[Archived] Blackburn 0-0 Bolton

[Jan]

Apparently Bellamy had a fitness test just before the gates opened today, and passed it (but only just). Hence he wasn't on from the start, and the fear on everyone in the dugout's faces when he got kicked just after he went on.

Oh and I have a theory about our two central defenders (whoever they may be) It's called "the magic passing hat". The trouble is, we only have one, so only one of them can wear it at a time. Today and on wednesday, Todd had it. Earlier in the season, Nelsen had it. When wearing it, their passes go neatly to one of our men. When not, they don't- simple as that.

(well- you think up something better to explain all those misplaced passes when they've played so well earlier in the season)

Oh, and guess who turned up just before kick-off (and I mean as the teams were coming off after the warm-up)? Amauseless. I specially loved the way he walked all the way round the path round the pitch, eliciting only groans from those of us who noticed he WASN'T limping and not being asked (that I could see) for a single autograph.

Edited January 14, 2006 by Jan

[USABlue]

Too upset we did not capitalise on this opportunity to say much. One thing, how the eff are Bolton such media darlings and we are bully boys? I've seen them on several occasions and have thought they are not just physical but they are a dirty team. Why oh why do we have a tag and they don't?

For my American friends did anyone notice the lopsided commentary on FSC today. First half in particular.

[Florida Rover]

  For my American friends did anyone notice the lopsided commentary on FSC today.  First half in particular.

374650[/snapback]

No doubt and that knucklehead called Max Bretos gave the MOM to campos!

I should not complain as at least I was able to see Rovers live which is a rare occurrence here.

[Bobby G]

Doesnt feel any better after a nights sleep. Disappointed we lost 2 points, but on the whole considering the fact that it took us a while to get going and we were not as our best up front, we shouldnt have expected more.

What was the most blatant thing that became obvious is that we lack a really good striker, which could be the difference in so many matches where things are tight and he can pop up with a goal somewhere. Kuqi isnt that, and when Bellamy isnt fit, we only have Dickov who isnt the best finisher either.

If we have money, we should try to sign a striker.

[stuwilky]

Doesnt feel any better after a nights sleep.

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You only had half a nights sleep looking at the time!!

[Bobby G]

Yep, but Im in Dubai! so take the time difference and I had 6 hours sleep;)

[stowell]

and for those in Australia who watched the triple-header...

did not have ANY sleep at all.. with City vs United at 11.40pm, Reds vs Spurs at around 2am and Rovers vs Bolton starting at about 4am..

almost came very close to regretting staying up that late when Vaz Te looked destined to score!!! Provided a bit of entertainment for me with that slip=P

[philipl]

Disappointing, frustrating, opportunity missed.

A consolation that I have to go back seven games to the Fulham match since I last felt this way and we even got a draw last night!

If we were Wanderers supporters we'd have been angry with Riley for sending off Nakata but immensely proud of the fight and organisation our rearguard put up.

As a Rovers fan I look at the stats- shots on target Rovers 3, Bolton 3; shots off target Rovers 14, Bolton 0 and the fact that Brad made more saves than Jussy to know where it went wrong last night.

Big Sam was a disgrace (I used to have a very high regard for him as a person but really...) but I had to chuckle when Sky commented that he'd ask a Policeman to arrest that referee when he moved from the stand to the bench immediately after Nakata walked.

For those moaning on here, had Emo's header been one inch lower, we would have murdered Bolton in the second half and you know it. This Rovers side is very honest, you know they have weaknesses and many strengths and always give their utmost in everything they do.

I was glad to see Nelsen find his passing range in the second half after a wayward first half, to see Reid impose himself as well as playing some classy stuff and Savage showing commendable restraint.

Bentley is an attacking midfielder and no way is he a forward- his instinctive movement showed that in the first half. But we needed something special and classy to open that Bolton rearguard and the fact Kuqi didn't start is a very clear admission by Sparky that special and classy is not in Kuqi's bag.

The real villain of the piece was Riley. Yes he sent a Bolton player off and gave them five other yellow cards. But did you realise that Rovers conceded 20 fouls to just 14 by Bolton in the first half???? O'Neill should have been red carded and had Riley yellow carded other Bolton misdemeanours, Nakata would not have harshly received a second yellow. As it was, Riley's earlier leniency to Bolton forced the second yellow against Nakata on a totting up basis! Riley was also guilty of not giving three blatant corners to us, penalising three fouls on their keeper when replays showed he wasn't touched by a Rovers' player and that yellow card for Reid when he jumped out of the way when the fouls were flying in was an utter disgrace. Book him if he rolled in mock agony but Reid bounced up and got on with the game to such an extent that the Sky commentators took an age to work out who had been booked!

Sadly, Allardyce's moaning will gave the impression that we were thugs, we were lucky with the reffing decisions when the reality is completely the opposite.

PS great trip by Diouff on Vaz Te!

At least this match report got it right.

Edited January 15, 2006 by philipl

[Paul]

5 wins and 2 draws from our last seven games, can't say I'm in any way unhappy. It wasn't a great game and one of those where we were never going to score. If we have to have one better now than in ten days time against United.

Fantastic to see the applause for Matt when he came on and the little lap of goodbye at the end. Well done Matt and all the rovers who took the trouble to stay behind. The rest were just ungrateful.

Sam Allardyce has a reputation for doing great things at Bolton, shoe-string budget etc. I haven't seen them play for a year but I've always doubted this growing reputation. After yesterday I'd have to conclude Allardyce does not deserve his reputation, does deserve all the stick he gets from Alan Green and should Souness leave Newcastle would be the perfect successor. Allardyce for England? Team of thugs who I'd be ashamed to support.

[Modi]

He is an offensive midfield player.

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I certainly find it's offensive that he's on the pitch.

[Scotty]

I thought Hughes got his tactics badly wrong yesterday. The minute Nakata (quite rightly) got sent off we should have replaced one of our hard-working midfielders (either Reid or Savage) with Tugay so that we could have exploited the extra space available. If not then it should definately have been done at half-time.

The way to play against ten men is to stretch the pitch. Play down the wings, look to switch the attack from one side to another as often as possible, and basically get Bolton to run their arses off. Tugay is the one player we have who's capable of dictating this type of play.

Which also means the decision to substitute Emerton for Kuqi was completely unfathomable to me. In the previous five minutes Emerton had got behind the Bolton defence a couple of times and whipped in decent crosses, we didn't come close to getting behind them once he'd gone off. Instead we simply humped the ball down the middle towards Kuqi, a tactic that was meat and drink to the Bolton defence.

We didn't do enough to win the game and I partially blame Hughes for that - although too many of our players were off form as well. It was almost ten against ten anyway as Pedersen may as well have been sat in the stands. Bentley was poor, as was Savage from an attacking point of view, and Dickov did little.

I thought we looked tired yeaterday and we're a different team when Bellamy doesn't start. However, we've got a week off now and we're more than capable of beating newcastle, even without Bellamy.

[Alan75]

Yesterday morning I was cursing the rescheduling of kick off times to accomodate sky, which to me is a major factor in the declining gates. However a greater influence in declining gates is the attitude of premiership managers who condone spoiling tactics and pre planned intimidation of players.

Games of this nature will surely drive away the neutral supporter who wants an afternoons entertainment.

Another thing - Ryan Nelsen is about to appear in front of the FA following a spur of the moment comment to the media about the ref after the Liverpool game. I wonder if the FA have anything to say about Sam. Did anyone else notice that Sam appeared to be glancing down and reading from a prepared script whilst complaing about Riley. This appears to me to be a pre meditated attack on the match official.

bbc sam interview"The stats just don't stand up when Mike Reily referees us.

"It's blatant inconsistency and, in my opinion, not good enough. He's nearly caused a riot at Ewood Park.

In my opinion he is virtually saying that Riley is not neutral and dishonest.

[Rover4ever]

Sky's commentary was pretty biased against us as well. Savage was slated for the whole of the first half. Nakata got send off because he "wasnt used to the tactics that teams like Blackburn use", and Bentley was trying to get Campo sent off.

Anyone else thought it should have been Ben-Haim off instead of Nakata?

[USABlue]

Sky's commentary was pretty biased against us as well. Savage was slated for the whole of the first half. Nakata got send off because he "wasnt used to the tactics that teams like Blackburn use", and Bentley  was trying to get Campo sent off.

Anyone else thought it should have been Ben-Haim off instead of Nakata?

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I could not beleive Haim only got a talking to for shoving Dickov down. Perhaps I had the same commentary as you folks cos I remember a statement like that regarding Nakata, they one of them seemed to be making excuses for Notlob.

[JAL]

Introducing Tugay yesterday would have made no difference whatsoever because......... if your forwards arent moving into space which ours werent then there is no space to open. We just ended up playing into Boltons pockets with the high ball which nearly worked.

Rovers definitely need another striker for me who can bring another dimension to the team than our tired trio yesterday especially Dickov. Dickov had two glorious passes played into him first half in front of me in which he failed to get on the end of because he was too slow.

[OscarRaven]

A little disapointed with the result however having been fortunate to see the miss of the season from Bolton it could have been worse.

However it should have been better..... Start of second half should have seen Tugay and Bellamy they were stretched and we didn't take advantage.

[USABlue]

we were bad but coming from dingles.....

read the messageboard labelled blackburn v bolton on clarets mad lol

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They are funny aren't they, their ability to twist the truth remains as skilled as it always has been. Nice to know lots of them follow us though, they never seem to miss us when we are on telly.

[cn174]

Bolton came to rattle us. They were targetting Savage in particular and I think he did well not to react to anything. They play an ugly style of football and they play for free kicks, throwins, goal kicks - and they are good at it.

Once Nakata had been sent off they were there for the beating. We should have brought Tugay on straight away to stretch the play and at least bring him on at half time. He would have been able to make the best of a scrappy game. Too many of our players weren't on top form again - Pedersen was poor, Bentley in the second half etc.

We could have nicked the win, Emerton was unlucky, whilst Dickov's miss was just plain stupid - how did it manage to go wide?!? But just thank god Vaz Te fell over right at the end!!

[philipl]

It went wide because a Bolton player was on his backside in front of him and put it wide. Should have been another corner if we are talking about the chance from the short corner which got back heeled back to MGP.

[thenodrog]

I thought Hughes got his tactics badly wrong yesterday.  The minute Nakata (quite rightly) got sent off we should have replaced one of our hard-working midfielders (either Reid or Savage) with Tugay so that we could have exploited the extra space available.  If not then it should definately have been done at half-time.

The way to play against ten men is to stretch the pitch.  Play down the wings, look to switch the attack from one side to another as often as possible, and basically get Bolton to run their arses off.  Tugay is the one player we have who's capable of dictating this type of play.

Which also means the decision to substitute Emerton for Kuqi was completely unfathomable to me.  In the previous five minutes Emerton had got behind the Bolton defence a couple of times and whipped in decent crosses, we didn't come close to getting behind them once he'd gone off.  Instead we simply humped the ball down the middle towards Kuqi, a tactic that was meat and drink to the Bolton defence.

We didn't do enough to win the game and I partially blame Hughes for that - although too many of our players were off form as well.  It was almost ten against ten anyway as Pedersen may as well have been sat in the stands.  Bentley was poor, as was Savage from an attacking point of view, and Dickov did little.

I thought we looked tired yeaterday and we're a different team when Bellamy doesn't start.  However, we've got a week off now and we're more than capable of beating newcastle, even without Bellamy.

374685[/snapback]

excellent points. You've saved 15 mins of my Sunday scotty. Just to add that I cannot fault Hughes tenure at BRFC except his substitution tactics. Often too late and frequently wrong. I once saw us huffing and puffing to beat a spirited 10 man Newcastle until Tugay came on, passed em to death, used the width and we ran out easy 4-1 (I think) winners. Bellamy should have been on sooner instead of Kuqi to.

[Ozz]

Which also means the decision to substitute Emerton for Kuqi was completely unfathomable to me.  In the previous five minutes Emerton had got behind the Bolton defence a couple of times and whipped in decent crosses, we didn't come close to getting behind them once he'd gone off.

374685[/snapback]

I thought exactly the same. emerton and Neill were the main threat in the first half, and as soon as Emerton went off it was all lump lump lump.

[greggyk]

and some muppets decided to cheer when Emerton went off

[thenodrog]

Sam Allardyce has a reputation for doing great things at Bolton, shoe-string budget etc. I haven't seen them play for a year but I've always doubted this growing reputation. After yesterday I'd have to conclude Allardyce does not deserve his reputation, does deserve all the stick he gets from Alan Green and should Souness leave Newcastle would be the perfect successor. Allardyce for England?      Team of thugs who I'd be ashamed to support.

374674[/snapback]

Then again........ Potless yet they ARE still in Europe (and after Christmas too) and are established in the top half of the Prem for some years and miles ahead of 'big' clubs with far greater resources is a fantastic achievement. His job is not to be universally popular and who knows what he could have achieved with the recources wasted by the likes of Houllier and MacLaren? Allardyce has done a damned good job in every management post that he has held so imo you are being more than a taj unfair there Paul.....BUT in your defence Bolton ARE undoubtedly the milleniums answer to Wimbledon (sorry Everton....I know thats Moyes's ambition but Sams simply better at it!)

Gotta say that I was dissapointed that some enterprising BBurn End cheerleader did not have the wit to strike up a quick rendition of '1 Alan Green......there's only 1 Alan Green..........' Would have been great for Radio 5 listeners.

[stuwilky]

and some muppets decided to cheer when Emerton went off

374751[/snapback]

Ive seen that comment a few times, and I dontfor a second think anyone was cheering because Emerton went off, more because Kuqi was coming on. He appears to be a bit of a cult hero for some reason.

[greggyk]

certainly were for Emerton. Some guy behind me said "he's off, thank god, yeeeeeaahhhh!"