Henri Lansbury started and played the full 90 minutes, plus an additional 30 minutes of extra time as Scunthorpe United lost 3-2 to Luton Town in the Johnsons Paint Trophy at Wembely.
A large 55,000 + crowd packed into the ground, and the atmosphere right from the offset was electric. The spectators didn’t have to wait long for something else to cheer about, as Gary Hooper slotted the favourites into the lead on 14 minutes.
Chris Martin levelled proceedings on 32 minutes, setting up an exciting second half.
The second period was a little nervous from both sides, and it appeared like extra time would be needed to separate them. Yet on 70 minutes, former Middlesbrough frontman Tom Craddock cropped up with a smooth finish to seal what looked like a Cup win.
Scunthorpe kicked on from this point, and had further chances through Sam Togwell, and a screamer from Lansbury. Henri’s long range pile driver smashed off the underside of the bar and away.
The equaliser was coming, and Luton knew it. But the manner in which it came was not. Grant McCann received Hooper’s pass, and whipped a curling long ranger into the roof of net from a tight angle. It was a stunning effort.
Extra time would be needed to separate the two after all, and it seemed like United had the advantage.
But just 5 minutes into extra time, a long punt down the middle caught the Iron back-line cold, and as Murphy raced from his goal, Claude Gnapka bullied his way through to clip the winner over the stopper.
A small fight back came to nothing, and the Cup was Luton’s. Henri did however walk up the famous steps to claim his runners up medal.
Article By – J.Sanderson
I personally think that Henri Lansbury had a great game today, and it looks like his loan to Scunthorpe United is doing him the world of good, and give him another season on loan and he will be ready for the Arsenal first team injury and form permitting of coarse IMO.
This will have been absolutely fantastix experience for Henri. The only problem I can forsee will be what happens to him next year; he won’t be ready yet for the first team, yet is clearly to good for the reserves. Will he go out on loan to the Championship, maybe Scunthorpe again if they get promoted? Is there a Premier League team that could offer him regular football?
Gooneriffic: I wouldn’t be surprised to see a low premiership team offer him a deal like Traore’s current one. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same happen for Merida. As J-ET, Coquelin and Frimpong are working hard to fight for Carling Cup spots, these kids are going to need time at the highest levels if we want to continue developing them or be sold (Randall) to keep everyone clocking over.
Agree with S. Pooley.
I honestly think Lansbury will make it at arsenal. Hes gone to scunthorpe to get strong physically and from what i saw today he looks powerful and taller. Hes also increased his pace and hes very clever and inteligent for a british footballer. I think he will go on loan to a premiership club next season. Hes to good for league 1 and the championship.
I too really like Henri as a player and I think he’s got a good chance. His shot that hit the bar was hardly a “long range piledriver though” – it was from about 8 yards and he probably should’ve scored, although he was a bit unlucky.
Fair play to him and that is an amazing attedance for two lower teams. Also off subject when is ogogo going to return from his injury.
wembley not wembely ;) good post doe G
though not doe
LOL
want to get smart?, it’s text lingo son
Good work J, nice to be able to keep track of our future prospects.
You’ll have your work cut out for you next season with so many players out on loan!
After watching united scap through with a 17 and 18 year old front I would like to compare the two sides STRIKE FORCE and I mean not first teamers so no walcott or frazier campbell
Welbeck , Macheda , Brandy , Petrucci, Martin
Simpson , Barazite , Murphy , Sunu , Afobe
Im not sure whos better
Surely with 17 and 18 year olds getting first team action in manu – european champions at that – is our much talked about youth system really working or is it just hype. Lansbury is my favourite youth player and I believe that he deserves a run in the first team. Wenger made a mistake by not naming him and Gibbs to the first team. They both deserve as much of a chance as Ramsey and Wilshere. Maybe Simpson and Randall as well?
Juma, honestly mate, you don’t know what you’re on about. “Man U play 17 year olds, and they’re european champions, so we should too.” Ramsey played when he was 17, Wilshere when he was 16, Gibbs at 18, Fabregas at 17, plus the Carling Cup squad. Who is Simpson, Randall and Lansbury better than in our current first team squad? Exactly.
Back to Lansbury though, I wonder if Scunthorpe get promoted to the Championship, if Wenger will allow him to stay on for next season?
Tomas. I think Wellbeck is as much of a first team player as Vela is, so your comparison isn’t really fair. Plus, you shouldn’t compare where they are in the rank but their age and talent. So if we take U-21 strikers at the club, the results would be a bit different:
Bendtner, Vela, Walcott, Simpson, Barazite
Campbell, Wellbeck, Macheda, Brandy, Bryan
Petrucci is a midfielder and Martin is a 22 year old winger who has never played a league game for United. So what Arsenal have are 3 established international strikers despite their young age while United have the decent Campbell and two ’89 born strikers who haven’t played for United. That leaves the promising Wellbeck and Macheda (looks like an Italian who could make it, being around 30 kg heavier than Lupoli was). I’m not saying United don’t have good, young strikers but your comparison didn’t make much sense to me though.
SOME NEWS ABOUT ROSICKY?!! HE WILL PLAY AGAINST SPURS??
Yeah is Rosicky still on course to play against spurs in the reserves?
Wenger has to give the english kids a chance. I mean every time we have an exiting english player coming through he buys another foreigner. Wilshere, lansbury, randall have got the likes of denilson, song, merida, diaby to compete with. In my opinion if Wenger gave lansbury the amount of faith he gave with denilson you would see him in the england squad
lansbury had glandular fever all last year so wenger could hardly play him then could he?!
I think it would be a good idea to let Henry stay if Scunthorpe get promoted. Plus, he can go to Wembley again this season if they reach the play-off final. I, like many other readers, am a big fan of Lansbury and I really think he can be a big player for us. A whole season in the Championship would do him a world of good and he would return ready to fight for his place at Arsenal.
Btw. couple of years ago there were these speculations going on that Wenger never loaned out the players he really treasures and that the Arsenal loonees usually left after their loan expired. That has pretty much been trashed now with the likes of Cole, Bendtner, Song, Djourou and Gibbs.
Cole Bendtner Song and Djourou were all loaned out.
You can only bring a english player through if he can do it at the highest level.
Look how long theo took and he still aint the best yet imo.
Have our best english players been unlucky. I am talking about Lansbury and Murphy they were on fire a couple of years ago but then they got injured and missed a whole season. I beliee these two will break into our first team soon.
If guys like Song and Denilson can get into the side…then Lansbury will too.
It’s all about the manger trusting the player.