[Archived] West Brom At Home

[cn174]

What’s going on this season??

Rovers now sit in 12th place having beating Man United at Old Trafford for the first time in 43 years!! The mood is certainly different to just a few days ago when we was all worried sat on just five points, what a difference 90 minutes can make!

West Brom haven’t had the best of starts to the season and they fell to another defeat yesterday, this time by Charlton. They sit 18th in the table with five points and a goal difference of –5.

Their only victory so far has been against Portsmouth, whilst they have also suffered defeats to Chelsea, Birmingham and Wigan.

West Brom’s big signing of the summer was Nathan Ellington for £3m from Wigan. West Brom look to have quite a decent set of strikers – Earnshaw, Kamara, Horsefield, Campbell, Ellington and Kanu. They also brought in Chris Kirkland on loan from Liverpool as he looks to regain his England squad place. Their major outgoing player was Jason Koumas, a player who Rovers were rumoured to be interested, who went to Cardiff.

What happened last season??

The last day of last season saw the end of the most dramatic relegation battle since the start of the Premiership. Four teams, only one could stay up and West Brom started bottom of the league.

Norwich started in 17th place but they were overtaken by Southampton early on, and Norwich went on to lose 6-0. Geoff Horsfield scored for the Baggies and they were then in poll position.

Palace got a penalty to overtake the Baggies, before Richardson scored! The Baggies’ game was won, but they still weren’t staying up. A late equaliser from Charlton against Palace saw West Brom move back up into the safe 17th place causing huge celebrations from the fans after a nerve-jangling last day.

This time last season??

Rovers played West Brom on the opening game of the season – it ended in a 1-1 draw after Craig Short equalised for Rovers. However Rovers fans left Ewood confused after our lineup contained not one, not two but three left backs and a left winger in some sort of 4-1-3-2 formation! We also saw our one and only glimpse of de Pedro in a league game (and how ace he was!).

Another 1-1 draw followed at the Hawthornes with Emerton getting the equalising goal for Rovers.

Players for both teams??

I can only think of one player who has played for both clubs and that is the one and only Simon Garner! A hero of the blue and white halves, he left for West Brom after Rovers gained promotion to the Premiership, being replaced by Alan Shearer. He scored 9 goals in two years for West Brom before moving onto Wycombe.

Anything else about West Brom??

Both Rovers and West Brom were founder members of the football league in 1888.

West Brom were the first team to use the ‘deanocard’ season ticket system, Rovers followed the year after.

Altogether Rovers have recorded 49 victories against West Brom, Albion have won 41 times and there have been 27 draws.

The Opposition View…

Thankyou to Chris from Baggies.com for answering my questions!

At the time of writing (before our Man U game) we both sit on five points with a goal difference of minus five. Was this how you expected to start the season?

I expected us to do reasonably well in the first couple of games (we

took 4 points from 6) and then lose at Chelsea, but to carry on picking

up points here and there. But instead it went pear-shaped with defeats

by Wigan and Blues, we just snatched a draw at Sunderland and then lost

again to Charlton. At the moment we look destined to spend most of the

season in the bottom three and after the second half of last season it

seems we're now going backwards.

What do you need to do to improve?

Team selection is the number one gripe with Albion fans, with certain

players being chosen week in, week out despite underperforming and

despite us having what look to be better replacements. Our League Cup

game against Bradford gave a few players a chance to show what they

could do, and they took it with a 4-1 win - but got dropped again for

the Charlton game. Nathan Ellington scored twice and got dropped, Kamara

scored and got dropped. What sort of message does that send to the

players?

You seem to have a few strikers on your books, which is your best partnership?

That's one of the big problems - we don't seem know. There are 15

possible combinations of our six strikers and it looks like we're going

to have to try them all to find out. Logic says that the

Earnshaw/Ellington partnership has the most future ahead of it and

they're our most expensive strikers, so in the absence of anything

better I'd try to stick with this one and develop it.

Some people have criticised Rovers this year for playing 4-5-1 so far. You have only played this formation once, any thoughts on it??

We used it quite a lot a few years back under Harford and did reasonably

well, and Charlton seem to be finding it quite useful this season. I

always think it depends on the midfielders - if you've got some good

attackers in there with the legs to get forward quickly and turn it into

a 4-3-3 then I think it can be a good way to play - though England's

efforts with it a few weeks back would seem to contradict that.

We both had a change of managers last year and we both survived relegation. Do you think you can survive again? If yes, where do you think you’ll finish?

At the start of the season I predicted around 14th, which I still

believe is possible with the players we have - but not the way we're

going at the moment.

How has losing Richardson affected you?

Possibly more than we thought; his pace was a major asset and I think he

lifted the whole team when he was here. Only Kamara seems to have that

ability in our current squad and he's been woefully under-used.

Where do you think Rovers will finish this year?

Very close to us, wherever that is...

There’s probably going to be a sub 20,000 crowd on Ewood on Saturday (not the most attractive fixture is it?). Are you suffering the same kind of problems in terms of declining support??

Yes, and we're not alone as stories from clubs all around the

Premiership are proving. We haven't come close to selling out this

season and only got 10,000 against Bradford despite cheap tickets.

What in your opinion can be done about it?

Going to football matches is now barely affordable for the average

working man, who can watch many games cheaper on TV. Our tickets to

visit Chelsea went up from £40 last year to £46 this year! For those

wanting or needing to take their kids along too it's becoming

prohibitive when you add on the overpriced food, shirts, programmes,

parking and all the other sundries. The irritating fact is that, in the

Premiership, income from ticket sales is a fraction of what the clubs

get from TV and corporate sales, and prices could be slashed without

making any real difference to the clubs; the increased sales of sundries

and higher attendances would make up for most of it anyway. It needs all

of the clubs to act together though, and I can't see that happening.

How are you going to play and is there anyone we should be looking out for?

I would expect a 4-4-2, with you swamping us in midfield. The ones to

watch are Gera and Kamara, who will hopefully play on the wings and put

in some decent crosses. New defender Curtis Davies is finding his feet

and hopefully Ellington will be doing the same up front.

Is there anyone in the Rovers team that you are worried about?

That bunch of thugs in midfield!

Finally, what is your prediction for the game?

Think we’ve had a few 1-1s up your place, another one will do for me.

Best wishes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!

Edited September 25, 2005 by cn174

[greggyk]

well, after yesterdays result

Rovers 0-2 West Brom

[Eddie]

We can all count on Rovers to bring us back down to earth with a bang...

[Gareth]

It's too much to ask for us to have 2 decent games in succession.

Rovers 0-3 WBA

[Jim J]

Even after yesterdays result, we need to make sure we take 3 points. Away games at Chelsea, Liverpool, City and Arsenal over the next 2 months means our home games are must win matches.

3-1 win, dont care who scores.

[S15]

If we can get a good crowd with a positive atmosphere going I think we can retain this buzz and give them a good pasting, with Bellamy doing the damage in a way only he can.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

2-0 Rovers .....Bellamy, Dickov

Att: 19,500

[pick32]

rovers win 3-1 bellamy getting 1 and MGP and Bentley getting the other come on rovers

Edited September 25, 2005 by pick32

[James No. 7]

My prediction: 3-1 to the Rovers, with Bellamy, MGP, and Emerton taking one goal each.

Edited September 25, 2005 by James No. 7

[Jim J]

rovers win 3-1 bellamy getting 2 and MGP and Bentley getting the other come on rovers

349367[/snapback]

Who scores the own goal then?

[USABlue]

Come on, you have all been following Rovers for long ehough now to know that they must let us down big time.

[philipl]

Seen one televised highlight of West Brom (I think v Wigan) and they looked risibly bad. Of course they'll play brilliantly when they come to Ewood...

This game is all about how Rovers perform. In years gone by I'd say a big letdown is coming but I have a feeling Hughes got a big shock/wake up call against Newcastle and won't get his tactics so horribly messed up again.

Rovers probably to win narrowly but if there is a team in the Prem which is vulnerable to a pairing of Dickov and Bellamy running riot, I reckon its West Brom.

[Rovers_4_life]

Rovers have been given a huge selction boost already ahead of that game... Savage is suspended . Lets play an attacking midfield and get at them and give em a good pasting.

[Manchester Blue]

Rovers have been given a huge selction boost already ahead of that game... Savage is suspended . Lets play an attacking midfield and get at them and give em a good pasting.

349393[/snapback]

Great boost that considering how good he's been in the last few games.

[Eddie]

You know, always nice to have regular member of the first team out for a game, especially when you are more than bursting at the seams with talented midfielders.

[thenodrog]

Rovers have been given a huge selction boost already ahead of that game... Savage is suspended . Lets play an attacking midfield and get at them and give em a good pasting.

349393[/snapback]

Maybe we could persuade Tim Sherwood to come out or retirement for one game or even Everton to loan us Lee Carsley for the day just so that you can have a Rovers player to really hate!

[Blueboy Downunder]

affter an excellent win at the theatre of ######, it is very important taht we do not take this next game for granted - just because we are playing west brom who are in 18th and playing them at home...it means nothing. if we can get the win against west brom, which i am confident that we can, it will make the result at the theatre of ###### even better. i don't want our players to walk out onto that pitch next saturday afternoon thinking that because we beat man urinal, that this game will just happen for us. if anything we will probably have to work even harder to get 3 points. come on rovers, lets get another win and string together to confidence in the team and for the fans.

[DudeAbides]

I can only see us winning this one 2-0

pedersen and bellamy to score

[Flopsy]

easy win for the baggies

0-2

[1864roverite]

2-0 and 3 wins on the bounce

BTW

what odds

manure away win

liverpool away win

chelski away win

for Rovers of course on a treble ???

[Ozz]

Have to say I was wavering about going to this game, it was a toss up between Rovers V WBA or de-frost the fridge and creosoting the fence. But, after two wins in two and a feel good factor that George Bush would invade Canada for, I think I just might be in the White Bull on LBR again this Saturday lunch time-under the new Gazebo-all weather supping at it`s most convenient!

Happy days and a nil-two home defeat for the newly crowned kings of the ill-fated 4-4-2 format.

[Quack]

I agree with Philipl - West Brom has a very porous defence - Bellamy should have a field day if he can get service, I assume Reid will replace the suspended Lilly with Tugay to supply the passes for Bellamy to score 2 / Bentley to get on the sheet.

3-0 to the blues.

[AggyBlue]

I'm still celebrating yesterday's win and the pessimists on here ( are you lot really Rovers Fans ) are predicting a WBA win.

Rovers will let us down seem to be the mutterings, they always do. That was last week and that's the only let down this season. Sure they'll lose some games but for crying out loud, let's have some positive vibes

[American]

I have to go with tradition:

1-1

[krislu]

Even though I have no problem with us playing 4-5-1, this is a game we should play 4-4-2. If we keep playing like we did at OT then we could easily win 2-0, 3-0.

Rovers 2

WBA 0

Bellamy, Dickov