Anti-rovers Setiment

[Modi]

Watched the Jimmy Hill programme on Sky and unsurprisingly our tactics were slated. To be fair to Jimmy, he did defend Todd saying that was accidental.

However, what amused/dismayed me was one of the guests manipulating reality to back up his point. He said the Arsenal fans gasped at the Todd incident. They didn't, they gasped about 2 mins later when there was a replay on the big screen. He also said that Nigel Worthington criticised our style of play but conveniently forgot to mention that was before the match and we played the off the park.

[James No. 7]

Hughes hits back:

However, Blackburn boss Mark Hughes immediately hit back, claiming Arsenal were guilty of time-wasting and that Patrick Vieira must "be a bit more robust".

When told of Wenger's obvious frustration on the touchline, he insisted: "Because of the way we try to compete? I don't think we need to be criticised for that.

"We had a game-plan to try to compete and that's what we did. If you want to criticise us for our approach, then you will do. Maybe he was just upset by Arsenal's time-wasting."

As for Vieira, Hughes added: "He is a big player and a big man. At times, he has to expect that people will compete against him. Maybe he has to be a bit more robust to resist tackles."

http://www.football365.com/news/story_149781.shtml

[RoyRover]

As I have said in the FA Cup topic, I thought that yesterday we went beyond being a physical team and just looked like a dirty side. I haven't minded the way we have been playing, because it has been effective and within the rules of the game. But some players went overboard and even though at times the Arsenal players went down easily, there were lots of cheap tackles that have gone some way to recieving these comments from pundits and fans. However, some of the things that have been said are total bo**ocks. I mean, what does a Wigan fan know about the Premiership? Rodney Marsh is a moron and I wouldn't be too bothered about what he has to say. The media have never liked Rovers after they won the league and they will just jump on what happened yesterday to ridicule Rovers even more.

Edited April 17, 2005 by RoyRover

[jim mk2]

Listening to Talksport in the car on the way home was depressing but not as depressing as the match itself.

Let's face it: Rovers were poor and let the club and the fans down on a big occasion.

My only observation on the team:

What did Dickov do to justify staying on the field for 90 minutes ?

I'm fed up of watching him 1) falling over the ball 2) miskicking it on the few occasions he has it at his feet 3) arguing with referees 4) winding up opponents 5) being generally useless.

If he is at the club next season it must be only as third or fourth choice striker.

[Wild Irish Rover]

Jim, just get a grip will you? It was a good day out, we lost and no-one likes us - but no one ever did...

For me, it was enough to have got to the Semi-Finals of the greatest cup competition in the world and to have spent a good day out with 17500 likeminded one-eyed fans from oop north who wouldn't know a cultured pass if it was served up to them on a silver platter by the boot of the one and only Camilla parkyer bowels...

And roll on Palace - or more pertinently, roll off the edge of the table when we hammer you on Wednesday evening.

BLAH BLAH BLAH Jim

[RovertheHill]

Funny how the facts go out of the window. Like the fact that Robert Pires on his way down running with Neill kicked out at him, kicking him in the crown jewels. Like the fact that Reyes swung an elbow when he was dispossessed. Like the fact that 10 minutes after the 45 pass session from Arsenal, Sky showed the possession for that 10 minutes - it was 70% Rovers and 30% Arsenal. Overall, I thought for 40 minutes in the first half we were not bad at all - although frankly Dickov isn't up to the lone striker role.

Interestingly, in the NOTW the ratings for Arsenal are aren't that much higher than Rovers, which doesn't match the copy which slates Rovers. Hmmm, not like the papers to be inconsistent

[Eddie]

Also just should add that over here in France the papers have taken to us and given us some nice reviews. They like an underdog, and have liked our recent form as well as the battling spirit we have. They feel it typifies the British style of football, and although not always pretty makes for interesting and physical encounters well worth watching. They thought the scoreline was undeserved, and that despite the fact that Arsenal had more of the chances and kept the ball well they probably actually never really did enough to say that they deserved to win.

[roversmum]

To be fair, despite the expected Arsenal worshipping, the Observer report here did say:

Arsenal were not blameless, sometimes going down too easily and looking for a free-kick from every tackle.

and

The fans who stayed away showed good judgment, for those present were short-changed. Just what you need, when you have braved the M4, put up with Cardiff's rip-off hotel prices and been deafened by a speak-your-weight stadium announcer wittering on incessantly, is a dull contest between hackers and play-actors.

I feel a lot better this morning - in spite of everything it was a cracking day, and looking forward to the next few games. At least the negative reporting from the hacks will hopefully shut up those who put Hughes' name forward for any random managerial vacancy that occurs and inspire him and the backroom lads (not that they need it!) to provide us with an entertaining and positive season 2005/2006!

[Hasta]

At least Goals On Sunday haven't made a big fuss over it. They genereally said there were some bad tackles - they got booked for them - get on with it.

[Krillin]

I'm begining to wish we hadn't got to Cardiff. The relentless negative publicity that is being generated by all aspects of yesterdays game is going to set the club back years.

Whilst not wishing we hadn't gone, I think this game came twelve months too soon for us.

I would like to have played this game following a summer of Sparky's improvements to the team and, if they prove to be as effective as the work done on the defence so far, I am certain that we would have a much more favourable result.

Alan Green was giving it the usual twaddle on 5Live, and said that it was good for football that The Rovers would not be in the Final.

He papped on about our 'style of play' (which is very similar to the style adopted by Everton and Bolton both of whom he seems to think have done very well this season).

Much of the current criticism stems from the comments by Mourinho following a more difficult than expected game at Ewood (in which Chelsea were as much sinners as sinned against).

Green is always one to adopt the Emperor's new clothes, and Mourinho does know what he's talking about after all............

The sad thing about Green is his willingness to make sweeping, self opinionated statements ('I speak my mind, me') only to back down under the slightest challenge.

He's like the bloke in the pub from the Fast Show.

The beginning of the program had all Blackburn fans 'hanging their heads in shame' and our team being 'a bunch of thugs'.

Halfway through the program, following calls from a couple of Rovers, we were fantastic fans who outsung Arsenal, had a decent turnout considering, and were playing an effective style given the options open to us.

A couple more Arsenal callers and we were back to being a disgrace and should not be let anywhere near the Final.

Personally, I think we have done exceptionally well this season. I would have been very disbelieving had someone promised me an FA Cup Semi Final and Premiership Security during our last games under Souness.

[Simon Says]

Well having scanned the morning press we seem to have few admirers. Still who cares about the over inflated opinions of people like McCarthy, Collins, Barclay etc etc.

However, watch out for the double standards that will surely follow from these people who apparently have the “good image of the game” in mind.

If Man U beat Newcastle today the same journalists who are criticising us today will soon be revelling in “Judgement Day” Part 108, Wegner v Fergie, (will they shake hands, will they have a drink together afterwards) Viera V Keane (“lets hope for fireworks there”) and all sorts of other sub plots that they will hype up in the build up to the final.

All for the good of the game of course.

[Flopsy]

Hey I met Jesus Christ outside the pub yesterday - who cares about the football

[RoverinBath]

What sickens me more is if it were Wigan, or Millwall, or somebody like Yeading who set out to stop Arsenal playing, they would have been roundly congratulated for their resolute defending.

No mention of the play acting, no mention of Vieira (so-called best midfielder in the world) going down like Emile Heskey roller-skating on an ice rink and no mention of the several large periods of the game where Blackburn dominated possession. Unfortunately, yesterday we were ineffective in front of goal. Had Dickov enjoyed more luck up front, the papers would have been singing entirely different tunes.

It's the lesser of three evils for the cup now...

Arsenal: cheating diving frenchies

Newcastle: Who wants Souness to win anything?

Man Utd: do we really need a reason?

Ok, there is no lesser of the evils. Let's just scrap the cup this year and start afresh in September.

[modes98]

The people article really really annoyed me and papers calling us a disgrace does aswell. When bolton do it they get branded clever and playing to their strengths but we do it with some of our "dirty" players and we're really awful

If you take the first 15mins we were the only team playing football arsenal hadn't even turned up. So how they can say we didn't play football is beyond me. It's ruined what was a great day out(except losing of course). Thinking about writing a email to the FA in respect to clear media bias against us and the probable effect it will have over future refs of our games.

[philipl]

Hey I met Jesus Christ outside the pub yesterday - who cares about the football

Nice.

So who have you put your money on for the next Pope and why is St john such a crap pundit?

[americanrover]

it seems clear pundits just want to sell themselves to the Top 5 (maybe not Bolton). whay ever happened to the time we were in their good graces when diouf had his dive for a penalty.

[DaveyB]

The reason for the negative stuff against us is clear from the people atricle:

Now we have the opportunity of the final the whole country relishes, Arsenal versus Manchester United on May 21.

They all want a Utd - Arsenal final so that they can churn out the usual tired old drivel instead of having to actually bother thinking of something new to write!!

(Incidentally, how they can say that that is the final that the whole country wants is beyond me. The number of Utd fans is surely outnumbered by the number of ABU's and I would imagine that the same is true of Arsenal as well!)

I was at a wedding yesterday and so had the misfortune of having to listen to the game on 5-Live. The absolute bias throughout the match commentary was typified by the comment "What we really need now is for Arsenal to score" about 30 seconds before their first goal.

How a supposedly neutral commentator (paid for by mine and yours License fee incidentally!!) can be so openly willing one team to score is beyond me.

One more thing that got me - in pointing out all our bad challenges, both on the radio and on MOTD last night, they seemed to miss the challenge from Viera on Reid, a tackle from behind on the edge of the box, a clear booking if ever I saw one. And (just MOTD) there was nothing said about the worst tackle of the day - Nigel Quasie on Darius Vassell from the Southampton - Villa game. It would appear that unless you play for Rovers you are incapable of committing a bad tackle!!

Edited April 17, 2005 by DaveyB

[broadsword]

Thought it was ironic that Wenger slated our approach to the game ... this is a guy who has managed the Premiership team with the worst discipllinary record ever.

They don't like it when they can't have it all their way, do they?

[americanrover]

how dare you criticze wenger without taking it through SAF first

[RevidgeBlue]

Quote from the PeopleBut look at every single Blackburn player and ask yourself: Where's the flair? Where's the imagination?

Where's the flair?

Ask Graeme bloody Souness thankfully 2-0 down v ManUre and heading for a drubbing.

(Can't believe I would ever watch a ManUre v Newcastle game hoping for the Red Scum to win.)

[Alan75]

Quote from the PeopleBut look at every single Blackburn player and ask yourself: Where's the flair? Where's the imagination?

Where's the flair?

Ask Graeme bloody Souness thankfully 2-0 down v ManUre and heading for a drubbing.

(Can't believe I would ever watch a ManUre v Newcastle game hoping for the Red Scum to win.)

Rev, I think I said it further back in this topic.

Any talented ball player that the club had was either sold or given away due to the previous managers personal ego or habit of wanting to play the transfer market, like some poker game.

Cant believe Im supporting Man U, at the moment.

[RevidgeBlue]

There was one cracking call into Talksport yesterday.

Rodney Marsh (who to be fair had given Hughes some qualified support) was bleating on about what a great final Man Ure v Arsenal would be and how the whole nation wanted this dream final etc. etc.

Someone rang in disagreeing saying that everyone was sick of ManUre and

arsenal and no neutrals wanted to watch a match between Arsenal,who writhe about in agony everytime anyone goes near them and ManUre, who swamp the referee everytime a throw in decision goes against them.

Unsurprisingly this call was met with a "don't know what he's talking about" attitude from the presenters.

It had me banging the car dashboard in approval though.

[philipl]

Just out of interest, does anyone expect Man U to alter their usual approach to playing Arsenal?

They always kick the living daylights out of them because they cannot cope with the skill of Wenger's sides either.

[JAL]

Just seen the TV pictures of some of the challenges we did and it does not look good in fact they are indefensible and Andy Todd is a disgrace ........... you cant excuse that sort of behaviour.

Van Persie has took the Micheal out of Todd on two consecutive occassions now scoring three goals in the process and Todd has been shown up each time. The club have got to take action to cut that sort of behaviour out. Todd knew exactly what he was doing.

The criticism coming our way has only been brought on by ourselves so we have to correct it.

[greggyk]

Dont get to fussed about it guys n girls. Nobody will remember it after wednesdays games.

And no way did Todd mean to elbow him. And even if he did...........who gives a ######. I would have punched the little bender after his camp celebration at ewood.

'IM ROVERS TILL I DIE, O IM ROVERS TILL I DIE, I KNOW I AM, IM SURE I AM, IM ROVERS TILL I DIE!'