That's how football is now sadly. Like the commentators saying Arsenal could have had a penalty earlier when their player was hardly touched. And yet when Long was likely pushed he said that's what you have to expect in the penalty area, double standards.
Wasn't that Newcastle at home? On to today, Elmo has been absolutely woeful this second half, glad for Quinn and Fryatt as they've put themselves about well. Plus I don't know about anyone else - but how on earth has George Boyd been picked today? Poor in the semi finals, and worse today. Feel sorry for Meyler as well playing out of position for 70 minutes. Class has just told, plus Harper looks very nervy to me.
Arsenal have been excellent, we couldn't match them. A number of players not up to scratch, but it's hard to get your **** together when the opposition plays with such confidence. Onwards and upwards. UTT.
Just don't play such an open game in the cup final, it's way too big a match to take those kind of risks.
Hope don't go with one up top in the final. We've played two up all season. Go back to wing backs with three at the back.
Agreed; as much as I probably dislike saying this - Figgy should have started today and Elmo should have played at RWB with Rosenior, Davies and Chester playing as Centre backs. Davies and Livermore really the only ones from the start who could hold their heads high.
If you're going to play 3 at the back, then Rosie at LB would be better than Figs, play Bruce in the centre, I was surprised that AB wasn't playing just in front of the back four.
We really needed to get something from that first 30 minute spell, on e they scored there was a couple of half chances but that 2nd goal was a killer, with the timing especially. Ultimately our season is never going to be defined by games against the big teams, if we get something great but if we don't then we have to do the job of beating the teams around us. Do that next week & we're safe, get a point, we should be safe.
Yep - that first 25 minutes it was there for the taking, just the usual profligacy and poor decision-making. If we can't get a point in our next two matches then we can't begrudge a last day catastrophe really. But even if we don't get owt from our last four I still think we'll be safe.
If ever there was a game to not play 4-4-2 it was against Arsenal. The way they play cuts through static banks of players with players running behind our defence from their midfield with Giroud holding it up. I expect us to switch to 3-5-2 for the final and I think it will be a tighter game. The ref in the first half was shocking. For the 2nd goal if you saw the slow motion replay at half time it was a clear foul and it was obvious in real time as well. It wasn't just that though, there were so many inconsistencies between his decisions against us and against Arsenal, every 50/50 decision went their way and he was punishing us for high feet etc. but not them. At one point the Arsenal player was flagged offside and continued to press our defence nearly causing a mistake but the ref played on, and then I have no clue how the officials missed the late foot on Meyler about 5 seconds after he passed the ball. Fair play to Arsenal they showed their class when it mattered and were very efficient but the game was dead after the 3rd goal and could have been very different if we had taken our chances in the first half and the referee had made fair decisions.
The ref killed off the game (and the atmosphere) by not awarding a foul on Jelavic in the build-up to their second. However, it wasn't an entirely bad day - I didn't have to pay any train fares, and on the way home I saw a stand-off between a horse and some geese.
I just knew it would go like this, whenever we look like we are playing well and putting pressure on the other team score a goal on the break. I wonder if Harper ever thinks to himself "I'm too old for this lark" They will be be thinking all they have to do is turn up at Wembley now and the cup is theirs.
