[Archived] Rovers V Chelsea Match Preview

[JAL]

Some people on here are clueless beyond words, how can anyone say Pedersen was useless today? He was easily one of our best outfield players.

Not too disheartened at the result we played well in patches and got beat by the team top of the league and only beaten in the champions leaguie final on pens last year.

A few notes:

Mokoena was solid when he came on

Derbyshire isbn't and never will be a right winger (i'm starting to think he sin't good enough in any role to be honest)

Zurab was solid

Ince made the right choice today re: formation

Sadly Roberts just isn't up to the job (i wonder what people would have to say about him if he was an Ince signing)

The ref was useless i'll give this one a miss

Edit: Also Lampard is a tool

Agree with everything you say there 'the chosen one' well said.

[grizfoot]

Robinson 8 - Made a couple of really world-class saves, it could have so easily been 3 or 4-0 to Chelsea in the first half. Got to question why he didn't just go back and pick up the ball that was rolling tamely into the net for the first goal though, you should always play to the whistle. That may be a bit harsh since he was our best player on the day without doubt.

Simpson 5 - Thought he was beaten too easily on a number of ocassions and his crossing leaves a lot to be desired.

Nelsen 6 - A steady but not spectucular game from the Admiral.

Zurab 7 - Definately an improvement on Samba in my opinion, made some good headed clearences.

Olsson 6 - Got a forward quite a lot, but left us exposed on a number of ocassions due this. But he did put in some good tackles and on the whole he played well.

Villanueva 5 - Some neat touches at times but for me he lacks the pace to actually take the ball on and run at defenders, also tries to do too much at times for me. Good work rate though and if not for a wonderful save form Cech he'd have had his first Premiership goal.

Grella 4 - Obviously wasn't fully fit, did nothing of note.

Andrews 5 - Tale of two passes really, one rather awful back pass that nearly cost us a goal and another sublime pass that set up the wonderful chance for Carlos.

Warnock 6 - Always going to get a good shift from Warnock. He tackled and hassled Chelsea players all day. Silly booking to pick up though.

Pedersen 7 - Yes he still mis-controlled the ball and lost possession on a number of occassion but this was Morten's best performance in well over a year I'd say. He actually seemed willing to get stuck in and won a good nuber of tackles during the game as well as some decent run forward and passes. Probably shouldn't have got MOTM ahead of Robbo but no doubting that this is the Morten we want to be seeming every week.

Roberts 3 - Terry and Alex had him in their back pockets. Although Roberts did get one chance which he eventually fluffed in typcial Roberts fashion. A higher class of striker would have turned and smashed that in with one movement or would have be aware of the oncoming keeper and lifted the ball over him. That was ultimately the difference between the two sides Chelsea have Le Sulk a Premiership class striker and we had Roberts who's more of a Championship class striker.

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

Mokoena 7 - I don't often say this but I was mightly impressed with the Axe when he came on today. He looked composed on the ball and made some good interceptions.

Derbyshire 2 - He's not a right winger! saying that he might as well as have been on the bench for the amount of times he touched the ball.

Fowler 3 - No, just no. We might as well as chucked Samba upfront he'd have caused a bigger threat.

[tcj_jones]

I'd like to be able to say that, although Chelsea threw everything at us in the first half, at least we soaked up the pressure and defended well from midfield to the back. However, this just wasn't the case. We have a team full of relegation fodder players and our first half display was a shambles. There was no organization whatsoever and they could have scored about ten. Chelsea players seemed to be walking straight through Grella and Andrews, which kinda negated the whole point of a five man midfield.

Up front as well, we had two golden opportunities to score and didn't take them.

Saying that, we did play muh better football in the second half once it stopped raining and actually managed to retain possession.

Positives? Robinson was absolutely inspired today. He is getting better and better and could be one of the buys of the season. One of his saves was out of this world. Otherwise, Olsson looks a pretty good player, MGP seemed up for it... Oh, and at least our next league game is against posibly the only team playing worse than ourselves currently, Sunderland. That's about it.

[Al]

Did you also pick out Andrews excellent pass that set up the carlos chance?? No thought not!

DO YOU WANT A ROPE? PLEASE!

3 of the 6 games were against the best 3 teams in the league too, with 3 of the best defences. Lets not cloud the judgement without the facts.

Ok Den - here is your opportunity as your Football management skills are obviously top class. What would of been your tactics (other than the usual 'get in their faces'). Dont forget we had Dunn, Reid, Emerton, Ooijer, RSC, McCarthy, Grella (50%) all out.

As for Bentley - we didnt want him out until he wanted to go. Thats when people wanted him out. When he made it clear he was a tosser and wasnt hanging around.

Who is to blame for him missing a 1 on 1 with Cech and not even looking up before striking the ball?

Not what MOTD or Ray Wilkins had to say about them. But I suspect your the expert on that one.

Sshhh dont mention the bit in bold, they all admire Hughes, he has afterall got a team he spent millions & millions on in the summer (Robinho £32m alone), yet the only have the same points as us and have only played 2 of the top 4. And conceded 6 goals!!!! Ssssshhhhh!

Cech tipped Carlos' shot just over when it was heading for the top corner. Roberts had a 1 on 1. Did you go? Or should you just of gone to specsavers?

Against United at Home last season, it could have been 18-2, did you make a point about that too, or did Hughes get away without your drivel?

OK Hughsey, obviously you are correct and the rest of the world is wrong. We are the best team in the Premiership and up to now we have just been unlucky. Everything is coming up roses. No need to worry we will win everything from now on.

[ABBEY]

OK Hughsey, obviously you are correct and the rest of the world is wrong. We are the best team in the Premiership and up to now we have just been unlucky. Everything is coming up roses. No need to worry we will win everything from now on.

we are champions league we are champions league

[Hughesy]

Im not saying that, im just picking out all the points that people make, yet they dont back their arguement up and they also only see their side of the arguement.

[mjs]

Im not saying that, im just picking out all the points that people make, yet they dont back their arguement up and they also only see their side of the arguement.

Hughesy you have the biggest pair of blue and white tinted specs ever.

[Hughesy]

No im just picking out those that just seem to have 1 side to their arguement. Terry & Wilkins have both said we played well, as did Martin O'Neill against his lot - so surely we must be playing half decent? Or have they just got Blue n White tints on too?

I agree we are in abit of poo at the minute, I too am not happy with our current position or lack of options up-front but I honestly think at the moment it is too close to call. Between 20th and 8th there is 6 pts. IF we lose to Sunderland next week, then I agree its time to panic abit, but at the minute I think we are just missing a win to kick-start us. Hopefully this week will give us a league win, and possibly also a cup win with abit of luck.

[RevidgeBlue]

Rev if that was you in front of me then my comments about Andrews must be now fully understood by your good self. If they are not then you can wear my glasses or simply get yourself to specsavers for a new pair. Today he was simply useless at best, below average and not even at the standard required to be on that pitch today.

Yep it was me, and your obsessession with Andrews is becoming extremely unhealthy imo.

You were even jeering him when he shot over the bar inside the opening thirty seconds for crying out loud!!!

I didn't think Andrews played at all badly in the first half, I would contrast his performance with that of Grella who I thought was absolutely awful, it was like playing with a man short. Maybe in his defence he wasn't fully fit but if that was the case, he shouldn't have been on the pitch in the first place. He is starting to seriously worry me, he's only completed about 270 mins football since August, what the hell's wrong with him?

As for the game in general I don't think it is possible to draw too many conclusions from today's proceedings with the first half being played in conditions that were a midge's chuff away from being unplayable. I thought Chelsea adapted much better to the freakish conditions early on and only Robinson saved us from a real hiding early on - he was outstanding. However I thought we got better as the first half wore on and were somewhat unlucky to concede at the time we did as we were getting back into it.

In the second half we improved again and looked the better of the two sides for periods in the second half but unfortunately displayed no cutting edge whatsoever. As others have commented it's no use playing pretty football with no end product.

In general I don't think things are as bad as many are making out, two wins against Sunderland this week and things will look much rosier. However, as I have commented for some time now we look fairly toothless without RSC in the side and the 4-5-1 thing isn't really working.

Its a fairly simple game when it comes down to it, you have to score more goals at one end than you let in at the other and at present, we're not doing either.

It's my personal view though that any problems we do have , if indeed we do have problems, stem from the top with owners who have wanted out for some considerable time and who have not been prepared to invest in the side in the meantime. I don't think Hughes would have fared a lot better this time round had he stayed, a bit maybe without all the upheaval, but we'd still be finding it tough.

[Rover4ever]

Chelsea have just won 9 EPL away games on the bounce - and yet people on here seem to expect us to win easily against teams like this. I wish people would wake up and smell the coffee. At home we have played three of the top 4, played against a Hull side who have exceeded everyone's expectations (especially away from home), beaten a Fulham team (who at the time were unbeaten), drawn with Boro (gotta admit a disappointment). The table does make worrying reading - but it does for approx 1/2 the teams in the EPL - this is gonna be a strange season for a lot of teams.

Excellent points which will all be ignored by the doomsayers.......

1) We had 6 first team players out,

2) Chelsea had beaten us at Ewood 5 times in the last 6 seasons

3) Chelsea were in very good form, having beaten top-half teams like Boro and Villa more comfortably than they beat us

And yet, its a disaster that we didnt thump Chelsea 3-0..................

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Graham, your points are valid and similar to those already posted HOWEVER you cant blame Roberts.

His supply line was poor, and you cannot in anyway pin the defeat on him.

If he had some support and played poorly yes, but today he ran the line alone with a 40yard gap between him and the midfield.

Considering he was also against Terry and Alex as wellas Mikel at times, I think he did okay.

You dont score goals playing 4-5-1 with no one supporting the front man.

To some degree I agree but for midfield to break you need a forward who can hold the ball. The midfield can't go forward if they cannot trust the move breaking down and then they are caught badly out of position.

I don't blame Roberts but for someone who is supposed to be strong he easily surrenders the ball, his control is rubbish and I've yet to see him win an header against anybody never mind Terry.

The only time I saw Terry end up on his backside was when Fowler came on!

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Graham, why keep comparing Hughes and Ince when it doesn't do your case any good?

As for playing 4-5-1, we've played that in the past, at home against some of the better sides with some [a little] success. However, we didn't have a 40 yard gap between the lone striker and the rest. To play that system, you must also have pace in your team. It can't be done with our current squad.

We also had a forward who could bring others into play

TBH though, this thread sums up why I don't come on here half as much as I used to. You have the Ince fans pretending everything is okay, and the anti-Ince brigade seeming to actively revel in the fact that we are struggling. If nothing else, it's more depressing than the result most of the time. Thing is, I have a sneaking suspicion we would have been in the same trouble if we'd have managed to hang onto the old management regime. The signs were certainly all there. Irrelevant? Probably, except to say that if you have a single polarised view then you see everything through that view, and there are two groups on here that need a sense of perspective

It is why Hughes cleared off. It takes time to rebuild a team which I'm beginning to think we've not got.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

No, you're right, we've been (Please don't use that word again)ing terrible this year. Sack the board, sack the manager, sack the playing staff. Pick the team from the crowd 15 minutes before kick off, with the formation decided by a text poll.

Can I come on as sub as I was a few minutes late?

[dingles staying down 4ever]

And yet, its a disaster that we didnt thump Chelsea 3-0..................

too bloody right it is!

[Paul]

Cech tipped Carlos' shot just over when it was heading for the top corner. Roberts had a 1 on 1. Did you go? Or should you just of gone to specsavers?

With respect Hughesy your blind devotion to the cause while admirable prevents you from seeing the problems. In the firts half I remember one moment when we threatened the Chelsea goal, and that was it for the entire game. Yes I did go, just like every game.

I don't think I've posted anything against Ince but I'm worried about his approach. We've scored three goals at home this season. We play some nice football, no doubt about it but we lack any cutting edge. Watch our attacks and you'll see we have at best two men in the box, often one, no one who crosses the ball dangerously and the midfield are sat so far back they can't, or have been told not to, support the strikers. At one point yesterday Ince and Andrews were arguing across the pitch when we had a corner, Ince won the row which meant we had FOUR men on the halfway line for one of our corners

The football we play is more entertaining but it doesn't create chances. As you say we are missing Dunn, Reid, Emerton, Ooijer, RSC, McCarthy, but I'm not sure that makes a huge difference. Replace yesterday's midfield with Dunn, Emerton, Reid and Grella and you're still missing a creative force. RSC is going to struggle this season if he doesn't get crosses into the box and midfield support and McCarthy hasn't showed any desire to play for the team in the last 18 months - granted he looked better against Boro but he has it all to prove.

Tell me how we are going to score goals and I'll feel a lot more comfortable

[47er]

I'm wondering how people can believe we are likely to get 3 points against Sunderland. Don't Sunderland rate as favourites?

[Exiled_Rover]

Can I come on as sub as I was a few minutes late?

As long as you're not one of those that leaves the game early.

[CrazyIvan]

Two words: - Depressingly familiar.

That describes the result yesterday and the inevitable reaction on here. We played well in the second half and if chances had been taken by us then we might have gotten a draw against a team in top form. Not saying we would have but we might since Robbo was immense... We are in a bit of sh@te right now, nobody will deny that but we're not down and out. There are 13 or 14 teams in EXACTLY the same boat. A couple of good results and we climb right out. A couple of bad results and we slide right down. It's time to get behind the manager and the team.

Anybody saying Andrews isn't good enough for this league needs to have their eyes tested. I'll say no more.

There are a group of people on here for whom change is obviously very hard to deal with. Hughes leaves and he is the messiah departed. Ince arrives and he is the devil incarnate. Neither is true and neither is the opposite view. Hughes has GONE so give that one a rest now. Ince is here so your support of him and the team wouldn't go amiss. I'm not one for denying people the right to have their say but some harp on and on and on ad nausem. They have nothing good or new to say so repeat the same old same old over and over. It gets boring. Genuine comment on the games and the performances are sadly lacking from these people. Everything is tarred with the same brush. Something positive about Ince once in a while would be nice to read from them so we know they are actually paying attention but I've not seen it yet.

ttfn

[Jan]

Two words: - Depressingly familiar.

That describes the result yesterday and the inevitable reaction on here. We played well in the second half and if chances had been taken by us then we might have gotten a draw against a team in top form. Not saying we would have but we might since Robbo was immense... We are in a bit of sh@te right now, nobody will deny that but we're not down and out. There are 13 or 14 teams in EXACTLY the same boat. A couple of good results and we climb right out. A couple of bad results and we slide right down. It's time to get behind the manager and the team.

Anybody saying Andrews isn't good enough for this league needs to have their eyes tested. I'll say no more.

There are a group of people on here for whom change is obviously very hard to deal with. Hughes leaves and he is the messiah departed. Ince arrives and he is the devil incarnate. Neither is true and neither is the opposite view. Hughes has GONE so give that one a rest now. Ince is here so your support of him and the team wouldn't go amiss. I'm not one for denying people the right to have their say but some harp on and on and on ad nausem. They have nothing good or new to say so repeat the same old same old over and over. It gets boring. Genuine comment on the games and the performances are sadly lacking from these people. Everything is tarred with the same brush. Something positive about Ince once in a while would be nice to read from them so we know they are actually paying attention but I've not seen it yet.

ttfn

OK then

Even a good manager would probably find a use for Robinson and Villanueva of Ince's signings.

There- that's posititve.

Yesterday was the first time I've been to Ewood this season. I needed to choreograph some music so thought that 6 hours in the car would give me time (it did). Although I have a season ticket, I have no enthusiasm for going to see a definite defeat, which is why I haven't bothered. Also not going next week- I'm having my nails done instead.

Even excepting the conditions, it's not hard to see why we're losing. Clueless, tactically inept, and every bit of football pinball led to Chelsea getting it back. Thank god for the conditions, without them it would have been men against babies.

We're right in the soup. And Ince is not the man to get us out. As the guy 2 along from me said "he'll be the first black premiership manager sacked" Unfortunately the guy next to him pointed out that because of all the hoo ha about his appointment, we'll give him more time than we'd have given another manager in these circumstances, so he'll probably be dragging us down for quite some time.

[ABBEY]

Excellent points which will all be ignored by the doomsayers.......

1) We had 6 first team players out,

2) Chelsea had beaten us at Ewood 5 times in the last 6 seasons

3) Chelsea were in very good form, having beaten top-half teams like Boro and Villa more comfortably than they beat us

And yet, its a disaster that we didnt thump Chelsea 3-0..................

how long do we need excuses? so what if they have beaten us 5/6 what does that mean we say balls and have a losers attitude? so what if they have beaten other teams,stoke beat arsenal and arsenal beat utd?? do tell where anyone said its a disaster we didnt thump em 3-0...have you been to bucky and imps finishing school of twisting things.

We also had a forward who could bring others into play

It is why Hughes cleared off. It takes time to rebuild a team which I'm beginning to think we've not got.

is it hell why he cleared off ,he saw newcastle and city as better for himself and the higher wonga.

[MCMC1875]

Fans seem to be turning their backs on Rovers. Despite the kick-off time, tv and the weather, only 16,000 blues for the visit of a top side!!!

[roversmum]

Interestingly, several people came up to talk about the match last night on Preston station when I took Tash to catch her London train. Some but not all were Rovers fans. All felt we had done well in the circumstances given some strange decisions from the referee, the fact that we were playing Chelsea, our injuries and the conditions. The interest in and support of Rovers was quite refreshing.

Just one more thing. Back to the season of the Carling Cup win; I seem to recall a relegation fight looming and being won after that, so do we really need to panic yet?

[Hughesy]

Its time for us to decide the outcome of our season. Lose 2 of the next 3 league games and INCE should go.

The next 4 games are all massive.

Sunderland A - CUP

Sunderland H

Tottenham A

Pompey A

[Hughesy]

Fans seem to be turning their backs on Rovers. Despite the kick-off time, tv and the weather, only 16,000 blues for the visit of a top side!!!

The season before last our home gate against Chelsea was only 19,398, so not really much difference, yet unemployment is higher and we still had more on. The rain for the last 3 games im sure has put off the 'walk on' supporters and also we are not getting good enough results. We have never really had massive gates for Chelsea at home unless we have been in a good position.

[joey_big_nose]

I'm wondering how people can believe we are likely to get 3 points against Sunderland. Don't Sunderland rate as favourites?

Considering they are in the bottom three and we are not I would say we should be favourites.

THe fact they are down there despite having spent all that money shows just how strong the Premiership is becoming. All three promoted teams have come up and looked clever, plus a large number of existing Premiership teams have gone out and strengthened considerably. It is a tough league.

For us against Sunderland - we do have a marginally better first team than them, even with the injuries we have. So we need to be a bit optimistic. I guess a lot depends on the state of Roque and, to a lesser degree, Grella's fitness.

If Roque makes it and Grella does not (probably a likely scenario) I would go for this in the Carling Cup with the idea of mixing it up again for the league match:

----------------Roque

---------------McCarthy

Treacy-------Warnock---------Villaneuva

----------------Tugay

--Olsson--Nelsen--Samba--Simpson

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

We would lose a bit of brawn in the middle of the park but to be honest Sunderland look vulnerable through the middle so I think we can sacrifice a bit of workrate for creativity.

If we lose these two games against the mackems - even if we play well as we have been doing generally speaking - it is time to get a little worried imo.