Pointing at planes

Tomorrow morning will be a sight to behold. Upwards of 50 coaches, goodness knows how many minibuses and cars and at least two dedicated trains will be setting off from the South West, headed for That London and our Cup date with Arsenal. The procession of the Green Army will be unlike any seen for the past 12 years, when 35,000 went to Wembley, 30,000 of whom hadn’t been to a game all season. Like most other Argyle season-ticket holders and supporters, I have been plagued with requests about ‘whether you’re going to be using your ticket or not’: and even those only dimly aware of the significance of the game have brought it up in conversation.

The danger, of course, is that its significance gets overplayed both in our own minds and in that of the players. Karl Duguid got it right the other day when he described it as “just another football match”. After both the Watford quarter-final two years ago, and the Pompey 4th round game last season, our League form suffered a damaging slump, costing us a shot at the play-offs in both cases. That must not happen again. Equally, we need to avoid looking too much like benighted country cousins. We get patronised enough, frankly, by the Prem-obsessed media, on the occasions they can be bothered to mention us, without inviting it upon ourselves with comments like “just looking forward to the occasion, really”, “biggest game of my life” and similar tripe. I don’t want to sound too Scrooge-like: I *am excited and I *am looking forward to it. But, like many of you, I recall only too painfully the 6-1 stuffings we received at the hands of a considerably less talented Arsenal team than this one in the 1980s. I’d like for us to give an heroic account of ourselves, at least.

Much debate around team selection. Gray straight in at RB, I would imagine: and while Sawyer apparently offered a good account of himself at Cardiff, it was probably not enough to dislodge Luggy favourite Barker. Cathcart for Timar please. Craig Noone’s first start against Saints on Boxing Day was encouraging and he may be preferred to Mackie in midfield, with Chris Clark switched across to the right. Up front, it’s all about the fitness of Gallagher and Mpenza: if he starts with both, then expect to see Gally on the left in place of Noone; if he starts with one it’ll be Gally with (presumably) Fallon and Mpenza on the bench. So thus:

Larrieu

Gray
Seip
Cathcart
Barker

Clark
Summerfield
Duguid
Noone

Gallagher
Fallon
—————-
MacLean
Mpenza
Mackie
Timar
Folly
Sawyer
Stack

Everyone has written us off, which is encouraging. The third-round shocks are rarely seen coming. We have a point or two to prove. Above all, let us have a performance to be proud of. We have enough to give them a fright, if everyone plays to the top of their game. And if they do, who knows what dreams may come…..

Category: Team News

Tags: Arsenal, FA Cup, Plymouth Argyle, Team News

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