Aston Villa Vs Blackburn

[Eddie]

We missed a chance to get a very valuable 3 points today. It's a good point, but that doesn't change the fact that we should have got all three.

[Dunnfc]

Does anyone get the impression from Derbyshire that he thinks hes already made it and looks a tad arrogant?

[JAL]

I hope David Dunn plays the full ninety minutes in this game. This is the standard level in which hes got to perform and make a valuable positive contribution to the team.

Barry and Reo Coker are too strong for our Dunny but Barry is struggling with a hip injury (worrying wear and tear) and i saw Reo Coker take a nasty knock at Liverpool last night.

[Rovers in America]

Not a great game by any means, but the Rovers seem to have looked at least decent today. Better than they have played for a while. Dunn and Reid both had really good games as did the defense. MGP even looked decent today. By no means his self of last season, but still better than he has looked all season. Earlier in the season he wouldn't have even set himself up to miss some of the crosses he did today.

Overall, coming into the game I would have been happy with a draw at Villa, but post-game I think we could have had all 3. Not quite sure why Derbs took the penalty kick. Should have been any number of others. If Roque's goal had put us up 2-0, this game was sealed.

Overall, I think we looked better today and moved up to the 8th position in the table. Need to start getting into the win column though. I was encouraged that we were the first side on the scoresheet today. We need to be doing that more often rather than having to play from behind the 8 ball every game.

[Wolves_Rover]

I thought we were better than Villa today and but for a lapse in concentration (and a missed pen) could have taken 3 points and not 1.

But, an away point is still good, just got to get 3 from the next home game

[Rover Down Under]

Not a bad game, a result I was expecting and some good performances.

Reid continues to improve, Ooijer was really solid and made sure Samba stayed back, good crosses from Bents. There are still too few options when going forward though, some players don't seem capable of making a clever run or giving options to the ball holder. This is probably largely due to Peds though who was poor AGAIN.

RSC should take the pens - how often do you see a South American miss a penalty?

Villa fans are turning as arrogant as the Scousers though, I'm not sure which are worse.

[RoversFanUSA]

Havent ssen the game or the highlight but did read the report. Very confused at why derbs would take the pen ? Well like was said up top, we need to get wins now and not just draws.

[Hasta]

I hope David Dunn plays the full ninety minutes in this game. This is the standard level in which hes got to perform and make a valuable positive contribution to the team.

Barry and Reo Coker are too strong for our Dunny but Barry is struggling with a hip injury (worrying wear and tear) and i saw Reo Coker take a nasty knock at Liverpool last night.

Dunn did indeed have his best game for a while. It's also worth pointing out that for the first game in a while the central midfielder was sighted supporting the front two. Dunn needs license to be allowed to roam forward a bit. If he has to sit rigid in central midfielder like he has been doing he's less effective. He would have been less effective when he was a kid. It's just a pity he's lost any pace he ever had.

[chocky]

Think we missed out on all three points...I don't think the goal was anybodys fault..sometimes the strike is too good for anyone to stop...Well I suppose we would ahve taken a point before the match..

[Hasta]

Think we missed out on all three points...I don't think the goal was anybodys fault..sometimes the strike is too good for anyone to stop...Well I suppose we would ahve taken a point before the match..

Goal was probably Brads fault and I'm sure he'd admit it. However I'm sure we'll let him off for this one.

[chocky]

He did seem to take a step to the right..but i don't know if he would have stopped it anyway..6 unbeaten..good for us..

[revolutionrock!]

Anybody see the trouble out side the Holte Pub before the game.?

Went of big time apparently.

[Hannah]

Anybody see the trouble out side the Holte Pub before the game.?

Went of big time apparently.

Didn't see it but I did see a lot of police running in that direction very quickly!

[revolutionrock!]

Didn't see it but I did see a lot of police running in that direction very quickly!

Heard some arrests were made, and to think that the police dont really police our matches at Villa Park.

[Ozz]

What a cracking good game that was.

Caught the game on foreign TV and I thought it was a really poor encounter with precious little quality on show from either side.

Good game? Not really. Thought it was a scrappy affair mostly and not terribly exciting.

Anyway, good point less than good game.

Some great performances today. Defence was rock solid, Dunn and Reid got the better of Villa's midfield for most of the afternoon and Bentley was a threat also.

That was the best performance of the last two months for mine.

Wow was it a good game or a bad game!!! Funny old game, everyone has a different opinion of the same match. Did not go or watch it in a pub etc but my usual traveling partner reported live from the game and said we played well, and Hughes reckons we were worth the three points (he would say that though).

Good point, but looks like we could have easily lost it or won it!

[Beta Ray Bill]

Heard some arrests were made, and to think that the police dont really police our matches at Villa Park.

Considering coach windows have been bricked and some of the young children who think they are men have been involved in incidents at Villa in at least two of our last three visits, you would think the police would have learnt.

[roverthemoon]

Anybody see the trouble out side the Holte Pub before the game.?

Went of big time apparently.

Trouble at Villa

[tony gale's mic]

Trouble at Villa

First time I've ever heard of aggro from Blackburn fans - they are usually amongst the best in the league.

Wouldnt surprise me if it was small heaths in disguise.........they had nothing else to do today

nice to see we get respect from other fans...

[philipl]

Worrying to read that lower porices equate to trouble at football matches.

It certainly seems that there are some elements that have attached themselves to Rovers' away support that needs rooting out and helped to mend their ways.

[Sandiway Blue]

I was at the game and didn`t see any trouble at all,but then again we walked around the opposite side of the ground.

I thought Rovers had their best game for a long time and played really well as a team.

Dunn was man of the match for me with Warnock a very close 2nd,Reidy although getting better gave the ball away a bit cheaply at times but looks to be finally getting there.

I wouldn`t blame Friedel directly for the goal,but if he is meant to organise the defence for set pieces then given Villa`s success this season,i would have thought he would have put a man on each post to limit Villa`s chances of scoring.

I am not sure if it would have stopped the goal,but maybe it might have put a bit of doubt in Youngs mind.Having said that Young struck it superbly and in the end we were undone by a little bit of quality.

[philipl]

I wouldn`t blame Friedel directly for the goal,but if he is meant to organise the defence for set pieces then given Villa`s success this season,i would have thought he would have put a man on each post to limit Villa`s chances of scoring.

I am not sure if it would have stopped the goal,but maybe it might have put a bit of doubt in Youngs mind.Having said that Young struck it superbly and in the end we were undone by a little bit of quality.

You can't do that on a direct FK 25 yards out in front of goal!!

Villa would just stick a couple of players onside directly in front of Friedel.

What did strike me is because Villa do vary their free kick regimes so much, Rovers genuinely did know which of the two balls was going to take it and Brad bought the very convincing dummy taking the fatal step to his left. In truth, Young's free kick wasn't that good going into the net at saving height some distance from the post. The dummy run scored that goal.

Rovers do dummy runs as well but they are not convincing because they are not executed as sharply as Villa's are and we rarely the taker during the game.

[Fife Rover]

Worrying to read that lower porices equate to trouble at football matches.

It certainly seems that there are some elements that have attached themselves to Rovers' away support that needs rooting out and helped to mend their ways.

Two years in Afghanistan without the option should do it. We'd soon find out how brave they really are then.

[Fife Rover]

I was at the game and didn`t see any trouble at all,but then again we walked around the opposite side of the ground.

I thought Rovers had their best game for a long time and played really well as a team.

Dunn was man of the match for me with Warnock a very close 2nd,Reidy although getting better gave the ball away a bit cheaply at times but looks to be finally getting there.

I wouldn`t blame Friedel directly for the goal,but if he is meant to organise the defence for set pieces then given Villa`s success this season,i would have thought he would have put a man on each post to limit Villa`s chances of scoring.

I am not sure if it would have stopped the goal,but maybe it might have put a bit of doubt in Youngs mind.Having said that Young struck it superbly and in the end we were undone by a little bit of quality.

I only saw the miserable 37 min's worth that Sky gave us at 10pm, but from what I did see I thought that at last the real Rovers had turned up again. Not anywhere near the quality they have produced in some of the season's earlier games, but at least they played as a team and for the team.

I thought Warnock just shaded it for MoM with Dunn having his best game since he re-joined us. Also the defence once again looked solid, with Samba and Ooijer rock solid and both FB's being quick and sure in the tackle. Like others have said I can't understand why Derbs got the penalty over any of Bentley, MGP, or RSC.

[Sandiway Blue]

I only saw the miserable 37 min's worth that Sky gave us at 10pm, but from what I did see I thought that at last the real Rovers had turned up again. Not anywhere near the quality they have produced in some of the season's earlier games, but at least they played as a team and for the team.

I thought Warnock just shaded it for MoM with Dunn having his best game since he re-joined us. Also the defence once again looked solid, with Samba and Ooijer rock solid and both FB's being quick and sure in the tackle. Like others have said I can't understand why Derbs got the penalty over any of Bentley, MGP, or RSC.

I did notice when the penalty was awarded Matty went straight for the ball and was adament he was taking the pen.If he had scored he would have scored 2 in 2 games and was probably trying to get a run going and persuade Hughes he warrants a starting place.

[DanLad]

I did notice when the penalty was awarded Matty went straight for the ball and was adament he was taking the pen.If he had scored he would have scored 2 in 2 games and was probably trying to get a run going and persuade Hughes he warrants a starting place.

Whilst Derbs is still fairly young he is clearly very confident and strong willed. He'll argue to take a pen and he wants to score goals. That sort of hunger is great. I suspect that the fact that he didn't tuck it away will double his resolve. He seems very single minded.

That said, I'd like to see Roque take some. I bet he's clinical (every other part of his game seems to be...)