The Short Fuse - Arsenal vs. Blackburn: FA Cupit me, Jeffhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51365/tsf-fav.png2013-02-17T12:51:32-05:00http://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/rss/stream/37573352013-02-17T12:51:32-05:002013-02-17T12:51:32-05:00Arsenal v Blackburn: the Good, Bad and the Ugly
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<figcaption>Shaun Botterill</figcaption>
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<p>We review the good, bad and the ugly (perhaps very ugly) from Arsenal's FA Cup exit to Blackburn. </p> <p>Welp. I think that's a good, family-friendly word to describe yesterday. Despite that, your writing staff worked tirelessly to find some good, bad and ugly things from yesterday. </p>
<h3>The Good</h3>
<p>Most of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal's</a> build up play was fairly decent, led by <span>Tomas Rosicky</span>. Rosicky was at the heart of most everything that Arsenal did well; it was his brilliant through ball that set up the chance for Gervinho, and he also hit the bar with a cracking shot. Rosicky was the one player who always seemed to make things happen; he played several good one-twos with <span>Olivier Giroud</span>, and he started to look like the player that was part of Arsenal's surging run to claim 3rd place last season. If Rosicky can continue to play like that, it'll be harder for <span>Arsene Wenger</span> to leave him out of the side. </p>
<h3>The Bad</h3>
<p>With that being said about Rosicky, it was odd to see him replaced by <span>Jack Wilshere</span> after 71 minutes. Arsenal were starting to up the pressure on Blackburn, with Rosicky the impetus behind every attacking move. With Blackburn sitting very deep, and offering almost nothing going forward, it seemed to make more sense to take off <span>Abou Diaby</span> or <span>Mikel Arteta</span>, and have Wilshere create with Rosicky, and <span>Santi Cazorla</span>, who came on for Gervinho. There's been a lot of unfair criticism hurled at Wenger after yesterday, but something that does seem fair is to critcise is his removal of Rosicky. This is the type of game that Arsenal play a lot of, and they usually make the breakthrough when more creativity is added to the side. When Arsenal were struggling against Huddersfield Town in the Cup two years ago, <span>Cesc Fabregas</span> was brought on, with Tomas Rosicky and <span>Andrei Arshavin</span> also on the pitch. </p>
<p>Of course, the argument about creativity could've been null and void if Gervinho had finished the simple chance presented to him by his, admittedly, good run and Rosicky's excellent pass. Gervinho, though, is Gervinho, and he well and truly Gervinho'd that chance. He wasn't the only one at fault--<span>Theo Walcott</span> should've scored with a header, and Mikel Arteta probably should've leveled the score in the last minute, but his was the easiest chance. Gervinho has now played 58 games for Arsenal, and has a measly return of 9 goals and 9 assists. For comparison, it took Theo Walcott 63 games to reach 9 goals (he had already reached the 9 assist plateau). The difference, though, is that Theo Walcott was 19, and had played a lot fewer minutes than Gervinho, who is in the prime years of his career. Part of the reason why Arsenal seemingly struggle to compete on four fronts is that the depth of the squad isn't that good; Gervinho's equivalent in the Invincible team was probably Sylvain Wiltord or Jose Antonio Reyes, and while Arsenal have been hampered by financial difficulties, Gervinho's equivalent in the last Arsenal team to really compete for the league title, the 2007/08 side, was Eduardo, who was a far better player than Gervinho.</p>
<p>Of course, finishing wasn't the only problem; Arsenal gave up a very soft goal, one that came down the right side. <span>Francis Coquelin</span> may have shown "urgency" by diving into tackles, but his over-aggressive play opened up the right hand side on more than one occasion. With <span>Carl Jenkinson</span> suspended and <span>Bacary Sagna</span> possibly needed at centre back on Tuesday, Coquelin could've shown to be an adept replacement at right back. He didn't, and looked far worse than <span>Aaron Ramsey</span> did at right back when the Welshman played there last weekend. </p>
<h3>The Ugly</h3>
<p>The reaction to Arsenal losing was predictable, but still depressing. No one can deny that there is something wrong with Arsenal as a football club, and there, perhaps, need to be change, either with the manager, or with the makeup of the board, or both or something else. And, after going out to Bradford in the League Cup one would've hoped that Arsenal would've navigated Blackburn, and there is, naturally, disappointment to come from that. The Blackburn game, though, won't make or break Arsenal's season. Yes, the trophy drought is annoying, and it would be nice to see Arsenal win the trophy, but to almost blindly react with #WENGEROUT seems almost thoughtless; there is a time, and a place to have that discussion, but instead of becoming an angry and polarising discussion it should be done when everyone is a little more calmer, and, preferably, at the end of the season. Such a discussion needs to take into view everything about the football club, which includes scouting, coaching, transfers and many other things. It should not take place after a defeat where Arsenal were perhaps unlucky to lose (not that they deserved to win--a draw seemed a fair enough result). No one denies that there aren't many worrying concerns with Arsenal, but those concerns should exist whether Arsenal had beaten Blackburn or lost to them. </p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2013/2/17/3998200/arsenal-blackburn-fa-cupAidan Gibson2013-02-16T14:29:47-05:002013-02-16T14:29:47-05:00Arsenal 0 - 1 Blackburn: FA Cup Match Report
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<figcaption>Yep. | Shaun Botterill</figcaption>
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<p>Arsenal possession dominance not enough in what is familiar-feeling loss for the Gunners in the FA Cup fifth round.</p> <p><br>0 - 1 Colin Kazim-Richards 72'</p>
<p>In what has become a familiar sort of match for Arsenal over the past few years, the Gunners dominated possession today, but a lack of incisive passing and finishing meant that one of three shots on target for Blackburn looped in past <span>Wojciech Szczesny</span> and put <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/blackburn-rovers">Blackburn Rovers</a> into the FA Cup quarterfinals.</p>
<p>Arsenal, who had 12 shots on target from 26 total, spent most of their time passing back and forth in front of Blackburn's nine players standing inside their 18 yard area, and except for a couple of occasions, had trouble turning the Rovers defense and finding teammates with cutbacks or crosses. Arsenal also had 16 corner kicks, none of which really amounted to much.</p>
<p>The first big chance for Arsenal didn't really come until the 26th minute, when <span>Abou Diaby's</span> header from a corner (okay, that one amounted to something) found only the waiting arms of <span>Jake Kean</span>. <span>Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain</span> shot well wide and in general was trying to do too much, constantly dribbling inside into pressure and a mass of bodies, which sport his right back Francis Coqelin joined in heartily. Blackburn were offering basically zero threat at this point, and <span>Laurent Koscielny</span> and <span>Thomas Vermaelen</span> were spending more time forward than in their own half, almost.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal's</a> most dangerous player in the first half, and during his time on the pitch in full, was <span>Tomas Rosicky</span>. He was industrious and quick with his passing as usual, and in the 43rd minute, he threaded a pass through the Blackburn defense that was perfect. However, the man on the other end of it was Gervinho, and Gervinho did his Gervinho thing where he gets one-on-one with the keeper and shoots wide. It was a bad miss, especially coming off what was a good African Cup of Nations for the Ivorian. As halftime neared, <span>Mikel Arteta</span> drilled a free kick right at Kean.</p>
<p>The second half started with a Blackburn flurry, but then it quickly settled into its old pattern. Arsenal increasingly looked to get shots on target from anywhere, Diaby missing from range as well as Rosicky before the latter crushed a shot off the crossbar from 25 yards. It was as close as Arsenal would come. <span>Arsene Wenger</span> looked to his bench and brought on <span>Theo Walcott</span>, <span>Santi Cazorla</span>, and <span>Jack Wilshere</span> for Chamberlain, Rosicky, and Gervinho. It was puzzling that Rosicky was taken off, because he had continued to look Arsenal's most composed and dangerous player.</p>
<p>In one minute, it wouldn't matter.</p>
<p>Blackburn punted the ball forward, flicked it on, and <span>Martin Olsson</span> powered a half-volley towards Szczesny. The keeper parried it straight back into the middle and the path of Kazim-Richards, who scuffed a bouncing effort that did enough to carom in off the post. It was 1-0, out of absolutely nowhere, and now Arsenal's tempo that was lacking in the first 70 minutes would come to life.</p>
<p>Theo Walcott looked to have a penalty shout in the 82nd minute, as he was tripped while lining up a shot from 9 yards, but he was deemed offside. Replays showed that he was not, and that he should have had a penalty. He had another chance six minutes later, his header crashing straight into Kean. One final scramble in the last minute of injury time ended with Arteta smashing a shot into the side netting when there was a square for <span>Olivier Giroud</span> available. Blackburn took the goal kick, and that was it.</p>
<p>Arsenal were out of a cup to a lower-division side for the second time in three months. They had much more of the ball and much more of the attempts than Blackburn did on the day, but they didn't finish what they started, were too often lacking the final ball, and were found lacking on one crucial moment of defending.</p>
<p>Next up: Bayern. Ugh.</p>
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https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2013/2/16/3995800/arsenal-blackburn-match-report-fa-cup-2013Ted Harwood2013-02-16T09:37:56-05:002013-02-16T09:37:56-05:00Arsenal vs. Blackburn Rovers: FA Cup Match Thread
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<p>Magic of the Match Thread</p> <p align="center"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/"><br>Arsenal</a> vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/blackburn-rovers">Blackburn Rovers</a><br>FA Cup Fifth Round<br>Kickoff: Saturday, February 16, 10:00 AM EST<br>Emirates Stadium, North London, London, Greater London<br>Televisual Coverations: Fox Soccer Channel</p>
<p align="left">So. The lineups are out, and here they be:</p>
<p align="left"><b>Arsenal</b>: Szczesny, Coquelin, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Monreal, Diaby, Rosicky, Arteta, Gervinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud.</p>
<p align="left">Vermaelen and Koscielny both came through their fitness tests, and <span>Bacary Sagna</span> is getting a reste. I hope this works out. Gervinho, as expected, is getting the start, along with the Ox.</p>
<p align="left"><b>Subs</b>: Mannone, Sagna, Ramsey, Wilshere, Cazorla, Walcott, Podolski.</p>
<p align="left">Wilshere's on the subs bench, then. Hopefully we won't need to call on his services.</p>
<p align="left"><b>Blackburn: </b>Kean, Orr, Dann, Hanley, <span>Martin Olsson</span>, Pedersen, Williamson, Lowe, Markus Olsson, Kazim-Richards, Rhodes.</p>
<p align="left"><b>Subs: </b>Usai, Givet, Fabio Nunes, Rekik, Nuno Gomes, Goodwillie, Bentley.</p>
<p align="left">Feel free to comment on all of the match action below. Remember, please do not link to illegal streams; please always use the subject line when commenting, and above all else, be good to one another.</p>
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https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2013/2/16/3995062/arsenal-blackburn-2013-fa-cup-match-threadTed Harwood2013-02-15T17:05:22-05:002013-02-15T17:05:22-05:00Arsenal vs. Blackburn: FA Cup Match Preview
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<figcaption>Paul Gilham</figcaption>
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<p>Arsenal welcome the Rovers to the Emirates tomorrow for some fifth-round FA Cup action.</p> <p align="center"><br><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal</a> vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/blackburn-rovers">Blackburn Rovers</a><br>FA Cup Fifth Round<br>Kickoff: Saturday, February 16, 10:00 AM EST<br>Emirates Stadium, North London, London, Greater London<br>Televisual Coverations: Fox Soccer Channel</p>
<p align="left">Arsenal welcome Blackburn Rovers into the Emirates tomorrow for the fifth round of the FA Cup. Much of the discussion around Arsenal has looked ahead to the match against Bayern Munich, but tomorrow's match is arguably more important only in the sense that the FA Cup is a more realistic objective than the Champions League. This is mainly because Bayern Munich are turning into the football equivalent of the 1980 USSR ice hockey team before our very eyes (which is an argument that Arsenal should rest key players for tomorrow's match against Championship side Blackburn).</p>
<p align="left">It's not an easy situation.</p>
<p align="left">As things stand right now, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/wenger-i-won-t-risk-wilshere-s-fitness">Arsenal lineup picture for tomorrow remains a bit muddied</a>. <span>Arsene Wenger</span> has described the situation thusly:</p>
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<p>"Wilshere and Koscielny have a test this [Friday] morning and <a href="http://www.arsenal.com/first-team/players/thomas-vermaelen" title="Thomas Vermaelen player profile">Thomas Vermaelen</a> should be back. He has a definite test today," said Wenger.</p>
<p>"We have plenty of people in training today who have a test and we'll see how well they come out of it. I am confident 50:50 with Wilshere and Koscielny, and Vermaelen 90:10."</p>
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<p align="left">Arsenal will take tomorrow seriously despite the looming spectre in three day's time afterwards. Gervinho is theoretically back and available, and I would wager that we see him in some capacity tomorrow (somehow his re-introduction to club football versus the German destroyers of Time seems bad). His appearance could spare the energies of one of <span>Lukas Podolski</span>, <span>Theo Walcott</span>, or <span>Olivier Giroud</span> for Tuesday, at least partially, in theory.</p>
<p align="left">Blackburn, for their part, sit eighth in the Championship. They've just brought on former Arsenal player and being-a-jerkstore enthusiast <span>David Bentley</span> on loan, but by far their most potent attacking threat comes in the person of Jordan Rhodes, who has 19 goals this year. He is seriously in form, and could present a hard go of things for any Arsenal makeshift back four.</p>
<p align="left">Speaking of which, based on the above quote, I think we're likely to see <span>Bacary Sagna</span>, <span>Per Mertesacker</span>, <span>Thomas Vermaelen</span>, and <span>Nacho Monreal</span> tomorrow. I don't think this is a match that Wenger is going to want to try out a youngster in at this stage of the cup, especially as he may need one to throw into the maw of destiny against Bayern.</p>
<p align="left">What do you reckon?</p>
<p align="left">Match Prediction:</p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YOAz4nPNvLI" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe></p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2013/2/15/3993368/arsenal--blackburn-fa-cup-2013-match-previewTed Harwood2013-02-14T13:55:52-05:002013-02-14T13:55:52-05:00Arsenal vs. Blackburn: FA Cup Team News
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<figcaption>Christof Koepsel</figcaption>
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<p>The Arsenal back line is currently in flux, as is Jack Wilshere's thigh...in...flux? Grammar!</p> <p><span>Arsene Wenger</span> revealedsome of the injury news today ahead of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/">Arsenal's</a> FA Cup match with Blackburn on Saturday. As you might expect, the names <span>Thomas Vermaelen</span>, <span>Laurent Koscielny</span>, and <span>Jack Wilshere</span> cropped up.</p>
<p>Arsenal's defensive line has been a little dinged up lately, as everyone is aware. They managed to keep a clean sheet at the Stadium of Light last weekend with a little luck, and they may need a little bit more to do the same against Blackburn at the Emirates in two days' time.</p>
<p>Thomas Vermaelen is "looking good and should be back in the squad", according to the manager, but from there on out, the news is less optimistic-sounding. Jack Wilshere is a "doubt" for Saturday, although he has tests tomorrow. Laurent Koscielny is in the same boat, with tests tomorrow.</p>
<p><span>Carl Jenkinson</span> is healthy, but suspended due to his red card from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/">Sunderland</a>. So, worst-case scenario for the Arsenal defense, if Vermaelen can't go for some reason and Koscielny cannot either, probably looks like this:</p>
<p align="center">Sagna--Mertesacker--Miquel--Monreal</p>
<p align="center">or</p>
<p align="center">Yennaris--Sagna--Mertesacker--Monreal</p>
<p align="left">And then there's Bayern to rest for...what do you reckon?</p>
https://theshortfuse.sbnation.com/2013/2/14/3988920/arsenal-blackburn-fa-cup-2013-injuries-team-newsTed Harwood