[Archived] Rovers V Coventry Fa Cup (replay) Preview

[wellesbourne]

Don't care. Absolutely not a priority considering our current plight.

DO CARE MATT - when i pay my cash to support the team i love who have no desire to win that pi**es me off big style whether it is league or cup. I give a sh*t every game they play was i want them to try their best and put in a performance that their mega buck salaries justify.

[wellesbourne]

yes but are these people supporters?

I support Blackburn Rovers whether they're good or bad and not just support the team when they're doing well.

Yes and for all you know this guy could have been one of the 2500 on for BRFCS lowest gate at EWood in the Full Members Cup in the 80's so don't be a muppet pal judging him like that.

[1864roverite]

The morning after and all is NOT well, having read the comments after midnight

Last nights Rovers team was simply awfully organised however, in the first half we had total control of the game albeit we had a few minor scares, but we had the chances to be leading. Carlos should have scored in the first two minutes, Treacy shouldhave done better with his shot whilst Roberts had two half decent chances to score goals.

The second half was the problem and I got the felling that Rovers just wnated to do enough to stay in the game and not lose too heavily.

I have to say that the performances of McCarthy, Roberts, Carlos, Treacy, Zurab and Tugay were unacceptable for me.

I cant think of anything productive from Mccarthy. The less said about Treacy the better. Tugay made too many mistakes. Zurab too indecisive. Carlos too slow and just never in the game. Roberts huffed and puffed but that was about it.

There was no cohesion in the team. No effort, no productivity in fact there was NOTHING at all just a sense of relief at going out of the cup 1-0.

Even with competent substitutions, RSC, Warnock and Givet didnt do anything to instill confidence. We did manage to look a little brighter but we still nearly conceded two easy goals when Coventry broke away.

Our midfield is the major problem. We are too wide open down the middle, there is no protection and The Axe was a man left stranded on many an occasion last night. The flanks were awfully exposed, especially down the right side where Carlos does not track back.

Treacy just didnt look interested. when he went forward great, he however did not take the defender on too many times and failed to make decent crosses when he did.

The set play was awful. The crossing was poor. The short passing game was missing and there was no link play between the front men.

An area that concerns me has to be the goalkeeping coaching.

Why do we not have a keeper who cannot command his 6 yard box ? This was always an issue when Mimms was our number 1 keeper. It is even more of an issue now with both Robinson and Brown. Both can pull of good saves but neither can command the 6 yard box and this is an area were we are conceding goals with regular ease.

I was none too concerned about the cup game in all reality, I prefer to have our Premiership safety as a priority, we would have been given a real spanking by any Chelsea side in any case and that alone may have been far more damaging than a cup defeat at Coventry.

I am concerned about the lack of ability in the squad when our "main" players are rested or injured. It is a worry, it is of major concern and I dread the thought of Dunny getting injured before the season is out.

The plus side, if there is one?

Should we survive the drop, and I believe we will, Blackburn Rovers playing staff will undergo a dramatic change. I am certain that two things wil happen. Sam will rid the club of the players who have no heart and who show no desire. He will bring in workers, grafters and players who are good at what they do, have little flair but fight and who are not afraid to do the dirty things required of a footballer.

Outbound for me = Tugay, Treacy, Mokoena (although I suspect that if he continues to perform Sam will offer him a deal), Andrews, Simpson, RSC, Carlos, Brown, Gallagher, Zurab, Ooijer and Roberts.

May stay/worthwhile keeping = McCarthy, Pederson, Warnock, Samba, Robinson, Dunny, Givet, Emerton, Reid, Grella, Diouf, Derbyshire, Bunn and Olsson.

So, thats some serious money off the wages and some serious income from the sale of RSC (£15m approx).

Needed is a rebuild from head to toe. I would expect Sam to add to his coaching staff and Sbragia continues to be the name mentioned if he is potted by Sunderland.

One thing is for certain. The good ship BRFC is on rocky seas and the paddle is loose. It needs steering through these high seas, the dead wood needs shedding and the new players need identifying and bringing into the club as soon as possible.

The club have to spend and buy well. We all know how much money there will be come August and on this occasion Rovers have to support the management.

There will never be an occasion where Rovers will have suh funds because there will not be an occasion where Rovers can sell a player such as RSC for the profits we will see, not unless we can unearth a Rooney type player from the youth system and with the current Rovers set up, that is NOT going to happen.

Time to change the business plan.

[leftfooter]

Can't believe some of the posters saying it was a reserve side. We deserved to lose over both matches, not just last night's!

Even more unbelievable - are the usual suspects who slam Andrews (and to a lesser extent Grella) game in game out - failing to see the irony and now arguing that the alternative midfield (denuded of Andrews and Grella) were only the reserves!

What a shocking state we're in.

As for Villanueva; he's failed the 'Carlos Kickaball' litmus test....(would he be up for it in a February midweek fixture at Coventry?). Answer: a profound No! End of season for him as he surely now knows that he'll be off in the summer.

[broadsword]

Here here.

It's unbelievable how weak our squad is.

There's crocks (Grella, Dunn, Reid), fannies (Pedersen, Treacle, Judge), Chilean pit ponies, South African coal miners, Turkish OAP's, the terminally dyspraxic (Andrews) and leaches (Herr Vogel).

That leaves only Emerton (out for season) and Diouf, and some people didn't want Diouf brought in.

Our goal-keepers couldn't catch a beach ball, our one decent striker wants away and half of our defence is crap.

But other than that, it's all peachy. And if you can't see that losing to Coventry after 180 minutes of huffing and puffing was a master-stroke that sets us up for playing Hull then you're not a real supporter.

[MCMC1875]

Here here.

It's unbelievable how weak our squad is.

There's crocks (Grella, Dunn, Reid), fannies (Pedersen, Treacle, Judge), Chilean pit ponies, South African coal miners, Turkish OAP's, the terminally dyspraxic (Andrews) and leaches (Herr Vogel).

That leaves only Emerton (out for season) and Diouf, and some people didn't want Diouf brought in.

Our goal-keepers couldn't catch a beach ball, our one decent striker wants away and half of our defence is crap.

But other than that, it's all peachy. And if you can't see that losing to Coventry after 180 minutes of huffing and puffing was a master-stroke that sets us up for playing Hull then you're not a real supporter.

.....and on top of that Bryan we've got to fork out for taking the Fraser bloody Eagle signs down from the Riverside!

[Hughesy]

Someone get him a rope..

[broadsword]

Give it a rest Hughesy.

Everyone knows by now you want to stick your head ion the sand, good for you.

[leftfooter]

I should add that John Williams was responsible for naively allowing Hughes to dictate that we keep a smallish (but comparatively) very highly paid squad together on ludicrously lengthy contracts. This meant the club's money was tied up in a diminishing but increasingly lucratively renumerated squad of players.

I argued last season (as did others) that complacency seemed to have crept in, and the players seemed to be taking their places for granted. We're now seeing the results of this and that lack of competition for places.

That was John Williams' first mistake. His second of course was appointing Ince.

Last night the Mark Hughes' (all the eggs in one basket) approach came home to roost. By the end of the season, the fox will well and truly have been shot.

Running out of metaphors to mix now, but anyway, given the annus horribilis he's just had, John Williams should really now consider his position.

[Hughesy]

Give it a rest Hughesy.

Everyone knows by now you want to stick your head ion the sand, good for you.

No mate, id like to stick your head in sand!

[broadsword]

Be careful, sonny. You're getting a bit fresh.

Mate.

[Hughesy]

Ha ha im just playing!

Seriously lads... lets just get behind the boys for Sunday. Its a massive game for us!

Then lets put a fresh perspective on things - hopefully it will be a more positive one come the end of the game.

[LeftWinger]

Can't you be banned for being optimistic on here?

[MCMC1875]

Can't you be banned for being optimistic on here?

LW

Its points for pessimism - the winner each season gets a season ticket for the Riverside (uncovered)!

[Jackson]

I wouldn't dance with him - have you seen that dog?

[cn174]

Well I have just got back from Coventry, and I'm still very unhappy about it. It wasn't so much the defeat (which was very crap), it was the manner of the defeat. I don't care whether they were 'reserves', 'squad players' or what, they should still be able to beat Coventry over two legs, or at least put a bit of effort in!!

I don't know the stats but from memory their keeper didn't have to make a proper save - Treacy had a chance in the first half, but very little happened in the second half. the closest we come was Samba's header right at the end which bounced wide. It doesn't help that we attack at a snails pace, letting the opposition get many player behind the ball, then we become devoid of ideas.

I think that 1864 is being a bit harsh on Jason Brown for the goal - the ball come in from the right hand side and there wsn't a defender within several yards of him. Not sure which one was supposed to be marking him but they weren't doing their job.

Two other things:

- imo this game was also cause for concern because IF we do get relegated, this is the kind of team we would be left with - and they have shown that even at Championship level they look poor.

- I don't know how anyone can think that losing this game in some way makes the rest of our season better/easier. It might only have been the FA Cup, but had we won in a good way we'd have been buzzing going into the Hull game with confidence. But now we're all just hoping that the worst doesn't happen.

[chris]

bet you'll all change your tune when we win saturday

[Amo]

bet you'll all change your tune when we win saturday

And if we don't...?

[Hughesy]

bet you'll all change your tune when we win saturday

As optimistic as I am, even I believe 100% that we wont win on saturday.

[LeftWinger]

As optimistic as I am, even I believe 100% that we wont win on saturday.

Ha Ha. How about Sunday then?

[Hughesy]

Yes - im alot more confident about us having a chance the day later!

[1864roverite]

I dont think that I was harsh on Brown, I did compliment him for the saves he made.

My issue, as with a number of previous Rovers keeper, and I include Brad, is that they seem incapable of dominating the 6yrd box. Last night, Brown stood still like a @#/? as did the two defenders, whilst the forward just had to jump and connect with the ball. IMO he should have been punching that ball and taking the forward with him because if you see the replay, Brown was infact nearest of the three Rovers players.

[Stonesrick]

It is very disappointing to go out of the FA Cup in the manner in which we did last night. There are real concerns as to whether or not we have the ability and desire to get out of this mess. I know it's an old cliché but we do now have 13 Cup finals from now till the end of the season. That's 39 points to play for. I think that BS is the person who can come up with a game plan to be able to achieve this. It was the previous regime that got us into this mess and last night showed without doubt there are players in the first team squad who are not even good enough to play in a mid-table Championship team.

Let's stay positive and get behind the team on Sunday!

[thenodrog]

I understand why Sam chose that team,

Do you? I guess you think Sams priority is to keep BRFC up?

I'd wager his motivation is close but not quite as close we'd all like to think. There is a subtle difference imo. Sams first priority is to enhance his managerial reputation and to protect his 2m pa salary. He wants to be regarded as a Premiership manager and a good one at that, relegation with BRFC would be a black mark that he would not want. Keeping BRFC up would simply be a by-product of achieving his aims. Don't get angry though cos every manager would view the situation the same.

[BuckyRover]

Do you? I guess you think Sams priority is to keep BRFC up?

I'd wager his motivation is close but not quite as close we'd all like to think. There is a subtle difference imo. Sams first priority is to enhance his managerial reputation and to protect his 2m pa salary. He wants to be regarded as a Premiership manager and a good one at that, relegation with BRFC would be a black mark that he would not want. Keeping BRFC up would simply be a by-product of achieving his aims. Don't get angry though cos every manager would view the situation the same.

Welcome to the real world. People looking after their own interests.