[Archived] Middlesbrough Vs Rovers Preview

[BuckyRover]

Which he used well. Grella was a good signing.

If we are signing Crouch for 10m, then Sam had more money. I just don't think we can continue blaming Ince for everything, he wasn't even here that long.

I think Diouf could be a good signing. Shame he couldn't play today.

[Exiled_Rover]

It was a game we couldn't afford to lose and we didn't. I'm pleased that the defence has been shored up, we don't look like we're going to concede a goal at every opportunity anymore. We'll have enough to survive methinks.

[novella]

Just got back from the game, have to say, was very confident at the back. Samba was a rock.

Dont blame roberts for the header at the end, he did everything right with the header and i thought it was creeping in, it was a superb save from brad jones.

[Guest Kamy100]

Looking at the stats for the game it does appear that we dominated:

Middlesbrough Team Statistics Blackburn Rovers

0 Goals 0

0 1st Half Goals 0

1 Shots on Target 9

3 Shots off Target 7

4 Blocked Shots 2

3 Corners 9

[novella]

Looking at the stats for the game it does appear that we dominated:

Middlesbrough Team Statistics Blackburn Rovers

0 Goals 0

0 1st Half Goals 0

1 Shots on Target 9

3 Shots off Target 7

4 Blocked Shots 2

3 Corners 9

Yeah we did, boro were absolutely shocking, we looked like the home team. The referee gave some shocking decisions as well. At least two of the boro shots came from freekicks. I like boro but i honestly think they are in deep deep trouble. Dunn looked good when he came on and Tugay was pinging the ball around nicely. Thought pedersen was our worst player but even then he wasnt terrible.

[philipl]

Thanks Kamy for restoring some sanity to this thread.

I prefer Sam doing draws to Ince doing defeat after defeat after defeat after defeat after defeat after defeat....

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

We won't know how all these dropped points will effect us until we start playing some of the big boys. I think some people seem to be assuming we won't pick up points - when historically Sam has a good record against the big clubs.

Aston Villa is a huge test - get any form of result - and the confidence will continue to grow.

We have some difficult games - mixed in with some winnable ones - so it isn't all doom and gloom.

Lets all get to Ewood and cheer on the lads.

[Plastic Head]

I know this is obvious but what we need is for 3 teams to be worse than us over the next 3 months.

If I had to bet my life on whether we will go down or stay up I really wouldn't know which way to call. It's 50-50 for me.

We will need to pick up points against the top 6 to stay up though.

You would think that on the back of an 8 match unbeaten run we would be very optimistic, but it doesn't seem that way.

Villa may be running out of steam a little but given the first half displays against Newcastle and Bolton they might be out of sight by then.

Please Sam....keep Andrews well away from the team or he will take us down.

[JAL]

Next we have Brad visiting his old stomping ground after the cup gmae at home to Sunderland.

Think the new fitness regime is beginning to kick in with the Rovers players along with the addition of Diouf and providing Grella and Dunny are fit we have more than enough to trouble Villa.

Keep the faith !!!

[Ossydave]

I'm pretty sure WBA will go down, and also Boro.

The final place is anyones guess. Our unbeaten run sounds impressive, but at the end of the day draws will not keep us up

[spencey7]

I don't think it's looking good for Newcastle...

Their remaining fixtures:

Newcastle v Sunderland

West Brom v Newcastle

Newcastle v Everton

Bolton v Newcastle

Newcastle v Man Utd

Hull v Newcastle

Newcastle v Arsenal

Newcastle v Chelsea

Stoke v Newcastle

Tottenham v Newcastle

Newcastle v Portsmouth

Liverpool v Newcastle

Newcastle v Middlesbrough

Newcastle v Fulham

Aston Villa v Newcastle

They have to go to West Brom, Bolton, Stoke and Spurs, all of whom will fancy their chances, and they've got to play The Big Four and Villa as well.

With Owen crocked again, performances getting gradually more abysmal and the biggest laughing stock in the Premiership in charge, I think I'd rather be a Rover than a Barcode.

[rover6]

Yet another draw, this is all very reminiscent of the season we went down, drew to many games and then when the crunch game in the last 10 games we couldn't handle the pressure.

Yes, I couldn't help but think that too.

Brian Kidd came along and suddenly we were scrapping and picking up creditable draws. Lyon? Jason Wilcox as lone forward? Manager of the Month. But those one-pointers proved inadequate in the grand scheme.

However, it's worth reminding ourselves that we have much more quality now, our manager has much more valid experience and no Dailly or Peacock in sight.

[Presty On Tour]

Any update on the Emerton injury?

I'm not to bothered about the injury to Andrews in all honesty.

[thenodrog]

Yes, so Ince had 9 weeks and Allardyce 7.

But Allardyce is much more experienced and you would expect a better scouting network.

I am happy with a point however

At last! Well done Bucky! For about the first time ever in my recollection you are spot on with something! So have you any idea why tf we didn't appoint Allardyce asap that Hughes had left instead of an inexperienced pratt with a rubbish backroom staff? We are not made of money yet we even paid compensation to MK bloody Dons for the dud when there would have been none at all to pay for Allardyce. The entire episode is so out of character for the board at BRFC and imo absolutely beggars belief.

[BuckyRover]

Because his first choice for a striker is Crouch.

We know what football will be served up from now on.

It certainly is effective.

[thenodrog]

Because his first choice for a striker is Crouch.

We know what football will be served up from now on.

It certainly is effective.

You are wrong you know. There will be some long balls and some passing play which is necessary in todays game. With our team long ball stuff is no good unless RSC is on the park is it? Furthermore with the likes of Grella, Benny, Tugay, Diouf and Dunny I think we will see lots of quality play. It seems that SA wants the forwards supplied quickly (unlike the dud) whilst defenders are on the back foot. Long boots from Robinson are not the only way of providing this.

[imy9]

Because his first choice for a striker is Crouch.

We know what football will be served up from now on.

It certainly is effective.

As opposed to Ince's first choice of... Robbie Fowler? Andrews? What kind of football would you expect from them?

[BuckyRover]

As opposed to Ince's first choice of... Robbie Fowler? Andrews? What kind of football would you expect from them?

Brilliant.

Keep up the good work.

I am not anti Allardyce. It's just that I read enough comment when he was Bolton/Newcastle manager to know what is going to happen. Unless in his 11 months out of the game changed his entire footballing philosophy.

I like Crouch as a player, but like when he played for England, his height encourages people to always look for the long ball. Not pretty, but definitely effective.

[sambo]

I'm probably going to get slaughtered for this but i went and we played well, we had the lion share of the chances and were desperately unlucky not to win it. Our energy levels seemed impressive, by the end Boro couldn't keep the ball.

[Parsonblue]

The first half was disappointing and again highlighted that a central midfield pairing of Andrews and Grella is not good enough. I lost count of the times that they gave the ball away. Pedersen was also very poor during the first half and Benni and Roque had no service at all.

Things improved once Tugay and Dunn came on and began to dominate the midfield. At the back we were excellent during the whole game. Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen and Warnock are developing into a very good unit and Robinson didn't have a save to make.

It was pleasing to note that the Rovers got stronger as the game went on. I thought we totally dominated the last twenty minutes or so but couldn't find the killer pass to put someone free in the box. Roberts was unfortunate with the header as it was a brillant save from the keeper.

In general I came away today feeling that the club are going in the right direction under Big Sam and that he has had a very positive influence on several players who were struggling under Ince. If Sam had been here from the start of the season I don't think we would have been in the position we are now.

Obviously the inability to win games is a cause for concern and we are now getting into a situation where points are going to have to be won against the likes of Villa and Everton at home and the 'big' four away.

I still feel that it will be touch and go with regard to survival. I believe we gave Ince too much time and Big Sam hasn't - as yet - been given the finances with which to do the job.

If we do survive this season there is going to have to be a major rethink with regard the financing of the playing staff. I think today showed just how weak we are in the centre of midfield and on the left wing. Once again, we have no one to put pressure on Pedersen to keep him on his toes, while Dunn - who has injury problems - and Tugay - at 38 - remain our best central midfield pairing.

[47er]

Portsmouth and Newcastle are in free-fall though and Hull haven't won in months. At least a relegation rival dropped 2 points at home. JW said we needed 9 wins when Sam was appointed-we should already have 5 of them I know but our current points to games ratio under Sam is enough to see us home.

[47er]

Which he used well. Grella was a good signing.

If we are signing Crouch for 10m, then Sam had more money. I just don't think we can continue blaming Ince for everything, he wasn't even here that long.

I think Diouf could be a good signing. Shame he couldn't play today.

Please give it a rest. Ince was effing aweful and totally to blame for where we are today. You've invested too much emotional energy defending a failure to give up now but frankly you are becoming boring.

[BuckyRover]

Be quiet.

You have only been here 5 minutes.

All I am saying, is that a we can't blame a 0-0 draw against Middlesbrough on the 30th January on Ince. He is long gone.

Or should we blame Ince's results on Hughes and they way he left the team?

Same as we can't blame him for throwing points away against Man City, Bolton and Sunderland.

[grinder]

Whilst I agree 3 points would have been good today I think we all need to look at the bigger picture. Whilst we are having too many draws you need to look at some of our rivals and I am sure their fans are more concerned than us. Starting with 'Boro themselves, whilst we only got a point, they were the home team - apparently awful and are below us in the league with no form at all. Portsmouth are heading as far south league wise as they are geographically. They have no form, can't buy a point and (for me) are dead certs for relegation. Stoke won - whoopee but BELIEVE me they will not stay above us. Add West Brom, a rapidly falling Hull, Spurs in tatters and dead in the water Barcodes - we are the only team amongst that lot showing shoots of improvement. I am sure their fans feel they are in a worse position than we are.

Anyway I have just been looking at our remaining fixtures and have not used rose-tinted glasses at all as you will see. I belive that we will get 21 more points between now and the end of the season at worst. I have not predicted wins where we have no chance, nor have I given us a point based in a prayer. Here is my remainder of the season and believe we will finish (based on this) on 44 points - whether thats enough to stay up we will just have to see. Remember this my WORST case scenario as I am sure there are more points to be made.

Villa (H) 1 point

Manure (A) 0 points

Hull (A) 3 points (yes you hear me correct - they are truly struggling and I still believe they will be in trouble

Everton (H) 1 point

Fulham (A) 1 point

Arse (A) 0 points

West Ham (H) 1 point

Spuds (H) 1 point

You can see that up to this point I am certainly not flattering us - 8 points in 8 games!!!

Liverpool (A) 0 points

Stoke (A) 3 points

Wigan (H) 3 points

Citeh (A) 1 point

Pompey (H) 3 points

Chelsea (A) 0 points

WBA (H) 3 points

21 points - TOTAL 44 points

I need to get a hobby!!

First post on here but long time reader and even longer supporter (Peterborough at home'71 Jimmy Mullen broke his leg lost 0-1 if anyone remembers). Tend to agree with above, slightly optimistically my calcs got us to 45 pts but we need to convert chances better than we have been doing or we will be really scrabbling.

Not a great fan of Diouf but if played on the right will allow Dunny if fit to slot to centre mid with Tugs/Grella and bring more balance. at least we didn't concede - in the home game against Boro we looked like we were going to concede every time they crossed the halfway line and looked relegation fodder. Its tight but there are teams in freefall eg Portsmouth /Newcastle. Hang on in there and keep the faith !

[47er]

Be quiet.

You have only been here 5 minutes.

All I am saying, is that a we can't blame a 0-0 draw against Middlesbrough on the 30th January on Ince. He is long gone.

Or should we blame Ince's results on Hughes and they way he left the team?

Same as we can't blame him for throwing points away against Man City, Bolton and Sunderland.

Bit defensive there Bucky! You think Ince bought well? Sam has to use those players!