Soft in the tackle?

[Conor]

I was just thinking to myself after the Arsenal game that at times we look hesitant to tackle players. I know this might seem like a knee jerk reaction to the second Rosicky goal but is this tactical. Riise rarely puts his foot in and if my memory serves me correctly I dont think we have conceeded a penalty this season.. Is there a reluctance amongst our players to tackle when opposition players are in attacking positions?

 

Que Van Persie going over in the box tomorrow and the ref awarding a penalty after a butchering tackle by Riise..

[Guest Kev]

I was just thinking to myself after the Arsenal game that at times we look hesitant to tackle players. I know this might seem like a knee jerk reaction to the second Rosicky goal but is this tactical. Riise rarely puts his foot in and if my memory serves me correctly I dont think we have conceeded a penalty this season.. Is there a reluctance amongst our players to tackle when opposition players are in attacking positions?

 

Que Van Persie going over in the box tomorrow and the ref awarding a penalty after a butchering tackle by Riise..

 

I will be very surprised and disappointed if Riise keeps his place tomorrow night.

[Conor]

I know it seems like it is Riise bashing but it wasn't intended that way. I think its just noticeable with him more so. I bet he will come good. He's a really good player. Maybe he just needs a rest.

[redned]

I was just thinking to myself after the Arsenal game that at times we look hesitant to tackle players. I know this might seem like a knee jerk reaction to the second Rosicky goal but is this tactical. Riise rarely puts his foot in and if my memory serves me correctly I dont think we have conceeded a penalty this season.. Is there a reluctance amongst our players to tackle when opposition players are in attacking positions?

 

Que Van Persie going over in the box tomorrow and the ref awarding a penalty after a butchering tackle by Riise..

Riise seems to have gone back quite a bit in recent seasons

[Guest Kev]

I know it seems like it is Riise bashing but it wasn't intended that way. I think its just noticeable with him more so. I bet he will come good. He's a really good player. Maybe he just needs a rest.

 

OK, I'll take it back to the original point.

 

Pennant and Garcia are not soft in the tackle, because they very rarely tackle and it's annoying. Take Ronaldo for eg, he knows he's going to get clobbered but he still gets stuck in.

 

We need players willing to put their foot in at times and not cry off tackling, it's why Arsenal bossed the midfield on Saturday.

[dorgie]

Gerrard's attempted tackle for the Arsenal 2nd goal was ridiculous and not at all like him. He was the last guy that could make a tackle before Rosicky struck, but seemed to pull out. I thought first time it might have been Agger or Xabi, but I was amazed to see it was Stevie.

[Cooger]

Riise seems to have gone back quite a bit in recent seasons

 

Not sure about that.

 

He is off form, but he is still the best left back we have at the club. I agree he should be dropped and I expect Neill to walk into the team at the moment. But he was part of a defense that kept numerous clean sheets last season, so he must have done something right.

[Guest Kev]

Gerrard's attempted tackle for the Arsenal 2nd goal was ridiculous and not at all like him. He was the last guy that could make a tackle before Rosicky struck, but seemed to pull out. I thought first time it might have been Agger or Xabi, but I was amazed to see it was Stevie.

 

I think he was scared of getting booked and/or giving away a dangerous free-kick, and also for a nano second he may have forgotten that Reina wasn't in goal and knew he couldn't beat Pepe from there.

[Guest Scot]

I thought this was an ad for Viagra

[dorgie]

I think he was scared of getting booked and/or giving away a dangerous free-kick, and also for a nano second he may have forgotten that Reina wasn't in goal and knew he couldn't beat Pepe from there.

 

Yeah, maybe. He went and did some sort of ballet pirhoutte thing and just pulled out. I know what Momo would have done, booking or no booking :- not a dig at Stevie btw, just that Momo would never miss an opportunity to take man and/or ball!

 

I thought this was an ad for Viagra

 

[jariiiiiiiiiise]

I will be very surprised and disappointed if Riise keeps his place tomorrow night.

 

yer replace him with Heskey

[floyd the barber]

riise is an average left bk and a decent left midfielder....that wont ever change...dunno why people are so suprised by riise, i wouldnt say hes improved or got worse...hes the same player and is doing the same things he did back when he signed for us.

[Buzz]

Yet they both garcia and pennant seem up to have a go at a player for any reason and garcia does stuff off the ball. On Saturday when someone had an altercation with him (Eboue?) when the ball went up our end, Luis continued to barge right into him and give him a nudge. I remember when he pinged Riggot to the floor after a tackle and had a word with him. In the derby at Anfield when he did his ankle in yet he stayed on, he still chucked himself about a bit, but this year its not happening. Can't really tell with Pennant, but my impression of him before he came here was of someone who had a bit of attitude and got stuck in, but it doesn't appear to be showing in the tackle department at the moment.

Maybe there is something in the "not in dangerous positions" thought to tackling, but I would be surprised if thats the case.

[Mike]

I thought this was an ad for Viagra

 

beat me to it