[Archived] Blackburn Rovers 3 Portsmouth 0

[Scotty]

We walked it today against inept opposition. If you give us time and space to play we've got the players to take advantage and boy did we do that today. It could easily have been 6 or 7.

Hard to pick a man of the match as so many had good games but I think Bentley just shaded it over Mokoena. Our full backs were given the freedom of the park and they both linked up with their respective wingers superbly. Up front, Nonda and Derbyshire looked as good a partnership as we've had this season, but again, that's got to be balanced against how poor Portsmouth were. Have to say though that I'm starting to think that Derbyshire should start, even though I still think there's a lot of improvement left in him yet.

Wasn't expecting us to win today so I'm delighted now. We've got a big week coming up, let's hope this gives us an injection of confidence to take into Wednesday.

[RoyRover]

next season if we can keep everyone together and have some reasonable fortune with the injuries we could have one hell of a good team here.

Totally agree with you. With the likes of Steven Reid coming back from injury, having the services of Ryan Nelsen for the full season and adding more quality players to the squad ie a long term replacement for Tugay, then we will have an extremely good team.

[Hypo-Luxa]

Roberts and Derbyshire deserved penalty shots. I think Clattenburg waved them off out of mercy...That's the only excuse I can come up with anyway...

And for those who thought MGP's penalty was soft, have a look at the replay...James rolled over MGP's foot with the ball nowhere in sight...THAT is a penalty...Too bad nobody on our team can shoot a bloody penalty! I think that's the only thing Jeffers is good for

But bitterness towards Clattenburg aside, it was a fantastic game from Rovers. I watched it with a huge grin on me face all the way through. It's not often we get to see ALL of our players showboat like they were. Zurab and Samba looked like Brazilian center-backs bombing up the pitch like they were.

I will agree that if Nonda can turn in these type performances day in and day out he should be retained, but I'm not convinced he will put forth the same effort as he did today...

The only bad thing to the day was that Derbyshire didn't get into the scorer's books...and that move he started that resulted in Warnock's goal he not only missed the chance to score, but he got Warnock's knee on the noggin' to boot! And Dunn's miss...would have been nice for him, but criminey's it was there for him to take...

All in all a great day out for the lads....Keep it up for the next one!!!

[RevidgeBlue]

Don't know if we can get by the Arse BUT, next season if we can keep everyone together and have some reasonable fortune with the injuries we could have one hell of a good team here.

Now there I am in complete agreement.

On first impressions Samba might just turn out to be a little bit special and his partnership with Nelsen could be a real winner. We're starting to look as good as we ever have in the full back slots and in midfield willl hopefully be boosted by the return of a fully fit Reid and Savage.

The one thing we might be lacking is genuine quality in the second striking position. We'd all like Bellers back but we could also do with at least one of Roberts, Derbyshire (the most likely) or Nonda showing real improvement next term.

Up front Bentley and MGP are rapidly improving and on current form are as good as anyone anywhere.

Ist eleven: Friedel Emerton Warnock Nelsen Samba MGP Savage Reid Bentley McCarthy Derbyshire

Back up eleven say: Brown Ooijer Gray Todd Zurab Dunn Tugay Mokoena Gallagher Nonda Roberts (Plus Henchoz Jeffers and Peter)

That's hellishly impressive for a club our size.

If that lot stay reasonably fit we should comfortably be able to make the UEFA places next season. What we need to avoid is:

1) Losing the likes of Bentley and MGP in the summer as has happened over the last few seasons just as it looked like we were starting to go places.

2) Our usual slow start and seemingly sluggish form prior to mid December.

3) And above all anyone coming in for Mark Hughes who has done an astounding job on very limited funds indeed.

Keep hold of everyone and add someone of Bellamy's quality and I seriously think you're in with a genuine shout of fourth spot - it's a question of how ambitious or alternatively cautious the Board and Trustees want to be imo. I would hope we give it a shot. We might not have another manager of Hughes' ability for some time should he leave at some point in the (hopefully distant) future.

[mike at picture]

pleased with us but pompey were a disgrace. their 500 or so who travelled all that way on a sunday deserve an apology.

[Esulx]

...let me just say that I will be very, very surprised if we get anything with that lineup.

Fantastic quote!!!

[Cocker]

Fantastic quote!!!

To be fair, I read that quote when he wrote it and I thought the same :ph34r:

[ABBEY]

Does that address where the "missing" 8000 are though?

having parties for their dads 60th

[stuwilky]

having parties for their dads 60th

I had a proper cob on, as the goal flash came up with Warnocks.... I turned and said "I hope you're grateful Im here"

He wasnt.

[OJRovers]

Good team performance yesterday, although Pompey were shocking.

Samba looked class again - how does Hughes keep finding these cheap CBs who are quality?

Bentley/MGP - kept up their recent form

Tugay - looked more like his old self in the 2nd half, I loved his through-ball when he looked the other way!

Henchoz - he had a good game today, as did Zurab, we are lucky with our centre backs at the minute.

Derbs - he makes some great runs off the ball, this compliments the more 'laid back' play of McC and Nonda

Axe - hats off to him he did well

Emo/Warnock - perfect balance now on both wings, Emo's runs are amazing - maybe he should be a winger...

[Rovermatt]

Great result for Rovers. Portsmouth are the sort of team we really should be beating easily and today we did just that. Nonda looked to be on fire, his pass for Warnock's goal was a peach.

[thenodrog]

Poor and uncommitted performance from Portsmouth, but credit to Rovers for putting them to the sword. Excellent performances from primarily Mokoena, Derbyshire, Bentley in particular with good solid play from the rest.

Peter Jackson MoM Nonda?!? Incredible! Took his first very well, his second was a gimme but he really should be training this morning with his knob out for the penalty miss! I knew it was doomed as soon as he started his 'run-up' with a walk and a pause. Any player that is so stupid to think that they can regularly score penalties by 'out thinking' Prem keepers should NEVER be allowed near the penalty spot! It's unbelievable that first Roberts and Macarthy and now Nonda think that a shimmy and a simple side foot is consistently effective. It almost appears to be beneath their dignity to hit them with any pace whatsoever. It could have cost us big time! Hughes needs to issue instructions that all penalties must be hammered at the middle third of the goals with no exceptions. If we'd have done that and missed more than two per season I would be amazed. I can forgive a pen hitting a keeper but a penalty that the keeper actually saves is 90% sure to be a poor one. I think Clattenburgs refusal to give us another was down to him not wanting to cause further embarrassment.

Crowd? Pathetic and is starting to illustrate my earlier statement on the other thread that cheap tickets will actually devalue the product in the end.

Hundreds leaving before the end? Perplexing. No one leaves the cinema with 5 mins to go do they? If they get short measured in a pub most will complain, buy 20 fags and get 18, 10 eggs instead of a dozen and they would be down to Trading standards in a flash. Just imagine the scene if after going away for a fortnights holiday and the rep coming to inform them that the return will now be a day early! Some people really are ferkinn weird.

[Paul]

After Thursday night I turned up today with a "couldn't give a monkeys what we do today as long as we win on wednesday." attitude.

Nonda scored with a tricky lob inside a minute and all I could think was, "Why the hell didn't he bury the much easier one on Thursday night when it really mattered?

Exactly how I felt Rev. My reaction to the first goal was to turn to the guy behind me and ask "Why couldn't he do that 5 minutes earlier?" (in playing time terms)

Paul, again I think you're vastly overdoing your criticism of the Premier League.

What was the incentive today for any floating support faced with the alternative of being able to watch the Carling Cup final live on TV?

Isn't this exactly what I'm saying? This turned out to be a good game but if we are brutal about it where was the attraction? There are too many meaningless games in the PL and the more casual support have rumbled it. Chelsea v Arsenal on the box or a live game which means little in league terms.

But the reason it felt like it didn't matter today was that we're in no great danger of achieving anything in the League this year nor of going down. That can happen in any League by this stage of the season.

And another reason imo that crowds aren't a little better is that we're so darned inconsistent.

Both those points are very true.

[yorkblues]

Hundreds leaving before the end? Perplexing. No one leaves the cinema with 5 mins to go do they? If they get short measured in a pub most will complain, buy 20 fags and get 18, 10 eggs instead of a dozen and they would be down to Trading standards in a flash. Just imagine the scene if after going away for a fortnights holiday and the rep coming to inform them that the return will now be a day early! Some people really are ferkinn weird

3 jokers came and sat in front of me 15 min late and then left with 15mins to go.what the point

[Roversider]

Excellent performance against a team that on paper should have been more challenging. It was Nonda's best match but there were loads more candidates for MoM, guess scoring two and setting up a third took the vote.

My choice was Aaron Mokoena because that was easily his best game for us, I'm not his biggest fan but he and Tugay ran the midfield and that made the whole team tick. Some of that was down to how inept Pompey were in central midfield but it was satisfying to see Mokoena doing what he does best, winning the ball and then passing it to a colleague who can do more than him. Nothing wrong with simplicity.

Special mention for Matty Derbyshire and Stephen Warnock too, but can't really pick too many out from a quality team performance - only Dunny needs to practice his shooting technique.

Should've been more goals for the Rovers.

[b12_simon]

Samba was immense first half

Simon

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Poor and uncommitted performance from Portsmouth, but credit to Rovers for putting them to the sword. Excellent performances from primarily Mokoena, Derbyshire, Bentley in particular with good solid play from the rest.

Peter Jackson MoM Nonda?!? Incredible! Took his first very well, his second was a gimme but he really should be training this morning with his knob out for the penalty miss! I knew it was doomed as soon as he started his 'run-up' with a walk and a pause. Any player that is so stupid to think that they can regularly score penalties by 'out thinking' Prem keepers should NEVER be allowed near the penalty spot! It's unbelievable that first Roberts and Macarthy and now Nonda think that a shimmy and a simple side foot is consistently effective. It almost appears to be beneath their dignity to hit them with any pace whatsoever. It could have cost us big time! Hughes needs to issue instructions that all penalties must be hammered at the middle third of the goals with no exceptions. If we'd have done that and missed more than two per season I would be amazed. I can forgive a pen hitting a keeper but a penalty that the keeper actually saves is 90% sure to be a poor one. I think Clattenburgs refusal to give us another was down to him not wanting to cause further embarrassment.

Crowd? Pathetic and is starting to illustrate my earlier statement on the other thread that cheap tickets will actually devalue the product in the end.

Hundreds leaving before the end? Perplexing. No one leaves the cinema with 5 mins to go do they? If they get short measured in a pub most will complain, buy 20 fags and get 18, 10 eggs instead of a dozen and they would be down to Trading standards in a flash. Just imagine the scene if after going away for a fortnights holiday and the rep coming to inform them that the return will now be a day early! Some people really are ferkinn weird.

Some folk are never happy

Fanatstic display and result and all they can do is moan about a missed penalty the crowd and early leavers

[USABlue]

On the missed penalty, James was almost on the 6 yard line when he stopped it. Should have been re-taken.

[Neil Weaver]

Not saying it's the right way to take a pen, but wasn't Nonda's effort yesterday pretty much the same as the one he scored at Arsenal in Dec?

[modes98]

I said to nonda after the game that he should have just blasted it down the middle and he said i always try to place my pens.

Top quality performance after the disappointment of thursday. The guys all seem very confident and another european tour is what hughes craves. Brilliant games from the wide boys Emerton, Bentley, MGP & Warnock and a much much improved game from the axe.

[Fife Rover]

Simon

Yeh! See what you mean.

[Perth_Rover]

Brilliant games from the wide boys Emerton, Bentley, MGP & Warnock.

Your gunna make them feel fat

[modes98]

Your gunna make them feel fat

a few more games with all that running and they'll be a bit thinner

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

On the missed penalty, James was almost on the 6 yard line when he stopped it. Should have been re-taken.

I am glad somebody else noticed that. Makes you think - Derbyshire gets booked for encroaching on a free-kick, David James is on the edge of his six yard box by the time a penalty is taken - no justice in this world.

Besides his goals - I actually thought Nonda had one of his better matches - holding the ball up well and bring other players into play. However - I must agree that there was a number of other people that could have got MOM - but that was a reflection on the general quality of play right throughout the team. Lets hope Dunny makes up for his miss against Arsenal.

[thenodrog]

Some folk are never happy

Fanatstic display and result and all they can do is moan about a missed penalty the crowd and early leavers

I guess it takes one to know one eh cock?

Certainly heavy irony in this observation from the serial moaner who dedicated an entire thread to his personal but ultimately unsupported whinge.

http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php?showtopic=16000&st=0