[Archived] Sheffield United 0 Blackburn Rovers 0

[ihtd]

Sheffield United Vs Blackburn Rovers

On paper this match is a formality, a Rovers win with Benni and Gamst scoring a wonder goal, but as we all know football isn't played on paper and this match will be a lot harder than it looks on paper. Sheffield United like ourselves have only one point from their opening three games yet more encouraging for them is that they took their only point against the big spenders of Liverpool and were very unlucky not to take all three points on the opening day of the season had Gerrard not gone all fairy like in the penalty area.

Both sides will be looking for an upturn in fortune after both being defeated twice in the three games they've played this season.

Players to Watch

ROVERS

Andre Ooijer-After his awful debut he has a lot to prove, the club has invested a fair bit of money in this man due to his excellent performances for PSV and for the Dutch National side. He may have only played one game against the might of Chelsea and a lot of us are judging him on that one match and as such he does have a lot to prove. Given time to adjust to the Premiership pace and physicallity he should turn out to be a good signing, not every player can have the same immediate effect that a certain Mr Nelsen had.

Morten GASMT Pedersen-Since he decided to change the name on the back of his shirt, he has looked a different player, who am i trying to kid, he's still not beating the first man with his corners and is offering very little down the left but we all know what he can do in a blink of an eye and the Sheffield United players will have to keep an eye on him.

Shabani Nonda-This lad has got all the skills, the pace, the strength for a small man and if he stays fit and plays to the standard he has played to in the past in Ligue 1 and Serie A he will terrify defences in the Premiership as defenders don't like pacey strikers and Sheffield United's back four will be exactly the same.

Sheffield United

Phil Jagielka-He has been scouted by numerous Premiership clubs but no one has taken the gamble on him when players like Michael Brown has been gambled on and IMO Jagielka is a lot better player than him, he is a versatile player who can happily fill in at any postion at the back and normally plays in the centre of their midfield as a ball winning midfielder who feeds the ball through to their strikers.

Rob Hulse-Never made it at Premiership level, always been the bridesmaid when at WBA, made something like four substitute appearances for them in the Premiership and was sold to Leeds United after being told he wouldn't be good enough for the Premiership. Now he's back in the Premiership and scored on his debut, Premiership start against Liverpool.

Paddy Kenny-This man could be in for a busy afternoon should Nonda and McCarthy get the service they need, a top keeper IMO and i am very suprised he is still at Brammel Lane, i would have thought a bigger club would have taken a gamble on him in the same way i thought with Jagielka.

With the season only being three games in, there really isn't to much to talk about in terms of how the season is going, we have to look at the season so far in a positive view IMO, we got hammered by the poor mans Chelsea but they have bought an awful lot of good players and they were not as bad a side as they were thought to be last season, drew with Everton who severely underachieved last season and have some good players like Arteta and Johnson and we've lost to Chelsea despite dominating a lot of the game possession wise and two individual errors by Ooijer put the game in their favour. The season should be judged by this Saturday's game at Brammel Lane, the first match of the season we are expected to win. This game has to be the turning point!

Sheffield United 0

Blackburn Rovers 2

Scorers

Nonda (Debut goal) (Should he be fit/picked)

Gamst (Has to start the season somewhere and may give him added motivation knowing that gally and Peter want his place in the side)

[Presty On Tour]

its a game we should go and win, if we don't win here, it's not looking good, as the league stands it a basement battle!

sheff utd at home are a tough team as the scousers found out they are no push overs but looking at their side they are ###### and we sould give then newbies a pasting!

[bubblerrovers]

We'll lose two nil and alarm bells will ring.

[frosty]

A hard fought 1-0 win to Rovers with Roberts scoring.

[Oklahoma]

0-3

First win of the season and in big style.

McCarthy, Tugay and Gamst to score.

[joey_big_nose]

With Tugay back and Nonda signing on we suddenly seem to have lots of options in all areas. Pedersen just played well for Norway so that might defer what would otherwise seem a certain dropping. It is hard to say what will happen with Ooijer too.

My guess for the side:

-----------Benni Nonda

Bentley Savage Tugay Reid

--Niell Ooijer Zurab Emerton

----------------Freidal

Subs: Brown, Todd, Pedersen, Gallagher, Roberts

But really there are a lot of combinations that could happen depending whats been going on in training.

United 1-2 Rovers.

Remember that liverpol were held well by United at bramall lane, so it will be tough...

[Jim J]

SUFC 2-3 BRFC

[speeeeeeedie]

This game is on tape delay (2:15pm EST) on Fox Soccer in the USA . Hopefully this time we can show the world that we aren't relegation fodder, which is what everyone will start saying on here if we don't win.

[Oakland]

1-3

Benni, Reid and Gally

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

2-1 the blades!!!!!!!!!!1

[3recurring]

1-2 Rovers

[Nayef]

Sheff Utd 3 Blackburn 1

I can smell the breeze from Carlisle's shores already.

[AlanSheppard]

2-1. Scrappy win but hopefully we can get our season going.

[1864roverite]

I seriously think Rovers can win this game at a canter and send us Blues marching off into Europe with confidence.

2-0 Rovers

[ihateburnley]

1-0 Rovers

Pedersen/Gamst/Morten whatever he is called now.

[Fife Rover]

Got a terrible premonition about this one!

Sheff U 2 - 0 Rovers

Savage sent off. Nonda breaks leg on debut.

[andrew92]

ill be there (only £15 bus and ticket) need a win 2 kick start season

3-1 rovers nonda, mccarthy, pedersen

tonge

[rebelzero]

Sheffield United 0 Rovers 2

McCarthy & Gallagher

[James No. 7]

2-0 to the Rovers! Nonda and McCarthy to show a touch of class.

[Simon Says]

Sheff Utd 1 Rovers 3

[tchocky]

6-1 to them. Brad for us (he gets injured while scoring too).

[daren]

Ok, thats excessively pessimistic!

1-3 to Rovers, McCarthy, Bentley and Nonda as a sub.

[Blue blood]

1-0 to a Rovers team that should have scored more. Drop Ooijer he doesn't seem to be tough enough and Todd hasn't done much wrong. Let Nonda come off the bench I feel we'll need Robert's battling qualities.

Team:

Brad, Emerton, Neill, Todd, Zurab (or Nelsen if fit) Reid, Savage, Bently Gamst/Pederson, Roberts, McCarthy

subs

Nonda, Tugs, Ooijer (Zurab if Nelsen fit) Mokoena Brown.

The midfield options still look rather light. Think it'll be a battle but we should have too much class for them.

[G Somerset Rover]

1-0 to a Rovers team that should have scored more. Drop Ooijer he doesn't seem to be tough enough and Todd hasn't done much wrong. Let Nonda come off the bench I feel we'll need Robert's battling qualities.

Team:

Brad, Emerton, Neill, Todd, Zurab (or Nelsen if fit) Reid, Savage, Bently Gamst/Pederson, Roberts, McCarthy

subs

Nonda, Tugs, Ooijer (Zurab if Nelsen fit) Mokoena Brown.

The midfield options still look rather light. Think it'll be a battle but we should have too much class for them.

Nelsen's out for God knows how long as I just put in another thread.

I think this will be a 1-1 with Roberts getting off the mark for Rovers. If we do fail to win Saturday then already Citeh at home becomes a huge game.

[pksrover]

Sheff U 0-3 Rovers

Nonda x2

McCarthy

I am continuing with my optimistic predictions

and Jordan drunk in some pub in sheffield.. (this is a safe prediction..)