[Archived] Birmingham Last Game

[JAL]

..... shyte from Rovers today total ..... ..... against a relegated team who could have scored more.

Anger is an energy which for me should be taken out on all and sundry regarding the first team today despite the miraculous 7th place finish.

Samba/Nelsen combination utter ######!!!

Tugay/Dunn another ###### combination you might as well have put me and groo in the middle of the park to give out the same non performance.

Vogel who the .... is Vogel not good enough.

Roberts with MaCarthy now thats another ###### combination !!

Ferk the dolly day dreamers on here, next season with that kind of performance along with many others makes us out to be next years Bolton Wanderers - struggling.

[allrovertheworld]

Disaster, the players did not deliver today. Europe was there for the taken and they blew it. Roberst Dunn and Emerton need to move on. I hope that was JRs last game coz he was useless today.

Just got back from the game. Birmingham is the worst city I have ever been to dirty confusing and a complete concrete sh#t hole. Brums ground was a joke to get to and the state of it is a disgrace. I will never go there again. Had my inflatables taken off me to which was very sad. Still fair play to our fans and to theirs they gave it their all when really they knew they were going down.

[brian_gallagher85]

How can anyone say Emerton needs to go after his performance today and most of the last two seasons?

[1864roverite]

Jal, what the ferk are you mumbling on about ? Imagine if you were a dingle and how you would feel right now ? My guess is that youd be in cell 14 in Burnley nick having just potted a few windows

[Dunnfc]

We played a team scrapping to stay in the league today! They are going to be up for it because they are playing for their futures and livleyhoods, i always thought brum would beat us but in reality we should have beaten them but we didn't so what lets not dwell on this and enjoy the summer and being linked to top players. I know we are heartbroken about not being in Europe but perhaps us not being in this year will make us more determined and hugry to achieve it next year.

7th place in the prem while spending less that 4 million, i'd take that any day of the week.

[des]

taking todays match into next season there are a number of points that needs to be addressed.

reid is not a full back and never will be one, there needs to be cover

bently, if he plays like that and we need money to buy other players then we need to sell him. with pedersen if he is playing badly at least he will work hard anf track back, bently will not.

roberts, fine as a battering ram with 20 min to go, however his touch and his scoring record leaves a lot to be worked on.

to end up seveth whem we have spent 2 mill nett is very good unlike the match today, roll on next season have a good summer to you all.

[American]

Yes, we played like crap, but also remember that we played against a team fighting for its life.

Major overreaction. If the squad was good enough for Europe, there wouldn't be talk about a major re-tooling this summer.

[allrovertheworld]

How can anyone say Emerton needs to go after his performance today and most of the last two seasons?

There is no end product, running fast with the ball at your feet with your head down produces nothing, if we are going to play him he needs to play right back where his pace and work rate ( which is fantastic) are useful. Time for us to get shot of him and bring in a fresh face.

[Billinge End Blue]

Disappointing result but what the hell, we’ll be able to get to more European trips in the 09/10 season, with (personal) financial coffers replenished (credit crunch and all)!

To be honest we haven’t deserved Europe over the whole season as the table shows (poxy fair play league and cup results - or lack of - not withstanding). Let Villa and their fans make the most of it and have a go. Forget tearful Brum City fans, relegated on the back of a good win. Just feel sorry for those Man Utd fans, more success (yawn), probably win the Champions League too…(yawn). For our compensation, just hope RFW fancies several more years at Old Trafford before retiring…

To be honest, over-reactions like Eddie’s and the others who lack a spine/stiff upper lip where Rovers and footie are concerned provide ample compensation for missing out for me!

These folk weren’t there in the Rovers third division days and the craving for ‘success’ and attitude towards ‘failure’ is feeble and embarrassing.

I’d quote Rudyard Kipling’s ‘If’ but it’s not as if we’ve been relegated!

(link here, http://www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Ru.../kipling_if.htm,

for those who need reminding in this ‘grim’ hour!

[JAL]

Jal, what the ferk are you mumbling on about ? Imagine if you were a dingle and how you would feel right now ? My guess is that youd be in cell 14 in Burnley nick having just potted a few windows

I cant disagree with you there '1864', fully expected better today, but in truth that performance was there or has been there all season just seems as though we seemed to have saved the worst till last.

Not a happy chappy at all.

[LDRover]

This is exactly the point. Everything broke for us - we had a couple of good results, others dropped points - giving us an unlikely chance on the last day of the season. Today we got ourselves in a decent position at 1-1, and had a really good spell where we were taking them apart. We even had the let of off them missing an open goal! Yet we still threw it away. Not because we're a small club. Not because we're based in a small town. Not because we can't fill our ground, or because the media don't give us any credit, or because we've spent less than Pompey/Spurs/City etc etc. We had the ability to go on and finish the job, it was there for the taking, and we bottled it.

I was gonna post my feelings but T4E has hit the nail fairly and squarely on the napper. Excellent post good sir.

The reaction by some on here reminds me of those Norwich fans who applauded their 'gallant' heroes who lost 6-0 at Fulham on the final day when needing a win to stay up. The fact is we knew we needed to win and should have but showed neither the will nor the bottle to do it.

When your season is riding on one game, nay 25 minutes of football , more should be expected.

[philipl]

Hughes has to take some of the rap for today- Rovers should have hit Brum like the 7th Cavalry from the off, not played a containing, pick them off game.

But the real flaw was playing Jason instead of Benni. Benni on form would have scored six of the eight great chances Jason had. Benni off form would still have put a couple away.

[T4E]

Yes, we played like crap, but also remember that we played against a team fighting for its life.

Major overreaction. If the squad was good enough for Europe, there wouldn't be talk about a major re-tooling this summer.

Can't go along with that mate. At the time we fell apart, Reading were 3-0 up at Derby and we actually had more to play for than Brum did.

[OJRovers]

Went to the game today, here is my take on it:

- Bad first half, second half we played some good football and should have killed them off having got back level.

- The substitutions went badly today for us, I don't think Tugay would've come on if it wasn't his last game.

- Good players for me (based on 2nd half, no one was good first half): Warnock, Emerton, MGP, Santa, Vogel

- Roberts is great at using his strength to create chances, but isn't as clinical in the box as McCarthy, and this costs us sometimes.

- Reid looks a bit lost at full back, he isn't the same as when he plays in the middle.

[Parsonblue]

I don't believe you can blame Hughes for today. Today was about having eleven players who were prepared to stand up and be counted. Eleven players who ought to have shown enough bottle to win. Sadly, too many of our players proved that they weren't up to the task.

The players didn't start to perform until they got a rocket off Hughes at half-time and then when Birmingham scored the second goal too many of our players let their heads drop.

I think the manager was right to go to three at the back and try to force the issue. However, the players had long given up the fight and just didn't want to known.

After such a superb League campaign it was a very disappointing end. A typical Rovers letdown. After 40 odd years of supporting them you would think I would know better than to expect anythingelse!

On a more serious note I think today illustrated the desperate need for a specialist right back, a creative midfielder, a left winger and someone to play up front alongside Roque. I suspect that the manager is going to have a very busy summer if he wants to build on this excellent seventh place finish.

[Quack]

Dreadful game by all except Emmo - I think the players minds were all on the beach in Dubai.

Highlights - watching big club fans storm the directors box, all sides of the ground singing sack the board, the pitch invasion and Jordans blow up male organ. The over zealous guards confiscated my beach ball - "it is potentially an offensive weapon" - not in Roberts hands!

Only one other observation - Roberts was straight down the tunnel at the end with not a backward glance towards the fans.

The club needs to take a long hard look this next 2-3 weeks - I sense the need for a fairly significant cull.

[John]

I did think the players were trying hard today.

However, there was no need to change things so drastically with the subs. Sure we needed the win, but I felt we were creating chances but just not taking them. Hughes has made this mistake a couple of times before this season.

Generally, I feel well and truly fecked off, as we had yet another decent chance today. We could have made it (Intertoto spot). I knew West Ham would not lose.

Oh well, as they say, the league table does not lie.....

[Jan]

However, on a positive note, I got to sit in the Brum end not needing to jump up and down much at all!!! No banning order for me!

[roversmum]

Well, I've read all the posts and I know all about how lucky we are and the old third division days and we are 7th and we should be grateful and stop moaning....

But I can't help it. I'm gutted. I was so looking forward to this match and a good result. It was all going so well until yesterday when someone mentioned he had dreamed we lost 4-1 and the last time he had dreamed a result it came true.

Since then, we had a very enjoyable family chinese meal in honour of my and Mr Roversmum's recent birthdays and soon after than my gallstones started playing up and I got little sleep.

It was a lovely sunny day and a good crowd turned and several coaches turned up for the journey south. We arrived at the match and eventually they decided to let us in after a frisking and bag search. We were directed to a small lift and through part of the Brum concourse (I use the word concourse lightly as it's one of the worst I've seen) to a small area for disabled away supporters that was hardly big enough for the half-dozen disabled supporters and their helpers that were there. Still, after Portsmouth it was really nice to be sitting in with our own supporters and what a great crowd they were.

Birmingham were up for the match from the start and danced round the Rovers players who looked as if they had forgotten what they were there for.

Most of anything I could say about the match has already been said. Reid is not a right back and he did not do well. Roberts - enough is enough. He had a couple of good matches but has reverted and he needs to find a new club. Why were Birmingham players left in acres of space?

We lost a chance to make Europe but maybe that was a good thing because we would just have got dumped out of it early again without some serious freshening up of the current squad.

[LeChuck]

Yes, we played like crap, but also remember that we played against a team fighting for its life.

...for 60 minutes. Afer that, it was obvious news had filtered through about Reading's 2-0 lead, they didn't really celebrate the rest of their goals.

We should have easily been able to turn them over in the last 30 minutes, instead our defence went to pieces.

[AlanK]

Some odd subs today but over the season Hughes must have done well because we finished 7th.

Utd = Manchester = huge city

Chelsea = London = capital

Arsenal = London = capital

Liverpool = Liverpool = huge city

Everton = Liverpool = huge city

Villa = Birmingham = huge city

Rovers = Blackburn = mediocre town

We should be bloody proud. No bitching or moaning. Be bloody proud.

[PAFELL]

Can't go along with that mate. At the time we fell apart, Reading were 3-0 up at Derby and we actually had more to play for than Brum did.

I think we all often take human feelings out of football - it cannot be easy playing a game knowing that if you win you relegate the other side. To be honest I have thought for a while that although Hughes and the club wanted to qualify for Europe the players did not. We forget that Rovers, because of the intertoto cup, started this season ahead of the other clubs. Maybe the players wanted - needed a longer break.

Hopefully they will return next season fresh and build on this seasons 7th place - Rovers finished 10th last season if I remember correctly, less points than this season - therefore as gutted we may all feel about not being in the intertoto, I am also sure we have a lot to look forward too next season. I also believe the squad will be a lot different as Hughes goes into the market.

This will be one hectic summer in the transfer market this year - Bentley will be staying at Rovers, after all he has a contract for another 3 years - the new contract that was offered has already been withdrawn - there is no clause in the current contract. Bentley has a choice play first team football at Rovers according to his contract - or sulk and rot in the reserves - macarthy thought he was bigger than the club at one stage - Hughes dropped him to the bench.

How much did man city spend during the close season - yet lost 8-1 to boro - now that would be a reason to be totally gutted if that had happened to Rovers.

[grizfoot]

I had a dream last night.

Brum 4-1 Rovers - Rovers went one nil up.

Villa draw 1-1 with West Ham.

Both United and Chelsea draw one all.

We shall see...

Your dreams were pretty accurate;

We lost 4-1 CORRECT, but we didn't go one nill up.

Villa drew with West Ham CORRECT, but it was 2-2 and not 1-1

United didn't draw 1-1

Chelsea however did draw 1-1 CORRECT

Hope you had a couple of quid on thoose outcomes.

[Alan75]

Yesterday’s game against Birmingham, summed up Rovers season, another game best forgotten. I can forgive Friedel for his mistake as he’s saved us a mauling so many times, but I cant forgive the inept display by the majority of outfield players, who appeared to be thinking of their summer on the beach instead of a crucial game that would have given Rovers a back door entry into Europe, especially when the Villa result went our way.

Yesterdays result wouldn’t have mattered as much, as European qualification should have been achieved weeks ago, if players had put in the same amount of commitment as supporters who travel the length and breadth of the country. European qualification was lost earlier in the season, but with the lifeline of the Intertoto, maybe I’m naïve to think that players would have given a blood and sweat final push, instead of the inept performance against relegation fodder Birmingham City.

The record books will show that Rovers finished 7th in the Premiership, with more points than last season, yet it’s been a season of under achievement and one can only reflect on what might have been. Can anyone remember any highlights ?

[RevidgeBlue]

Too many "can't be arsed coming back early off my holidays in July to play in the intertoto" type performances yesterday.

I disagree completely with those who think it's been such a great season. Yes I know various other clubs would swap our seventh position etc. etc. but the fact is we got off to a great start, better than anyone could have dared expect, then contrived to blow it over the remainder of the season with countless poor performances. Deep down was anyone really in the least bit surprised when we finally blew it once and for all yesterday?

In my view we had a great season last season when we finished very slightly worse in the League BUT gave a great account of ourselves in the UEFA Cup AND came within a hairsbreadth of making the FA Cup final. This season we haven't been that good in the League since the opening ten games and reverted to the "Can't be bothered playing in all those inconvenient extra cup games" attitude seemingly prevalent in the latter days of the Souness era.

To my mind we've seen clearly that Hughes has gone as far as he can with the current personnel and non existent level of financial backing he's had to contend with since he came to the club. He MUST be given funding in the summer to both shake things up and let players know that if they consistently fail to perform, they won't be in the side.

As for yesterday, only Emerton came out with any credit.

At his best Bentley is a superb player, on the basis of his performances this season I'd snap the hands off of anyone offering 15m for him. Hasn't looked interested for a while. I don't usually like selling our better players but it might be best to try and get 20m for him and McCarthy to kick start the freshening up.

Vogel is obviously going to be one of those players that everyone else likes but I just don't "get", thought he was awful yesterday and generally I don't rate him at all.

Reid obviously isn't a right back, he either needs to be selected in central midfield or not at all. Roberts was poor yesterday but generally has played very well since coming into the side. People have quickly forgotten just how poor and completely disinterested McCarthy has looked this season.

Still think it was an extremely bad move selling Savage in January.

A season of missed opportunity but at least we didn't go down if you judge that as our yardstick.

Roll on next season.