Today’s report is by our friend Andrew ( @anicoll5 )
Arsene went with a strong starting line up as, I think, most predicted and at times last night his decision to go with experience and proven quality looked fully vindicated. He knows you know. Bravo the Sky blues one and all.
For anyone who had watched Poldi’s few minutes against Fulham then his performance in the opening 45 was exactly as expected. A player in perfect condition, mentally and physically sharp, and not a hair out of place. A well muscled greyhound in football boots. And how Lukas enjoyed those two well taken well worked goals. You know that this man is building the trajectory in his game that will come to fruition in July in the World Cup final.
Our other players, starters and subs, all performed to the standard I would expect. They are good players, they played well. We never really needed to get into ‘flat out’ mode. I thought Jack was a little quiet after his ankle knock but he saw out the full 90. Ox looked fully fit too. And welcome Gedion whose 17th birthday is tomorrow I hear.
One minor contrast struck me between Nick and Olivier. The former worked hard, got in good positions, earned the goal scoring chance, but just did not have the extra 1% to convert that overall effort into a goal. The latter, who does the same hard work, but who plays every week and whose confidence is higher than an elephant’s eye has one chance and, hey presto, one goal !
Keep plugging away Nick it will get better.
On a final game related point I thought the CCFC placard protest ‘Why ?’ and ‘When ?’ was very effective and I think we will see that again. Indeed I might recommend to Ivan that we equip the away supporters with ‘When ?’ placards the next time our North London neighbours come and St Totteringham’s Day approaches.
And the opening caption you ask ‘Why not ?’ Well partly as a mark of solidity with Coventry’s fans. However as we move into the serious bit of the season, trophy time, still positioned in the big three competitions, still playing well, still equipped with most if not all of our best players, let me share with you the stirring words of the late Robert Kennedy.
“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not ?”
Have a good Saturday …………………..
Positively Arsenal 
good review A5
I think fab needs a mention, someone said to me before the game he makes us weaker but his clean handling from corners and the couple of saves he had to make proves he has grown in to a much better keeper than the one battered by stoke all that time ago.
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I was pissed before the young kid came on so how did he do?
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A or B . he does look good. Shame we will lose him at the end of the season.
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Well played to our philosophizing, brave, intrepid reporter Anicoll5.
To your question “why not.” you are well aware of the nattering nabobs of negativity in the media and elsewhere. Based on last nights performance, I can safely say with or without reinforcements we have the attackers who can score enough goals but that will be insufficient. This team will be immeasurably improved when its best defensive midfielders return to the fold; Ramsey with his immense tackling tackling ability and Arteta with his superior positioning, passing. and all-round gamesmanship. The fact that Coventry was able to create the several opportunities created when they were able to spring runners from midfield in the 2nd half was a sobering reminder to me of the importance of Rambo, Arteta and Flamini, none of whom were able to play yesterday.
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*I need an editor*
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Thanks ‘coll,
I had odds on Gnabry getting a rest but he played the full game! My (futile) efforts to unravel the Wenger Code have lead me to believe that this means Chamberlain may get the start on the right against his old club next week. We shall see….
It was almost the perfect Cup game. A victory, a debut for GZ, following the partial floodlight failure twenty thousand phone torches were sparkling around the ground which was nice and surreal, good support for the Coventry fans and a protester running onto the pitch.
The CCFC No.8 and captain Baker looked a good player.
Fabianski impressed too. Arsenal have two good ‘keepers, but I think this information, this accident, is still meant to be a secret.
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PG
There were some touches and passes under pressure that his teammates were not quite expecting him to pull off. One pass definitely took Özil by surprise, which was fun.
And there was one clip misplaced near the end into touch.
Hopefully Forest make it through and get drawn Away to Arsenal in the next round, Wilshere against the returning Lansbury, and more minutes for the likes of Gideon.
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Finsbury, it was a total floodlight failure. Arsenal are one of the few clubs that have an emergency generator which powers the enough lights to carry on until full power can be restored. the phone lights were amazing and after a few Guinness I was away with the fairies
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Afternoon folks.
Thanks for the post Anicoll, shotta’s comments also fill in some gaps.
The game was comfortably played in 2nd gear and if Coventry had converted any of their shooting chances (a goal would have been deserved) we could have upped our game. I noted too that we played without any of 4 experienced key central midfielders.
I was convinced OG was given a week off in a warm climate, somethink similar did wonders for Rooney :).
Good to see we have given PG a week off too, before a crucial time of the season.
We can expect him to be back and fighting fit next week.
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This has been a great week on the blog.
Every writer has done a great piece.
It was always the idea that posters also wrote the main articles.
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George is right,I think this week has been fantastic on here,brilliant match write up by Coll also.
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arse_or_brain
January 25, 2014 at 1:19 pm
A gangsta proof stadium! Heh.
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Fins,
Exactly no more wimbledons
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I see we decided to have a rest again when 2 0 up.
Looks like a plan to me.
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@PG. LOL… definitely looking more and more like a plan
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Thanks for the comments – all set up nicely for Tuesday
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@anicoll5 – very nice write up, it really was a ‘proper cup game’ with all the goings on.
@Finsbury – I also want Forest in the next round, for that and other reasons.
I am not sure why I keep reading that the FA Cup is Arsenal’s best chance of silverware though….
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http://www.arsenalfc.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=562&Itemid=64
Interesting quotes for the ITK Expert “spend spend spend” sado-masochists from Friar and Adams there.
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Lukas is sounding and looking hungry, I like that. Just the right time too.
I like a little 22 game mid-season snapshot sometimes. It doesn’t actually get better, not much anyway, adventures in the life and times of Arsenal. Sitting top. Knife edge battles to come against the two arch-enemies of any semblance of remaining football equity, against the two most financially stupefied until their eyeballs pop, full of strut and sweating arrogance. We are the sole representative right at the top of something approximating any sense financial fair play.
We are rotating week in and out the best, most attractive, most intelligent and sublime midfield in the league playing in front of the tightest defense. We have a great goal scoring record too, and most goals coming through the midfielder machine. We are producing exquisite football moments, and have put another sweet little run together, WWWWW., most recently a football-spirited game against a respected second tier side playing some decent stuff.
We have the mouth watering prospect of Bayern to come. We are into the 5th or is it 6th round of the FA. And best of all, we are a team’s team that stands by each other. No mega-star studded team of pin-up divas this. Just very, very good players enjoying playing Wenger-ball, several of whom are implausibly young like Gnabry and Gedi, Aaron and Jack, Jenks, Ox and even Chewie. A team that believes in itself, because it fought and won battles before this. Amongst the more mature, the reals gems, as determined as they are assured, Per, Ozil and Tomas and Santi, Mikel and Flamini.
Do we have a chance in hell? We better start believing, really believing, because the players and manager do. Ask Giroud. That epitome of the team’s team player, outrageous confidence without the swank, superb work-rate, sublime skills, the unselfish provider of so much to others.
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