Arsenal: Back from the procession

[Avon Royal]

I feel sorry for Pog. He's trying and we're giving him scraps and hoofs. I'm convinced if he had decent service to his feet in and around the box he would be scoring left right and centre.

Gorkss, Cummings, McAnuff and Leigertwood were something. I'm not sure what, but it's not footballers.I genuinely hope Gorkss was only in the side as there was no one else available at all. If Cummings is truly a better option than Gunter I've yet to see it, you just can't give players of that quality that much time and space on the ball. If McAnuff is truly an option at centre mid at this level then I've clearly been watching the wrong games, and if I was captain on that performance I would be too embarrassed to accept the arm band again, ever. Leigertwood, well the kids at half time were more accurate with the ball than he is.

There needs to be a change but I'm honestly not sure what exactly would make any difference.

You can see Pog has plenty of quality. The poor sod must be realising what a monumental error he has made coming here....

Monumental mistakes don't usually net you £60k a week.

[chilipepper91]

Cummings was abysmal - got utterly destroyed in the first half and for their first 3 goals.

[Gunny Fishcake]

Tenacity - Possibly
Spirit - Doris Stokes
Flair - did someone throw one.

[ManchesterRoyals]

Can't comment on all of this game as I left at half time.

Ive done that a few times but i still love the RS

[If you still hate Futcher]

How much of the increase in fortunes in the 4-5-1 was down to Arsenal not being oxf*rd, though?

Yep fair enough and I did say as much but when we were 4-4-2 Arteta was free to drop off and take the ball from the keeper or the centre backs and then pass it out. In the 2nd half he couldn't do this so it was the centre backs playing it out which meant the ball wasn't so quick or so accurate.

[El Diablo]

Totally outclassed tonight (again) , and to mirror others looked beaten after the first went in.

Only plus points were Feds played well, and kept it under 10, Jimmy's back which means we have some threat up the field, and Bill Oddie was excellent after we scord our second.

Negative points are too many to mention in their entirity, but here's a few...

Cummings yet again totally found out with any pass inside him / runner in behind him -

Pog - what a total & utter waste of money

Played 442 against the best passing team in the UK - why oh why we dont try to shore up the mid from kick off with a 5 is beyond me - when we changed it second half we , surprise surprise, looked 'better'

Its not often I've said this about RFC in the past 10 years, but we have seriously screwed up this season - from new players, through to tactics, and coaching - I was hopeful at the begining of the season that we'd learnt from our mistakes from our last Prem campaign, but sadly not.

I just hope that the squad that starts next season (assuming we're down) , is'nt so shellshocked that we struggle again. It took us a while to get over the playoff defeat- a relegation like the one we're heading for could have a seriously damaging effect.

And the Guthrie love in can do one. He's never cut it at Prem level, so why theres this sudden Danny w@nkfest is beyond me.

[The Prisoner]

That genuinely looked like a league 1 side playing a prem side in a pre-season friendly. Arsenal barely got out of 2nd gear, and we only came (briefly) back into it when they got a bit bored.

I can take my side being relegated. I can't take my side being completely outclassed and people starting to feel sorry for us.

If he plays Labb next weekend in a 442 it genuinely will be double figures.

Shorey, Pog, Fed & HRK half decent. Tabb, Liabilitywood & McAnuff lousy.

[bobby1413]

How many "4 nil up and you oxf*rd it up" chants were there?

[RobRoyal]

Pog demonstrated again tonight that he is the best player in this side.

[RobRoyal]

How many "4 nil up and you oxf*rd it up" chants were there?

One from each side.

[royalsteve]

Feds 7
Cummings 5
Mariappa 4
Gorrks 3
Shorey 6
Kebe 7
Ledge 4
Tabb 5
Jobi 4
Hunt 5
Pog 7

HRK 7
McCleary 5
Alf 7

i think HRK should start against citeh as at least he can hold the ball up and pass.

how the F**K can you give POG 7, WTF!!!

Feds 5 - camera save specialist, kept the score down but doesnt do basics, too easily muscled out
Cummings 2 - skinned every time and nearly always out of positon his worst game for reading by a mile
Mariappa 2 - proved he is a championship player
Gorrks 1 - woeful league 1 at best
Shorey 6 - did ok
Kebe 5 - did ok going forward but offered cummings no cover for defence
Ledge 3 - poor
Tabb 3 - lots of running, did ok but seemed like a short andy hughes tonight
Jobi 4 - did little but did ok in middle late on
Hunt 3 - non existent
Pog -10 (MINUS 10) - must be the most overrated player to play for Reading, a cardboard donkey would be better. He is NOT the player you want in a relegation fight, roberts is.

HRK 6 - did well most of the time
McCleary 3 - didnt do much but little time anyway
Alf 6 - did well

[Lower West]

Cummings was abysmal - got utterly destroyed in the first half and for their first 3 goals.

Wenger targeted the weakness. Kebe doesn't offer any protection.

[royalsteve]

whilst i never expected us to beat arsenal, i expect a bit of a fight like the man u game. tonight's first half was pathetic, better 2nd half i guess but all too late

on a positive note the teams at the bottom still need to come to the madstad and it will be those games that will decide our fate not tonight

[royalsteve]

Cummings was abysmal - got utterly destroyed in the first half and for their first 3 goals.

Wenger targeted the weakness. Kebe doesn't offer any protection.

spot on, see my comments above. i think mcd should have played hrk instead of kebe for that reason alone

[winchester_royal]

Thoroughly depressing. Wholesale changes needed in that squad regardless of what division we find ourselves in next season.

Best 30 minutes of Pog we've seen this season, but once he realised that nobody else on the team could be arsed he stopped bothering like the rest of us.

Cummings was shit yet again. Where are all the Gunter h8ers now?

Booo.

[royalsteve]

Pog demonstrated again tonight that he is the best player in this side.

eh are you on drugs!???

[royalsteve]

That genuinely looked like a league 1 side playing a prem side in a pre-season friendly. Arsenal barely got out of 2nd gear, and we only came (briefly) back into it when they got a bit bored.

I can take my side being relegated. I can't take my side being completely outclassed and people starting to feel sorry for us.

If he plays Labb next weekend in a 442 it genuinely will be double figures.

Shorey, Pog, Fed & HRK half decent. Tabb, Liabilitywood & McAnuff lousy.

agreed, 2nd half was nearer what i expected for the whole game, even if we lost by the odd goal

dont agree with your league 1 comment though, more like top half championship side in a competitive match...arsenal were in 1st gear most of the match, thats how they play

[MmmMonsterMunch]

whilst i never expected us to beat arsenal, i expect a bit of a fight like the man u game. tonight's first half was pathetic, better 2nd half i guess but all too late

on a positive note the teams at the bottom still need to come to the madstad and it will be those games that will decide our fate not tonight

Oh come on. We are fcuked!! We are going down & the only thing we can hope is that we're not 20th.

We have 21 games left & need 30 points. You're telling me we can do W,L,W,L......for the rest of the season when we have only 1 win to our name so far? Sorry but no.

[If you still hate Futcher]

Cummings was abysmal - got utterly destroyed in the first half and for their first 3 goals.

Wenger targeted the weakness. Kebe doesn't offer any protection.

spot on, see my comments above. i think mcd should have played hrk instead of kebe for that reason alone

Did you not see the Man U game whenHal let Evra run off him every time.

[royalsteve]

I got back in time to hear Gary Neville nail exactly why we keep getting tonked and suggesting a way to stop it, by not not playing 442. Anyone else hear it on Sky Sports?

what did he say...pack the midfield 4-5-1, pack the defence 5-4-1 or park the bus 11-0-0