Arsenal vs Stoke City | Premiership 23/2/11

[shamrock11]

if we 'need' cesc to beat birmingham its a joke we are supposed to be one the best teams in the world if we cant beat an average premier league without one of our best players we must just forget about it

[Zedie]

Most footballers play with a niggle so very rarely are they ever 100%

But I see where you are coming from.

Most footballers are not Arsenal footballers. Just think back at the injuries we've had to star players at key stages over the last 5 years. Directly correlates to our lack of silverware and the team we can still put out have enough to beat f***ing Birmingham if they want it enough.

Its a cup final ffs, if people arent up for Sunday, Wenger needs to print off some P45s.

[TRA Dial Square]

Its a cup final ffs, if people arent up for Sunday, Wenger needs to print off some P45s.

If you're talking about Cesc then that's a little harsh... In fact that's more than just a little harsh, Zedie.

Would you be willing to risk him in the CC Final, even w/ L.O and Possibly Sunderland to rest him; when 3 days later we have Barca away in CL and then ManUre away in the F.A Cup 4 days after that?? Really?

[ProudGooner]

I did not say we cannot beat bham without cesc but we needed cesc for this game.

Without him I think it will be a tighter game but we should still win. Yes this is true that with or without cesc we should beat bham. I cannot stress how important this trophy is. Not in terms of prestige and silverware but more in terms of the confidence, belief and boost it will give everyone.

If we win this trophy it will result in us playing better football. If we do not win it willhave a negative impact on us psychologically.

Without Cesc I feel Wenger should play 2 strikers i.e. RVP and Chamakh together.

[ProudGooner]

On another point I think Cesc is fit enough to play on Sunday but I am not sure whether Wenger has dropped him because he doesnt want to take a risk when so many big games are coming up or whether he is annoyed with Cesc for asking to get subbed and then it turns out the pain had gone within a few minutes and it was nothing serious at all.

Maybe Wenger is stamping his authority here? I am not 100% but my feeling is that Wenger is not playing him as a precaution as we have bigger games coming up.

[StLGooner]

I think we're going to lose with or without Cesc, but it will be worse without him. imo.

[Massa]

ChVint confident as always I see

[StLGooner]

ChVint confident as always I see

I predicted us to not win any trophies, and finish fourth at the beginning of the season, if I changed my prediction now, then I'd be labeled a bandwagon predictor, I gotta stick with what I said at the start.