[Archived] Match Preview: Manchester United (october 4, Ewood Park, 17:30)

[bullyboyz]

a couple o tings...

like yer man previous said, an outlet is always good...

today ince n the team, until the first goal went in, obviously had a game plan which was working n which saw us breach the manc defence as many times as they did ours... once the goals went in it was n had to be a different game - tho i feel that they were ultimately afforded too much respect...

i was disapointed that santa got the ball in great positions twice only to find that he was on his own - and when i say on his own i mean on his own... no-one was busting a gut to get with him and offer support... i counted him holding the ball, fending off tackles for at least 7 seconds at one stage before one of our lads made themselves available and even then it was backwards n momentum was lost...

@#/? conditions tho... never stopped feckin' raining from start to finish of game...

the worst ting of the whole game for me, sat in JW nearest the mancs, was being outsung by the mancs, comprehensively...

i know they loud mouth gits with alot to sing about having won it all but please, they outsung, outpartied n out motivated our team in our own fortress ewood... ... the silence from 3 sides of the ground ain't gonna inspire any mo'fo on the pitch... back to basics if you ask me - lets pretend that every team is burnley n let em feel th'aminosity...

the players stop fighting when the fans stop fighting...

FACT...

[Rover Down Under]

== I WATCHED THE GAME ==

Agree with most of what is being said, we played well for the first 20 minutes then something just stopped, in EVERYONE and this was before the first dodgy goal. The passion and guile WAS there then just vanished so rapidly it was like something had just come and sucked it right out of Ewood...wierd.

We were not really going to win this one, too many injuries and Ince was trying to play 11 men in a 13 man system (4 defence, 5 midfield, 2 wingers, 2 strikers) Peders and Emo were supposed to be both midfield and wingmen, Rocky and Derbs were supposed to be wingmen and strikers...just didn't add up and we got lost. Cannot fathom why Carlos didn't get a look.

And FFS people getting beaten by United is bad enough but being outsung by their FANS AT OUR HOME EWOOD PARK is just disgraceful (even if we are losing - we loose to a 150 million pound team we DO NOT LOSE to a bunch of arrogant, bile ridden, band-wagon jumping maggots who aren't worth the dirt under my nails!!!!!) Critiscise the team if you want but if you were there and were silent YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE. A leader on the pitch? We need one in the stands! It seemed like we were a man down and they a man up - that being the twelth man, do they need anymore help?

[AggyBlue]

lets pretend that every team is burnley n let em feel th'aminosity...

Couldn't agree more, we should be directing all the hostility towards the days opposition.

We played the most hated team in the country today and the BBE opened up with an anti Bumley song, some two bit worthless championship side. Cringe worthy.

[des]

in any football match, any team has to earn the right to play, man utd earned that right rovers did not.

man utd had drive and power to there game when they lost the ball, rovers did not.

man utd kept hold of ball rovers did not.

man utd had pace up front, we do not.

we stood off them man utd did not.

yes there have better players more money etc, however on sat-day sunderland won a point by having drive and power and putting people under pressure it can be done, sadly today rover had none of the above, and we will need it in our next game.

[The Prof.]

I thought we played well today and Ince laid the team out in a an organised manner. We were compact and the defence looked good. We tired in midfield a bit but that was because we had little up front besides Roque. Peds and Derbs were awful and the ball kept coming back despite us playing well. When RSC went off that was it. We kept pushing up and defending high up. I was really pleased with that. From where we're sat on the Riverside you notice it more.

As the game drifted on Rovers seem to lose their pattern and sense of purpose and it got a bit one sided when the 2nd went in.

Brown 7 Good

Oijjar 7 Good - Snuffed out Ronaldo.

Nelsen 8 - Good - Not my favourite but he battled and organised and things went well for him

Samba 7 - Good/Solid - Like Nelsen. Read the game better, played more as unit, got in some good tackles.

Ollson 8 - Good. Pedersen left him for dead all match but he stayed loyal to the 2 centre halves closing off the channel whilst trying to take on both the overlapping Brown and drifting Rooney.

Emerton 8 - Good - Ran all game

Tugay 6 - Game passed him by for speed - Faded but did ok

Warnock - 8 Good - Should be captain. Tried to lead the team forward again and again. Hardly put a put wrong.

Pedersen - 1 Abysmal. Turned attack into defence. No idea where to play. Left Ollson exposed by not communicating. Last game in a Rovers Shirt

Derbyshire - 2 Abysmal. Ran a lot but looked like a 10 year old playing with 20 year olds. Like taking candy off a baby he was easily dispossed, pushed to one side or beaten to the ball or on th eend of a losing tackle. Missed a great chance.

Cruz 9 - AWESOME - Nothing to say that has not been said a thousand times.

SUBS

Roberts - 0 Abysmal. Should never play for Rovers again. Fouls, arguing. Looked like he was playing in wellies with a beach ball. Clueless team work. Clueless all around. Didn;t bother trying either.

Treacy - 4 One good cross, two bad ones. Lazy and has no idea what to do team wise. Failed time and again to attack the back post with Emerton crossing form the rights.

Andrews - 5 Did nothing right, nothing wrong. Had too little time and came on when Rovers were flagging and getting overun a bit.

Ince 8 - did a good job. Questions over Derbyshire, Roberts, Pedersen selection and no show for Villeneue. Tactically well organised. Got Rovers (trying) to play a neat passing game but Utd are not European Champions for nothing.

I want what you're on - sky purple with yellow dots on is it? Possession was about 80/20 Man U. What did you give marks for - the warm up?

[philipl]

OK Man U are champions of Europe and cost a fortune blah blah.

But I don't expect Rovers to be a bunch of patsies against them.

[rover6]

I agree with those disappointed that Ince didn't use Villaneuva. He may not be fully ready for the Prem but he can offer more than Derbs alongside Santa surely? Ince should be looking, at least, to give him a run out as a sub every game to build up his Premier League game.

That said, I have been impressed with the positivity of Ince approach to subs in previous games, so I can't be too harsh on him on this one.

[imy9]

I'm looking for far batter than that show imy9, just been told big Sam was at the game, not a big SAam FAN but I feel desperate right now.

Also was told today that John Williams knows that the signings of Andrews and Fowler were favouritism of the manager,but the club supported the idea.

You are clearly implying that Ince should be replaced and Big Sam is a better option? Didnt hear much from you when we won three in a row...

As I stated in my earlier posts, the fans need to play a big part in the Ince revolution, watching fans desert the team with 15 minutes left and being outsung by 8000 Man Utd fans when we have 21K is unacceptable. Some people call for more passion from the team but what about the passion from the fans?

[Guest Kamy100]

Very disappointing performance last night. It is not the fact that we lost but the manner in which we did. Over previous seasons the so called big four have come to Ewood and come of the pitch knowing that they have been in a real game. This season both Arsenal and Man Utd have come of the pitch with victories and hardly got out of third gear, that simply is not acceptable. We all know that we cannot cope with the resources that they have but what we can do is close down, work hard and make it damn difficult for them.

[Paul]

Far too many comparisons with the Arsenal game for my liking. Such as :-

1] The opposition never got out of first gear and we could have lost 0-6.

2] Tactically hopeless. Did we have a game plan? Rocky completely isolated while everyone else camped 20 yrds behind.

3] We have far too much respect for our opponents. Arsenal and Man Utd always knew they'd been in a scrap, why not this season?

4] No passion from anyone in Blue and White.

5] 15 mins to go and the home fans going home in droves.

6] Ince's post match comments virtually saying we can do no better than than this, they are too good for us.

-----------------------------------------------

Substitutions: 20 mins to go, we need a goal desperately. What does Ince do? Bring on Andrews for Tugay. Carlos and Fowler left on bench. Good grief!

I know Man Utd are a good side, but Cally is right, they will be if you let them. Same with the Arsenal game. We've been beaten by these sides before, but both games could have finished 0-6. I waited and waited for the change in tactics and it didn't happen. Why didn't we have a go at them, - throw a few forward for the last 20 mins and have a go? At least, being only two down, grabbing one goal back might just have put Utd under a bit of pressure, - give them something to worry about.

After such promise from recent games, today was a step backwards.

I saw den looking pretty fed up at HT! Have to agree with all of that.

I hadn't expected to get to the game but got a last minute reprieve. I'd been up from 4.00am and the choice was Ewood or a snooze, made the wrong choice! For the first 15-20 minutes I thought we would give United a game but after that we just rolled over to have our tummies tickled. Aftre seeing the Arsenal and United matches it's clear Ince doesn't have a bloody clue how to play these sides. There was no visible plan or tactics employed by Rovers. We have to have passion, hard tackling and in their faces; instead we stood back 30-40 yards too deep. RSC / Roberts were so isolated neither would have scorted in a month. I'd started to warm to Ince but I'm very, very disappointed in his management of the teram yesterday.

If the question is 2 - 0 down at home and the answer is Keith Andrews we don't have a prayer.

I can take losing to a very good United side but the lack of passion leaves me wondering where we are going.

You are clearly implying that Ince should be replaced and Big Sam is a better option? Didnt hear much from you when we won three in a row...

As I stated in my earlier posts, the fans need to play a big part in the Ince revolution, watching fans desert the team with 15 minutes left and being outsung by 8000 Man Utd fans when we have 21K is unacceptable. Some people call for more passion from the team but what about the passion from the fans?

Have to say I was surprised by how many empty seats appeared in the Riverside and BBE about 10-15 minutes before HT

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

i've made the point before, and its still valid with a couple of board members who believe we should man for man be as good as united. Either get real or quite seriously go and support united.............its once in a blue moon when the stars are in the right allignment and united are'nt with it on the day that we compete with them like equels. Even the good results in the past under other managers have involved us getting battered for 80% of the game with only friedel and poor finishing stopping us getting a drubbing. Arsenal, chelsea and united play slick skillfull quick styles that we can't deal with and have and always will be under the kosh in our own half for the majority of games. Its the other 17 teams that i fully expect us to at the very least compete with!

It's a good job Phil Brown gave the team talk when Hull played Arsenal away recently and not somebody like you matey.

[Parsonblue]

You are clearly implying that Ince should be replaced and Big Sam is a better option? Didnt hear much from you when we won three in a row...

As I stated in my earlier posts, the fans need to play a big part in the Ince revolution, watching fans desert the team with 15 minutes left and being outsung by 8000 Man Utd fans when we have 21K is unacceptable. Some people call for more passion from the team but what about the passion from the fans?

I'm sorry but I pay for a season ticket - home and away - to be entertained by the players who are paid large sums of money to perform. Are you seriously suggesting that the lack of effort and passion shown by the players yesterday was down to the supporters and not the players and management? In economically difficult times we had a gate of 27,000 and the Rovers supporters in that gate deserved better for their money than they got. The United fans witnessed their team show passion and commitment in abundance, sadly those two qualities were lacking in our players and I would have thought that it was the manager's job to instill that into them.

[Ozz]

Ferguson was reported to have told his team that Ewood was a very tough place to come and get anything from, and for the first 15 minutes it showed in their approach-they kept the ball, played it simple and waited to see what Rovers would offer. Once they realised it was nothing they simply gave the ball to Rooney, Roanldo and most impressively for me Berbatov, who dictated the flow on the game thereafter. Rovers were unlucky to see Warnock get injured after 48 seconds, and for me this hampered our whole midfield from then on (IE the whole match!). I expected his role was a Savage run and harry job, break it up and give it to Tugay. Then bomb on, join RSC and get numbers up there. But I hardly saw Warnock after the first minute!

RSC was too isolated and won little change out of Vidic and Ferdinand, MGP played for United and Tugay was simply by-passed by Fletcher Giggs and Anderson.

I though the defence, esp Nelsen and Samba did well, but Olsson got lost too often, and Ooijer just got too tired of chasing Ronaldo.

Ince seems to chummy with Fergie, almost in awe of him and even laughed with him at full time! Don't recall Hughes being that pleased at loosing to United. Paul seems too ready to accept defeat off the big boys, and in three hours of football against Arsenal and United at Ewood we have yet to score.

[roversmum]

Well said, ParsonBlue. It goes on and on. Many supporters are simply not able to stand and sing and shout, others do not wish to do so. They have paid their money and are entitled to support their team by just being there. No doubt the five or six wheelchair disabled supporters in our part of the JWL would love to be able to jump up and sing , to say nothing of the many others who are unable to do so. I'm sick of this allegation that is raised far too often in my opinion. In any case, we pay good hard-earned money to see the boys turn out and PLAY for goodness' sake

Where are the Rovers who fought for every ball and thought nothing of starting off with a few good tackles to get things going? The thought of whom had teams quaking in their shoes even before they set foot in Ewood? Many of our current players were in that team, why have they gone soft?

Could someone please point out to them that passing the ball then standing still is not how such teams as Manchester United play? They are never static, always ready to go on a run and find a space. By the time our players have fired themselves up to move it is too late.

[1864roverite]

Forget any thought of the weather being the reason for an inept and dour display, it was the same for United as it was for Rovers.

The difference was the ethics.

Any player who cant be up for a game versus the scum needs repacing and moving on.

Rovers were just outfought, outthought, outmuscled, outrun and outscored.

If you dont put effort in you dont get an end result apart from a negative and thats what we got. I am just glad that we didnt gt the spanking that we should have because it really could and should have been 7 or 8 against such was uniteds power play in first gear.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Sadly this says it all about yesterday

[thenodrog]

Lets be clear here the conditions saved us from an absolute mauling!

MU were better in every department (especially OFF the field) except possibly the centre forward one. Berbatov does not look like he fits in with the MU work rate and ethic yet. They played on their toes with tempo whilst we played flat footed with unbelievably few options for any Rovers player who was unlucky enough to find himself in possession. Racehorses v Donkeys. Small wonder when our rb is a ch and our central midfield trio comprises a 38 year old, a left back and a right winger! If anybody needs confirmation that Derbyshire is an impact player for the last 20 mins only this was it.

BUT Thanks to the football authorities and the media for turning the top English division into a southern eqivalent of Scotlands annual procession. The wealth distribution is so unequal that we are now in a completely unhealthy situation that no one can compete with the clubs at the top now. A casual observer would swear that over the past 40 years since the max wage was abolished that the sole intention of the authorities is to finish up with no more than 6 mega clubs in this country.

[AggyBlue]

uniteds power play in first gear.

What's all this crap about them being in first gear. You don't work as hard as they did in first gear, they were well up for it and it showed.

They got stuck in, worked hard to close us down and never stopped running into space. They worked harder than we did.

When you play a team of better quality players you have to work harder than they do to try and make up the difference, we didn't. That is the worry because it's now happened twice in a matter of weeks.

[CAPT KAYOS]

in any football match, any team has to earn the right to play, man utd earned that right rovers did not.

man utd had drive and power to there game when they lost the ball, rovers did not.

man utd kept hold of ball rovers did not.

man utd had pace up front, we do not.

we stood off them man utd did not.

yes there have better players more money etc, however on sat-day sunderland won a point by having drive and power and putting people under pressure it can be done, sadly today rover had none of the above, and we will need it in our next game.

Basically and simply spot on Des. Im not into all the tactical rubbish with formations and regardless of that, tactics count for nothing anyway if the players don't bother to turn up - we could have played any formation with any of our players tonight and we would still have got beat.

Just a couple of more issues to add that don't appear to have been picked up upon:-

1 - yes it was a foul but a little more determination from the defenders and we may provided a bit more cover for Brown - it was Santa who was left marking Vidic ffs ( also wrong side) and nobody was marking Tangerine man at the back post. The cross from the corner was postmarked and clearly addressed - obviously our players need to gen up on their reading.

2 - None of our center backs are commanding enough.

3 -How long can Pedersen keep his place - was no use nor ornament.

4 - How bad is Emerton in reading 50-50 balls and reacting and getting stuck in - he can run all day, but when that counts for nothing when is harrying is after the ball has gone.

5- How bad are we at cutting out crosses

6 - My initial opinion of Olsson being more of a left midfielder than a left back.

At the end of the day UTD where not the UTD that UTD could be and didn't even need to step up up ther game - we gave them it and it was just oh so simple and routine for them.

POOR VERY POOR

[thenodrog]

I thought we played well today and Ince laid the team out in a an organised manner. We were compact and the defence looked good. We tired in midfield a bit but that was because we had little up front besides Roque. Peds and Derbs were awful and the ball kept coming back despite us playing well. When RSC went off that was it. We kept pushing up and defending high up. I was really pleased with that. From where we're sat on the Riverside you notice it more.

As the game drifted on Rovers seem to lose their pattern and sense of purpose and it got a bit one sided when the 2nd went in.

Brown 7 Good

Oijjar 7 Good - Snuffed out Ronaldo.

Nelsen 8 - Good - Not my favourite but he battled and organised and things went well for him

Samba 7 - Good/Solid - Like Nelsen. Read the game better, played more as unit, got in some good tackles.

Ollson 8 - Good. Pedersen left him for dead all match but he stayed loyal to the 2 centre halves closing off the channel whilst trying to take on both the overlapping Brown and drifting Rooney.

Emerton 8 - Good - Ran all game

Tugay 6 - Game passed him by for speed - Faded but did ok

Warnock - 8 Good - Should be captain. Tried to lead the team forward again and again. Hardly put a put wrong.

Pedersen - 1 Abysmal. Turned attack into defence. No idea where to play. Left Ollson exposed by not communicating. Last game in a Rovers Shirt

Derbyshire - 2 Abysmal. Ran a lot but looked like a 10 year old playing with 20 year olds. Like taking candy off a baby he was easily dispossed, pushed to one side or beaten to the ball or on th eend of a losing tackle. Missed a great chance.

Cruz 9 - AWESOME - Nothing to say that has not been said a thousand times.

SUBS

Roberts - 0 Abysmal. Should never play for Rovers again. Fouls, arguing. Looked like he was playing in wellies with a beach ball. Clueless team work. Clueless all around. Didn;t bother trying either.

Treacy - 4 One good cross, two bad ones. Lazy and has no idea what to do team wise. Failed time and again to attack the back post with Emerton crossing form the rights.

Andrews - 5 Did nothing right, nothing wrong. Had too little time and came on when Rovers were flagging and getting overun a bit.

Ince 8 - did a good job. Questions over Derbyshire, Roberts, Pedersen selection and no show for Villeneue. Tactically well organised. Got Rovers (trying) to play a neat passing game but Utd are not European Champions for nothing.

Graham re: that scoring system that you are employing. It is out of 20 ..... right?

[Hasta]

I'm not going to bother saying what I thought about yesterdays performance because I'd end up sounding like Joe Kinnear.

[den]

I saw den looking pretty fed up at HT!

You should have seen me at full time. - I'm OK this morning though!

Just getting over that "performance". I saw so much wrong yesterday, it was worrying.

[1864roverite]

Aggy

I totally disagree with your comments.

United did the simplest thing that you learn when being a footballer.

PASS and MOVE

Rovers did neither.

The other thing that Rovers did was commit suicide by being TOO DEEP.

Every time we ventured forward there was NO SUPPORT from midfield.

Each time we had to defend there as NO SUPPORT from midfield.

United cut us apart down the flanks and down the middle and WE were lucky not to take a real hiding in the gaosl against column.

3 saves by Brown saved certain goals.

the Argy gimp hit the post.

The carpet layer fluffed at least 3 superb chances putting the ball wide.

Fletcher missed a sitter.

Rooney missed a sitter.

The above were 9 chances that you would expect a full flowing United outfit to take, the truth was and is, is that United didnt have to get our of first gear. Granted, they worked but they made it so simple by passing and moving, finding a fellow player rather than giving the ball away.

You know, the kind of basic stuff that 9yr olds are taught on the Sunday parks pitches every week.

Rovers didnt have the pass completion, they didnt have the movement, they didnt create, they lost every 50/50 ball, they did not pick up any LOOSE balls around the area and we had a negative possession rate.

Over the years, Rovers have played united with a much lesser skilled team wearing blue and white and have gotten a result, be it a draw or a win.

In two games now, we have seen a Rovers team fail to give either Arsenal or united a decent game. Arsenal cut through us at will just like united. We failed to have any tactical prowess approaching these two games.

Now we are off to Bolton. Our neighbours in what is going to be an up and at em game, no finesse and no skill, just pure hard graft needed to eek out a scoring chance, against a team that can work, can fight and can score, a team that will do wht it has to to ensure a win. We will now see how Rovers approach this game because for me, its one of those games that we have to win if we are to continue to progress.

I think the next 5 games will be significant in Rovers season. take a good 9 points from them and we are on course, anything less and we are facing a long hard winter. Thats my view and I am sticking with it until I see otherwise.

BTW, if den was downcast at half time, I was utterly dejected

[CrazyIvan]

I haven't read all the reports because, frankly, I can't be bothered. We matched them for half an hour until the ref gave Brown zero protection and allowed a blatant foul for their goal. After that United were different class and we disappeared. A journo mate of mine said that United were brilliant and would have taken Real Madrid to the cleaners on that form. We seem to have met both United and Arsenal on their best days and on our most anonymous. The good thing is that this is a learning curve for both Ince and for some of our players. Outstanding players for us? Brown and Emerton who never once stopped running and working hard. The rest were completely outplayed after the goal.

Not happy but it's one game. Got my tickets for Notlob so roll on two weeks time.

[AggyBlue]

Aggy

I totally disagree with your comments.

Which,

1) that they worked harder than we did

or

2) that we have to worker harder to make up for our lack of quality.