[Archived] Newcastle United Preview

[rovers1993]

what a sight it is to turn to the league table and not see rovers in the relegation zone. what really tops it off is us having that game in hand so if we win we will climb up to 11th.

couple that with some wins and we could be looking to intertoto or uefa cup spot i know im hoping way tooo much but well, i dont care what anyone says!

[joey_big_nose]

AS I said earlier it's a confidence thing, I know Newcastle heads dropping after the pen will have helped, but we were a different team once that decision went out way, but another 10 minutes we would have scored another couple.

I am not sure why our confidence should be any different than when we played Man City adn put in a very organised and attractive footballing performance. Maybe the defensive lapses at the end?

Anyhow, all I want is for us to try and keep the ball a bit. Maybe with Grella and Dunn starting that will be more of an option. I don't want Brazil or anything, just not Wimbledon.

Roberts and McCarthy are on an absolute roll, Pedersen was very good (Sam looks like he knows how to use him), defence was solid after the first 20 minutes. Good stuff.

[imy9]

I dont care how we play, which style we play or even who plays as long as we get 3 points.

We can discuss the standard of football when we are mathematically safe.

We must not forget that this team up until 30 minutes ago were in the bottom 3, this means a lack of confidence.

Sams record so far:

Played 4

Won 2

Drawn 2

lost 0

Thats 8 points from a possible 12, excellent record which we should keep with another home game against Bolton.

[Presty On Tour]

we also won in the fa cup

[Bobby G]

This side is certainly good enough to finish 9th or 10th. Hopefully we keep this up cause its a sure thing that we might lose one or two in a row and how we deal with that will be the difference between staying up or not.

[RoyRover]

I'm delighted with this victory. When you are as desperate as we are, it doesn't matter how the wins come and how you play. By all accounts we were second best by far in the first half. But we must have improved in the 2nd to score 3 goals, even if one of them was a dodgy penalty. Roberts is on fire at the moment. I've said in the past how he is good to bring on, but you can't relay on him for goals, but he has found his scoring touch under Sam and long may it continue. I'm also happy that Santa Cruz got a run out and that fans let him know what they think of what he's been saying. With another home game against Bolton to come, three points from that can take us virtually into the top half of the table. It's great to see Spurs at the bottom of the league as well!

[ihtd]

Great result today, happiest i've been in ages football wise. I don't know what Big Sam has been saying to Roberts but he should keep it up, he's making me think Roque who? at the moment. Same could be said with McCarthy, he looks like a new man under Big Sam, we keep grinding out results we will stay up. There are going to be periods when we don't win games, we have the big four to play away yet plus Villa and Everton to come to Ewood, but its how we react to defeats if/when they come that will show how well this team can bounce back.

[Majiball]

Get in 3-0, its a nice feeling isn't it Presty!

Now we need to stay out of there, as Sam said its in our hands now it certainly wasn't four games ago.

Its amazing what two new coaches can do.

[frosty]

Great result today

We're out of the bottom 3 now and I hope we never enter it again!

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Blyth are better than Newcastle if we take in consideration the two scores.

Wooo!!

[Plastic Head]

Incredible scoreline considering how utterly dreadful we were until the first goal.

The only positive from the first hour was the fact we defended reasonably well. Completely overrun in midfield (again) and restricted to 2 hopeless long range shots and a Samba header.

We have to do a lot better than this.

Robbo didn't have much if anything to save despite Newcastles possesion.

The back four were failly solid.

Andrews was just not involved at all and was totally lost. He now has 3 of the 5 worst ever performances by a Rovers player in the last 30 years.

Emerton had a off day to say the least.

Ped is doing well at the moment.

Benni was offside.

Roberts battled away without being able to control the ball.

Grella and Dunn were the 2 players who changed things. Great ball in by Grella for the pen and he got some control in MF. Dunn was the best player on the pitch in the Second half.

As for Dunny's beard....if you haven't seen it think Keith Fear. Under 40's ask your Dad.

Good day but we have to improve.

As for Roque...couldn't hear any boos from gods own Riverside....in fact I thought he got a good shout. Not that it makes any difference.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

WELL DONE THE BLUE 'N' WHITE LADS!

A tepid first half performance was eclipsed by a humdinger of a second.....the whole side AND Jason Roberts looks full of confidence and its ruddy great to see.Fans leaving Ewood with big smiles makes a change indeed!.

FANTASTIC TO SEE THE HUGE FLAG BEING PASSED ALONG THE BLACKBURN END TODAY TOO

Matters really are looking better tonight.

[TimmyJimmy]

What a day to make your first posting on the board. 3 nil. So, so happy. For me Grella was man of the match and he was only on for half an hour! Everything changed when he came on, defended well, worked like a demon in mid field and supported the attack making a killer contribution for one of the goals. Taking nothing away from Jason who looks like a man transformed but for me to see us with a grip on the mid field for once (in the 2nd half) made me a very happy chappy. Time for a beer

[1864roverite]

Well then, as the sqaully rains settles over Ewood and the rest of a cold and damp Lancashire, we have a Saturday night that wont consist of moaning, groaning, hitting the wife and dog and berating the ref !

I wasnt sure what to expect from Rovers today especially with straight 2 week break from football, add that to the visiting team being NUFC Barcodes containing Duff and Owen but suffering from a huge number of injuries made me wonder if things might just conspire to see us to our first defeat under Sam. The kind of result that would have seen the biggest supported club in the world gloat about our current manager Sam Allardyce not being good enough for their hopes and aspirations.

I looked at our team and noticed a bench return for both Dunn and RSC, Rovers sticking with a lately proven goal strike force of Roberts and McCarthy, and having Andrews and Tugay as the hub of the team. Seeing Ooijer as the right back didnt fill me confidence see ing our old mate Duffer on the opposition left side.

I can only summarise the first 45 minutes with one word, however, I wont use it. It was truly awful at best. Both teams huffed and puffed, the midfielders struggled to do anything with the ball. Tugay and Andrews were miles apart from each other. Andrews couldnt win the ball by fighting, tackling, heading or intercepting whilst Tugay gave the ball away clearly to his invisible pal on the pitch. There was a lack of drive, verve and energy. Understandable after a 2 week break and it was cerrtainly something that I wasnt expecting. These issues led to a lack of decent balls being fed to our centre forwards and on the odd occasion the ball did go forward towards them they were both offside !

The only notable things about the first 45 minutes ? Both keepers not having a save to make, Samba taking a whack in the face leaving him to go off with concussion and the introduction of our own "Gattuso lookalike", David Dunn, sporing a new action man style beard.

So, into the second half and I dont know why, I just couldnt fathom what Rovers could do to get the 3 points. Ooijer moved to centre back and almost instantly Rovers looked solid at the back, by that I mean more solid than the first half. Emerton dropped back to right back with Dunny taking the right midfield slot.

As the game transgressed, Newcaslte appeared to have the upperhand, only slightly, yet Robinson still had had NO shots to worry about as NUFC Barcodes just couldnt or didnt know what that white thing at the end of the pitch was for. The referee wasnt helping matters with his blowing up but hey, this was the one and only Rob "look at me" Styles.

It was the appearance of Mr Souness's good old friend that turned the game in Rovers favour. Just as we were set for a 0-0 scrappy effortless game, good old Lady Luck sat on Benni's shoulder and forced him to the ground as he was hell bent on getting his head to an up and over cross, As Rovers fans shouted derision Mr Rob "look at me" Styles took an age, nae umpire like scenario, in puttin ghis whistle to his big fat gob and blew a loud shrill in pointing to the penalty spot. Lady Luck then buggered off and headed down to London Town or at least headed southbound.

Up stepped Benni Mac, 1-0 Rovers as the ball nestled in Shay Givens Blackburn End goal.

Despite the 1-0 scoreline, this was the first effort on goal and Rovers still look bedraggled. Time for another sub and Grella replaced Tugay, for me this was for safety reasons as Tugs was intent on giving too many sill passes and leaving the middle of the park wide open, especially with Andrews at his side NOT.

Almost instantly, the security that had appeared withing the new back four seemed to make itself settled amongst the midfielders as well, even Andrews. Grella provided the meat, the legs and the effort as Rovers began to pass the ball around to each other.

A quick fire move saw Rovers 2-0 up as Roberts, the enigma centre forward of our squad, instantly banged home the ball without thinking. You see Jason lad, if you dont think about it you score, and once again you have proved that you can actually do it VERY WELL.

Afew more substitutions took palce for both sides. The criminal that is Joey Barton came on for the NUFC Barcodes whilst our hero RSC entered the fray, quite possibly for the last time in a Rovers shirt, to a chorus of boos and hurrays. I have only one thing to say for those who boo'ed. Inbreds and Burnley, they go together.

Rovers continued to forage, in the knowledge that WBA and Stoke were winning their respective games. The Geordies entertained us with chants of Allardyce is S*** and the like, oh how funny and ironic it must have been knowing that Sam Allardyce, the man they hated for his efforts at their own club was now beating them senseless with a 2-0 scoreline, and to top it off, the manure reject Butt saw red for another despicable foul on a Rovers player. His shot at the linesman just proved that he couldnt hit a barn door from 10 yards.

Some quickfire football, with Andrews involved as well (you see I am not completely 100% against the lad) saw the ball crossed and once again, a quick footed, rapid thoughtless effort from Roberts saw the net bulge, 3-0 game over points in the Rovers bag.

Entertainment was back on the agenda at Ewood Park. Not the football ! It was the sight of Barton and Enrique scuffling with each other was reminiscent of Batty v Le Saux in the infamous battle of Moscow. It resulted in Michael Owen being the peacemaker running the half length of the pitch to calm the little scouser down. I wondered what it must have sounded like, the scouse v the spaniard. QUALITY.

Anyhow, Rovers strived for a fourth but it didnt arrive. For the final time today, Rob "look at me" Styles blew his lips around his bell end shaped whistle, game over 3-0 Rovers, 3 points, a clean sheet and of course a jump of severla places up the table but more importantly, we have for the time being escaped the bottom 3 slots whilst at the same time have reeled in some of the clubs just hovering above us.

So then, what did we make of it ? Rovers definately suffered in the first 45 minutes, probably through a lack of match action. The removal of Samba for me was the pointer. He wasnt playing bad its just that the placing of Ooijer at centre back made Rovers far more secure in the middle whilst the introdution of Dunny gave Rovers a lifeline when going forwards. The later introduction of Grella was also a solid substitution and for me he offers a lot more than having Tugay leaving big gaping holes in the middle of the park.

I am not going to give player markings, for me, its the results that matter not the way we play. Today saw us take a big 3 points with a clean sheet. Okay, the results have gone massively in our favour and we can be grateful that Lady luck visited Stamford Bridge just after she left Ewood Park.

Well done Sam and the boys.

Just to see Bentley and Spurs rooted to the bottom spot makes me chuckle. I do hope tomorow sees Pompy take at least a point.

Now then, for the rest of the evening and next week, all we have to put up with is the constant transfer speculation surrounding RSC. If goes for big money then fair play, if he stays then Rovers still have a better chance of surviving the dreaded drop.

[Rovermatt]

Fantastic result. We were dreadful first half if all reports are to be believed but the team really pulled it out of the bag in the second to finally take us clear of the drop zone - a good feeling. Special praise must go to McCarthy and Roberts. Both players have really taken the strain and are producing under proper management.

[blue/white]

4 each for Roberts and Benni now under Sam. Quite a good partnership it seems.

Haven't been able to watch the game, but it's a 3-0 win so I'm going to be happy tonight even if we played poorly until we scored.

Bolton lost, Newcastle lost, Sunderland lost, 'Boro lost. That means we've passed Boro and are two points behind the other three having played one less game.

Agreed on the Robert/Benni axis, Lathund... time to start flogging Roque.

Don't let the door hit 'cha on the way out, ingrate :!:

[Tom]

Superb win, awful first half but brilliant second.

The difference for me was Dunny and Grella, sadly Tugay looked like a man of his age today.

Andrews was much better second half chasing and harrying and did brilliantly for the third goal.

Pedersen was on top form but still manages to get stick from some in the Blackburn end.

The second goal was superb timing, Roque gets ready to come on which is followed by the rovers fans singing Roberts name, seconds later he scores.

The ref was pretty poor throughout but newcastle can have no arguments with the pen or red card. It seems Roberts can't go near a man without the ref blowing for a foul.

Onwards and upwards.

Oh and the idiots booing Roque, well done boys wonder if you would have still booed had he scored.

[RovertheHill]

Well we didn't deserve not to beat City and for an hour or so today we didn't deserve to win this. Funny how football works really.

The back four looked reasonably comfortable. Ooijer is way better at CH than RB.

The game passed Andrews by from what I could see - he was totally bossed by Butt. I don't think we can afford a Tugay/Andrews midfield. I've been unimpressed by Grella so far - that changed today when he came on - he changed the game and grabbed hold of the middle, and with Dunny providing much needed quality we started to look very, very dangerous.

Well done to the p***ks who booed Roque - he's still a Rovers player and the fact that it only resulted in a bigger cheer and song for him from the rest of the BBE stopped us becoming as bad as that lot at the other end (only one Kevin Keegan - ffs)

Have been critical of Roberts before but frankly he can't be dropped on this form - Roque will need to sit on the bench for a while longer I think

Toss up for best song of the match - either walking in a shearer wonderland or the dennis wise chant

Can enjoy watching MOTD for once!

[CrazyIvan]

Quick summary

1st half, I've watched better rain...

2nd half, as soon as Dunn and Grella came on the game changed. Grella was very very good at breaking up play and picking up the ball then first time pass to a blue and white shirt. Andrews did well especially in the second half. I heard a few people saying 'Andrews gets better and better'. Sam plays him for a reason. Enough said. Roberts was fantastic and worked hard wrestling two defenders who seemed more intent on stopping Roberts moving than actually playing the ball. Rob Styles was shocking. All in all a satisfying result.

BTW, Watch Barton after the third goal tonight if you can...

[LeChuck]

From the BBC live text today:

-------------------

1556: Now. Football's not all about goals is it? Is it?! Oh, who am I kidding? Can we have penalty shoot-outs to decide these games?

1608: All around the country, students are scurrying back to their books. Premier League, what have you done?

-------------------

Sounds like our game wasn't the only one that was awful in the first half.

[Majiball]

Newcastle fans on talksport saying time for Kinnear to go.

I thought he did a good job today!

[Sandiway Blue]

Well done to the p***ks who booed Roque - he's still a Rovers player and the fact that it only resulted in a bigger cheer and song for him from the rest of the BBE stopped us becoming as bad as that lot at the other end (only one Kevin Keegan - ffs)

Totally agree

Shocking behaviour by the boo-boys.

As for the game,wasn`t pretty in the first half but was a damn sight better in the second.Off day for Tugay but the game changed when Dunny came on (nice beard.... ).Benni and Roberts decided to become a nuisance for the geordies back line and Butt got a deserved sending off and should have been joined by Joey the jailbird gobshyte.

Was also a nice bonus in getting £45 for the scorecast too.

[Presty On Tour]

I for one was very surprised Barton was on the bench, I thought I read on Nicko's thread that he was injured till April?

Anyway, terrific result with 3 goals and a clean sheet.

Bolton on Wednesday should be deflated after losing in the last minute today.

[kandi]

Agreed on the Robert/Benni axis, Lathund... time to start flogging Roque.

Don't let the door hit 'cha on the way out, ingrate :!:

Idiota

[1864roverite]

its a week on Wednesday Presty, got Sunderland in the cup first.

:!: