[Archived] Blackburn Sign Chilean Superstar Carlos Villanueva

[chileandude]

It was a very scrappy Blackburn game indeed...I'd like to see him play a bit more though...even if it's just 45 minutes...or the last 30 minutes when the opposition is tired.

[Majiball]

the man from delmonty he say no!

[philipl]

I think the reality is that Carlos is on a healthy enough loan deal for himself and Audax to remain at Rovers until the season end.

I hope we get a decent Cup run and the lad gets to show himself in those games- he seems a bit of a risk for throwing into a relegation struggle but as last night's game went on, it became clear his real position is the Tevez type role at Man U.

Unfortunately, just as there isn't really a place for Tevez regularly at OT, there isn't a vacancy for an early apprentice Tevez when sitting 19th. I somehow cannot see Carlos doing for us what Tevez did for West Ham in the last dozen matches of the 06/7 season.

[Hughesy]

Just caught the end of sams interview last night in which he mentioned about Carlos being small and lightweight. On a positive note he did mention him being tricky with a great left foot and how he hoped to give him more chances in the coming weeks and how his passing and left foot could become important and therefore we would see about his future at the end of the season.

[Bobby G]

Glad Sam sees him as an option. Thats the best we can hope for.

He may have an assist or goal in him this season that could turn things to our favor. Thats the thing about him.

[T4E]

Indeed it is. He rescued us last night, without that freekick we could have been there all night and not scored. Whilst Blyth had the best clear cut chance of the whole game.

[Hughesy]

Once we have a much better midfield, Villanueva will become a much greater asset to have, he is very creative and can pull out abit of magic when its needed.

[DeadlyDirk]

Once we have a much better midfield, Villanueva will become a much greater asset to have, he is very creative and can pull out abit of magic when its needed.

That's a fair point. It does seem that his best position is in the whole between the midfielders and strikers, I'm not sure if we'll be playing a formation that suits him though, Big Sam may want 1 up front with 2 wide players as he has done in the past, can't see him fitting in there.

We'll wait and see but I still have hopes for him! He shows some great talent at times, if we weren't in a dogfight it would be a lot easier to take a chance with him.

[herbergeehh]

As long as we're playing two up front, there's not really a place for him out there. MGP has performed unspectacularly, but well, these last weeks, and unless we play some sort of diamond formation without real wide players, Villanueva won't get to play "in the hole". I feel certain Big Sam won't use him as a central midfielder in a 4-4-2 formation in the Premier League this season.

If someone have a link to the interview with Allardyce, I would like to see it.

[CrazyIvan]

I'm glad Sam thinks Carlos is worth looking at. He is tricky and has a superb left foot. That free kick was very special and I hope we see more of him.

[Hughesy]

There is an interview with sam on BBC sport website.

The one I was referring to was on SSN this morning

[chileandude]

Just caught the end of sams interview last night in which he mentioned about Carlos being small and lightweight. On a positive note he did mention him being tricky with a great left foot and how he hoped to give him more chances in the coming weeks and how his passing and left foot could become important and therefore we would see about his future at the end of the season.

That would be great...I think pineapple would be happy for now if he just played complete Cup ties whilst the big boys scrape some points in the Premiership. However the team will have to do twice as good if they want to go deep in the Cup, Villanueva won't be able to fabricate free kicks every time.

[Bennisfromheaven]

I really hope Carlos stays till the end of the season last night although i dont think he will get much opertunity because of our league position.

What i saw from him last night, though only in patches, was the ability to get passed players, find a killer pass & not afraid to shoot! playing in a confident team i am sure Carlos would have starred in the premier league this year!

His downfall, however, could be that he does give the ball away at times but it is something that can be worked on & he will learn alot under Sam!

And more significantly, the players around him dont see the pass he is trying to play. A few times last night he threaded a ball right onto the penalty spot only for the players around him to run the opposite direction! I would love to see him play more with Benni, another clever player who will jump on the chances he creates

[47er]

I think he's too small and too slow to ever maximise his undoubted talent. If his transfer fee were small he'd be worth persevering with but it isn't.

[Helmshore blue]

I think its looking more and more certain we wont be keeping carlos, which is a real shame. Listening to Big Sam after the game he hardly praised the excellent free kick by carlos, and even said mattys overhead kick was better!

It will be interesting to see where carlos moves from here.

[T4E]

Interesting that he seems to have split opinion yet again.

Personally I thought he was pretty useless last night, saved by a great goal.

[American]

I thought he started strong and then was not a factor (outside the free kick) after the first 15-20 minutes.

[chileandude]

To be fair on Carlos I think everyone was pretty useless last night. Specially for a play maker type their performances are in direct relation with the players around him. In the end he went solo and got a goal from his efforts.

[benlloninho]

How is Carlos supposed to affect the game when we seemed pretty content to hoof the ball around like we were, um, non-leaguers?

I'm all for long-ball tactics... but not when our forwards are Derbyshire and Carlos.

Carlos looked like making something happen almost every time he had the ball at his feet. Which wasn't very often.

[philipl]

Still possible for Carlos at Rovers

[beerwins]

Sam likes to play a 5 man midfield doesnt he? , id like to see carlos given a few games in a free role in the centre of the park i have no doubt he has good vision , ability and a good eye for goal but he really does need some work.

Given the fact that not many people are dying to sign him may mean at the end of the season we may get him a lot cheaper, i would like to give the lad a chance before hoofing him back, he has the creativity we need in the centre of the park.

Against blythe he had some good touches and showed more than anyone else did, it was hard for a playmaker to acheive anything on a small bumpy ground against a team defending with 11 men and everyone lumping the ball into the heavens.

[Bobby G]

Potential is there for all to see. The skill is there, technique is there. Confidence isnt at full right now, but he has never put his head down even when he is struggling, and I admire that.

But the key is, will he be successful without pace, and power?

[chileandude]

Good news for Carlos then. Well one thing you can't complain about Carlos is his professionalism. He will sit it out in the bench for most of a year without making a fuss.

[Amo]

I hope what someone else said is true, and Carlos' technical ability will keep him in Sam's plans. Our current gameplan of hoofing it up to Benni & Roberts means he won't touch the first eleven, but he still has a part to play as a substitute or if Sam switches to 4-5-1.

[joey_big_nose]

I hope what someone else said is true, and Carlos' technical ability will keep him in Sam's plans. Our current gameplan of hoofing it up to Benni & Roberts means he won't touch the first eleven, but he still has a part to play as a substitute or if Sam switches to 4-5-1.

That's wildly unfair. Whilst those tactics were (sadly) in evidence with the second stream against Blyth, in three league matches we have moved the ball well and kept it on the deck most of the time.

You are right in that it is hard to see how Carlos will get a game in 442 to though. Maybe as a replacement for McCarthy if he tires, but then carlos isn't going to be holding up the ball for runners.... maybe he will see some action from the bench if we are chasing a game.