[Archived] Rovers V Citeh

[Bobby G]

I think 8 wins should be the target now.

8 out of 18.

Gonna get very very tight.

How do things compare to Souness' last season and Hughes' first season at this point?

[modes98]

Personally I hope it's Stoke, Bromwich and Pompey Can't stand Pompey (or Tony Adams ..)

They are sinking faster than the Titanic and with Adams in charge, he won't get all the money from the transfers with the financial trouble. Only bad thing is we gifted them the 3 points against us. Life would have looked alot brighter with them not having those extra points.

[Pugg]

People saying it went wrong when Moko came on need to get a grip.

I said that I felt it started to go wrong when Moko came on. I don't think I need to get a grip, but hey. If you disagree then fine. I personally felt that they started to have more possession and we started to sit back more and let them attack more when Tugay had to come off and therefore they looked a lot more dangerous, but that's just an opinion.

[Tom]

Fair one Pugg I respect others have differing opinions but I was smarting after the game and it just seems all too often when things go awry people like to blame the usual fall guys, ie Mokoena, Pedersen, McCarthy mainly.

If you want to criticise Mokoena then fine but maybe in that vein you have to level some blame at Tugay for looking like he was trying his best to get himself sent off needlessly ala Middlesborough a few years back.

[philipl]

Two things are very apparent to me:

1) Rovers visibly tired towards the end and if we are being honest, Roberts goal came against the run of play at the time. I know Tris has disdagreed but it has been very clear that under Ince, the Rovers players lost stamina and strength. Coming up against Hughes' team yesterday was PROOF POSITIVE that those of us who are saying the Ince regime took the edge off our players' physical performance are right.

2) Both subs were guilty of bad decision making- I suspect Derbs' attempt top play in Emo instead of running it into the corner was a ptroduct of Roberts completely failing to see Derbs in acres of space with a clear run on goal about a minute earlier. Then when Sturridge was running backwards and across after having evaded Warnock, the Axe dived in instead of shepherding him in the direction he was already headed creating a vast open space for Sturridge to run into from which he threaded the pass to Robinho with Derbs marking fresh air.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

I said that I felt it started to go wrong when Moko came on. I don't think I need to get a grip, but hey. If you disagree then fine. I personally felt that they started to have more possession and we started to sit back more and let them attack more when Tugay had to come off and therefore they looked a lot more dangerous, but that's just an opinion.

IMO the tide had turned well before the Axe had come on. Rovers had dropped into two defensive banks of four and only attacked on the counter. I lokked at the bench several times and saw Big Sam ordering players to drop back.

I suspect this was so our central midfielders did not get caught out of position as they haven't got the pace to recover.

At 2-0 up Sam went Ultra-defensive and put Derbs on as a right sided midfielder leaving Roberts on his own which did not work.

[broadsword]

Coming up against Hughes' team yesterday was PROOF POSITIVE that those of us who are saying the Ince regime took the edge off our players' physical performance are right.

Have to agree with this

If you're knackered, you can't concentrate.

I think it will take another 3 weeks or so to get fitness back to where it should be.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

IMO the tide had turned well before the Axe had come on. Rovers had dropped into two defensive banks of four and only attacked on the counter. I lokked at the bench several times and saw Big Sam ordering players to drop back.

I suspect this was so our central midfielders did not get caught out of position as they haven't got the pace to recover.

At 2-0 up Sam went Ultra-defensive and put Derbs on as a right sided midfielder leaving Roberts on his own which did not work.

But it was the right decision to go 5 in midfield - I think the only problems were :-

1. Tiredness

2. Ooijer - who was responsible for both goals

3. Can't remember if Simpson was on the bench - but I would have brought him on the right wing rather than Derbs

You also have to look at an awful referee display - compounded by not sending off Dunne in the first few minutes (surely the last man denying a goal scoring opportunity) and Ireland (definite intent on his tackle of MGP, should have been 2nd yellow).

Very disappointing to draw after being 2-0 up - but I would have taken a draw at the start of the match.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Its no better a feeling this sunny morning I'm afraid,we were so in control of the game at 2-0 we simply shot ourselves right in the foot yesterday,no,make that both feet.The fact is we cant afford to do that against sides who are around us in the table AND at home,we grabbed a draw from the jaws of victory.

Sam is doing a fine job,everything about this side seems much better but we have all been given one hell of a mountain to climb by the previous imcompetent gobshyte......I hope its not a mountain too high, matters are progressing but the table still makes horrible reading this morning.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

But it was the right decision to go 5 in midfield - I think the only problems were :-

1. Tiredness

2. Ooijer - who was responsible for both goals

3. Can't remember if Simpson was on the bench - but I would have brought him on the right wing rather than Derbs

You also have to look at an awful referee display - compounded by not sending off Dunne in the first few minutes (surely the last man denying a goal scoring opportunity) and Ireland (definite intent on his tackle of MGP, should have been 2nd yellow).

Very disappointing to draw after being 2-0 up - but I would have taken a draw at the start of the match.

Not disagreeing about the validity of going 4-5-1. Personally I'd have brought Vogel on and left Emerton out wide.

As for the ref, the luckiest player was probably Tugay. On several occasions, he wound the ref up even when he was being subbed.

Tugay's antics added extra time on at the end and considering City scored in the fourth minute on injury time.

[thenodrog]

Is there anyone here who thinks we will get relegated?

If we do not solve the midfield and right wing situation pdq............ me.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

If we do not solve the midfield and right wing situation pdq............ me.

What about right full back ?

[Bobby G]

Id play Emerton there. Easily in the top 5 best right backs of the league.

[S15]

Id play Emerton there. Easily in the top 5 best right backs of the league.

That's not true.

Emerton is a very, very ordinary player in whichever position he plays, but I certainly prefer him at RB.

[John]

I have always been wary of Emerton's positioning when playing right back.

Last season, he was responsible a few times for goals conceded, hence why Hughes was always looking for a replacement.

[novella]

Id play Emerton there. Easily in the top 5 best right backs of the league.

Agreed, central midfield and right wing have to be the priorities. Once they are sorted i would then buy another pacey striker.

[Majiball]

Some people posting on here, who don't go to watch at Ewood for a variety of reasons, talk absolute, total rubbish. One in particular. I really don't understand why 90% of you bother because you have little to post that is worth reading.

Care to be more specific?

hope not tris dont fancy us going to chelsea needing points

The way they are playing these days, I'd fancy it!

Have to agree with this

If you're knackered, you can't concentrate.

I think it will take another 3 weeks or so to get fitness back to where it should be.

Don't forget City had their first game wrapped up after 45 and cruised the second half against Hull. We were still fighting up till the whistle with Sunderland. However that should not excuse our collapse. Fluid intake can combat concentration lose to a point.

We made some bad individual choices, and shuffled too much around in the final minutes, but the improvement is more than noticeable.

We're actually talking about points lost again, its nice. I expect to win games again, we're moving in the right direction while most of our competition are not. We have a chance now, we had nothing three games ago.

[Rover4ever]

That's not true.

Emerton is a very, very ordinary player in whichever position he plays, but I certainly prefer him at RB.

At this point he is our paciest player, not to mention the one with the most stamina, so he he adds some sort of dynamism to our play wherever he plays. He is a natural wing back but has done a good job for us at central midfield as well.

He doesnt have too many MOTM games, but at the same time he has been among the best 3 players on the pitch in almost every game this season

[S15]

At this point he is our paciest player, not to mention the one with the most stamina, so he he adds some sort of dynamism to our play wherever he plays.

Hence we are joint bottom of the league.

[thenodrog]

Time for calm heads, solid support, and a break from the relentless prophets of doom.

Good grief Tris! That comment beggars belief! You were up front amongst the former right to the bitter end whilst I was amongst the latter (from before the start) and as we all know now except for two heavily agenda'd Mirror numpties the latter were bloody well right! I do not seek praise but you offer no credit or acknowledgement even grudgingly, you just continue with stoic criticism and the implication that you were in the right and we were all base unfounded whingers and enemies of the club.

Maybe if there had been more 'prophets of doom' from the start instead of an ever diminishing army of 'wait and see' ditherers blindly backing a complete and obviously incompetent dud through what I can only assume was some form of misguided loyalty to the club or it's board members then maybe BRFC would have potted Ince sooner and the Allardyce effect clicked in earlier.

Alternatively if we had all put up and shut up and given Ince the blind support that you continually advocated then I've a strong feeling that we'd still have him at the helm.... or am I just being a relentless doom monger again?

[Sysagent]

You cannot throw away 4 points like Rovers have done in the past 2 games and expect to survive.

We are going down.

Nowt like being optimistic is there Jim.

Have to say it's 2 points lost but no matter we gained one, let's move onto the next game...

I am more confident than ever we have the spirit and guidance now to get us out of this rut, onwards and upwards!

[JC4LAB]

Two nil up with 5 Mins to go and if it were Liverpool ,Man U or any European Champions Leaque side the other team would siomply never get the ball back..Their goalie was allowed to thump the ball into our half a dozen times as sloppy play allowed balls went to go to him.Andrews and Mokena may be dab at little back passes back but just cant interact to hold possession under pressure...Come back Robbie Savage..

[thenodrog]

Two things are very apparent to me:

1) Rovers visibly tired towards the end and if we are being honest, Roberts goal came against the run of play at the time. I know Tris has disdagreed but it has been very clear that under Ince, the Rovers players lost stamina and strength. Coming up against Hughes' team yesterday was PROOF POSITIVE that those of us who are saying the Ince regime took the edge off our players' physical performance are right.

1. 'If we are to be honest' Philip that was obvious against Hull right at the start of the season. If the Hull match had gone 10 minutes further we'd have lost imo.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Two nil up with 5 Mins to go and if it were Liverpool ,Man U or any European Champions Leaque side the other team would siomply never get the ball back..Their goalie was allowed to thump the ball into our half a dozen times as sloppy play allowed balls went to go to him.Andrews and Mokena may be dab at little back passes back but just cant interact to hold possession under pressure...Come back Robbie Savage..

eh?

Savage struggled to keep posession when there was no pressure

[waggy]

i watched my first ever rovers home league game in the pub yesterday,and if anyone says football attendances are not affected by live football,they are living in cuckoo land.to the game,citeh missed 2 open goals in the 1st 15 mins,and each side had legitimate penalty cliams.

under paul ince we would have been 2-0 down,now to the crux off the matter i want to know what the back four have been doing.yesterday apart from the the first 10 and last 10 mins,they looked the players off old,is it because there ex messsiah was in town,or was it they were trying to get ince sacked.

citeh defence was a shambles,they let the front 2 turn every time,and we played some great togger.enjoy what you saw yesterday,because sam is about to wheeel and deal