[Archived] Rovers 0 Spurs 1

[nottsrover]

The Opposition

Spurs started the season well. Jacques Santini tightened up a previously leaky defence and Spurs suddenly became a team that was tough to beat. At the end of September, after 6 games, Spurs were still unbeaten but were struggling to score goals.

Spurs disproportionate level of media covereage was not a benefit at this stage as they were labelled dour and Jacques Santini's tactics were criticised. Clearly keeping clean sheets were not enough for Spurs' football purists. The criticism also seems to have been replicated inside the club. Reportedly, a difference in opinion over tactics between the Director of Football (Frank Arnesen) and Jacques Santini saw the Frenchman walk earlier this month. His assistant Martin Jol is now in charge.

Who to Watch

Spurs top scorer is Jermaine Defoe and their only ever present this season is Ledley King. Defoe scored the winner in the reverse ficture last season. He is a tricky little player who would have undoubtedly caused Andy Todd and Craig Short some difficulties if he was playing. Fortunately, he took his shirt off following his goal yesterday and was booked. As a result he will miss next weekends game. Robbie Keane may well come in to replace him so it will be like for like up front.

The History

Blackburn and Spurs have a long history. The sides have met 92 times over the years with Spurs winning 41 of these encounters to Blackburn's 33. The first meeting took place in the FA Cup in 1907. After two 1-1 draws, the teams met a Villa Park in front of 18,000 fans. Spurs won the game that day 2-1.

However, more recently Spurs v Blackburn matches have not tended to stick in my memory. Last season both sides won their home games 1-0. The obvious exception was a certain Cup Match a few years ago in Cardiff. I will not go into the details but I am sure that it is certainly a memory that I treasure.

Tim Sherwood is Blackburn's most famous export to Spurs. Once he was playing for a more media friendly club his first England cap followed although arguably he had played better during his time at Rovers. He has since moved on after falling out with Glenn Hoddle. There haven't been many Spurs' players coming 'up North' to Blackburn. However, I do remember Bobby Mimms signing for us for £250,000 in at the end of 1990.

Question Time

I have asked a Spurs supporting colleague to address the following questions.

[i will post his replies here as soon as I recieve them]

The Predition

As for the score I’m going for another win. 2-1 this time. I fancy Dickov and Gallagher to repeat their Fulham performances.

[philipl]

I have a nasty feeling about this one. Spuds won at Everton earlier in the season and their mean defence could well achieve a shut out if their under-performing front line grabs the opening goal at Ewood.

On paper the prospects for this game look the same as the Brum match did-hardly any sign of a goal- but look at the 3-3 that happened in that 5.15pm kick off!

Spuds have also had their goal fest in a season otherwise full of 0-0s and one goal outcomes with the 4-5 aganst their nearest and dearest Arsenal. Apart from that game which so impressed Jose Mourhino- ahem, Spuds have been offering some pretty turgid stuff and Martn Jol doesn't seem the type to appreciate show ponies.

So will lightening strike twice and Saturday evening turn into a goal riot?- I doubt it.

Hopefully, beating Boro will turn into a false dawn for Spuds. By all accounts, Boro lost it- they had been found out by Villareal midweek and offered little after Queudrue got sent off at White Hart Lane.

This will be another massive game for the Rovers- we will almost certainly be kicking off in the bottom 3 again unless Fulham get an unlikely win at Norwich in the 3pm games. It is even conceivable we will start the game back at the rock bottom of the Prem (Southampton at least drawing at Man U and West Brom winning by more than two at Pompey)!

A defeat will deflate all the confdence and optimism building up at the moment and reconfirm that this season is going to be one long relegation fight. Victory and we will be thinking of mid table at Christmas.

With no Andy Cole to embarass Ledley King again, this is going to be the long overdue 0-0 draw.

Edited November 29, 2004 by philipl

[jim mk2]

Disagree that Sherwood is our most "famous export" to Tottenham. Amazingly, football history does go farther back than 1990.

That particular accolade must go to Mike England, the best centre half in Britain for ten years and voted in an all-time Tottenham greats team by the club's supporters.

Never liked Tottenham and would dearly love to beat them but we're due a setback after five unbeaten games.

Tottenham to win 2-1 with the quicksilver Defoe continuing his habit of scoring against our leaden-footed defenders.

[vyeo]

i thought defoe would be suspended too! but apparently, he'll sit out the match against man city in 2 weeks and will be available to meet us.

he looks like the only player in spurs' team who will cause us problems, and may be ultra motivated to perform well before his suspension.

but given the way our team has performed the last 5 matches, i can at least look to the match with some hope and optimism. besides, we're on tv again! which means i'll get my 3rd live rovers game in a row - something that's really rare here! hope to see the same team as last week, except in midfield where i still have doubts about tugay, who usually follows up a brilliant performance with an abysmal one. if reid is suspended, i would ideally like mgp to step in on the left and emo back on the right, with thommo and fergie starting in the centre.

however, i think we'll get thommo in on the right, with emo, fergie and tugay keeping their places. but whatever, i'm not the gaffer. sparky is, and he's producing the goods at the moment, so i'll go along with him. won't predict, but again here's hoping for a sixth game unbeaten, and second straight win! (and i actually believe we can do it...)

[Tango]

Am gonna go for 1-1, Dickov to score early and Davis to equalise just before half time.

Edited November 29, 2004 by Tango

[1864roverite]

I cant see many goals in this one, more than likely a 1 goal match and both teams are capable of getting that result.

Me ? a draw

[Flopsy]

[However, more recently Spurs v Blackburn matches have not tended to stick in my memory. Last season both sides won their home games 1-0. The obvious exception was a certain Cup Match a few years ago in Cardiff. I will not go into the details but I am sure that it is certainly a memory that I treasure.

Do you not remember the 4-0 drubbing at WHL the year before, the European Qualification, the most pointless act ever - The throwing of season ticket books on to the pitch by the spurs fans. A great day of football.

[krislu]

i thought defoe would be suspended too! but apparently, he'll sit out the match against man city in 2 weeks and will be available to meet us.

From skysports:"Jol was slightly annoyed at Jermain Defoe's celebration for the first goal, as he removed his shirt and got booked - which means he missed their next game."

Is he suspended or not?

[Scotty]

His suspension kicks in after 7 days i.e. the day after we play them.

[Ricky]

I thought he misses the next game which would be the midweek game against Liverpool in the Carling Cup.

[Scotty]

Nope. When 5 bookings are reached, the suspension begins 7 days after the game where the fifth booking was picked up.

When you get sent off the suspension starts at the next game.

[The Producer]

If Spurs had lost yesterday I'd have been pretty confident, but their confidence will be back up again now. Defoe is going to cause us all sorts of trouble and combinedwith Keane's pace I can see us having all sorts of trouble unless we deny Spurs any possession in our half. I think they'll score at least 2, but we should do as well if we're less shy about shooting than at Fulham. So I reckon a 2-2 draw.

[joey_big_nose]

We are on telly again! Four games in five weeks! Wish i coulkd be there but it is the next best thing.

That Spurs are doing so badly with the resources at their disposal is astounding. Three international quality forwards, four extremely talented central midfielders, the mercurial simon davies for a right winger and in King and Robinson two more regulars in the England squad. Spurs have never really had, as long as I can remember anyway, the grit and determination of their red neighbours and this seems to be costing them heavily again.

Despite their superior personnel we are, on current form, the better team and we should win at home. Reid's comments after Fulham last saturday gave the impression that the team is full of confidence and with Reid's suspension not kicking in yet and Bothroyd available we have real strength in depth. My team:

                         Dickov

             Gallagher

Emerton   Tugay  Ferguson   Reid

         Gray   Short   Todd   Niell

                       Friedel

Bench:  Enckleman, Johansson, Thompson, Pedersen, Bothroyd

Gray will, IMHO, offer a lot more going forward than Johansson although he aquitted himself well in the last game.

It is a bit harsh freezing Stead out but the only other option is to drop MGP who must be hoping for a few minutes on the pitch by now. Plus a contigency plan needs to be developed for Tugay's return to his old inconsistent self and Reid getting a three match suspension.

Edited November 29, 2004 by joey_big_nose

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Two VERY erratic footballing sides and a hard one to predict...this one wont be on my accumulator this weekend!

Spurs have some real talent in attack with Defoe and Keane and yet again the question is will our defence cope???

We really need the win in terms of points and for morale both on and off the pitch around Ewood,cant help but feel every home game now is like a cup final....should make for an exciting game.

P.S. How's about bringing a friend along.....we might even see the rare occurrence of 20k home fans for this one with a bit of luck after recent improved performances...here's to wishful thinking anyway

1-1

Edited November 29, 2004 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[krislu]

48% chance of us winning, while its 28% of us losing. Close one, but I think we might just win this one!

Rovers 2

Spurs 1

Btw, we have only won 3 out of our last 20 home games! Thats 15% which is shocking, no wonder we get less than 20k each home game!

[92er]

You beat me to it Jim.

[frosty]

Rovers 2-1 Spurs

Bothroyd (82 ), Keane ( 84)

Dickov (91)

Friedel

Neill Todd Short Nissa

Emo Fergie Tugay/Thommo Reid

Dickov Gally

Subs:

Encks

Matteo

Pedersen

Tugay/Thommo

Bothroyd

Is Reid suspended?

Edited December 3, 2004 by frosty

[Eddie]

Rovers 3-1

Hopefully we'll get the win as I have a rather annoying football coach who supports spurs.

[wicklowrover]

Not sure that our lightening fast (ahem) defenders will be able to cope with the pace of Keane and Defoe - Brad will have to be in top form.

Although I think that the way Gally and Dickov are performing up front could give us a chance, with Dickov's work rate and Gally's pace - would like to see Thommo playing that would improve our chances.

Its a tough one to call... though hopefully we can shade it - you never know we may even get another penalty

[cole]

i'm going to have to predict 2-2, although if someone does end up with the 3 points, i pick us to get them.

[Ricky]

Spurs picked up 3 points against Boro last week but were completely outplayed during the first half. It was only when Boro had a defender sent off that Spurs posed any threat at all. I never predict scores as I am always wrong but I think this will be a close game and it could go either way.

[Ewood Dream]

I think this will be a very tight encounter but plenty of goals.

However, if the likes of Defoe, Kanoute and Keane hit their best form in this game then I think we will crumble I'm afraid... We need the first goal to get us off to a good start because I feel Spurs might just have too much firepower for us...

Rovers 2 (Dickov, Emerton)

Spurs 3 (Defore x2, Mendes)

My side:

Friedel

Neill Short Todd Johansson

Reid Ferguson Tugay Emerton

Dickov Gallagher

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

[Rovermatt]

Spurs, what a bunch of jokers. They have less team spirit than we did in the dying days of Souness's reign.

I hope we do them. Are we capable of getting six out of six though? Stranger things have happened.

[stegraham]

You would think if Football was "logical" then the following would apply:

String team1 = "Spurs";

String team2 = "Boro";

String team3 = "Rovers";

if ((team1.beat(team2)) && (team2.beat(team3))) {

team1.willBeat(team3);

}

, but we all know that one of the reasons we love football so much is the unpredictable, "anything-can-and-will-happen"-ness of the sport. It's time for Rovers to show a little bit of "consistancy" and build on last weeks win, and get another 3 points. The players have show that they can do it if they want to, so there are no execuses.

I predict 3 points, we can't get beat off the Spuds at Ewood, can we?

2-0 (Dickov and Reid)

Come on Rovers!

Ste

[Duff's Minder]

really looking forward to this game. Sat with my Spurs fan mate in the pub watching the 4-3 Arsenal game a couple of weeks ago followed by the 3-3 Brum Rovers game a week later.

There will be hatfull of goals in this game with 2 lousy defences and 2 good forward teams. They have the better strikeforce but we have the better midfield and the better spirit.

3-2 rovers (Gally scores two, Emerton gets winner in 82nd minute)

can't wait