While rival managers and pundits alike decry the fall in stature of the FA Cup and blame the likes of Wenger and Ol’ Red Nose for it happening, the rest of us eagerly look forward to the opening fixture of a cup still very much respected by the fans.

Wenger’s fear of playing his first team too early in the FA Cup stems from two campaigns that went in markedly different directions. After navigating past Farnsborough Town in 02/03 (with the likes of Francis Jeffers and Gio van Bronckhorst in our squad), injuries garnered in the Cup impacted on our league campaign, in which we dropped an 8 point lead to hand Man Utd the title.

Our team that played in the final was shorn of a number of first-choice footsoldiers, but we managed to scrape past Southampton regardless.

In 2003/04, Wenger’s fears were so nearly realised when our first team crashed out to Chelsea in Europe, and another first team, only with Aliadiere up-front, lost 1-0 to Man Utd again, days apart from each other. It took a superhuman effort against Liverpool to win 4-2 and keep our unbeaten campaign running.

So take a moment and forgive the man’s cautiousness to going all in too early in the cup. When it comes to the third round, chances are fairly good you’ll get a team some standing below yours when you can rest your players after a busy December period.

This is not the semi-final we’re talking about. We simply have to rest players, regardless of our ‘priorities’. We’re still smarting after the ‘throw-away’ loss to Man City in the League Cup, but Arsenal should still expect to come through their West Ham test tonight.

An industrious midfield of everyone’s favourite Welshman and Cameroonian plus Craig Eastmond could do a job, while Rosicky should find time up-front with the loan-windowed Wilshere.

Eduardo should get a go to get more game time up front, while Traore should keep his place at left back.

Silvestre, Senderos, Fabianski and Gilbert should come in to replace their first-team counterparts, in what overall is a team that should nick a result away from home.

You never quite know with cup games, or West Ham for that matter. But even with a second string side, we should be looking for a win through to the fourth round.

Today’s rotation is nothing new. The biggest culprit of the ‘degrading’ of the FA Cup is not Wenger, or Alex Ferguson (even despite the Club World Cup fiasco), but the Champions League.

Since more teams have had regular access to the money-spinner of world sport, competitions like the FA Cup simply become less lucrative trophies.

But simply put, we have to make a real fist of the league title this season (the trophy we will always want the most), and yet still we should have a good chance against West Ham with this side.

More tomorrow, hopefully with news of a solid win. Ciao for now.

Filed under: Arsenal, Blogging, FA Cup