[Archived] Rovers 3-0 Saints

[Claytons Left Boot]

.....and why wasn't the stadium finished - 3/4 looks the business, while the other stand looks like it's been borrowed from Acrington Stanley!

That from a fan whose team played at The Dell for just over 100 years. Always enjoyed going there but it was about on a par with Pleasington Playing Fields.

[thenodrog]

Stead needs to be less greedy and try to set his team mates up rather than continually having half-arsed shots from either distance or unlikely angles. He telegraphs his intention to every keeper.  Yesterday in a 4 against 2 attack in the second half and with 3 team mates better positioned he attempted a shot from a stupid angle.

Sounds daft advice but if he does play for others more he will end up scoring more himself.

We were 3-0 up with 10 minutes to go. So what, the lad wanted a goal himself so he was selfish. We'd already won the game.

Your constant criticism of Stead is starting to sound ridiculous.

I've nothing against Stead, I do recognise that he is of somewhat limited ability for Premiership level though. Never mind 10 minutes / wanting a goal himself etc he is first and foremost a professional football player and needs to start thinking like one. If he can master that then who knows he might suddenly find himself playing like one.

[RevidgeBlue]

I've nothing against Stead, I do recognise that he is of somewhat limited ability for Premiership level though.

Not anywhere near as limited as Dickov who yet again was very poor yeterday IMO.

His sole worthwhile contribution was doing very well to keep the ball in play in the 91st minute.

Stead played far better at Goodison and Anfield than Dickov has for several months now.

Yet all the more senior player has to do is run around ferociously for most of the match and can do no wrong in many people's eyes

[Paul]

Yet all the more senior player has to do is run around ferociously for most of the match and can do no wrong in many people's eyes

Very true. He did nothing yesterday and I'm sure Stead would have scored given 90 minutes or even the 25 I was expecting when he started to warm up.

[Paul]

Just thinking to myself the other day about the Prem and just what is there to attract new supporters? ....................................This may be a suprising time to say this when we have virtually seen off the spectre of relegation and are in the SF's next week but I do feel that we are drifting aimlessly through a self created vacuum which each season is becoming increasingly soul-destroying and pointless. 

On the nail. I couldn't agree more. Our game lacks any sort of real competition, is quietly dieing on its feet and by the time the PL and the FA wake up to the problem it will be too late. Just watch the season tickets and attendances drop again next year. Over-priced, over-hyped and over-exposed but as long as the sponsors keep pouring in the cash nothing will change.

[thenodrog]

I've nothing against Stead, I do recognise that he is of somewhat limited ability for Premiership level though.

Not anywhere near as limited as Dickov who yet again was very poor yeterday IMO.

His sole worthwhile contribution was doing very well to keep the ball in play in the 91st minute.

Stead played far better at Goodison and Anfield than Dickov has for several months now.

Yet all the more senior player has to do is run around ferociously for most of the match and can do no wrong in many people's eyes

Including Mark Hughes eyes Rev!

I too cannot deny Dickov was poor yesterday but his goal tally and Hughes

continuing faith in him has proved that he is our No 1 striker. Crikey Rev neither Stead nor anyone else on the books is even close. Just speculation I know but if Dickov had been injured and put out for the season in August then I am sure we would still be down with the dead men and still embroiled in a full scale relegation battle.

[Flopsy]

just watched the Real v Barca game

Wow

Owen and Beckham were fantastic

[bellamy11]

just watched the Real v Barca game

Wow

Owen and Beckham were fantastic

Not really on topic is it?

[Flopsy]

dont care it was a great game - shows how dull a lot of the prem is

[yawnsie]

What was the score?

Never mind, found it out.

Edited April 10, 2005 by yawnsie

[robbojohnno]

dont care it was a great game - shows how dull a lot of the prem is

if your that bothered about la liga then go make a topic and talk to yourself about it. where here to talk about rovers!

[Flopsy]

dont push it oik.

I was trying to make the point that the game I just watched is why i love football - open attractive flowing football - something lacking from the premiership and especially Rovers

[Bing]

Fantastic game of attacking football.

If watching, Hughesy and Mark Bowen would have been horrified at some of the defending on show though!

[americanrover]

yep and a point you can make is La Liga prides itself on being open and more defensive then the good ole EPL

[Hasta]

In all the euphoria of an excellent win and performance in the Premier Leagueyesterday let us not forget -

The Gap Is Closing !

PMSL

[1864roverite]

Something, apart from the in house bickering ! went unnoticed in the run up to the match.

The atmosphere created by the club.

We were treated to a louder than usual musical intro, cant think of the song but it was brilliant and then it was followed by the montage of Rovers goals and finished of with a rendition of Jeff Waynes War of the Worlds which is a piece of the most classical music ever.

It really got me into the mode as I was half expecting a bit of a dull and drab match.

Got to give it to the presenter of the music, he did his bit. Hope for something similar for the next home game.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Just thinking to myself the other day about the Prem and just what is there to attract new supporters? ....................................This may be a suprising time to say this when we have virtually seen off the spectre of relegation and are in the SF's next week but I do feel that we are drifting aimlessly through a self created vacuum which each season is becoming increasingly soul-destroying and pointless.  

On the nail. I couldn't agree more. Our game lacks any sort of real competition, is quietly dieing on its feet and by the time the PL and the FA wake up to the problem it will be too late. Just watch the season tickets and attendances drop again next year. Over-priced, over-hyped and over-exposed but as long as the sponsors keep pouring in the cash nothing will change.

If you can chaps, get hold of a copy of the Sunday Mirror from yesterday - there's a good article along the same lines.

In addition there's another small snippett about the FA getting egg on their faces next week re the S/F and a half empty stadium for our game.

[Montfort]

I know it has really already been said but I just cant resist adding abit.

Really excellent performance and a very enjoyable afternoon. The postings from Scotty and blue blood just about sum up the way I saw the game.

There are a few points that are worth reiterating.

There has a lot of debate about Neill but there wont be much in the future with performances like this.

There have been doubts about Matteo but I thought he had an excellent game.

Mokoana has a reputation as a defensive midfielder but his attacking potential - passing- was a relavation.

Steven Reid it is not just a question of whether he deserves his place anymore but rather that he is becoming a very important player for Rovers. i wasn't surprised when he got his goal and think he could get alot more. His energy and speed when making forward runs is amazing.

MPG's goal. i didnt think he could control it initially, I then thought he had pushed the ball to far forward and could'nt catch it and didn't think he could get it in from that angle.

[colbert]

very satisfying result, especially with next week's game..... cant quiet remember who it's against though..

[RevidgeBlue]

Just thinking to myself the other day about the Prem and just what is there to attract new supporters? The league is flacid and uninspirational.

I wouldn't say the the footballing bubble has quite burst tnr and Paul but it definitely has a slow puncture. (For many of the reasons you've mentioned.)

Having by far the smallest geographical fan base this impacts on us harder than "Bigger" clubs.

Read somewhere over the weekend that the Taylor report recommended at the time that a fair price for a ticket in an all seater stadium would be five or six quid.

Allowing for inflation that would be ten or eleven quid.

That said, if we'd played the whole season under Hughes and his backroom staff and in current form, would any of us be bemoaning the state of the game in general?

I think not!

[den]

I think this season has seen the biggest turn around in a teams performances, that I've ever seen.

We've gone from being undeniably the worst defensive side in the division, to arguably the best. Don't think I've ever seen that happen before. A lot of credit has to go to hughes, the coaches and the players.

If I had to put forward one reason for that happening, it would have to be the performances of Mokoena in that holding role. Without him doing that job, as well as he has, we wouldn't have been as good. Part of that is down to Hughes and part of it to luck. After all, he was bought as a centre half and wasn't quite good enough there. He was moved to his present position partly as a result of us not being able to field two effective strikers.

[streakyb]

After all, he was bought as a centre half and wasn't quite good enough there. He was moved to his present position partly as a result of us not being able to field two effective strikers.

Was he bought as a centre half or is this were Hughes saw him playing. Yes he may have been a centre half at previous clubs but perhaps Hughes bought him to play in the holding role.

[BRFC4EVA]

Another excellent result against a team around us. Thats twice in 2 games against norwich and saints that we have been questioning the result and whether we could score. In reality we have done the business yet again and enough to keep us in the prem next yr. With another striker or 2 with this defense really could make for a exciting season next yr. Still thats for later, as we move onto the cup. C'mon Rovers!!

I think that the team should be the same as today against arse but with emo in for thommo, who i think needs a good pre-season under his belt

[The Producer]

After all, he was bought as a centre half and wasn't quite good enough there. He was moved to his present position partly as a result of us not being able to field two effective strikers.

Was he bought as a centre half or is this were Hughes saw him playing. Yes he may have been a centre half at previous clubs but perhaps Hughes bought him to play in the holding role.

I remember a report when we bought him saying that he could play either centre-back or centre midfield, so think we should give Hughes the benefit of the doubt!

[RevidgeBlue]

Hopefully Saturday's match provided a few selection headaches of the right kind for Mark Hughes ahead of Saturday's semi final. BTW we've been grinding out results but Saturday's second half was the first passage of REALLY ENJOYABLE FOOTBALL AT EWOOD for a long long time. Let's keep it up!.

I thought Thompson was again completely lost even prior to his injury. By contrast when he came on Emerton put in his first really worthwhile shift in a Rovers shirt since the opening day of last season against Wolves. Amazing what the prospect of a Cup semi final can do to your performance level. On that form he'd be a real threat.

Similarly in the middle Tugay was sensational when he came on, the player of two or three seasons ago albeit against a beaten and demoralised side.

On the basis that you need to find something a bit special when you play a team like the Arse, do you give Tugay the nod? Alongside him a fully fit Savage as opposed to Flitcroft is a no brainer but do you risk throwing the former straight in after a prolonged absence? Reid must be one of the first names on the team sheet in his current form and was my mom on Saturday.

Personally I tend towards the view that Mokoena is so effective in

the defensive midfield role, playing the far less influential Flitcroft in a similar role is surplus to requirements. Could you even say the same to a lesser degree about Savage?

Up front Stead has looked far livelier and likely to find the net than Dickov in recent weeks. Will he be given a fair chance on Saturday?

Quite nice questions to ponder all in all after the last couple of seasons.