They didn't get a chance because they were outclassed and outplayed from start to finish.

Talk about being sore losers.

Sore about what lady?

I've just stressed that I'm quite happy to have gone out.

They are profesionals and winners at the top of their field, they should want to win every match.

Well they didn't play like they wanted to lose it.

Just to add to it, do you really think Arsenal wouldn't have wanted to go out there, and get one over on one of their biggest rivals? Knocking United out of the FA Cup? Getting a psychological advantage over them before their next meeting in the league? Do you not think Wenger wanted to get one over on Fergie?



Does that really sound like a player who would not like to go out there and beat United? Do you really think he went out on the pitch not to win?

Your embarrassing yourself.

If your so happy about going out there's no need for the excuses is there?

yeah.. based on the way we noticed wenger.. lol..

at least he didn't expect to be trashed.. but that's what he got for not respecting..

So Cesc punting long balls out for a throw-in despite not being under any pressure from Man Utd; or Cesc jogging back in a 4-on-2 attack from Man Utd; or Cesc sitting on the half-way line whilst Bendtner is holding up the ball in the Man Utd Defence zone; or Cesc backing out of challenges etc. etc. is all because he doesn't have the class to compete with Carrick, Fletcher and co.?



He simply played a lazy game in where he backed out of tackles, refrained from bursting forward and showed no ambition to win the game. If you feel he was playing in that fashion simply because he was outclassed is simply delusional.

Do one better than your team J Axe and have some self-respect, take it like a man.

Am I?

Sorry for that. I'm just being brutally honest with how I saw the game. Arsenal turned up and showed no ambition to win the game. I watch Arsenal more than you - I know when they show the least ambition and when they don't perform.

And again, to be brutally honest they played like they didn't want to win the game. That's how I seen it. If I watched Arsenal go out full blown passion and ambition to win that game, then I'll admit it and concede that at our most willing and most ambitious we were outclassed - but we were far from that standard. I know that from having watched every single Arsenal game this season and last season and many games under Wenger - especially ties against Man Utd.

If you think that's embarrassing, fair dos. I'm just saying what I see. If Arsenal played like they wanted to win, I'd openly admit it. But it's simply untrue and you can't argue that.

They are not excuses. We were beaten fair & square. I've admitted that. And I don't feel "sore" whatsoever. The fashion in how we lost was disappointing, but I'm personally relieved and somewhat happy that we don't have to play extra games with the current state of the squad and the positions we are in the two main competitions we want to win and need to win.

If we gave our best yesterday, then I'm sorry for seeing it differently. I will happily bow down to Ferguson and Man Utd for their classy performance. But I'm afraid it's nothing like that. I have no reason to argue that point. I've given my view of Arsenal's performance and the ambitions, both logically and honestly.

So what your trying to say then is that Cesc wasn't up for the game? Or that Cesc didn't want to win? Says alot about the player if he can't be bothered when playing against his teams arch rivals.



Notice how he said your boys were up for it before the game?

If Wenger didn't want his team to go out there and beat United yesterday, then you my friend are the deluded one. Imagine the confidence it would have given the team before meeting Milan on Wednesday. Instead they are going into this game on the back of a battering by United.

United simply had the hunger and desire to win. It isn't very often you get a good game of footie and a comedy show throw in thanks to Arsenal

Its getting more common, twice in the last month now. Atleast they didnt start battering each other this time

O Dogg, we could barely field a First XI for feck's sake.

If you believe all said through the media from Managers and players, then you're deluded.

If/when we win the League, we'll look back at this result and feel nothing - the same with the Champions League. At the moment, it feels like relief and a slight bit of disappointment because of it's fashion. I can't be more honest than that. I've not tried to take away any glory from Man Utd here or fill in excuses for why we lost - we were evidently outclassed on every section of the pitch - I'm not denying that, I'm simply expressing that our lack of ambition made that possible.

If we had of won yesterday and had an extra pile-up of games because of this 3rd priority competition and/or over-committed so that we had a fatigued and injury-plagued team for the Championship challenge and the big tests against Milan, we'd be devastated and we'd suffer in many ways. We don't need to beat United in a Cup to draw confidence or psychological advantages.

The Championship is the priority. Not only do we want to win it, we need to win it to establish ourselves at the top again and move the Club another step upwards and forwards.

We played like we didn't want to win. There was no ambition there whatsoever and it is so evident, it's hard to ignore. I appreciate the fact that you don't want to recognise the lack of ambition and cream over Man Utd, whilst rubbing it in at the same time.

But I've only said that we showed a lack of ambition and performed like we didn't want to win. That's not criminal and it's certainly not embarrassing if you consider what actually happened with the Arsenal performance.

I've taken the defeat quite comfortably. I thought we'd lose before the game and I knew with the state of the squad that it'd be a relief to not have more fixture congestion. That's being as brutally honest as possible. I can't say I'm sore for losing that game. If I was, I'd admit it. I can admit that it was produced in a disappointing fashion though.

So, if you played like you didn't want to win yesterday. I take it you didn't want to win in the semi's

I heard what Wenger said with my own ears mate. I saw Wengers face throughout the game also, and it was not a happy face at all. As for Gallas, do you not think he said those things? He is known for his constant whinging and mouthing off.

The fact of the matter is that United outclassed and outplayed Arsenal. Arsenal would not have wanted to lose that game against United. Wether it is the League, FA Cup, Carling Cup, even the Charity Sheild, these 2 teams always go into the games to win them.

What happened yesterday though was United playing their socks off and making Arsenal look like lost little boys. You keep going on about how you do not want to take anything away from United, however by going on about how Arsenal "didnt want to win it" is doing just that.

And it was only a matter of time before you mentioned Arsenal having players out....blah blah blah. That was a strong Arsenal side out there yesterday...and should have been good enough to challange our lads. We were not playing Tevez, Ronaldo, Giggs, G.Neville, Scholes or Hargreaves....so we hardly had our strongest XI out there.

OK. That's fair enough O Dogg. You make fair points and I understand why you can't see it from my point of view.

I just expressed my opinion on the Arsenal performance. Weighing it up alongside every other Arsenal performance in recent years and particularly individual performances from the World-class footballers that were out there.

As I said, I'm just of the opinion that we played without ambition.

Laugh at that viewpoint and [beep!] on it if you like. I don't care. I don't feel "embarrassed" to say it - it's no excuse for our loss. It's just a simple analysis that I worked out from the first 6 minutes of the Arsenal performance which continued. There was a severe lack in ambition and I'm 100% sure of that.

I'll agree to disagree with you here. There's no argument. It's my viewpoint of the Arsenal performance and if you think it's wrong, embarrassing, deluded or sore loseresque, then that's cool by me.

With no more domestic cup fixtures it can help recuperate our poor conditioned squad and get back on track in the Championship. When/if we win it, we'll not suffer from this FA Cup exit whatsoever. The ECL and EPL are literally a league above in terms of priority and glory. We've won the FA Cup many times and not winning it this year is not a burden. We need to establish ourselves back at the top in the Championship and possibly/hopefully win the Champions League which has never been done.

Out of interest J-Axe, what impact do you think this game will have on your team morale going into the game against Milan?

I find J-Axe's comments that Arsenal didn't play to win absolutely astonishing. In fact I'm certain Pokerkings has hijacked his account, because the real J-Axe talks more sense than that for sure.

Arsene Wenger is a proud man. There is no way he would send a team out not to play 100% for victory. Besides, after United scored the second goal, I distinctly remember Gallas screaming at his team to raise their game because they were all over the place. And why was Wenger in the fourth official's ear during the first half if he didn't care about the match? Was it an act?

Every team has games like this once in a while. I remember Man Utd getting battered 5-0 at Chelsea a few years ago (even Chris Sutton scored!) and United simply didn't turn up. It happens - that's football. But to explain that performance yesterday on Arsenal not caring too much is simply ridiculous. They are professional footballers, and those who represent the likes of Wenger and Fergie are fiercely proud of their performances, especially when they are playing each other. No one wants to give up an inch to their rivals.

Arsenal will recover from this of course as they are more interested in winning the Premiership and maybe the Champions' League. But don't tell me that those players who represented Arsenal yesterday didn't put in 100% because that simply isn't true.

Man Utd were magnificent, Arsenal were abject, and that's all there is to it.

As my above post suggests, i tend to agree with J-Axe. What it looked like to me was that Wenger, resting half his side, picked an eleven and told them to go out and what happens, happens (not word for word, but sharing instigated by similar sentiments). I don't think he wanted to lose, and i don't think J-Axe meant that in what he said, but rather that Arsenal weren't 100% committed to the cause. And anyone who thinks the Arsenal team were giving their 100% are deluded - either that or a Manchester United/Tottenham Hotspur fan (which, interestingly, everyone seems to be)...

Arsenal were outclassed, but if their mentality isn't spot on then that's going to happen. They won't have wanted a drubbing, nor even have wanted to go out of the cup to their league rivals, but it certainly wasn't at the fore of their priorities. That was more than evident.

It's just one game. It doesn't prove anything other than Man United played better on that given day. It doesn't prove that Man United will win everything now because they won. Everyone has their on and off days regardless of how good or bad you are.

Arsenal beat Man United twice last year in the league, but Arsenal still didn't win anything. Again, it's just one game.

Would it have been nice if we won? yes, but I'd much rather win/draw the League matchup in April (GD will matter in this one also ). I'm also glad we got out of the game without any injuries, because we definitely can't afford to have any right now. Is the pitch an excuse? absolutely not (both teams have to play on it); but then again, Man United used it as an excuse against Man City. (I thought it was a brand new pitch though? after Fergie complained about it a couple weeks ago.)

Hoyte and Traore were in way over their heads (which I've stated in a previous post). All I could do was laugh at them two. They can't even close down on the attacker.

I don't believe this loss will hurt Arsenal psychologically. We know know that Hoyte and Traore will probably not feature again this campaign. The loss to Tottenham would be more devastating to the club as a whole (in my opinion). And we bounced back from the loss with 4 straight victories, and quite easily to boot.

You'll see a different side and completely different performance. We still might not beat Milan as they are true masters at this kind of game, but we will be completely different.

Spurs outclassed us and beat us 5-1 - we got back to our usual selves and kept on picking up points in the League to overtake Man Utd at the top. People thought we'd flop and that we'd only go downhill. Instead, we dusted ourselves off, picked ourselves up and actually improved afterwards. The confrontation between Adebayor and Bendtner led to rumours of no spirit and problems within the Club - Adebayor returned to Premiership action straight after and started hammering in goals again.

This loss will make us want to prove ourselves again.

In saying all of that, football is football. It's unpredictable and at times it can be absolutely baffling. Anything can happen from here onwards, but I'm confident in the team and the spirit in the team. I'm not so sure we will beat Milan over two legs, but I am very confident that we'll win the Premiership which is priority number one.