[Archived] Arsenal V Blackburn Rovers

[philipl]

I had a go in the Sam Allardyce thread Paul...

Incidentally, I though Walton's booking of Di Santo was ridiculously early and ridiculously soft and deliberately targeted to give their defence a softer ride.

[herbergeehh]

I had a go in the Sam Allardyce thread Paul...

Incidentally, I though Walton's booking of Di Santo was ridiculously early and ridiculously soft and deliberately targeted to give their defence a softer ride.

Not to mention his unwillingness to book @#/? van Persie for his tackle from behind on Dunn just two minutes earlier. It was his worst decision on the day in my opinion, and that speaks volumes. Dunn went past him, he made a professional foul from behind (!) and didn't get booked for it. Minutes later he threw himself into Chimbonda who headed the ball out of danger, not a booking either.

[den]

Completely agree. They were on top form and it is a credit to us that we not only kept up with them but had the lead twice. If we had got that Penalty it would have put us in a great position to get something from the game but it wasn't to be and I would rather we don't get that decision but get one maybe we shouldn't in another game we should be winning.

Play like that against most teams and we will get points.

I saw some good things Modes, but "kept up with them"? and "Play like that against most teams and we will get points"?

Step back, look at the scoreline, look at how many it could quite easily have been. That's all I'm saying. we were so naieve it was untrue.

[Miker]

Sorry but points win prizes, we got nothing last season and nothing this

I didn't compare those teams to Wolves, Sunderland and Villa. What I did compare was Hull and Wolves, Newcastle and Villa. Sunderland are crap according to many on here, I haven't seen them, regardless of how much they have spent.

The point is a very simple one, we are doing no better and demonstrably worse points wise than last season. We have no midfield to speak of, in the games I have seen the gap between midfield and attack is gaping, we have resorted to 4-5-1 at home with only one midfielder capable of supporting the lone striker, our strikers have score two goals between them in the PL. Sure Arsenal were very, very good yesterday, I expected to lose but sadly I also expected us to get stuffed, which we did. The team gave them acres of space to play in and if you do that against Arsenal you will always get soundly beaten.

There are a lot of questions to be asked of The Expert but very few prepared to ask them

How is a struggling Newcastle comparable to a Villa side that had 4 straight wins before they played us?

Sunderland were pretty poor last season, but the players they bought this season are quality and they're shaping up into a strong team.

I would agree with you about the midfield if we didn't outclass Villa's midfield when we played against them. I'm just tired of going from game to game with people criticising every single little thing. People keep making judgements on players and the team based on the last game we play and it's just pointless. It's just typical that before the season began people were ranting on about how we should get rid of Dunn because he gets injured too often. Now that he's back and in top form people are going ga-ga over him all of a sudden, but then you have people like some guy a few pages back saying we shouldn't play 4-5-1 to accomodate Dunn because he'll get injured sooner or later. It's just a bit ridiculous.

I'm not defending Sam or any particular player, I think healthy criticism like the marking was shocking against Arsenal is fine, but to just blatantly go out and say we're awful and it's all a mess is just ridiculous, I'm sorry.

[AggyBlue]

Step back, look at the scoreline, look at how many it could quite easily have been. That's all I'm saying. we were so naieve it was untrue.

We defended the edge of the area with a makeshift central defensive pairing playing their first game together.

How many goals did they score from inside the box?

How many games have you seen where so many long range goal attempts find the corners of the net?

[philipl]

FA looking at Sam's Walton comments

[Blue blood]

Play like that against most teams and we will get points.

Play like we did the first 60 minutes and we will get points.

Play like we did the last half hour and we will get nothing.

We need to make sure we keep going the full 90. I was really pleased with the first 60, but after that is was embarassing. Having had time to think on it, I've a sneaking suspicion we might've got back into it if we hadn't given up. Arsenal for all their brilliance up front looked shocking at the back.

Also reading the comments on here - looking back the referee was poorer than I thought. Definately big club bias striking again.

[den]

We defended the edge of the area with a makeshift central defensive pairing playing their first game together.

How many goals did they score from inside the box?

How many games have you seen where so many long range goal attempts find the corners of the net?

Don't really see your point Aggy. Defensively, Di Santo and Dunn did well. The rest didn't - did they?

[AggyBlue]

Don't really see your point Aggy. Defensively, Di Santo and Dunn did well. The rest didn't - did they?

You don't see my point so you won't answer my questions. OK.

Let's not forget each Arsenal player probably cost more than our entire squad, it's no wonder some of our players didn't seem to do well.

The day's of us competing against the top sides on a level playing field are long gone. Throw in biased refereeing and it's an almost impossible task.

[Miker]

We need to make sure we keep going the full 90. I was really pleased with the first 60, but after that is was embarassing. Having had time to think on it, I've a sneaking suspicion we might've got back into it if we hadn't given up. Arsenal for all their brilliance up front looked shocking at the back.

I have to agree with you. I've noticed that we tend to peter out often towards the last 20 minutes or so of a game, with the exception of Villa. I'm not really sure if it's a lack of motivation, fitness, determination or simply a tactical decision.

[Hughesy]

The last 20 yesterday was kind of obvious why - 4-2 down, Dunn & Emerton taken off to save, Benni off injured, rub of the green (Penalty & Post) not going our way - and chasing the arsenal passing for 70 minutes.

The key decision of the game was at 3-2 when we should of had a penalty to make it 3-3. They would be down to 10 men, they would of re-shuffled and we wouldnt of shipped 6. The ref sh!t out and cost us dear.

Last season - we were crap for 90 mins and didnt even get close.

[trueblue]

WE ARE IN THE SAME DIVISION AND SHOULDNT COPPULATE LIKE A BUNCH OF MARD ARSED TOSSPOTS!!!!

You been watching too many porn films Abbey ?

Hmm on second thoughts though, Andrews and Pedersen WERE both X-rated yesterday

[oozy]

Next week has to be this, no doubt in my mind:

----------------Robinson

Jacobsen-Samba-Givet-Chimbonda

-----------Emerton-N'zonzi

-----Hoilett-----Dunn------Diouf

----------------Di Santo

Grella instead of Emerton would be acceptable. Emerton on the right wing is not acceptable. We need Hoilett's direct runnning, pace and movement, it will cause the Burnley defence (which is slow) problems.

It is so obvious that is our best team. Why does everyone see it bar Sam Allardyce?

[LDRover]

Not read every reply but from what I have there appear to be two split camps. One that is thoroughly ticked off with the result and application/tactics and one that can accept it 'cos Arsenal are so brilliant when at their best.

I can't for the life of me believe that we should accept we will concede 6 goals against a team in the same league as us. For Christ's sake, it's OK to be ###### off with a result once in a while and not be anti Rovers you know. The tactics/application and result were abysmal, Arsenal may well have been good but they'll play that well again this season against lesser teams than us and they won't get dicked by 6.

(Before the smart arses jump on that last point, I know they've done Everton by 6 already...)

[Hughesy]

It is so obvious that is our best team. Why does everyone see it bar Sam Allardyce?

Obvious?

Hoilett is still raw - nothing is obvious about him yet.

Sam has been doing the right things:

Grella and Nzonzi when fit - not andrews

Pedersen dropped & Diouf moved to the left

Roberts dropped

Salgado dropped

He is seeing it pretty much how most are I think to be honest!

[den]

You don't see my point so you won't answer my questions. OK.

Let's not forget each Arsenal player probably cost more than our entire squad, it's no wonder some of our players didn't seem to do well.

The day's of us competing against the top sides on a level playing field are long gone. Throw in biased refereeing and it's an almost impossible task.

No point in getting angry.

I haven't said we should have beaten them. I have said the performance wasn't acceptable to me - [and I hope the manager and coaches].

Your point about them scoring goals from outside the box? How does that make a difference? Is it not for the lads in blue and white to come out and meet them, close them down and put them under a bit more pressure than, say Andrews did for Bendtners goal? The man on the terraces will tell you that, never mind the pundits on MOTD .

It's also obvious that the Arsenal squad has cost an awful lot more than Rovers squad. It's still eleven against eleven though and we should have been able to make it a damned site harder than it was. I remind you that it could have been 10 and probably should have been 7 or 8.

There were good points and bad points but let's not have it that that scoreline was inevitable.

[AggyBlue]

I can't for the life of me believe that we should accept we will concede 6 goals against a team in the same league as us. For Christ's sake, it's OK to be ###### off with a result once in a while and not be anti Rovers you know. The tactics/application and result were abysmal, Arsenal may well have been good but they'll play that well again this season against lesser teams than us and they won't get dicked by 6.

(Before the smart arses jump on that last point, I know they've done Everton by 6 already...)

I haven't seen anyone say it's acceptable LD.

With my blue'n'white specs on, I can put it down to a freak scoreline.

No other game this season will see so many long shots nestling in the corner of the net.

No point in getting angry.

Have I been typing in CAPITALS

Where's next doors cat

[den]

Have I been typing in CAPITALS

Where's next doors cat

and don't get cheeky either. I gave you a point on your reputation for your reserve match report and you might get another one if you do the same tonight. That would probably make me your No1 fan.

[waggy]

on saturday i heard martinez on tv when he said the preformance is more important than the result.i thought i wish lardarse had the same attitude,low and behold we go to the emeriates and give arsenal a bloody good game,if the ref had not bottled it we could have got even more from the game,we defended like we had our 2 central defenders out,but we gave the gunners a bloody good game

[LeftWinger]

You're very cheery today Waggy! Nice change! I agree with everything you've put there though.

[tashor]

Just noticed our record at the Emirates is 2 goals for and 12 against.

Hooray for us - the 6 : 2 means we did twice as well as usual........................

[Hughesy]

on saturday i heard martinez on tv when he said the preformance is more important than the result.i thought i wish lardarse had the same attitude,low and behold we go to the emeriates and give arsenal a bloody good game,if the ref had not bottled it we could have got even more from the game,we defended like we had our 2 central defenders out,but we gave the gunners a bloody good game

WOW!!! Is this the new waggy? I like it!

[LDRover]

I haven't seen anyone say it's acceptable LD.

With my blue'n'white specs on, I can put it down to a freak scoreline.

No other game this season will see so many long shots nestling in the corner of the net.

Like I said earlier, I haven't read all the posts in detail but when I read things like (paraphrased), "what do you expect when Arsenal's team cost so much", "what can we do when they play like that", "we had 4 fullbacks playing" etc. I take that as acceptance of a battering.

In the words of Dr. Robert, "It doesn't have to be that way".

[thenodrog]

Andrews role in the last goal was laughable. He sends Jacobsen wide to watch the runner and then doesn't get close enough to Bendtner.

Maybe but I think Bendtner found it funniest. I certainly didn't! I'd wager the name 'Andrews' figured quite a lot in conversation in the Arsenal dressing room afterwards.

[thenodrog]

Unfortunately for us, Fabregas put in one of the best performances by a creative central midfielder that I've seen for a long time.

Why was that?

Discuss .....