[Archived] Rovers 1 -0 Liverpool

[mattjansen]

After a nasty defeat to Arsenal its now time to take on Liverpool at our own belowed Ewood Park and i was supposed to be there but im stuck in Sweden, things dont always go according to plans but thats another story.

The story now is that we are in deep trouble following a late fall from hell as our form has gone from bad to worse over the past three months, the trouble in my eyes started with the embarresing loss to Bolton when not only one penalty but TWO where given and missed in the space of five minutes. To even get two penalties in the last five minutes of a game is hard, but to miss them both has to be even harder. Penalties hasnt been our thing this fall but that is a disgrace to any team to not being able to convert atleast one.

The "tennis" at Emirates

Last evening i had to witness the loss to Gunners at me parents house, christmas time and all, and that was the worst defending i have ever seen from Rovers in my life, and the bad thing is that i didnt think Gunners performed so great to score six goals. Says alot about our defending and its scares me that i think it can get even worse when defending against Pool on Tuesday, to be fair Gunners could and should have scored about ten times last night but thanks to bad finishing and long grass they didnt. And now we are up against a team more direct than Gunners and i cant see us getting anything but a real beating unless we sort it out at the back, and that means from the whole team when under attack. Im hoping to see Todd and Gray in the stands with the rest of us ball watchers because they just cant defend, quite important for someone playing in defence to be able to defend.

Jolly time

To add to all the misery i had to dismount my dish and receiver and talk my girl into including it into our christmas packing, not the easiest part and some sacrifieces were made i have to admit. After a long trip with two kids complaining about space in the backseat because of dads stuff, one girlfriend in the front telling me over and over about me "not watching bl**dy footboll all this holiday too", we actually got to me parents house and then the first of many eating moments this chrismas occured. I had two hours before the game begun to eat, socialice and mount dish and install receiver, easy i thought but things dont always go according to plans in my life. Three minutes before kickoff i finally got picture from Emirates and then one cigarett and a pint later i was rooted to the coach with dad and a friend to our family, two hours later and 2-6 on the scoreboard i had some problems explaining why on earth i went thru all this trouble to watch my team get hammered and then had to spend some half hour dismounting the dish and receiver. All this to the lovely sound from stereo with a norwegian dude signing about what a "jolly time of year it is".

Liverpool

From my point of view its probably one of the nicest places in England and with that i mean both the town and the people we met during our time there, my friend who i've travelled to England with is a Pool supporter so our first game together was Pool v. Rovers on Boxing day in 2002. So we arrived in Liverpool on Christmas day and then spent three amazing days there and it cant think of one time when i wasnt welcomed with me Rovers shirt on. We even spent our pre-game drinking and chatting in The Albert as me friend wanted to go there and i didnt have a clue were to go with me Rovers shirt, but the doorman pushed us in and the we had one of the nicest three hours on Englis soil ever. The game ended one all and afterwards we went to The Arkles to get another pint in our thirsty throats and to be fair to all we had one hell of a time in there too.

To the footballing side this year im quite impressed by Liverpool and there form right now and they are really on fire atm, and that fella Bellamy is in amazing form so he will probably get a hattrick if allowed to by our defence. Hopefully Hughes has some ideas how to stop him and the rest off Pool making us look like fools,

either that or its another defeat to add to our already big pile of crap performances this year. I really jope that all the players injured comes back and get in form right from the get off or i cant see an end to our turn in form, with Reid,Nelsen and Roberts expected back and the arrival off that Ukrainian left back we can pick it up but its getting harder and harder. I for one really hope we get Dunn back to Ewood in Januari but he isnt the solution on the field, im just reaching for straws right now to cheer me up when it comes to Rovers and football. And then arrival of Dunn would really turn it round in some aspect for me.

Ill be hoping for a good show by Rovers and with McCarthy back and Nonda finally getting some goals we can do some damage to Pool, just keep a clean sheet at the back for once. Over the last couple of weeks we have for some periods in games played really well, but only when we are losing. At 0-2 against Newcastle we get down to ten men and the second half is one of the best games i have seen Rovers play for years despite losing, at Arsenal we came back to 3-2 and played some good stuff before they killed us off and i cant get why we dont perform from start. On Boxing day we have to be playing when the game kicks off or we will be hammered, please let us be amazing for 90 minutes for once this year.

I really hope that with McCarthy back and Emerton well we can play with some attacking ideas and that Neill switches over to left with Emerton at right back, Henchoz and Zurab in the middle with no sight of Todd. Then Bentley,Tugay,Savage and Gamst across midfield with Nonda and McCarthy on top.

Ill be watching this game on telly instead of seeing it live at Ewood due to lack of funds and the familys constant nagging at me for leaving them at such a "jolly time of year". Happy Christmas to you all and after having some wine here i can see santa bringing us three points on tuesday.

[Mr. E]

I think it will be a closer game this time around, but we'll still lose. 3-2 Pool

[1864roverite]

I think Rovers can get something positive out of this game.

Crowd will be interesting

Happy Christmas

[Daremz]

Bellamy & Kuijt & Gerrard

1-3

(With one red card for us...Brad Friedel - penalty saved by Brown, rebound in by the taker of the penalty)

Not the games we need to get points out of - although we can use every single point, hard.

[Presty On Tour]

1-0 rovers

[frosty]

1-1

[Jordan]

ROVERS WILL NOT LOSE THIS GAME!!!

I am so confident of that.

[Shabani]

The Anfield performance was a great one when we drew 1-1

I believe the players will be able to draw on this and give us a decent result

[Billy Castell]

5-0 Liverpool. Bellamy (3), Gerrard and Kuyt.

[Presty On Tour]

just been looking at a liverpool mb and gerrard and bellamy are doubts for the match.

[Billy Castell]

Even if they had their legs cut off, they'd find a way of putting it in our goal. I'm sticking to 5-0.

[Presty On Tour]

headers maybe, i went to this fixture a few seasons ago and to this day i still dont know how that short ass owen managed to rise above craig short and henning berg i think it was who were like giants compared to him and head it in the corner from just inside the box.

matty jansen got us on level terms right in front of me and danny murphy missed a sitter in the last minute.

[vyeo]

Rovers 0

Pool 2 (Bellamy is bound to score)

[James No. 7]

2-2

Nonda - 2!

[glory hunter]

keeping the score down, can't see us not conceding at least a couple Liverpool have created a bucket load of chances in recent matches combined with our confidence shot defence not good! Roll on the smaller teams, just hope teams around us all lose on boxing day! there is surely only one relegation place left up for grabs and my blinkered confidence tells me that thankfully Boro, and Sheff utd are worse.

Having 2 scouse defenders in my fantasy team i know they simply don't concede at the minute,

lowside estimate 0 - 2 , highside scary !

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Rovers 1 Scousers 2

Bellamy to score(put money on it) and celebrate like a right c$!t infront of the BBE!

Att: 25,000

[Bobby G]

A point would be good and I really cant see more than that. However, Ill go for 1-2 for Pool and Bellamy a dead cert to score.

[West Sussex Rover]

2-1 Rovers. Neil own goal for Pool, Bellamy Own Goal for Rovers and Brad Friedel scoring a wonder goal from his penalty area in the 93rd minute...

What odds does everyone reckon i could get on that?

[G Somerset Rover]

The players owe us a big performance after the tripe we've witnessed this season. I fear it won't be enough though:

Rovers 1 Liverpool 2, With Bellamy obviously getting the winner.

[West Sussex Rover]

The players owe us a big performance after the tripe we've witnessed this season. I fear it won't be enough though:

Rovers 1 Liverpool 2, With Bellamy obviously getting the winner.

Belamy has just been passed fit for the match. HE IS PLAYING

[roversmum]

Belamy has just been passed fit for the match. HE IS PLAYING

Happy boxing day folks. Wonder if there's any chance of him breaking down in the warm up :ph34r:

[Jordan]

Rovers 1 Scousers 2

Bellamy to score(put money on it) and celebrate like a right c$!t infront of the BBE!

Att: 25,000

He is 11/8 to score at anytime.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Crazy odds in my opinion Jordan!!

[joey_big_nose]

We need a result in this game and a decent performance, it is absolutely essential. Liverpool, unfortunately, are a quality side on a bit of a run. Kuyt and Bellamy are turning into a very good partnership.

So we are going to need the performance of our lives. The fact that nonda is scoring goals really helps, as does McCarthy's return. The defence is a shambles.

2-1 Rovers Bentley, Pedersen

[RevidgeBlue]

No need to worry, according to Sunday's NOTW we're set to unleash "Dad's Army" on Liverpool with Tugay in the Captain Manwairing role!