worth watching.

The clubs people keep comparing us to have much bigger budgets and sped a lot more. If the rules were you can spend what you make the past 5 years, I bet you any money that we would have won more cups and other teams would not have been where they are today.

Players I would like to see sold of are:

Bendtner - Bags of confidence, but does not have the ability he thinks he does. Don't see him improving much, and as it is, not good enough for us up front.

Almunia - No comment.

Rosicky - Never been the same since his injury. Don't mind him as backup I guess, but would feel better with say Ramsey in his place.

Denilson - Another dude that is at best good for squad rotation. Whenever I see him play, he does not seem to create any chances

Squillaci - What a waste of 6m. His and Koscielny's money combined would have got us a decent defender. At least Koscielny is still young and I would give him some time, even after his mistake today costing us dearly.

Others such as Diaby, I say give one more season. But much prefer Wilshere.

We need to keep Fabregas.

Anyway, I hardly ever post on football thread, so felt like doing a longer than usual post (drunkenmaster style). Would be interested in knowing what other Arsenal fans think of what I just said? :D
 
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Birmingham were obviously lucky to win it, but what annoys me more is seeing such a poor team beat Arsenal. I can only think of one team worse than Birmingham for the "hoof" tactics aka whack it up there high and hard then win it somehow and scramble it in, and that's Stoke with that guy that basically shoots at goal from his thrown ons. Birmingham lob it up there every time to that lanky **** where as Arsenal play good football that I like watching. The winning goal was trademark to the "Brum way". Complete amaetuer school boy tactics embarassing to watch. Arsenal did the usual of dominating but never scoring so have them selves to blame as well.

How can you call kicking the ball up long "poor". I call it being effective, play to our strengths. We haven't got the players to play nice short passes. Arsenal defenders coundnt handle our long balls so it make sense to play that way. Yes playing the Arsenal way of football is pretty on the eye but what have they won in the last 5 years ?
 
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How can you call kicking the ball up long "poor". I call it being effective, play to our strengths. We haven't got the players to play nice short passes. Arsenal defenders coundnt handle our long balls so it make sense to play that way. Yes playing the Arsenal way of football is pretty on the eye but what have they won in the last 5 years ?
I agree that broadly speaking he went too far, but your last sentence seems disjointed to the rest... have Brummie been stacking up the silverware without me noticing or something?
 
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How can you call kicking the ball up long "poor". I call it being effective, play to our strengths. We haven't got the players to play nice short passes. Arsenal defenders coundnt handle our long balls so it make sense to play that way. Yes playing the Arsenal way of football is pretty on the eye but what have they won in the last 5 years ?

Exactly, it's all good and well playing pretty football but if you can;t then you need to play to your strengths.
 
Caporegime
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I thought Birmingham played some decent football at times actually, they don't play in the Barca / Arsenal style, but it's not the anti football Stoke play.

Birmingham seemed to get the mix right today, clearly worked out that balls in to the box with a tall forward who's good in the air would be effective.
 
Soldato
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I have rage for Arsenal right now, it is consuming me.

No fellow Arsenal supporter out there can stand up for Arsenal right now because even as a die hard fan you would be a fool to do so.

WE DIDN'T BEAT BIRMINGHAM!

We played like a limp one eyed dog and it makes me sick how we have fans on the Facebook group stating that 'this is just a scratch' and that 'what happened today doesn't matter we have our sights on the other trophies'.

Deluded!

Today was ours for the taking and we let it go.. we let it go. :mad:
 
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