West Brom 2-0 rovers. Match review

[ihateburnley]

We've lost three of our last four matches. Let 11 goals in.

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That doesn't tell the whole story though. A few of those goals have been circumstancial individual errors rather than plain poor defensive play in general. Not to mention the fact that two of these matches were against arguably the second best team in the league with a strikeforce of VanHorseface, Rooney, Saha and Ronaldo - four players which cost double what our entire squad probably cost.

The statistics do look alarming though.

[rover6]

It's pretty clear that Hughes needs to find a replacement for Tugay. Opposition managers know that he is the focal point of our team but can easily be stifled into making mistakes.

Does the team need a little freshening up for Everton? Not sure but Peter and Pongolle must have a strong chance.

[Paul]

I blame Paul

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I did consider this on the way home...........decided it was Ricky's fault in the end.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Personally I blame Kuqi.

I think that the team have had to put in exceptional effort over the last few weeks making up for Kuqi's inability to hold the ball up or link the play. This has caught up with the team who are obviously tired.

Isn't it interesting how people are slagging Tugay - he is only as good as the players around him. If they don't run into space - he can't make the pass - and often gets caught in possession. This is where fitness - and forwards like Bellamy who can make intelligent runs and hold the ball up make all the difference.

Lets hope SP is fully fit for Everton - Bellamy back would also provide an obvious boost.

[Ricky]

Looks like we might be on the way to having one more Roverite. Despite the shocking game Linda's little boy actually really enjoyed his first match. He watched the game in his Rovers shirt and was delighted with his BRFCS.com badge (Thanks Paul, you're a star). Woke him up this morning to find that he had put his Rovers badge on his Pyjamas lol.

He has decided that he now supprts both Blackburn and Chelsea now, just have to work on him to drop the latter.

[thenodrog]

It's pretty clear that Hughes needs to find a replacement for Tugay. Opposition managers know that he is the focal point of our team but can easily be stifled into making mistakes.

Does the team need a little freshening up for Everton? Not sure but Peter and Pongolle must have a strong chance.

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Never mind the awful clearance from Gray cos Tugays powder puff challenge on Greening was embarrassing. Great player that Tugay is undisputed when he is given time on the ball to play BUT if the opposition get at him fast and physical then he may as well be subbed even if there is only 15 mins on the clock. He is still well worth a new contract but not as a player for all occasions.

[LeChuck]

I dont want to be labelled a 'tinkerman' but at the start of the season I suggested 4-5-1 with the Axe instead of Tugay as an away option changing to 4-4-2 simply by swopping those two and bringing on another striker should the situation require it.  The amount of goals against in the last few games does add some weight to using these tactics.

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I can't work out whether that's suggesting a 4-5-1 formation or Mokoena in a 4-4-2...

...either is utter madness, especially 4-5-1, which would completely destroy the excellent work Hughes has done over the past 6 or so months.

[colin]

What a decent bloke: my e-mail to him, & his in return below. Makes a change from calling each other rude names

+++++++++++++

Adrian,

Good win for your lot, seems like you deserved it.

Six points above the drop zone now, good luck for the rest of the season.

All the best.

Over & out

Colin

+++++++++++

thanks mate. it was just our day I think

enjoy the rest of the season.

I'm quite big on omens so I'll have to write something for you every time we play you

[Presty On Tour]

i dont understand why people are blaming individuals for our last match, i thought this was a team game

fair enough we were bad but pointing fingers doesn't help matters, we were ###### and hughes won't let it happen again.

[pleasure]

Worst performance I've seen since we've come back up.  There is no way Im going to the Everton game after wasting my money on that ######. Pathetic! None of them even tried, no one!

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greggk:- you should hear yourself! you sound like a proper bandwagon jumper!

i was there on sat. bad day at the office, that's all!

no excuse for losing the faith.

the team this year has surpassed all expectations and deserve more support.

we should take a lead from the west brom fans, 23, 000, got behind their team from the start and never stopped singing and shouting. it was there 12th man (maybe 13th, shocking linesman on the east stand) and i wish ewood could be as loud!

[Tris]

Leaving the ground the stewards refused to allow us to turn right through the gates. We had to follow everyone else making the walk 45 minutes instead of the 10 it was to get in. As Tom gets tired he just gets slower and slower! I know the reasoning but a 50+, disabled lad and flask are hardly a threat to the local casuals!

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That's unfortunate Paul - what they should have told you is to wait 10 minutes for those gates to be opened.

I had to meet someone in the Halfords Lane stand hospitality entrance after the game, and the stewards said the options were a 10 minute wait or a 15 minute walk in the wrong direction.

[philipl]

looking forward to the trip. i'd take 1-0

TEAM NEWS:-

team is as usual +

reid to play centre mid, emo right, kuqi and bentley to continue upfront.

subs, zurab, axe, pongolle, peter, enks.

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Just as I thought- this wasn't correct.

[waggy]

after a couple off days to think on saturdays preformance,i think most battlehard roverites have come to expect what went on. our next 4 games might bring zero points just as much as they might bring 12.saturday was a kick in the lower regions but i am sure sparky will do his upmost to turn things round.if everton beat us satueday they will be a point behind us,just shows how tight the premier is this season,take away chelski and sunderland.

[T4E]

Gutting! Not what we wanted.

There's some work to do on the defence in training this week. 9 goals conceeded in 3 games is really not a pretty statistic.

[Ronin]

Dare I say that we needed this result. After the high of beating Man U and a good decent run of league results, this game was a kick in the nads and will serve as a warning that we shouldn't get complacent and get too confident.

I fully expect Hughes to get it right and back on form against Everton. Especially if Everton play above their station against Chelski in the midweek replay and suffer a comedown at the weekend against us.

[AndyC]

well, it's the first game I'd been to for quite a while and what a dissapointment!

from the first whistle, not a single player looked up for it. WBA closed us down really quickly and never let us do much the ball.

Granted - we passed the ball around and looked a far slicker team in that respect, but we had absolutely nothing in the final third where it really counts.

I've seen people blame Hughes, but at least he got the subs spot on today.

firstly - tugay. was one of those frustrating games that he can have and I put this more down to a bit of tiredness.

pederson was also the most anonymous player on the pitch! I expected big things from him, but he just didn't deliver. Never once tried to beat his man. His only decent contribution was his free kick.

Kuki was absolutely awful, so he had to go off. I can't comment for the rest of the season having seen the games from the tv, but on this showing, he looks woefully short of being a premiership player. I think he won 2 headers all game which is criminal for a man of his size. He doesn't seem to possess a footballing brain, as so many times he just wasn't on bently's wave length.

Todd also had a shocker. Lost every single header to old man campbell!

OK - here's the positives:

Bently - what a classy player. Very neat touches and is just crying out for an intelligent striker to play along side him. ( can't wait to see him up front with bellamy) Made plenty of very tellign runs, but unfortunately, our midfield failed to spot them,, opting to pass sideways.

Flo - difficult to tell, but the guy has pace, a very good touch, good awareness and likes to run with it. I think he'll be a hit. Would have been far more effective than kuki if on from the start.

Peter - needs to control his temper and was caught in possession a few times. But looks like he's a skillfull player.

Reid - not his best recent performance, but looks very strong and more composed this season. Prefer him in central midfield than on the right.

Hughes - made all the same changes I would have done! Not many times that happens!!!

The balti pie at half time.

Negtives:

players looked tired and not really up for it.

defence never looked like being first to the ball.

players don't seem to want to pass to kuki.

[thenodrog]

Flo - difficult to tell, but the guy has pace, a very good touch, good awareness and likes to run with it. I think he'll be a hit. Would have been far more effective than kuki if on from the start.

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Personally I'm not expecting too much from Pongole. Sure I will give him every chance to prove me wrong but dont forget this guy is a Stead-like stop gap. Nowhere near the top of Hughes wish list but just about the only person of any quality that we could get before the deadline snapped shut. He came because Jansen had gone nad Dickov and Bellamy appear long term casualty's. He could prove me (and the management team) wrong of course but I expect him to leave come May.

[Ozz]

Nice touch for WBA to provide an abuse gate in the bar below the stand-allows the singing to be heard right down the botom of the hill. And Mr Shrek, your mask was too small for your face.

[Ronin]

players don't seem to want to pass to kuki.

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To be honest though, would you blame them, considering his final touch on the ball

[S15]

To be honest though, would you blame them, considering his final touch on the ball 

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Final touch being another term for his first touch.

What a joke he is.

I have no personal vendetta, as he tries his best, but please drop him, and please stop singing that embarrassing chant.

SHEF-KEEEEE KUQAAAAAAAYYYYY.

For some reason when it's chanted it sounds like a bunch of 13 year old townies are singing it, as are the emphasised pronunciations at certain points.

Also it usually follows a first touch so heavy the pitch slants somewhat afterwards.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

To be honest though, would you blame them, considering his final touch on the ball 

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I noticed this in the United match - where players were holding onto the ball rather than pass to Kuqi. Though I like the big lump - more for his effort and endevour than skill - I can't blame them.

As I have said before - I think that the current tiredness of the team is as a result of having to carry Kuqi. It was most noticeable in matches against United - where I honestly think we would have been better playing with only 10 men - as every time the ball was passed to him he was dispossesed. It was noticeable in the 2nd leg - when Kuqi went off and MGP was pushed up front we actually started to hold the ball up - and were able to link attacks better (and MGP isn't a forward)

Edited February 7, 2006 by DavidMailsTightPerm

[Ronin]

Hopefully with Pongo & Bentley up front (until/if/when Bellamy gets back) should be a decent attacking front, with Dickov on as sub when he returns from injury, although for a last 20 minute sub Kuqi would be ideal, a la Everton with Duncan Ferguson, minus the sendings off

Maybe Souey was right when he though Kuqi couldn't cut it in the Premier

[RevidgeBlue]

Personally I'm not expecting too much from Pongole.  Sure I will give him every chance to prove me wrong but dont forget this guy is a Stead-like stop gap.  Nowhere near the top of Hughes wish list but just about the only person of any quality that we could get before the deadline snapped shut.  He came because Jansen had gone nad Dickov and Bellamy appear long term casualty's.  He could prove me (and the management team) wrong of course but I expect him to leave come May.

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Not quite so sure about that, I think it may depend on whether he sees Blackburn Rovers as a permanent career option or whether like the German centre half we rescued from there (can't even remember his name now) he considers it beneath him.

I'm sure he'll have bags more natural ability than both Dickov or Kuqi. One thing that was noticeable on Saturday (even though he was allegedly under the weather) was that he seemed to have plenty of pace. If Bellamy came back the thought of a Blackburn Rovers forward line with TWO genuinely quick men in it is completely unheard of!

In 35 years of watching Rovers I think you can practically count our strikers with pace on your thumbs. Garner, Shearer (pre first injury), Bellamy.

Anyone else?

[chris]

Not quite so sure about that, I think it may depend on whether he sees Blackburn Rovers as a permanent career option or whether like the German centre half we rescued from there (can't even remember his name now) he considers it beneath him.

I'm sure he'll have bags more natural ability than both Dickov or Kuqi. One thing that was noticeable on Saturday (even though he was allegedly under the weather) was that he seemed to have plenty of pace. If Bellamy came back the thought of a Blackburn Rovers forward line with TWO genuinely quick men in it is completely unheard of!

In 35 years of watching Rovers I think you can practically count our strikers with pace on your thumbs. Garner, Shearer (pre first injury), Bellamy.

Anyone else?

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Gallacher was fast

[AndyC]

Gallacher was fast

382494[/snapback]

no he wasn't!

But 'who the let the bent out' was!