[Archived] Birmingham V Rovers

[colin]

Rather Than The Usual “What’s The Score Going To Be?” I Thought I’d Organise A Quick Look At Five Players Who Have Recently Moved Between St Andrews And Ewood Park.

Ta to Stuart for doing this.

At Number 5

Well if you’d had the chance to put your face in Jordan’s cleavage and go “wubble wubble wubble wubble wubble” you’d probably be walking around wearing a smile like the Cheshire Cat.

What did Dwight do in his last few months at Ewood? He had a little wander up and down, checked the pitch for divots, said hello to a few opposition players, and generally chilled-out.

So is there a rational explanation for Steve Bruce taking him off our books?

I think it was 10 to midnight on transfer deadline Brucey had just heard that Mikael Forsell was going to be out for the season and Clinton Morrison had picked up a knock which was going to leave us with only fit striker….so what do we do? The answer was to call Yorkie on his mobile just as he was about to sign for Celtic and convince him to sign for the Blues instead.

There were mixed feelings amongst Bluenoses given his past at Vile Park but we were willing to give him a chance – he didn’t have too bad a start scoring on his debut and then getting another against Newcastle. However it all went a bit pear shaped when he wasn’t getting a start and David Sullivan failed to back him after the racial abuse he received at Ewood.

He has agreed this week to move Down Under and to play in the A-League and to have his contract cancelled.

At Number 4

Quite a few of us thought that this lad was a decent prospect, a bit prone to loosing his rag, but out he went in one of Souness’ purges. How is Damien Johnson doing these days?

DJ arrived when we were still in the first division – I think he cost us £200k or something like that and was the first of the many ex-rovers we’ve signed. Primarily he has played on the right hand side of midfield but in recent months he has been pressed into a more central midfield role where he has produced some outstanding displays against Roy Keane and Steven Gerard to name two. He is still a bit prone to the odd needless booking and has been sent off once this season. His battle against the blonde tart that plays in your midfield should be one to look out for and I think it will be a toss up who booked first.

Can’t remember too many times that he has been left out when available one of Brucey’s favourite players.

At Number 3

He can clear the autumn leaves from your gutter without using a ladder. He started out as a very promising youngster, and then went downhill. Even the legendary Drill Sergeant Souness couldn’t put any backbone into him. Has Martin “Tiny” Taylor got himself sorted out yet?

Rumour has it he is off the Glasgow Rangers in the summer don’t think he will be missed. Was brought as cover when Matty Upson was injured however with Matty back and King Kenny outstanding he has found it impossible to get in the team.

At Number 2

The enigma that is known as David Dunn. Local Blackburn hero, astonishing talent, showboater, moaner, and hamstrings made out of un-cooked spaghetti.

Dunny makes us tick when he is fit sadly his appearances have been fleeting because of his hamstring. He has just had a back operation which it is hoped will resolve the problem. Has to be flat out on his back for the next weeks which is a bit of a worry with his liking of pies and the odd drink – however remarkably he has lost 1½stone. Fingers crossed he will be sorted out once and for all and he can fulfil his undoubted potential. Hopefully the imminent arrival of baby Dunn with partner Sammy Winward will be a settling influence and curtail his legendary nights out before big games……

At Number 1

…….pulls pin, …..counts to six, …..lobs the name “Robbie Savage” into the arena.

It will be interesting to see whether has got the bottle to show his face on Saturday after the way he departed. If he does the reception will be hostile to say the least and I’m sure he will get a kicking and will be wound up beyond belief.

Over the 2½ seasons that he was with us he was a hero and was never out of the spotlight which was good for us and for him. However with all the “will he stay” or “will he go farce” that went on he was becoming a bit of a joke and was harming the club, so £3.1m was a good deal for a 30 year old whose better days are behind him.

There are all sorts of rumours flying around why he wanted to move and not sure what the real reason was - but I don’t think we will too far away if we said money.

Eddie's contribution to follow shortly

[robbojohnno]

Great Preview Colin.

[americanrover]

this will be intersting once eddie contrubtion comes up. good work colin.

[Alex Rover]

this will be intersting once eddie contrubtion comes up.

God save us.

[Radagast]

I'm waiting patiently for Gold or Sullivan to make some wankhandled comment about Savage should be happy now that he's playing in such a dirty team. Mark my words. We have to finish above thse deluded morons.

[philipl]

0-0 draw.

The really ugly one was at the Hawthorns looking bored tonight. Don't think he will mave learnt anything to tell his blue nosed underlings.

Wonder if there will be a bunfight in the Boardroom.

[1864roverite]

I just fancy a Rovers win, we have the better record in recent years at this ground.

Brum are going to be at it hammer and tongues just simply because of the Savage factor. The hype surrounding that alone may just put them off the game.

I forsee at least one sending off of a brum player just as its likely Savage will go if he gets that wound up.

[Jim J]

I see you've chosen claret for the replies Colin, was that intentional?

0-0 draw, both teams reduced to 8 men through injuries and red cards.

[Gareth]

I'm expecting a draw, prob 1-1.

Also expecting a certain midfielder with long blonde hair to get a fantastic reception off the home fans.

[SuperStella]

From bluesmad: -

Darren Porter, Blues representative on Sky Sports fanzone, gives us his take ahead of this weekends match against Blackburn Rovers.

Picture the scene. Your beloved club battles its way through to the semi final of the famous FA Cup. They are drawn against the mighty Arsenal who are full of some of the finest players in world football and the match is to be played at a national stadium to accommodate the hordes wishing to see the contest (forget the corporate prostitution!).

You know your team are the underdogs and defeat is likely but the next day you want to be able to hold your head up high and say ‘if it be a sin to covet honour I am the most offending soul alive’.

Twenty four hours later you pick up the Sunday papers and they describe your losing performance as follows:

“Why would you even cross the road to watch this mixture of the moronic and the musclebound masquerading as football..? …Rarely can there have been a more unlikeable bunch of miscreants to darken the FA Cup’s door… and not once in the whole game did one of their players produce a piece of skill that brought a smile to the face.” Sunday People.

“The club is the only one of the four semi-finalists not to sell its allocation … - who would want to watch this every week?” News of the World

“Only 18,000 supporters made the trip – less than the number Southend brought to the LDV Final” Sunday Mirror

Welcome to Blackburn Rovers! No honestly, you’re welcome to them.

Nobody knows as well as we do that to survive in the toughest league in the world you have to fight and battle for every point. But not literally! The semi final was embarrassing to watch at times with the constant petulant fouling. The worst scenes for me though were the transgressors standing above the victims they had just knobbled with an illegal challenge and berating them for either not getting up or for play acting. Rarely will any football fan support the plethora of simulators from the capital, that’s the London ponces that dive to you and me, but the replays clearly showed aggressive contact and the tirade of abuse over an injured fellow professional was distasteful.

Shameful.

I hope you noticed though that the thugs clattered Fabregas and van Persie and then later Palace’s Routledge. All are teenagers without a reputation for violence or aggression. As Ian Dowie said recently the Blackburn hard men never seem to want to pick on the players that can look after themselves. That doesn’t make them hard, it makes them bullies.

Good luck to Mark Hughes in his quest to assemble the Welsh national squad at Ewood Park. The Premiership will certainly be quaking at facing a team that currently stand behind Qatar, Oman and Libya in the world rankings. Perhaps to acclimatise them to the crowds at Ewood, Hughes will take them to a car boot sale. He might get a few pounds for some of them. But then again he might not.

This match gives us the chance to exorcise some ghosts that seem to have left a foul and repulsive smell when they left. There are points still to play for and at around £½ million a position at stake there is a great need to finish as high as possible.

Keep Right On and remember, “when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger … Cry God for Brucie, England and Saint George”

A few questions then: -

How big is Birmingham?

How big is Blackburn?

Wasn't Bruce tapped up from Palace before he joined Brum?

What have Birmingham ever won?

Who are higher in the table?

Who have lost more games?

Who paid ££ for Taylor? And what has he done?

Who paid ££ for Dunn? And what has he done?

Who took Yorke off us? And what has he done?

Edited April 27, 2005 by SuperStella

[Presty On Tour]

im looking forward to a victory

hopefully our bully boys will give them the treatment and muscle them off the park, then our creative players can give us a showcase performance and bang a few bullets in the net!!

im willing, praying, begging that somehow super dooper jonny stead scores on saturday, the guy works so hard with little rewards so far!!!

i can see a well rough game against the brum, and if its spills over on the touchline lilly savage or hughesy can plant one on steve bruces big fat round nose!! i really do not like that bloke.

im going 3-0 rovers, savage, stead and pedersen to score!!!

a mass brawl, a few sending offs and injuries from both sides!!

[Jim J]

Superstella, dont let them wind you up.

We know we play a hard game at the moment, its a fight for survival.

We know we are a small club, that makes being in the premiership all the more sweeter.

To think that a small club like us can finish above the "big" teams like Brum and Newcastle makes them angry.

You know your team are the underdogs and defeat is likely but the next day you want to be able to hold your head up high

Mine was, and always will be. Rovers forever.

[James No. 7]

To add to SuperStella's list of questions to ask blind Birmingham supporters:

How many of Hughes' signings have been Welsh players so far?

Anyway, a 1 - 0 win to Rovers is my prediction, with Stead scoring the winner to disappoint a the supporters of a small, unsuccessful club from Birmingham.

[The Producer]

Thanks for the preview, although I'd have liked to ask the Birmingham respondents how their fans could justify getting so wound up about the Savage situation given the similarity to Bruce's even more acrimonious/dodgy departure from Palace.

I hope we win this one, but with Pennant on form, Brum are probably playing too well for us to get more than a draw. I reckon 1-1 and am keeping my fingers crossed that Stead will finally get the goal he deserves.

[Martin]

Anyone going on the train?

Anyone know if there is an away pub of any sort?

A lively 0-0, with Savage providing a match-drawing performance.

oh, and Hughes if you're reading START TUGAY!

Thanks

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

ROVERS 2 BLUENOSE 'NOMARKS' 0

Birmingham are quite frankly one big sh1t house of a football club,a nonentity.

[USABlue]

I can only think of Burnley in recent history as a team I have wanted to beat more than this shower. The arrogant, conceited, insulting stuff they came out with during the Savage saga really got my back up. It really would be nice to rub their noses in it.

[SAS]

my first proper away game for a while. And with it being savages return to brum it should make for a great atmosphere, however brum have had a bad run and it has to end, with us

2-1 to brum

[colin]

I see you've chosen claret for the replies Colin, was that intentional?

It says "purple" on the choice font colour.

Yes, I chose purple intentionally, nothing more nothing less.

If any of you see Eddie tell him to get his finger out.

[Cocker]

Sav Might Not Play - Click Click

[Uxbridge rover]

for me its a toss up who i dislike more, Newcastle or Brum, but I think the bummies are today well ahead in the hate factor. horrible gobby morons they both are, and full of thier own self importance , oooooohhhhh I really dont like them.

ok rant over, in with the good air, out with the bad.

[AussieinUk]

Think this an important game for us, placing's-wise... and a win would make up for last years game.

[Roaming Rover]

I remeber when they played Norwich in the play-off final a couple of years ago. They had a phone in on one of the radio stations about the game. Most of the Brum supporters said they should go up as they were a premiership club in all but league status, and basically Norwich didn't deserve to go up due to them being a small club

They are a poor team, with a poor manager and a OK stadium (when they can afford the electricity bill )

Think we can win this, 2-0. Todd & Emerton

[SuperStella]

LIVE ON SUPER SPORT 7 SA this Saturday Edited April 28, 2005 by SuperStella

[philipl]

The BBC preview speculates about Savage recovering in time to play. Sky Sports quotes Mark Hughes in saying the Rovers will honour a gentleman's agreement not to play Savage.