[Archived] Rovers Vs Villa Preview 7th Feb K.o 3pm

[stuwilky]

To be expected under Fat Sam.

Looks like we have sold all 5000 tickets.

Any danger of the game falling foul of the weather?

If youve sold them you will get more Im sure.

Unlikely as it stands at the moment, but the forecast isnt great.

[Fraserkirky]

I also have seen Villa a fair few times this season. obviously MON has done a great job there, and there playing very effective football. They have however been very fortunate alot this season, especially on the road. Got a good feeling about the game on saturday, we really do need a win.

My team for saturday would be

Robinson

Ooijer Samba Nelson Givet

Grella Warnock

Diouf Santa Cruz Villaneuva

McCarthy

Big team there to deal with there set pieces and to attack ours. I would tell Givet and Ooijer to not even consider going down the wings.

[Balwer]

I also have seen Villa a fair few times this season. obviously MON has done a great job there, and there playing very effective football. They have however been very fortunate alot this season, especially on the road. Got a good feeling about the game on saturday, we really do need a win.

My team for saturday would be

Robinson

Ooijer Samba Nelson Givet

Grella Warnock

Diouf Santa Cruz Villaneuva

McCarthy

Big team there to deal with there set pieces and to attack ours. I would tell Givet and Ooijer to not even consider going down the wings.

Warnock gets his first start in the midfield in however long over Dunn? You're a brave man to unleash that against Gareth Barry.

[Amo]

If only Givet could play Right Back.

I thought he could?

[Presty On Tour]

Givet can play right back and I think he may start there on Saturday.

Young, although he plays on the left, likes his right foot and does cut inside perhaps favoring a left footed right back?

[Fraserkirky]

Warnock gets his first start in the midfield in however long over Dunn? You're a brave man to unleash that against Gareth Barry.

You wanna play dunn twice in 4 days think you could be a brave man!

A fully fit dunn would get into my first team. The team I picked had two holding midfielder's in it, if I was to play dunn in that formation it would be further foward.

[TrentVilla]

If youve sold them you will get more Im sure.

Unlikely as it stands at the moment, but the forecast isnt great.

Thats good news.

We've sold out the lower tier and tickets going quickly in the upper.

[joey_big_nose]

I also have seen Villa a fair few times this season. obviously MON has done a great job there, and there playing very effective football. They have however been very fortunate alot this season, especially on the road. Got a good feeling about the game on saturday, we really do need a win.

My team for saturday would be

Robinson

Ooijer Samba Nelson Givet

Grella Warnock

Diouf Santa Cruz Villaneuva

McCarthy

Big team there to deal with there set pieces and to attack ours. I would tell Givet and Ooijer to not even consider going down the wings.

I like that team. An extraordinary amount of technical quality there with Diouf, Carlos, Cruz and McCarthy. I also agree that we need to play the flattest of flat back fours to protect Robinson. No maurading full backs what so ever.

However I cannot see how Pedersen won't play as he had a decent game last week and is physical, alongside the fact our Chilean played a match and extra time. Plus Dunn will surely start as he was brought off in the second half.

Plus the unsung hero for us is Roberts who even when he doesn't have the ball looks to stretch teams in a way that none of our other players do. When he isn't on the pitch Rovers look compressed and contained despite his mistakes on the ball. His pace and strength alone force the opposition to drop deper. Admittedly he played 120 mins yesterday but he must feature at some point. Otherwise the Villa defence coud win the physical battle.

[BRFC1995]

i'd say givet must be settled now and for the money he is apparently on there is no way he is here just to be cover for warnock, and i don't see warnock being dropped. Sam ain't gonna drop roberts, who finishing aside is playing out of his skin. And against villa we need all the height possible so i'd go like this;

Robinson

Ooijer/(Warnock) Nelsen Samba Givet

Diouf Warnock/(Grella) Dunn Pedersen

Roberts Santa

would not be suprised to see moko in starting line up in place of dunn, don't recall what diouf is like for tracking back.

[Amo]

Noo, I don't wanna see Warnock in midfield. He's back in his rightful position. Shuffle Givet into right-back and we're sorted.

[Mozzer]

givet is left footed-new to the league

the last thing you want is him up against ashley young..

[philipl]

givet is left footed-new to the league

the last thing you want is him up against ashley young..

The lad is 28, has played all the way through to a Champions League Final and won 13 caps for France. I know the PL is tough and fast but he is hardly a player who should need an excess of cotton wool wrapping round him.

Any way, the encouraging aspect of yesterday's performance and the last few posts is that right now Sam has a number of choices he can make despite Brett's terrible injury.

[Mr. E]

GK

Ooijer Nelson Samba Givet

Diouf Dunn Grella Warnock

Roberts Benni

with Carlos, Cruz and Tugay as potential subs.

not good, but best i can see. Warnock is much better going forward than he is defending, and MGP is just too inconsistent.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

i'd say givet must be settled now and for the money he is apparently on there is no way he is here just to be cover for warnock, and i don't see warnock being dropped. Sam ain't gonna drop roberts, who finishing aside is playing out of his skin. And against villa we need all the height possible so i'd go like this;

Robinson

Ooijer/(Warnock) Nelsen Samba Givet

Diouf Warnock/(Grella) Dunn Pedersen

Roberts Santa

would not be suprised to see moko in starting line up in place of dunn, don't recall what diouf is like for tracking back.

Sam dropped Roberts last week against Boro, so would not be surprised to see him benched again.

[TrentVilla]

givet is left footed-new to the league

the last thing you want is him up against ashley young..

Oh I don't know, sounds ok to me.

[Tom 1]

So many people in the thread speaking as if football pans out in the logical way every match. My fave is the Nelsen/Samba to have Carew/Heskey in pocket line, that won't ever be the case.

Villa win for me and 7 on the road would be amazing, having seen Blackburn would be v.disappointed to lose but maybe not that surprised with a draw.

[tucker]

Well to be honest having seen Villa on the road recently I would be dissapointed with a Rovers defeat. Villa have been nicking one nill wins away from home and they haven't really been playing at home ground fortresses. I feel if we concentrate defensively and play for 90 minutes (unlike Hull and West Ham) we can get a positive result.

[Majiball]

Right lads its simply nothing less than a victory will do for me!!

This is the one day of the year you can't let me down.

Not only do I have money on the win, but its key I do not go out on the back of a defeat.

2-1 Rovers with me celebrating till I either get sent home or fall down!

[philipl]

This is not a game to concede the first goal in- Villa have won all games they were first to score in, presumably because of their pace on the counter.

I suspect tomorrow will be chess football with Sam setting the Rovers up not to be vulnerable on the counter-attack. For Rovers to win, I suspect the decisive goal will have to come late in the game. What we don't need is a Brad solo show like he used to do so often for us.

[Bobby G]

Emotional return for the legend.

Roque has a point to prove and Diouf will be itching to play. If ever we are going to beat this form team, it is now.

[CAPT KAYOS]

This is not a game to concede the first goal in

Beat me to it philipl l - definitely the one we need to take the lead in as I am poisitve we will not see the comebacks we have seen in the last two home games.

[Sparky Marky]

Sam dropped Roberts last week against Boro, so would not be surprised to see him benched again.

And that's where he deserves to be. You don't find Hughes looking to pay £20m for Roberts.

[modes98]

givet is left footed-new to the league

the last thing you want is him up against ashley young..

He was fine up against Edwards, who rover6 said would tear him apart. Equally Young plays on the left side of Villas attack, more often than not, so I would be more worried about Ooijer!

[Iceman]

Beat me to it Modes. Young does tend to play down the left quite a bit. I think people expect Givet to play right back tomorrow, as i cant see Sam letting a slow Ooijer go up against Young, or is that just me hoping Ooijer doesnt play tomorrow.

[DeadlyDirk]

He was fine up against Edwards, who rover6 said would tear him apart. Equally Young plays on the left side of Villas attack, more often than not, so I would be more worried about Ooijer!

Yep as I mentioned earlier this worries me, I was keen for Simpson to play against Sunderland to see if his pace could help nullify Young's threat but Simpson showed nothing against Sunderland to suggest he is ready for Saturday. With Emerton our unfortunately Ooijer is the only option. At least he will help on set pieces against Carew or Heskey but he will certainly have his work cut out for him on Saturday.

It really is a massive test down the right, surely we can't play 4-4-2 with Diouf on the right, where is the cover? Bit of a gamble to change to a 4-5-1/4-2-3-1 though without realy having time to work on it, should be an interesting decision for BFS.