[Archived] Rovers 0 Arsenal 2

[Flopsy]

oh come on, if there's one team that will be able to cope with a man down, its arsenal.

If we miss those chances then we desere to lose.

[yellowsubmarine]

It's just one of those games that even if Arsenal are down to 9 men, they will still beat us comfortablely. We look horrible tonight.

Only Gamst deserve credit. McCarthy was non existent, Derbyshire tried but missed 2 chances, Nonda still crap. The rest were just below average.

Our unbeaten run ends. Let's go on another good run from here.

[Ricky]

Why drop Todd. Our upturn in form has coincided with his return to the team. If he isn't injured or suspended I find it a very odd decision.

Actually thinking about it I have a feeling he got injured last week, doh!

[Billy Castell]

At least we didn't lose to Watford or Burnley. And I found my digital camera card I had lost.

[Bobby G]

Well Im waiting to see how the frickle group who keep on jumping from we need signings whenever we lose to we dont need them when we are winning show up after tonights game.

The truth is we need 2 to 3 signings with 2 an absolute minimum.

I was disappointed with the tempo we showed and that largely came with the fact that we had no playmaker until Tugay came on and he didnt have his best of games for us but how can we expect him to be performing well every single match at his age?

Overall, very disappointed that the players werent more up for this game especially considering the 6-2 first match.

In defence, I thought Ooijer was poor. Neill provides a decent outlet on the attack side of things and he played a couple of really good balls. Mokoena has a limited passing ability of a target being 2-3 meters away and even then he misses it sometimes. He is very poor and shouldnt be starting. Benni drifts too far into midfield sometimes and I blame the poor service today which caused him to pull back and then lose a good position in the box.

Derbyshire had 2 golden opportunities which he missed at critical moments of the game and Nonda is just too sluggish.

For me its very clear that we need a left back if Lucas leaves, but the priority is definitely a creative and tough central midfielder to replace Reidy. Before the news of Reids injury, I would have thought Dunn would have been ok to give competition of 4 men for 2 spots but now with Reid out I think we need someone who could possibly go straight into the first team.

At the same time, a striker wouldnt be the worst of things as Derbyshire should be more of an impact sub and his inexperience and ability at this moment will cost us.

[brfc_jonesy]

I just watched that load of tripe and i got a few opinions....

1st - Our back 4 is an absolute clustf*ck, Arsenal have 10 men, but they manage to find space all over the field, and exploited our back 4 so many times, Zurab picks the games he want to play well in and whoever thinks emerton can do a job at right back got proved wrong tonight, he was abysmal to say the least.

The first Arsenal goal was shocking that Toure had all that space, and Henry should of had a tackle to ride but no just ran down the wing and ended up finishing a move with just an awesome finish.

2nd - I don't think our fowards or midfield is priority for strengthning it has to be the back 4 its just woeful!

3rd - The axe has chopped his final piece of wood because he was a let down tonight, falling over the ball giving daft fouls away just an aboslute joke!

4-th Who was the co-commentator on prem plus, because he was a complete ######! Knew nothing about Blackburn, Moaning about the Savage incident, when he was going for the ball and Gilberto kicked out, Off you go son its in the laws of the game, and he says Savage should go to, for what? for trying to get the ball. Then goes on how Tugay should get sent off because he fouled the precious Fabregas that every commentator arse licks because he can pass the ball? Give me a break!

Im so angry after tonights game I could actually commit arson!!!!!!!!!!

[AlanK]

So if you give away a corner and the other team scores because your keeper is making a howler, then its your foult they scored?

Not sure what you`re getting at because the keeper hasn`t made a howler. However, to answer your point, corners are often conceded when doing your job i.e preventing a cross coming in during an attack.

What Neill did was self inflicted and put us on the back foot for the rest of the game.

[joey_big_nose]

I didn't thinkwe played too badly, we should have scored three. Mokoena had a poor game, Emerton looks much better as a right back than in midifield, we could have done with Bentley out there. Pedersen was excellent (can't believe the transformation!).

Derbyshire was pretty good, lots of pace, but really should have scored twice to be honest.

Silva was extremely unlucky to get sent off, Savage behaved like a complete idiot. A yellow each would have done.

Not the end of the world, we were undone by Henry's brilliance. Roll on next week.

[Alex Rover]

I'm worried about Matty D. He's missed too many sitters for my liking since he broke into the team. The 2 he missed today I'd be embarassed about missing and I'm a terrible footballer. Hopefully Hughes will try to keep his head up otherwise I fear that if his confidence goes, he'll be another Jon Stead.

[philipl]

We were poor tonight- simple as that. Derbs missed twice in front of open goals from inside the 6 yard box which is a huge pity for both the kid and the team.

As a spectacle, the game was ruined by the sending off.

No doubt, everyone will forget we were without players through injury and suspension and we cannot ride those sort of absences against a side as good as the Arsenal. What impressed about arsenal was not so much their passing and movement but the sheer physical strength- they won every 50/50 and intinidated us rather than the other way round.

This is funny- the LET couldn't even get the right picture out of the library of the Maltese PM. Their reporting of Rovers is just as accurate.

[OhmiBRFC]

Why was we clapping Henry

Some d1ck tried gettin on pitch...nice 3 year ban for him

[G Somerset Rover]

I'd have to agree with Bobby G. Reid's injury today and a fair few of our performances this season (today's lacklustre performance included) should remind us that we need new faces this window.

It's just a little depressing that we played against 10 men for literally the whole game and still didn't test their keeper.

[Alex Rover]

4-th Who was the co-commentator on prem plus, because he was a complete ######! Knew nothing about Blackburn, Moaning about the Savage incident, when he was going for the ball and Gilberto kicked out, Off you go son its in the laws of the game, and he says Savage should go to, for what? for trying to get the ball. Then goes on how Tugay should get sent off because he fouled the precious Fabregas that every commentator arse licks because he can pass the ball? Give me a break!

Im so angry after tonights game I could actually commit arson!!!!!!!!!!

That would be ex-Arsenal man Brian Marwood. He's always been a disgrace in the otherwise excellent Sky Team but he excelled himself today with his Arse bias and inept analysis.

[Bobby G]

I'd have to agree with Bobby G. Reid's injury today and a fair few of our performances this season (today's lacklustre performance included) should remind us that we need new faces this window.

It's just a little depressing that we played against 10 men for literally the whole game and still didn't test their keeper.

I actually believe we need a couple of new faces irrespective of a 4-5 match winning run. Its actually best to strengthen your team when you are winning and the player slots in with less pressure, ie. Ooijer had to slot into our team when we were facing a poor run and that possibly cost him a few weeks to get settled.

I dont think we should wait until the last couple of days of the window. It would be great if we signed a central midfielder in time for the Man City game but I cant see it.

And contrary to some other people here, I dont think the defence is the position we need to strengthen other than a replacement for Lucas. With Nelsen back, I think thats like a new star signing.

However, I too am very very disappointed that Todd wasnt around. For our sake, I HOPE he was slightly injured.

[joey_big_nose]

I dont think we should wait until the last couple of days of the window. It would be great if we signed a central midfielder in time for the Man City game but I cant see it.

I would hazard a guess that Dunn will probably be in the squad for that one.

[James No. 7]

4-th Who was the co-commentator on prem plus, because he was a complete ######! Knew nothing about Blackburn, Moaning about the Savage incident, when he was going for the ball and Gilberto kicked out, Off you go son its in the laws of the game, and he says Savage should go to, for what? for trying to get the ball.

Gilberto was a straight red and Savage was a yellow card at most. Graham Poll (not saying that he is a good referee, the reality is quite the opposite) would have kept his cards in his pocket, as would other lenient referees.

Then goes on how Tugay should get sent off because he fouled the precious Fabregas that every commentator arse licks because he can pass the ball? Give me a break!

Fabregas got pushed and then went down like his leg had been shot! He wasn't booed nearly enough! The guy gets praised like he has had a long accomplished career and is the model professional. After this match I will always take anything positive said about someone with a big pinch of salt if I haven't seen enough of their behaviour.

[cn_barlow]

Fell a bit sorry for Derbyshire with those two misses.

But in reality we didn't deserve to get anything from the game. When a team goes down to 10 men after 15 mins you expect to put them on the back foot but rovers didnt...

This was a game that Bellamy would've thrived in!

[Bobby G]

Cant see Dunn in the squad from the off cause his fitness has to be suspect right now.

[G Somerset Rover]

Marwood was a pillock today and was against Liverpool....don't forget George Graham though-I keep hearing the word "Marcus" in his annoying Scottish voice even though Prem Plus' coverage has finished!

[Roar of the Rover]

I think it would have been better if they had 11 men on the pitch, i know its a bit wierd saying that but once they went a man down they played most of there players behind the ball, that made us push forward, we shud've put one of our chances away but we didn't and we all know how well Arsenal can counter attack amd thats how they punished us. Only IF we took the lead it would've been the other way round.

[Bobby G]

Anyone hearing Hughes' post-match reaction on Radio Rovers or whereever they broadcast?

[brfc_jonesy]

i think the commentators are shocking on prem plus, just take the favourites and lick em out, that marwood riles me so much, and george graham is just another big gun rammer, i know they have the bigger fan base but come on lets have some neutral thoughts!

[PLZ Blue]

That would be ex-Arsenal man Brian Marwood. He's always been a disgrace in the otherwise excellent Sky Team but he excelled himself today with his Arse bias and inept analysis.

Actually, that was Nigel Winterburn... Equally Arsenal biased and opinionated.

[Exiled_Rover]

What a shocking performance from the Rovers in an awful match. I hate playing L'Arse, it's just like watching Bolton - to an extent. They're cynical cheats who con the ref and look to gain an unfair advantage at every turn.

Sure they're talented footballers, but half of that is because you can't touch them.

Nonda missed two sitters, and Derbyshire missed one too. You don't deserve anything from a game if you carry on like that.

[frosty]

Feeble.

How did Derbyshire miss those 2 sitters?