[Archived] Rovers V Chelsea Match Preview

[ultrablue]

A few days have passed since the game and Ive come to a bit of a sad conclusion. The days when we thought we could compete with the top four, especially when we play them at Ewood are fading fast. Watching the first half at 11pm Seoul time it was depressing the lack of strength and resilience our midfield had. A simple long ball from Mikel got us into trouble everytime.

Ince is definitely on a steep learning curve and I think he'll have us come good soon. His subs show he knows how to change a game. It's a transitional period but I dont think our club will emerge from it as tricky and worrying to the top four as it was two seasons ago. Expectations are duely adjusted.

[broadsword]

and u are a prat!

Thanks Gaz.

[Presty On Tour]

A few members have said about the the gap between midfield an attack, I believe the logical reason for this is because our defense is playing to deep. Our midfield are trying to protect but because we are on our 18 yard box, all of our midfield are back trying to help out.

Admittedly our centre backs are not the quickest and playing against the pacy Anelka would of been in their thoughts. Winterburn was part of an Arsenal side renound for the offside trap, so why can't he teach it to our back four?

With the defense playing further up the park, it would allow our midfielders nearer to the strikers to create more chances.

The problem with playing Roberts as a lone striker is that he doesn't show for the ball. If he does get free he always seems to wait for the pass to reach him rather than meet it which any good defender cut's out the pass with ease or if it does reach him, he can't control it or doesn't have a lay off because nobody is near him.

[daveoftherovers]

A few days have passed since the game and Ive come to a bit of a sad conclusion. The days when we thought we could compete with the top four, especially when we play them at Ewood are fading fast. Watching the first half at 11pm Seoul time it was depressing the lack of strength and resilience our midfield had. A simple long ball from Mikel got us into trouble everytime.

Ince is definitely on a steep learning curve and I think he'll have us come good soon. His subs show he knows how to change a game. It's a transitional period but I dont think our club will emerge from it as tricky and worrying to the top four as it was two seasons ago. Expectations are duely adjusted.

Reality now is that nobody outside the top 4 can compete, even when other clubs spend money we clearly don't have, they can't fill the divide, Villa have hardly kept the wallet closed and they been firmly put in their place by the top 4 as have City, Spuds and everyone else! The fact is, barring a few (Notable, but still rare over the course of the season) surprises brought on by Hull and Stoke etc it's pretty much always a done deal in this league. There will be a scrap for 5th, 6th & 7th and, this year, an almighty fight to avoid the drop, simple as, IMHO.

We used to "Compete" more in Midfield for me, but we lack a couple of characters that used to do that, the transition is interesting, in that the quality of football is definitley better, I went to Villa and I thought we played some brilliant stuff and for Martin O Neil to come out and say what he did after the match was a credit to the new approach, however, we still got nowt! In the 2nd half of the Chelsea match, despite the conditions, I thought again we played some good stuff but lacked the will or guille to finish the chances we had, and when we did, we confirm they too have a world class keeper.

Although, The Ince Haters forget we seldom did get anything off Villa of course but there you go, shortly, we'd have played the top 4 and got it over and done with, it's games like Sunderland etc that make the difference.

I speak to Everton, City, Bolton, Boro, Spuds, Sunderland, Skunk, Stoke, Villa fans every day at work, they all feel the same about their prospects matey. (Even the Spud fan, honest!)

[Hughesy]

It’s a transitional period, new manager, new backroom team, new style of play, new ideas, and new players have come in, and will probably continue to do so in January.

During that period it is expected that you won’t be able to do anything as successful as the previous regime until your plans are complete, that is something we have to build towards. Its like a jigsaw, some of the stages are tricky and some pieces will be wrong, but hopefully Ince is starting to put some of his pieces in place and then in future the other pieces should come and also fall into place, until we have a complete Jigsaw. It takes times, it takes a lot of work, but it’s important the fans give the club chance and time for this to work. Unless of course you want Big Sam and the long ball football every year.

[bob fleming]

I appreciate that Hughesy. However, what if Ince doesn't have all the pieces of the jigsaw? What if he can't find the pieces he needs? How many pieces of the jigsaw are missing and will he know where to buy them? Arguably the jigsaw was more or less finished a few months ago, it just needed finishing off here any there. Now there are more and more question marks about what the jigsaw will look like at the end. Will he lose some of the jigsaw pieces he already has and does he know where they go? Some people are starting to question if Ince has lost the box with the picture on the lid, or did he even have it in the first place?

[CrazyIvan]

I appreciate that Hughesy. However, what if Ince doesn't have all the pieces of the jigsaw? What if he can't find the pieces he needs? How many pieces of the jigsaw are missing and will he know where to buy them? Arguably the jigsaw was more or less finished a few months ago, it just needed finishing off here any there. Now there are more and more question marks about what the jigsaw will look like at the end. Will he lose some of the jigsaw pieces he already has and does he know where they go? Some people are starting to question if Ince has lost the box with the picture on the lid, or did he even have it in the first place?

Erm... What did the box lid look like? I didn't know football was a jigsaw puzzle...

[gazsimm]

Thanks Gaz.

no need to thank me!

[philipl]

Well another effete limp-wristed powderpuff "performance" against a top 4 side at monsoon Ewood.

Good job Robinson turned up but to be honest he should have known the ball would stop in the puddle and put as much effort into diving back as he put into appealing.

However, he single-handedly prevented 0-7 which must be good for his England chances.

MGP just gets worse unfortunately.

[BuckyRover]

I appreciate that Hughesy. However, what if Ince doesn't have all the pieces of the jigsaw? What if he can't find the pieces he needs? How many pieces of the jigsaw are missing and will he know where to buy them? Arguably the jigsaw was more or less finished a few months ago, it just needed finishing off here any there. Now there are more and more question marks about what the jigsaw will look like at the end. Will he lose some of the jigsaw pieces he already has and does he know where they go? Some people are starting to question if Ince has lost the box with the picture on the lid, or did he even have it in the first place?

Do you really believe that the jigsaw "was more or less finished"?

You are deluded. Ince hasn't dismantled the team, we have more or less the same team as last year. It is arguable that Hughes would have been without Bentley and Friedel anyway. He was already looking for other clubs so I doubt his scouting would have unearthed another gem. We were about to start going backwards, it many ways rather like we did under Souness. The signs were there for all to see.

[Hughesy]

Ince doesn’t yet have all the pieces – he needs a right winger, probably a box to box midfielder, a right back (if Simo is to go back) and then also possibly a replacement for Ooijer. Then on top of that most would say he could also do with another striker. So that’s 4 new players needed, 5 when Ooijer moves on. That wont happen overnight obviously, but hopefully he can get 2 of those pieces at least in January. So at the moment he is missing 4 pieces.

To complete the jigsaw he then needs to complete a few other tasks, like improving our defensive skills, continuing to improve our passing game, improve our taking of chances and to also keep our players focused and fit.

Bucky is right – we had started to lose some of our existing pieces (Bentley & Friedel), he had failed to find his right back piece and any sort of decent midfielder and the style of play was dull and obvious. He also had Roberts, Ooijer, McCarthy all unhappy.

[broadsword]

Complete the jigsaw?????????????

First of all the cat's eaten 7 pieces, including a corner bit, we can't stretch to a tenner to buy a new one, we're visually-impaired and colour-blind and have pork sausages for fingers, plus to cap it all we're manic-depressive nihilists who don't see the point in completing it anyway.

As much chance of completing the jigsaw as there is of Lucan Lucan riding naked round Coventry on Shergar handing out fifty pound notes singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy".

[gazsimm]

Well another effete limp-wristed powderpuff "performance" against a top 4 side at monsoon Ewood.

Good job Robinson turned up but to be honest he should have known the ball would stop in the puddle and put as much effort into diving back as he put into appealing.

However, he single-handedly prevented 0-7 which must be good for his England chances.

MGP just gets worse unfortunately.

How can you say MGP just gets worse, that was his best game of the season on Sunday. Did you go or watch the game?

[CrazyIvan]

How can you say MGP just gets worse, that was his best game of the season on Sunday. Did you go or watch the game?

Don't worry, it's only philipl. Best just to ignore him...

[philipl]

I watched it live and by the end of the game MGP didn't once control the ball in the last 15 minutes.

[gumboots]

How can you say MGP just gets worse, that was his best game of the season on Sunday. Did you go or watch the game?

totally agree. He looked far more like the Morten of a couple of seasons ago than he did in the whole of last season. He was competing for headers with some expectation of getting them and some of the mistakes were because others weren't making the runs forward he needed them to. Deserved his MOTM award (although I wouldn't have argued at all if robinson had got it) because he was so much more like his former self. Quality moment too when he tried to swing on the bar and slipped off cos it was so soggy. Him and robinson had a good laugh too which was nice to see.

Philipl I used to think you were quite a balanced poster and I valued some of your accountant's insights. You seem to have slipped into melancholy recently and to have abandoned hope. That's not what our situation needs at the moment.

[gazsimm]

I watched it live and by the end of the game MGP didn't once control the ball in the last 15 minutes.

maybe he was getting over placed passes to him. MGP has not been playing well for about 12 months, but on Sunday, he actually did put in a good performance, so to call his display on sunday, is just damb right stupid

[JAL]

A few members have said about the the gap between midfield an attack, I believe the logical reason for this is because our defense is playing to deep. Our midfield are trying to protect but because we are on our 18 yard box, all of our midfield are back trying to help out.

Admittedly our centre backs are not the quickest and playing against the pacy Anelka would of been in their thoughts. Winterburn was part of an Arsenal side renound for the offside trap, so why can't he teach it to our back four?

With the defense playing further up the park, it would allow our midfielders nearer to the strikers to create more chances.

The problem with playing Roberts as a lone striker is that he doesn't show for the ball. If he does get free he always seems to wait for the pass to reach him rather than meet it which any good defender cut's out the pass with ease or if it does reach him, he can't control it or doesn't have a lay off because nobody is near him.

Presty the key to Rovers success and Paul Inces is in our weakness across the whole of the midfield, Ince needs a completly new much improved midfield hes had an attempt at bringing two in and has failed to raise the standard if he cant see it and improve it then he and we are doomed.

[gazsimm]

Presty the key to Rovers success and Paul Inces is in our weakness across the whole of the midfield, Ince needs a completly new much improved midfield hes had an attempt at bringing two in and has failed to raise the standard if he cant see it and improve it then he and we are doomed.

a fit David Dunn would help JAL!!!

[Hughesy]

Whilst MGP was much improved at the weekend (and it was pointed out by most sat around me too), I dont actually think he will ever return to his old form. For him to do that, I think he needs to move on and get a fresh start - Sad, but true I think.

Hopefully not because on form, he is a real asset for us.

[CrazyIvan]

Everybody commented on how much better MGP was around me too. He was much better. Not quite back to his best but it was a marked improvement.

[bob fleming]

Do you really believe that the jigsaw "was more or less finished"?

You are deluded. Ince hasn't dismantled the team, we have more or less the same team as last year. It is arguable that Hughes would have been without Bentley and Friedel anyway. He was already looking for other clubs so I doubt his scouting would have unearthed another gem. We were about to start going backwards, it many ways rather like we did under Souness. The signs were there for all to see.

I'm deluded. Thanks for pointing that out in front of all these people.

Ince hasn't dismantled the team. Very true. It is much the same as last year but without any sort of right winger or the results. When we played the top four last few seasons we knew we'd give them a game, now it's just a question of how many we'll get beaten by. We may well have started going backwards under Hughes, who knows? Well you do so fair enough.

As for "the jigsaw" - it certainly didn't need starting again in a "trying to get people to understand what we are trying to do here" stylee. Nor do the pieces need replacing with poorer ones that may well belong in a different puzzle. (then again if the manager isn't given any money... but we don't talk about that.)

So it's still early days, it was Chelsea, we've an awful lot of injuries, the ref was poor, we're still analysing where our strengths are, we haven't had much time yet, we haven't got our coaching badges yet, do we really need them?. Oh and Bad Luck....

That old chestnut. Funny that you mentioned Souness, that was one of his favourites towards the end wasn't it?

Still a couple of wins this week and I'm delighted!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yes MGP was better than he has been for about a season but we're coming from a low base here. If we're relying on players like him to get us out of the soup we're as good as down now. I watched Reading at the weekend- Stephen Hunt wanted the ball all game ,ran at defenders all afternoon and generally made a nuisance of himself through out the game, plus the fact that he can cross a ball. He's the sort of aggressive , combative player that never takes a backward step, the sort of player that can get you out of the mire.

a fit David Dunn would help JAL!!!

A fit David Dunn- isn't that an oxymoron ?

[den]

When Mr RF get's worried, it's time for us all to worry!

[Hughesy]

RF? Who is that?