The FA Cup 2014/15 thread

[TCO]

Arsenal just have a much better squad than Liverpool do. You can't really say Alexis is the difference when Giroud is banging in goals the way he is at the moment.

Edited April 8, 2015 by TCO

[The Lusophone]

A fit goal scoring striker, a creative talisman, some kind of captain who actually gives a shit, a competent defence, a goalkeeper playing with confidence. Liverpool miss or have missed all of these things this season, it's not as simple as a case of 'if only we had x player'. There are very few players who can drive a season on their own backs, and all of them are quite outside Liverpool's price range.

[Hobo]

I don't agree fully. Liverpool broke a 30 year old away clean sheet record this season and went from December - March unbeaten in the league. And a lot of this was without Steven Gerrard.

The keeper improved. The defence improved. The goals didn't really improve.

Prior to that the side performed terribly. Recently form has dipped at a bad time in the league.

Liverpool do have some exciting but young players. Coutinho has it in him to be the creative force in midfield. He's still very young but he's shown what he hopefully can become. Emre Can has been impressive. Sterling, who I assume will stay, can play anywhere.

It's a side good enough on paper to beat a lot of lower to midtable premier league team. Especially if there was a player or two extra who are dead certain to get a goal.

There's seeming talk of James Milner coming in the summer. While I'd like to see Liverpool go out and get one big name - I don't think it's a matter of cost so much as policy. FSG would rather buy for two years down the line than right now in a lot of the time.

I do think this side has a lot more in the tank than previous Liverpool teams that have mounted a title challenge and not sustained it the next season. Probably because last year was a more of a freak season.

[The Lusophone]

Oh I didn't mean to imply these were permanent things, just that I don't think the 'one big player away from being top' analogy has any legs - much like stuff like 'if everytime we hit the post we scored, we'd win the league' - in this instance. I think instead focussing on the foundations and what you have - and building on that - is what you should be doing, and probably what FSG will do. They seem unusually competent in that respect.

[Sam]

The loss of Suarez meant they lost out on top 4. Their record against the top 4 is so poor this season and if you can't beat them then you can't be amongst them. It's kinda like when we bought RVP and won the league except selling a player cost them top 4.

Would they have lost some of those matches with Suarez on the pitch?

Edited April 9, 2015 by Sam

[The Lusophone]

The loss of Suarez would've been less keenly felt if Sturridge was fit, tbh. It's not as simple as just going 'if Suarez was here'...

[Hobo]

One big player wouldn't fix it but it would probably help. The brilliance of having, say, a Suarez at this best was his ability to terrify most defenses in the Premier League because they'd no idea how to contain him.

Sturridge being mostly unfit this season hasn't helped either and the rest of the strikers don't really offer the same kind of impact.

Apparently, Jordan Henderson rushed back from the birth of his new child to play in the game last night having barely slept the night before.

[Matt]

I don't think the "Sanchez is the difference" is too absurd, Arsenal fans were saying themselves how vital he's been for them at times this season. Take out those vital times and give Liverpool a few moments of magic from him that they otherwise wouldn't have had and yeah, I could see Liverpool and Arsenal being in opposite positions

[DavidMarrio]

Ticket for Wembley sorted out, just gotta sort out transport now seen as though i've only got a week to do it.

[Lineker]

The FA Cup semi-final between Reading and Arsenal will be shown live on BBC One.

The Wembley fixture will take place on Saturday, 18 April, at 17:20 BST.

The match will take place on the same day as six Premier League fixtures, including Chelsea v Manchester United, which kicks-off at 17:30 BST.

Aston Villa will face Liverpool in the other semi-final on Sunday, 19 April, at 15:00 BST. That game is live on BT Sport.

[Dynamite]

I don't see why they couldn't just stick Arsenal-Reading as the early match on Saturday. There's no Premier League game on before 3pm, both teams are local and it doesn't clash with Chelsea vs. Man Utd.

[EddieG]

You people with your stupid logic and common sense.

[Lineker]

Jack Wilshere is back on the bench for Arsenal having not played since 22 November. Wojciech Szczesny is in goal as his run in cup games continues and Mathieu Debuchy is in at right-back, his first appearance since 11 January.

Arsenal: Szczesny, Debuchy, Gibbs, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Ozil, Ramsey, Alexis, Cazorla, Welbeck, Coquelin.

Reading: Federici, Gunter, Pearce, Pogrebnyak, Robson-Kanu, Obita, Chalobah, McCleary, Mackie, Williams, Hector.

[Kaney]

BFG unlucky there!

[Kaney]

Alexis! What a pass from Ozil too.

[FLiam]

That was an unbelievable pass from Ozil. Unbelievable.

[Kaney]

How is that not a booking? :/

[Colly]

Does Martin Keown have gills? What's going on with his neck!

[Kaney]

Fuck off Reading.

[DavidMarrio]

Come on Reading!!!