[Archived] Last Game: Aston Villa (H) Saturday 29th April, Kick off 15.00

[K-Hod]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

We could place bets on who's under the table first.

Or under the patio.....

Nah, but seriously, I reckon they could both hold their drink!

[AllRoverAsia]

34 minutes ago, Irishrover213 said:

I reckon Mulgrew will pick him up. Mulgrew is big and good in the air. My big worry is if villa score early   the heads will drop like against barnsley. Where it becomes open season.

If these player's can't get up for a game like this they shouldn't be out on the field. 

See you all at Ewood tomorrow 

An early Villa goal would be very bad news.

Listening to Mowbrays latest on audioboom I think he feels some players struggle to take on board his strategy/ tactics.

I think he will again start slow and defensive to try to nullify Villa early on. If this fails........

We simply have to win.

[G Somerset Rover]

9 minutes ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Listening to Mowbrays latest on audioboom I think he feels some players struggle to take on board his strategy/ tactics.

Two problems with his tactics IMO. Firstly, the players aren't good enough to play the way he likes i.e. hold it tight and sneak a goal. Secondly, you're screwed if you concede first when set-up this way - especially when you lack talent in your side, as we've seen a number of times since he took the hot seat.

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Two problems with his tactics IMO. Firstly, the players aren't good enough to play the way he likes i.e. hold it tight and sneak a goal. Secondly, you're screwed if you concede first when set-up this way - especially when you lack talent in your side, as we've seen a number of times since he took the hot seat.

Totally agree. I want us to start on the front foot. This needs Emnes on at the beginning with Graham or Joao also on. 

With Mulgrew and Guthrie plus Mahoney coming from the bench we must be able to pose some sort of attacking threat.

This time please let us score first and early. Graham should be up for it as he will be keen to attract interest for a summer move.

 

[ruggles1995]

I have read throug this topic, I think most fans here expect us to probably not win and be relegated. I have had a look at the birmingham forum, there all predicting comfortable wins over huddersfield. The villa ofrum is hoping we win! lol. Fans seem to know best about there own clubs, and brum fans seem quite confident of 3 points and we all seem quite confident we wont win. Just found a bit fasinating to go through other clubs forums to compare feelings for this situation.

I think we need to ignore what happens elsewhere from now on, at the end of the day its out of our hands. If I was mowbary I would be drumming it in to the players that we need a minimum 6 points. I dont think villa will sit back, they have nothing to play for and they have some ok players going forward, plus you get the feeling Bruce wants to give something back to brum by beating us to keep them up. I would pick the quickest team we got and play on the counter against them and try and hit them on the break when they come forward. Almost play as the away side. Almost feels like we are better when we play away from home. May as well set up like we are.

 

Maybe the most support rovers has had this season with Villa fans cheering blackburn saturday.

 

[AAK]

Villa away form under Bruce - Won 4, Drawn 3, Lost 9, Scored 12, Conceded 20

Very inconsistent away from home, not a great record, only scoring 12 in 16 games, but not conceding a buck full either - let's hope the crap Villa turn up. Can see it being a scrappy 1-0 either way.

[JHRover]

First goal is crucial.

Unfortunately this season we've conceded the first goal in 14 (yes 14) of our 22 home league games.

Out of our 44 league games to date we've gone behind first in 27 games and took the lead in just 12.

Our favourite routine at Ewood is to start the game on the back foot and not start playing until we're behind. If we concede early doors on Saturday and then reach the second half knowing Birmingham are winning and we have to score I can see Villa picking us off on the counter. As the stats above from AAK show Bruce has managed to put some sort of defensive strength into Villa but at the expense of scoring goals, which with their forward line really shouldn't be a problem.

They are terrible away from home and any home side desperate for a win ought to relish playing them. Unfortunately such is my faith in this squad that I wouldn't be confident if it was Rotherham coming to Ewood tomorrow.

[roverandout]

6 hours ago, Stuart said:

Such a ridiculous notion that we will lose an intelligent, articulate poster over a bet that is only one sided. What consideration have you put forward, Jim?

Yes, the uber positive bravado has been annoying - particularly the patronising tone of it - but I think their should be some kind of commuting of this sentence.

At worst, a new account and a fresh start. At best, let's stop being silly and realise that when the crunch comes we will need a Jim and a Mercer to keep the club alive.

I like mercer. Hes been a good poster over the years, especially with some of his inside info, even if they have been as reliable as a robin reliant going up a steep hill at times but hes starting to sound like a parody of certain poster(s) on here. Dont know if hes on a wind up or being serious at times.

[Irishrover213]

3 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

An early Villa goal would be very bad news.

Listening to Mowbrays latest on audioboom I think he feels some players struggle to take on board his strategy/ tactics.

I think he will again start slow and defensive to try to nullify Villa early on. If this fails........

We simply have to win.

I agree from what I've seen of Mowbray he likes to defend then hit on the break but we don't have the players to do it. Remember he still has players that were recruited by coyle. Spent a large chunk of the season trying perfect coyles game plan of attack. Morale would be seriously low with us not been able to defend leads or hold out for a point 

[AggyBlue]

Even if we do beat Villa, it will have been a case of 'too little too late'

The fat lady was singing last weekend I'm sorry to say.

[Blue blood]

Posted in relegation thread but perhaps more appropriate here: 

 

Despite our recent capitulations I feel that we're going to get a positive result against Villa; certainly better than Brum's result. 

My thinking is as follows: 

• ARA makes a great point that the Hudds team will be all wanting to impress to stake a claim in the play off. Added to which they're a pretty decent team - hence why they're near the top of the table. Plus Brum are bobbins. 
• Villa on the beach (not literally, although it would help, but still wouldn't make it a certainty) combined with their fans preferring us to win, could well be enough to tip things in our favour. Anyone remember the last few minutes vs. Wolves the season Kean botched it and kept us up? Last few minutes were utterly pedestrian and I wonder if that may happen again to some extent, especially if Brum aren't winning and the fans are urging us on. 
• We aren't under pressure. Everyone has us, quite rightly, as favour for the drop. And given we've performed pretty well when the pressure is off, I feel that form may continue and we grab a result. It looks an obvious Villa win and relegation, and the pressure off - like vs. Manure, the Barcodes and others have shown in such situations we are capable of playing some decent stuff

Of course I could be totally wrong, but I still think the great escape is on. Admittedly mainly by our relegation rivals incompetence rather than any of our own abilities BUT without trying to do a Mercer, I'm still thinking we've a decent chance of doing it...

[tomphil]

Well I'll be travelling down to the boxing listening to this on the radio so it's going to be a nightmare I'd rather be Sat in the ground suffering with everyone else. Not long ago I'd have sacked the boxing off for this even if I was turning down a freebie trip but now I've just no faith in anything connected to Rovers least of all this sorry bunch of soulless playerrs most of who clearly couldn't give a toss.

I knew what was coming this season right from before they even appointed the useless tit they did and here we are.  

 

Rovers 1. Villa 1

18,889

[AAK]

Just now, tomphil said:

Well I'll be travelling down to the boxing listening to this on the radio so it's going to be a nightmare I'd rather be Sat in the ground suffering with everyone else. Not long ago I'd have sacked the boxing off for this even if I was turning down a freebie trip but now I've just no faith in anything connected to Rovers least of all this sorry bunch of soulless playerrs most of who clearly couldn't give a toss.

I knew what was coming this season right from before they even appointed the useless tit they did and here we are.  

 

Rovers 1. Villa 1

18,889

Rovers have sold just over 14,000 so far, and Villa 6400, so 20,400, I reckon we may shift another 500 or so, crowd of around 21,000 I reckon pal

[JHRover]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/15253987.Police__will_not_tolerate_anybody_causing_trouble__in_Blackburn_Rovers__final_home_game_against_Aston_Villa/?ref=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

We're back to this old rubbish again. Why was there never any of this during our 18 years in the Premier League when we had average crowds of 25,000+ and numerous sell-outs per season?

The small club mentality has well and truly taken hold to the extent now that any gate pushing 20,000 (aided by 7,000 away fans) is considered some major freak event that requires a heavy police involvement and military style operation, including swathes of home areas netted off and warnings to all those going to behave themselves.

God help the club if we did ever get back to the Premier League. Completely uncomfortable with any operation above and beyond the sub-10,000 crowds they've grown accustomed to. Just imagine this in the paper every Friday before a home game!

[AllRoverAsia]

I would put money on the Senior officials at the Club warning the Police to expect unrest in the home fan areas if we lose. It is what the xxxxx who run us would do.

[Tom]

I want there to be anger if we go down, polite applause for the efforts they've put in isn't good enough.

Felt all season the players have got off too lightly 

[frosty]

This time tomorrow it could be all over 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Suhail Slayer said:

there MUST be unrest win or lose !!!

You've already promised it in the 'Relegation' thread. Don't let us down Slayer.

[RV Blue]

Think'd play Graham up top tomorrow (even though he's been atrocious all season).

[jim mk2]

I wouldn't bank on Villa giving us an easy ride. Bruce isn't bothered about the feelings of Villa fans towards Brum but does have deep feelings towards the club having been manager there for some time. He'll have Villa fired up for this match without a doubt. 

[davulsukur]

Not long till league one is confirmed.

Can't wait......

[tomphil]

4 hours ago, AAK said:

Rovers have sold just over 14,000 so far, and Villa 6400, so 20,400, I reckon we may shift another 500 or so, crowd of around 21,000 I reckon pal

Hope so great effort so far I honestly thought we'd only shift about 13k home tickets even at a tenner. Even that is three thousand more than normal this season.

[Tom]

Just now, davulsukur said:

Not long till league one is confirmed.

Can't wait......

Scary to think this time tomorrow that could be the reality 

[Gav]

Are tickets available on the day?

[davulsukur]

Just now, Tom said:

Scary to think this time tomorrow that could be the reality 

Tom, it's absolutely terrifying if I'm being honest.

Worse still, I have zero confidence in the team to pull off any kind of result tomorrow.