[Archived] Larissa (home)

[allrovertheworld]

Not a total lack of width just rank bad play by some of our supposedly more accomplished passers! I lost count of the number of times Warnock moved up into acres of space on the left wing only to be completely ignored by Tugay and Dunny whose sole intentions appeared to be to turn to the right side on every occasion before passing to a tighly marked Emo and Derbs, getting the return pass and repeating in ever decreasing triangles until they inevitably lost possession. Warnocks goal illustrated my point perfectly.

Only just getting over the loss on Thursday have to say I was booing at the end..not at the players but at Hughes I was so angry and felt it was within us to progress further than last year, we all know he got it wrong but I think we should just forget it and get on with this season. We can still have a craker.

Lets get our best players in on Sunday and really take brum to the cleaners...if we play half as well as we did against city I can only see a rovers victory.

[92er]

Were tactics really the problem? After all we had a plan A for 45 minutes, followed by plan B for 15 minutes that did work. There was no plan C.

However, what struck me was the lack of creativity in the team. Dunn-who people have been saying has been playing well in centre midfield-couldn't play on the wing. He couldn't control the ball well enough, he didn't create for anybody in the team and his energy level were not high enough to work up and down the line-I did think he played well during the 2nd half of last season when paired with Mokoena.

Bently was lively for quite a spell in the first half, without creating anything.

Tugay played too deep, and Derbyshire isn't a midfielder.

And yet it reminded me of last season in Europe. I am pretty sure Salzburg made chances-and certainly Basel did. It took us 75 minutes to score-and at that stage it wasn't clear where goals were going to come from. They came from at least a couple pf long range shots that could have been saved. In other words- a lack of creativity.

We should have beaten Bayer on the basis of the early part of the away leg and might well have done, apart from Roberts' horrendous miss.

So I think MH has a huge problem if he wants to take us to the next level.

He doesn't have much in the way of alternatives-Savage for creativity???

Will Reid come back and reach the level of performance of his good half season? If so, he doesn't bring creativity to the team-he brings athleticism.

Major investments might well have to be made.

[eddiewac]

i think playing 4-5-1 was the wrong tactics, waiting for them to come out, which they were never going to do, they were always gonna be more than happy watching Tugay pass it around with the back 4, and yeah no creativity at all, which isn't helped by playing one up front and 2 defensive midfielders deep

[Whyoy]

I’ve dipped in and out of this message thread and am left with the feeling that most contributors just don’t get it. The reality is that we were beaten over two legs by a better side. In both legs it was difficult to find a weakness in the Larissa side. Their goalkeeper was solid, their defence pacey and more than adequate in the air, their forwards were quick. Their midfield used the ball well and were quick to close Rovers down when they didn’t have the ball. All players had good control, their fitness levels were up to Premier league standards and they were more than willing to take shots on goal whenever the opportunity arose. An all round accomplished side with a good following that will cause a few surprises in the next mini league round.

The fact is that we didn’t get a look in in the away leg and could, probably should, have been more than two down. If Mark Hughes got it wrong then it was the team he picked for the first leg and probably due to an under estimation of the strength of the opposition. We had looked very stretched at Chelsea playing a two man midfield with two wide players and created very few chances. Perhaps he thought that it would be easier against the Greeks cause we used the same formation and again created very few chances.

The same system was then used against Portsmouth and yet again we created very little against a side that, once they had gone ahead, were intent in protecting their lead

Whilst he changed the system for the Birmingham and Sunderland games to good effect we still hadn’t got into the free scoring vein that was to be needed if we were to progress through to the next round of the UEFA cup.

At least we won on Thursday but would we have done with a system that was lucky to survive at Chelsea and had failed in the games against Larissa (1st leg) and Portsmouth.

[thenodrog]

Only just getting over the loss on Thursday have to say I was booing at the end..not at the players but at Hughes I was so angry and felt it was within us to progress further than last year, we all know he got it wrong but I think we should just forget it and get on with this season. We can still have a craker.

Don't worry if the current rumours have any truth in them you wont have to boo Mark Hughes for much longer.

[thenodrog]

I’ve dipped in and out of this message thread and am left with the feeling that most contributors just don’t get it. The reality is that we were beaten over two legs by a better side. In both legs it was difficult to find a weakness in the Larissa side. Their goalkeeper was solid, their defence pacey and more than adequate in the air, their forwards were quick. Their midfield used the ball well and were quick to close Rovers down when they didn’t have the ball. All players had good control, their fitness levels were up to Premier league standards and they were more than willing to take shots on goal whenever the opportunity arose. An all round accomplished side with a good following that will cause a few surprises in the next mini league round.

The fact is that we didn’t get a look in in the away leg and could, probably should, have been more than two down. If Mark Hughes got it wrong then it was the team he picked for the first leg and probably due to an under estimation of the strength of the opposition. We had looked very stretched at Chelsea playing a two man midfield with two wide players and created very few chances. Perhaps he thought that it would be easier against the Greeks cause we used the same formation and again created very few chances.

The same system was then used against Portsmouth and yet again we created very little against a side that, once they had gone ahead, were intent in protecting their lead

Whilst he changed the system for the Birmingham and Sunderland games to good effect we still hadn’t got into the free scoring vein that was to be needed if we were to progress through to the next round of the UEFA cup.

At least we won on Thursday but would we have done with a system that was lucky to survive at Chelsea and had failed in the games against Larissa (1st leg) and Portsmouth.

A very accurate assessment. So few appear either willing or able to give Larissa the praise that they deserve.

From my perspective after supporting BRFC since the early 60's let me just say that getting knocked out of Europe two years running is a fantastic achievement and one that I never ever thought that I would be privileged to see! The Walker years appear to have spawned some strange attitudes amongst our younger supporters. Some of them really need to take a step back and introduce some perspective to their attitudes.

[Eddie]

Perspective is useless TND. Perspective gets you nowhere in life. So if we were relegated would you put it in perspective and say that it's ok and that you were still pleased based on where the club was 20-30 years ago? I'm basing my perspective on the quality of the English league for the last decade, the amount our players get, the facilities they use, the international sides they play for, the experience that they have. I'm then comparing all of that to what they were up against, the record Larissa have in Greece. Now I'm not saying that they didn't deserve to win, they did, but in my opinion I find the fact that they deserved to win to be the worrying part.

It seems like a couple of people are thinking that because we were beaten by a team who were better over the two legs that they were overall a better side (certainly not) and that it isn't a big issue. A vastly inferior side outplayed us, big problem.

[thenodrog]

I guess that your glass would be half full eddie whereas mine would be half empty.

[gumboots]

In what way were they a vastly inferior side, Eddie? They may not have had big name players but they were an efficient and well organised team with the ability to get the ball forward quickly and had a striker who knew where the goal was. They played to their strengths and did what they had to do well and that's all anyone can really ask of a team. Yes we ought to be able to go through against teams like that but sometimes a combination of circumstances, underperforming players, tactical errors, loss of form in key areas, and any number of other factors mean we don't. That's football. It's why Liverpool lost to a team that are near the bottom of the French League. It's why Lyon were beaten by Rangers who are not a team of all-stars but a team that on the night played to its strengths and got the victory. Good teams can lose to teams they should beat and that's what makes football good to watch. If we all won the games we should win on paper then where would be the fun? We could draw up the league table by computer. I wasn't happy that we went out on Thursday. I wasn't happy with the formation which I didn't like when I first saw it or when I saw it at Sunderland but obviously our management team thought they could make it work. But I don't see what is to be gained by moaning about it now.

[emglch]

VERY disappointed to be knocked out by a team that i never heard of until the draw. it's back to the drawing board for hughes in terms of european football. hopefully this team can do well enough domestically and qualify for europe again next season, preferably direct qualification. And may luck be on our side, the team can have good runs in both cups and give our 'uefacup-ready' squad enough playing time.

[Eddie]

In what way were they a vastly inferior side, Eddie? They may not have had big name players but they were an efficient and well organised team with the ability to get the ball forward quickly and had a striker who knew where the goal was. They played to their strengths and did what they had to do well and that's all anyone can really ask of a team. Yes we ought to be able to go through against teams like that but sometimes a combination of circumstances, underperforming players, tactical errors, loss of form in key areas, and any number of other factors mean we don't. That's football. It's why Liverpool lost to a team that are near the bottom of the French League. It's why Lyon were beaten by Rangers who are not a team of all-stars but a team that on the night played to its strengths and got the victory. Good teams can lose to teams they should beat and that's what makes football good to watch. If we all won the games we should win on paper then where would be the fun? We could draw up the league table by computer. I wasn't happy that we went out on Thursday. I wasn't happy with the formation which I didn't like when I first saw it or when I saw it at Sunderland but obviously our management team thought they could make it work. But I don't see what is to be gained by moaning about it now.

Of course surprising results happen and as I said they were certainly the better team over the two legs; however, just because surprises happen doesn't mean that you should excuse them when they happen to you, particularly not in such an important game. That game was very important for our season in my opinion, so to play so poorly over two legs is not acceptable. That takes nothing away from Larissa, they are a decent team and they played very well, but I don't think you'll find anyone who thinks that they are a better team.

I get the feeling that the fact that we won on Thursday has made some people feel better about this defeat. That makes sense, but had the results been reversed (obviously not taking into account the changes in the tactics) then I think people would be far unhappier. Anyway, we're out now and nothing we can do about it, I'm just think it is something we may regret for a long time to come. It revealed a lot of weaknesses in our side and there are some things we really need to sort out.

[thenodrog]

Just watched Alan Shearers summing up on MoTD of the Man U v Wigan match. 0-0 at half time 4-0 at full time. Shearer pointed out that in the first half Man Utd were taking too many touches on the ball and were too deliberate allowing Wigan time to to get numbers behind the ball, whereas in the 2nd half they upped the tempo and played more direct one touch football and scored 4.

Sound familiar? With the exception of the commendable Cruz that '1st half' summarisation was Rovers all over on Thursday night.

[bblue]

VERY disappointed to be knocked out by a team that i never heard of until the draw. it's back to the drawing board for hughes in terms of european football. hopefully this team can do well enough domestically and qualify for europe again next season, preferably direct qualification.

It's results like these that end up putting teams on the footballing map

[philipl]

We would have been in Pot 2

[Tris]

Perspective is useless TND. Perspective gets you nowhere in life.

It seems like a couple of people are thinking that because we were beaten by a team who were better over the two legs that they were overall a better side

In what way were they a vastly inferior side, Eddie? They may not have had big name players but they were an efficient and well organised team

Good teams can lose to teams they should beat and that's what makes football good to watch. If we all won the games we should win on paper then where would be the fun? We could draw up the league table by computer.

Gumboots - you need to take into account that you are discussing these issues with Eddie.

Eddie has a pre-programmed mind (no doubt as a result of being a paid up member of the communist party at such a tender age) which ranks everything according to how it should be "on paper" - let's call it the EddieRanker.

The EddieRanker has told us in the past that when Greece won Euro 2004 they shouldn't have done because they weren't the best team. When Liverpool won the European Cup the EddieRanker actually crashed in overheated disgust - everything was going to plan and then suddenly after half time real sport took over - something unexpected happened - meltdown for EddieRanker.

The EddieRanker also pronounces on matters pertaining to Cricket and Rugby, and shows signs of grave malfunction every time there is a result which does not follow the perfect logic of the armchair know all.

I'm told that the EddieRanker had never ever heard of Larissa until that draw on 31st August, so it's no surprise that it is incapable of accepting eyewitness accounts that Larissa deserved to win the tie.

[cletus]

Sir Matt`s penalty.........

[Monsters G-1]

Thank you for your hospitality lads! It was great.

If you have any photos or videos of our stand please upload them.

Hope we'll meet each other sometime in the future.

Good luck to you also!

PS: All this is devoted to our brother Vagelis, who left our world a few days ago... Rest in peace bro on the heaven's claret club.

[thenodrog]

Thank you for your hospitality lads! It was great.

If you have any photos or videos of our stand please upload them.

Hope we'll meet each other sometime in the future.

Good luck to you also!

PS: All this is devoted to our brother Vagelis, who left our world a few days ago... Rest in peace bro on the heaven's claret club.

Good luck to you in the UEFA. You easily earned the right to be in the group stages.

[Cocker]

Good luck to you in the UEFA. You easily earned the right to be in the group stages.

Yep, I will echo this too. Good Luck in the groups

[waggy]

they have got everton

[cletus]

Spoke to a Larissa fan who had flown in from Detroit for the game. He was staying in the Fernhurst & was a thoroughly decent chap. He even understood my incredibly drunken jibberish (i think!)

[thenodrog]

3. Best away support and most noise (man for man) than I can recall at Ewood. What was that mass turn around about?

The superb footy song that the Larissa supporters sang for most of the 90 mins at Ewood has obviously been adopted by the Man Utd supporters. Just as with some of the other songs we've heard around Europe last season it's a shame that the Blackburn Enders haven't seen fit to adopt it rather than the neanderthal 'get into em'.

Does anybody know the origin of the song, a translation and/or what it's about?

[S15]

I had AESF as odds on to be the one to have reopened this bad boy.

[adopted scouser]

The superb footy song that the Larissa supporters sang for most of the 90 mins at Ewood has obviously been adopted by the Man Utd supporters. Just as with some of the other songs we've heard around Europe last season it's a shame that the Blackburn Enders haven't seen fit to adopt it rather than the neanderthal 'get into em'.

Does anybody know the origin of the song, a translation and/or what it's about?

I'm only guessing but try -

Viva Ronaldoooo

Viva Ronaldoooo

Running down the wing

Hear United sing

Viva Ronaldoooo

[Ben-2000]

The superb footy song that the Larissa supporters sang for most of the 90 mins at Ewood has obviously been adopted by the Man Utd supporters. Just as with some of the other songs we've heard around Europe last season it's a shame that the Blackburn Enders haven't seen fit to adopt it rather than the neanderthal 'get into em'.

Does anybody know the origin of the song, a translation and/or what it's about?

I remember that one. I (obviously) didn't understand what they were singing but the tune was in my head for ages afterwards. I heard it tonight too but thought it was the Roma fans.