Learned from a Goliath
Someone actually posted on social media the other day that it has been over a thousand days since Arsenal last lifted the FA Cup. Which stands out as an honour that has been passed around the country from Manchester to London over the past few years. Yes, there may have been other pit stops over the years some in the South and others in the North. But the interesting thing is that under Arsene he knew that the FA Cup was not a trophy to take lightly. Under Pep Guardiola, Mikel had the tutelage to know how to win trophies even the ones that certain fans (cough) won’t admit to being a badge on honour on the club’s trophy cabinet.
Again
Yes, City have won the League Cup for the past three years, pretty much unchallenged but now more then ever should signify if Mikel can grab a lift away from Peps ever egotistical shadow. On Wednesday night all the red fans in North London were anticipating some dream cup tie which could signal another step towards progress after let’s be honest a stalling Premier League and Europa League campaigns. In the end we got another away tie this time to Sheffield United, the surprise package in the league this season.
A David at Northampton but now?
When I started out playing pan disability football my local team was Northampton Town’s community club. Much like many clubs these helps raise awareness and support for the clubs in the local and outgoing area. When training a lot of the players and friends would always talk about how Chris Wilder was a great manager. He was on the rise after that 2014-2015 season and guided Northampton out of League two: he decided to help out a struggling Sheffield United midway through the 2015-2016 season leaving Northampton to continue to yo-yo and flirt with both League One and League Two. Since then Wilder has led a charge into the Premier League which many didn’t see coming.
So, it seems right that a new fairy tale is to be written on these two managers however, maybe this clash could’ve been one for the ages; possibly worthy of a final itself. In the home end you have a manager who has been proof of being a David knocking down the Goliath’s of football in a variety of ways. Building a squad that he trusts will do a job. Step in from our corner a manager who has little experience of actually managing a club but has been pretty much the rich kid from school only getting experience because his dad is such a successful guy wherever he goes. Though he may show a new thought process he still hasn’t got the experience the David has.
Whenever this game does kick off towards the end of the month there will be much to look forward to. It isn’t just a fight for silverware, but it’ll be a fight of determination for both teams. Sheffield will look to add to a promising season, while the Gunners will look to cling on to something that has been let go over the past two seasons: a trophy. Even if that means doing it the hard way in the latter stages of the competition. There will be i’m sure more analysis of both teams before then, but this fixture will not be one to miss over the FA Cup weekend. And who knows we may see more memorable moments like David Seaman’s clawed save that will be on the highlights wheel for years to come.
A football lover from an early age, who began to support Arsenal in my early years. I never got to go to Highbury to see any games or even the tour, something I wished I was able to do. I play disability football as well and appreciate the support that the Arsenal Foundation has given the local community, which I have raised money for previously.
I think that this is as hard a tie as we could get. Sheffield Utd. is no longer a surprise package. They have done equally well against Premier clubs and Continentals. Frankly, on current form we are David and they represent Goliath.
Wilder has a team of big athletes who have done the rounds in lower leagues and learned their trade with a mix of direct football played at speed together with the physical capability they have had for years. They are as dirty as West Ham or Burnley and their particular talents remind me of the Leeds side which played under Revie.
Arteta will have to have a strong physical team to contest possession and clever players to dissolve their defence. It will not be easy, but make no mistake, if we do win the match and go on to win the Cup it will have been well earned and that brings its own importance to the FA Cup.