[Archived] Individual performances

[Bigdoggsteel]

Some of Bellameys performances in his season here were incredible. He was unplayable on his day 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Bryan Douglas - too many brilliant games to recount them all but beating the red rats 3-0 at Old Trafford was one. He made the likes of Law and Charlton look like novices that day. The 7-2 demolition of Spurs was another, Spurs offered to beat the British transfer record for him after that game.

[davulsukur]

Super Brad - away in the cup against Arsenal. He kept them out single handed.

What a keeper he was, absolutely unreal.

I think the return game at Ewood was the game that had that Benni McCarthy goal.

[AllRoverAsia]

15 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Bryan Douglas - too many brilliant games to recount them all but beating the red rats 3-0 at Old Trafford was one. He made the likes of Law and Charlton look like novices that day. The 7-2 demolition of Spurs was another, Spurs offered to beat the British transfer record for him after that game.

And we saw it!

If only that match was on video to show a team playing 'total football' way before Cryuff's Dutch team.

[AllRoverAsia]

Douglas was the first Rover to give me goosebumps every time the ball git to him. The sort where the price of a match ticket was worth it just to see him on the field.

There have been others and imo the most recent are Tugay, Jansen, Duff and Shearer if he was anywhere near 25 yards from goal.

[gazsimm]

Shearer opening day of the season at Crystal Palace. 

I remember a few good games in the early 90's as well when Scott Sellars was running the show

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

And we saw it!

If only that match was on video to show a team playing 'total football' way before Cryuff's Dutch team.

Yeah it was one of those days when everybody plays at the top of their game. Spurs didn't know what had hit them. They were lucky we only got 7 goals such was our total control of the game.

What a team they had as well - 10 internationals when getting a cap really meant something. It'd be like us beating Chelsea by a similar score today. 

The other games  were we were similarly dominant were the thrashings of Sheffield Wed, Notts Forest and West Ham in the Premier League era.

[Bigdoggsteel]

25 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yeah it was one of those days when everybody plays at the top of their game. Spurs didn't know what had hit them. They were lucky we only got 7 goals such was our total control of the game.

What a team they had as well - 10 internationals when getting a cap really meant something. It'd be like us beating Chelsea by a similar score today. 

The other games  were we were similarly dominant were the thrashings of Sheffield Wed, Notts Forest and West Ham in the Premier League era.

I saw an interview with Mark Noble speaking about this game. He said it was a wake up call as a young professional footballer. He said he was looking at Tugay before the game thinking "I've got this, look at this old guy with his long scraggley grey hair" He then said Tugay proceeded to give him a footballing education. He said "Tugay had me on a string all game, I couldn't get a kick". Said he was the best midfielder he played against. 

[Mike E]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

I saw an interview with Mark Noble speaking about this game. He said it was a wake up call as a young professional footballer. He said he was looking at Tugay before the game thinking "I've got this, look at this old guy with his long scraggley grey hair" He then said Tugay proceeded to give him a footballing education. He said "Tugay had me on a string all game, I couldn't get a kick". Said he was the best midfielder he played against. 

Not quite the game the poster was referring to (7-1 in 2001/2), but another great example of sublime individual performance

[TonyM]

Simon Garner scoring  five against Derby in 1983.

[windymiller7]

Yeah, I also saw that interview with Mark Noble on Sky a few weeks back. The one-2-eleven thing they do on the Fantasy Football show always makes me smile that any player who's played alongside Tugay always has him in their team.

Someone mentioned the performance from Garner on the day of the Hillsborough Disaster. That would've been my all time favourite football memory had other events that day not overshadowed it somewhat. I remember being gutted that the highlights were due to be shown on the Sunday afternoon on ITV but were (quite rightly) cancelled.

One other moment that stands out for me is that goal that Matt Le-Tissier put past Tim Flowers at the BBE. He picked the ball up on halfway and he seemed to beat each of our lads twice over before putting it in the top corner. I was in the Riverside that day & can remember a few seconds of silence before just about everyone stood to applaud. Rovers still won 3-2 iirc so a good afternoon all round.

[donnermeat]

1 hour ago, windymiller7 said:

Yeah, I also saw that interview with Mark Noble on Sky a few weeks back. The one-2-eleven thing they do on the Fantasy Football show always makes me smile that any player who's played alongside Tugay always has him in their team.

It's great to see Merson's big bulbous nose be put out of joint when people pick Tugay in their team. 

Although I admit it's not exactly great to see 'Merse' in any particular context whatsoever. Christ that pillock landed on his feet with his job at SKY.

I know it's been mentioned already but some of Brad's performances were absolutely unreal at times.

[Admiral Nelsen]

Couple of Samba performances stand out, sadly both in draws.

1-1 away at City when Kalanic scored, spent the rest of the game under the cosh, only Samba stopped it from being a rout.

Seem to remember a similar performance at Upton Park in our just-missed-relegation season under K**n, kept us at 0-0.

[tomphil]

Garner v Barnsley early season back in the day, think we won 5 nil & he got 3 ?   Another of his unplayable days.

Brad v Spuds in the cup final, Jake Kean v Arsenal away FA cup, Bradesqe.  Flowers v Toon on VE day.

Many Shearer & Hendry performances in that golden period.

[Dreams of 1995]

Everything about this was special for me.

I was a young lad in year 9 living in Birmingham. Used to come up every home game to go with my grandad. My mum had to face both me and him if she didn't get me up on the weeknights for these big European games so, to her full credit and something I'll always remember, she'd drive me up to watch the game and wait with my grandma to drive me back that night to make school the following day.

Some nights I'd sleep on the way home but on this night I didn't.

 

Edit: I suppose it weren't exactly a magnificent individual performance rather an individual piece of brilliance. We had a tough time of it this game and to walk away 3-0 winners was something nobody saw coming.

I miss these days so much.

[Dreyski]

9 hours ago, Pedro said:

In terms of debuts, Emerton was immense and Jay McEvely had a superb debut as a 17 year old.

Don't forget Amo - scored in the same game as Bert!

[JayPeeBee40]

I scored 5 in one game from right back, seven a side, witton park.. Great performance.. 

[Batman.]

On 2017-6-29 at 01:50, JacknOry said:

Wenger has made a career out of that one signing in reality. Turning that awkward looking left winger into a striker made him immortal - ok as well as some other decent signings in that era as well (bergkamp, pires, overmars, viera etc). Done little since and Arsenal have gone backwards massively.  

Seriously?

[Batman.]

Duff's debut as a 17 year old vs Leicester on the last day of the season 1996/97 was a cracker. We lost 4-2 but had already confirmed our safety after a shocking start under Harford. The day I knew we'd finally replaced Gorgeous George Donis...

Every game Amoruso played was like a debut, as it sure looked like the first time he'd played with any of his team mates. Luckily the man was a genius and more often than not bailed out the riff raff surrounding him. I also miss not knowing if his free kicks are going to put a hole in the top corner of the net or put a crack in the big screen.

The best Friedel game was 2-1 away to the great Arsenal team. Won that game despite only having one shot all game (Edu bagged an oggy).

The Emerton debut has to be the winner. He did things that day Zidane in his pomp couldn't do. I remember laughing about the fact we'd sold Duff for £17m and bought the new Cruyff for £2.5m.

Turns out I was spot on. I just didn't count on it being Jordi and not Johan.

Sutton and Gallacher in the good Hodgson season had some crackers. I remember a Sutton hat-trick against Leicester at home in the snow when he was unplayable. Shearer was injured and off the boil in those days, and I remember finally feeling appeased that Sutton was better than him in that moment. 

Who can forget the Grabbi home debut against United. Defied gravity and conventional logic with some of those misses... 

 

[Earlydoors]

Shearers 2 goals as we beat Man Utd 93-94.

Ewood had 3 stands that day 

Gave everyone confidence that a changing of the guard was imminent

[Earlydoors]

I also liked Andy Todd's forearm smash on Van Persie after he scored against us in cup ? Semi-final? about 2005

 

[Mike E]

Forgot about Santa's hat-trick when we lost 5-3 away at Wigan! Very odd game that, but had a great time with the usual boisterous Christmas atmosphere.

[oldjamfan1]

Some fabulous memories being rekindled on this thread. Garner, Speedie, Sellars, Shearer, Friedel, Sir Roger, Tugay, Duff, Dunn, Jansen etc. 

 

But can I mention an unusual one. It involved a Rovers player but not the Rovers. Glenn 'Killer' Keeley was loaned out to Everton in 1982 and made his debut in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park. Ian Rush was virtually unplayable that day and scored 4 as well as hitting the woodwork twice, while poor old Killer was sent off after just 20-odd minutes for hauling down King Kenny, in the days when it was actually quite difficult to get sent off.

Rush and Dalglish were just sensational.

[Dreams of 1995]

After Matt Jansen's injury he played away at Aston Villa in the cup. He scored 2 and Dwight Yorke got 2. In that moment I had hope he'd come back as good as he was - sadly it never quite came to fruition for him.

Unplayable on his day. Sven should have took him to that tournament. 

[OJRovers]

Shearer in the 7-1 vs Norwich (who were top of the league) has to be up there. He was unplayable.

Best team performance could be the 5-0 against Burnley. The squad was so strong and it all came together on that day, it should have been 8 or 9. Men against boys that day.