[Archived] The FA Cup.Quarter Final Match Reaction

[roversmum]

Worrying news: clicky particularly

The 30-year-old has been absent for four games due to calf and knee blows, and is looking to put together a run of games as the season winds to a close.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo, please, nooooooooooooo

He needs to be eased in gently; give him a minute at the end of the Tottenham game

[mhead]

The win at Everton was perfect pre-Cup. I feel a steely resolve and we now need to pick the right team with Stead up front as well.

Hughesy only player to win Cup 4 times in the 20th Century.....and presumably James Southworth plus at least one other rover in 19th Century.

That's a cup tradition that made Uncle Jack want to do well.

1 -0 or 2-0 rovers.

[den]

Apparently Leicester have signed Aston Villas' Stefan Moore on loan and he could play against Rovers

Link

[USRoverME]

There's too much talk about semi-finals, even finals.  I'm as guilty as anyone.  On Sunday at Everton I talked about Cardiff, I spoke to Nuclearsox on the phone today and talked about Cardiff, and there's plently of talk on here about Cardiff.  We're not there yet.

I agree we are not there yet, and I know optimism is running high, but lets be real here. Supporters getting their hopes up and talking about the next round and the finals is a GOOD thing, not scary. We are playing well, we've got players who look up to it and shouldn't look past the game, what has anyone from the staff or squad done that's scary? I don't see it.

Now if hughes or the players start coming out and talkng about how nice Cardiff is this time of year... then I'll worry. Till then, I'm excited about the current form and looking forward to the match!

Edited March 11, 2005 by USRoverME

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Leicester fans seem to be pretty confident that they can get through to their first FA Cup semi-final for 23 years.

Back in 1982, Spurs played Leicester in a semi-final at Villa Park under somewhat unusual circumstances. The Falklands War had broken out the previous day which placed Ossie Ardiles in a slightly difficult position. He received a lot of abuse on the day from Leicester fans.

In the second half, Ardiles played his part in the opening goal of the match - crossing the ball for Garth Crooks to smash in a powerful volley. A Leicester own goal later in the match made the final score Spurs 2 Leicester 0. It turned out to be Ossie's last game for Spurs that season - he wouldn't be there for the Wembley final against QPR.

Leicester were helped into the semi-final that year by a young local lad with pace and a keen eye for a goal - Gary Lineker.

Earlier this year Mr Lineker had a road in Leicester named after him, near to the club's old Filbert Street ground, after topping a supporters poll. The Foxes may have had the two best keepers in English history playing for them between the sticks - Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton - but Lineker seems to be held in greatest affection among Leicester's fans.

Gary will obviously be a partisan observer on Sunday, as he introduces the action on the Beeb, but I get the feeling that since his old pal Sparky was appointed as our manager, Gary has treated Rovers with a little more respect than before.

In 1991, Don Mackay made a bid for Gary - who made it clear that he wasn't interested in a move to Ewood. Lineker thought it was a publicity stunt by Rovers. Not long afterwards, Kenny took over as manager and it was clear to everyone that the bid for Lineker had been a totally genuine one.

A Lineker/Speedie partnership that season would have been interesting. It would also have meant that after signing Shearer in 1992, we would have had the two finest English strikers of the past 25 years wearing the Rovers shirt.

I didn't see the episode of "They Think It's All Over" in 1999, where apparently, according to our Jim, Lineker gloated over the fact that we'd been relegated. Perhaps Gary, like a lot of other Leicester fans, had a grudge against us over our promotion win at Wembley.

He may also have regretted his comments about Blackburn being a "small club" when we went on to win the title. I remember watching Football Focus in the summer of 1992, when Lineker made some slightly derogatory comments about Rovers. He said that he was surprised that Shearer had chosen Blackburn because we were a small club like Southampton.

Perhaps Gary was still trying to justify the fact that he'd turned down a move to Ewood.

In 1986, Lineker and Hughes became team mates at the Nou Camp under Venables. Sparky initially found it difficult to adjust to life abroad, becoming a bit homesick. Gary and his pretty wife Michelle helped to make his stay in Spain a more comfortable one by regularly inviting the young Welshman (only 23 and still single at the time) out for dinner in the Catalan city.

The two strikers became good friends and have remained so since. It's fair to assume that should Rovers beat Leicester, then Lineker will be hoping Sparky goes all the way and wins the competition.

Our FA Cup tie with Leicester represents Rovers' best chance of reaching the last four since playing Sheffield United in 1993. Back then we drew 0-0 at home, before losing the replay at Brammal Lane on penalties after a 2-2 draw. A frustrating result, because we beat Sheffield United twice in the League that season (1-0 at home and 3-1 away.)

Rovers reached the quarter-final again in 2001, but realistically against Arsenal at Highbury it was always going to be an uphill battle, with ourselves as the firm underdogs. Leicester, with Robbie Savage in the side, also reached the quarter-final that year, surprisingly losing 2-1 at home to Wycombe.

Leicester have not won a match at Ewood since the last day of the season in 1996/97, when the much maligned Emile Heskey scored twice in a 4-2 Leicester win.

Rovers will reach the semi-final for the first time since 1960 if we can overcome Leicester. It's a massive game for us and one that we're capable of winning.

Leicester obviously shouldn't be underestimated though, and I think it will be a keenly fought battle between the two sides, with perhaps not more than one goal settling the match. A return to Cardiff, where we first started our cup adventure, beckons. But Leicester may prove to be a tough side, hard to break down on Sunday.

Hughes himself says: "We know how Leicester like to play and I expect a very hard physical game."

I'll go for: Rovers 1 Leicester 0.

Mark "Preston are a bigger club than Blackburn" Lawrenson has also gone for a narrow Rovers victory. I hope that's not a bad omen...

A link to Lawro's quarter-final cup predictions is below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/4336129.stm

[SuperStella]

<< Stead's up for it >>

[1864roverite]

any news on the ticket sales ?

[CAPT KAYOS]

any news on the ticket sales ?

Yep .... still on sale

Well this 'll flummax you all

Rovers 4 v Speedie haters 1

Feel more confident about this than I did with the Burnley game

[LeftWinger]

Apparently Leicester have signed Aston Villas' Stefan Moore on loan and he could play against Rovers

Link

Career stats of 17 starts, 23 sub appearances and 2 goals. Didn't even score while on loan at Millwall or Chesterfield. Suppose that means he'll get a hat trick on SUnday now.

[berkshireblue]

A Rovers Win...

2 - 0 Stead and Reid would do nicely....

Have we shifted more than 12,000 tickets yet? I see the office is open Sunday do you still have to be on the database or will I have East Midland muppets sat near me?

Either way a Rovers win and Wanky W's in the semi with NUFC v MUFC in the other my prediction...

[American]

I remember seeing something a year or 2 back that Leicester City FC was going to change their name to Leicester Fosse. What ever happened with that?

[Philly Rover ®]

Apparently Leicester have signed Aston Villas' Stefan Moore on loan and he could play against Rovers

Link

Do Villa have a problem with Rovers or something? In the build-up to the Burnley match they loaned Peter Whittingham to the Dingles... now that Rovers have advanced to play Leicester, Stefan Moore joins the Foxes on loan. Why do they seem to want us out of the FA Cup?

[truefox]

hi,lads and lasses.

being a foxes fan,i thought i would give you my opinion.

I think it will be a quite an entertaining game,leicester have changed there style of football from hoofers to more of a passing game,and create a lot more chances.

last saturday,was gut wrenching to lose to forest in the manner we did,we had 19 chances to there 6,but the inability to find the net is a big concern,as it has all season.

this sunday will depend on a few points.

1. how blackburn approach the game,complacency could be a big issue.

2.with 7,000 fans making the journey,this will fire leicester up.

3.discipline,sav and dickov will be definately be up for it,but could they lose their cool.

4. chances;leicester will get chances,but if they fail to put them away,the game may be over by halftime.

i notice a lot of you are going 2-0,which is no surprise,as you are worthy favs,but hey its an f.a.cup,and everybody likes the underdog.

whatever happens,i am just pleased to get this far,as our season has been dreadfull,and staying up is priority.

[cn_barlow]

i actually think that chances will be hard to come by for both teams, but still think we'll win.....very nervous though!

As for Savage and Dickov, they might not get the chance to lose their cool!teamtalk

[truefox]

i hope dickov and savage,do not play,playing against the their old team and all that.

just a quick word on the 1992 playoff final,me personally have no grudge to grind,you were the better team and deserved to win.

as for the penalty,there appeared to be minimal contact with walsh and speedie,but speedie is like shearer,very clever in decieving the referee.

and i for one,would have not complained if we had a penalty like that.

[Ben-2000]

Wait for the chants of 'Speedie, Speedie' on sunday hehe

[roversWASmylife]

Blackburn v Leicester

Hughes focuses on Leicester test

I think the danger to face from Leicester is on set pieces. As we are the 'bully boys' if we can match them for the physical side of the game, like we did against Burnley.

With our current form I'm still confident of going to Cardiff.

[colin]

just a quick word on the 1992 playoff final,me personally have no grudge to grind,you were the better team and deserved to win.

Blimey,

You are obviously not a Rovers' supporter. We would still be bearing a grudge big time.

You should ask about Derek Dougan and the 1960 Cup Final if you want to know about us and grudges. 45 years old and still going strong.

Anyway, all the best for Sunday. Hope you have a nightmare.

[philipl]

Away wins for Leicester at Reading and Charlton make them look very handy opponents. We have never beaten Leicester in the FA Cup.

I remain very apprehensive about this game. I have a feeling there is going to be an upset. Moore is a more than useful acquisition for the Foxes.

On a happier note, Dickov dreaming in the Independent.

Dickov Fox hunting in the Guardian

Edited March 12, 2005 by philipl

[Bobby G]

Everyone seems to be looking too far ahead,myself included.

There is almost a sense of inevitability that we might lose, or at least draw and lose in the replay.

[McClarky]

whatever happens,i am just pleased to get this far,as our season has been dreadfull,and staying up is priority.

How is Levein doing at Leicester? I have always rated him as a player and as a manager. He did really well at Hearts bearing in mind all the turmoil they were in when he was there. They also gave a couple of really good performances in Europe which shows he had them well organised.

I think if you give him a decent chance he'll do the business for you. Hopefully this won't start tomorrow though eh!

[BRFC4EVA]

Anymore ticket sales updates? And yes before you ask, i have already bought a ticket!

[waggy]

i bought 4 hounded 6 more into going so there are 10 off us singing

[cn_barlow]

i rang up this morning for my tickets and got straight through so im guessing there's not much demand.

[ABBEY]

i hope dickov and savage,do not play,playing against the their old team and all that.

just a quick word on the 1992 playoff final,me personally have no grudge to grind,you were the better team and deserved to win.

as for the penalty,there appeared to be minimal contact with walsh and speedie,but speedie is like shearer,very clever in decieving the referee.

and i for one,would have not complained if we had a penalty like that.

still cant believe i leaned out of the minibus at 70 mph and got a beer off a van of leicester fans....if me mam had seen me lol