[Archived] Arsenal 3 Rovers 0

[booth]

Let's get it into perspective, I mean it could have been worse, we could have lost 3 - 0 to Charlton!

Don't tempt fate...

[johnradfordsubbuteo]

I know programmes notes are propaganda and probably not written by the manager anyway, but I have to be worries if GS really believes what he said in the WBA issue that this is the best squad of players he has had since he came to the club.

It's almost empirically possible to disprove that. Surely the Duff, Dunn (when fit), Cole and Jansen (pre Lambretta) squad was considerably better.

[Tom Pringle]

He said it last season as well

[AJConroy]

Much to chew over here. Three players to focus on:

- Matteo must not play in midfield or just in front of the back four again. He is not good enough. We are carrying one player.

- Emerton likewise. I really wanted this guy to pull through. But once again last night he did some basic things wrong.

- Nissa is also wooden. Sub at best.

I know replacing those two wouldnt have made 3-0 into 1-0 last night. Or even a victory. But, in a game when were frankly always going to get a draw at best, we need to build for the upcoming games.

I am looking forward to Ferguson and Thompson returing. I hope GS is.

[tcj_jones]

We didn't play particularly badly last night, we were just playing so utterly deep that nobody could get a stragle hold on the game.

Gresko and Emerton both played as narrow defensive midfielders, Matteo was an awful defensive midfielder and Tugay was just too deep with no one infront of him and couldn't work his magic. Even Stead and Dickov were having to drop right back to get the ball; some of our goal kicks were going to Stead on the right wing and then to Dickov on the left.

We needed to push up the pitch, its last season all over again. Replace Matteo with Ferguson, Gresko with De Pedro and Johansson with Amoruso and we will look a much better outfit, ONLY if Souness stops playing such defensive football.

[Morph]

We didn't play particularly badly last night, we were just playing so utterly deep that nobody could get a strangle hold on the game.

We needed to push up the pitch, its last season all over again...

Good shout, and this is what is troubling me by the way we are playing at the moment. The only way we will get anything out of the next two games is if we go after ManUre and Newcastle. The scum will be forced to field a makeshift defence on Saturday due to injuries / suspensions, and with Newcastle in turmoil at the moment we will never have a better chance to get a result at St James' Park, as long as we follow the example set by Norwich and attack. If we simply sit off them and allow the likes of Smith and Bellamy to run at our (equally frail) back four, we haven't a chance in either match. Let's just hope that Souey realises that sometimes, attack really is the best form of defence.

[rover6]

People who are saying that Souness doesn't give youth a chance are just spouting rubbish.

Gallagher may be out of favour now, but he was brought through by Souness, same with McEvely, Dunn, Douglas and Danns.

Sorry, but the only one spouting rubbish is you. Souness may have given Dunn and Gallagher there chances - but McEveley, Douglas, Danns were only played because his hand was forced by injury crises. And they haven't exactly had a prolonged spell in the team, even Gally can't get on the bench now.

Rather than handicapping the team by playing players out of position, why won't Souness dip into the rich resources of the youth/reserve team and give a rookie a chance?

The fans are more likely to repond to a promising 19 year old giving his all rather than Flitcroft trundling up and down the right looking like a lost sheep and playing like one.

Did anyone expect Matteo and Tugay, two veterans of the game, to able to keep up with the exuberance of Silva and Fabregas? My mind was made up that Tugay was reaching the end in that England-Turkey qualifier when Wayne Rooney dribbled past Toogs so many times it was embarrassing.

[Flopsy]

and with Newcastle in turmoil at the moment we will never have a better chance to get a result at St James' Park,

Other than last year

[super_neill]

- Matteo must not play in midfield or just in front of the back four again. He is not good enough. We are carrying one player.

- Emerton likewise. I really wanted this guy to pull through. But once again last night he did some basic things wrong.

When Matteo signed i had high hopes for him but he can't show how good he is playing in the centre of midfield or left wing. As for Emerton i have a chocolate kettle that is more useful than him, we have to get rid of him in january hopefully somene will be stupid enough to pay a few million.

[MCMC1875]

Remember losing 4-1 to Wimbledon, that was bad!

5-1 it was. 1st leg League Cup. Return game at Ewood not surprisingly saw lowest crowd, and was played out in pouring rain - some things never change!

[Scotty]

Remember losing 4-1 to Wimbledon, that was bad!

5-1 it was. 1st leg League Cup. Return game at Ewood not surprisingly saw lowest crowd, and was played out in pouring rain - some things never change!

Bryan's talking about the game at the back-end of the 1993-94 season when a win would have taken us top. We lost 4-1 after taking the lead. I was there and it was a totally depressing night.

[MCMC1875]

Remember losing 4-1 to Wimbledon, that was bad!

5-1 it was. 1st leg League Cup. Return game at Ewood not surprisingly saw lowest crowd, and was played out in pouring rain - some things never change!

Bryan's talking about the game at the back-end of the 1993-94 season when a win would have taken us top. We lost 4-1 after taking the lead. I was there and it was a totally depressing night.

We should run a 'most depressing match' thread. It would run and run.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

We should run a 'most depressing match' thread. It would run and run.

I might be a leading candidate for that....

Anyway, Michael Schumacher once said about a Grand Prix event: "I was in second gear for most of the race and still managed to win."

That was rather the case with Arsenal last night.

The Gunners weren't by any means at their imperious best - in the first half, they looked as ordinary as I've seen them for a long time. If they were playing against another top class team, they could have been a couple of goals down at half time.

Rovers did give a reasonably good account of themselves in the first 45 minutes. Short was excellent in the first half, leading by example, and nearly scoring from an Emerton cross.

I just wish Craig was 5 years younger - his legs did tire in the 2nd half (along with quite a few Rovers players it has to be said.)

On the half-hour, we carved out another chance. Lucas Neill blasted the ball towards goal, but Dickov couldn't manage to get on the end of it.

Playing for Leicester on the final day of last season, Dickov opened the scoring at Highbury against his former club - initially giving Gunners fans a bit of a scare before they came back to win 2-1 and preserve their long unbeaten record.

Dickov is like one of those little Blackpool ponies that travels up and down the beach all day. He'll work all day, and you can't knock Paul for effort - but in terms of overall quality, he's not a thoroughbred stallion.

Unfortunately, the solid Rovers display in the first half didn't continue in the second period. We were sloppy after the break - and you can't afford to be careless against a team like Arsenal, even if they appear to be in 2nd gear.

Poor defending for the Gunners' first goal. Bergkamp was allowed time and space to cross the ball. From my position at Highbury behind the goal on the other side, I wasn't sure of the identity of the Rovers culprit guilty of allowing the Bergkamp cross to come in - but it was obviously bad defending. Henry was then allowed to squeeze in between our central defence and volley the cross into the net.

From that point, we seemed to fall apart. We didn't once look capable of scoring in the 2nd half. It was boys against men - we simply don't have enough quality in our side.

There's a chronic lack of width down our flanks, which means we are too one-dimensional in our play and don't open up the opposisition defence.

For Arsenal's second goal, it was yet more bad defending from us. When will we ever learn? From a set-piece, Gilberto was allowed to rise unchallenged against a static Rovers defence, to head the corner into the back of the net. Fabregas may have got the final touch.

Ten minutes later - a shocking pass from us led to a third Arsenal goal from their sub, the young Spaniard Reyes. Our subs, De Pedro and Yorke, it's fair to say, weren't quite so effective. Dwight moved around the pitch with all the speed of a Caribbean slug.

There could have been more goals. Pires wasted a good opportunity to make it 4-0, and an Henry cross came close to going past Friedel.

When the final whistle blew, a Rovers fan sitting in front of me turned round and said: "A hundred quid to come down and watch that sh1te."

I couldn't find many words of comfort for him - I had to agree that our defending in the 2nd half was abysmal.

There were a few plus points in the first half - Short as I said, played well in the first 45 minutes, and I couldn't fault Dickov and Michael Gray for effort.

Tugay, our Turkish Delight, showed a few moments of class on the ball. Other than that, the gulf in class between the two sides was tangible - even though I didn't think that Arsenal were ever at their very best.

A long hard season could well be lying ahead of us....

Edited August 26, 2004 by Anti Euro Smiths Fan

[des]

a couple of points

first half we were good and on a par with them

second half bad start and good bye

the poor defeneding has to stop you can not gave away bad or soft goals if you do over time you will go down.

we need to keep the ball, a know its boring, but the ball should be kept and not given away by long balls

The running off the ball by our players is not good and at best average, that is why when the back four get the ball sometimes there are not a lot of options and hence the long ball. The downside to this is that the ball comes stright back. Answer play it side ways or backwards and start again

You need to play to the players strong points and at times we do not do this. All in Alll a not too good start, but hopfully things will get better

[Ricky]

I've just got back from my little break in London.

I thought we were pretty good in the first half, had a couple of chances and kept the ball well.

As soon as they scored it was curtains for us, also like to thank the idiot in fron of me who jumped up and openly cheered when Arsenal scored. I've never seen someone run and hide behind a steward so quick in my whole life.

I still havent completely lost faith in Souness yet, he just needs to get back to playing people in their proper positions and taking a game by the scruff of the neck instead of trying to defend for 90 minutes.

I'm looking forward to this weekends game, I honestly think we can get something from it.

[waggy]

have you been drinking

[herbergeehh]

Agree, United isn't impressing anyone at the moment, except Giggs and Smith - they're pretty weak.. a lot of injuries, let's hope Saha is still injured ?? Has Ronaldo returned yet?

[super_neill]

Agree, United isn't impressing anyone at the moment, except Giggs and Smith - they're pretty weak.. a lot of injuries, let's hope Saha is still injured ?? Has Ronaldo returned yet?

Ronaldo is back he made a brief appearance against Norwich, but i think Saha is still out.

[92er]

They might be targetting it as the match for Saha to return.

[kingalan]

Talked to a friend from Arsenal last night who was at the match and he had some interesting comments about the Rovers and where they're going...

He said that Rovers used to be his second favourite team and were probably one of the most exciting sides in the Premiership with Dunn, Duff, Cole, Jansen, and Thompson all able to create and provide a bit of flair and imagination going forward. I'm sure everyone on here would love to see that team line up for Rovers again, but it's all in the past...

Now we're seen as bottom half also-rans scraping for Premiership status. For Dunn read Matteo, for Jansen read Dickov, for Duff read Gresko, etc. You can tell the difference even on these messageboards: a couple of years back we would have been relishing the Arsenal match and had a genuine optimism with a belief that we would be able to get at least a draw at Highbury. Looking back at the posts from the previous week now, the pessimism and lack of belief in the team is all too apparent.

However, with our full-strength lineup back and fit there is a bit of optimism and with midfield/attack comprising of Thompson, Ferguson, Tugay, Pedersen (if he signs), Stead, and Gallagher, I think all is not lost. I just want us to ditch this "battling" lineup that Souness is hell-bent on playing and get back to the flowing football that brought us a bit of success (and respect) in the first place.

[MCMC1875]

Anybody know what has happened to the Academy prospects - it used to be touted as 'one of the best in Europe' ????

[CAPT KAYOS]

Its all well and good having our full strength line up as we see it back - but what's the point if Souness is going to ###### on it and play everybody bar where they should be playing.

What the f in hell is he going to play against MU if he went all defensive against WBA for christ sake - 11 defenders?

I am not as convinced as alot of people are about Thompson being the'one' to get things going but he is certainly better than what we have at the moment.

You can't win a match unless you score goals, and by going defensive you will more than likely get beat rather than win.

Its about time we started playing at what we are good at(*?) and playing to our strengths (if there are any) and stop flipping worrying about what the other side are going to bloody well do.

Get back to basics and go out to win the match,which is what its all about at the end of the day ans stop being so BLOODY NEGATIVE SOUNESS!!

[John]

The thing that sticks with me is the quality of football we used to play.

I honestly thought we played some of the best attacking play in the league under Souness. Even in our first year back up.

It is just a shame we have turned to a negative way of thinking trying to be hard to beat instead of actually beating teams on our own attacking merits. Thompson returning to form and the old Matt Jansen are the only thing keeping me going at the moment.

[MCMC1875]

Don't think the old Matt Jansen exists anymore.

[John]

I live in hope or maybe I am dreaming about Jansen returning back to what he was