If Arsene Wenger cared about the Carling Cup, then I guess I would too. But he does not, and so I won’t either. Wenger is sure to send out a group of youngsters, who need the experience. Sunderland are sure to send out their very best. So good luck to the young guns!
That said, I did watch the Newcastle-Sunderland match. If you missed it, here’s a quick note. If you see it’s on FSC don’t watch it until the 35th minute; watch for 10 minutes. That’s the match, though, Newcastle got a winner in the second half. The match was nothing but Newcastle possession. Sunderland appeared weak on the cross but spectacular shooting from 25 yards out.
I’m not prepared to give a scoreline because I really couldn’t venture a guess in this one.
34 Responses to “Sunderland- Who Cares Cup”
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October 25th, 2005 at 1:54 pm
I think the Carling Cup is a good run out for our young players… and there are a lot of folks who enjoy seeing the kids play either Div.1 teams or even EPL opponents…
I find it interesting… if we win, GREAT. If we don’t, not a big deal at all.
WIN / WIN situation…
and last year was a GREAT run of games for the young studs…
I heard that Sunderland charged 5 GBP for adults and 1 GBP for children…
that is FANTASTIC… and should ensure there is a good crowd on hand…
Go gett’em Arsenal!
October 25th, 2005 at 2:17 pm
Usually, Wenger plays youngsters in the Carling Cup. This year, all the youngsters are in the first team.
So very few names in the starting lineup haven’t played in the first team yet like Connolly, Bendtner, Muamba, etc.
October 25th, 2005 at 5:31 pm
Apparently Carlos Vela watched Arsenal against Man City. Goodbye to that transfer then. Had enough of 17 year old transfers anyway.
October 25th, 2005 at 7:04 pm
Oh… yes…
I managed to watch the replay of the Liverpool at Fulham match from this weekend…
and let me say this with all sincerety…
LIVERPOOL SUCK.
This team is already 18 points behind the league leaders 8 or 9 games into the season.
I don’t care if they won the CL last season… they were pathetic in the league… how many points back were they last season?
They are seriously NOT a GOOD team right now.
They weren’t very good last year, other than in the CL tourney.
and…
Peter Crouch is awful.
There were folks actually drooling over him on this site, begging Wenger to bring him in. Not I. I though he was Danny Dichio in disguise. Hell… he makes Dichio look good.
He will not amount to a hell of a lot in the world of football. Another pro player that has a decent career at best.
He is NOT worthy of Arsenal.
We might be having an off season… but Liverpool are having a worse one. They are pants.
October 25th, 2005 at 7:05 pm
Stag — if you’re allowed, you can listen to the game live on BBC radio.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/4375894.stm#
October 25th, 2005 at 7:14 pm
Thank you!
thats fantastic!
October 25th, 2005 at 7:19 pm
No worries mate, saw you were online too, thought you might enjoy!
October 25th, 2005 at 9:13 pm
GOOD WIN for the Arsenal!
3-0…
a few 1st teamers… and a bunch of kids.
Need I say more about Liverpool?
They fielded and almost full strength side…
and LOST to Crystal Palace.
They SUCK.
October 25th, 2005 at 9:29 pm
eboue had a gr8 goal…and a nice normal penalty.
since i didnt get to see the game …does anyone know how teh central midfield pariting of maumba and song played….they’re supposed to be more in the ‘u know who’ mould, rite?
October 25th, 2005 at 9:38 pm
I was one. He’s ‘awful’ at L’pool, but so was Henry at Juve.
October 25th, 2005 at 9:41 pm
Don’t want anymore kids unless they are the next Lionel Messi. Playing for Barca, he maybe the best player to come from Argentina since Maradona…
October 25th, 2005 at 10:47 pm
From what I can tell the first half was very poor, with neither team creating anything much or playing decent football. In the second half, Arsenal improved and basically scored some decent goals. Eboue’s was an excellent strike, and Van Persie’s penalty was so good that it wouldn’t have been saved by 10 keepers.
I think it’s a very postitve result, because there was 48,000 supporters in the ground, and in the North East they usually support their teams a lot better than down South. So the kids could have easily been intimidated, but they weren’t.
I am starting to come round to Wenger’s vision of the future - and trying to ignore all the guff he comes out with in the press, because that’s not what he really thinks. Besides, we have no choice, and I think Wenger now realises that we need to get players in January to appease the supporters and improve our immediate prospects, and he will act.
As for tonight, apparently Song, fared a little better than Maumba - but overplayed the ball a little too much on occasion. From what I could tell, the defence was strong, and Quincy was the best outfield player.
October 25th, 2005 at 10:51 pm
They was a great interview on Sky with Benitez after the game. His answers were a complete joke, he wasn’t saying anything of use at all - just talking sh*t. But the interviewer was having none of it and really grilled him - at one point the guys said “can you answer the question!!!”. Benitez looked a little surprised and almost retracted.
Yes, I watch Liverpool and I see a team that really is a joke compared to Arsenal. The players pick and choose what games they want to perform in, whereas Arsenal simply don’t have enough quality players at the moment. There is a marked difference in attitude.
October 26th, 2005 at 12:13 am
I have a quick Sunderland-Arsenal related question for you guys and I was hoping I could get your advice. I am actually going to be in London for the game next week. I’ll be buying some tickets…but I wanted to get you advice on where in the stadium to target
East/West vs. North?
Upper vs. Lower?
Thanks for the help.
October 26th, 2005 at 12:28 am
Funny thing is it now seems ages ago since they won the CL. And a lot of Liverpool fans I know really want to see their team win the EPL as opposed to the Cups. But it will be a very long time before Liverpool win the league.
No excuses for them really.
October 26th, 2005 at 4:53 am
Good enough for boys, but not for men?
Arsenal youngsters have always shone in the Carling Cup. Maybe because there isn’t much pressure. But they can’t seem to reproduce the same form when trust into the first team. Now that Wenger is relying on youth more than ever, it is imperative that they do so quickly. I wonder when we’ll see consistent performances from the likes if van Persie, Eboue, Quincy, etc.
October 26th, 2005 at 6:54 am
Right but Peter Crouch is crap… You should have been at Palace yesterday. The guy can’t even run to safe his life.
October 26th, 2005 at 7:01 am
I respect the Kops for winning the CL Cup but how on earth did they manage to win it?
If you think they were pants against Fulham try and watch their game against Palace yesterday. Liverpool is a disgrace to the PL and CL.
The players at liverpool are a huge disgrace to the club.. Yesterday I saw a team with no desire, will or hope and they are the Champs of Europe.
Well done to the Arsenal.
October 26th, 2005 at 7:10 am
And who do you support.. ????
If you are coming as a Sunderland fan try the Southstand but as a Gunner anywhere will do apart from the library ” West Stand”.
Good Luck.
October 26th, 2005 at 12:03 pm
Why not try Eboue in place of Lauren for a stretch of games and keep Lauren for European nights…
It seems his obviously talented but above all is not inexperienced at the age of 22? What do you guys think?
October 26th, 2005 at 12:42 pm
Why punish Lauren, when he has been one of our most consistent performers all season?
We need him on the pitch as often as possible in league games. Perhaps play Eboue on the left for Clichy some?
I don’t mind resting Lauren a bit, maybe in the last 30 mins. of a match we are up by a few goals in…
but you need STABILITY at the back, and that comes from players like Lauren.
October 26th, 2005 at 12:58 pm
Coming as a Gunner of course. As a US based fan I’m just not familiar with the best parts of the stadium.
So I’m hearing stay away from the West Stand…my thought was the upper North might be the best…I wasn’t sure.
October 26th, 2005 at 1:02 pm
true I was just thinking as an attack point considering that we are struggling to apply the finishing touches to all the moves….but fair point though…Clichy has dissappointed me a little bit I expecte more from him but am sure he will be ok once his confidence comes back.
October 26th, 2005 at 2:48 pm
i just keep telling my buddy who’s a Liverpool fan,
“well….at least they’re not Everton.”
October 26th, 2005 at 3:03 pm
Mbasta…
you can do NO WRONG at Highbury…
I have sat in all 4 sides of the stadium at one time or another… and there are no bad views…
you are on top of the action in many places…
October 26th, 2005 at 3:12 pm
Eboue - should get his minutes at RM for the last 15 of games where we are winning…perhaps this could help with Ljungbergs injury problems.
October 26th, 2005 at 4:23 pm
Of my trips the best atmosphere was in the North Bank Lower. It could have just been the match too it was last seasons roadtrip match against Rosenborg where we destroyed them. I have not been in the south stand so I don’t know about that one. Hope this helps.
October 26th, 2005 at 5:31 pm
Ok.. I will be at the North Upper for that game.. Well enjoy the game maybe we might see each other for a drink or two on the Arsenal..
October 26th, 2005 at 5:38 pm
Of course you can do no wrong at highbury and I will really missed it. Like you have sat at all levels and stands apart from the directors box. My comment about the West Stand was a joke…Highbury is known as the Library and the West Stand can be very very mute ” the library”.
October 26th, 2005 at 5:59 pm
the “quaintness” of the stadium… and its intimacy… where you can HEAR THE PLAYERS on the pitch… will surely be missed…
you are right on top of the players… that adds to the charm and charisma that the stadium has.
I am not sure if that can be duplicated at the Grove.
We’ll see!
October 26th, 2005 at 7:29 pm
If Arsenal were to be drawn against Chelsea in some point in the Carling Cup, what sort of team do you think Wenger would field? Take as given Chelsea fielding a full strength team (they’ve fielded Crespo, Gudjohnsen, Essien, Wright-Phillips, Terry and Robben just to play Charlton).
October 26th, 2005 at 9:29 pm
The question is moot
October 26th, 2005 at 10:07 pm
Wenger always plays his first team for EPL and CL games. No starting place for youngsters. They probably come on in the 80th minute for some meaningless swap. That is Wenger’s shortcoming and a reason why our key players are jaded come January and the youngsters are not ready when they are asked to step in.
October 27th, 2005 at 12:12 am
So happy to see Chelsea lose. Chinks in the amour, it’s gonna be hard to see how they can perform at that level week in, week out.
As for our kids as someone said Wenger doesn’t really give them a chance unless injury strikes. The one great flaw in my humble, in his youth masterplan.