Chelsea V Blackburn 15 September 2007

[Oakland]

Good point!, hope Samba will be okay!

[LeChuck]

So...who's going to mention the refereeing first? That's one major error in our favour and none against so far this season.

Anyway, excellent point, I had a feeling about 0-0 I wish I'd put some money on that before the game now. I hope Samba makes a swift recovery, luckily we're quite blessed in the centre-back position at present.

[Exiled_Rover]

So...who's going to mention the refereeing first? That's one major error in our favour and none against so far this season.

Anyway, excellent point, I had a feeling about 0-0 I wish I'd put some money on that before the game now. I hope Samba makes a swift recovery, luckily we're quite blessed in the centre-back position at present.

I thought the ref had a very good game. He let the two teams play football and didn't needlessly book players for niggly fouls. His assistant perhaps made a mistake, but as they say, it all evens out in the end.

[B.R.F.C]

Good result - cue Mourinho and his Bus

Currently on Setanta whinging about how the referees should apologise to him first thing tomorrow when they see it on TV...

Wonder was he complaining whenever the referee gave a decision in his favour at Anfield? Dry them Jose

We played ok but our defence and Friedel probably deserved the point for how well they played. Good point and we are stil unbeaten

[LeChuck]

His assistant perhaps made a mistake, but as they say, it all evens out in the end.

I don't disagree at all, but those sayings are never trotted out when something goes against us...if it had been the other way round there would have been uproar.

Still it's not something I want make a big point about, my tongue was very firmly in my cheek with the original comment.

[modes98]

That's one major error in our favour and none against so far this season.

Well that's got to be a first! I think we deserve a little luck after the rubbish refs we normally get.

Top point and everyone apart from MGP & Benni put 100% in. Samba and Bradders are world beaters and we wouldn't have been in the game but for them.

I watched the game with about 5 or 6 chelsea fans, they are such bad losers and have no respect for us at all. Oh how i enjoyed the disallowed goal

[Hannah]

Sat listeing to Mourinio whinge!

What is better than getting a point at the bridge - getting a point in controversial circumstances!

The number of decisons Chelsea get over a season is an absolute joke and what goes around comes around!

After they had a goal disallowed they had a further 30 minutes to score!

[sijoco]

Just had to listen to Maureen whining about that bad decision, he obviously wasn't at Anfield when they got that penalty. (Don't use that word again) whining 2 faced git. Southern media will have a field day now.

Well done boys, Samba was imense again, hope he's ok.

[USABlue]

So...who's going to mention the refereeing first? That's one major error in our favour and none against so far this season.

Anyway, excellent point, I had a feeling about 0-0 I wish I'd put some money on that before the game now. I hope Samba makes a swift recovery, luckily we're quite blessed in the centre-back position at present.

You I think Le Chuck, great today wasn't he. Now we are even from last season. Thought he gave quite a bit our way when he did not have to. Still let all Chelsea's niggly stuff go, can't John Terry ever get called for coming over the back while holding the attacker? God I hope Samba is OK.

I guess I still don't understand the offside rule after almost 50 years on the planet, I thought the goal was offside, was under the impression the ball had to be plack back or square if there was not another defender between the next attacker and the goal. Seems the player just has to be behind the most forward attacker? Good point, poor game from our view. Almost as happy to have taken 2 away from Chelsea as I was to get one for us. Speedy recovery to Samba, some brave defending there.

[hawaii501]

who Chrissie Samba, who Chrissie Samba, who Chrissie Samba. Gotta say Benni was very disappointing today and didnt look at all interested

[Rovers in America]

Good result, even if it was due to an error in judgment by the linesman. I'll take it though since it seems we're usually on the wrong end of that call more often than not. Benni looked awful in that game. I wouldn't mind if he isn't sat down a game in favor of Roberts or Derbs. Hope Samba is ok, there was no intent from Shevchenko in my opinion, but still a nasty spur of the moment type thing. Samba was close to Friedel in my opinion for man fo the match for the Rovers, but it's got to be Friedel.

[frosty]

Good point - hope Samba is okay and well played Brad.

[Mr. E]

Chris Samba is a lion. MOTM, and maybe man of the season so far for us. Friedel was great as always too, kept us in the game.

The match though was poor, particularly on our part. I'm not sure if we simply weren't prepared or Chelsea's defence really is that good, but our strikers, including all attack opportunities were engulfed and we were left with absolutely nothing. Admittedly, we were lucky to get away with the disallowed goal - not that it wasn't offside, but those usually go against us.

Not a bad result.

[ffan]

Chris Samba is a lion. MOTM, and maybe man of the season so far for us. Friedel was great as always too, kept us in the game.

The match though was poor, particularly on our part. I'm not sure if we simply weren't prepared or Chelsea's defence really is that good, but our strikers, including all attack opportunities were engulfed and we were left with absolutely nothing. Admittedly, we were lucky to get away with the disallowed goal - not that it wasn't offside, but those usually go against us.

Not a bad result.

chelsea stink:

After all the fuss they made about Cech and Hunt last year...

They were all joyfully singing Shevchenko's name, after he'd just caused Christopher Samba to be carried off with a suspected serious head injury.

######. what's wrong with saying t w a t s?

[thenodrog]

Chris Samba is a lion. MOTM, and maybe man of the season so far for us.

Very reminiscent of Colin Hendry's famous actions at Everton 94-95. Hope the big fella's OK.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Had a tenner on Rovers to win at 7 to 1 but what the heck.....

Great result lads - keep the run going - onwards and upwards.

[philipl]

Yes, Colin Hendry at Goodison came to mind when I saw Samba heading the ball away on the ground.

Excellent point but all sense of elation non-existant until we hear (hopefully) Chris Samba is OK.

Some points worth making:

- Brad brilliant

- Nelsen awesome

- Bentley carried a threat

- Ooijer brilliant intervention and clearance right at the end

- Sav did well but

- Samba super hero man of the match

Brad has just said that was Rovers' worst performance in a while and I agree with him. Chelsea were strong and cynical and their foul count is bound to be huge. Mourinho set them up to stop Rovers from playing any way they could and they were super effective at it.

We got a fair ref and a linesman who spotted the man offside but not the ball travelling marginally backwards- phew!

[Rovers in America]

You I think Le Chuck, great today wasn't he. Now we are even from last season. Thought he gave quite a bit our way when he did not have to. Still let all Chelsea's niggly stuff go, can't John Terry ever get called for coming over the back while holding the attacker? God I hope Samba is OK.

I guess I still don't understand the offside rule after almost 50 years on the planet, I thought the goal was offside, was under the impression the ball had to be plack back or square if there was not another defender between the next attacker and the goal. Seems the player just has to be behind the most forward attacker? Good point, poor game from our view. Almost as happy to have taken 2 away from Chelsea as I was to get one for us. Speedy recovery to Samba, some brave defending there.

Technically it's that the player has to be behind the ball if the ball is behind the last defender.

[Rovers in America]

chelsea stink:

After all the fuss they made about Cech and Hunt last year...

They were all joyfully singing Shevchenko's name, after he'd just caused Christopher Samba to be carried off with a suspected serious head injury.

######. what's wrong with saying t w a t s?

Yeah, I noticed that as well. That was just pathetic of the fans.

[thenodrog]

I guess I still don't understand the offside rule after almost 50 years on the planet, I thought the goal was offside, was under the impression the ball had to be plack back or square if there was not another defender between the next attacker and the goal. Seems the player just has to be behind the most forward attacker?

In Mark Hughes's post match interview he comes down on the side of the linesman by saying that the offside was correct. Cue for John Howarth to explain the decision and put us all right...........

[MCMC1875]

Very good game for me. Tactically Hughes got it spot on and Mourinho's frustration added weight to this. Good marker of Rovers' progress.

[Oakland]

any news on Samba?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

A point well won today but we had to really gring it out, we started brightly but not enough of our soldiers wanted to take the fight to them and we gradually got worn down and pushed back.We started the 2nd half defending our penalty box and ended it defending our 6 yard box ! They scored a good goal courtesy of some classic ball watching by Pedersen only for the linesman to rule it off-side, maybe Ped's plan was to unsight the linesman instead of tracking back, well it worked.

Going forward we'd next to nothing so it wasn't much of a spectacle, a case of the result being better than the game.

Ratings

Friedel 8, made some stunning saves and looked almost unbeatable.

Emerton 7, Another solid performance in attack and defence.

Samba 8*, Our collossus, the nature of his injury speaks volumes, put his head where the boots were flying to clear the danger, get well soon big fella.

Nelsen 8, Cool and calm all night , getting back to his best now.

Warnick7, The usual from our left back, kept Wright-Phillips quiet and then showed Malouda who was the quickest.

Bentley 5, Quiet night, he had a chance to show Wright-Phillips who was the top dog but didn't take it.

Savage 6, Ran about all night without creating a great deal, got his customary booking for nothing.

Dunn 6, Worked hard but not his night , unlucky with a fine left foot shot.

Pedersen 4, Poor performance tonight, could have cost us the goal, If we had any reserve wingers he'd be on the bench.

McCarthy 4, Not really interested, we need to be playing guys who want to work in this sort of game.

Santa Cruz 7, Worked hard all night to turn scraps into decent ball, rarely gave the ball away when he finally got it.

Subs Roberts, Mokoena, Oijer, none of them were on for long but Oijer looked solid when he came on for Samba.

[Lathund]

I guess I still don't understand the offside rule after almost 50 years on the planet, I thought the goal was offside, was under the impression the ball had to be plack back or square if there was not another defender between the next attacker and the goal. Seems the player just has to be behind the most forward attacker?

Yes, AFAIK you can't be offside if you're behind the ball when it is being played, even if it's played forward.

I also never saw a good angle on whether Beletti was offside or not, but he certainly didn't seem to be. So we got lucky there I think.

[joey_big_nose]

Its pretty hilarious that after everyone was so paranoid against the ref (and quite justifiably after his appalling performance when we played West Ham last season) that he actually gave all the decisions our way!

Nonetheless we were second best today and you do feel that if either Lampard or Drogba had been playing we would have been soundly beaten.

On the positive side I thought Dunn is looking very good and versatile in the middle. Played a couple of Tugayesque throughballs in the first 20 minutes (when we looked excellent. Shame we couldn't keep it up). All the back five played well, particularly Samba and Freidal. Santa Cruz looked a handful. Benni was very disappointing- actually saw more of the ball than he did against Everton but gave it away with almost every touch! He is dangerous as his finishing is absolutley outstanding, but there is just so little to his all round game. Arrrrgh!

Still unbeaten. I quite fancy our chances against any of the big four at Ewood. :rover: