[Archived] A Savage Blow

[West Sussex Rover]

According to SkySports our teams midfield problems have been given another blow with the news that Robbie Savage is going to be possibly missing for the next month:

Blackburn Rovers could be without Robbie Savage for the next month, after the midfielder limped out of his team's Uefa Cup win over Basel on Thursday.

The Welshman suffered a reoccurrence of a thigh injury midway through the first half of Rovers' 3-0 win.

The problem had previously kept the player out of Rovers' matches with Chelsea and West Ham, but he was deemed fit enough to start against the Swiss.

However, the 32-year-old is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines after aggravating the injury further, exacerbating Mark Hughes's injury plight.

"It is the same problem that forced me off against Bolton," Savage told Radio Rovers. "I felt great in training the last few days but there's nothing like a game and as soon as I planted my foot I just felt it go again and this time I think it is going to be a bit longer.

"I felt a sharp pain, like a knife going in my thigh. I suppose in the past I've been lucky with injuries but maybe it is my turn. It'll certainly be longer than ten days this time, maybe three to four weeks."

With fellow midfielder Steven Reid also ruled out for the foreseeable future, Hughes is expected to turn to Aaron Mokoena as a midfield stop-gap.

With Mokoena's uninspiring form on the pitch last night im just wondering what other options we have.

There are 2 others that might work:

Either, Peter (lft mdf) Gamst (lft ctr mdf) Tugs (rgt ctr mdf) Bentley (rgt mdf)

or

Gamst (lft mdf) Tugs (lft ctr mdf) Bentley (rgh ctr mdf) Gally (rgt mdf)

Id go with the first one personally...

Edited November 3, 2006 by Rover The Moon

[Moppy]

Gamst (lft mdf) Tugs (lft ctr mdf) Bentley (rgh ctr mdf) Gally (rgt mdf)

I would go with this. I like peter but dont think he would sit well in the centre. And MGP showed signs of getting his confidence back yesterday. Not a great performance but a good one (discounting the first half). A couple of good crosses, trying and succeding in beating his man and above all him trying to get on the score sheet and getting in to good positions. I think he may have turned the corner

[USABlue]

I would go with this. I like peter but dont think he would sit well in the centre. And MGP showed signs of getting his confidence back yesterday. Not a great performance but a good one (discounting the first half). A couple of good crosses, trying and succeding in beating his man and above all him trying to get on the score sheet and getting in to good positions. I think he may have turned the corner

Turned the corner??? It would be the first thing he has turned since he's been here.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Maybe we need to change to a system were Tugay plays in front of Mokoena and leaves Mokoena to play in front of the back four , I always thought Tugay played too deep, he needs to be hurting teams in their half not in ours. The Axe is best covering the centre halves, he's never going to be playmaker.

I think teams will eat us alive if we field four non-tacklers in midfield!

[Presty On Tour]

to be honest i don't think the axe tackled anyone lastnight, he's been on poor form of late.

[bigcol]

to be honest i don't think the axe tackled anyone lastnight, he's been on poor form of late.

Of late!? I think he was born on poor form. Losing Savage is a massive blow. Without anybody to win the ball in the middle park i can't see us doing to great because its not as if the defence have been on top form this season is it? Hurry up Ryan. We need you. Soon.

[G Somerset Rover]

Hughes has said that Sav's injury is more two weeks-but lets just hope he isn't rushed back because I fear he will be if Moko continues as he has.

[herbergeehh]

Could this pave the way for Todd as a defensive midfielder?

[LeChuck]

I'd much prefer playing someone out of position in the centre than playing Mokoena there, he simply isn't good enough to play alongside Tugay. He can get away with playing alongside Savage or Reid perhaps, but not Tugay, he simply doesn't have enough mobility and will never break into the box so he's always intruding on Tugay's space and making his area of the pitch congested.

Could Lucas do a job in there if Emerton is fit again? He's got a great engine and will get stuck in, he's also fond of breaking into the box and having attemps at goal. It's far from ideal I know, but I think he'd do a better job than Mokoena. Didn't Gray impress for the reserves in a central midfield role? He too would have the mobility to run around Tugay but his size (or lack of) would be a major concern.

[West Sussex Rover]

Or possibly Brett back in midfield??

If we move Lucas into midfield that means Gray back in defence... Terrorfying though!!

Edited November 3, 2006 by Rover The Moon

[bubblerrovers]

How long is Brett out for??

[Shevchenko]

How long is Brett out for??

He's out with a hamstring injury I think so it could be anything from days to weeks.

[Oklahoma]

It's in this moments that I wish that Rovers had the money to buy Manuel Fernandes from Benfica. Instead, he went to Portsmouth...

[joey_big_nose]

I really don't see how we can not play Mokoena, he is the only midfield tackler we have. There is an argument that Zurab, Ooijer and Neill could all step into the holding role but noneofthem are tested there apart from Zurab who did a little stint for Rangers in that position. Maybe Tugay4England or Radagast could give us insight to how he played there.

As I put on the Villa thread I would say far and away the best option is to switch to 451. We know Moko excels in such a formation and I think it is set up well to make the most of players like Bentley, Emerton and Gallagher. When we are away it would be sensible to stick to it until we get either Reid or Savage back.

[Moppy]

I really don't see how we can not play Mokoena, he is the only midfield tackler we have. There is an argument that Zurab, Ooijer and Neill could all step into the holding role but noneofthem are tested there apart from Zurab who did a little stint for Rangers in that position. Maybe Tugay4England or Radagast could give us insight to how he played there.

As I put on the Villa thread I would say far and away the best option is to switch to 451. We know Moko excels in such a formation and I think it is set up well to make the most of players like Bentley, Emerton and Gallagher. When we are away it would be sensible to stick to it until we get either Reid or Savage back.

I like that idea. A lot actually. Just not sure how good Benni would be playing on his own up frount. MGP and Bently/Gally (whoever is on the right) will really have to push up to support him

[rover6]

Hughes will pursue with Mokoena but at Rovers peril, imo.

I would resort to Emerton central midfield but it's not looking good whichever option we go for.

It's unfortunate that we haven't got any young central midfielder on the fringes of the squad. (Eddie Nolan's played CM, I believe, but not his natural position).

[West Sussex Rover]

Isnt Gamst naturally right footed and used to play on the right of midfield in Norway, then he switched to left foot left midfield as there was a shortage of home grown left footers..?

Could put Gamst on right, Bentley inside center and Peter replace Gamst on left midfield??

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yeh, and we've still got four non-tackers.

[Presty On Tour]

How long is Brett out for??

he's been listed in the squad for the villa game, so could be this sunday.

hamstring injuries can't be rushed though, he should only play if fully recovered otherwise it could be owen mk2.

[modes98]

Personally i would move MGP or Bentley into to the middle and with Bentley in such good form it would have to be MGP and then bring in Peter on the left.

The Axe has been awful and our defensive problems have alot to do with him and Micky Gray. Constantly out of position and failing to pick people up.

Get Well Soon Sav.

[Eddie]

I think that because no matter what we do we will have a weakened midfield that it is very important that we have our stongest defense, so don't play Emerton in central midfield. If we can return to the back four that was serving us well and was also good looking forward with Neill and Emo then I think that is the best thing for us. If we have to pursue with Gray on the left and Emo in the middle then we would be taking a problem and moving it to two places.

[Billy Castell]

Is that Dhorasoo still knocking about? A contract till the end of the season could be good given our situation.

Edited November 3, 2006 by Billy Castell

[Mr. E]

this is terrible. I don't think anyone can replace Savage in terms of the job he was doing. we need to change things around.

[West Sussex Rover]

With the exceptions of David Bentley, Brett Emerton, Brad Friedel and on occasion Zurab I think our squad has been made to look very ordinary and thin this season.

If we loose any of the players just mentioned in the next year i feel we will be in big trouble...

Edited November 6, 2006 by Rover The Moon

[pleasure]

Personally i would move MGP or Bentley into to the middle and with Bentley in such good form it would have to be MGP and then bring in Peter on the left.

MGP 'kind of' played there in the latter stages of yesterdays game and looked lost (the game was already up though).

neill could be an option, once emerton returns.

i never thought i'd say this, but.... in hindsight... we should've held onto jon douglas, until jan!