Battle Of 4th, 5th, 6th Position

[RevidgeBlue]

If we beat Wigan next game and Bolton lose to ManUre they'll be seven points behind albeit with two games in hand which will probably be too much to make up as long as we don't subsequently blow up completely.

Here's hoping.

[EIEIEIO]

Can some clear up why Noblot have two games against Birmingham City still to play? I can't believe that at this stage of the season teams have not met each other.

[Eddie]

I'm pretty sure it has something to do with cup games, either FA or UEFA. They just haven't had a suitable time to play the game yet.

[RoyRover]

Bolton losing today was a good result for us, as it keeps them at arms length from ourselves. I think that they could possibly overtake us with their games in hand, but hopefully they will drop some more points toward the end of the season. The fact that they still have to play Birmingham twice is very much to their advantage though, as you'd think that they'd collect maximum points from those two games.

[tchocky]

Looking at our own fixture list I'm not feeling too confident about our next 5 games. 8 points from them would be a pretty decent effort. Then 4 from the last two games would take us to a final 64 points for the season. Amazing if it happens.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

If we beat Wigan next game and Bolton lose to ManUre they'll be seven points behind albeit with two games in hand which will probably be too much to make up  as long as we don't subsequently blow up completely.

Here's hoping.

393717[/snapback]

Lets not get ahead of ourselves. Wigan have an excellent away record - and the pace of Roberts and Camara will have to be countered.

It is a must win match for Rovers - Wigan have a relatively easy run in - but if we can win this one we will probably put enough distance between ourselves and them to take them out of the equation.

Edited March 26, 2006 by DavidMailsTightPerm

[Fife Rover]

Today's results were all good for Rovers.

1) Boro did us a big favour beating Notlob.

2) Manure ditto beating Big Club. That will check any revival of confidence for them.

3) Charlton beating Newcastle will dent any hopes they still have of making a late run for a top 6 place.

[thenodrog]

? I dont follow your reasoning there Fife R. They were both on 39 points this morning so why would Charlton (now on 42 points) not carry exactly the same ambition as the Mags?

[Eddie]

I suppose his reasoning may be because Newcastle actually have a decent squad and if they did hit form then they could pick up quite a few points; whereas Chartlon will carry on like they usually do. Either way I don't think it would have had any impact on our season.

[thenodrog]

Beg to differ there Eddie. Given a choice of the two squads and in order to improve our squad I would only want Bowyer and possibly Given and a proven fit Parker from the Mags. Whereas I'd look at Bent, Holland, Kishishev, El Karkouri, Rommedahl, Hreiderson and maybe more from the Charlton squad.

Just as an aside I must say after watching Steven Carr v Chelsea that he is the worst full back that I have seen in the Prem this season! He even makes Matteo look like accomplished.

[joey_big_nose]

Beg to differ there Eddie.  Given a choice of the two squads and in order to improve our squad I would only want Bowyer and possibly Given and a proven fit Parker from the Mags.  Whereas I'd look at Bent, Holland, Kishishev, El Karkouri,  Rommedahl, Hreiderson and maybe more from the Charlton squad.

393764[/snapback]

Well I would take Emre, Solano, Owen and whats-his-name-the-left-winger (not! Luque) off them too, to be honest. Personally I am not a big Bowyer fan.

If Newcastle United sort out their defence they will have far more of an impact next season than Charlton will IMHO.

[Texan Rover]

Beg to differ there Eddie.  Given a choice of the two squads and in order to improve our squad I would only want Bowyer and possibly Given and a proven fit Parker from the Mags.  Whereas I'd look at Bent, Holland, Kishishev, El Karkouri,  Rommedahl, Hreiderson and maybe more from the Charlton squad.

Just as an aside I must say after watching Steven Carr v Chelsea that he is the worst full back that I have seen in the Prem this season!  He even makes Matteo look like accomplished.

393764[/snapback]

First off, I think you're crazy for the bit about players you'd have off of Charlton. Wouldn't mind Rommedahl on the wing and maybe Hreidarson as cover for Lucas, but where are the rest of the lot going to play? I understand we're talking about squad players, but I'd much prefer Owen, Parker, Emre, Given, and even Ameobi to anyone with Charlton.

And then just as something of an aside, Carr was in Soccernet's Team of the Week today.

[LeChuck]

Hreidarson as cover for Lucas, but where are the rest of the lot going to play?

393777[/snapback]

He's a left/centre back...but a bloody good one, he'd walk into our side ahead of Gray.

Lack of sleep is making me do this pointless post, but I'll do a couple of 'combined' teams to see if it helps the debate at all:

Charlton/Newcastle:

Given

Young Fortune El Karkouri Hreidarson

Solano Parker Emre Dyer

Bent Owen

Newcastle 6, Charlton 5

Charlton/Newcastle/Rovers:

Given

Neill Nelsen Todd Hreidarson

Solano Parker Emre Pedersen

Bellamy Owen

Rovers 5, Newcastle 5, Charlton 1

Newcastle have plenty of quality in the midfield when everyone is fit...their problem is that, when Owen isn't playing, they have no-one to score goals for them...and when Boumsong/Bramble are playing they have no-one to stop the opposition scoring against them. I'd certainly take their squad over Charlton's though, it doesn't cost much to fix a defence...our back line cost less than £1 million for them all.

[Texan Rover]

He's a left/centre back...but a bloody good one, he'd walk into our side ahead of Gray.

Heh, clearly it's late. Suppose I was thinking of Young. Just did a little research on him and it seems I was undershooting his age by about five years as well, as I thought he was in his early 20s. And shocked to find that Charlton paid Spuds 5m pounds for him. [Edit: wow, still unclear! I'm talking about Young here, not HH.]

In any event, Texan Rover = dense, Hermann Hreidarson = left back.

Edited March 27, 2006 by Texan Rover

[Chris_Roe]

totally (well almost) off the topic but with bolton having to play brum twice in their last 10 or so games reminded of the promotion season (80/81 ?) when we played Bury in our last 2 games of the season.. won away 2 - 1 (to gain promotion) then lost 2 -1 at home.... cant remember how it worked out that way but we did have a decent cup run that season..

[philipl]

Wandering a little off topic but I cannot help but thinking we Rovers fans are a war-wearied jaundiced lot. Look at the table this morning:

1. Chelsea

2. Man U

3. Liverpool

4. Spurs

5. BLACKBURN ROVERS

6. Arsenal

Had anyone told me that would have been the top of the First Division Table towards the end of March 2006 at any time between 1966 and 1990, I'd have been absolutely amazed and ecstatic.

This Premiership League table is a beautiful wonderful sight irrespective of whether we blow it over the last seven games.

Enjoy it, paste it up, savour the moment folks.

And for all the jeremiahs out there, it could get better. Stop looking at the Walker/King Kenny years as a one-off.

We might just have the best manager in the game of football since Brian Clough. Different style, less spectacular progress but Hughes is potentially THAT good with as good a back room team behind him.

And we are in the lucky position that RFW is enjoying an Indian summer with his mouthpiece Bobby Charlton talking about him going on forever. If Man U had doubled over the Rovers and not the other way round, the pundits would have been talking of a genuine race for the Premiership title this season. Chelsea going backwards at the moment is taking the pressure off the Mancs.

The most obvious destination were Hughes to leave us is therefore not vacant and there appear to be hardly any other positions in England coming vacant in the next twelve months or so we would have any need to be worried about.

I am very confident that we have the set up at Ewood to not only punch above our weight but to punch a great deal harder yet.

This is a really exciting time to be a Rover.

Edited March 27, 2006 by philipl

[dillo_dillo]

Marv post philip!!

=============

I changed our rivals fixture.

Newcastle is NOT our rival any more.

(replaced Everton)

other data

Edited March 27, 2006 by dillo_dillo

[Presty On Tour]

looking at those fixtures dillo dillo, we have a half decent run in compared to some of our challengers for 4th spot. the spuds are in deep trouble

i hope w.b.a are up for it tonight, spuds won't find it easy as w.b.a will be looking to enlarge the gap between themselves and big club.

when m'boro scored the winner against bolton i was dancing around like a fanny, these are happy times like philipl says, 7 days before the wigan derby game and with our supreme home record this season i really fancy us!!!

[Eddie]

Given

Neill Nelsen Todd Hreidarson

Solano Parker Emre Pedersen

Bellamy Owen

393779[/snapback]

I'd be surprised if that was first choice midfield pairing. I'd still put Savage in there, certainly no the so often missing Emre.

[dillo_dillo]

when m'boro scored the winner against bolton i was dancing around like a fanny

393795[/snapback]

me too

[Eddie]

Now think if West Brom could help us out even more tonight against Spurs.

[thenodrog]

Well I would take Emre, Solano, Owen and whats-his-name-the-left-winger (not! Luque) off them too, to be honest. Personally I am not a big Bowyer fan.

393774[/snapback]

Crikey it must be something to do with the hour........ I forgot about him!

Solano's a good player but he'll be 33 or so next season.

[Lee]

West Ham play their game in hand on Wednesday night - away at Manchester United!

[dillo_dillo]

----- "If you look at the last two or three years we've nothing to lose now.

Every game will be like a cup final.

Hopefully we can pick up five wins from the last seven games and that will get us where we want to go.

"In the last couple of years we've been battling at the other end of the table - this year we're battling to get into Europe.

We're used to pressure games at the end of the season and hopefully that can benefit us during the run-in." ----- Steven Reid

Mirror

[FINRover]

Now think if West Brom could help us out even more tonight against Spurs.

393801[/snapback]

Maybe if match end 0-0. I can't see than WBA score White Hart Lane today.

Edited March 27, 2006 by Rovers supporter from Finland