[Archived] Rovers 2 - 0 Villa

[Jim J]

keeping to the tackling subject, ryan nelson...what a tackle on baros!!!

thats a proper goal saving tackle

390282[/snapback]

thought his tackle on Phillips was better

[SamTheShrew]

I managed to watch half an hour of the game before I had to go to work, and in the last five minutes of that our defending was calamatous! Thank God for Milan Baros is all I can say!

Villa looked very good on MOTD, and we were fortunate with the reid handball. Scrappy game from us, scrappy goals.

More than makes up for the Spurs game though. shame Gerrard had to go give the ball to the opposition

[Fife Rover]

If we are to push on next season and (hopefully) do well in Europe, then we desperately need to sign a 'penalty box' striker. Although I rate Bellamy, Dickov and Pongolle highly, none of them would be classed as poachers - I think we need someone in the same physical mould as Kuqi - but a bit of skill please.

390298[/snapback]

I fully agree with this. My choice would be either:

1) Beattie

2) Ashton

[1864roverite]

people can laugh at how poor Baros's finishing was on he day but for me he could just be the typ eof player that Rovers could pair with Bellamy up front. A taller version with speed.

Maybe playing in our team he would have punished the defence ?

[rover6]

Baros seems to score quite often against us, so it was nice to see him miss those chances. Phillips, also, doesn't mind a goal or two versus Rovers, so it was a surprise we kept the clean sheet.

[Exiled_Rover]

I fully agree with this. My choice would be either:

1) Beattie

2) Ashton

390381[/snapback]

Do you have a spare £10m in your back pocket?

[G Somerset Rover]

I think Spurs have first option on Mido...but you never know we could try and get in there!He'd be awesome with Bellamy.

[herbergeehh]

Mido wouldn't sign for us, he plays regularly for Spurs (in London!) and is a bit of a brat anyway. Big city boy I'd think, considering the clubs he's played for..

[juggalo_rover]

One worrying thing that occured during the game that i haven't seen mentioned was the lack of balls that were won in the air after Brad had cleared the ball from a goal kick a pass back or a normal clearance.

We gave the ball straight back to Villa every time and created so much more problems for us. Hopefully we've realised this and can play the ball to the backline most of the time and build from our own half instead of trying to win a 50/50 on half way or into the opposing half.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I find it worrying that people are saying what a good game Nelsen had - when we were so obviously poor at the back.

For me - one of Nelsen's better qualities since he came - has been his ability to create a defensive unit.

This was sadly missing yesterday - and doesn't bode well for the remaining games if we can't get it sorted.

[krislu]

I find it worrying that people are saying what a good game Nelsen had - when we were so obviously poor at the back.

390520[/snapback]

Nelsen was decent, Todd on the other hand was rubbish. In my opinion we need to get rid of our silent captain. In almost all the games i've seen this season Todd's poor positioning sense has gotten us into serious problems.

[mode_m]

Good performance by the players, I am so happy they won that one even though there was a few close calls by Villa.

Kudos to all that attended the game too, there was an amazing atmosphere it felt like as I watched it on Fox....drummer and all.

[Jan]

Nelsen was decent, Todd on the other hand was rubbish. In my opinion we need to get rid of our silent captain. In almost all the games i've seen this season Todd's poor positioning sense has gotten us into serious problems.

390529[/snapback]

And therein lies the problem with watching on television and thus getting a one-dimensional view of the game. You've missed: the getting into the right position to back up his other defenders when the forward has gone past them; the passing- a lot of which has been sublime; the making a nuisance of himself in the box to either score himself or allow others to score; the being in a space to receive passes.

[roversmum]

One worrying thing that occured during the game that i haven't seen mentioned was the lack of balls that were won in the air after Brad had cleared the ball from a goal kick a pass back or a normal clearance.

We gave the ball straight back to Villa every time and created so much more problems for us. Hopefully we've realised this and can play the ball to the backline most of the time and build from our own half instead of trying to win a 50/50 on half way or into the opposing half.

390497[/snapback]

We have two small forwards and they have too big tall defenders who didn't even have to jump for the ball! We noticed it too. Towards the end of the match I was even wanting Kuqi to come on and give them a bit of trouble!

[Fife Rover]

Nelsen was decent, Todd on the other hand was rubbish. In my opinion we need to get rid of our silent captain. In almost all the games i've seen this season Todd's poor positioning sense has gotten us into serious problems.

390529[/snapback]

I have to agree with you on this occasion, but although Todd has had a number of less than good games recently I still think he is a good man to have available for the right occasions. Following this theme; what has happened to Zurab? Why is he not even on the bench recently?

[RovertheHill]

kenny's magic hat makes a very good post.

Those who say Villa were unlucky not to win should consider the following:

Rovers had more than 50% possession overall and chances were exactly even in numbers.

McCann was fortunate to be playing in such a clean match- he was guilty of three very bookable offences, not just the one which got him the only yellow of the game.

390144[/snapback]

I normally agree with most of your posts Philip but in this case the statistics were not really relevant. We could (and would against a better striker) have been 3 down in 10 minutes. Villa clearly had a game plan to close us down as quickly as possible - especially Neill and Gray. Bentley couldn't handle it in the centre as you say but for me it was the switch of Reid inside that started to give us the platform. For those that don't rate Savage, as far as I'm concerned the facts are there to see - we would have lost that game without his endeavour in the middle. The defence was completely undone by Kevin Phillips dropping off between the back 4 and the midfield, which pulled holes in it until Reid got in there. Thankfully, Hughes spotted that and made the change

[philipl]

Fair enough but the stats show we rode our good fortune and had more than our share of the rest of the game.

I see Sorenson had butter fingers again last night. I wonder if they want Enks back?