The pressure is all on Arsenal ahead of today’s FA Cup final against Hull City, but if they can end their nine-year trophy drought then good times lie ahead with Arsene Wenger at the helm.
The future of the French manager has been called into question this season with the club’s Premier League title challenge fizzing out once again as the wait for a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup goes on.
The Frenchman’s contract expires in the coming weeks and while he has dropped strong hints he will stay on, no confirmation of a new deal has been released, with some fans becoming restless and calling for change.
With today’s tie against Hull City at Wembley, it will be four days short of nine years since Wenger last sampled the joy of lifting a trophy.Wenger steered Arsenal to two Premier League wins over Hull City in the just concluded season, the Gunners scoring five times on aggregate without reply ( a 2-0 win at the Emirates and a 3-0 win at the KC Stadium in April).
Wenger knows there is pressure on the team and he said: “There is a huge desire for us to finish the job in the FA Cup. There is a pressure there, a big one, but a positive one and we want to take that opportunity. “It’s an opportunity for us to crown our season. There is always a huge expectancy. It brings pressure but we played many games in the season under that pressure and tension. That experience will help us in the final.”
However, Robbie Brady’s return may be a big boost for Hull City who are the underdogs in today’s encounter.Brady, 22, could make an unexpected return at Wembley since he was expected to miss the rest of the campaign after undergoing surgery on a groin injury in March but has now returned to full training. Brady has scored four goals in 18 appearances during a season beset by injuries. In October, he made a quicker-than-expected return after a hernia operation and then missed seven matches in December and January with a groin problem, before suffering a recurrence of the injury in February and undergoing surgery the following month.
Manager, Steve Bruce will be happy to see the player back in action for the team and possibly contribute to the success of the team.”He’s come from nowhere in the last couple of weeks. It’s amazing what an FA Cup final does,” manager Steve Bruce the Hull Daily Mail. “We’ve seen him training for the first time in six months. It’s incredible.” Former Manchester United youth team player Brady has scored four goals in 18 appearances during a season beset by injuries. In October, Brady made a quicker-than-expected return after a hernia operation. He then missed seven matches in December and January with a groin problem, before suffering a recurrence of the injury in February and undergoing surgery the following month.
