[Archived] Bolton Game 0-1

[Hughesy]

Yesterday at 5pm i didnt realy like bolton. Now i hate them!! Scum.

Diouff - Oh i mean Theif, should be fined the costs of everybody in the grounds ticket.

I just hope we get them in the FA Cup, should we both get through to round 5.

[ianb]

What a complete load of dross was on offer at Ewood last night. Apart from the occasional spark from Pedersen and Emerton there was a complete and total lack of quality from Rovers.

All four strikers used looked completely out of their depth, the midfield provided little in the way of quality service. Dickov will be straight back in the team when available and that just about sums up the mediocrity we have up front.

I don't think I have seen such a lack of composure, skill and use of the ball as I saw from Rovers in the second half last night. I was at Portsmouth and thought THAT THE TEAM HAD A REALLY SOLID LOOK ABOUT IT, HOWEVER, WHEN PLAYING AT HOME WHEN THE emphasis is on Rovers to go forward more often the lack of quality is glaring. More composre and more retention of the ball is required and less of the headless chicken impressions.

PS Really sick and tired of players trying to cheat the officials and supporters.

[Duff's Minder]

deep breath...

ok, let's take the positives from this.

1. We were 1 terrible decision away from another clean sheet

2. Savage put in some great tackles and looks like he will do the business for us.

3. MPG and Thompson showed glimpses of imagination/talent

4. Mokoena looked impressive at the back with the pace we've been lacking.

5. Jemal Johnson looked lively

Now we just need a striker! JJ needs a run in the team because he was the only forward last night who was prepared to play direct. Unfortunately I can't see Hughes playing him alongside Dickov so one of our gangly Donkeys wil continue to fall over/get caught offised/lose tha ball alongside him.

[roversWASmylife]

Poor, dull and a scrappy game.

Nobody deserved to win the game, a draw would have been a fair result.

We were poor without Dickov. Never expected to say that but we really were.

There was nobody who looked like they wanted to run with the ball, take a man on, get past him and create something. Maybe only Jemal Johnson who I thought did very well when he came on.

I've seen the penalty numerous times now and it looks even worse the more times you see it.

How the ref can give that I'll never know. They can't get decisions right and all this rubbish about saying they have a hard job is as well.

Decisions change games, we've lost a point out of it and Bolton have gained two by cheating.

Thought Mark Hughes and Gary Speed were very good and honest in their post match interviews.

Fat Sam seemed to avoid the question of, did Diouf cheat?

Blackburn 0-1 Bolton

Hughes furious with striker Diouf

[SuperStella]

Neill has been utter garbage for about 2 seasons. All he does is foul, get booked, give free kicks away then hoof it down the line either a.) out of play or b.) give it to an opposing player.

I think Matteo got his boots from Tommy Balls and the strings tying them together are still in the back! lol

[thenodrog]

What you all gotta realise is

1. that Senegal was a French colony and Senegalese speak French. Nuff said.

2. Bennett is a complete nob and should suffer discipline.......... but we all knew that before tonights match didn't we?

3. Something that I've felt all season and was totally, completely and unequivocably proven tonight........... If Paul Dickov gets a long term injury we are relegated!  Period.  Bothroyd has bags of skill but hasn't got a ferkin clue how to use it other than emulating weebles wobbling, Jansen is history, and as for Gally and Stead..... forget it.  They will never cut it in the Prem as loing as they have holes in their you know whats.  The pair of em have no pace whatsoever, no trickery, no first touch, no physical presence, no control, no aereal threat, no great shot, no vision, no goals .................. in fact Nothing!  Lower div players to be potted and replaced asap.

Hah....you prick.

It's one thing giving views to shock...it's another to talk crap unknowingly.

Please go away, racism nor teenage football talk is a topic of interest to people other than you. Cleverly, you combine the two, good luck with that.

Being a w***** isn't as easy to hide as pulling the covers over your head though. Shame.

Prick? Wannker? Talk crap!

Aren't you the chap that wants to see all the kids between Darwen and Manchester killed in car crashes. I would think that all that desribes you perfectly. What an immature tosser you are!

[SAS]

Terrible decision by the ref on the penalty.

I`m really dissapointed, as it is point lost.

I will say though, that pedersen really impressed me, he seemed to be everywhere and has good accuracy when passing.

[thenodrog]

Write Stead off? He was given a crap through ball but adjusted his balance to feed Johnson. The guy is class, just feed him properly and we've got a top striker on our hands.

Oh ffs!

[T4E]

I'm surprised at some of the reaction really. Taking it from the top -

We got just about what we deserved. We were pretty poor in the creative sense, solid as usual but we did absolutely nothing to warrant winning the game. A draw would've been a decent result based on how poor we were up front, and when you play that badly you always run the risk of taking a sucker punch. You can only blame yourselves when it happens.

As for Diouf, I find it hard to criticise him without feeling like a hypocrite. Yes it was a dive, but how many of us wouldn't have been claiming that had it been MGP at the other end? There's not many of us who would've slated him had he earned us a penalty that gave us 3 points. Every win in the Premier Leaue is worth a lot of money, and clubs will do everything they can to win, by any means necessary. Diving is a part of the game, we all know it, and none of us complained when Duffer used to do it.

Definite case of win some, lose some. The one plus side to it, is that it surely made it more evident than it ever has been to Hughes and Williams that they need to sign a decent striker and fast. There are 6 days left in the window, lets see what they come up with.

[dave birch]

"just feed him properly"......... Who had the spoon last season......... Andy Cole.....

[dave birch]

T4E, I don't think that it's just this particular incident that's affecting peoples perception of Diouf. You have to admit he has a "reputation".

MGP hasn't got that reputation ...yet..

Edited January 25, 2005 by dave birch

[waggy]

i'll talk about the game.so the team at my boys before we set off to the ground,why hughes likes betty boothroyd is beyond me,is there no one left at ewood that can tell hughes that stead and gally looked promising last season.

the game was a typical derby,savage should have followed flitcroft as being sent off 5 mins into his debut,i saw nothing last night to change my mind about him-but he has had a terrible month and most probably not match fit.

what nissa does wrong at ewood is beyond me,first sourness and now sparky pick inferior players to him.saying that i thought captian fantastic and mokena were very good.

tommo was inadequate for centre mid,we need to replace fergie with a better player,emerton was back to his worst=will he take a man on.

betty and gally were poor-stead and jj not much better,but i thought jj looked neat and tidy,he may well become our new matt jansen.

still a defeat is not critical-just a reminder that we are a long way from the finished product.cardiff here we come

[thenodrog]

The one plus side to it, is that it surely made it more evident than it ever has been to Hughes and Williams that they need to sign a decent striker and fast. There are 6 days left in the window, lets see what they come up with.

Nah your wrong there Toogs. Youv'e forgotten the awesome and 'classy' Bambi Stead who Le Chuck obviously sees as our saviour.

[Nayef]

Does anyone know Diouf's address? I know some people that know some people that could hurt him. And I'm in that sort of mood. PM me if you do.

[Flopsy]

I am studying at the Technology Innovation Centre [part of the university of central england] located at millenium point bimringham

the University is regardly very highly by industry and students leave with industry qualifications as part of their degree ie ccna ccnp

er no its not.

HA HA You go to brum polly, whats the matter Aston not want you?

Only joking, UCE has some good courses, such as Fine Art and Nursing.

[jim mk2]

Does anyone know Diouf's address? I know some people that know some people that could hurt him. And I'm in that sort of mood. PM me if you do.

Threatening violence ?

Um, is this legal ?

[The Producer]

The only way they'll cut out this kind of cheating is fining the club (v.unlikely) or, more realistically, banning for 3 games any player who dives and his team score from the resulting free-kick or penalty. This wouldn't be too much effort for the FA either as it would probably only mean watching 5 or so replays each weekend.

Observations on the game:

Can't believe Bothroyd has started falling over so easily given how strong he looked in his first couple of games. Someone should remove Heskey's phone number from his mobile. I thought he had real potential, but unfortunately he looks like becoming the new Nathan Blake, i.e. the odd moment to get your hopes up followed by weeks of underperformance.

Hope Spector still comes on loan as with our lack of creativity we need a left-back who can attack.

We can only sell Ferguson if we have another midfielder ready to come in as a replacement - any combination of Thommo, Savage & Flitcroft is far too short on composure on the ball and we cant play the long ball game with no attackers who can win a header.

We desperately need a forward. Gallagher would be fine if the rest of the team was playing really well when we go forward...but they're not, so we need someone with more cutting edge. Johnson looked ok, but obviously we can't rely on him either after 20 mins of experience.

[Howard Gayle RulesOK]

After a few post match scoops I walked past the Notlob team bus which was boarding with players.

They were winding up the fans by making diving gesticulations through the windows.

If it were back in the late 70's I would have bananas at them.

scum...scum...scum

am i reading this right? Please tell me ive got the wrong end of the stick.

[Nayef]

Does anyone know Diouf's address? I know some people that know some people that could hurt him. And I'm in that sort of mood. PM me if you do.

Threatening violence ?

Um, is this legal ?

Dive?

Was that legal?

[Pål Pot]

Still bloody angry with the result. However I'm thinking of changing my opinion on Diouf's dive. When I saw it live I thought: Oh no, a certain penalty. After some replays from different angles I got bloody angry with Diouf and also Mr. Bennett. Brad's hands didn't have any contact with Diouf and that was a blatant dive and should've been second yelllow card to Diouf.

Today my friend pointed out that Brad surely didn't touch Diouf with his hands, but it's his leg which clips Diouf's calf. That would explain fumbly falling by Diouf. I've viewed the incident couple of times now and I think my mate might be right. If you just clip someone's foot who is in the air will surely lost his rhytm and in the penalty area that has to be considered as a tackle.

I'd like to know what Bennett told Brad after he had blown his whistle.

[jim mk2]

Today my friend pointed out that Brad surely didn't touch Diouf with his hands, but it's his leg which clips Diouf's calf. That would explain fumbly falling by Diouf. I've viewed the incident couple of times now and I think my mate might be right.

Wrong. Look at it again.

There is no contact between Friedel and Diouf. What Diouf does, after he has gone past Friedel, is very cleverly put his right foot behind his left calf, causing him to trip up.

A nice piece of skill and one that he has obviously worked at in training.

[Nayef]

Despicable. I don't call myself Hitler or Stalin..

[RoyRover]

Neill has been utter garbage for about 2 seasons. All he does is foul, get booked, give free kicks away then hoof it down the line either a.) out of play or b.) give it to an opposing player.

He was probably our best player last night, sadly.

[T4E]

T4E, I don't think that it's just this particular incident that's affecting peoples perception of Diouf. You have to admit he has a "reputation".

MGP hasn't got that reputation ...yet..

Granted, but then its not the perception of Diouf that matters.

If people think that its only Diouf that would've done that then they are kidding themselves.

[Tony Diamond Inc]

Well, that was as bad as anything we've seen down at Ewood in the last few seasons. We were just inept today.

Ferguson didn't even make the bench which I guess means he'll be off soon. Good riddance to him. Savage replaced him in midfield and Bothroyd came in for the suspended Dickov. Otherwise it was the same team that played so badly against Cardiff. We managed to play worse tonight.

We just couldn't pass the ball. It's easy to say we missed Ferguson, and we definately did, but that doesn't excuse the amount of shocking passing that was on display today. Bolton, in contrast, kept the ball well in the first half but failed to threaten Friedel's goal. In fact, in what was possibly the dullest half of football I've seen for a long time, the only shot of note was a decent effort from Neill that their keeper did well to palm round the post.

The only other notable events in the half were bookings for Diouf and Savage. Half-time was a welcome relief.

The second half wasn't much better. Again, we couldn't pass the ball, we created nothing, and the game carried on in its scrappy, dull manner. We did at least defend fairly well and snuffed out what little threat Bolton possessed. Right up until they scored that is.

A good ball saw Diouf running clear one-on-one against Friedel. Friedel dived for the ball, missed, but also didn't make contact with the player either. Diouf ran on another pace and then fell as if a sniper had just taken him out from the back of the Riverside stand. Surely a sending off we all thought? But no, the ref thought differently and awarded Bolton the softest of penaltys.

We thought justice had been done when Friedel saved Diouf's spotkick but sadly the ball rebounded straight back to the theatrical gobber who finished clinically into the roof of the net.

We hadn't looked like scoring all night and this didn't change once we fell behind. Both Bothroyd and Gallagher had been replaced by Stead and Johnson early in the second half but nothing changed. The game petered out and Bolton got a completely undeserved three points.

Let's start at the front. Tonight Bothroyd put in one of the worst centre-forward performances it's ever been my misfortune to see from a Rovers player. He looked lazy, he didn't compete for a single ball, his first touch was pathetic, he didn't make a single run into space, and I can't remember him winning a header. He was simply disgraceful. Gallagher wasn't much better but at least he looked like he was trying. Stead came on and showed the first touch of a brick wall. Only JJ showed any sort of touch and quality on the ball - he could be a player that lad.

Our midfield worked hard but were terrible in possession. Savage put himself about, ran his socks off to close Bolton down, walked a tightrope with the referee, but didn't do anything spectacular with the ball. Thompson looked lost at times, he never has been, and he never will be, a central midfielder. He just doesn't have the necessary discipline, strength or passing ability.

Emerton looked dangerous but didn't supply many final balls. MGP didn't look dangerous and didn't supply any final balls. He did compete a lot better than he has in the past though.

Defensively we were sound, Todd stood out as usual, but both full-backs were awful going forward. Friedel was unlucky with the penalty and had nothing else to do.

All in all that was as bad as we've been under Hughes and we were back to relegation form. We need to replace Ferguson, we desperately need new forwards, and we need Dickov back.

I'm too angry to post a lengthy opinion to last night's game.

Fortunately this one sums up perfectly how I saw the game.

Jeez it's from Scotty, there must be something I disagree with

Oh there it is - Ferguson was "injured" last night, that's why he wasn't even n the bench.

BTW no replays needed for me, we were directly in line (CIS stand) with el diver, and it was one of the most clear cut decisions I've ever seen - given the wrong way!!!