Rovers Vs Man Utd. 1st Leg

[Presty On Tour]

tickets are on sale after the game tomorrow.

we have an initial allocation of 6000 with a further 3000 if required.

you think we will sell 6000? 

372044[/snapback]

depending on the score line after the first leg!!!!

hopefully we will be there in our drones singing easy easy easy

[Lee]

Hey, how come no-one has asked how many tickets have been sold for next Wednesday?

But then again, after seeing some fans predictions maybe I shouldn't mention it.

[Ozz]

Wonder how ticket sales are going for this game, Lee?

[stuwilky]

Hey, how come no-one has asked how many tickets have been sold for next Wednesday?

But then again, after seeing some fans predictions maybe I shouldn't mention it.

372061[/snapback]

I think people are scared of asking you Lee.

[greggyk]

Hey, how come no-one has asked how many tickets have been sold for next Wednesday?

But then again, after seeing some fans predictions maybe I shouldn't mention it.

372061[/snapback]

Dont tell me Lee, i can read you like a book.....................................................................................

oooooooo, its good news!

[blue phil]

Hey, how come no-one has asked how many tickets have been sold for next Wednesday?

But then again, after seeing some fans predictions maybe I shouldn't mention it.

372061[/snapback]

Go on then tell us .......(there were quite a few queuing up at tea time tonight .)

Rovers 1 - 3 UTD

[frosty]

Rovers 1-0 Utd

25,163

And then hopefully a draw at old Trafford

[Robin]

Hopefully it could be a fullhouse just because its the first time im at ewood.......

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Nice preview Bob. It made a melancholy Smiths fan chuckle....

My heart says that Rovers can get to the final, my head says the Red Scum will be too strong for us over two legs.

I think this was the toughest tie we could have got. I would have been reasonably confident that we could have beaten Wigan, and Arsenal will probably not field their strongest line-up in the semi-final.

Whereas Man United, out of Europe and almost certainly unable to catch Chelsea in the Premiership, will be very keen to win this trophy. Fergie has been under pressure this season and will be grateful for any trophy he can get his hands on.

A victory for the Man United in the Carling / Worthington / Milk / Coca-Cola / Rumbelows / Khyber Café / League Cup - would be the Red Scum's first victory in the competition since Mark Hughes played in their 1992 win over Nottingham Forest.

The United line-up that day was:

                       Peter Schmeichel 

Paul Parker    Steve Bruce    Gary Pallister    Dennis Irwin

Andrei Kanchelskis    Mike Phelan   Paul Ince   Ryan Giggs

                     Brian McClair   Mark Hughes

The Red Scum have twice been losers in the final since 1992, losing to Aston Villa 3-1 in 1994 and 2-0 to Liverpool in 2003.

This is Rovers' third appearance in the semi-final in the last 5 years. Wouldn't it be wonderful to get our name on the trophy again after beating Spurs so memorably at Cardiff in 2002, courtesy of goals from Matt Jansen and Andy 'sulky' Cole.

Here's a full list of the winners over the last 20 years:

MILK CUP

1986 Oxford United 3 Queens Park Rangers 0

LITTLEWOODS CUP

1987 Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1

1988 Luton Town 3 Arsenal 2

1989 Nottingham Forest 3 Luton Town 1

1990 Nottingham Forest 1 Oldham Athletic 0

RUMBELOWS CUP

1991 Sheffield Wednesday 1 Manchester United 0

1992 Manchester United 1 Nottingham Forest 0

COCA-COLA CUP

1993 Arsenal 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1

1994 Aston Villa 3 Manchester United 1

1995 Liverpool 2 Bolton Wanderers 1

1996 Aston Villa 3 Leeds United 0

1997 Leicester City 1 Middlesbrough 0 (after replay and extra time.)

1998 Chelsea 2 Middlesbrough 0 (after extra time.)

WORTHINGTON CUP

1999 Tottenham Hotspur 1 Leicester City 0

2000 Leicester City 2 Tranmere Rovers 1

2001 Liverpool 1 Birmingham City 1 (after extra time), Liverpool win 5-4 on pens

2002 Blackburn Rovers 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1

2003 Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0

CARLING CUP

2004 Middlesbrough 2 Bolton Wanderers 1

2005 Chelsea 3 Liverpool 2 (after extra time)

[Eddie]

I'd love to think we could do this, but I just don't think we will. I have this bad feeling it's not even going to be that close and a defeat in both legs by a goal or two. I really hope it isn't like that though.

[Hannah]

I've decided to make the trek up the M6 after work for this game so it had better be good. I think Man Utd have the potential to really turn on the style and score loads past us but thats just me, prophet of doom! Really hope we do win though or it will be a long journey home.

[G Somerset Rover]

Although United have a squad of class players, 1 player has been the major difference this season between them and the rest of the clubs bar Chealsea...Rooney. If he somehow (Please God) gets injured for the games then we can beat them. If hes on fire then I think they'll have too much for us.

Edited January 7, 2006 by Somerset Rover!

[pick32]

1-1

bellamy

ronaldo

att 27380

[Shaddy]

this season between them and the rest of the clubs bar Chealsea...Rooney. If he somehow (Please God) gets injured for the games then we can beat them. If hes on fire then I think they'll have too much for us.

372284[/snapback]

Don't wish him injury FFS. Besides it being a very callious way of looking at things, a long term injury should it happen, will affect England's chances in WC2006. You surely don't want that?

After all, Rooney was on for a third of the OT match, and we still won.

[SAS]

i think we should aim for a 2-0 win, any win will do, but a win by two goals would set us up very nicely.

hopefully a good attendence to get behind team

ohio blue

[joey_big_nose]

Things have been nothing short of incredible in the last couple of weeks. Win after win after win! This is the big tester.

Personally I think we will probably go out over the two legs but very narrowly. If we are to cause an upset i can see it entirely coming down to the four players who can hurt United:

Bellamy, Tugay, Pedersen and Savage.

Realistically Man Utds first team squad should be able to contain our other players easily but those above have the ability to do something special or, in Savs case, inspire the side. If all four have a stormer over the two legs we could get to Cardiff.

The likely team (if all are fit):

                Dickov      Bellamy

Pedersen    Savage    Tugay    Emerton

    Gray      Nelsen      Todd    Neill

                          Freidel

Subs Bench:  Enckleman, Zurab, Peter?, Reid, Kuqi

The only real possibility for something different I suppose is that Reid could come in for Tugay for a more driving and defensively solid midfield. However I would personally, and I think MH will too, stick the Turk in as United will give him the space he needs to prosper.

First Leg: 1-1

[roversWASmylife]

50/50 i see this.

Seemed to be quite a few both before and after the game wanting tickets for this.

[Bobby G]

It will come down to two things.

Will United put out their best team?

Will our team play to its own potential?

We have to play at our best, even if United puts out a mixed line-up.

[philipl]

Don't even give a moment's thought about it- United will be as strong as they possibly can be.

They only have the two Cups to save their season with. Their new signings give them a sporting chance of 2nd in the Prem but Liverpool are in the driving seat and as I write this they are still five rounds away from a Wembley appearance (and here's hoping Burton do an Exeter on them this afternoon) so RFW has to go all out to get a big result at Ewood to give him the luxury of not being at full strength at OT.

RFW will be aware of how Mark Hughes has said that the win at OT "started" our season. With his two new signings, RFW will be wanting to return the compliment and get a typical Utd second half of the season under way.

[Bobby G]

The question is will Evra be playing... Vidic will most likely start.

[S15]

The question is will Evra be playing... Vidic will most likely start.

372488[/snapback]

Evra is playing, Vidic isn't in consideration for a place in the 16.

[greggyk]

Dont know how ticket sales are going but its strange to see Man Yoo still not sold out the Darwen end.

[AussieinUk]

I didn't know this... Hughes and Ferguson

Very good article on Hughes

Ferguson had just discovered that Mark Hughes was the man responsible for what has become a metaphor for the Manchester United manager's fabled up-close-and-personal haranguing of any player who falls below the standards he demands. "I'd kept it quiet for 12 years but he found out and let me know at the Man City-Spurs match," Hughes smiled.

Edited January 8, 2006 by AussieinUk

[savage8]

1-0 Rovers.

Sav to get his first for the club in front of the Darwen End, and absolutely love it!

29.237 attendance.

Can't see another result at OT though, heres hoping.

COME ON ROVERS

[Jordan]

It will come down to two things.

Will United put out their best team?

Will our team play to its own potential?

We have to play at our best, even if United puts out a mixed line-up.

372482[/snapback]

I think it depends on one thing.........will Bellamy play?

He plays we win, he doesn't we dont win.