[Archived] Uefa Cup First Round Draw

[Fife Rover]

I didn't see the match but I did read your comments. I don't go back quite as far as you but I did get to wondering as to whether it was worse than the following "performances":

Approx 1964 FA cup loss away to Oxford-then 4th Division.

Loss to Workington Town at home-0-5?

Home loss to Swindon in FA cup-0-4.

Early 70's home loss in the 1st round against Crewe-who I think were bottom of the 4th Division.

There have been some real stinkers over the years.

Yes 92er I do take your point, and I understand what you mean. There were over the years many, many instances of Rovers getting well turned over either by a big scoreline or by a supposed inferior team. My point is though that bad as all those performances were, I honestly can't remember any occasion prior to the Larrissa match where the ENTIRE outfield squad played SO badly and for the ENTIRE 90 minutes. In the other case quoted by you and others I did not get the impression that the whole squad of players were so bad and/or disinterested. That is the thing that hurts. You can forgive individual players in a game if they have a stinker or even if occasionally they can't be bothered, But not the whole team for the whole match (Brad excepted).

[Gav]

I honestly can't remember any occasion prior to the Larrissa match where the ENTIRE outfield squad played SO badly and for the ENTIRE 90 minutes.

Try away in Moscow, champion’s league when Batty and Le saux got it on, an absolutely terrible performance on a par with Thursdays. Also Poland the same campaign, terrible.

To mention a few.......

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I've only been watching since 1961 but I'm with Fife Rover on this one, absolutely the pits on Thursday- we wouldn't have scored if we were still playing now ! Alright the pitch was crap , and the grass was long, and it was windy , but Larissa did o.k. on it, they gave it a go, our prima donna's just didn't have the balls for it.

[JAL]

Was the performance not similar or consistant to the Chelsea one just that we all expected that against Chelsea but not against an unknown Greek team!

Plus were the players heads turned in their preperation of the match by the shock announcement of Mourinho's exit on the day.

Yes, the pitch was poor and the Greeks got the two lucky breaks which probably their efforts deserved but is it now a case of beware of Blackburners bearing free gifts for the Greeks.

For me now the size of the crowd or the commitment of the fans for the return leg will reflect on how much Blackburn deserve to progress through to the next round of the UEFA cup.

Cant wait

[den]

I honestly can't remember any occasion prior to the Larrissa match where the ENTIRE outfield squad played SO badly and for the ENTIRE 90 minutes.

a first division rovers losing at home, to a fourth division Workington 0-5 was a far, far worse performance than losing 2-0 away to Larissa, Fife. Whichever way you look at it.

No comparison.

[Hasta]

Was the performance not similar or consistant to the Chelsea one just that we all expected that against Chelsea but not against an unknown Greek team!

I'd say they were very unsimilar JAL. In the Chelsea game we had quite a bit of possesion in midfield, regularly had control of the ball in and around the Chelsea box. We frustrated them and only allowed them 3 real chances.

Against Larissa we just never seemed to have any time with our foot on the ball as every pass seemed to go astray. Larissa controlled the possession and after they scored looked dangerous and caused panic every time they went forward.

Had we lost the Chelsea game 4-0 we'd be saying how the scoreline didn't reflect the game at all. Had we lost 4-0 on Thursday it would have been fairly justified.

[KingCrip]

Any news on if the second leg will be on tv?

[broadsword]

Maybe it will be on Bravo sandwiched in-between a couple of Vincent Price movies.

[Paul]

Any news on if the second leg will be on tv?

It's live at Ewood Park

Channel 5 are showing Everton's game.

[Mike Graham]

No word from Jordan yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did he make it?

Is he back yet?

What about his famous photos!

Jordan...where are you?

[92er]

That makes no sense; when a player who works the hardest on the team plays the wingers have to cover more? I understand that having Mokoena sit back in front of the back four would mean they might have to cover a little less, but not much. Savage is in my opinion our best central midfielder. To drop him would be a very strange move. I'll go back to the fact that we need another central midfielder. I think we can over analyse this particular performance, it was just a bad day at the office, although we do have long-term problems in central midfield.

The point Dinnis was making about Savage-"the free-spirit"-is that he has no positional sense. He goes anywhere he wants and this creates problems for his team mates. One result is that the wingers have greater defensive duties, and therefore cannot attack as much as maybe they would like.

Now I realise Savage has many fans on the messageboard but I find he has more doubters amongst the people who go and watch the team.

[Eddie]

He has tons of doubters, but then he doesn't play and everyone wonders why we aren't nearly so good. People have very short memories.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Any news on if the second leg will be on tv?

£5 adult season ticket holders

£5 junior season ticker holders

£10 adult non-season ticket holders

£1 juniors

[Ben-2000]

£5 adult season ticket holders

£5 junior season ticker holders

£10 adult non-season ticket holders

£1 juniors

Yeah come on guys if you can make it then get down to Ewood.

I've already persuaded 3 non-regulars!

[92er]

He has tons of doubters, but then he doesn't play and everyone wonders why we aren't nearly so good. People have very short memories.

And yet without him last season we got to a semi-final which we could have won, went on an un-beaten run to the end of the seaon and generally coped very well without him.

The defence also looked stronger as the midfield provided some cover for them.

[Ste B]

Worst european trip ever.

Started off badly by having a plane cancelled. Flip side was having to spend 8 hours less in athens.

got steadily worse. stayed on ormonia square. fumey dump by day porn shop at night. not safe place to walk around.

game... awful. volos was nice mind. coach orrid

as somebody said. if anybody says athens is nice they haven't been.

[Fife Rover]

--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ste B @ Sep 23 2007, 14:20 ) 548614[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Worst european trip ever.

Started off badly by having a plane cancelled. Flip side was having to spend 8 hours less in athens.

got steadily worse. stayed on ormonia square. fumey dump by day porn shop at night. not safe place to walk around.

game... awful. volos was nice mind. coach orrid

as somebody said. if anybody says athens is nice they haven't been.

From what various posters have said about Athens, it sounds to me like it has gone very badly downhill since I was last there. Mind you that was 1953, and being on an official visit with the Royal Navy we did tend to get the VIP treatment from the local dignatory's and were given lots of conducted and specially arranged outings to places of historical interest mainly. I did however get a couple of runs ashore of the normal sailor variety, if you know what I mean, and on these I can't say I noticed much wrong with Athens. The booze was very cheap and very potent!

[Eddie]

And yet without him last season we got to a semi-final which we could have won, went on an un-beaten run to the end of the seaon and generally coped very well without him.

The defence also looked stronger as the midfield provided some cover for them.

We also had a period just after he injured which ended any chance we had of finishing in the top 6. Mokoena improved vastly during his extended run in the side and by the end of it was playing very well, but he still wasn't as useful as Savage.

As a team we looked weaker. We do look a bit stronger at the back becasue Mokoena just sits in front of them, but he offers nothing going forward and I don't subscribe to the opinion that, that then enables the other midfielders to really get further forward. I can see how it would benefit the other central midfielder, but Savage does enough work that it shouldn't mean that the wide players do more work. We also don't have an attacking central midfielder or a style that should require someone like Mokoena to just be sitting there. Reid and Dunn cover enough ground to have their own defensive duties and Tugay generally sits quite far back (I'm not saying that he is there to defend, but he can help out).

[Jordan]

No word from Jordan yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did he make it?

Is he back yet?

What about his famous photos!

Jordan...where are you?

I am here!! Just got home after watching two utterly hopeless performances.

Athens is an absolute sh1thole and wont be going back in a hurry. If you like cheap DVD's and stray dogs then I would recommend it.

Beer was nice though.

[Fife Rover]

I am here!! Just got home after watching two utterly hopeless performances.

Athens is an absolute sh1thole and wont be going back in a hurry. If you like cheap DVD's and stray dogs then I would recommend it.

Beer was nice though.

Do they not sell ouzo(sp?) any more? When I was there it was all champagne at 2/6d a bottle, or 12.5 pence in today's money. Oh happy days!!

[Jordan]

Do they not sell ouzo(sp?) any more? When I was there it was all champagne at 2/6d a bottle, or 12.5 pence in today's money. Oh happy days!!

Yes they do still sell ouzo......it lethal stuff.

Any photo's of game, some rocks up a hill and some general pictures are HERE

[ABBEY]

I didn't see the match but I did read your comments. I don't go back quite as far as you but I did get to wondering as to whether it was worse than the following "performances":

Approx 1964 FA cup loss away to Oxford-then 4th Division.

Loss to Workington Town at home-0-5?

Home loss to Swindon in FA cup-0-4.

Early 70's home loss in the 1st round against Crewe-who I think were bottom of the 4th Division.

There have been some real stinkers over the years.

cardiff at home ...we lost 3 0r 4 one

[92er]

We also had a period just after he injured which ended any chance we had of finishing in the top 6. Mokoena improved vastly during his extended run in the side and by the end of it was playing very well, but he still wasn't as useful as Savage.

As a team we looked weaker. We do look a bit stronger at the back becasue Mokoena just sits in front of them, but he offers nothing going forward and I don't subscribe to the opinion that, that then enables the other midfielders to really get further forward. I can see how it would benefit the other central midfielder, but Savage does enough work that it shouldn't mean that the wide players do more work. We also don't have an attacking central midfielder or a style that should require someone like Mokoena to just be sitting there. Reid and Dunn cover enough ground to have their own defensive duties and Tugay generally sits quite far back (I'm not saying that he is there to defend, but he can help out).

I thought the team benefitted when Savage was not playing. Mokoena is indeed purely a defensive midfielder and I am quite happy with that as it gives another midfielder the chance to go forward and be creative etc.

Tugay's best ever spell for the Rovers was the season after Hughes left and when we nearly got relegated. As a gamble Souness played him further forward and Tugs was superb.Maybe Hughes has never played him in the more attacking position because he's not aware of how well Tugs had played there or he thinks his legs have gone. That would leave Dunn to play there.

Does Savage work hard? Dinnis was making the point that he can be prone to get anywhere on the pitch, thus leaving gaps in central midfield where he should be.

Now I realise a number of people think highly of Savage, including MH. The only strength his admirers agree he brings to the team is tempo. When watching him, I have formed the opinion he can't control the ball, he can't pass, he can't head, he can't tackle and he doesn't score goals.

If you think Savage does bring a lot to the team, that's fine. I just don't agree with you.

[brfcs5359]

Got back Saturday. Everyone has always said Athens was a dump and it would appear not much has changed.

Thesalonika was ace. There are no sites to see but the city is smart. The nightlife ace. A good stag or hen night destnation down by the harbour. Hundreds of designer bars cafes shops but expensive. A top night out. Definately go back.

The pitch was a disgrace and the wind strong which both worked against Emerton.

The team for a bumpy crap pitch should have been with hindsight

Friedal

Kinish Ouijar Nelsen Warnock

Emerton Tugay Dunn Bentley Gamst

Cruz

[Jordan]

HA HA HA