[Archived] Birmingham City 2-1 Rovers

[Exiled_Rover]

I don't actually think we've been that bad lately -

POMPEY away - draw - Harry Redknapp says it was their 'best performance of the season'

LIVERPOOL home - bad decision by linesman ruined the game, we had all the possession, but couldnt break them down - liverpool are one of the best in europe at holding a lead.

BIRMINGHAM - we had all the possession again, their keeper's made some amazing saves. They had two breaks and score both.

Maybe we're just due a bit of a break in front of goal

400506[/snapback]

Which translates as:

Pompey away: poor team performance saved by two pieces of sheer quality by Bellamy

Liverpool home: very fortunate goal for Liverpool, followed by 60 minutes of the scousers not breaking a sweat in defence.

Birmingham away: haven't seen the game, but it sounded like they took their chances whilst we struggled to create many.

[krislu]

I don't actually think we've been that bad lately -

POMPEY away - draw - Harry Redknapp says it was their 'best performance of the season'

LIVERPOOL home - bad decision by linesman ruined the game, we had all the possession, but couldnt break them down - liverpool are one of the best in europe at holding a lead.

BIRMINGHAM - we had all the possession again, their keeper's made some amazing saves. They had two breaks and score both.

400506[/snapback]

I've seen all those games, one of them from the stands, and apart from the Liverpool game you are talking some quality rubbish here! Against Pompey it was Bellamy against them, a 5-2 loss would have been what we deserved. Today we did not have all the possession, their keeper did not make any (apart from the peter shot, which savage scored on the rebound) saves, never mind amazing onces..

So I have no idea what you are trying to pull here, because, face it, we have been playing crap lately..

[bringdunnback]

where was pongolle?

drop pedersen for the next game, tell him hes not a certain starter

same as above for bentley, awful against pool, even worse tonight

if not pongolle, give kuqi a chance, everytime he comes he makes an impact

sergio peter should start, great potential, if he is given a chance, i hope he keeps pedersen out

finally give our only quality player, bellamy, the ball more often

[allan]

Prediction for next season - Rovers will be where Brum are now - if we're lucky.

[rover6]

I know you guys are really frustrated but in the end we're only finding our level. The team has been over-performing and now were suffering a dip because our team is not good enough to be the favourites on a regular basis. Our strength is going into matches as under-dogs and surprising people.

The fact we've got into this position without a right winger who can play two consecutive average games (or should that be one average game!) is impressive in its self.

Creativity should be Hughes' watchword when he's searching for new recruits this summer.

[G Somerset Rover]

Weve been utter tripe since the spurs game, thats fact. You can probably count the number of chances weve had on one hand during these games (goals from bellamy excepted). We need creativity, and lots of it. How can anyone say that weve been playing pretty well of late. I take it your talking about us having the lions share of possesion against the scousers. Thats because they were one up, and were saying 'comon, were gonna sit back, what have you got?'...we had nothing. Were creating nowt, and getting nowt. Weve ran out of steam, and I can honestly only see potential points at home to City.

[RevidgeBlue]

I've never felt as down after a result since we were relegated I don't think.

A Uefa place which should have been done and dusted a couple of games ago now looks decidedly iffy.

We seem to have forgotten how to defend and we're not creating enough in front of goal.

We just didn't turn up in the first half tonight imo which just wasn't good enough for a game of this importance. We improved considerably second half and dominated possession but just as at Portsmouth were undone by poor defending.

Neill and Zurab had nightmarish games in either full back position.

Many people on here accused a few of us of being "moaners" after the dismal performance against Wigan, but unfortunately that standard of performance seems to have developed into being a habit.

A Uefa place is probably still in our hands, just, but where is the next win coming from?

[johnny boy]

Prediction for next season - Rovers will be where Brum are now - if we're lucky.

400511[/snapback]

On current form you are not far wrong. Some of our performances recently have been really inept. Tonights result is a disaster. We always do this, we even nearly blew winning the title. And remember all those slumps in the 1980's do deny us promotion.

I've got a feeling that will we need to beat Man City at home on the last day of the season to get sixth place.

Please please please please Rovers do not throw this away.

I hope the break does them good. I really do.

[joey_big_nose]

Hughes management is falling apart. What has happened to Pongolle - his talk of joining in the summer is laughable - he never plays. Bentley and Bellamy never works - how long will it take for Hughes to see this? Why has Grey been offered a new contract when Hughes clearly (and rightly) has no confidence in him? The only bright spot tonight has been Peter but no doubt Hughes will drop him next match.

400497[/snapback]

Get a grip.

[stuwilky]

Prediction for next season - Rovers will be where Brum are now - if we're lucky.

400511[/snapback]

Perhaps you could replace your knee from where it jerked...

[Hasta]

Having watched the game in the pub all I can say was MGP was for the god knows how many games in a row awful.

Peter did more in 10 mins than Morten did in the first half.

Hughes has a tough decision to make in the summer as to whether he overpeformed earlier or is underperforming now.

I felt sorry for Reid as he carried the midfield all on his own.

Edited April 19, 2006 by Hasta

[cn_barlow]

All this talk of relegation is a bit stupid really.

One thing is for sure...over the past few weeks the players have bottled it big time! Too many players are being carried.....MGP springs to mind as having done F-all in recent weeks!

I would definately start with Peter next match....he cant have any less of an impact than Pedersen has recently.

Typical Rovers though isn't it?.....Nothing is ever easy with us!

Incidentally....what happened with Todd hen he was Subbed off?

Edited April 19, 2006 by cn_barlow

[Eddie]

I know you guys are really frustrated but in the end we're only finding our level. The team has been over-performing and now were suffering a dip because our team is not good enough to be the favourites on a regular basis. Our strength is going into matches as under-dogs and surprising people.

The fact we've got into this position without a right winger who can play two consecutive average games (or should that be one average game!) is impressive in its self.

Creativity should be Hughes' watchword when he's searching for new recruits this summer.

400515[/snapback]

Finding our level? What tripe. We're playing against one of the worst teams in the Premiership. You don't find your level after 30 odd games. We're out of form and maybe letting the pressure get to us, it is still all in our hands now so it is up to us to pull out the results we need from the remaining three games.

I am really down after this result though.

[des]

after todays game, I think that in the summer, stage two needs to be put into operation.

I would sell MPG he is a good player but lack the strength and power need for the way that Blackburn play.

we need a forward who is tall and as a good touch and can hold the ball up.

Midfield. a player who can make goals and beat people, our midfield is strong and powerfull. but lack that bit of skill.

defence, some one who can both defend and who is happy on the ball.

all the above will cost and hence some players may have to be sold, like MPG and others. MH would use the money to rebuild the team and move us on

[Ricky]

Peter looked good when he came on. I'd start with him for the next game. Where the hell was Pongolle??

We were poor again. We haven't looked good for a few games now and I am worried that we may well get caught. Need two more wins from 3 games.

[Eddie]

Let's not all have this knee jerk reaction and start selling and buying like crazy. The nucleus of the squad is good and teams never do well when they have a massive change in playing staff so we have to make three or four careful buys. Also, even though MGP hasn't done much for a while, let's not just forget a player who won us a lot of games back when Bellamy wasn't producing the goods and who whenever we play our best stuff has a lot to do with it. He still can improve a lot but he's a good player. That is also something we should remember when everyone is going crazy about Bellamy. Good players go through good bits of form where no one can stop them and bad phases where they can't do much right, hopfully more of the former. However, when either happens it isn't a case of best player ever or has to be sold, simply form.

I think some of our team is probably a bit tired and perhaps have lost some focus on what their jobs are and exactly what they have to achieve, maybe we were caught up in the race for 4th spot and forgot that this season could take a rather massive nose dive if we weren't careful. We've got a 10 day break now so hopefully Hughes can soften a few backsides with his boot and make them realise that it is time they pull their fingers out and get the results that we need. I don't care what anyone says about what we may have expect come the beginning of the season, this will have been a failure if we don't finish in the top 6. If you get yourself into the position we were two or three games ago and don't get an automatic European spot then you have blown it. Hughes and the team set their target as Europe, I know that I and a few others thought top 6 was possible (the optimistic ones...we all have to be right sometimes) and there will be no excuses if we don't manage it from here.

3 points clear with 3 games left, two of which are very winnable; the ball is very much in our court.

[Ozz]

Should have been a draw. Good Rovers following tonight. Hate Steve Bruce.

Should end up 6,7th i guess-about right.

[RevidgeBlue]

We are nowhere near as poor as is being suggested in some posts on here, we're a good side who haven't performed anywhere near our capability in three very winnable games v Wigan, pompey and Brum. The only area in which we're particularly weak is in finding a suitable partner for Bellamy, but we managed to cope with that over the first 30 games.

IMO Hughes needs to resist the temptation to panic and chop and change too much. When everyone is playing to form we have a clear strongest eleven:

Friedel Neill Gray Nelsen Todd Reid Savage Tugay Bellamy Pongolle MGP.

The only change I would be tempted to make would be to swap Mgp (who is desperately out of sorts) for Peter. If in the mood the Norwegian should be more than capable of making an impact coming off the bench.

[Robertson]

Tired? Here was me thinking we had one of the fittest bunch of players in the league

Is it mental complacency? I would hope, and guess, not. Not sure what the answer is but echo other posters that Pedersen should be dropped for Peter who has always impressed me when he has played. Morten has looked out of sorts for a while now.

Charlton will be tricky and I am not confident but player for player we are the better side and with determination and a bit of luck we could produce the goods.

Hate Birmingham, any defeat is hard but this one hurts bad

Come on lads don't blow it, over the season we deserve to be where we are, lets stay there!

[promoted2001]

If we don't win against Charlton or Chelski then we can panic. At the end of the day we've been damn lucky all season and don't deserve to be in this position. Some people may not share my view but we should have lost against villa at home and wigan at home to name a few. We're lucky to be in the top 8 so I believe it will be classed as a successful season.

[Eddie]

If we don't win against Charlton or Chelski then we can panic. At the end of the day we've been damn lucky all season and don't deserve to be in this position. Some people may not share my view but we should have lost against villa at home and wigan at home to name a few. We're lucky to be in the top 8 so I believe it will be classed as a successful season.

400552[/snapback]

Just the same you could say that we deserved to win against Spurs and Bolton. No side deserves all the points they get or doesn't have games where they deserve more than they get. We desreve to be in the position that we are in, the league table doesn't lie. Are we much better then the teams just below us? No. Is the team that finished 6th ever that much better then the teams that finish just below them? No. Let's get Europe now because we deserve it, we'll be letting ourselves down if we don't.

[theresonly1alj]

Well thank god we won't get the chance to embarass ourselves in Europe.

[Eddie]

Yeah, wouldn't want to do another Boro.

[AllRoverAsia]

Emerton!! Bently!! Savage!! Pederson!! I've sh*t better. A fine line betwen success and failure at the top level and Rovers are borderline crap. Unless some height is put in the side next season will be back to a struggle. Playing with midgets doesn't work. Losing to that lot is the pits FFS!

[stuwilky]

Well thank god we won't get the chance to embarass ourselves in Europe.

400555[/snapback]

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