[Archived] Rovers V Basel

[3recurring]

Good game for Ooijer too. Very solid performance. I lost count of the number of blocks and clearances he made.

[Presty On Tour]

well good result 2night fairplay considering the poor performance we were well lucky to win 3-0!

the first half was shocking, our defending was all over the shop.

i reckon hughes should give the h/t team talk at the start of the match the the 2nd half was better as it was at upton park.

friedel 9, take a clean sheet to your new baby, well good saves from the big guy and dominated his box.

neill 7, quiet game on all accounts, done alright at the back but didn't get forward often.

gray 2, shocking, got taken to the cleaners, useless in the air, has no pace, skinned many times.

zurab 7, solid and stood big against the attacks.

ooijer 6, lost his man a few times in the first half but improved after the break.

bentley 7, played everywhere in the midfield, a threat when he had the ball.

gamst 9, well good performance from the norweigan, dangerous and worked hard for the cause.

savage 6, didn't look fit, pulled muscle and got subbed, a huge blow.

tugay 9, take a bow son, pure quality. amazing goal and is the pass mistro!

benni 7, worked hard and got his goal at the end. whinged alot tonight, a bit like bellamy used too.

nonda 6, missed a sitter with a header at the keeper, dunno how fit he really was.

subs

axe 5, offers nothing, passing is poor, doesn't go forward and his defending was very loose.

gallagher 7, should of come on when savage got injured imo, done well and set up the 3rd goal.

jeffers 7, penalty supremo, if we get a pen v villa, i can see some action on the bench. 1st goal for rovers, well done.

[Rovermatt]

A shocking performance in the first half from Rovers. Only Basle's finishing was worse. Defensively we were all over the place and against better opposition (Feyenoord for instance) we would have paid the price.

The last 15 minutes were brilliant. Tugay is a class apart when it really matters. Yes he gives the ball away on occasion but truly he is a special player. His goal was an absolute work of art.

I was glad to see Jeffers get off the mark. The manner of his penalty betrayed his brittle confidence and his determination to break his duck. Well done to the guy.

Once again, Bentley looked very good. He obviously thrives on confidence and his skill prior to McCarthy's goal was simply jaw-dropping.

Edited November 2, 2006 by Rovermatt

[arealbrfcfan]

Has anybody youtubed it yet? i didnt see the game due to not having eurosport

[CornwallRover]

Anyone got the goals or a torrent of the game by any chance? Probably a bit soon I guess.

[johnny boy]

Great second half performance....TUGAY YOU ARE MY TURKISH DELIGHT!!!!

Just over 13,000.........

Weren't season ticket holders supposed to get UEFA cup home games for free?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

At just £7.50 NEARLY free!!!!!!

What a shame at the responce.

[MI ROVER]

Only managed to catch the 2nd half . Just judging on the 2nd half I thought we looked dangerous and we slightly shaded it upto Tugays magnificent strike. Good to see Jeffers on the scoresheet hopefully he can move on. Gallagher again seemed full of confidence in his brief cameo.

[joey_big_nose]

Although we genuinely looked poor in the first half the second was (mostly) a different story. Great result to go into the weekend with.

Main thing for me was MGP, he was transformed. I wanted Peter to start but the Ped really showed class today, especially in the last twenty minutes.

[McClarky]

Score flattered us but what the hell eh? I thought we looked dodgy at the back for the whole game and Gray was awful but at least we stuck at it.

Tugay was superb but I always get the impression that he doesn't want to shoot. When he delayed his shot I was like "for f>>>s sake shoot" and then he sticks it in the top corner. Maybe he should do it more. Top man though.

For the first time this nseason I thought MGP had a good game. He was trying things and getting decent balls in, a turning point hopefully.

I can't believe that we are top of the group. All the easy draws we have had in Europe in the past and mucked it up and this time we get what I would say was a hard draw in round 1 and in the group and we are walking it. Happy days though.

[BuckyRover]

Right, who was it who was critcising Tugay?

Somebody said he was past it and should be dropped. I think an apology is in order

[Baz]

Group Standings:

http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UEFACup/S...Group=2703.html

I cant see how we can fail to finish below 3rd place!

[only2garners]

I thought it was a cracking game of football. My view of the first half was that Basel came at us strongly and it was at least as much their good play as our poor play. Having said that we did play some good passing football and showed some patience, Unlike many of the crowd who seemed just to want us to hoof it into the 8 defenders in the box.

It was a pleaseure to see a team come with the rather old fashioned notion of trying to beat us by playing good football - quite refreshing after the diving, kicking, time wasting, arguing and downright unpleasantness we have had in the last two home games. The end score flattered us but they seemed to go to pieces after the first goal.

Excellent games for Ooijer, Zurab, Friedel, Pedersen and of course Tugay. Savage was never in the game whilst he was on, Neil never really got going and Gray's performance should surely have convinced even the most myopic fan that he needs to go. Unlike others I also thought Bentley did not have his best match tonight.

[1864roverite]

Back from an icy Ewood Park, and believe me it was frookin cold.

I was quite impressed with the way Basle came out to play in the first half, evasive and productive with a little bit of extra muscle, they must have wondered just how in that first half they couldnt score, especially playing with 13 men ! Yes 13 men !!

In that first half Rovers were not quick enough, failed to close down players, couldnt pass and couldnt tackle, thats why I think both Gray and MGP decided to play against their own team just to see if they could get a little ball play ! They were both POOR at best, ably assisted by Lucas and Zuber. Rovers lacked any creativity and if it wasnt for Brad the magnificent, we would have been 3-0 down at half time. Its as simple as that.

Whatever happened at half time, even with the loss of Savo, must be something just short of a miracle. A different team emerged albeit 40% better than the first half. A little bit of fight in the Red shirt and a little bit more urgency saw Tugay with more space but little support. Rovers had the fair share of play but still contrived to give the ball away and miss several good chances of our own.

With 15 minutes to go, the crowd were clearly uneasy as well as being cold. Enter Kerimoglu Tugay aged 36 and a bit. A 30 yard screamer bulges the net, 1-0 Rovers and game over. Well, it should have been. Rovers again contrived to give the opposition something and a great save followed by an horrendous miss saw Rovers break away and snatch a bloody penalty of all things.

Who was brave enough ? Young Frannie Jeffers step forward. The man who has earned millions without really setting the football world alight, bangs the ball down the middle with ease, 2-0 Rovers. Take note of just how to take a penalty, no tip tapping sidefoot, bang the bloody leather as hard as you can.

Rovers now had the ball whilst Basle's own hearts had been ripped out. A smart bit of skill between Jeffers and Bentley sees Gally shoot, the keeper spills and Benni bangs in goal number 3. Ewood erupts with a chant of the usual European cry "small town in Europe".

3-0 final score, Rovers happy and almost certainly through to the knockout stages. Avoid defeat in the last two games is all that is required.

So what do we make of tonight ?

If Lucas is our leader then tonight he was nothing short of loose at best. A headless chicken is how I will refer to him. Both Zurab and Andre coped well but for me they play too far apart from each other in the middle. I will save Gray until later!

In the Middle, Savo was overworked, hardly assisted by both Bentley and MGP in the first half. This probably contributed to his injury and how we will miss him on Sunday.

Up front, Chris and Benni fed on scraps in the first half but ran their little cotton socks off in the second. I like Nonda, they way he conducts himself on the field shows he is class, he desperately needs a goal. McCarthey is pure class but a little lethargic at times, however, he knows the route to goal.

Subs in The Axe, who I though did okay in the middle, Gally and Jeffers both did well in their cameo appearances.

Special mentions for Brad, he is truly a wonderful keeper. the new "Colin hendry" type figure of Ewood.

Tugay, tonight was pure class. I dont recall one bad pass all game. Tackled well, didnt get booked (as far as I could see) and scored a goal of pure unadulterated class.

now the bad...

Gray for me may once have been the darling of Sunderland, but for me he is a waste in a Rovers shirt. he is that poor I would rather see Todd or Matteo don a top before he got anywhere near it. All of our problems stem from the left flank. It is not assisted by the errratic form of MGP. That first half was his worst ever. Yet in the second half we see a totally different player ! That makes me wonder just where his head is at the moment, especailly with manure on the horizon !

so, thats my view from the Jack Walker Upper. Didnt get a pint as they werent selling. I didnt get a pie either as OZZIE had beaten everyone to them !!!!

Roll on Holland, 21 days and counting

[McClarky]

Right, who was it who was critcising Tugay?

Somebody said he was past it and should be dropped. I think an apology is in order

Whoever it was wants shot. He's the best at what he does in English football and not showing any signs of getting past it.

[FourLaneBlue]

At just £7.50 NEARLY free!!!!!!

What a shame at the responce.

Hmmm...must say I did expect more to have been there. That said...how many would have been there without the cheaper than usual tickets?

Does anyone think that one of these days the drummer really is going to put the goalkeeper off?

Edited November 2, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[OhmiBRFC]

top result

MGP played quality, crowd was quailty and were in pole postion to o through

[ihateburnley]

Listened on Radio Lancashire, and can I just say that Callum Davidson's laugh is so annoying it's unreal.

Good result - by all accounts we scabbed it a bit overall and the scoreline was flattering. Then again, it makes up for all the times we play excellently and end up with nothing. Somebody get the goals on youtube!!!

[pick32]

They looked like a good side tonight dont be fooled by the scoreline, tugays goal was excellent he played well all game as did bentley. pedersen had a good secound half it was a good result for us.

negatives got to be the performance of gray and mokoena. mokoena wasnt to bad but gray was awful instead of defending he kept goin on mad runs when the other team had possesion, we need emerton back and fast.

[OJRovers]

Great result, although couldve been different if Brad hadn't made some world class saves in 1st half.

Best players for me: Tugay, Zurab, Ooijer, Brad

MGP was good in last 20 but 1st half I still think Peter would've been betterl

Lets hope we take some confidence to Villa on Sunday

[herbergeehh]

Tugay is unbelievable. He's up there with players like Bergkamp, Maldini and Roby Baggio

Three points - great! Now let's beat Feyenoord, secure the group win and show those nancies how to breed good youngsters (no pun intended, honest!)

[Quack]

Don't be fooled by the score - at HT we should have been at least 2 nil down - saved by Brad / Oijer / Zurab on several occasions. Sav out for a month according to match report on the official site which is more bad news, Gray was awful and I am afraid I am petrified when the Axe comes on; his distribution and reading of the game was poor.

Second half well ok,the last 15 minutes was breathtaking, an exquisite goal from Tugay and shock horror a penalty and then a tap in for Benni. Tugay was peerless tonight and I was pleased to see Franny grab hold of the ball for the penalty - no one else was going to take it! Gally struck a firm shot which was spilled by the keeper and Benni prodded home.

Shame on you if you were local and choose not to go - you missed a great european night.

Brad and Tugay were outstanding tonight but we were flattered by the score but who cares - we are top of the group, bring on the Villans.

Edited November 2, 2006 by Quack

[RovertheHill]

Positives

Tugay - fantastic. A privilege to have watched him play these past few years.

Zurab - did pretty well at the back but now looks unnervingly like Ralph Little

Ooijer - getting better and better

Brad - there when you need him - is it true he's off on paternity leave and will miss a few games?

Less Positive

Mokoena - must have a 50p shaped foot the way the ball pings off it at any angle but straight

Gray - whole defence looks nervous when he's about but I do think his support to Morten going forward makes Morten play better

Set pieces - we no longer seem able to defend them

On the whole - quite pleased

[herbergeehh]

..and I was pleased to see Franny grab hold of the ball for the penalty - no one else was going to take it!

Good point. It shows both character and hunger for goals, which can only be positive. Someone might call that it the act of a 'proper man', I should think.

[Nayef]

I wish I'd gone but work in London is just a killer.

However, I was in a pub in south kensington and they were going to show the spurs match. I worked my charm and actually managed to make the barmaid change all the screens to Eurosport in order to show the rovers game. OK we had to sit through women's Denmark vs Australia match (friggin FIT striker scored the winner for Denmark) but it was all worth it.

Based on our first half, I'd say we will NOT win the UEFA Cup. When a team like say galatasaray drops into the UEFA cup, their strikers will make mincemeat of our defenders. However we had o settle for a team like Basle who tired themselves out too early and we won 3-0. Reminds me of last season then when we completely dominated the game at Ewood but Newcastle won 3-0 out of nowhere...