[Archived] What Do You Want!

[Iceman]

I was thinking last night, while watching the Spurs vs Villa game, about what the best type of football best suits Rovers. And i am one for us to go back to that in your face approach, getting stuck in with the tackles, and working our socks off to put pressure on the opposition. Ince has clearly stated that he wants to, play attacking and attractive football. Do we have the players capable of doing that? In my opinion we do have those players, but we giving up our toughness away, for pretty football. When watching teams like Madrid, Barcelona etc etc you know they wil ship 2 or 3 goals, but they wil more than likely score 4 or 5 themselves. We obviously, not a Madrid or Barcelona, so what do you guys think. Should we adopt this attacking game, or should we go back to our aggressive play, which has given us that hard to beat feel, when teams play us.

[RoversFanUSA]

Im all for us playing that aggrissive in your face football. Were not the gunners or cheski so pretty wont do it for us .i feel we need to get back to the ruff and tumble ways that made us the team that others didnt like playing because they knew they were in for a hard (and somtimes painful) game.

[RoverJoexx]

Like our own captain said, Its the balance we need to find.

Be it the selection on personnels or the approach to each individual matches. A right mix is what Ince need to figure out.

You cant really have six gung-ho players that keep going forward and left the poor back 4 doing all those defending job.

[modes98]

Points win prizes!

[Majiball]

Points win prizes!

What do I get for four points?

[hawaii501]

We need to be more bullish in our approach and go back to our old ways. He can still play good football and pressure teams and give them no time on the ball. Go back to our old ways.

[bubblerrovers]

I understand what people are saying but the in your face approach but i don't we have the players anymore.We don't have any battling midfielders anymore, The axe is just not a footballer, Can you imagine Ince saying to anyone of our defence to get stuck in, They're all so slow they would miss the ball and get sent off. I think the only option is too just get men behind the ball. Leave Cruz up front on his own and hope for the best, he's gotta be better than dickov.

[joey_big_nose]

Um, I would say we have loads of "battling footballers": Mokoena, Grella, Dunn, Reid, Pedersen, Emerton are all real workers who put the yards in. Problem is not many of them are in good form, and the tactics we have been playing have been a bit free and fancy.

Next week, presuming Dunn is not fit but Grella is we should just buckle down like this.

---------------------Cruz

Treacy------Carlos-----Andrews---Emerton

---------------------Grella

Warnock----Nelsen----Ooijer----Simpson

-------------------Robinson

First priority is to keep it keep it tight, hold our shape together, and work our socks off. We should not look to play too high. Treacy is included to provide a pacy outlet down the left and the team should look to get the ball to Carlos to play in Cruz and create the opposition problems. Retention of the ball is absolutely key as is moving round the pitch as a unit and closing the opposition team down rapidly.

Perhaps we do not have the best squad on the planet but there are a lot of decent players. It is a case of using them correctly, building confidence and encouraging them to become familiar with one another.

Hopefully last week was a wake up call for ince and he will now look to consolidate.

[bubblerrovers]

Um, I would say we have loads of "battling footballers": Mokoena, Grella, Dunn, Reid, Pedersen, Emerton are all real workers who put the yards in. Problem is not many of them are in good form, and the tactics we have been playing have been a bit free and fancy.

Headless chickens more like, couldn't time a good takle if lives depended on it

[Majiball]

After watching Villa last night and the impressive performance of their one time left winger. I have been wondering if our current left winger could do it? He certainly has a engine is reasonably well balanced between attacking and defending talent. Could he perform the box to box role? Perhaps in a three in the middle?

[des]

both when we have not got the ball its ugly time when we have its pretty pretty time

[CrazyIvan]

Headless chickens more like, couldn't time a good takle if lives depended on it

So who, in your opinion, is any good in our team?

[Rovermatt]

I want to win games. Whether that is accomplished through pretty football or ugly football I care not. Realistically, we are, with our limited pool of talent, capable of the former only.

[Bobby G]

If we win things and reach places, ie at least 5th place then POINTS with ugly football, but if we are going to be perenially finishing 7th-10th and out of the cups then Id rather watch some good football!

[yellowsubmarine]

I kind of miss those days when other teams call us "rough bullies". Big teams used to HATE playing against us. Now, we try to play proper football and we are slaughtered for it.

[Bobby G]

We TRY to.

The key word is try, cause I dont think we have accomplished it yet. Creativity from midfield is non-existant.

[duffbear]

I want to win games. Whether that is accomplished through pretty football or ugly football I care not. Realistically, we are, with our limited pool of talent, capable of the former only.

Well I would play

Robinson in goal

Defence Warnock, Nelson, Samba/ooijer Emerton

Def Mid Grella

Mid Pederson, Dunn, Andrews

Att Mid Carlos

FWD Santa Cruz

[67splitscreen]

I'm sure Ince knows the team he to would like to field. The problem is players get injured.

If your going to persist with fantasy football, at least pick players that are available, not many teams win a game starting with 8-9 on the pitch.

Pointless exercise in any case.

[Exiled in Toronto]

It's now becoming clear to me just how many passengers we had in Hughes' team. The back four are not a top 7 back 4, in fact nowhere near. They needed Mokoena/Savage to give them a bit of cover, not just against the top 4, but against mid-table teams at Ewood. Plus a Brad behind them. Equally, the rest of the midfield and the attacker who wasn't Bellamy/Benni/Santa left the creative side to the main goalscorer plus Bentley.

Ince needs to sort out the 5/6/7 players who sponge off the others and either get them earning their top 7 wages or get players in who will.

[bubblerrovers]

So who, in your opinion, is any good in our team?

In all honesty i believe we have one true class player Santa Cruz, the rest play well now again, normally when they want a new contract. Nelson has lost too much pace and is a liability now, Samba's head is messed up not even close to being the player he was a while back and he was still suspect then. Simpson is still learning, should be learning in a championship side not the premiership, and warnock wants out, frustrated he couldn't go. Reid and Axe, complete waste of wages, Dunn average at best when not injured, Pederson should of been sold years ago, Macarthy is now just fat and will never be the player he was and Roberts needs 10 chances to score a goal. Apart from that we're fine top 6 finish no problem

[Hughesy]

I think we have 2 main problems. Lack of pace and not enough midfield cover for our defence.

I think 1 of Nelsen/ Samba should always stay back - even on corners. We need abit more discipline in sticking to positions. 1 fullback should also stay back and our defensive midfield man should also sit half way between 18 yard box and half way line.

We need a defensive midfielder who is willing to harrass people and stay tight infront of the defence, a kind of pitbull type character. Grella could be this man when fit.

When we have to defend a corner, our 2 smallest players should be on the half way line looking to break - maybe the full-backs as both have abit of pace and very rarely win headers anyway?

[tchocky]

I want to win games. Whether that is accomplished through pretty football or ugly football I care not. Realistically, we are, with our limited pool of talent, capable of the former only.

What he said.

Well, pay special attention to the last sentence because ideally, of course, I'd like us to play pretty football and win games.. Who doesn't?

[Iceman]

Do u sacrifice points for pretty football, just to satisfy the fans? We just so easy to beat these days, and there is no aggression in a 50/50 situation.

[frosty]

I want to be known as 'bully boys' again, where big teams hate playing against us.

[LeChuck]

I don't really think we've played pretty football yet this season. We've got plenty of numbers forward when we attack, so the intent is there, but there has been very little in the way of quality. The game plan seems to be get it out wide and put crosses in...beyond that we don't seem to have much else. That could change when/if Dunn and/or Villanueva play.

I don't think anyone in their right mind wants ugly football, 'winning' football would be more accurate. It's quite interesting what people perceive as interesting and exciting football. To me there's nothing duller than a team knocking it about on the floor between midfield and defence, probing for an opening. But to some, because there isn't a long ball in sight, that's good football. I personally find Stoke's approach very good to watch. There isn't a lot of technical quality but their throw-ins and set-pieces in general cause a lot of excitement.