Well we all can understand that how a big club Manchester United is as the recent match result suggests

4-0 it is too obvious and Red Devils were outclass than Arsenal from beginning till the end of the match and the final score proved this.

tbh - i couldn't be bothered to read all of them massive long posts
BUT if Arsenal went out there to not try and win - i think that that is a bit sh't on the fans.
travelled all the way to manchester to watch their team play, or try and play
these people pay good money to watch their favourite team, personally i think they deserve more if Arsenal just "weren't bothered"
but saying that, if they played like that every week i don't think i would complain

i guess you were wrong my friend!

Wenger is nothing but class after every interview.I think it's his honesty hat makes me a fan of his and that was the case after this man u and Spurs game.

well actually that kind of reaction is uniform around the world.I saw a player nutmeg ronaldinho and ronaldinho smacked him in the mouth.The same happens in africa and elsewhere,i've even seen the usually mellow jay jay okocha crack someone's legs out after being made a fool of.I'm not condoning it at all,but nani had to know that was coming.I also think gallas should be disciplined for his actions,even though it wasn't the wild swing that ferguson wants everyone to think it was.

lol.. they can only never be bothered when they lose anyway.. it's a typical gooner thingy..



i hope you're right.. but i don't think his comments're class ones.. never even heard of any yet..

loving the Axe Man squirming around like a typical Arsenal supporter!

Arsenal should send a written apology to every one of those 9,000 supporters who went to Old Trafford and give them their money back. it really was that bad. if, like you say, they simply had no desire to win the game then they should be ashamed of themselves. if a West Ham player had behaved like 'Cesc' with regards to wimping out of tackles and half hearted tracking back etc i would have demanded he be dragged off the pitch and given a stern dressing down. what kind of attitude is that?

Wenger has been embarrassed big time. his anger was evident for all to see, if he wasnt bothered about winning the game then he is an amazing actor, Oscar material certainly.

to go on about lacking players is a bit lame also. Man United rested several players also. we keep hearing about this wenger production line and what world class stars they have. well where were they? getting shown up all over the pitch. i would have been embarrassed if West Ham had been dominated in this way and our 'stars' include the likes of George McCartney, Carlton Cole and Hayden Mullins!

Axe Man, perhaps the reason for the distinct lack of urgency or will to win could have been that the game was over after half an hour?

you can talk about the premiership all you want but it is irrelevant, this is the FA Cup section and this was an FA Cup game. they were not just knocked out of the cup, your boys were raped.

so dissapointed with Arsenal after that performance ....they seemed to not care what happened and that is not what Arsenal are supposed to be about . This was not just about a cup tie , it had a huge significance for upcoming matches ...win and it would have been a huge blow to Man Utd ...instead it is us who could suffer ...tough matches against AC Milan and then Birmingham away ...

Now i am not sure if this was just a one off result because of the dire performance they gave against Man City last week but Man Utd were just outstanding all match ...they could and should have won about 5 or 6-0 ...we were never in the game ...i donr remember one good shot on goal really so poor were we .

The only players that showed any fight were Eduardo and Bendtner ...Eboue ..oh dear another idiot tackle and he seems to be doing it more these days ..

I also wish Wenger would be totally honest every now and then , no excuses really , the players were not interested ..Man Utd wanted it more , he would probably get more respect from rival fans

Outclassed , outplayed , outfought , and finally ...out of the cup ... +

What can I say? Arsenal lacked ambition to win the game. I've said it like 40 times already.

It's clearly evident that it was the truth. Wenger, Arsenal, the team and every single Arsenal fan would have preferred to gone out of the FA Cup but keep a fit & able XI to face Milan on Wednesday.

If you can't see it from that angle then fair enough. Ben91 clearly seen that in the players with how they performed from start to finish. I could see it within 4 minutes - it was plain as day. We played the players who were fit - most of them non-First teamers. The First teamers that were on the bench had injury problems of their own that didn't need strained.

We are out of the FA Cup now. It's no big deal. Last season it was more disappointing to get knocked out because it was more of a priority to us seeing as we were out of the Premiership title race. With a less game and no injuries from Saturday, we might hopefully be able to field a strong side that includes the rested players for the Milan game.

It sounds like an excuse. But I have no excuses to make. I just say what I see based on clear evidence that most people don't seem to understand except Ben91. I'm personally happy enough with the position we are now in - less games to play, less fatigue in the team and hopefully less injuries to follow - sitting top of the League, clear by 5 points and preparing to face Milan in the Champions League KO stage. This is a great season for us and it will continue to be absolutely great if we can maintain our challenge for the big trophies - I can see why Wenger wanted to limit the mentality of the players in the Man Utd game. If you can't, and you'd be disappointed if it was your team then fair enough. But in the long run, I think it's a smart move and if we win the Championship or even the Champions League, Wenger and everybody Arsenal will be the ones laughing with the right ambitions.

Why would Wenger have to buy respect from opposition fans? It is completely unnecessary. Wenger will say and do whatever it takes to help his team and protect his players, just like every other loyal Manager in the World. Fergie has done and will do the same until the day he retires - he'll protect Ronaldo when he dives and he'll moan about opposition players when they do something he doesn't like.

Wenger admitted that United were better and that's it. He's hardly going to say that we had no ambitions, showed no ambitions or made no efforts to win the game. It just wouldn't go down well.

But at the end of the day, all Arsenal fans will swiftly forget this when/if we win the League. To win the League you need a fresh XI at least - we dangerously close to losing more players. We had to pick injured players for or bench because we were so short and yet you think it's wrong to go in full blast with limited resources in a less priority Cup which was always going to be difficult and in return will effect our true ambitions of the title and Champions League. There is no shame to go out to Man Utd - of course it was disappointing to get beaten in that fashion, but it will have no bearings on the season if we win the League. It's as simple as that.

Wenger wants to keep his players fit and do his best to keep their morale and spirit at good levels. He needs to do that if we are to challenge for these competitions.

As already said a few pages back, the commentators jizzing over Rooney is a bit tiresome. He had a very good game and is a key player to United but he wasn't the best player on the pitch. Nani scored as well as setting up 2 others but Rooney was the one getting all the praise. Anderson is also a different class. Think he's my third favourite non-Celtic player about now (after Ronaldinho & Canavaro (on form)). I'd give my left nut to have him at Celtic but he'd probably have to play second fiddle to Paul Hartley for a few years though

Certainly, I agree.

But if West Ham needed to keep their star player fit for more important games to come, then you would be more annoyed if he got himself injured or fatigued and it weakened your chances of challenging for the prioritised trophies.

If West Ham were 5 points clear at the top of the Premiership with not many games to go and were physically struggling to field an XI on the pitch due to major injury issues, they would not send their players out in a less priority competition to strain themselves and risk injury or fatigue. If you did and injury & fatigue came into effect, you lost the title challenge but perhaps won that FA Cup game, what is there to be happy about? You'd have lost the League to the FA Cup Quarter-Finals.

Not only are we concentrating and prioritising the League and the fitness of our players at this moment and time, but we're concentrating on the upcoming Champions League ties - a competition we've never won and it's mountains above the FA Cup in terms of priority.

I want to see us challenge full heartedly for every single game, competition and match-up. But if you want to win some things with limited resources, you have to make necessary sacrifices and I can fully understand that.

But again, let me reiterate: I did not say and I'm not saying that Wenger said the Arsenal players out there to lose. But I am saying, like Ben91 explained, that Wenger will have told certain players to back out from straining themselves or from getting injured and that there are other priorities to consider. I believe that the rested players and the key players on that pitch will have been limited to how much they could give. That's based on the performances and that's based on the logical reasoning that we have bigger priorities.

At this moment and time for Arsenal it'd have been like sending out First XI players in a Reserve game to go full blast passion & determination to strain & drain the players only a few days before a Champions League KO fixture. That's how the priorities are separated.

Now if we win the Champions League or the Championship with a fitter and healthier squad, who will look back at this FA Cup 5th Round knock-out and worry about it?

Nearly every reply is about disrespect, cheats, stabs at players, player petulance and how we might lose things. Same old story. Nothing to do with the discussion in hand - which is about priority and ambition and fitness. Our priorities before and after that game were to win the Championship, progress in the Champions League and to keep the limited players fit & healthy. Going out in the 5th Round of the FA Cup isn't a bother when measured up. Of course it's disappointing for all Arsenal fans and especially the travelling Arsenal fans. If it's necessary to refund them then go ahead - it'd be a nice gesture. But 95% of those Arsenal fans will not be worrying about that 5th Round exit, but will be excited about the upcoming title challenges and the advantages we now have.

It doesn't annoy me in the slightest pal. I am more than happy with our current situation.

I have already stressed that it was played in a disappointing fashion by Arsenal. But I stand by all of what I've said in terms of ambition and priorities.

That Man Utd game will not effect our squad much at all for the AC Milan tie. The difference in importance is gigantic and for you to understand what I'm saying, you have to understand that.

It's disappoiting the attitude the big clubs have towards the FA cup and the Carling Cup to be honest. Arsenal get thumped and its like "Bah Champions League this and that".

You got thumped 4 blot doesn't matter about the bigger picture. You got thumped. Owned. Sure Arsenal had some players out and that's fair enough. But it wasn't a poor team by any means, poor performance but the team was no Derby County (no offence to Derby fans out there).

Also wasn't it you J-Axe proclaiming that second string Arsenal would finish top 6 in premier league? And now your dumping the thumping on your second string players? Make up your mind. Are they on the level or not?

Is Gallas second string? Man U ran so many rings around him he had to resort to kneeing Nani.

What about Fabregas? And Hleb? Missing in Action ;-]

I think Wenger, plainly, underestimated Man United, which is kind of understandable since United have been poor recently. Loved it to be honest.

>rant over<

you miss the point.

im saying i would rather have a player out there with less ability giving 100%.

wasnt it last year that after being knocked out of the cup you self destructed? i recall nobody 'caring' they had been knocked out of the cup prior to the following games also

So you're saying we should have played a younger player to go out and fight? Who was available to play instead of Cesc for example? The bench were 'under treatment' and so many players were injured or missing.

If you want to stoop into the Arsenal Reserves/Youth and bring in some kid then fair enough. But Wenger has never and never will disrespect the FA Cup. If it was the Carling Cup, Cesc and co. wouldn't have played most likely.

But because you respect the Cup and the opposition, doesn't mean it weighs up in terms of priority. Cesc is now fit & ready and the other fit players are available for the Milan Champions League KO game which as I said is mountains about the 5th Round of the FA Cup in terms of priority and ambition.