Manchester City

[Hasta]

A lot of the City fans are bleating about us commiting 24 fouls to their 3. If I was them it would be the 3 stat that bothers me. As Richard Dunne got sent off for 2 fouls it must mean that they fouled only 1 other time in the game. Surely that shows a lack of tackling, closing down or presence in the middle of the pitch.

Back to us, what is very pleasing is not only have we had a good start but in our last 3 games against City, Everton and Arsenal we have actually been clearly the better side. I think we're all on a high at the moment !

[JamieUK]

Some more positives we can look at : against the 4 teams played so far we are up 2 points on what we gained over the corresponding fixtures last season. After 4 games last season we had a grand total of 2 points. The season before when we finished 6th we had 4 points after 4 games... Keep it up!

[roversmum]

The Sky commentators, discussing Tugay's second yellow, felt it was debatable and shortly afterwards said they thought all the decisions were going City's way.

[Yorick]

As for the question being posed, let's just say the fact a serious question can be asked whether Rovers 07/08 would beat Rovers 94/95 (with the Championship side returned to 94/5 youth) shows we think we have got a tremendous side this season.

Going man for man:

Tim Flowers (before his injuries) v Brad Friedel - the only tie- both world beaters

Graeme Le Saux v Stephen Warnock- Sauxie by some distance

Colin Hendry v Chris Samba - Braveheart but Samba is going to be every bit as iconic as the (comparatively wee) big Scot

Tony Gale v Ryan Nelsen - the Admiral

Henning Berg v Brett Emerton - Henning for defensive ability but Bert's forwards foraging makes this close. Henning just.

Tim Sherwood v David Dunn - Tim still but Dunny could be good enough to win this one by the end of the season.

David Batty v Robbie Savage - Batty wins the battle of the hardmen.

Jason Wilcox v MGP - tight but MGP just edges over handbag

Stuart Ripley v David Bentley - Rippers still by a distance but Bentley catching up fast

Alan Shearer v Benni - 34 goals plays 24. Benni is very very good but this is no contest.

Chris Sutton/Mike Newell v Roque/Matty - got to go with 95 again but who knows what Roque and Matty will have achieved very soon; this one could also swing to 07/08.

If you drop to the reserves available, 07/08 wins hands down except for keeper (we had Shay Given in 94/5) notwithstanding a tie between Stephen Reid and Super Atko.

So first team head-to-head, that is 8.5-2.5 to the League winners BUT four are close enough to swing to 07/08 if we have an exceptional season.

Now, having a team which could be within touching distance of being better man-to-man than the Premiership winners is an awesome prospect.

Not really. Things have moved on and the Premier league is now the richest football league in the world. I don't want to be churlish but inevitably this has attracted the worlds best players, I cannot believe that the team of 94/95 even with Alan Shearer in his pomp would get any higher than 3rd now.

[philipl]

OK Yorick try this one.

What would this team which was in its prime (it won the double the next season) do to today's Man Utd?

Schmeichel

Neville G

Bruce

Pallister

Irwin/Neville P

Beckham

Keane

Scholes/Butt

Giggs

Cantona

Cole (he also scored 34 goals)

They came second to Rovers despite the refs gifting them the double over us.

[Eddie]

Not really. Things have moved on and the Premier league is now the richest football league in the world. I don't want to be churlish but inevitably this has attracted the worlds best players, I cannot believe that the team of 94/95 even with Alan Shearer in his pomp would get any higher than 3rd now.

Of course they would. If you look at the United side from last year how many of them would be certain to start if the sides were combined? Ronaldo, Rooney, Neville and Ferdinand would probably make it, but after that I'm not sure. Of course Scholes and Giggs in their prime would, but they aren't there anymore. The likes of Carrick, Vidic, Evra, Brown, Fletcher and Saha would almost certainly not play.

[Blue Moon Rising]

Alright lads, City fan here.

Gotta say that I was impressed by your boys at the weekend. You've got two good wingers there in MGP & Bentley. Especially MGP. You'd be hard pressed to find any left midfielder in the Prem as good tbh.

I really don't think you deserve the "violent" tag you seem to have aquired. You moved the ball around well at times and I don't think anyone will get an easy ride at your place this year.

We didn't really perform how we can however (barring the first 10 minutes). We've got a young side who have only been together for less than 6 weeks. There's obvious talent there but it's gonna take a while to properly gel. We play attractive football in flashes but the consistency will come.

I would've thought we will be in better shape by the time you come to Eastalnds next year. We're all pretty excited in the complete change around in tactics from last years dross. We can actually play into feet now rather than trying to smack it up to the big man up front!!

Return leg should be goodun. Hopefully with a better result!

[Bazzanotsogreat]

OK Yorick try this one.

What would this team which was in its prime (it won the double the next season) do to today's Man Utd?

Schmeichel

Neville G

Bruce

Pallister

Irwin/Neville P

Beckham

Keane

Scholes/Butt

Giggs

Cantona

Cole (he also scored 34 goals)

None of those players played regurley during out title-wining season, infact Beckam was on loan at Nobend that season. Replace them with likes of Mclair, Paker & Andrei Kanchelskis and youv'e got a closer version of their XI

[Hasta]

Gotta say that I was impressed by your boys at the weekend. You've got two good wingers there in MGP & Bentley. Especially MGP. You'd be hard pressed to find any left midfielder in the Prem as good tbh.

I thought Pedersen was the only poor Rovers player to be honest. He's in one of his troughs at the moment.

[Presty On Tour]

well tidy performance by us, exciting times at ewood indeed.

sven looking baffled was brilliant, hughes done a number on him.

just wondering if the international break is good or bad for us with the way we are playing....chelsea next and i bet there will be a few punts on us to win at the bridge with chelsea not on all cylinders

[Jonas]

can have no complaints with MOTD tonight! showed a great deal of our chances, highlighted that we arnt as dirty as everyone likes to believe and praised our football...

bout time too

I don't suppose anybody on here knows the young lady who featured in 2 Good, 2 Bad?

[salothsar]

just wondering if the international break is good or bad for us with the way we are playing....chelsea next and i bet there will be a few punts on us to win at the bridge with chelsea not on all cylinders

I rekon the break plays right into our hands. Jose won't have time to sort his lot out (he's already been complaining about it) and I presume they will have more away on international duty than us. Only down side is fat Frank will have more time to recover. But the way we've been playing not sure it will be enough to stop us getting a point at least. And if we could actually be the ones to beat them at the bridge..............

[Eddie]

It will be good for us. We've played a lot of football over the past couple of weeks and I think it will give everyone a bit of time to be really fresh for a few important games coming up. Also makes sure that Savage will be fit again and one or two of the other injured players have time to improve their fitness before the game.

[RevidgeBlue]

Superb article by Savage in the LT today

Savage ready to take on all comers

He must be a really important figure to have around the Club and in the dressing room. Can't believe some of the internet comments below the article.

[RevidgeBlue]

As for the question being posed, let's just say the fact a serious question can be asked whether Rovers 07/08 would beat Rovers 94/95 (with the Championship side returned to 94/5 youth) shows we think we have got a tremendous side this season.

Going man for man:

Tim Flowers (before his injuries) v Brad Friedel - the only tie- both world beaters

Graeme Le Saux v Stephen Warnock- Sauxie by some distance

Colin Hendry v Chris Samba - Braveheart but Samba is going to be every bit as iconic as the (comparatively wee) big Scot

Tony Gale v Ryan Nelsen - the Admiral

Henning Berg v Brett Emerton - Henning for defensive ability but Bert's forwards foraging makes this close. Henning just.

Tim Sherwood v David Dunn - Tim still but Dunny could be good enough to win this one by the end of the season.

David Batty v Robbie Savage - Batty wins the battle of the hardmen.

Jason Wilcox v MGP - tight but MGP just edges over handbag

Stuart Ripley v David Bentley - Rippers still by a distance but Bentley catching up fast

Alan Shearer v Benni - 34 goals plays 24. Benni is very very good but this is no contest.

Chris Sutton/Mike Newell v Roque/Matty - got to go with 95 again but who knows what Roque and Matty will have achieved very soon; this one could also swing to 07/08.

Whilst the team of today stack up quite well as individuals against the 94/95 side they still have a long way to go before they can be considered in the same breath as a TEAM.

The current side have been excelling for around fourteen games. The nucleus of the Championship winning side did it for three whole seasons finishing fourth, second and first.

It's unlikely we could keep an entire squad together for three seasons if we were doing that well these days but an equivalent target for the current crop would be to perform well enough and consistently enough over the course of a season to get into the Champions League places.

[waggy]

This season gets better and better,what a game sunday.sat in my season ticket seat in the riverside,and my view off the darwen end half is spoilt by a bloody big post.just hope it does not rain to often this season.i hope all the dunnie slaters are eating humble pie,because the guy has been outstanding so far this season.the front 2 will be awesome,bennie has the perfect foil in santa.feel really sorry for derbs but there will be plenty off games this season for him.samba and the admiral were rock solid,the spine off the team is immense.a lot has been said about citeh but they played very well for citeh,sven has got them playing togger,they just need a lily to give them some umph.pretty football does not win matches,intense does

junior and his mate did not get to the game till half time,there team had a 2 o'clock kick off in dingle land,the other team would not kick off earlier

[den]

comparing Batty with Savage is wrong - Batty hardly played that season. How would Sav compare with Atko?

[Ronin]

Was browsing the web looking for the 1994-95 Premiership results and came across this site:

http://www.rsssf.com/tablesr/rovers95.html

[BlueMonday]

Was browsing the web looking for the 1994-95 Premiership results and came across this site:

http://www.rsssf.com/tablesr/rovers95.html

How much for an English 34 goal a season striker today???

[bellamy11]

Looking at the list of scorers there, Chris Sutton only scored two goals after November. I know he started well but tailed off (in a goalscoring sense, he was still vital to us) but that's quite a shocking statistic. It was April before he scored again in the league. I can remember a few more goals in that time, but they were in the cup against Newcastle.

[DanLad]

Was browsing the web looking for the 1994-95 Premiership results and came across this site:

http://www.rsssf.com/tablesr/rovers95.html

Going way OT, sorry. Looking at those stats Super Atko had a habit of getting the first goal. The first goal can be vital and can set the standard for the game. 6 goals was a decent haul for an Atko type player, too.

That Shearer chap got a few 'first goals' too, by the looks of it

[tcj_jones]

Apparently City beat West Ham with some scintilating football on the opening day but I thought there was a distinct lack of quality from them yesterday often conceeding possesion when not really under pressure.

For us I was impressed with Warnock. I've been a critic and worried about his concentration levels and defensive qualities but yesterday his defensive work was sound and his buccaneering overlaps really flustered City.

I'm shocked that you have been critical of Warnock. He has been superb ever since he joined us and has had a great start to the season. I don't think he has ever played badly for us. I can't remember the last time he was anything but superb! Sunday was another of those occasions.

[shadsworth cloud]

Was browsing the web looking for the 1994-95 Premiership results and came across this site:

http://www.rsssf.com/tablesr/rovers95.html

there is so much interesting in that site, look at the crowds. we regularly pulled in only 21 or 22k, in fact barely 25k for the visit of chelsea in march on the run in to the title. and nobody came to see us beat wimbledon (understandable really!) in february.

secondly, how rubbish was our defence? i only counted 16 clean sheets (out of 42). not sure how many clean sheets man utd kept last season or chelsea the year before, but i'll bet its double this number

[Fife Rover]

Alright lads, City fan here.

Gotta say that I was impressed by your boys at the weekend. You've got two good wingers there in MGP & Bentley. Especially MGP. You'd be hard pressed to find any left midfielder in the Prem as good tbh.

I really don't think you deserve the "violent" tag you seem to have aquired. You moved the ball around well at times and I don't think anyone will get an easy ride at your place this year.

We didn't really perform how we can however (barring the first 10 minutes). We've got a young side who have only been together for less than 6 weeks. There's obvious talent there but it's gonna take a while to properly gel. We play attractive football in flashes but the consistency will come.

I would've thought we will be in better shape by the time you come to Eastalnds next year. We're all pretty excited in the complete change around in tactics from last years dross. We can actually play into feet now rather than trying to smack it up to the big man up front!!

Return leg should be goodun. Hopefully with a better result!

You mean Rovers will score with ALL their chances instead of just one of them.

[CAPT KAYOS]

That Shearer chap got a few 'first goals' too, by the looks of it

Aye ... certainly was a good year for me and my mate at the bookies