[Archived] Blackburn Vs Arsenal

[chris]

But he's absolutely awful on the ball! Occasionally he drives forward well, but his passing and composure are terrible.

Assuming Hoilett is out and Dunn doesn't recover...

Robinson

Salgado Dann Samba Givet

Grella N'Zonzi

Rochina Vuckevic Olsson

Yakubu

Looks the strongest but I think Yak might disapear and not seen Vuckevic, based on the other imports, I'll assume he'll start off poor off the pace.

[Kelbo]

Seeing as we're always good to (not against) teams who are on a slump/struggling, we will also help Arsenal turn their fortunes around. Still, I can see the point of those thinking we can get a draw. Surely Givet has to play CB if he's playing. Thought Jason Lowe did alright when he came on against Fulham. Bit of energy in the team. Scared at the thought of Salgado up against Arse wingers. My team:Robbo

Salgado - Samba - Dann - Olsson

Rochina - Nzonzi - Lowe - Formica

Goodwillie - Yak/Roberts

More scared at the defensive cover from wide midfield in a 4-4-2 formation you have selected!!

[Veevs]

Seeing as we're always good to (not against) teams who are on a slump/struggling, we will also help Arsenal turn their fortunes around. Still, I can see the point of those thinking we can get a draw. Surely Givet has to play CB if he's playing. Thought Jason Lowe did alright when he came on against Fulham. Bit of energy in the team. Scared at the thought of Salgado up against Arse wingers. My team:

Robbo

Salgado - Samba - Dann - Olsson

Rochina - Nzonzi - Lowe - Formica

Goodwillie - Yak/Roberts

Jesus that lineup would kill us.. no defensive cover from out wide, a massive lack of experience in midfield, defensive midfield would be torn to shreds by their attacking midfield and a strike combo that does not take advantage of their slow defence.

[Veevs]

But he's absolutely awful on the ball! Occasionally he drives forward well, but his passing and composure are terrible.

Assuming Hoilett is out and Dunn doesn't recover...

Robinson

Salgado Dann Samba Givet

Grella N'Zonzi

Rochina Vuckevic Olsson

Yakubu

Blimey LeChuck not going for Olsson at fullback thats a first..

pretty much the setup I would go for though.. however I reckon we seriously need to consider something different..

Has not really been played in a long while by clubs in the EPL.. but I would seriously consider us trying a sweeper based formation with Dann as a sweeper (and leader on the pitch) Olsson at left back but pushing forward covered by Givet in a center 3 (including the sweeper) and Rochina in a second striker role (drifting out wide when appropriate) and Simon floating role.

[Edit] Basically when we have the ball we push either Dann up into midfield and push grella forward or Olsson up and givet covering.. when they have the ball in their half Dann supports midfield dropping back as they move up the pitch.

[1864roverite]

We are going to get raped silly down the flanks. The gaps that were there on Sunday will be brutally exposed by the speed of Walcott and Arshavin, not to mention the footballing skills they have on tap to go through the middle.

I cannot see a Rovers win despite Arsenals frailties and I just do not see Kean (if still in post) being able to motivate a winning effort.

Rovers to be pummelled 4-0 at the very best. This is the onset of a goals fest at Ewood.

Arsenal 0-4

City 0-6

Spurs 0-4

Chelsea 0-4

[m1st]

Thanks slough_rover for a really good preview. As the man next in line to provide a preview [Newcastle United], I know exactly how you feel; I've had previous previews ready long before the match, just waiting for the finishing touches to be added after the previous weekend's game - this time, it'll be ready for publication early next week, but there's no real enthusiasm gone into it.

Now that Kean's laid claim to my "glass-half-full" title [shouldn't he be "glass-totally full", btw? ], I don't know what to say about this game.

Clutching at straws, Arsenal looked pretty feeble against Swansea last weekend and that game would have been a 0-0 draw, if it hadn't been for the early contender for "Bizarre goal of the season, 2001/12". And they've got a Champions League game tonight. And their manager's under at least as much scrutiny and criticism as ours. And, er, that's about it, really!

On the other hand, we are vulnerable at right back [Walcott v. Salgado sounds like a real mis-match to me]. Also, listening to Martin Keown's comments on Radio 5 last Sunday, it sounded like the defence "switched off" for Fulham's equaliser. Plus, the present manager reminds me of Kidd's days as manager [albeit with arguably better players now] in that he doesn't seem to know what his best team for any particular game is.

So, it's a nailed-on certainty for a surprise result! I believe that this 11 from 13 could scrape a 1-0 win and gain Kean a [temporary, hopefully] reprieve:

Robinson;

Ribeiro, Samba, Dann, Givet;

Vukcevic, Nzonzi, Grella [if fit] or Formica, Olsson;

Rochina, Goodwillie [again, if fit] or Yakubu.

Subs: Bunn; Salgado, Hanley, Petrovic, Formica or Pedersen, Yakubu or Blackman, Slew.

[Billy Castell]

We'll get bummed.

I'll go all out defence for the sake of our goal difference:

Robinson

Riberio/Hanley/Dann/Samba/Givet

Petrovic/Grella/Nzonzi

Vukcevic

Goodwillie or Yakubu.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

1-1

Att : An ever decreasing 19,500

A draw will change nothing...... BE GONE KEAN AND STAY GONE!

[joey_big_nose]

We'll get bummed.

I'll go all out defence for the sake of our goal difference:

Robinson

Riberio/Hanley/Dann/Samba/Givet

Petrovic/Grella/Nzonzi

Vukcevic

Goodwillie or Yakubu.

Hmm, that team is not such a bad idea. Drop hanley, stick Givet in the centre and put Olsson at left back. Try and hit them on the break . Hoilett to start ahead of Vukcevic. We need to be hard to break down.

[roverandout]

i think we should play scotland's tactics. but it should be a 10-0-0 formation.

[Kennys Magic Hat]

Seeing as we're always good to (not against) teams who are on a slump/struggling, we will also help Arsenal turn their fortunes around.

Yes that's why we did the double over West Brom last season, thumped Liverpool and beat Bolton - all during their slumps!

2-1 Rovers, we'll get a bit of luck for a change!

Formica to get on the scoresheet!

[roverandout]

bit of luck. luck, luck, luck, we had a bit of luck on sunday, on another day we could have been well beaten, you make your own luck.

[Kennys Magic Hat]

bit of luck. luck, luck, luck, we had a bit of luck on sunday, on another day we could have been well beaten, you make your own luck.

Yeah because Fulham absolutely battered us with their two shots in the second half! We made our own luck by defending superbly!

[67splitscreen]

Hard to find optimism under Kean whoever plays, even if we start off well if we are not at least three goals in front by HT all will be lost from there.

Going back to the SW game when Lowe came on at CB.

I thought he did really well missed few challenges on the ground and won his fair share in the air. Certainly looks full of running.

RB maybe?

[roverandout]

they got around our defence a few times, like andy johnson's efforts, when rovers lose or draw, people always blame it on bad luck or blame the referee, thats just a cop out.

[Kennys Magic Hat]

they got around our defence a few times, like andy johnson's efforts, when rovers lose or draw, people always blame it on bad luck or blame the referee, thats just a cop out.

I was referring to the Everton game more. I felt a draw was a fair result against Fulham as neither side really deserved to win as on the whole we were both terrible in the final third.

I believe we are capable of getting a win against Arsenal but we will require a very good performance and a bit of luck. You need that in every Premier League game.

[waggy]

with arteta joining learse could he create some sort of record if he scores on sat.scoring at ewood for 2 different teams in consecutive home games

[pick32]

Robinson

Dann Samba Givet Olsen

Grella Nzonzi

Hoilet Rochina Vukcevic

Yakubu

Just think we need a bit of pace a stability in the full back positions.

[Dreyski]

1-0 Arsenal(sorry), RVP to get another goal against us. Plenty of Labore but not much Arte.

My team (assuming no Hoilett and Goodwillie):

Robinson

Dann Samba Givet Olsson

N'Zonzi Grella

Simon Formica Rochina

Yakubu

I expect to see:

Robinson

Salgado Samba Dann Givet

Rochina N'Zonzi Petrovic Olsson

Formica

Roberts

[chris]

What a massive game.

I think Arsenal will score two early.

we will hold them the second half

blackburn 0-2 Arsenal

[philipl]

Excellent preview Slough!

Let's not beat about the bush, we are meeting Arsenal at exactly the right time.

Keep it tight and competitve without bookings for mis-timed tackles and we could have gone better than Swansea managed against a truly miserable and disjointed Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday.

The problem is we have injuries and even worse Steve Kean.

Instead of even Tony Parkes as a stand in giving it the spirit of Agincourt, having Rovers well organised and set up to frustrate the Arsenal twinkle toes, we'll have Tattie Heed Aulde Reekie and Wenger drinking a dram to the Auld Alliance at Full Time with Arsene murmuring a prayer of thanks that Rovers under Kean away was his next fixture.

If we surrender midfield like we handed it over to the pedestrian plodders of Fulham for 63% possession in the second half at Craven Cottage the record 8-0 defeat to Arsenal of 1933 will be at risk.

Surely, even Kean will realise that much?

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Excellent preview Slough!

Let's not beat about the bush, we are meeting Arsenal at exactly the right time.

Keep it tight and competitve without bookings for mis-timed tackles and we could have gone better than Swansea managed against a truly miserable and disjointed Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday.

The problem is we have injuries and even worse Steve Kean.

Instead of even Tony Parkes as a stand in giving it the spirit of Agincourt, having Rovers well organised and set up to frustrate the Arsenal twinkle toes, we'll have Tattie Heed Aulde Reekie and Wenger drinking a dram to the Auld Alliance at Full Time with Arsene murmuring a prayer of thanks that Rovers under Kean away was his next fixture.

If we surrender midfield like we handed it over to the pedestrian plodders of Fulham for 63% possession in the second half at Craven Cottage the record 8-0 defeat to Arsenal of 1933 will be at risk.

Surely, even Kean will realise that much?

I think you were similarly bullish prior to our match with Man U last season

[roverandout]

arsenal will walk all over our midfield, i will settle for a 3-0 defeat right now.

[Blue blood]

If ever there was a time to play Arsenal, as others have said, this is it. I was really looking forward to this game at the start of the season, and felt that there was a real chance of beating a very shakey Arsenal team.

There still is - assuming we employ the right tactics. Problem is, if we play like we play vs Fulham, we will be murdered. Even in this weakened Arsenal team, there's more than enough talent to take advantage of the horribly open midfield that we have.

Kean CANNOT start with such a lightweight team on Saturday; if he does it's suicide.

The key will be protecting the full backs. Allowing Arsenal to run at any of our full backs (Givet and Salgado are too slow, Olsson has no positional sense) is asking for trouble.

I'd be tempted to go with something like:

Robbo

Salgado Dann Samba Givet

Vukcevic N'Zonzi Grella Olsson

Hoillett

Yakubu

We really need our wide midfielders to gang up on Arsenal's wingers, and in Hoillett struggles to do this. Olsson would provide good protection on the left for Givet, whilst I'm unsure who could do this at right mid, the new lad seems to be worth a shot.

Frustrating Arsenal by keeping it tight will be the key, as Arsenal make mistakes when frustrated. The longer they go without scoring I think the more opportunities we will get. The last thing you want to be doing against Arsenal is chasing the game as Arsenal are much better when you are committed to getting forward. Grella and N'Zonzi did ok together under Sam and are the only combination which give us any realistic amount of steel in midfield.

Yakubu up front has to be better than any of the others at holding it up. Not that that would be difficult, but I feel that's the best chance of relieving some of the pressure on our defence.

If we keep things tight, it could be a great day for Rover. If not I fear another trouncing.

Kean is slippery though. It looks like he's being forced into a corner, and the pressure is mounting, yet somehow despite it all he always seems to evade blame and keep his job. I can see a good result which he'll rest upon for the next month or two.

1-1 no idea who'll score.

[roversoutsider]

Kean will be desperate not to lose this one with the protest march and all,

If i were Kean i would go for this formation(Purely because it worked wonders in FM2011)

Robbo

Ribeiro Dann Samba Givet Olsson

Grella Nzonzi

Hoilett Formica

Yak

Lets hope we escape with a 0-0 draw with that lineup