After the exciting, and, OK, nerve wracking FA Cup replay at Bolton, we were subjected to one of the worst games I have ever witnessed at home against Blackburn. Some reward that was for winning the nail-biter. It wasn't quite as bad as an England friendly, but then again, I gave up watching those ages ago, so I may be wrong.
Why Blackburn played the way they did in a cup game is a mystery, and frankly it's no surprise the number of fans in the away end was as low as it was if that is what they have to put up with on a regular basis. Don't they realise fans pay good money to go and watch these games?
Arsenal needed to show more guile, and it was only the introduction of Clichy, Rosicky and Adebayor late in the second half that made us look like we would put Blackburn under pressure. We only made two clear cut chances during the game - early in the first half when Justin Hoyte played a nice chip into Henry, and then late in the second half when Friedel saved from Henry & Hoyte in quick succession. We should have had a penalty when Aliadiere was blatantly tripped, and you wish the ref had given it, if only to save everyone the misery of having to watch Blackburn again. Then again, we would probably have missed it.
Now we have got Man City at home in the next round, if we win the replay.
In other news Arsene Wenger has been speaking about the quality of young English players coming through. he says:
"When I started, I wanted to produce a team with 60 per cent English players. We've ended up with 80 per cent or more foreign players because I haven't found enough quality among the English. But something amazing is happening. There is real quality among the English, in the under-16 and under-14 groups. We have to be patient. But the attitude of English players is changing and you no longer have the problem with alcohol - not like 20 years ago.''
The full article can be read here.
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