[Archived] Sunderland Preview

[rover6]

Something tells me this is going to be a dullard of a game. Two solid sides with solid managers with solid players trying to solidify their league positions.

Apart from the league positions, I was near enough.

What I want to know is who won the battle of the ex-Man U, Fergie Fudgling, non-entity full backs: Danny Simpson or Phil Bardsley.

Did Gamst deign to use that 24/7 vaseline-smothered magic right foot which he keeps for special occasions?

Did Aaron Mokoena take his lumberjack gear off before he entered the arena where "all men are equal"?

And did Roque Cruz look like a man trying to locate Manchester whilst playing football?

All answers welcome.

[Presty On Tour]

Positives:

Replay is at home

In the hat for the next round

Another clean sheet

Givet made his debut

Negatives:

Grella injury worry

The draw messed up my double with Swansea

[T4E]

Didn't want a replay, we've already got the Fulham game to play outside of the regular schedule. Would rather we'd lost today to be honest.

[Tris]

Didn't want a replay, we've already got the Fulham game to play outside of the regular schedule. Would rather we'd lost today to be honest.

There's 35 days between the Sunderland replay and playing Fulham - I'm sure the poor darlings will pull themselves round in time.

And it's hardly outside the regular schedule, when the regular schedule itself has two midweek games between now and Fulham as well.

Certainly way OTT to want the team to lose when a draw has kept us in the hat for tomorrow.

[T4E]

There's 35 days between the Sunderland replay and playing Fulham - I'm sure the poor darlings will pull themselves round in time.

Not the point I was making Tris as you fine well know. We'll be playing the replay midweek when many of our relegation rivals wont have to play.

[1864roverite]

Just an update re the fans ejected from the corporate areas.

Sunderland fans were goading Roves fans about RSC when it was noticed a City representative sat in the stand who was being given stick by a Rovers supporter. When the Rovers fans got up to give the clapping back 3 got ejected by over zealous stewards.

A few mins later the same Sunderland fans went again and it finished with 2 more Rovers fans being ejected and the rest being moved back inside the stand. There was NO fighting and no ABUSE it was good humoured when the morons who were stewards stepped in and created something out of nothing.

[novella]

Not the point I was making Tris as you fine well know. We'll be playing the replay midweek when many of our relegation rivals wont have to play.

But on the plus side, we can get 3 points that many of our relegation rivals have already lost.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

A replay we really could do without.

[FourLaneBlue]

Didn't want a replay, we've already got the Fulham game to play outside of the regular schedule. Would rather we'd lost today to be honest.

All depends who we get in the draw though. A winnable game and we will be looking at a cup run which should lift spirits throughout the club. Away to the top 4 and we will be thinking it really is a waste of time.

Do not underestimate the morale-lifting qualities of a cup run. If we were in another competition as well I would agree with your point but I am sure our squad can manage with the league and the FA Cup for a little while longer.

Here´s hoping for the Dingles at home. A draw that would have terrified me under Ince would be a fantastic prospect under Allardyce.

[Tris]

Not the point I was making Tris as you fine well know. We'll be playing the replay midweek when many of our relegation rivals wont have to play.

So what? If anything it's a good thing, playing proper matches is far more valuable than endless training. Why do you think they arrange behind closed doors fixtures (like Huddersfield the other day)?

If we were having to play a load of European games then fair enough ... but these players can cope with the odd cup replay no problem, and the manager can also use it to look closer at more fringe candidates.

Staying in the competition is definitely a plus not a minus.

[leftfooter]

Didn't want a replay, we've already got the Fulham game to play outside of the regular schedule. Would rather we'd lost today to be honest.

Always thought you were just a CYBER fan.

Swindon must play strange tricks on the mind.

AND you even edited that cr*p?

[ztizan]

cant really see what we are wining about! manu, chelsea, arsenal og pool allways play more games than us becasuse CL...

in my opinon its positive... i love watching games from my beloved ROVERS!

cheers

[Amo]

cant really see what we are wining about! manu, chelsea, arsenal og pool allways play more games than us becasuse CL...

They also have bigger and better squads than us.

Disappointed with yet ANOTHER game against Sunderland, but nice to get a clean sheet away from home.

[John]

edit, wrong thread!

[nellybc]

i just hope its reduced prices or its gonna be a poor gate

today was just so not pretty although if mortens shot had gone in the game could have been so different

was nice to see givet get on, from my position looked like he made some good tackles, but i was quite low down so didnt get that good a view of him at the other end

carlos was very poor when he came on - cant for the life of me see that he could be anything like 5m.

warnock was very good, not sure if he was booked, but always organising the back line

robinson - caught a couple of good balls in the second half, although did spill a shot but saved the rebound in the 1st half

axe - i hope somebody comes in for him

martin - tried to pass ball on floor but nothing over exciting

roque - my old man thinks he's lame!!

benni - nice little flicks but looked tired towards the end

grella - hope he is ok but the game seemed to pass him by today - mainly as it went over the midfields heads

howarth - like the impressions the lad gives off, looked like he was trying too hard to make an impact today - keen to get past his man - final ball left a lot to be desired

nelsen and samba - performed admirably with the ariel onslaught, made somewhat easier for 70mins with them playing 2 small lads up front until there superhero came on (thats "kenwynne's off to tottenham")

simpson - one of his better games in a rovers shirt with some solid defending - not much going forward but considering we never really passed the ball at all its was not a suprise

mgp - right wing - might as well have been playing at ewood - very ineffective on that side although did get into the centre for his effort on goal

[frosty]

Went today, not the best game it has to be said! The defence is looking solid though, which is good.

[meerkat]

Good run out for the team and a clean sheet.

How anyone can moan about that, and possible progression in the cup, is beyond me.

[sambo]

I went today and we were the better team, end product let us down constantly, eg Villenueva playing a poor pass when he should have shot and Haworth skinning the man then putting an awful ball in. IMO Samba was immense today.

[Billy Castell]

Annoying that we have to have a replay, but it is another clean sheet, our defence is looking solid, and it maintains the momentum I always go on about.

[Alan75]

i just hope its reduced prices or its gonna be a poor gate

£15 ADULT £5 JUNIOR

4TH FEB 8pm ko.

[Neil Weaver]

First half dull, dull, dull. Second half not bad. Thought Olsson - at left wing - was awful, and it was only when Haworth came on and MGP could move back to the left, that we started looking a bit more like. Until then we'd no width at all. Incidentally, thought Haworth looked fairly lively - as was said earlier, final ball was lacking but he was willing to run at defenders and got past em more often than not. To me Roque doesn't look as sharp as he did last season, no complaints from me about the effort he's putting in though.

Defence looking solid these days : Samba and Nelsen seem in control of things in the centre whilst Warnock does some terrific tackling and blocking.

[Roost]

Good run out for the team and a clean sheet.

How anyone can moan about that, and possible progression in the cup, is beyond me.

Agree.

A good solid performance away from home, clean sheet and great promise showed by Haworth when he came on.

This is the FA Cup - apart from avoiding relegation and Burnley missing out of the play-off spots, its the only thing left that would give us a chance at happiness this season.

One Love - BRFC

[Mr Creosote]

All depends who we get in the draw though. A winnable game and we will be looking at a cup run which should lift spirits throughout the club. Away to the top 4 and we will be thinking it really is a waste of time.

Do not underestimate the morale-lifting qualities of a cup run. If we were in another competition as well I would agree with your point but I am sure our squad can manage with the league and the FA Cup for a little while longer.

Here´s hoping for the Dingles at home. A draw that would have terrified me under Ince would be a fantastic prospect under Allardyce.

Absolutely no way do we want to play those ***** at the moment. About time that b****** Coyle found a proper club.

[nellybc]

£15 ADULT £5 JUNIOR

4TH FEB 8pm ko.

Excellent news!!

[Fife Rover]

Absolutely no way do we want to play those ***** at the moment. About time that b****** Coyle found a proper club.

Might be wrong, but I think I detected a faint clucking sound in that Mr. C.