[Archived] Wohoo Its Sunderland Again (preview)

[Wolverine]

Just got back and there are plenty of positives.

Villanueva can perform against Premiership opposition, and the lad can tackle.

Mokoena got a good confidence boosting goal.

We know Pedersen is by far our best left winger.

Danny Simpson is certainly learning and improving, admittedly slowly, but still better than his early season performances.

Givet was very solid. He can certainly head a ball - don't think he used his feet much!

From what I saw of the banter between Andrews and Reid in the exec lounge and Tugay, Benni and Morton warming up, team spirit is very high. Good to see and very funny.

Dunn and Tugay are still great.

Despite the temperature and lack of warm clothing/movement required of him, Robbo did well.

Unbeaten now in nine games. After losing six on the trot, that is no mean feat.

I got a free pie.

As for the negatives, no point dwelling on them - let's celebrate the win, and build on this again. Villa next, come on Rovers! Let's support our team and steal a Euro place and the FA Cup!*

* Figure of speech, I do not condone theft or indeed any sort of crime. Except scrumping.

[Ozz]

Keith Treacy-None Trick Pony.

Apart from being the man on January for the the calendar thing.

[Tom]

One more thing, how the ref didn't send their number 35 off I'll never know, on a booking he commited the most blatant yellow card foul ever, ref bottled it after being surrounded by their mob.

[Mozzer]

good goal from mokoena tonight-i still think he has a future for rovers and is a decent squad man.

danny simpson-simply isnt good enough for us-championship or league 1 defender at best

keith treacy-needs to go on loan-maybe to a championship side-looked out his depth tonight i thought

villaneuva-for me our best player-delivery was outstanding-tracked back when on the wing-i always something would happen when he was on the ball-i was suprised that everytime he touched the ball someone in the crowd always shouted get him off..

gael givet-did ok..didnt do anything wrong..

[tony gale's mic]

Loved that shot of Benni going into the crowd. He's well and truly worked his way back into our good books.

[Tom]

The celebration reminded me of his celebration in the cup 2 years ago against Arsenal when he came on as sub.

Just seen the highlights and Moko's goal just gets better and better and it seems Carlos was involved in everything good we managed

[JamieUK]

Positives for me :

Villanueva had a good game. Obviously he lacks pace but could be an answer for the wing - right hand side especially where he can come onto his left foot.

Mokoena also played well - hopefully he can keep it up.

Givet fitted in straightaway.

Dunny looked superb in first half.

Zurab as solid as ever.

Sam will have had chance to get a good look at the fringe players.

Negatives :

Treacy doesnt look good enough. Looked a threat when running with the ball but too many times his final ball was shocking. Felt sorry for him at the end cos he was clearly very very knackered n was making a lot of basic mistakes.

Simpson again doesnt look good enough.

Game went to extra time ahead of an important game on Saturday.

It was bloody freezing!

Crap attendance. 10,000!

[blue and whites]

someone knows if it is possible to see the highlights anywhere on the internet?

[Presty On Tour]

Keith Treacy-None Trick Pony.

Apart from being the man on January for the the calendar thing.

I had that calendar for xmas, Tugay should be on the wall now.

Mokoena's goal was some strike!

Moko was rolling back the years tonight and playing like Lothar Matthaus of old!

[Fraserkirky]

Delighted for King Carlos sounds like he had a great game.

Would like to see him more involved in the first team.

Good result tonight.

Sounds like RSC needs to get his finger out, probably saving it for villa.

[JamieUK]

RSC was unlucky - could've had a couple of goals. Should've done better with one header but their keeper made a top save to deny another chance. He didn't have a bad game but didnt have the type he is capable of. He'll weigh in with goals between now and the end of the season.

Does anyone know who McCarthy went to when he scored his goal? Couldnt make him out on tv...

[colin]

Lawks! That was a cold one.

The highlight was The Axe's goal from outside the penalty box, outside of the right boot and it curled away into the top corner. Craig Gordon could only help it on its way.

Brilliant.

The thing is he could never do it again.

[Hughesy]

Met diouf down at ewood - very pleasant chap and very happy to stop and chat.

Just got back. Went the game, then for some tea, came back, now bedtime and up at 5am to drive to Stansted!!!! OMG!

Game - We should of put them out of sight in the normal 90 mins, we had plenty of chances.

Givet - Wasnt it him at fault for the goal?? Other than that, did well.

Carlos - Without a doubt MAN OF MATCH. Created at least 7 clear cut chances which we didnt take. Great set pieces too.

Mokoena - Very good game from him and a stunning goal too.

Benni - Also did very well when he came on, he is class on the ball.

TREACY - AWFUL!!!!! He is never premier league standard. Sorry just awful.

Simpson - 50/50 - Some good, some dodgy moments too.

Anyway holiday for me tomorrow - off skiing in Austria. Hope we beat Villa on saturday, il try and watch it over there.

[Tris]

Early team news- Benni and Dunn will be rested; Roque and Simpson both start.

I think it's time you started prefacing statements like this with "I think" or "maybe" or "my mate told me". Nobody else throws out speculation as fact on this messageboard quite like you do .... and 99% of Rovers fans would have worked out RSC and Simpson would start.

It also sounds like Keith Treacy was good for most of the 120 minutes as well

worst player on the pitch by a country mile ...

Positives from the game from the Blackburn End -

1) We're through to R5 ... and if we don't beat Coventry to take our place in the last 8 it will be inexcusable.

2) Carlos Villanueva. The manager is going to have to start finding him a place on the bench for PL games, because he can change things.

3) Gael Givet. Peter Jackson's lot made him MoM as they tend to do with debutants. For me, he was ok, good signs of better to come, certainly not a minus.

[thenodrog]

Villanueva got 120 minutes against Premier League opposition and pinged in the free kick from which Benni scored the winner. It also sounds like Keith Treacy was good for most of the 120 minutes as well whilst Givet got Man of the Match. However, it seems that Simpson had some dodgy moments.

Dunno where you got that from. Treacy was bloody awful and worsening by the minute. Simmo was crap too.

Charlie Newhouse? As I have said before he is so creative and is our best dead ball kicker by some distance BUT the rest of his game is not good enough to put him in midfield in a 4-4-2. Nor is it good enough to comtemplate making him a 5m signing. If we had a 4-5-1 then oK but what do we do then with Roberts and Benny?

Givet looks the real deal! I wonder if Warnock is any good on the left wing? We may find out before long.

[jim mk2]

Villanueva can perform against Premiership opposition, .

Against Sunderland reserves maybe but for the Prem the lad is too small and cannot run, which is something of an impediment in a league full of strapping athletes.

[philipl]

Honestly Tris, you are a hoot!!!

Early team news - the LT and other papers with quotes on Tuesday (I think I had posted the link somewhere)

Keith Treacy - the chap doing the Sky minute by minute seemed quite impressed- obviously boobed.

[Presty On Tour]

Phil Dowd has to have a mention as he was center of attention.

Kay the Sunderland full back was already on a yellow card when he committed a foul which was deserving of a 2nd yellow card. The ref let it slide and the defender then got away with it again with another awful challenge.

Phil Dowd obvious thought this was a friendly and waved away the players reaction. About 5 minutes later, Kay was then subbed for Bardsley.

I don't like seeing players sent off but this is the elite.

Fair enough we won the game and I'm delighted we are in the next round but if Sunderland did go down to 10, perhaps we could have won it in normal time and saved the legs. If we had lost, this decision by Dowd would of clearly been an issue.

The commentator on Radio Lancs asked Steven Reed what he thought of the ref and the response was "he's having a bad 5 minutes" to which the reply was "I think he's been having a shocker all game!"

On a side note, I thought Reed done alright in the commentary box tonight. Shame he's not on the pitch though.

[The Harwood Yankee]

Givet looks the real deal! I wonder if Warnock is any good on the left wing? We may find out before long.

Or even if Givet can switch over to right back to cover the absent Emerton? Lucas Neill made the opposite switch without too much fuss to accommodate Emerton at right back. Cant see Warnock playing right back as he's so one footed. Simpson doesnt seem good enough. And I'm still unsure of Oiijer at right back pace-wise.

[HilliRovers]

Relieved to be through. Carlos was superb, his consistency with set pieces is such an asset to the team and I think he hasn't been given enough of a chance. Even when he did have his little run in the team, giving the ball away a bit, his delivery was always class. It pains me to say caus I love the guy, but mortens set pieces have become unacceptable, I can no longer envision his free-kicks flying into the top corner. I'ts frustrating having Carlos on the squad and not using him, especially when we're in a position where we need some kind of injection of anything! The guy obviously has talent and its time Sam at least put him on as a sub.

[American]

It may have sounded that way, but it sounded wrong. He was crap. No other way to describe his performance really.

The way you worded that just made me laugh.

Good to see Carlos having a good match and am wondering if this means we'll see more of Zura.

[modes98]

which is something of an impediment in a league full of strapping athletes.

Strange. When I have watched him play for the first team this season he has looked very accomplished. Spreading the play well and getting space by using skill. The Villa game especially, he was the player allowing the midfield to break forward.

The issue for me has to be fitting him into the team. He doesn't score enough to warrant a place up front and isn't defensive enough for a CM slot, so that leaves the wings.

Good display and came up against yet another keeper making a string of top saves.

[boris bear]

Didn´t the Mackems knock us out about 5 years back?

I remember that match, it was a bitterly cold night and we equalized right at the end to go to extra time then lost on pens.

[Mike Graham]

I remember that match, it was a bitterly cold night and we equalized right at the end to go to extra time then lost on pens.

yep, I was there,with about 75 other Rovers fans on a very very cold night

[alexanders]

Anyone got the Highlights?