Whitey Grandad

Got beaten by Walcott for their third. He should have cleared the ball but Walcott just hooked his right foot around him and flicked the ball into the net. He was clearly annoyed with himself and will have learned from it.

The club sent me a pre-match email on Friday. Out of interest did anybody correctly predict the score and the first scorer and thereby win a signed shirt?

Edit : sorry, wrong thread.

From the FA Cup regulations: 15. PROVISIONS CONCERNING PLAYERS (a) Each team participating in a match shall represent the full available strength of each competing Club. There was a time when teams got fined for what we did yesterday.

Any ideas why that should be the situation? Number of games must be similar.

I was referring to the circumstances where if he had a small knock he wouldn't play at Sunderland which would then mean three weeks to the final but hey, whatever. You can bet your boots that nobody will be calling in sick during the last week.

Yes, what was that stepping up business? Was he hoping to play them offside?

Just wait until Qatar 2022 when we have a four week break mid-season.

Who knows? Shooting practice, appearance bonuses, morale, internal politics? Would Wenger have made that decision at that time?

I can't be bothered to check the FIFA regulations but it may be something like the Moroccan team doctor determining his fitness or something like that and obviously due to the impracticalities the club come to some agreement. Or something.

Yes, that's why I cut him some slack. He wasn't just off the pace, the game just seemed to go on all around him and he undershot some headers quite comically. Has he ever played under these awful led floodlights? He's a much better player than he showed last night but it's going to take a lot of games to get him back to his best and can we afford that?

How many for Markus?

Nah, of course not. Wrong thread for that

Yes, within reason

Exactly. Should be reported to the Child Protection Agency.

There's a big difference between being fit to play and being match fit.

He looked out of place last night. Didn't seem to know what to do or where he should be.

We need somebody. Anybody.

I think Morocco have said that he can't play until they are out of the competition.

Hmm, the game before the final is at Sunderland on the 11th so if he were to miss that his last game before would be next Saturday. He wouldn't be match-fit for the final.

Yup 'Decision Day'

Every player we changed was poorer than the one they replaced. The opposition had Wellbeck, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain out there.

The stadium was half empty so those that were still there were the faithful sort who would never boo their own team. We stayed until the final whistle because that's who we are and what we do. And because we wanted to avoid the crowds outside the ground when we left

Quite right but hopping all the way to work can play havoc with your other leg! RICE - Rest Ice Compression Elevation

Absolutely. There must be plenty of drips who could do the job.