[Archived] Arsenal V Blackburn Rovers

[John]

Listen to the comment/question from the BBC guy around 1:42: Sam BBC interview

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

The league table now has a realistic look - with the lofty exception of our 6 fingered friends.

Burnley and everyone from Stoke down is going to be involved in the relegation scrap. The second tier of the Prem is distinctly average. Even if we only beat the Clarets this month we certainly won't be adrift at the bottom.

To date our only poor result was not beating West Ham. The only other team in the bottom 10 we've played was Wolves and we beat them comfortably.

[chocky]

Listen to the comment/question from the BBC guy around 1:42: Sam BBC interview

I must have mis-heard that...

[des]

first things first , when i saw the team I thought we were going to lose, with four full backs playing in a back four and against the team we were up agianst then it was always going to be hard work however.....

As a defender you have to mark goal side and time and time again we did not do so and hence they run into space with us trying to move up.

They looked to be fitter and faster then we were.

Our midfield gave them too much time and space. If they is one team that you should not do that too is the gunners. Our midfield had five players and most of the time they were running after the ball, once again at this level you will be running after shadows, keep you shape and postions.

Why was Dunn taken off, our best players, he should of them played three at the back, five in midfield and two up front. Once Dunn went off we could not keep the ball.

Andrews not his fault, but he was too out of his depth troday.

Playing one up front just means that the ball will keep on coming back we need to play either 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2.

Roll on our next match and lest hope our two center halfs are fit.

[Kelbo]

I think the point is we know some of our players could play better.

But not Keith Andrews!!

His positional play is awful, vision is zilt, ball retention conference class at best and left the defence exposed too often by being out of position!!

I thought Arsenals goals were extremely well taken and Fabrigas at 22 is awesome (44 International caps at 22)

Two of the goals at least will be goal of the season contenders and the power of the first equaliser was amazing!

But we will have to be much better against the Dingles, though the Dingles wont be an opposition like Arsenal!!

[sambo]

Arsenal's goals were excellent - every goal was of the highest quality.

[Presty On Tour]

Listen to the comment/question from the BBC guy around 1:42: Sam BBC interview

Andrews had a tremendous game today! Change tremendous to horrendous perhaps!

[philipl]

Andrews had a tremendous game today! Change tremendous to horrendous perhaps!

The questioner lumps Andrews in with Dunn and Robo who were outstanding. No Manager is going to answer those two were and that one wasn't; well Phil Brown might...

[booth]

Listen to the comment/question from the BBC guy around 1:42: Sam BBC interview

Nooooooo! Like the above post says though, he's not going to single one player out out of the others mentioned.

[Hughesy]

3 fullbacks and our best central defender, something that seems to have been missed all afternoon.

If the game is over enough to take Dunn off with 30 minutes to play, why put another striker on? Does that not indicate he thought the game was far from over?

Fitness for our striker? Dunn and Emerton given a rest because they are just back from injury - ensure they stay fit?

As for best Defender - Samba wasnt playing.

We all knew we would lose here today, we were in the game for longer than I expected, defo pen would have made it 3-3, we have played Arsenal when they are at there BEST! Not many teams in Europe could cope with that, get off Sams back and support your team!Andrews and Pederson were shocking, McCarthy didn't want to come on, look at his body language when he limps on!

Thank god for what you said there. I thought I was the only one that still felt that way!

Expected maybe 4-0 but 6-2 is embarrassing.

Is that not the same thing?!

How the hell have we gone so backwards, in basically just over a season? I know we didnt do great in the second part of the Hughes's last season in charge, but by god - we were never this inept. We lead against arsenal twice and Robinson has a great game, and yet we still conceed 6, what does that really say about the current qualities and future prospects of this team?

Didnt we get a 6-2 dicking with Friedel in goal and Hughes in charge?!

[ABBEY]

men against boy defending.Dont give me that crap about injuries? wtf did zurab/oojer allowed to leave? if we have bollux in cover? every time they attacked they looked like scoring (i would have loved to see the score if the expert hadnt tried to choke em ).why take our best player off and leave andrews on buggers belief.people on here saying to be expected at what their team cost.SO CHUFFING WHAT ...WE ARE IN THE SAME DIVISION AND SHOULDNT COPPULATE LIKE A BUNCH OF MARD ARSED TOSSPOTS!!!! WHOA BE TIED THEY DEFEND AGAINST THE SCUM LIKE THAT!!!!!

YES IT SHOULDVE BEEN A PEN BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY EASILY DOUBLE FIGURES AND FOR MY TEAM BLACKBURN ROVERS THAT JUST ISNT GOOD ENOUGH...HOW ANY ONE CAN SEE POSITIVES IN LETTING SIX 6 YES SIX GOALS IN AGAINST A GOOD TEAM GRANTED BUT TO SHIP SIX IS DOWN RIGHT SHAMBOLIC AND EMBARASSING.

[Plastic Head]

Listen to the comment/question from the BBC guy around 1:42: Sam BBC interview

Perceptive and incisive journalism if ever I heard it.

He'll be on match of the day next.

[Blueandwhitemike]

The referee was poor ? O yes, thats why we shipped in six could have been more that dammed Peter Walton.

Only losers blame the referee are we losers

If you read it properly JAL it was an explanation of why I thought the performance was ok, not why we lost, also it was one point of several.

[DaveyB]

I am more concerned with our inablity to keep the ball...If we did that things would be so much better...

Agree completely - people keep saying how well we played first half, but I actually thought we were far better for the first 15 minutes of the 2nd - at least we were trying to keep hold of possession. In the first half - other than 2 fairly fortunate goals - what did we do well? Our defence was poor, we squandered possession constantly and, consequently, never really had enough of the ball to threaten them.

People often refer to Big Sam's style of football as 'percentage football' - I've never really understood that term. What percentages does it refer to? The further the ball travels the less chance you have of it actually reaching the intended target. When you receive the ball at chest or head height you have far less chance of controlling it, and therefore keeping possession, than if you get it to feet. If you have possession of the ball you are far more likely to score and far less likely to concede.

It seems to me that if we want to play successful 'percentage football' then we would be far better off trying to actually keep hold of the ball, rather than just knock long, high hopeful balls up to a isolated lone striker.

But that's just my opinion and what do I know - afterall I'm not the expert!

[Plastic Head]

Just seen The Last Word and Andrews efforts for all 6 made me bring my Onion Bhajis back up.

Thats it.

I'll booooooooo his every touch now until he no longer offends my eyes by being in view.

Allardyce won't get rid of of this jerk so we'll have to force his hand i'm afraid.

If you want to keep quiet you'll have plenty of opportunities in the Championship.

I'm absolutley furious that this man is at my club.

The worst I have ever seen. Stuart Metcalf will be turning in his grave.

(I know you're still around Stu)

[Blueandwhitemike]

Abbey

I remember a few years ago seeing a Norwich team, top of the league around Christmas time, concede 7, yeah SEVEN, against a rather good team, and I think they still finished 4th.

[ABBEY]

Abbey

I remember a few years ago seeing a Norwich team, top of the league around Christmas time, concede 7, yeah SEVEN, against a rather good team, and I think they still finished 4th.

DONT GIVE A FLYING ...TODAY WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH ..END OF.

[Hughesy]

Just seen The Last Word and Andrews efforts for all 6 made me bring my Onion Bhajis back up.

Thats it.

I'll booooooooo his every touch now until he no longer offends my eyes by being in view.

Allardyce won't get rid of of this jerk so we'll have to force his hand i'm afraid.

If you want to keep quiet you'll have plenty of opportunities in the Championship.

Is that the same league Big Sam saved us from last season?

Boo your own players, yes that will help results wont it!? - hmmm why dont you go and support Newcastle or Tottenham.....

DONT GIVE A FLYING ...TODAY WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH ..END OF.

Abbey today would never be good enough for you. Had it stayed 3-2 today wouldnt of been good enough for you no matter what.

You HATE big Sam and that is very clear.

[ABBEY]

Is that the same league Big Sam saved us from last season?

Boo your own players, yes that will help results wont it!? - hmmm why dont you go and support Newcastle or Tottenham.....

Abbey today would never be good enough for you. Had it stayed 3-2 today wouldnt of been good enough for you no matter what.

You HATE big Sam and that is very clear.

0-1 OR 1-2 would have been good enough ...why would 3-2 be good enough...anyone who thinks ANY loss is good enough is a loser! why is it clear? im only a poor little punter/fan not THE EXPERT.

[Hughesy]

Anyone who expects nothing but a win at Arsenal is unrealistic. Walcott cost more than our entire 11 out there today - why would that be?

A fan? Im not so sure...

[Blue blood]

Very, very disappointed with the result. What a depressing match.

First half I thought was fairly even. Rovers took their chances well and defended pretty well, bar switching off for the 2nd & 3rd goal. We were punished harshly for the few defensive errors that we made.

Second half, started ok, and Arsenal still looked very shaky at the back. We should have had a pen - and had we got it I believe it would have been a very different game. As it was the 4th killed us off well and truely and what followed was an abject surrender. In one way I can understand it, putting in so much effort, taking the lead twice and finding yourself two goals down is a major kick in the privates. Hard to keep going in such circumstances. Having said that it's still not acceptable to capitulate as we did. The time and space they had towards the end of the game was embarassing.

There are positives, the first 60 mins, taking the lead twice, and the mitigating factor that it was a very makeshift defence. Compaired to the Arsenal game last season, this was a significant improvement. We are heading in the right direction.

However, significant improvement or not, this was still not an acceptable performance/level and the last 30 mins was humiliating. There were far too many players who didn't perform. Benni's attitude was shocking. Andrews always passed to the nearest rover regardless of the difficulties they were in. Chimbonda is not a centre back. Olsson, shot aside, is not good enough. Emerton was back to mark 1 on the wing. Even the uber-consistent Jacobsen had a poor game. Perhaps the biggest negative of all was the lack of pace all the way through the team.

Overall, Arsenal hammered us, which given their frailties and the way we started should not have happened. Very depressed with it all.

[ABBEY]

so its ok to accept defeat before a ball is kicked? that BULL hughsey.

go on do tell why im not a fan.

if we are not going to even try and win ...HOW COME THE SCUM BEAT MANURE?

[Gav]

DONT GIVE A FLYING ...TODAY WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH ..END OF.

and the Broncos are getting beat

[ABBEY]

I NO ITS GOING WORSE AND FRIGGIN WORSE.....IM F FOUL .

[Hughesy]

so its ok to accept defeat before a ball is kicked? that BULL hughsey.

go on do tell why im not a fan.

if we are not going to even try and win ...HOW COME THE SCUM BEAT MANURE?

im not saying accept it before it happens, im saying you have to be realistic some times. Surely you thought today was going to be very hard and that we could maybe get a battering? Home games against the big 4 are very different to their own grounds.....