So, having clearly read my blogs about how Arsenal can win the quadruple this season, Arsene Wenger comes out in the media this week to say the very same thing! Great minds and all that...
Strange then that he chose to pick a 'weakened' side against Leyton Orient yesterday. I use the term 'weakened' loosely as it still contained the likes of Bakary Sagna, Denilson, Alex Song, Tomas Rosicky, Nicklas Bendtner, Andrey Arshavin and Mauranne Chamakh - all of who have regularly figured in the first team squad this season. Perhaps that just shows the strength in depth we have now as Wenger can make ten changes and still field an experienced side who should have been good enough to see off a spirited but limited Orient.
But, just like the earlier rounds against Leeds United and Huddersfield Town, we again appeared to underestimate a lower division side and now face another fixture we could have done without. The performance stank of complacency. We always looked in control but lacked the urgency needed to kill them off, as though we thought it would just happen. Yes, if it wasn't for a decent near post save by their keeper from goalscorer Rosicky and an effort from Arshavin that came back off the post, we would have got the required result but sometimes you have to make your own luck.
Full credit to Orient who never gave up but the fact is the wrong attitude has cost us a place in the quarter final at the first attempt, which is even more frustrating as the reward awaiting us is a trip to Old Trafford.
Now normally that would be a draw you would want to avoid but not anymore, not this season. United have been ordinary for the most part and we will probably never have a better chance of beating them up there, assuming we don't come a cropper in the replay against Orient next week!
Should we make it through the team selection of Wenger for that tie will be interesting and will probably depend on the result of the second leg in Barcelona the midweek before the game. If we get the required result over there then I wouldn't be surprised to see him pick a similar side to the one that played at Orient, with perhaps the addition of Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri. No doubt Fergie will be thinking the same about his own team selection.
They say the FA Cup has lost much of its former appeal and perhaps this explains why. Ten years ago a quarter final between Arsenal and United would have seen a full strength side selected by both managers but with Premier League points and Champions League glory now the priority the FA Cup has suffered as a result.
But all that will be forgotten should Wenger and Fergie come face-to-face again next month. No matter which 22 players are selected a meeting between the Premier League's top two is always an occasion to saviour and the winners of this particular encounter will surely be favourites to lift the famous old pot again.
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