Aston Villa Preview

[deryck guyler's spoon]

On the subject of booing to opposition last night I reckon this is pertenant regarding officials attitude to Rovers. With the best will in the world Ewood just isn't hostile enough certainly in comparison to other grounds. Would that f*****g clown have given a penalty and sent a player off at West Ham, Newcastle, Manyoo, Liverpool or Portsmouth? Of course he wouldn't! We need to make the most of the fact that nomarks like Dowd dont have a spine and give them grief. I'm not a singer but last night when I got up and shouted abuse at that moron (not overly foul language) I was stared at like I'd just shouted "Sieg Hiel!" This is in the BBE! As long as this remains the case the likes of Dowd will see Rovers as an easy ride and a soft touch.

[thenodrog]

................ I left early last night - id felt crap before I went on but was absolutely disgusted by the inept idiots tagged with the tit'e of officials and had seen enough. I am in two minds whether to go to the Newcastle game and am certainly not attending the West Ham game next week - season ticket or not.

One thing is certain at the moment my S/T is looking like it is not going to be renewed after nearly 20 years regardless of what we do this season - last night I ate the cherry of the top of the cake.

Good! I hate that smacked arse babyhouse attitude that you have. We want supporters at Ewood not cry babies. Every club has bad days .... it's what makes the good ones special. Do you think OT will be empty next week / season just because they lost to Bolton and apparently had some dubious refereeing decisions go against em?

btw were you one of the Barry / Carson boo-boys by any chance?

[Ozz]

Somebody, probably all the coaching staff, should tell Santa Cruz to shoot when he gets to the edge of the box with the ball at his feet and space and time instead of trying to set Benni up. Just f@@@@@@ hit the b@@@@@@.

More moaning later...

[CAPT KAYOS]

Good! I hate that smacked arse babyhouse attitude that you have. We want supporters at Ewood not cry babies. Every club has bad days .... it's what makes the good ones special. Do you think OT will be empty next week / season just because they lost to Bolton and apparently had some dubious refereeing decisions go against em?

btw were you one of the Barry / Carson boo-boys by any chance?

God you really are a right tit .. boo boy - have you not read above or is your eyesight as bad as your backward Lancashire Utd carry on.

Nothing to do with Rovers ... its the game that is the problem.

This is not new coming from me, if you would read instead of going into your own fantasy world you would notice the many posts that have been posted regarding the ever decreasing degrading of the game thorughout the many mediums that contrive to say that we have the best in the world.

Get down of your tory high horse which you appear to think you belong on and join the real world - I pay good money that I can ill afford to waste - and if the enjoyment is not there or is being spoilt win, lose or draw then that to me is waste.

[rover6]

Secondly, Bentley has by all accounts been a major reason behind our recent success and a consitent performer, to move him onto the left to accomodate Emerton was surely a mistake.

Hughes had the guts to drop Gamst but didn't have the fortitude to play a left winger, because it'd have had to be a youngster. The manager should not be accommodating players and with Bentley's crossing ability being his most potent weapon - it's a no brainer to play him right wing. Even as a second forward, Bentley has flattered to deceive.

If Hughes is going to justifiably drop Gamst for future games, a left winger must replace him. I.e Warnock LM or Treacy or Peter. Unfortunately, I fear that Hughes will react to this result by reverting to the tested and reinstate the underpar Gamst.

BTW: Mokoena stands alongside Nelsen with 0 nominations for MoM, above. Was he bad last night?

[savage8]

When I left the ground 5 mins early, having listened to the Villa fans who were in full voice (not quite believing their luck), and then heard the unmistakable sound of them adding a 4th, I felt physically sick. I have not felt so deflated having watched a Rovers game. Not was it a poor performance, in my opinion far from it...ok well maybe we cant defend set pieces, which is rather worrying. The football we played in the first 25 minutes was the best we've played all season, bar the 1st half of the Everton away game. The passing, moving, link up play between RSC anfd Benni was a joy to watch and I just felt it was a matter of time before we scored. We just needed a bit of luck, or the run of the ball......

Which I must say Villa got a lot of. 1st goal, poor defending and keeping, ok mistakes happen, but was it a foul from Samba down on the wing??Hughes certainly didnt seem to think so. The penalty was terribly lucky, it just fell to him though I cant believe with our two centre backs so highly rated, that they couldnt have done a better job keeping out a chipped ball into the box-I suppose its an incstinctive reaction from Ryan, but really a sending off? Maybe so, if abiding by the rules. 0-2 chasing the game.

Im sure the 3rd goal was offside, I was pretty much level with it and all of us went up, the linesman was behind play, and it looked a clear decision unless someone was playing him onside in the middle-I havent seen the replays. Had left by the time the 4th went in.

Listening to Radio Rovers on the way home was embarrassing, as was the booing of Carson and Barry, neither of whom I particularly like. One lad was having a go at Dunny, in my eyes our best player 1st half. I havent read the papers this morning, I dont want to read about physical Rovers (with another red card), how good Villa were-smash and grab, long ball tactics, and I dont want to read about Rovers' bubble bursting, itll just wind me up. What I do want is a big performance on Saturday and 3 points. Last night's horror show is over, lets move quickly on.

[tchocky]

BTW: Mokoena stands alongside Nelsen with 0 nominations for MoM, above. Was he bad last night?

Yes and no. He generally passed the ball around well, but he gets caught out/runs out of options sometimes and attempts an impossible pass in despair. Wouldn't say he was any worse than recent games. But he would definitely be behind Dunn, Sav, Tugay, Reid and even Emo for central midfield if I were picking the team. Now Dunn and Reid provide something different, so his competition is probably Tugay and Savage.

[brfcshabba]

Why a red card for a shirt tug in the box???? Can someone explain that for me.

If Nelsen gets a red card for shirt pulling in the box then can somebody please tell me why Simunic for Croatia didn't get the same punishment for the tug on Defoe?

[Mattyblue]

Good! I hate that smacked arse babyhouse attitude that you have. We want supporters at Ewood not cry babies. Every club has bad days .... it's what makes the good ones special. Do you think OT will be empty next week / season just because they lost to Bolton and apparently had some dubious refereeing decisions go against em?

btw were you one of the Barry / Carson boo-boys by any chance?

Maybe not in thenodrog style, but I have to agree, Blackburn Rovers NEEDS us, our town and area is collapsing, this football club is all we have,

'Barely afford?' 20/30 pound a month direct debit? hardly bank breaking for anyone to watch Premier League football. We all know the massive faults in the English game, we all know Rovers have a numskull minority, but so do all clubs. It was a bad night in what has been an excellent season, with one of the best managers and best sides weve had in a long long time.

When the wheels do finally come off at Ewood and we are floundering in the lower reaches of the Championship or worse I'll remind you of such comments and what weve lost.

[den]

Well, this will label me either blue and white eyed, or unbelievebly well insighted. I thought rovers played the better football throughout the game. If that was a penalty, then any kind of hand on shirt in the box is a penalty and red card. Nor do I know if this has been mentioned before, but their third AND fourth goals were miles offside.

I'll be OK for Saturday.

[thenodrog]

God you really are a right tit .. boo boy - have you not read above or is your eyesight as bad as your backward Lancashire Utd carry on.

Nothing to do with Rovers ... its the game that is the problem.

This is not new coming from me, if you would read instead of going into your own fantasy world you would notice the many posts that have been posted regarding the ever decreasing degrading of the game thorughout the many mediums that contrive to say that we have the best in the world.

Get down of your tory high horse which you appear to think you belong on and join the real world - I pay good money that I can ill afford to waste - and if the enjoyment is not there or is being spoilt win, lose or draw then that to me is waste.

My mistake Le Chuck. I apologise for questioning whether you were one of the boo-boys. There that better?

The rest stands.

btw 1.. I'm not a tory so we all make mistakes when we read things too quickly dont we?

btw 2.. If your infantile behaviour is the norm in the real world then I'll happily stay in mine thanks.

[Captain Spaulding]

I went to the game last night, sat in the Blackburn End pretty much right behind the drummers.....need anymore be said?

Now when I used to sit in the Fraser Eagle the drums seemed to get things going, but having sat behind them, they're the most annoything things ever! The Ginger lad shouldn't be allowed near a drum, banging it whenever he feels like it and out of time.

Add that to screeching girls to the left of me and the absolutlely imbecilic booing of Carson and Barry (i refused to get involved as I think Carson is a quality keeper and he showed it last night), the referee's performance and the result - it wasn't a good day at the office.

One thing i will say, first 30 minutes i thought we played really well - cutting them open, lovely football, lovely one touch movement.

2nd half, after Nelsen's sending off, whenever we did get forward we never really seemed to have any outlet, we could only pass it around the outside of the box then go back - i think it's a credit to what Martin O'Neill's done at Villa - the defending was excellent.

No atmosphere in the ground at all it seemed......

....let's hope it gets better on Saturday - back to basics lads

[den]

My mistake Le Chuck. I apologise for questioning whether you were one of the boo-boys. There that better?

The rest stands.

btw 1.. I'm not a tory so we all make mistakes when we read things too quickly dont we?

btw 2.. If your infantile behaviour is the norm in the real world then I'll happily stay in mine thanks.

I think you mean Capt Kayos.

Leave it there please, both of you.

[CAPT KAYOS]

My mistake Le Chuck. I apologise for questioning whether you were one of the boo-boys. There that better?

The rest stands.

btw 1.. I'm not a tory so we all make mistakes when we read things too quickly dont we?

btw 2.. If your infantile behaviour is the norm in the real world then I'll happily stay in mine thanks.

Le Chuck???

You- certainly preach like you are with your 'holier than thou' responses

Infantile - explain please , I call it what I see in front of my eyes which yet again for the umpteenth time that is spoiling the game - yes we creted to our own downfall but I can accept defeat for that I have watched and played the game for long enough - what I can't accept is the ineptitude of officials making it a level playing field and contributing entirley to the outcome of the match.

MattyBlue are you related to Theno and Jan - do you have a family? 20/30 a month is alot for me to outlay a month regardless of the amount, when there are other things that I should really spend it upon

[Cocker]

Dont know if its been posted - probably has and I am just blind but here are the goals - Click

3rd goal was top but what the hell were the others all about

[b12_simon]

Yup. The vast vast majority of people.

Not where I was sat

[Ozz]

BTW: Mokoena stands alongside Nelsen with 0 nominations for MoM, above. Was he bad last night?

Moko breaks up the play, gets the ball and passes either sideways, backwards or forwards 5 yards, normally to a winger or a more skillful player. We were two down at home, and Hughes rightly decided to take him off and put Reid on, but sadly Reid could not provide the incisiveness needed to bring us a goal. But once Moko went off, the whole midfield fell apart and we could hardly pass to a blue shirt. The midfield was in fact overrun most of the night, esp after the 1st goal when we just appeared to implode.

So in short, Aaron played OK, but was never gonna win the MOTM match award.

O'Neill is a sharp witted manager-he knew our weakness to pace was a way to punish us, and Ashley Young and Agbonlahor doubled up on Ooijer giving him a torrid time. Good tactics from the Villa boss IMO. I would have whipped him off, shoved Emerton back there, got Bentley back on the right wing, Zurab at left back, Warnock left wing and kept Dunn and Axe/Sav in the middle. Piece of cake Prem Managers job.

[Dunnfc]

My opinion of the game is that we dominated the first 35 mins of the game or up until the free kick. The free kick was never a free kick in a million years and the way young conned the ref all night well...... The penalty was never a pen he had his back to goal and ooijer was being fouled before nelsens tug on gabby but never the less the ref spoiled it for the fans by sending nelly of needlessly and now weve lost our best centre half for 3 games . The 3rd goal is a result of having 10 men as the was no one to close young down before he shot, never in my life have i been so embaressed and ashamed to watch Rovers! Ive never walked out of a league game before last night. After we conceded the first goal all the heads went down, Bentley backed out of every tackle and i was puzzled to why MGP never started or came on sooner as we lacked natural balance. No one played with passion except Dunn who i thought had an excellent 1st half. Mokoena looked good until he went off but what a shame for Steven Reid to come on in a game like that and lose 4-0 most of his team mates let themselves down and they let the supporters down who had to go in to work today knackered and have the usual 4-0 banter.

Hughes sort it out and drop Bentley who showed nothing and seems to be developing into a player who thinks hes done it.

The tatics were a puzzle to work out and the performance in the 2nd half was shambles. Mokoena was good he brook up attacks played the ball and won a few fouls, one of the best games hes had this season.

[G Somerset Rover]

I absoloutely hate Villa. They're not even a great side but whenever we play them we seem to lose. Couple of little points: What the hell was Friedel doing for their first?! Secondly I still think we lack any genuine pace in the final third, which is perhaps why we persist in playing pretty to watch but not effective football. I can unfortunately only see Newcastle doing the same on Saturday. Rovers will play pretty football but get absoloutely nowhere and we will concede and go on to lose. I hate to predict it but we always flatter to deceive against the Geordie's at home. Roll on Christmas and some fixtures like Wigan away.

[thenodrog]

I think you mean Capt Kayos.

Leave it there please, both of you.

Good grief 2 mistakes in one morning! Thanks Den. Apologies LC.

[den]

Dont know if its been posted - probably has and I am just blind but here are the goals - Click

3rd goal was top but what the hell were the others all about

Like I said, 3rd and 4th goals offside.

[thenodrog]

never in my life have i been so embaressed and ashamed to watch Rovers! Ive never walked out of a league game before last night.

You're young then?

[Dunnfc]

You're young then?

yes im 16 but i remember defeats to chelsea mboro 4-0 and they wernt as bad as last night.

Last night made me sick.

[thenodrog]

Dont know if its been posted - probably has and I am just blind but here are the goals - Click

3rd goal was top but what the hell were the others all about

Just watched those.

1. 1st goal was a bad decision after Young dived. Contributory factors were Benny pratting about and losing the ball's and bad defending from the kick.

2. Very dodgy pen given by todays standards and an even harsher sending off.

3. Offside by a mile.

4. Offside by a bigger mile. (who was the lino ...Jim Devine Mk 2? His performance really needs to be reviewed by the authorities)

Anybody got a link to the disallowed goal to really p1ss me off?

.......... We'll win a Villa Park.

[LDRover]

My own personal opinion is that some of the players have started to believe their own publicity.

There's too many fancy flicks in the wrong areas, overplaying and risk taking in the defence. What we need to do is go back to basics and look at getting clean sheets. We've shipped 8 goals in the last three, need to get back to being hard to beat again before we can play the expansive stuff.