[Archived] Rovers vs MAN CITY FA Cup **NO TICKETS AVAILABLE ON DAY**

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

What's the attraction? I bet if you said to most Wigan fans, we'll take your day out at Wembley and FA Cup final win against City off you but you can grind away indefinitely in the bottom 5 of the Premiership, most would choose the FA Cup win.

Today was not the FA Cup final though, it was the third round. In three or four rounds time it gets interesting and by then we'd probably have had to beat at least one or two more prem sides.

Honestly if you offered me lower mid table premier league mediocrity next season or an FA Cup win but Championship football, I'd choose the premiership.

In the premier league, apart from avoiding relegation, you have nothing else to play for when you're a club our size. In the Championship, we have one big aim which is far more important than a cup competition.

Isn't the play off final the biggest game in world football financially speaking? I'd rather win that one than the FA Cup final.

[tomphil]

Lawrenson's not that bad as a pundit. It's his awful commentating with his pathetic jokes that annoy me. And his predictions.

I don't mind Carragher or Redknapp but agree that Lee Dixon is good.

Gary Neville is better than all of them put together.

He's stuck the knife into our club and fans plenty times down the years on the box, t'wireless and written press. I'd be more likely to stand on the keaners toe in passing than stop for a chat. Preston ponce !

[Stuart]

Yes ... thanks for that ... he had a fantastic day. Got autographs from all the players before the game ... they came across as a really sound bunch of lads ... and Gary Bowyer took time out to have a chat with him ... again he came across really well. Now for the replay ... my eldest lad is mascot for that one!

Haha. Jobs for the boys? (I'd love my youngest to be a mascot).

In all seriousness though, it's great to watch ones kids and even others' kids develop a love for our home town club. My oldest lad was buzzing after today's game. It's great when they get to the point where they can appreciate a 1-1 draw against a good team better than a 2-0 win over an average one.

Keep up the good work, mate.

[bob fleming]

Haha. Jobs for the boys? (I'd love my youngest to be a mascot).

In all seriousness though, it's great to watch ones kids and even others' kids develop a love for our home town club. My oldest lad was buzzing after today's game. It's great when they get to the point where they can appreciate a 1-1 draw against a good team better than a 2-0 win over an average one.

Keep up the good work, mate.

Funny ain't it Stu? ES? I was there with my lad today too. All Rovers. All delighted. Mind you, next week it's Lancashire County United away v Bamber Bridge Reserves if anyone fancies it. Personally I'll be watching my team against Donny. Another first class proper football club. Can't wait already!

[Derbyshire Blue]

And this is what our new years day opponents fans thought of there team http://youtu.be/who6LvvaqFY

[FGS5635]

And this is what our new years day opponents fans thought of there team http://youtu.be/who6LvvaqFY

:lol:

[Leonard Venkhater]

:lol:

Blimey. I guess you could call it...disappointment!

[Tom]

Although the league is obviously the massive priority the difference in feeling between a result like this and the one against Carlise has to have a positive impact on momentum and belief in the squad and could push us on

[bob fleming]

From the BBC web site, with apologies for no link.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini:

"We were not lucky. It was a very close match and I think we had more clear options than Blackburn but we played against a very strong team who were at home.

"They had a lot of motivation and that is normal when you have a Championship team playing against a Premier League team.

"We were going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and having a friendly match there, now we are going to play against Blackburn Rovers at home.

"What is better? It is impossible to know."

What a tit. You get to play the famous Blackburn Rovers again. Count yourself lucky dipstick.

[bazza]

From the BBC web site, with apologies for no link.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini:

"We were not lucky. It was a very close match and I think we had more clear options than Blackburn but we played against a very strong team who were at home.

"They had a lot of motivation and that is normal when you have a Championship team playing against a Premier League team.

"We were going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and having a friendly match there, now we are going to play against Blackburn Rovers at home.

"What is better? It is impossible to know."

What a tit. You get to play the famous Blackburn Rovers again. Count yourself lucky dipstick.

Spot on Bob. The arrogance of some of these foreigners is unbelievable.

[Waggy76]

Take a look at the history books Mr Pellegrini....

[Dunnfc]

Pellergrini said something of the ilk last week about Paul Lambert... Clearly a manager under pressure who is struggling to deal with it.

Bit of credit for city though, there fans gave robbo a nice little reception for the second half!

[EWOODACE1]

I didn't go today. i couldn't afford it. For various reasons christmas has been very expensive this year and, although £15 isn't much in the normal scheme of things. this week it was. I'll be there next home game and as many as possible after that but this was an extra that was beyond my means. Don't presume to judge us. You don't know why people didn't turn up. Why just because some people weren't there today, you think they should be supporting Burnley or not going to Rovers any more i do not know. If Rhodes is sold, it won't be because I wasn't at today's match. It will be because of the financial and administrative cockups the owners have made time after time after time.

Same for me. Christmas took its toll and we have our first baby due at any given time. £15 pound might not seem much but I have other things to prepare for. Probably only missed about ten games at home in 23 years. According to some though the stay away fans from today should go and support burnley

[ABBEY]

Good post Bob but jeez, don't get onto the subject of non attendance......... Lol.

Er he didn't say fuk off to burnley if ya didn't go

[Oz Rover]

What a tit. You get to play the famous Blackburn Rovers again. Count yourself lucky dipstick.

lol spot on.

[Stuart]

From the BBC web site, with apologies for no link.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini:

"We were not lucky. It was a very close match and I think we had more clear options than Blackburn but we played against a very strong team who were at home.

"They had a lot of motivation and that is normal when you have a Championship team playing against a Premier League team.

"We were going to be travelling to Abu Dhabi and having a friendly match there, now we are going to play against Blackburn Rovers at home.

"What is better? It is impossible to know."

What a tit. You get to play the famous Blackburn Rovers again. Count yourself lucky dipstick.

Tit, indeed. Last week he was complaining about fixture congestion and players being tired, and yet they were planning a friendly in the Middle East??

On the one hand, what a hypocrite, on the other, I guess Pellegrini has bigger hoops to jump through than simply describing Sheikh Mansour as a 'nice gentleman' and flying over himself for a bit of a meeting.

Apart from that it sounds like sour grapes. Well, he does look a bit like Wenger.

[47er]

some good highlights here:

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video/?vid=a030fda4-32ce-4b57-a311-75321eb273b4

Don't really think their first goal was off-side and they should have had a pen---Spurr. But hey-ho we never get them.

[Ricky]

Their goal was a fraction offside on the reply but it was so close you can't blame the lino for it. We're talking probably less than a foot.

Same lino then refused to give them two blatant corners. The one off Spurr was the funniest, Spurr was in stitches afterwards.

The one interesting one for me was the keepers challenge on Josh King, it seemed like a proper ninja tackle lol. King had to get out the way or he would have been wiped out completely.

On the whole game though I thought we were very good value for the draw. I was annoyed that we put the first 3 corners straight into an area where the keeper was always going to get to it, he's huge! Once we changed it was got our goal.

Thought Gestede played very well indeed. What a header from the corner!!!!

[dingles staying down 4ever]

some good highlights here:

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video/?vid=a030fda4-32ce-4b57-a311-75321eb273b4

Don't really think their first goal was off-side and they should have had a pen---Spurr. But hey-ho we never get them.

BT put the lines up across the pitch and he was offside. Steve Mcmanaman thought he was OK because he was only offside by an inch!

There was contact by Spurr but the fall by the City player made it look like a dive.

[Oz Rover]

BT put the lines up across the pitch and he was offside. Steve Mcmanaman thought he was OK because he was only offside by an inch!

There was contact by Spurr but the fall by the City player made it look like a dive.

Well all good if he was offside by only an inch lol

[RevidgeBlue]

Er he didn't say fuk off to burnley if ya didn't go

Strange you're offended by an abstract throwaway comment directed at no-one in particular but think it's ok to continually refer to the owners by such charming monikers as "the owd hag" "the old bint" and "the turds in pune" etc. And no-one picks you up on that.

People in glass houses and all that.

[Stuart]

Did anyone see who our esteemed guests in the 'director's' box were, btw? From where I was sat, it looked like a woman and a man of Indian origin.

[RevidgeBlue]

Same for me. Christmas took its toll and we have our first baby due at any given time. £15 pound might not seem much but I have other things to prepare for. Probably only missed about ten games at home in 23 years. According to some though the stay away fans from today should go and support burnley

The very best of luck with the new arrival. There will obviously be some like yourselves facing exceptional circumstances for whom yesterday's game was genuinely a bridge too far financially. But I'm sure you would admit that wouldn't be the case for the majority of fans who wouldn't have attended because they were either a) still harbouring a grudge against the owners or thought they would take the easy option and watch the match on TV (I have BT sport and I freely admit I considered taking that option) or c) Weren't willing to spend 20 quid less on their christmas and new year celebrations so they could go to the game.

[glen9mullan]

The team played like lions yesterday , they were not fazed by their superstar opponents and to a man stood toe to toe for the duration of the match .

This young team is going to get better and better which age , some clever business this month could certainly put us into promotion contention , with the financial awards available for being promoted a lot now will depend if collectively as a club , Rovers feel that a bit of investment is enough to get us over the line or a risk not worth taking

[RevidgeBlue]

What

The team played like lions yesterday , they were not fazed by their superstar opponents and to a man stood toe to toe for the duration of the match .

This young team is going to get better and better which age , some clever business this month could certainly put us into promotion contention , with the financial awards available for being promoted a lot now will depend if collectively as a club , Rovers feel that a bit of investment is enough to get us over the line or a risk not worth taking

What further investment do you think we need Glen? I'd say in an ideal world we still need a reliable goal keeper, a proper ratter/ball winner in midfield and a second striker who knows where the back of the net is.

If we can get Robinson and Evans back in reasonable states of health that would only leave the striker imo, and even then Gestede might come to a bit in that respect.