[Archived] Arsenal Preview

[brfc4ever]

I feel like crying.

4 games - 4 points. 5-11

[RoverRich]

11 goals conceded in 4 games is not good enough irrespective of who we have played! We need to sort out our shambolic defence now! Not happy!!!

[RibbleValleyRover]

I'm not blaming Robbo, he couldn't have done anything really to stop those goals.

Our shaky back four is the problem.

[emglch]

Paul ince got to realise that 4-4-2 against top 4 clubs like arsenal is never going to work, especially with the current squad. entertaining football should be wins like 3-2 and not losing 0-4. questions must be asked on winterburn's capabilities so far.

[vyeo]

It looked like the end of the souness era again, and at least we had some good times with old graeme. There looks something wrong with the team spirit (ie: through the players's general demeanour and body language). The team make up was also, strange to say the least. Whilst emerton's crossing has improved leaps and bounds, there was no creative outlet per se. We were very very workman like, and steven reid needs dropping pronto. And ince's substitutions are so, so predictable. Why villaneuva did not get a look in just baffles - especially when it was so blindingly obvious that we were lacking creativity. Keith Andrews - i don't know. Had some nice tackles/challenges, but betrayed his div2/3 roots at times too.

[LeChuck]

We've got the worst goal difference in the league.

Good work, Nige. Who needs coaching badges eh?

[yellowsubmarine]

I hope Winterburn is on a pay-as-rovers-get-a-clean-sheet deal.

Our defending are atrocious.

[Jan]

Maybe you DO learn better management by taking courses than managing in the lower reaches. (shock, horror!!)

Embarrassing. 2 more games (unless Newcastle do us the ultimate favour)

[Karembeu]

4-0. That sums up everything now isn't it? Now I hope we lost the other match 4-0 then we can shout loudly 'sack the manager!' We are lack at the middle of the park. And there is really a need to bring it better player. Our defend suck like nothing too.

But I remember when hughes playing first year, we also lost 4-0 for two matches back to back. See how we go from here.

[Craigman]

Didn't we concede 4 goals twice in a row when Hughes just started out for us ? Give Ince some time for goodness sake. Arsenal are a very good side.

[RibbleValleyRover]

4-4-2 clearly isn't working for us as we are lacking the creativity from out wide and defensively we look crap. I think its going to take a major rethink in terms of formation and the personnel to fit it.

[brfc4ever]

Maybe you DO learn better management by taking courses than managing in the lower reaches. (shock, horror!!)

LOL

[Bobby G]

Poor energy-LESS performance.

I cant remember the last time we DIDNT even trouble one of the big four, but today was it. We didnt really close them down as quickly as possible unlike during the Sparky years and Arsenal played a patient passing game and displayed none of the quick slick counter-attacking play that we are used to from them.

Samba was atrocious.

Andrews was non-existant in the second half and a waste of a player.

Emerton was one of the few players who actually had some drive in him.

Ince didnt do anything to change things around once it was 2-0 down and waited till till 22 minutes from the end before the first change and that was after a second half in which we had done absolutely nothing until that point.

POOR POOR POOR. Whatever people may say, I will say that we have been generally poor this season and this has only been disguised by a stoppage time winner at Everton. Time to open up our eyes, but with this team, and on this road we wont do anything better than mid-table at best. Too many BETTER SIDES around in the league this season.

Is Newcastle still interested in Ince?

[Fylde Coast Fan]

We've had shaky starts like this before and turned out alright. I don't have the confidence in Ince's management to be convinced we'll turn it around, though.

BUT... I can't say I would have picked a different line up for this game. Our failure to bring in a right winger and Ooijer's injury means Bret has to play right midfield, so Simpson gets a start and didn't do too badly from what I can tell. Warnock, Samba and Nelsen are all first choice players no matter who the boss is, and they seem to be the players at fault today.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Didn't we concede 4 goals twice in a row when Hughes just started out for us ? Give Ince some time for goodness sake. Arsenal are a very good side.

I think you would have a point if they scored great goals and were simply too good for us. We gifted most, if not all of the four goals with shocking defending.

[Iceman]

As much as i love Rovers, im seriously starting to lose interest. We had the money, we were linked with quality. Instead we dont spend it, and our squad is nowhere good enough. Im getting fed up with Reid now, and Nelsen and Samba. Ince waited for almost 20 mins to make a change, and then he takes off Simpson. Why was Reid stil on the field of play. What are we paying Winterburn for, our defence is a disgrace.

[Frisky Jim]

Paul Ince should be sacked.

Pathetic performance.

[Bobby G]

Didn't we concede 4 goals twice in a row when Hughes just started out for us ? Give Ince some time for goodness sake. Arsenal are a very good side.

Yes only a game or two into his reign having taken over a team destined for Championship football and with no confidence.

Ince has had a whole summer with the team and we are a month into the season.

[LeChuck]

Didn't we concede 4 goals twice in a row when Hughes just started out for us ? Give Ince some time for goodness sake. Arsenal are a very good side.

Hughes inherited an awful, awful side from Souness.

Ince inherited a talented squad that had made three successive top-ten finishes, and had a lot of money to spend in the summer.

How you can compare the situations is completely beyond me.

[Mr. E]

As much as i love Rovers, im seriously starting to lose interest. We had the money, we were linked with quality. Instead we dont spend it, and our squad is nowhere good enough. Im getting fed up with Reid now, and Nelsen and Samba. Ince waited for almost 20 mins to make a change, and then he takes off Simpson. Why was Reid stil on the field of play. What are we paying Winterburn for, our defence is a disgrace.

How exactly? From all the teams in the Prem and in the Championship, we are one of the very poorest.

[RoversSG]

What a poor performance! There's no fighting spirit in any of our players in the entire 2nd half! There's no urgency in our play at all. Arsenal could pass the ball for 30 times before any of our players make a challenge!

Robinson - One of our better performers today. Good to see his frustration when the penalty went in, at least he showed some fighting spirit compared to the rest of the team

Samba - several lapse in concentration again!! Ince need to start dropping him for Ooijer or Zurad!

Nelsen - A 5 out of 10 performance, a few good tackles but an equal number of poor positioning play.

Warnock - Can someone tell him that he is supposed to be DEFENDER! not a midfielder!

Simpson - Not a bad debut, not at fault for anything that i could tell.

Pedersen - One of his better performance in quite a while

Reid - Why does Ince, Hughes persist in playing him? I can't remember when was the last time i see him play well.

Andrews - Seems overwhelmed by the occasion and way out of his depth.

Emerton - By far our best player today

RSC - should have done better with some of his chances especially the shot in the first half

Roberts - Started brightly but did nothing at all in the 2nd half

Ince - Why sub pedersen when he was one of our better players. And why was villanueva not brought on instead??? It's not as if we had anything to lose by then. Bringing on a 3rd striker in derbyshire is a good move considering we need goals but why bring on a striker and ask him to play on the right??? Also, why was andrews/reid not sub? Our centre midfield was being overwhelmed from the 1st min!

11 goals conceded in 4 matches, this looks set to be a long hard season...

[brfc4ever]

Yes only a game or two into his reign having taken over a team destined for Championship football and with no confidence.

Ince has had a whole summer with the team and we are a month into the season.

Well said mate.

Honestly, what good has Ince brought to the team so far ?

I would like to say Carlos, but how will we know if he never plays ?

[Bobby G]

And we are at 17th place now with all of the bottom 3 still to play...Relegation zone by the end of the weekend is a dead-cert.

[Bazzanotsogreat]

How exactly? From all the teams in the Prem and in the Championship, we are one of the very poorest.

How do you work that out?

We have a turnover of well- over 50 million and have just sold our best player for over 15 million.

The problem is with the owners and their reluctance to hand out cash & appointing a manager who doesn’t have a clue about which players to sign (again the boards fault).

[Drunx2002]

Paul ince got to realise that 4-4-2 against top 4 clubs like arsenal is never going to work, especially with the current squad. entertaining football should be wins like 3-2 and not losing 0-4. questions must be asked on winterburn's capabilities so far.

Spot on emglch

Attack Arsenal at your peril - when did we ever beat Arsenal playing attacking football? Keep it tight, flood the midfield, make the most of set pieces and if it is still level with 20 to go throw on another striker and see what happens.

Maybe that's lesson one of the coaching course that Ince never had.....and as for Winterburn - you are all forgetting who he played a million times for. Sack him!

It is almost like Ince is toying with Premiership management. The defence needs sorting out as soon as possible. We can't go into each game knowing that we'll have to score 5 to win. Back to basics - keeping a clean sheet is the priority now. Hughes did that when he first arrived to steady the ship. Build from there.