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

[jim mk2]

I'm more worried about relegation now than at any other point this season.

[USABlue]

Wouldn't you know, I start posting again and we lose. Based on what I saw today we are still in deep deep do do. Is it United next? So no joy there then. Some very poor reffing today, two very decent penalty shouts and a flat refusal to give us any sort of free kick in a danger area. Is handball still against the rules or has something changed? Not griping he made some very poor decisions on both ends of the park today. Could some one sort out our players footwear we seemed to do a lot of slipping today. Oh and our Mr Robinson in goal, well he scares the b'jeebers out of me.

[speeeeeeedie]

Overall we were well beaten by a better side. As always though there are talking points.

The ref didn't have his best day. He disallowed a goal for Heskey for who knows what. We could have had 3 pens; Barry on McCarthy, Knight on Roberts, and Knight on Santa Cruz. I think we should have had 1 of them.

Both goals were a bit farcical. The 1st was lazy marking off a corner. The 2nd started with Nelsen hoofing one back to Robinson for a corner, and ended with him deflecting it in after Warnock passed it straight to Agbonlahor on the edge of our box.

Milner was excellent as were their central defenders, but we made life easy for them at times.

[Balwer]

At least other results went our way. The only one I would say wasn't quite in our favour was the Hull draw with Chelsea.

Hoping Pompey lose now and Spurs tomorrow.

[tony gale's mic]

I am officially worried. We have a load of hard games coming up and if Sam keeps making selections like that we could be in the mire.

When oh WHEN will managers learn that playing half your team out of position doesn't work?!

And if he's going to bench Santa for games like this he should have just sold him.

[Iceman]

Why dunn was taken off i dont know. Givet should have started instead of Ooijer. Diouf ahead of Andrews by a countrt mile and Cruz ahead of Roberts. Sam got it totally wrong today.

[kandi]

What is the point of Sam keeping hold of Rocky when he won't even start him in games like this?!

[Mr. E]

(Please don't use that word again)ed by the ref (Please don't use that word again) off o'neill you bald ugly (Please don't use that word again)ing jam jar bottomed glassesed blind #### boring (Please don't use that word again) brummies talk like ######, what a stupid (Please don't use that word again)ing accent

Jeez, man, stop your moaning.

[jim mk2]

I am officially worried. .

When were you unofficially worried and what is the difference between the two ?

[Dan]

Hah, fair enough. It was hard to make out anything because of the overly-enthusiastic Asian commentators.

No kidding, they'd start to orgasm when a player got the ball in the box, with his back to goal. I am biased but we could have and maybe should have 2 or 3 pens today.

Jeez, man, stop your moaning.

(Please don't use that word again) off, I am ###### off with the refereeing not moaning about everything to do with Rovers like you do, you stupid ####.

[Presty On Tour]

Disappointed big time!

Dunn is a central midfielder

Grella is very very slow

Pedersen is left midfield

Ooijer is not a right back

Robbo is @#/? dealing with crosses!

Andrews shouldn't be in the 16

The ref was abysmal.

We deserved nothing because I don't think Friedel had a save to make.

[Mr. E]

No kidding, they'd start to orgasm when a player got the ball in the box, with his back to goal. I am biased but we could have and maybe should have 2 or 3 pens today.

(Please don't use that word again) off, I am ###### off with the refereeing not moaning about everything to do with Rovers like you do, you stupid ####.

oh, so if it wasn't for the refereeing we would have gotten something out of the game? And we wouldn't be, as usual this season, in the bottom 3?

and you are welcome to point out anything that I've alluded to that hasn't been repeated 100X in the posts following mine.

[tony gale's mic]

When were you unofficially worried and what is the difference between the two ?

It's as opposed to being "concerned" as we had been since Sam took charge due to our position. I've been pro-Sam from the start but today's selection and tactics were abysmal as was the resulting performance. We had six easy games to start with and now we have a much harder run of fixtures coming up.

Our next 6 games are:

United (A)

Hull (A)

Everton (H)

Fulham (A)

Arsenal (A)

West Ham (H)

We'll lose at the Emirates and OT, we'll be lucky if we get draws vs Everton and Fulham, and West Ham are resurgent under Zola and are in fantastic form. Even Hull is an away game and given that we didnt finish off Sunderland or Boro away then it's very possible we won't win there either. It's hard to predict more than 6 points from the next 6 games which would still leave us in the mire.

That Hull game is a must win game IMO.

[KoNG]

Great defence tonight that we struggled to get through.

was dunn injured? Very weird half time sub.

[Dan]

oh, so if it wasn't for the refereeing we would have gotten something out of the game? And we wouldn't be, as usual this season, in the bottom 3?

and you are welcome to point out anything that I've alluded to that hasn't been repeated 100X in the posts following mine.

If the penalty had been given late on at 0-1 we would have got at least a point.

[Plastic Head]

Keith Andrews.

I can't post what I would like to say about this zero, coz I would like to continue posting.

But maybe i'll get away with...

Keith Andrews......you're a ******, you're a ******.

Now definately THE worst player to (dis)grace the blue and white halves since 1970.

[chocky]

Let's be honest and say how many of expected anything from this match. I didn't for one. We have a very poor record against them in the first place and seeing as they are on a great run of away wins I can say we did not do too badly. I think that we were hard done by with some decisions but in the end if the strikers are alway hitting off target what do we expect. I am not sure keeping Santa Cruz was the best idea. he has not been scoring this season and surely his mind is elsewhere...A hard slog to stay up now..

[Fraserkirky]

Shocking performance by us!

Our midfield is probably the worst in the league!

Big Sam needs to play our best players from the start(RSC and Diouf). Possibly Givet and Villaneuva as well.

Is Pedersen really better for the team than King Carlos ???

Really angry.

[Dan]

Keith Andrews.

I can't post what I would like to say about this zero, coz I would like to continue posting.

But maybe i'll get away with...

Keith Andrews......you're a ******, you're a ******.

Ditto, start booing the #### whenever he plays, then maybe someone might get the message?

[Plastic Head]

Ditto, start booing the #### whenever he plays, then maybe someone might get the message?

I do now.

And nobody argues.....

[AllRoverAsia]

(Please don't use that word again)ed by the ref (Please don't use that word again) off o'neill you bald ugly (Please don't use that word again)ing jam jar bottomed glassesed blind #### boring (Please don't use that word again) brummies talk like ######, what a stupid (Please don't use that word again)ing accent

You got it right

[Amo]

I do now.

And nobody argues.....

I think Andrews is a passenger, but booing your own players isn't acceptable.

We have got the squad to get out of this mess, but Sam's selection today was dubious. Sure, Villa are a potential top four side and are on a great run, but that doesn't mean we can't rue the defeat.

Hopefully this will be an eye-opener for Sam, now the honeymoon period is officially over.

[sanlorenzo]

Sam is an idiot. You fight to keep Santa Cruz and you put him on the bench. Sam has to wake up and get a concept about what team to play. He was out managed and should take full responsibility for the loss, Idiot.

[kandi]

Let's be honest and say how many of expected anything from this match. I didn't for one. We have a very poor record against them in the first place and seeing as they are on a great run of away wins I can say we did not do too badly. I think that we were hard done by with some decisions but in the end if the strikers are alway hitting off target what do we expect. I am not sure keeping Santa Cruz was the best idea. he has not been scoring this season and surely his mind is elsewhere...A hard slog to stay up now..

Roque was on the bench for 74 minutes..

[LeChuck]

Sam is an idiot. You fight to keep Santa Cruz and you put him on the bench. Sam has to wake up and get a concept about what team to play. He was out managed and should take full responsibility for the loss, Idiot.

Nothing like knee-jerk reactions, is there?

I think Sam's hand has been forced somewhat regarding selection because of the run we've been on in the league, why is probably why he stuck as close as possible to the team that's been getting those results. In a strange way, today's performance will probably give him more freedom to choose now, because he will have justifiable reasons for making big changes to the team, whereas it could have been damaging to the morale of some players to be taken out after the run we were on.