Feb 28
I’m actually more gutted than I expected. I love the FA Cup, and I’m really upset that we couldn’t get past a shit team like Blackburn.
20 Responses to “Blackburn 1 - 0 Arsenal”
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February 28th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
This match has me seriously doubting the Senderos' role in, and importance to, this team. We were missing a ton of important players today and it showed. Baptista and Aliadiere are not seizing this opportunity to prove their worth to the future of the team and look undependable. A pathetic, and as Mike said, truly gutting display. An absolute lackluster and sloppy effort all-around.
February 28th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
This is the 3rd consecutive goal scored against Senderos in Two games.
I’m only upset because we seemed to have gone backwards when playing against physical opposition. We had a great run against Northern teams like Liverpool, Bolton, but now have been winless in 4 games since that awesome display at the Reebok.
We got stuffed in midfield and with our poor quality finishing and horrendous first touches from Ali/Baps/Freddie it was inevitable that we would get punished with a late goal - it was the Rover’s first and only shot on target the whole game, methinks.
I won’t complain about Rover’s physical tactics (even though the likes of Tugay and Dunn were more interested in tackling the player than the ball), because what I worry about is our finishing, and tonight we had plenty and could have easily won 2-0 or 3-0.
If we want to progress in Europe or even fight for 3rd/4th in the PL then we better start scoring and play some route 1 football, especially when we seem to be struggling at the moment.
February 28th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
very dissapointing performance.
A tough loss in the Carling Cup Finals… but a determined effort at least.
Now a devestating loss in the FA Cup, and if we don’t do the business one week from today… we are out of ALL competitions other than the league. (which we are playing for 3rd place in). If we don’t progress in the Champions League, it’ll be a bad season for the Arsenal. Simply not good enough results.
We won’t have to worry about fixture congestion if we don’t handle PSV.
We’ll have 12 games left… and a lot of heart-break for a team with POTENTIAL.
Potentially good, great… or potentially not good enough. Some of these players are showing they aren’t good enough… perhaps we are asking too much too soon, considering the number of injuries we are dealing with?? Or perhaps not…
Tough loss to take… on many levels. I just expected much more from them today. The incumbents are just like the starters, can’t finish when they should… and paying dearly for it.
February 28th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Can anyone think of ONE game we lost because of Cygan last season! If anyone can remember one goal Arsenal conceeded becuase of Cygan last season, kindly remind me. It should be easy even though he played a lot of games last season because we kept a lot of clean sheets with him in the side.
I don’t care how old someone is or where they come from. I want the team that I support to win games that they are supposed to win. Chelsea played like crap on Sunday and still beat Arsenal. Blackburn played like crap tonight and still beat Arsenal. A team is only as strong as it’s weakest link and it’s obvious who that is. I dont care if he’s twenty-two or forty-two.
Teams are going to attack Senderos just like they did Cygan last season because they think they will have an advantage. But Cygan rose to the challenge against players like Yakubu, Shearer, and even Cristiano Ronaldo while playing LB and didn’t cost us a single point last season. That’s what defenders do, make it hard for the other team to score, not gift them chances.
Was Cygan good enough to play for Arsenal, of course not. Everyone, including me, was happy to see him leave. But the results difference between he and Senderos is such that I favor Cygan. Is one technically better than the other, perhaps Senderos; tactically better, so it seems advantage Cygan. Those issues are up for debate. They both seem a bit awkward. Most of you will disagree with me but no one can argue that Senderos is getting exposed and costing us a lot more than Pascal did last year. That’s a fact, boys.
Like I said boys, I just want to win games that we’re supposed to win. We just lost two game that we played well enough to win.
February 28th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
It’s not all Senderos’ fault as we’ve still got to score in order to win games. But that focus on defense when the game is still up for grabs is paramount. This is his third season in the team playing in the EPL and in the Champions League, not to mention a World Cup. Players with that kind of experience can’t hide behind their age.
February 28th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
arent we getting pissed at the wrong pple here? if i remember well Terry was beaten on more than one occasion by our attack on sunday but we didnt score, senderos was beaten that one time and they scored so senderos is at fault… come on… i’m a gooner cos i like attacking football, in my book senderos just having some bad luck… the real dudes we shld be screaming at is ljunberg, ali, and d beast (i may be wrong but i’m convinced now that he belongs with madrid not arsenal)… they all had clear cut opportunities and they all missed; they all rang rings round rovers and they all goofed… then a defender messes up once and u r all over him… i’m pissed but not at cindy… i’m pissed at the team for letting it come to the point where some fans want to blame cindy…
February 28th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
UGH CRAP!
February 28th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
I didn’t watch the game and I am glad I didn’t because from what I have heard it was more of the same. So many have complained that Arsenal always play the same irrespective of the opposition which is true but I think we are safer that way. When Wenger tries to employ different tactics things really go sour. Walcott for Eboue and then Senderos slotted into Right back is one of the worst tactical decisions. And Hughes who many fail to award his due props exposed that mistake and sent on a pacy foward in the shape of McCarthy.
I don’t see how it was Senderos’s fault. If it’s anybody’s fault it should be the person who made Senderos play out of position. Now I think Arsenal can see the error of their ways by failing to buy able players. We honestly don’t deserve to go even further in the CL. If we do which seems more and more unlikely then it will be pure luck. Arsenal is not Championship quality and that’s all there is to it. You can’t play that poorly and still hope to somehow reach the final of such a prestigious cup as the CL. It’s a shame.
There is no excuse. Every team gets their share of injuries and suspensions so that’s no excuse and neither is not being awarded penalties because that happens to every1. Wigan should have beaten us but they were outdone by poor referee decisions. We continously waste chances and it further justifies how Arsenal lack enormously when it comes to goal scorers.
Apart from Henry and Van Persie I don’t know of any other player in Arsenal’s ranks that can fill in whenever necessary. Arsenal is weak and that is all there is to it….
February 28th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
That is it. Arsenal’s main fault is up front. Being so clumsy infront of goal is inexcusable. I see no reason to blame Senderos. All he did was make on critical error. But what about Baptista’s clear cut chance at the other end. How come we are so quick to forget that……
February 28th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Yes, bitterly disappointing for us all, the team, the club, the fans and me.
Sadly feeling the loss of Henry today!
March 1st, 2007 at 1:30 am
A result I had feared but not unexpected. Everything now depends on the PSV game. We concede in every game, so can we score 3? I doubt it. Let’s see.
Senderos has not been endearing himself with his recent displays. Yet I keep feeling that he is 4th choice CB and when Gallas, Toure and Djourou are fit, we will defend better.
Our bigger problem is converting chances. Bap and Ali failed yet again. Ade is not the best finisher. Too much dependence on Henry and RvP hurts. Should we go for Eto’o if he becomes available. I think so. But AW rarely goes for an out and out striker.
Lack of a winger also hurts because it makes us one-dimensional. We have too many central creative midfielders in Cesc, Hleb, Rosicky and Denilson. Need some variety.
Let’s see how we cope with Reading before the PSV game.
March 1st, 2007 at 3:33 am
What a sh*t week for Arsenal… Despite our crippling injury list, and ignoring the potential of our “magnificent kids”, we are Arsenal and two seasons without a trophy is not good enough.
After last night I think we can safely say goodbye to Baptista and Aliadiere (sorry Stag). Both have had enough chances and, despite isolated flashes of brilliance, haven’t consistently produced. We score no goals from midfield. Hleb, Rosicky, Walcott and Ljungberg have a total of (I think) 8 goals between them this season - same amount as Gilberto. None from Fabregas or Denilson, a few from Flamini.
Up front, buy Eto’o (please God!) and bring back Bendtner from loan from Birmingham. A strike force of Henry, Eto’o, Van Persie, Adebayor and Bendtner should scare the sh*t out of anybody.
Then get a sh*t hot left-sided goalscording midfielder. Please don’t anyone mention Reyes coming back. Henry hates him, he hates London, and he isn’t even very good. The talk is Ribery or Babel. Maybe Robinho. Whoever will score the most goals from midfield should be bought.
Apparently the money is there. The squad is strong, and the best striker in Spain wants to come to Arsenal. The time is now (or 2007-08). Pull the chequebook out, please Mr Wenger!
ps. Senderos is fine as 3rd or 4th choice CB. What was he doing playing at RB anyway?
March 1st, 2007 at 3:53 am
I didnt think we played badly at all yesterday. Ali was full of running but most of it was pretty pointless.Baptista to his credit never stopped trying even after the misses and did hit a couple of great long rangers which Friedel just about got away.Its just his bad touch that is letting him down..In Spain the bad touch is acceptable to an extent because you’re proabbly not closed down that fast..not here.
The “non scoring” midfield of Freddie,Gilberto,Denilson n Hleb meant that we were going to find it hard to score and a lot of it was up to the Front 2…If they didnt fire we weren’t going to score. Kolo put a free header over on Sunday today it was Baps.Why are we so bad in the air?
Maybe I’m being a bit harsh here but Hleb had a bad bad game and Denilson lost the ball a bit too often but there’s no way I’m blaming him. The Cesc rest is fine..I can live with that. Traore was excellent today and I believe he has a hamstring problem too which is the reason why Clichy came on. Eboue didnt look fit at all…we have serious injury problems.
Gallas was immense and anyone can see how wonderfully he reads the game. There was one occasion ..similar to the Sendy-Yakubu wrong side of the ball incident. Gallas was in a similar position as Sendy but still somehow managed to get ball side and snuff it out. Sendy can learn loads from Willy if he pays attention.
Yesterday’s goal was an absolute conker of a strike from Mccarthy. Not too many keepers would’ve saved that. Yep Sendy was partially at fault to allow Mccarthy to cut in but I’m not sure there was too much you could do..maybe get a block in at best…or foul him and risk a card. AW got this wrong ..bigtime..Walcott might’ve played at RB instead of Sendy.Kinda reminded me of the RVP goal against Watford wher you knew he was going to cut in on to his left foot…but the Watford defender got turned and could do nothing about it.
Denilson’s free kicks are a touch better than Cesc’s if you’ve noticed.Flat and fast unlike Cesc’s which have a bit more air on them. No doubt its disappointing …very disappointing but really I didnt think we deserved to lose this. Well maybe…because we couldnt kill the game off with all those half chances we had but overall I think we were the better team.
Sadly that means nothing and we’re out of the FA Cup. If we goof up against PSV I’m not so sure AW will be happy about it and this season will be another “disappointing” one trophy-wise. Overall I think we’ve grown as a team but it’d have been nice to win a trophy.
Lets be positive shall we….and hope we get a few players back for Saturday against a tough Reading side and win that one.
March 1st, 2007 at 10:23 am
Wigan’s goal the JJB stadium last season.
Anyway, it is completey pointless issue. They’re both not good enough for Arsenal and, in their own imitable ways, as bad as each other.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:23 pm
As a great American football coach states: “it is what it is”.
We are what we are… and Ali and Baptista have gotten some chances and not done enough with them. Its that simple. I don’t think Wenger will jettison them though. He keeps players he likes… especially young ones.
There are more than a few in the team that we can say are NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Wenger won’t be letting 5 or 6 guys go.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Painful loss. Its a little tiresome being the better team on the pitch but not on the scoreboard. Until we have some finishers on this team or more focus on our defence, all the slick passing and movement will be for nought.
Baptista has a powerful shot but his touch and control are too poor to integrate into the Arsenal attack. I say he’s gone.
Aliadere… good crafty player but not quite good enough a finisher to play upfront and not quick enough to play on the flanks.
March 1st, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Who else do you think is not good enough? Personally I think the rest of the squad is fine. I think Senderos is fine and will develop into a great CH. Freddy is on his way out tho…
March 1st, 2007 at 5:19 pm
From the Guardian, November 3, 2004
“Arsenal’s season is still on the rack. The ever-distressed Pascal Cygan headed a Loukas Vintra shot into his own net after 74 minutes here as his side lapsed to a draw”
I could find more match reports but I can’t be bothered.
From Arsenal Times blog 21 February 2005
“Of course, to write about Pascal Cygan is also to write about everything else (recalling CLR James? question in a different context: what do they know of cricket who only cricket know?), because, to take one example, a team that includes Cygan playing in defence on any kind of regular basis is not one that?s going to win anything”……(insert argument to defend Cygan)….”This is an argument that wilfully attempts to gloss over Cygan?s inability to perform a clearing header (which should be a career ending failing for a centre-half), or control any kind of a pass that isn?t rolled gently to him. Even if this were not the case, the man also turns like an oil tanker, and looks as out of place in the team as I would.”
But, you say, he has the odd good game, he?s good with the ball in front of him, and so on. Well, we need to define our terms. A good game for Cygan is one in which he does not give away a goal or otherwise **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) up so badly as to make you want to run onto the pitch and shoot him.
Google Pascal Cygan and that is what you get on page 5, but that won’t stop you going on and on about this, will it? How about this from the same Arsenal Times blog
“He?s not the future, Senderos is, and even if the big Swiss doesn?t make it in the long term he?s already a better player than Pascal.”
The point still holds, even though there are still serious doubts about Senderos twelve months on, he is still a better bet at 21/22 than Cygan at 32.
March 1st, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Mazza, we beat Wigan last year 3-2. To be fair, I didn’t see the game as I was still in Iraq.
Irish, it’s good you brought up stuff from two and 3 years ago but I was asking about last year.
Like Mazza said, it doesn’t matter as he’s gone. I don’t truly want him to come back. I was just trying to compare his contribution last year to Senderos’ this season. I’m just a bit upset at Senderos’ performances is all.
Everyone’s waiting for him to turn a corner and provide the team with and challenger for a starting spot and after three seasons, he’s not even close.
March 1st, 2007 at 10:57 pm
I don’t think Senderos is good enough… he should be a 4th CB, and that means he is Cygan. He has been the goat, and responsible for too many goals.
A case could be made that Aliadiere (as much as I think he has great skills), Baptista, Freddie, & Flamini should not be in the team. Who would they play over? Who should they play over?
How about Hoyte. A question mark.
I’ll even say Eboue. He has talent, but his antics often overshadow them in a negative way. I’d take a conservative & consistent Lauren in defense EVERY SINGLE TIME.
What are we doing with the Keeper situation? Lehmann looks like he’s going… and Almunia is NOT a #1 keeper. We can’t f&*% around with a position that important.
On the positive… I like the little I have seen of Diaby. He looks and plays like Patrick Vieira at times. Thats high praise. If he could just stay healthy for a few months, we can see what we have!
Denilson looks the part and is definitely a keeper.
Bendtner… could demand some time on the pitch.
Clichy has been very good. Walcott and Traore are other possible bright spots.
So its not all negative… but there are players that I don’t think merit a future on a team like Arsenal. If we are going to be a team of kids and potential YEAR after YEAR… then what the hell is the point??
Its time to fill some holes with actual STARTERS…
I’ll throw out some names… Ribery on the wing.
If we had Rosicky, Hleb, Theo and Ribery… we’d be amazing at that spot.
Lots of variety skill and speed.
Buffon at Keeper? Its been rumored before, but we need a REAL #1.
Look, I’d love Eto’o or Torres, but we aren’t going to pay the amount that United and Chelsea are going to offer for them… like 30 Million each??
We don’t do that… but …
Have you seen Amauri of Palmero??
he’s currently injured, but I have seen him a lot this season, he’s fanastic.
And a proven, steady LB would be nice as well.
The problem is… Wenger never buys more than 1 or 2 players… and we wait all Summer pulling our hair out.
We aren’t good enough. That is factual… its evident… our trophy cabinet is empty in the last few years and we aren’t even a threat to win the league any more. NOT ACCEPTABLE.