[Archived] Rovers 2-1 Portsmouth

[Neil Weaver]

So to the first game of 2006. It's a warm (ho ho ho) welcome to Portsmouth who make the long journey up to Ewood. Should be even more popular if this one is called off at 18:00.

Neither team is in a rich vein of form, but one club has had managerial stability for a while. Don’t think we’d swap form or position though : last six games……..

Rovers        LWLWWP
Portsmouth    LLLWDL

Work colleagues weren’t too forthcoming (but thanks to Tim for a few words) so it was over to a few folk on the rivals.net site pompey-fans for their input . None of em admit to having a cow bell. PFC thoughts in red, editor’s comments in blue.

So the Frenchman's reign is at an end. Happy now Arry is back at the helm?

The arrival of Monsieur Perrin brought a different work ethic and training style designed to improve matters beyond the 5-a-side, cruciate damaging training methods of the past (Ed – hmmmmmm for cruciate read hamstrings and this sounds familiar). The jury is split over whether Arry is messiah or pariah, give him another eight games and the verdict should be in. Regarding Arry, expletives seemed to be the order of the day with some of the other fans to reply. For what it’s worth, I’d have a guess that it’s about 60/40 against him at the moment.

There seems to be plenty of foreign blood at PFC these days (gawd, I’m starting to sound like Smithy ). Any views, and where might the team be looking to strengthen?

Robert is still the same temperamental, mercurial player he was at Newcastle and may be given the chance to shine but needs the motivation to play and compete otherwise he tends to be anonymous. Upfront is another big problem area for the team : Yakubu has proved very difficult to replace. Players have come in who clearly have been a gamble that have failed to come off . Silva tries hard, does a lot of off the ball running, but no great end product. Todorov and Pericard, both 'Arry favourites who may yet have a part to play, but sadly both have been plagued by injuries and have yet to regain full fitness and sharpness. Mbesuma, who knows ! Bought from a South African club with glowing reports but clearly arrived not match fit and suspect under 'Arry won't even be used. For Lua-Lua read Robert, although with the African Nations looming may not feature at all in the coming weeks. We’ve conceded loads of goals at free kicks and corners so definitely room for organisational improvement.

Last season saw a couple of 1-0s to Rovers, the season before a couple of 2-1s (each to the away team). Before that we met a few times in the Champ/Div 1/Cup. Interestingly, I see in our Premiership games PFC have had 7 bookings and 2 sent off whilst Rovers have had 9 bookings and 0 sent off. So what do you reckon might happen this time (apart from the bully boys catching up on the sending off front)?. A little more seriously, what do you make of the 'physical' reputation of Rovers these days?

Only to be expected of a team with Savage and Dickov. Could do without the time wasting though.

Who do you reckon are the players to watch out for on each side and those to laugh at/abuse?

The team put out on the 2nd Jan may well bear no resemblance to anything seen before. In midfield, Gary O'Neil is still one to watch, England U-21 captain with a future but possibly destined for a top six club. Silva is a hard worker whilst in midfield, Hughes has probably been our most consistent player.

As to Rovers players, Bellamy’s speed will put the wind up our defence whilst Dickov always scores against us. Meanwhile, Savage isn’t held in too high regard!

What do you think the rest of the season holds for both clubs? Errr, the bookies have you odds on to get relegated.

We’ll survive – just! Rovers to be 2 or 3 places above us.

I see the kick off has been moved to 19:35 (!) so that should see plenty travelling up from Portsmouth. What are your views on Sky (printable ones please)? What do you think of Ewood Pk as a visitor and how it might compare to visitors to Fratton Pk?

Makes it a bit easier to watch from the south coast! I have to admit to not particularly liking Ewood, but will concede that some of the away fans do get a roof!

I can't think of too many player connections between the clubs. Jim Smith was Rovers boss in the late 70s (he didn't have much hair then either) - was he seen as doing a decent job at Portsmouth?

Did a good job before Redknapp, but bit too fond of the gin once Arry got here.

And finally, a prediction - preferably scoreline but other predictions welcome.

A draw would be a good result but suspect that the lack of goals will mean that a home win is more likely. 2-1. If Uriah Rennie is the ref we're doomed ....

Can’t say I do predictions but found this as I was hunting around. Good ole Charlie.

It's anorak time : I've been keeping an eye on the Preston Hairdresser (Lawrenson)'s predictions since early September and here's the summary compared to a few teams that we might have been considered on a par with at various times.......

Team        Lawrenson's predictions        Actual
                  W   D   L  pts           W   D   L  pts
Rovers            1   4   9    7           6   2   6   20
Brum              6   5   3   23           2   3   9    9
Portsmouth        4   1   9   13           3   4   7   13
Sunderland        4   2   8   14           1   3  10    6
Fulham            4   4   7   16           5   3   7   18
Boro              4   3   7   15           4   4   6   16 

That's at the time of writing but I suspect we'd be well adrift at the bottom of the league if Lawrenson had his way. That'll be a huge suprise to many of us. No words of wisdom (or comedy) for the Pompey game yet, somebody will no doubt quote him in due course.

Perhaps we should suggest Charlie joins Lawro on the Football Focus sofa for a little chinwag?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We’ll survive – just! Rovers to be 2 or 3 places above us.

Nothing like wishful thinking is there....Pompey are a shower of shyte end of!.

Lets hope someone stokes up the cast iron boiler heater at the bottom of Manxman hill before sundown this time

Rovers 2-0 Bellamy 2

Att: Dont even go there!!!

Edited December 29, 2005 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[S15]

Champagne Charlie,... What a man.

[1864roverite]

looks like they may lose lua lua

poor travelling record at Ewood, frost free pitch, sub 23000k supporters, 200 from pompy, freezing cold wet and damp night see a Rovers 2-0 win

[colin]

Magnificent,

A top preview and thank you for highlighting the lounge lizard's completely bobbins predictions.

Neil, I take my hat off to you.

[philipl]

Excellent preview and that table of Lawro's predictions is priceless! I wonder if Sky or the Guardian would carry it?

Back to the Pompey game. 'arry is doing a great job of looking after 'arry at Fratton Park.

Onto the media he goes and slags off the squad he has inherited (erm, who was the manager at Pompey until very recently and then went on a transfer raid of his old club?) as "unbalanced".

Then he unashamedly put a reserve team onto the pitch at Arsenal so he kept his best players booking and injury free for the Everton game.

The prediction for the Rovers' game has to be somewhat dependent on whether he sees it as one which can get some points from. With only an FA Cup game coming up after they play us and the January transfer window to play with, he's bound to put his strongest side out which of course with a little help from the ref will have the capability of beating us.

Thankfully that capability is unlikely to be realised and I expect Rovers to slog out a hard-fought 2-1 win.

[roverthemoon]

Please note start time is 19.35 and not 19.45 as stated in Neils preview link to Sky Link

[Blueboy Downunder]

hells bells....that means i am gonna have to be out of bed with a coffee at 6.20am instead of 6.30am!!

this is a game that we really should be able to control from beginning to end, thus doing enough to earn the 3 points! i will be extremely dissapointed if we can't win this game.

[frosty]

Good old Charlie Nicholas.

I'll go with him 3-1 Rovers

[G Somerset Rover]

Glad that the stats can finally shut that nobb head lawrensen up. In an article in either the mirror or the sun today he gives his opinion on who the prem clubs will be after come January. He says of us "they're a team who have been punching abover their weight"?! Where the hell does this guy get off. If we keep our best eleven fit were top 10 material no doubt. As for his constant Brum "win" predictions, wake up and smell the coffee mate.

[Seggie]

Imagine if PNE got promoted

In Larrwos books theyd beat Chelsea

[Gareth]

Rovers 0-2 Pompey

Time for a come-down from the last few good games... We can't keep this run up.

[1864roverite]

gareth dont underestimate Rovers of course they can keep this run up.

Rovers have picked up 6 points on the road and won a cup tie.

We now have pompy home

qpr in the fa cup

manure at home in the CC semi

winkers at home in the league

It shows just how far Rovers have come in the pst 12 months in that we can look forward with confidence to each of them.

I was concerned that Rovers got manure in the cup, but on the face of it, why should we be worried when we have already shown we can take old t and beat them on their own mudheap.

I think January will be the making of BLACKBURN ROVERS season

[broadsword]

"What's your name?"

"Lua Lua"

"Down the corridor, first on the left."

[cn_barlow]

For any of you Aussies in Brisbane...is there anywhere that will be showing the match?

rovers 4 - 0 Pompy

Bellamy x3

Savage

[juggalo_rover]

The game is live on FOX in AUS.

3-0

Bellamy

Kuqi

Savage

[Bobby G]

Late kick-off. Pompey look better under 'Arry but still if we play at our level, we will beat them comfortably...

I expect Bellamy to start, but I wouldnt be surprised if he sticks to the same XI and keeps Tugay and Bellers on the bench.

[cloggyjimmybrfc]

Imagine if PNE got promoted

In Larrwos books theyd beat Chelsea

370293[/snapback]

lawro is an arsewipe it was killing him yday to say we did well

[Gareth]

gareth dont underestimate Rovers of course they can keep this run up.

Rovers have picked up 6 points on the road and won a cup tie.

I was concerned that Rovers got manure in the cup, but on the face of it, why should we be worried when we have already shown we can take old t and beat them on their own mudheap.

I think January will be the making of BLACKBURN ROVERS season

370303[/snapback]

Hope so, it's just after our experiences of the past few years (read since 1994-5) that I'm used to us letting ourselves down, so I usually predict a defeat...

[AlanK]

Great expectations here.

Come on Rovers.

3-1 to us.

I`ll stick my neck out and predict a goal from bellers. Hows that for living dangerously.

[nonaynevernomore]

Blackburn 3-0 Pompeys foreign army

ATT-18,778

GOALS-Dickov 27, Pedersen 76, Bellers 85

[trs]

Dont forget to tell the kids it's only a quid

[Hypo-Luxa]

Can't see Rovers letting us down in this one. Confidence is soaring in players who needed it most (Reid, Savage, Kuqi, Gamst) and our home form is still quite nice.

3-1

Savage 27'

Bellamy 45(+2)

Some random bloke from Portsmouth who'll probably score a complete freak goal 53'

Kuqi 81'

[Bobby G]

The old rovers would let us down in such a game and undo the great work of two away wins in a week. lets see if we have buried that old ghost for good on monday.

have a feeling it will be tight and difficult and we could go down early...

[jim mk2]

I'm worried about this one (I worry about every game).

Redknapp is a good manager and the feeble performance at Arsenal apart, his team are starting to show signs of improvement. They have not lost three successive matches at home and their away form will surely follow suit.

LuaLua is a danger and O'Neil is in the sort of form that prompted Celtic to offer £7 million for him two years ago.

After the euphoria of the JJB, a dull 0-0.