[Archived] Sell Out At The Emirates

[John]

Blackburn played like the archetypal Allardyce team; long throw followed by even longer throw; long free-kick followed by lots of longer free-kicks, with the ball spending more time in the air than a long-haul cabin steward. We had not expected extreme sophistication, but much of this was Stone Age.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Embarrassing, humiliating and unacceptable...

Yesterday's shambles at the Emirates Stadium was as bad as anything I've seen from Rovers this season, including some of the debacles we had under Paul Ince, such as the 3-0 capitulation against Wigan and the 0-4 home defeat to Arsenal.

I was deeply embarrassed by what I saw. I know that a few people will probably have a pop at me and say: "Did you really expect to gain any points against Arsenal?"

Well the answer to that is 'No' - I didn't expect Rovers to get a point yesterday. But I was embarrassed by a totally inept display which could have easily ended up 8 or 9 nil to Arsenal if Nicholas Bendtner hadn't been so profligate in front of goal. Defensively the Rovers team were abysmal and the midfield players were painfully lacking in ability and intelligence. The time and space we gave to Arsenal's creative players was shocking.

Whilst I was never a fan of Sam Allardyce's ugly style of football at Bolton, I did think that a team managed by Sam against Arsenal would - irrespective of the result - at least be resolute, dogged, determined and unflagging in it's commitment for 90 minutes. We didn't get that from Rovers yesterday.

I would have accepted losing the match 2-0 if the team had at least shown 100% commitment throughout the match in trying to close the opposition down. But the dreadful shambles on display has now damaged our goal difference and the situation could certainly have been much worse if Bendtner's shooting hadn't been so wayward.

It's very tight and congested near the bottom of the table, with just 4 points separating Bolton in 12th place on 33 points and Stoke in 18th place on 29 points. It's conceivable that goal difference could play a part in who stays up and who goes down.

The orders from Sam at half-time should have been "Whatever you do, don't concede more than two goals. Close them down tightly, don't give them any time or space on the ball and keep them away from having shots on goal. The last thing we need is a hammering to damage our goal difference."

Because of the 4-0 capitulation yesterday, we've now got a worse goal difference than Portsmouth and the same goal difference as Hull City. Sunderland, Bolton and Newcastle all have a significantly better goal difference than Rovers.

Either the tactics from Sam were completely wrong or the players were totally inept in their execution of them yesterday. I suspect it was more a case of the latter. Some of our fringe players are woefully lacking in the quality and intelligence needed to play at the highest level. The ridiculous dive from Pedersen and the crazy challenge from El Hadj-Diouf, which another ref might have deemed as a sending off, seemed to typify the shambles on the pitch.

I was pleased that in his post-match interview with the BBC, Sam Allardyce didn't condone the challenge from Diouf. It was stupid, reckless and it could have meant that Rovers had played the rest of the match with 10 men. I'd like to see Big Sam also condemn diving and cheating from his players. If Ronaldo can be condemned for it at Old Trafford, then so should his Rovers players.

Whilst I was not expecting Rovers to get a draw yesterday, it's nevertheless true that Arsenal had previously had three successive 0-0 draws in the Premiership at the Emirates - drawing 0-0 at home to West Ham, Fulham and Sunderland.

Ricky Sbragia and the Sunderland players got their tactics right last month - keeping it tight, frustrating Arsenal and also causing them some problems on the counter-attack, thereby relieving the pressure on the Sunderland defence. It can't - or shouldn't - always be one-way traffic in favour of the home team. But sadly Rovers seem to lack the pace, speed and invention needed to hurt teams on the counter-attack. We are toothless and inept going forward because of the lack of pace, particularly in wide areas.

Sam's instructions to "Keep it tight" should have been ringing in the ears of the Rovers players when they first stepped onto the pitch. But instead we gave a goal away after less than two minutes. Pathetic.

We should never accept mediocrity and poor performances - even if it's against the ' Big Four' teams we are expected to lose to. The day that a team accepts medicority is the day when a club begins to collapse. Fans deserve more than that. The supporters who made the journey to North London should not have had to put up with such an abysmal display from Rovers.

There may be a few people on here who are shrugging their shoulders and saying "Who cares - we lost to a better team we were expected to lose to." Personally I was bitterly disappointed and embarrassed by what I saw yesterday.

[Eddie]

Yes I agree that it isn't particularly impressive, but I do think it's respectable.

4 draws including against 3 sides that finished beneath us? Not sure that is respectable.

[92er]

4 draws including against 3 sides that finished beneath us? Not sure that is respectable.

I think your earlier argument was that we were terrible against the top 4 last season.

Not quite sure who you're referring to this time. If it's an argument about under-performance against lower placed teams, it's an argument for another day.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Blackburn played like the archetypal Allardyce team; long throw followed by even longer throw; long free-kick followed by lots of longer free-kicks, with the ball spending more time in the air than a long-haul cabin steward. We had not expected extreme sophistication, but much of this was Stone Age.

Don't care what the media think, they always moan when any side has the balls to try and stop Arsenal from playing their 'beautiful football'. Not surprised with the retarded comments from the Arsenal fans on that article either. I'm beginning to think there is something in that north london water, both Spurs and Arsenal have real scumbag fans.

On the game i can see why Sam put out a weaker line-up, even our strongest team would have struggled against Arsenal. Sam's plan was to clearly keep the scoreline down in order to not do too much damage to our goal difference and rest some players in order to make sure they are fit for some of the more winnable games coming up. The first plan failed despite having 7 defenders on the pitch, the second plan we will have to wait and see who is available for the next match.

I can tell you this though, if there was a choice of (for example):

1. Roque back for the Arsenal game but means there’s a chance he may not fit the West Ham game.

2. Give Roque rest and recuperation meaning he misses the Arsenal game but plays the West Ham game.

I would pick option 2 every time, on paper it is the more winnable game.

[Eddie]

I have been talking about the top 10 the entire time.

[grinder]

Bert a scapegoat? Most fans i have spoken to think Bert has been immense for some time.

For all the Bert knockers out there I think that the last few weeks when he has been absent have shown us how much solidity he gives us - not a world beater but just the sort of player we need in a scrap like this. If we do go down (heaven forbid) he is just the kind of player we need to get us back - and we can't apply that to some of our squad.

Out of interest does anyone reckon that the team we put out on Saturday could beat the inbreds from up the M65 - I don't

[DE.]

Out of interest does anyone reckon that the team we put out on Saturday could beat the inbreds from up the M65 - I don't

Nope, and worrying if we did go down that could be the core of our championship team... minus MGP, Diouf, Samba and Simpson (at the very least).

Don't think we'll go down, though, nor do I think Burnley will go up.

[bigbrandjohn]

I know it's a bit of a moot point now, but where the hell has Vogel gone? We were so short in centre-mid that we played Zurab there, when we really could have just slotted him into the side. It's not like we would have been any worse. The guy must really have a bad attitude or something to be frozen out by Sam as well.

Agree,Zurab in midfield v Swiss international is weird

[Eddie]

Don't care what the media think, they always moan when any side has the balls to try and stop Arsenal from playing their 'beautiful football'. Not surprised with the retarded comments from the Arsenal fans on that article either. I'm beginning to think there is something in that north london water, both Spurs and Arsenal have real scumbag fans.

Is that what we did?

[Exiled in Toronto]

Embarrassing, humiliating and unacceptable...

Personally I was bitterly disappointed and embarrassed by what I saw yesterday.

Me too, but apparently not many others were. Well said Sir.

[thenodrog]

Blackburn played like the archetypal Allardyce team; long throw followed by even longer throw; long free-kick followed by lots of longer free-kicks, with the ball spending more time in the air than a long-haul cabin steward. We had not expected extreme sophistication, but much of this was Stone Age.

'We'!!!!! Well thank you for that Patrick Collins and Arsenals newest fanzine the Daily Mail.

If the numpty wants to blame anything he should really be looking at the Champions League for creating such an unequal English Premier League. And there are plenty on here that should take that on board before gobbing off so easily too. Arsenals wage bill is 3x our wage bill and means that their second team should easily take on and beat our first X1. We had success because of Jack walkers spending power, we are now seeing the other side of the coin.

I must say I fear that whatever Allardyce does at BRFC he will never enjoy the full support of very many supporters. The kinves are constantly out for him. It is easy to see that there is a simmering undercurrent of hatred just waiting to break out and worst of all there is definite satisfaction from certain quarters when we perform badly and lose! Don't deny it, you know who you are so just explain why?

[BrianPotter]

Couldnt get to the emirates on Saturday and I'm glad I didn't now.

To be honest, I've not seen anything of the game 'cos after the result I couldnt face watching it.

The only info I have is from match reports and whats been posted on here.

I never realistically expected to get anything from this game, but neither did I expect us to get a complete hammering!

Was working Saturday but managed to check team news on sky text about 2.30ish. When I saw the line up it took me a good few minutes to try to work out what was going on with the formation, and to be honest I couldnt come up with an answer, just thinking to myself we are going to get roasted today looking at that line up. Carried on with my work, checked back at full time and surprise surprise we had been roasted.

Sureley on this occasion Sam got it wrong, If I can get the feeling that something isnt going to work just be reading a team line up for a few seconds.

To me the line up looked very very defensive and would have just invited Arsenal to have a go at us. Lets hope Sam learns from his mistakes, although on past evidence it does seem to take a while for him to do so.

Lets just move on and forget this one. Luckily other results mostly went in our favour, although this has done our goal difference no good at all.

We need a big improvement.

[Jonnolad]

You've just opened yourself up for ridicule there.

95% of us expected nothing, we got nothing, all the other results went our way. We've not dropped a spot and have 2 winnable games coming up. Yet we have some typical Rovers fans who moan moan moan.

Opened himself up for ridicule by saying Andrews was missing? I hate to point out the obvious but Andrews is now a usual starter and he was missing, and looking at the performance by our midfield against Arsenal (probably our worst all season) compared to when Andrews plays then you'd have to say he actually was missed!

Then you have a go at Rovers fans who moan - when you yourself are having a moan about Andrews! Apologies if you were just being ironic though btw.

I personally think that when we were already 1-0 down and Givet had gone off injured, Sam probably thought to himself that losing key players was far, far more damaging to our relegation fight than conceding defeat against Arsenal away. You can probably include Andrews on that key player list too now when you look at how our midfield did on Saturday, and consider that Warnock may be essential at left back if Givet is out for a while.

[jim mk2]

To be honest, I've not seen anything of the game 'cos after the result I couldnt face watching it.

Me neither. Never watch MoD after Rovers have lost because it hurts too much.

Very worried about the next 2 games - West Ham are our bogey side and Tottenham are finally showing signs of playing to their potential.

4 points from those 2 matches would be very good but it could easily be nul points with away matches to Liverpool and Stoke to follow !

[riverside returns]

Arsenal away is always a tough call, they can be as good as they were on Saturday or as turgidly bad as they were playing Sunderland two weeks ago. Unfortunately for us, they have been good when playing us. We started with nothing and got nothing apart from a minus 4 goal difference. As stated before, all other teams around us failed to take advantage. We must bury our hoodoo this saturday and pick up a valuable 3 points against the WHAMMERS....

[CAPT KAYOS]

Waggy and CK, I dont think any Rovers supporters think that we are home and dry because we have taken 7 points out of the last 3 games, nor do I suspect any Rovers supporter thinks we are clear of the drop.

1864 - not been on line all weekend but this is the point I was getting at - I think alot of supporters actually do feel we are clear or will be after we beat Spurs and West Ham (??) two teams we have failed to beat at home for the last couple of seasons.

As I posted early in this thread it was on the cards that this defeat was as predictable as predictable could be (same as the draw with Everton) especially after the line up was revealedand our inabilityto string two performances together.

Personally as I have posted before , I don't like the way we are setting up at the start of games and the attitude of Allardyce about keeping it tight and trying to 'nick' a goal from the chances we make is dangerous and totally stupid, due to the number of chances we need to actually score and the inability to actually put in a decent 90 minute performance.

There ain't no blindness in my viewing of what we are and where we are and only sheer hardwork will keep us in this division, something that seems to be lost on many of the players, However the constant messing around of the team does not breed any confidence nor pave the way for consistency, the one thing that is probably needed more than anything at this point of the season.

Yes we have injuries , but not to the extent that we had to line up as we did at the weekend - as may of us know - the 451 does not work for us and rarely has despite who the manager is - we all know Simpson is just a waste of space but why not just put Goran at CB and keep OOjer at fullback if experience is required?

Luckily the results fell in our favour so lets just hope we do win the home games against Spuds and Wet Spam as for the negative way we set up is a major part of what we are seeing and in turn produces negative/defensive performance with players not having a clue what they should actually be doing.

We are stumbling from one game to another and are lucky that Diouf and Pedersen are actually going to be available for the next game as both of them should have had straight red cards - points need to be picked up as and when ie the next game to be played not some game two or 3 weeks down the line.

Poor poor showing regardless of excuses.

[Eddie]

Well put and I totally agree with everything you said apart from the MGP comment, a dive is never a straight red card.

[RevidgeBlue]

Personally as I have posted before , I don't like the way we are setting up at the start of games and the attitude of Allardyce about keeping it tight and trying to 'nick' a goal from the chances we make is dangerous and totally stupid, due to the number of chances we need to actually score and the inability to actually put in a decent 90 minute performance.

There ain't no blindness in my viewing of what we are and where we are and only sheer hardwork will keep us in this division, something that seems to be lost on many of the players, However the constant messing around of the team does not breed any confidence nor pave the way for consistency, the one thing that is probably needed more than anything at this point of the season.

Absolutely spot on Capt. - 100% agree.

For those that were saying earlier in the thread that Sam had done an outstanding job, I would disagree. He's done OK, just about enough to keep us afloat, but we've also had some very poor performances, results and occasions when the team selection and tactics have been incorrect imo.

With the Club's very future on the line I don't want to see us sitting back and trying to nick the odd goal here and there, I want to see 90 minutes of blood, guts thunder and passion every game from now on.

The next two home games could prove make or break. Four to six points is needed and should not be impossible but nought to one is equally possible IF we show the same complete lack of creativity and attacking intent we showed against Villa and Everton.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Well put and I totally agree with everything you said apart from the MGP comment, a dive is never a straight red card.

It is in my book , especially when its blatantly obvious and trying to gain advantage/con the officials - makes you wonder about the incident at 1/2 empty is that Ewood in disguise O/T the other week

[den]

Personally as I have posted before , I don't like the way we are setting up at the start of games and the attitude of Allardyce about keeping it tight and trying to 'nick' a goal from the chances we make is dangerous and totally stupid, due to the number of chances we need to actually score and the inability to actually put in a decent 90 minute performance.

There ain't no blindness in my viewing of what we are and where we are and only sheer hardwork will keep us in this division, something that seems to be lost on many of the players,

There's no other way of approaching the game at the Emirates, is there? It didn't work admittedly, in fact it failed miserably - that was a dire performance, but that is the only way to approach a game there.

As for the criticism of a lack of sheer hard work, well that's exactly how we got the three points at Fulham. We outran them and out fought them. We were fitter than them. I can't possibly accept that CK.

That's the way Sam has approached the games this season and it's working very well at the moment. I couldn't possibly ask for anything else this season.

[RevidgeBlue]

There's no other way of approaching the game at the Emirates, is there? It didn't work admittedly, in fact it failed miserably - that was a dire performance, but that is the only way to approach a game there.

I wasn't expecting anything from the game points wise Den, but I did expect a spirited performance.

If you're going to set up to "park the bus" you have to do it properly and with spirit and commitment. Not concede a goal after two minutes. Poor regardless of the opposition.

[CAPT KAYOS]

As for the criticism of a lack of sheer hard work, well that's exactly how we got the three points at Fulham. We outran them and out fought them. We were fitter than them. I can't possibly accept that CK.

That's where we have to disagree Den - we only did that once Sam changed it at half time and from all accounts once Fulham ran out of steam when they could have actually been 2 or three goals up. Fair enough adopting it once you arqe winning etc but a no no for stating with for me. In addition if we are to go back to the old cliche, we had a weekend off Fulham played a tough game against Man U

As I have said, I don' t like this negativety when we start off and just because we showed some sort of fight in one game doesn't mean that we can forego it for the next and accept it.

[ABBEY]

It is in my book , especially when its blatantly obvious and trying to gain advantage/con the officials - makes you wonder about the incident at 1/2 empty is that Ewood in disguise O/T the other week

bet you celebrated promotion ala mr speedie tho capn lol

[speeeeeeedie]

Opened himself up for ridicule by saying Andrews was missing? I hate to point out the obvious but Andrews is now a usual starter and he was missing, and looking at the performance by our midfield against Arsenal (probably our worst all season) compared to when Andrews plays then you'd have to say he actually was missed!

Then you have a go at Rovers fans who moan - when you yourself are having a moan about Andrews! Apologies if you were just being ironic though btw.

I was being sarcastic. The poor lad has had more stick than anyone I can remember from people on here. I think he does a decent job. He's not the greatest but he's not terrible.

This Rovers team is threadbare, we can all see that. Allardyce has made is mind up that the only way we are staying up is by taking points of those around us. Why risk our best (only?) 11 in a game where we rarely get anything.

As a side, Diouf should have gone for his tackle; how happy I am that he didn't. Almunia's saving grace from a broken ankle was that Diouf's follow through took away his standing leg.