[Archived] Blackburn V. Stoke City

[Inta Beaver]

I am a rovers fan who lives in Stoke and work with loads of chip eaters/clay heads (Stoke fans)

I was not looking forward to the game with ince in charge, but now we should be in with a big shout, I fully expect Stoke to park there bus in front of our goal and try and pinch a goal from a set piece/throw in, if jug ears plays!

I know the Stoke groundsman and he told me pulis had Stoke in for training on Sunday 5pm before there Xmas party, our boys were enjoying themselves in Dublin whilst Stoke were preparing for this!!

I know that a few Stoke are def going to be in our end, let's keep them quiet with a win.

Come on rovers give us a strong performance

[67splitscreen]

To early for any effect, even if we have a new manager by Thursday. It will take at least a week for someone to organize the rabble we have come accustomed to.

1-0 either way, depending on weather we get Dr Jackal or Mr Hyde teams, (Liverpool/Wigan)

3-1 ROVERS, "THE ONLY WAY IS UP"

[bennyboyt11]

Cant see us getting a win...

Stoke 2 - 0 Rovers

[only2garners]

I fully expect Stoke to park there bus in front of our goal and try and pinch a goal from a set piece/throw in, if jug ears plays!

I understand he's injured.

[joey_big_nose]

Vogel is undoubtedly one of our front line midfielders. Ince not playing him was suicide.

Given the problems on the left, perhaps more effort might have been made with resident loon Sergio Peters.

I doubt we will get to see what line-up Mathias/Knox would have come up with as I will be very surprised if AN Other isn't running the show by Saturday.

Much as we all now agree that Ince was a failure, I think you are stretching it in saying Vogel would definitely have been decent for us. Ince saw him everyday, and I see no reason why he would have been prejudice against the Swiss for any reason. Something must have made him come to the decision he could not break the squad of eighteen for Rovers.

So before judging Ince on this I will wait to see what Sam or whoever comes in make of him. Certainly in terms of the formations that BFS uses Vogel could well see more of the action alongside another deep lying midfielder, but I will be fascinated to see how he performs. He never bowled me over last season - small frame, routine keep ball passing. He does a job and is decent enough, but Grella for example strikes me as a much more effective player in that role due to his physicality and technique, or indeed Tugay because of his vision and ball retention. Even Mokoena can dominate physically. Personally I think Vogel suffered because he is not an enforcer, and that is what Ince wanted. I too would hesitate to deploy him alongside Dunn or Tugay who are not the best tacklers in the game.

[Al]

I must say that I do not understand what everybody sees in Vogel. Last season the best I could say about him is 'neat and tidy'. He is not an attacker and not a defender, nor does he play the Tugay type killer passing role. I am not sure what sort of midfielder he is but he is certainly a lightweight in any role.

I am aware of his past but the present does not live up to it.

Can sombody please explain to me what his function is?

[robborover]

I am aware of his past but the present does not live up to it.

Can sombody please explain to me what his function is?

Neat and tidy sums Vogel up perfectly. I'd say Mascherano fits in a similar bracket in that he's neither a passer or a great shooter. Just break up the play and spread the ball about. At the moment we are playing ping-pong football and not controlling the game in midfield.

For me he'd be straight in the team alongside (a when-fit) Dunn.

[philipl]

Rovers to beat Stoke with a lot of fight, passion and a few scares along the way; 3-2

[Paul]

Just done something totally out of character......................put £25 on Rovers to win on Saturday. That betfair thingy is very complicated, it doesn't seem to want to accept all the bet and I'm hardly going to break the bank!! I may just go to the bookies another time

[grizfoot]

Surely it will be 4-5-1 now Big Sam's in charge he use to play pieboy on the right-wing at Bolton, maybe he'll do the same with Santa Cruz here. Cruz's best home performance was arguably against Man United were he was on the right flank and won countless headers and was generally good. So it may not be such a bad idea, well t least till we sign a proper right winger come January.

Something like this maybe:

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

--- Emerton --- Ooijer -- Samba --- Warnock

--------------- Vogel --- Tugay -----------------

-- Santa Cruz ------- Dunn -------- Pedersen

------------------- Derbyshire --------------------

[Presty On Tour]

1-0 Rovers!

Pedersen to score with some magic!

[Rob of the Rovers]

Surely it will be 4-5-1 now Big Sam's in charge he use to play pieboy on the right-wing at Bolton, maybe he'll do the same with Santa Cruz here. Cruz's best home performance was arguably against Man United were he was on the right flank and won countless headers and was generally good. So it may not be such a bad idea, well t least till we sign a proper right winger come January.

Something like this maybe:

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

--- Emerton --- Ooijer -- Samba --- Warnock

--------------- Vogel --- Tugay -----------------

-- Santa Cruz ------- Dunn -------- Pedersen

------------------- Derbyshire --------------------

I think you are spot on with your formation there, Grizfoot. Davies played the wing role brilliantly for Bolton under Allardyce, not only by winning so many headers but also by putting the full back under pressure to give away free kicks, throw ins and corners. It's not pretty but it can be very effective with the right personnel.

[sany]

2-0 Rovers

Diouf and Nolan

[Flopsy]

oh god

[PAFELL]

Rovers to beat Stoke with a lot of fight, passion and a few scares along the way; 3-2

I think the atmosphere will be totally different this game - the players will be a lot more positive - the players in my view stopped playing for Ince sometime ago - it will be different with Big Sam. Rovers will give stoke a hiding on saturday and need to do so to bring down the goal average. Was Archie Knox under BFS at Bolton?

[LeChuck]

Like others have said, I think it will be 4-5-1, but Santa Cruz will surely be the focal point. Allardyce seems to like the lone striker to be the biggest goal threat, and Derbyshire isn't that for us...you could argue he might play McCarthy there I guess. Personally I think he'll go with...

................Robinson

Ooijer Samba Nelsen Warnock

...............Mokoena

.........Dunn........Vogel

..Emerton...............Pedersen

..............Santa Cruz

Allardyce likes to play one proper holding midfielder rather than two (i.e. more 4-3-3/4-5-1 than 4-2-3-1). I think Dunn will almost certainly be our Nolan.

I suspect we'll see more of Villanueva as well, Allardyce always managed to find room for flair players at Bolton.

[Billy Castell]

It'll be like Paeschendale!

And we may finally win a game.

[RoverRich]

I wouldn't mind Big Sam going for something a little closer to 4-3-3 against Stoke, looking like this:

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

----------------------------------------------------------------Ooijer Samba Khiza Warnock

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Vogel

----------------------------------------------------------------------Emerton Dunn

-------------------------------------------------------------Derbyshire-------------Villanueva

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Santa Cruz

I reckon that would be a good line up with Vogel shieldng the back 4 and Dunn and Emerton working their socks off in the middle. Then we have Derbs and Carlos to work the channels and link up play with Santa Cruz. The other option would be to swap Derbs and McCarthy and then switch Benni with Rocky so Rocky is out wide. That is the kind of formation he played with Bolton and it worked well so if we could get the players to adapt it could work well for us. Going on the form so far this season, Pedersen, Mokoena, Nelsen and Andrews don't deserve starting places so lets try it without them.

[92er]

I wouldn't mind Big Sam going for something a little closer to 4-3-3 against Stoke, looking like this:

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

----------------------------------------------------------------Ooijer Samba Khiza Warnock

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Vogel

----------------------------------------------------------------------Emerton Dunn

-------------------------------------------------------------Derbyshire-------------Villanueva

--------------------------------------------------------------------------Santa Cruz

I reckon that would be a good line up with Vogel shieldng the back 4 and Dunn and Emerton working their socks off in the middle. Then we have Derbs and Carlos to work the channels and link up play with Santa Cruz. The other option would be to swap Derbs and McCarthy and then switch Benni with Rocky so Rocky is out wide. That is the kind of formation he played with Bolton and it worked well so if we could get the players to adapt it could work well for us. Going on the form so far this season, Pedersen, Mokoena, Nelsen and Andrews don't deserve starting places so lets try it without them.

I'm pretty sure I read yesterday that Zurab is injured.

[tcj_jones]

I've got a good feeling about this game now. I'm going for a 2-1 victory.

[RoverRich]

I'm pretty sure I read yesterday that Zurab is injured.

Ok, fair enough, put Ooijer to centre back and Simpson to right back for my team.

[The1mattjansen]

Bit of a long shot here, but I'm in Central America (Honduras) and going to try and watch this on Saturday. Now according to the fox sports website there will be a delayed showing at 8pm, but on the Spanish fox sports site the schedule appears to be all to cock and having watched last weekends matches its definately not accurate.

Does anyone know were I could find an accurate schdule for fox sports central america for this weekend, and if not then any other channel that the game might be on???

Cheers

[JAL]

How Paul Robinson thinks he should be starting in this game would be unbelievable but then Jason Brown is way too small to play against the big lads of Stoke City so i'd plum for rookie Bunn to make his debut in goals.

Bret Emmerton the only player for me to come out of the Paul Ince era with any credit should begin the game at right back who plays in front of him in the Bentley position would have to ask Bret who would be best suited to play there.

How Warnock thinks he should be playing in this game after the shambolic displays hes given us this season would be unthinkable but then young Ollson cant come in and compete with the pace and power of Stoke City so Warnock should reluctantly be given his tenth chance of the season to prove himself.

Nelsen the slowest centre half in the premier league has real competion in Andre Ooijer and thus loses his place to the Dutchman who should start alongside the big Chris Samba to counteract Stokes aerial advantage.

The midfield and attack anyones guess.

[LeChuck]

Stoke have made a few goalkeepers look silly already this season, and you'd want to throw young Bunn in on a day when all the media will be attending our game?

Madness.

[JAL]

Stoke have made a few goalkeepers look silly already this season, and you'd want to throw young Bunn in on a day when all the media will be attending our game?

Madness.

True, but what gives Robinson the right to start for me he hasnt earned the right to start the next game in goal after all the goals hes been conceding.