Smått och gott inför FA Youth Cup Final
Om ni nu händelsevis inte vet om det, så spelar Arsenal och Liverpool första matchen av två av FA Youth Cup Final ikväll på Emirates Stadium. Jodå; så är det.
Grabbarna är heltända på alla cylindrar och jag ger en en kort bild av bakgrunden till finalen;
Arsenal
Följande väg till finalen
Aston Villa 3-2 (Murphy 2, Emmanuel-Thomas 1)
Wolves 3-1(Sunu 3)
Spurs 3-1 (Bartley, Emmanuel-Thomas, Murphy)
Manchester City 2-1, 4-1(Watt 2, Wilshere, Bartley)
En kommentar från Wenger tillser att grabbarna är hypertända. han hade tre av grabbarna på bänken mot Pompey och menar nu “Jack Wilshere is already with us in the first team but there are plenty of players in there who could very quickly be in our first-team squad.I have seen this team a few times and I like not only their quality but their attitude as well. There is something in there that shows they have personality and not only talent. I believe they will win. They are still a bit young but not for one player could you say ‘you will not make a career’.”
Henri Lansbury är åter från lånet i Scunthorpe och är sugen på spel och segrar. Han gjorde 4 mål på 16 matcher och spalde en cupmatch på Wembley. han är sugen på att vinna och taggad inför framtiden. "Here at Arsenal is all about our development so my time at Scunthorpe was valuable. It’s different to the youth team because in League One they’re fighting for their lives and their careers. I think the move changed me as a person. I have come back a stronger player and I want to win every game that I play in. It’s good experience to go through those ups and downs, getting shouted at, getting moaned at. You learn to take it on board and get a thicker skin.”
Målskytten Rhys Murphy avgjorde play-off-finalen mot Spurs och vill vinna, men är medveten om att det finns en karriär att ta hand om också. Att spela hemma eller borta första matchen?"Personally I would have liked to have played the second leg at home but it doesn't matter either way. It will be a great occasion on Friday, especially with the fans behind us. It’s great to play in front of those Arsenal supporters, that definitely helps us. And playing at Emirates Stadium previously will definitely help as well."
Herschel "Sanchez" Watt ser hur mycket mål laget gör och att mål verkligen gör nytta. Intressant kille. Huvudet på skaft. "Maybe in the League we know we can score a lot of goals but in the Cup every one is vital. All the teams are different too, we come up against long-ball sides, good footballing ones so the variation is good too. It’s more like a battle in the Youth Cup, we won our League ages ago so this is so much more intense. People are fighting for places and there are much higher expectations. It has been great for all of us."
Frimpie Frimpong är extra sugen på matchen; eftersom en av hans bästa vänner Thomas Ince/son till Paul) spelar i Liverpools lag. Han säger att det är enda surr på telefonen och sms och annat mellan varandra. Frimpong är extra spetsad eftersom han fick sitta på bänken mot Pompey och träna med de stora gossarna."About two days before the game Neil [Banfield] told us there might be a chance of some of us being on the bench, but I wasn't expecting it. Then the day before the game I trained with the first team and I trained very well. I went in the changing room and I found out a few minutes later that I was on the bench for the Portsmouth game. I was surprised. I was playing alongside Alex Song in training and I was playing against Cesc [Fabregas] and Denilson. If I can do well against them hopefully I can do well against anyone."
Liverpool
Lagets väg
Leeds 2-1
Bristol Rovers 2-2(vidare efetr straffar)
Chelsea 1-0
Bolton 4-2
Birmingham 3-0,3-1
Liverpool har två vinster i FA Youth Cup på de tre senaste åren. En del intressanta spelare i U17-EM stjärnan Christoph Buchtmann, svenske Kacanklic, Ince, Irwin, den finske strikern Lauri Dalla Valle och backen Ayala.
Laget tränas av Hughie McAuley sedan några år tillbaka. Han var även coach när laget vann 2006 och 2007.
Nu rullar vi igång detta.
