[Archived] Blackburn V. Stoke City

[The Prof.]

Stoke had 4,500 fans the commentator said. They had filled the Darwen End quite extensively according to him.

I

Yes, the bottom half of the Darwen End was full- I think it holds about 5,000 but they were not allowed the top half for some reason.

They weren't allowed the full allocation because they used to run an away travel thing that kept a close control on who got away game tickets. However, about 6 weeks ago they relaxed this thinking that now they are in the Prem they weren't playing their traditional rivals and so there wouldn't be trouble. Cue 27 arrests at the Newcastle game. Our police then said no thanks we don't want 7000 of you descending on ewood in the run up to Christmas. Rovers were turning away anyone who wasn't on our own club's data base yesterday because of fears that Stoke fans would try to get into the home areas and cause trouble. Apparently there have been a lot of callers to radio Stoke about the scrapping of the away travel controls from well-behaved fans who are worried about others wrecking their reputation and leading to more stringent controls by other clubs when Stoke come to town.

Aha! I wondered about that.

[Drummer Boy]

Defence was organised

Dunny is back in what was a coherent midfield that played simply and effectively.

I thought Hansen was spot-on about Andrews - he allowed Dunn to be the creative force by mopping up behind him

The strikers were fed the ball where they could try to score

I feel the worst of our problems are now behind us

On the down side, as much as I hugely admire Jason Roberts for his commitment, enthusiasm, work rate and attitude, he is not good enough as a finisher to get regular footy in the Prem

[tcj_jones]

Interestingly, the guys on MOTD were very complimentary about Keith Andrews. I thought he did OK, but he certainly wasn't derservant of the vitriolic abuse he was getting from some of the people around me after making the smallest of mistakes. A couple of his passes were superb yesterday and he shielded the back four well. I just wish he were a more complete player.

[cn_barlow]

Interestingly, the guys on MOTD were very complimentary about Keith Andrews. I thought he did OK, but he certainly wasn't derservant of the vitriolic abuse he was getting from some of the people around me after making the smallest of mistakes. A couple of his passes were superb yesterday and he shielded the back four well. I just wish he were a more complete player.

i think Andrews is going to get that purely because he was signed by Ince. He's going to have to work harder to win some people over...

[yoda]

i think Andrews is going to get that purely because he was signed by Ince. He's going to have to work harder to win some people over...

Including BFS!

[Pugg]

Nothing much to add, just fantastic result. Great for confidence.

As for Sunderland, I am hoping the last two results are a bit misleading. In that four goals were scored against the worst team in the league in West Brom. Yesterday, the second Sunderland goal was a big deflection, and the last two were scored after Hull had gone down to ten men. Looking for the positives? Me? Will do wonders for their confidence though, and they are playing well and their strikers are on form. Hopefully Sam will have the tactics to deal with them.

[thenodrog]

Well done also to John Williams and the Board for acting so decisively and landing their man.

Hmmmm....... not sure about that Simon. We may all live to regret that they did not act at least a month sooner. We are now playing 'catch up' with decent outfits. Hence my comment in summer about the clocks going back.

After similarly disastrous appointments of last years relegation threatened teams who survived Wigan sacked Hutchings in the 1st week of November, Notlob potted Little Sam 3rd week of Oct with Sanchez being sacked by Fulham just before Christmas.

Word of caution...... From what I saw yesterday Sam really needs to work wonders until Jan (and finances?) allows him to strengthen. Stoke who get all their points at home were dream opposition for his 1st match. This win though can only help squad confidence and belief to return, some of yesterdays team seemed as nervous as hell.

[Majiball]

Word of caution...... From what I saw yesterday Sam really needs to work wonders until Jan (and finances?) allows him to strengthen. Stoke who get all their points at home were dream opposition for his 1st match. This win though can only help squad confidence and belief to return, some of yesterdays team seemed as nervous as hell.

Firstly well done lads.

Well we have some points now anyone know what you do with them its been so long?

We've made up ground, that is a good thing Westham losing and Newcastle Vs Tottenham today means it could stay about the same as it is provided newcastle lose as I hope. Hopefully the win will settle them down, make them remember what they are capable off.

Theno's right though its not time to celebrate yet. Its a good start as good as we could have hoped for now we need to push on.

Next Sunderland and 3 more points.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Hmmmm....... not sure about that Simon. We may all live to regret that they did not act at least a month sooner. We are now playing 'catch up' with decent outfits. Hence my comment in summer about the clocks going back.

After similarly disastrous appointments of last years relegation threatened teams who survived Wigan sacked Hutchings in the 1st week of November, Notlob potted Little Sam 3rd week of Oct with Sanchez being sacked by Fulham just before Christmas.

Word of caution...... From what I saw yesterday Sam really needs to work wonders until Jan (and finances?) allows him to strengthen. Stoke who get all their points at home were dream opposition for his 1st match. This win though can only help squad confidence and belief to return, some of yesterdays team seemed as nervous as hell.

Agree with both your points. People should be praising David Brown for over-ruling the Chairman who wanted to give Ince yet more time.

Also, Stoke are a unique team in that they rigidly stick to their own approach, even though we dealt with it quite comfortably. They did not probe our weaknesses which are still there. The one time a player ran at Warnock with the ball, he skinned him and they ended up hitting the post via Samba's toecap. No-one used pace against Ooijer. There was no clever movement to befuddled Samba.

On the plus side, I though all 3 goals were down to Benni's awareness and we were much better in midfield with Dunny in charge. Roberts can't finish. but the fact he can wriggle into the 1 on 1's means he has to be marked which gives Benni a bit more room. As Hansen said, Andrews was given a very different role to what he has done so far and did it reasonably well I thought.

Robinson is pants though.

[John]

some of yesterdays team seemed as nervous as hell.

What did you expect? If we lost yesterday it would have been an all-time club record of losing 7 matches in a row.

We had not won a game in the league since late September. We have been in our worst run of results since 1966. Did you expect the team to come out playing like world beaters??

[thenodrog]

What did you expect? If we lost yesterday it would have been an all-time club record of losing 7 matches in a row.

We had not won a game in the league since late September. We have been in our worst run of results since 1966. Did you expect the team to come out playing like world beaters??

Just an observation John. Rem a lot of members weren't there. Have you got out of the wrong side of the bed?

[dingles staying down 4ever]

i think Andrews is going to get that purely because he was signed by Ince. He's going to have to work harder to win some people over...

Rovers fans have always picked on one player in particular during different eras. During my time watching rovers I can recall Bell, Miller, Quinn, Atkins, Wilcox and Sherwood all coming in for stick especially from the old Riverside.

Becasue Andrews was Ince's man it makes him an easy target.

Big Sam has played him though ahead of Tugay, Vogel and the Axe. Maybe he sees what ince saw him and is prepared to give him a chance.

[philipl]

Rovers fans have always picked on one player in particular during different eras. During my time watching rovers I can recall Bell, Miller, Quinn, Atkins, Wilcox and Sherwood all coming in for stick especially from the old Riverside.

Becasue Andrews was Ince's man it makes him an easy target.

Big Sam has played him though ahead of Tugay, Vogel and the Axe. Maybe he sees what ince saw him and is prepared to give him a chance.

Wasn't Vogel ruled out through illness yesterday?

[cn_barlow]

anyone got a link to the goals and JW reaction?

[thenodrog]

Agree with both your points. People should be praising David Brown for over-ruling the Chairman who wanted to give Ince yet more time.

IS THAT KOSHER EIT? I HAVEN'T READ THAT ANYWHERE BUT I'M SHOCKED IF IT'S TRUE.

Robinson is pants though.

HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK SAM WILL BE CURSING INCE FOR SELLING HIM IN SUMMER? BRAD WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ABSOLUTELY HUGE ASSET IN OUR BID TO AVOID THE DROP. THERE ARE MANY WHO THINK WE DID A SUPERB DEAL IN SWOPPING BRAD FOR ROBINSON BUT THEY KNOW NOWT. FREIDEL WAS BLOODY AWESOME AGAIN YESTERDAY v WHU AND VILLA ARGUABLY OWE ALL 3 POINTS TO HIM. A COUPLE OF MILLION DOESN'T SEEM ALL THAT MUCH NOW.

[John]

Just an observation John. Rem a lot of members weren't there. Have you got out of the wrong side of the bed?

No, just stating the facts.

[philipl]

I think the 'drog has revealed his ignore list by that revelation he hadn't read that the Trust put pressure on JW!

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Wasn't Vogel ruled out through illness yesterday?

I don't know to be honest but the point is that Andrews still played ahead of other midfielders so Sam must have seen something in training.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I think the 'drog has revealed his ignore list by that revelation he hadn't read that the Trust put pressure on JW!

It wouldn't surprise me if there has been an irreversible power shift in the boardroom. My interpretation was that William's role was to stop the Trust having to worry about the club, in which he has clearly failed.

Ince was Williams' call; keeping Ince on after Sunderland and then Man Yoo was Williams' call, both directly leading to the Trust having to get involved both time wise and presumably financially to fund BFS. Add to that the lack of a sale, or even a sniff of it; the lack of any real outside finance being found; the sourcing of a new sponsor in this global league we play in all the way from Hollins Grove.

My guess is that Brown will be calling the shots from now on, which is good as the Trusts interests are aligned with our interests at the moment - staying up at all costs.

[thenodrog]

No, just stating the facts.

err....... So was I.

[yoda]

I think the 'drog has revealed his ignore list by that revelation he hadn't read that the Trust put pressure on JW!

I don't have an ignore list, where can I find the info?

[thenodrog]

I think the 'drog has revealed his ignore list by that revelation he hadn't read that the Trust put pressure on JW!

Ignore list? I don't need any such facility to ignore some 'members' on here.

......... Prob more down to the fact that when I could get the board to work last week there was too much stuff to wade through. So JW still wanted to keep the pratt? :!: After seeing his countenance at Wigan under that cap I'm gobsmacked.

Back to yesterdays match.........

What the hell was going on with numerous examples of two players jumping for the same ball in the air? Can they not shout to each other ffs or has Ince's tenure left them that dumbstruck? I must say I've not seen such things happen so frequently in one match.

Have you the answer to that as well John?

[Eddie]

Funny really...Friedel has a good game and Robinson starts to get a lot of flack.

[John]

Have you the answer to that as well John?

No. Probably have to speak to some of the players to find out why I guess.....

[BuckyRover]

Exactly. A lot of Villa fans have been complaining about him recently.

He isn't going to improve. I really don't understand it. I suppose he had been with us a long time, people can't accept change. He couldn't go on forever. I am glad he left before he really started to decline. I wouldn't have liked to have seen him dropped. It would have happened one day.