[Archived] Bolton Vs Rovers

[thenodrog]

So, the game. I thought it was a typical hard fought derby game of the old style, I mean from the 80's. Blood and thunder tackles, players not whingeing and getting on with it, the ref trying his best to let it flow and a game where two teams wanted to win.

I'd take a point today, especially after hearing the starting X1 with Fowler selected. 'Never lose to your close rivals in the division' is always good advice come the end of the season.

Must say I quite like Howard Webb and consider him to be one of the better referees in the Prem.

[brfcs5359]

Bit disapointed. Thought Ince got it nearly right (except he had no options up front!!). Carlos sub the one that seemed strange.

We played some good stuff but we were poor in the final 3rd and the ball just kept coming back no matter how well we tried to pass it. Tugat, Carlos, Emerton and Warnock had too much quality for Bolton (Nolan had a poor game) and we played very well at the back.

Probably a fair result thought with RSC and a in form Benni up front we would have won easily.

[philipl]

I am with Exiled in Toronto and all those saying it was a good game- I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rovers played more attractive football than Bolton but the move of the game was undoubtedly the one which ended with Taylor clipping the Rovers' post.

If you have O'Brien and (far far worse) Roberts missing free headers from three yards then it was going to take something wonderful to break the deadlock. Benni came so so close with the near post clip which went into the side netting rather than the inviting gap between keeper and post.

Player assessments:

Robinson was really good apart from fifteen minutes at the start of the second half when he gave up commanding his area and stayed rooted to his line- somebody dope Bobby Mimms half time cup of tea please.

Samba was wonderful, particularly great back heel drag back in the 12th minute which wrong footed the entire notlob attack. But what a whimp for lying down when he slammed into their post in the 85th minute and stayed down forcing the ref to blow with Benni about to shoot 6 yards out- cost us the win that did. Seriously- glad he is OK and I bet the bruise looks like he was whacked by a length of domestic piping.

Nelsen no alarms so must be good.

Simpson a bit naive but generally good and Ooijer superb. Shame he cannot dance his way through the entire Boton defence using his left peg but he had a few goes!

Tugay- genious and he has his old stamina back. Everything flowed through him and so many lovely wrong footing cameos.

Villanueva and Derbyshire both looked like little kids against tha huge Bolton outfit. We were just too lightweight. Fantastically quick feet by Carlos to get that shot away which clipped the bar. If Roberts had received that ball he would still be trying to control it now.

Fowler was conspicuous in the first ten minutes by looking heavy and out of touch but then he disappeared- not out of the game but playing like a Premier League player just like his colleagues.

McCarthy looked sharp again when he came on.

So a decent point which could easily have been three but Bolton missed their chances to punish us. A remarkably open game with plenty of attacking action belying the media anticipation of a boring tackle-fest.

[brfcs5359]

Possession and Territorial Advantage, passing success Rovers comfortably and we did at times look good. But shots on/off target Bolton were better. Probably frames the game. Rovers dominated with good football but were poor in the final 3rd. Bolton lumped it and got stuck in and were more effective in 'having a shot'.

Bolton Wanderers Team Statistics Blackburn Rovers

0 Goals 0

0 1st Half Goals 0

1 Shots on Target 0

8 Shots off Target 6

2 Blocked Shots 1

11 Corners 8

16 Fouls 15

2 Offsides 5

1 Yellow Cards 3

0 Red Cards 0

63.7 Passing Success 73.9

25 Tackles 12

76 Tackles Success 66.7

42.7 Possession 57.3

47.3 Territorial Advantage 52.7

[LeChuck]

1 Shots on Target 0

0 shots on target in 90 minutes, and people think it was a good game? A bit worrying.

[philipl]

0 shots on target in 90 minutes, and people think it was a good game? A bit worrying.

It was a good game to watch.

[cn174]

It was a good game to watch.

Well unless the 25 minutes I missed because the trains messed up were anything different, it wasn't a good game to watch imo

I was going to update my map after the game, but nowt really to put on it!

[Hughesy]

I was there - it was poor. 0 shots on target? Yet King Carlos hit the bar!?!?

To be honest Bolton never looked like scoring. And still wouldnt if they were still playing now.

Overall assessment - Bolton are dreadful to watch, just like a manc told me a few weeks ago. Today we did ok, our defence was very solid, midfield ok, strikers except Benni were crap. Lots of work, but no skill for our attackers.

Ince taking off Villaneuva off got a corus of boo's from the travelling support but to be fair he had been booked, it was raining so not a game for silky skills and he had tired alot.

Ince also made a cracking decision to play Ooijer to completely stop Davies. So fair play for that.

Overall we didnt really deserve to win, didnt deserve to lose, so a draw is fair. 1 more point on the road without the likes of Santa, Pedersen, Dunn & Reid, hopefully 3 pts next week.

[1864roverite]

Lets not mention the railways !!

after all, its a Saturday afternoon on the early run up to Christmas, shoppers flocking to Manchester and all that. Add that to the derby game where it was known before Thursday that a minimum of 4000 Blackburn fans would be descending on Horwich and that the vital rail link is via Preston or the alternative Bolton central.

What happens with the 1700hrs train ?

An all ready packed shoppers train stops and is promptly engulfed by 500 or more Rovers fans wanting to get home for tea and more drinkies and all this on a train with 2 bloody carriages !!

Until there is a serious accident they just wont learn.

[cn174]

Lets not mention the railways !!

after all, its a Saturday afternoon on the early run up to Christmas, shoppers flocking to Manchester and all that. Add that to the derby game where it was known before Thursday that a minimum of 4000 Blackburn fans would be descending on Horwich and that the vital rail link is via Preston or the alternative Bolton central.

What happens with the 1700hrs train ?

An all ready packed shoppers train stops and is promptly engulfed by 500 or more Rovers fans wanting to get home for tea and more drinkies and all this on a train with 2 bloody carriages !!

Until there is a serious accident they just wont learn.

It was nowt to do with the number of people on board, although that doesn't help. But there was a points failure between Bolton and Blackrod. Which isn't useful if you're aiming for somewhere in the middle

[T4E]

So overall how did Carlos do?

[frosty]

So overall how did Carlos do?

Dispossed a few times early on as he was expecting more time on the ball, but as the game went on he got better.

[Amo]

Bring Gally back from Plymouth. He knows where the back of the net is, and he can't be any worse than Roberts' scuffing.

[Ozz]

Worst game ever. Bloody rubbish.

[Shaft]

So overall how did Carlos do?

I thought he was extremely lightweight. Too small and no obvious pace. Made me wish Pedersen was playing Nuff said?

Not at all convinced he will make it in the rough , tough world of the Premier League.

Thought Tugay was excellent, by the way.

[LDRover]

Can't understand all those saying it was an excellent game to watch, it was abysmal, absolutely appalling. Nobody sat near me thought any different and all the conversation in the toilets and concourse at half time strengthened that viewpoint. Even my missus had to ask why the ball was never on the floor at one time. The game was summed up in a nutshell for me near the end when Nelsen, with time on his hands, looked up and toe bunged the ball to Jaaskelainen from midway through our own half.

I think I've also managed to traumatise my two children so much by the 'spectacle' that they won't bother going again.

Oh and Robbie Fowler....why?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Sounds like the usual aggro after the match by all accounts?

How the hell Fowler gets picked ahead of McCarthy let alone Derbyshire is astounding to me.

[Ozz]

Who can honestly sat it was excellent? It was tedious at best. Bored me shltle55. £15? Would have been about right at a flim.

[imy9]

I hope we play that bad and get a point away from home without our leading striker and 2 key midfield players missing.

[bazza]

Jesus wept!

The shortest sentence in the New Testament (just for your information)

[LDRover]

I hope we play that bad and get a point away from home without our leading striker and 2 key midfield players missing.

Sorry imy the only miss (most significant I'll agree) was Roque. The midfield is the same one that's been at the heart of our better performances this season. A point away from home is good I'll agree but please look beyond that, it was a real shocker today against a very very ordinary, in fact poor, Bolton outfit.

More of the same and people won't need to use the credit crunch as an excuse not to go that's for sure.

[Zulu]

A view from the home end !!!

Zulu, from the West Stand Lower this is my take on the match, the fans and the whole day out.

Firstly, your set of fans have as many morons as Rovers.

Well we agree on the moron count 1864. I have never said that we don't have our share of knuckle draggers amongst our fanbase! Every club has their share.

As to noise generated by supporters - well it's all relative isn't it? All the Bolton internet sites are talking about how ###### your support was, I suspect. It's all a matter of perspective and we will never agree on that one. Personally I find Rovers fans banging on about how poor opposing home supporters are to be quite amusing. Ewood Park is not exactly the Nou Camp most weeks, is it?

As for some posters on here saying that Rovers were the best side? Well, the final score was 0-0, points shared. That's fair, I believe. I predicted a draw on here - before the game. Mind you, I had it down as 2-2. So what do I know?

And finally, Greenhalghs. I went to school with Bernard Greenhalgh (RIP) and he always made a stonking meat pie and pastie!

[bazza]

Bit disapointed. Thought Ince got it nearly right (except he had no options up front!!). Carlos sub the one that seemed strange.

We decided it was because Carlos had been booked and still seemed intent on the occasional reckless challenge, so rather take him off before a second yellow and finish up with ten men.

[bazza]

And finally, Greenhalghs. I went to school with Bernard Greenhalgh (RIP) and he always made a stonking meat pie and pastie!

Actually, Carrs are better. But the best are found at the little bakery at the end of Crescent Road (near Green Lane).

[McClarky]

Dull game. It was like a 1980's lower division game with no shots and no chances and lots of rain . Nothing going on for most of it really. We were the better side for the last 15 minutes of each half probably though.

Good following from Rovers but can't help being incredibly depressed by the NED/CHAV element that seems to be taking over these days. On the train back to Preston after the game we had a whole carriage of Rovers fans singing things like "We hate Pakis", "10 German Bombers" and "BNP" with other people just sat there thinking "who are these people?". There was even a table of Asian women sat there with people singing this kind of thing over the top of them.

Apart from the footie I spend little time down in lancahire nowadays but is this the kind of hiate filled society we have managed to create nowadays?