[Archived] Arsenal 3 Rovers 0

[USABlue]

I',m going to hide under the covers and I am not coming out until it's all over.

[Biddy]

Wish I could, I've paid to go and see it now. Still Arsenal may be entertaining.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We'll send out the all clear to you over the pond come about 2:35 Sat USA.....sweet dreams.

Edited August 23, 2004 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[cn174]

I'm not expecting very much from this game expect from a good hiding. Although the closer it gets to kick off, I'll start thinking 'well we may get a point, and you never know, we could win' I'll go for 2-1 to Arsenal - Reyes 2

[rebelzero]

Arsenal 3 Rovers 1

Henry (pen) Dickov

Reyes

Grandpa Bergkamp

but I'm hoping to be wrong

[Finch]

you're all dreaming.

After the results we've had we don't stand a chance.

5-3 against Boro after being 3-1 down?

My gooner-supporting collegues are already gloating and the game isn't for another two days.

NAE CHANCE LADS AND LASSES

[Flopsy]

We're going to be gang raped.

Oh well, hats off to the best team in the country.

I blame Souness for Arsenals greatness

[Ricky]

Heart says a 1-1 draw, head says 4-0 to Arsenal.

[American]

We're going to be gang raped.

Hey, hey, we aren't playing Leicester or Newcastle!!!

[RevidgeBlue]

I suspect we'll play all the defensive players we've got, so we'll probably line up something like this:

Friedel Enkleman

Neill Short Amoruso NEJ Gresko Gray

Flicroft Matteo Douglas

Subs:

Yelldell

McEveley

Peers

Bruce

Danns

We'll still get beat by at least 4.

Was about to post along similar lines Scotty. Although I think the formation you put out above is far too creative.

Surely we will start with three keepers - Friedel, Encks and Yeldell. Sacrificing some of the "flair" from midfield.

Anyway being ultra optimistic, 0-0. And we will encroach into the Arsenal half once. When we kick off for the second half.

(Actually I think the only way you can get a result against Arsenal is to get at them defensively and from set pieces)

[roversmum]

A view from the 'other side' here.

Has a fair bit of imagination I must say, I'm surprised he only predicts a 3-0 win to the Arse.

Edited August 23, 2004 by roversmum

[Philly Rover ®]

Wow.

Just saw the highlights of Arsenal's game yesterday.

We don't have a prayer.

[Brownie]

A view from the 'other side' here.

Has a fair bit of imagination I must say, I'm surprised he only predicts a 3-0 win to the Arse.

"Some of our older listeners may remember, cheating moany old Alan Shearer once played for Blackburn Rangers back in the old days, as did that gay one, oh, what was his name, Graeme Le Saux. Le Saux, and Alan or Big Al as he is known, actually won a Premiership medal with the Rovers, which meant that those skanky buggers from Manchester ended the season potless again. Which, however annoying it is seeing a team buy their way to the title, was nice to see, especially as Andy Cole missing a last minute sitter at West Ham cost them the title. Happy Days. Scott Biao and Richie Cunningham etc."

(From the site)

I suppose Henry, Pires etc came on frees did they ?

Every club 'buy's the title, but only we get labelled with it !

[Blackpool_Rover]

Arsenal 5 - 1 Rovers

Friedel

neill Matteo Amoruso/Short Gray

Emerton Tugay Flitcroft(sigh) De Pedro

Stead Dickov

Enckleman, yorke, jansen, short/nissa, douglas

Im writing this one off to be honest.

[Ste B]

Arsenal 4 Rovers 0.

And thats just by Half Time.

[frosty]

Arsenal 4 Rovers 0

And thats just by half time

So whats full time? 8-0

[roversmum]

Every club 'buy's the title, but only we get labelled with it !

I've sent them an email pointing out their error - in a very nice way of course

[92er]

Anybody putting their mortgage on the Rovers winning?

[rover6]

I don't think we'll get thrashed. Our recent record against the Arsenal is quite good and I feel we could sneak a draw.

The secret of our relative success is playing two deep-lying central midfielders who remain deep-lying throughout the match. Because they're plugging the gaps in front of the back four, Arsenal will be restricted in their counter-attacking threat, which is after all their biggest threat.

However, playing totally negative football won't work because Arsenal will open you up if you give them too much of the ball - however many midfielders and defenders you pack into the team.

So imho, a midfield of: Emerton Tugay Flitcroft Thommo may be able to halt Arsenal.

Edited August 24, 2004 by rover6

[Morph]

You'd need a tank to stop Arsenal. Don't think I've ever said this before but we haven't a cat in hell's chance. 4 - 0

[Flopsy]

so no truth in the rumour that Deano's been building a small sandbaged machine gun emplacement on our goal line.

Tony Parkes was last seen on the Roof of the Clock Stand with a rifle.

(unfortunately Morph, Bergkamps been practicing with an anti tank rocket)

These measures should allow Rovers to escape highbury with a decent result, only 4 or 5 conceeded

[ackroyd75]

I thought our good record against Arsenal was due to Brad playing a blinder.........last two years anyway!

[Ronin]

Hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves. Keep the score respectable. I mean, when the Arse were going on a run last time, Everton beat them, then we did too. Fingers crossed this time too.

Did see the Arse-Boro game, have the feeling we're going to get creamed big time. Then we only have Man U on Sat too. Gonna be a good week

[philipl]

If we play the best eleven players we have available in their correct positions, we have a chance.

Friedel or Encks if Friedel is not 100% fully mobile

Neill

Short

Matteo

Gray (who has a point to prove after Beattie fooled him)

Thompson

Ferguson (is he suspended?)

Tugay (the way Arsenal play, he will have the opportunities to ping his passes especially as the rest of this Rovers midfield line up are class players who Wenger cannot safely leave in space in the way he could ignore Douglas, Emerton or Flitcroft knowing they can do little damage)

de Pedro (Arsenal is the sort of game he will show his class if he has the character to do it- surely he is fit by now? Plus he is hustler when we don't have possession)

Stead

Dickov

sub I would use- Gally for Dickov after he has been yellow carded/run himself into the ground.

This is a side with passing flare and enough ability to get up and at them to disrupt an Arsenal side who will have moments of anxiety given the significance of the match. (It is also a side plenty good enough to finish in the top half of the Premiership)

However, Souness will no doubt delve into the drawer marked paranoia to find obscure tactics, formations and positions trying and failing to come up with something he thinks can defend against an Arsenal side averaging 4.5 goals a game.

On that basis, our record 8-0 thrashing by Arsenal is in danger never mind Clough's Forest record.

[samtheozzy]

Frankly i think getting beaten but not humiliated would be a fantastic result. However the realist in me thinks we are going to get stuffed like a christmas turkey.

Arsenal 5-1 Blackburn