[Archived] Bayer 3 Rovers 2

[2k.]

Hopefully with the form we've been having in Europe we'll be able to get a couple of goals, McCarthy perhaps?

i'm going for an optimistic 2-0 partly because the European game seems to suit McCarthy more and partly because we'll have Warnock back.

fingers crossed anyway

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

I could imagine a team such as:

Friedel

Zurab

Nelsen

Henchoz

Warnock

Emerton

Bentley

Cringeworthy

Toogs

Dunny

McCarthy

Or

Friedel

Zurab

Nelsen

Henchoz

Warnock

Emerton

Bentley

Tugs

Dunny

McCarthy

Roberts

I think it will be 2-0 to Leverkusen with Mokoena scoring both

Oh, and Benni will score a hat trick

All offside of course

[Alan75]

we'll have Warnock back.

Isnt he cup tied, having played in europe for Liverpool already this season

[Jordan]

Isnt he cup tied, having played in europe for Liverpool already this season

Different competition so I believe he is ok to play unlike Berner and Samba who were both registered with teams in the UEFA Cup.

[b12_simon]

Nice preview elwaxo.

We're not at our strongest, but BL finished 3rd in their group and we've not played anyone that great in this competition yet.

I reckon we should be good for the win: 0-2

Now to pack for the flight tomorrow!

Simon

[Andrethegiant]

IF Bentley's back at right mid, who have we got to partner Tugay in midfield (apart from Mokoena...?)

It would be nice for Peter to start against a German team and perhaps Hughes will take advantage of the extra motivation Sergio is likely to have to impress.

If we had a half-decent DM, I'd say we can nick this one. But as it is, 2-1 Bayer.

Hughes will not play Peter, its clear he doesnt rate him and rightly so, Peter has never impressed when hes had his chance.

Benni and Nonda upfront please. Roberts left at home ( stoke fans seems to think he might be going on loan there, PLEASE GOD )

[philipl]

What is it about Rovers that atracts these psychotically negative posters?

We've got Axe haters, MGP dissers, Dunn knockers and now a campaign against Roberts.

Anyway, Leverkusen are coming through their injury crisis with "only" their two Brazilians missing. Rovers on the other hand are travelling without Derbs and MGP.

I wonder if Sparky will give the 4-2-3-1 another go. It seems that Dunn will be fit but Gally not.

We are really going to need a big performance from everybody in the starting eleven whoever it is and whatever the formation.

A score draw will be a tremendous result in the circumstances. If we'd played full strength against a full strength Leverkusen, I would have been confident of a win- the way the Germans play would have been ideal for Rovers' style.

Whatever happens, getting one or more goals in this leg is going to be critical for Rovers to make progress.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Whatever happens, getting one or more goals in this leg is going to be critical for Rovers to make progress.

Indeed!!

According to Hughes on the Radio - Dunn will be fit - Mokoena is back to play and so is Henchoz

So reading between the lines it looks like a possble 4-5-1 -I hope it isn't or I might change my optimism to pessimism

[Andrethegiant]

What is it about Rovers that atracts these psychotically negative posters?

We've got Axe haters, MGP dissers, Dunn knockers and now a campaign against Roberts.

Anyway, Leverkusen are coming through their injury crisis with "only" their two Brazilians missing. Rovers on the other hand are travelling without Derbs and MGP.

I wonder if Sparky will give the 4-2-3-1 another go. It seems that Dunn will be fit but Gally not.

We are really going to need a big performance from everybody in the starting eleven whoever it is and whatever the formation.

A score draw will be a tremendous result in the circumstances. If we'd played full strength against a full strength Leverkusen, I would have been confident of a win- the way the Germans play would have been ideal for Rovers' style.

Whatever happens, getting one or more goals in this leg is going to be critical for Rovers to make progress.

[/quote

Feel free to refer back to my posts at the end of the season.

[1864roverite]

Less than 24 hrs to go before the second tier invasion lands

[yorkblues]

Who are they? Leverkusen are surprise members of G14 as they were doing particularly well when the organisation was set up in September 2000.

Recent form: Seventh in the Bundesliga, but closer to relegation than a Champions League spot, they have failed to win in their last three outings. A last-minute goal earned a draw against Frankfurt at the weekend, but that still means they have failed to win at home in two matches since the end of the German winter break.

European record: They almost took the ultimate honour having seen off Liverpool and Manchester United en route to the Champions League final in 2002, but a team featuring Michael Ballack fell short against Real Madrid. In 1988 they did secure European silverware with a Uefa Cup victory on penalties against Espanyol.

How did they get here? After a poor start to last season when Klaus Augenthaler was sacked, Michael Skibbe came in, got the club heading in the right direction and an eventual fifth-placed finish to book a Uefa Cup berth. They have since beaten Sion 3-1 on aggregate and Besiktas in a winner-takes-third-spot group game after defeats to Tottenham and Dinamo Bucuresti and a draw against Club Brugge.

Ones to watch: At the back there is charismatic penalty-taking keeper Hans-Jorg Butt while in attack Ukrainian international striker Andriy Voronin is the leading scorer in domestic action. In between are a host of danger men including playmaker Sergej Barbarez, Swiss star Tranquillo Barnetta, German internationals past and present Carsten Ramelow and Bernd Schneider and Brazilian duo Roque Junior and Juan.

Did you know? Leverkusen made a habit of coming second in the Bundesliga around the turn of the century, but it was 2002 that took the biscuit. As well as the Hampden Park defeat to Zinedine Zidane and co in the Champions League final, they squandered a five-point lead at the top of the league and also lost the German Cup final to cement an unwelcome tag of being German football's eternal bridesmaid in the year the country came second in the World Cup as well. Ballack, Ramelow, Schneider and Oliver Neuville were also in Japan that summer!

[Nayef]

Valentine's Day massacre coming up.

Bayer 4 Blackburn 0

[only2garners]

I wonder if Sparky will give the 4-2-3-1 another go. It seems that Dunn will be fit but Gally not.

My son says that Gallagher travelled on the plane today, but maybe he's there as a fan?

[rover6]

What is it about Rovers that atracts these psychotically negative posters?

We've got Axe haters, MGP dissers, Dunn knockers and now a campaign against Roberts.

Axe hating is, as far as I'm concerned, decidedly sane. The men in white coats should be leading away the ones who maintain that he's "world class" in the defensive midfield role in 4-5-1. It's all subjective, but some opinions, that Tracy Emin is an artist and that Mokoena is a decent footballer are just wrong.

As for Dunn's knockers - Hughes' gruelling training regime will deal with them.

[gazsimm]

just hope we stay in the tie and don't get a roasting over there?

i predict rovers 1 Bayern 2

team should be

Big Brad

Zurab Nelson Todd Warnock

Bentley Tugay Dunn Emerton

Roberts McCarthy

Subs Brown, Axe, Jeffers, Gally, Henchoz

[Ozz]

As for Dunn's knockers - Hughes' gruelling training regime will deal with them.

For those wishing to insert a gag, please form an orderly queue here.

[den]

As for Dunn's knockers - Hughes' gruelling training regime will deal with them.

[BuckyRover]

We will win this tie.

Prediction:

GlaxoSmithKline 0 : 2 Blackburn Rovers

[Presty On Tour]

i think we will go with

friedel

bert mk2 zurab nelsen warnock

bentley axe tugay dunn

roberts benni

subs: brown, henchoz, peter, todd, nonda, jeffers, gray.

i still think we will win by a few goals

correct me if i'm wrong but will this game be ryan nelsens European debut?

[Presty On Tour]

found this on youtube, a german fan has kind of done a goal preview

[AggyBlue]

found this on youtube, a german fan has kind of done a goal preview

Good find.

I was watching that, thinking bl00dy he}}, they look good.

Then our goals came on and we looked just as good

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

That Voronin or whatever he is called looks like he could do some damage

Are Juan and Rogue Jr playing? I heard somewhere that they were the two players who were missing

Schneider as well..It's not gonna be an easy one

They got all the good Rovers goals on there

Tugay vs Spuds

Peds free kick vs Many City away

Savages free kick vs Salz

Bennis against Salz away (The rebound)

Bentleys great goal against Wigan (Assist by Dingle)

[roversWASmylife]

All this negativity.

This is one of our biggest games in a while, we play well tonight and get a good result our chances of getting to the last 16 of the UEFA CUP are far greater.

I don't know if we will beat Bayer over two legs, I've not seen them play for a while. It's a big game, yes we do have injuries but we've got to make do and do our best with what we've got now. As long as we give 100% and play with passion and pride that's all you can ask for.

Bayer 1 - 2 Rovers

[wellesbourne]

2-1 Rovers. At least thats what i dreamt when i got back to the crown Plaza Koln last night at about 2am !

COme on you Mighty Blues !

[Eddie]

If there is anyone who can't watch the game today but will have access to the internet and has a messenger program then just send me a message and I'll happily stream the game using my webcam as I've done a couple times in the past, it works pretty well.