[Archived] Manchester City V Rovers

[dopper69]

Perhaps Benni is playing off Samba?

[RibbleValleyRover]

Playing not to get beat in order to get a draw or sneak a win from a set piece by the looks of it.

I can see why, a point away from home against a side thats decent at their home ground would be a good result.

[Bobby G]

With our defence there is no way that will work. That always backfires and we concede early. Then to come out of our shell and change tactics, well thats going to be difficult.

[philipl]

I would imagine it will be the same starting XI as last week won't it- all will be revealed shortly. The City defense look like they would struggle to handle Chris Samba- Given has never been the best facing monster centre forwards.

Incidentally, worth notng that although we trail City by 7 points at present, they have lost 16 league games to our 15.

[Guest Vinjay606]

No reason to play for a point. After that win last week why take such a total safety first approach? There's nothing special about Manchester City and BRFC won at Fulham recently. Why not try and win at COMS?

These tactics aren't acceptable. People are going overboard with praise for BFS. Portsmouth look like staying up with Kidd and a guy who failed at Nottingham Forest. Plus they had an even more incompetent manager than Ince who was destined to fail from the moment he took the role. So it's not such a magnificent achivement if even they can manage to survive.

[1864roverite]

An hour to go and the moaning begins.

get over it will you ! the Rovers will have a gameplan and we have some serious injury problems.

The way forward today is to frustrate City and get their own fans on their own teams backs.

[begresko]

No reason to play for a point. After that win last week why take such a total safety first approach? There's nothing special about Manchester City and BRFC won at Fulham recently. Why not try and win at COMS?

These tactics aren't acceptable. People are going overboard with praise for BFS. Portsmouth look like staying up with Kidd and a guy who failed at Nottingham Forest. Plus they had an even more incompetent manager than Ince who was destined to fail from the moment he took the role. So it's not such a magnificent achivement if even they can manage to survive.

Its like a broken record. Fair play Sam, this thing about going for a point is rubbish. He is making us hard to beat.

1-3

[Tom]

Sam actually said he would take a point before kick off.

I would presume Benni plays just off Samba

Edit: You're talking crap again Vinjay, when Sam took over we were deep deep in the mire, now we lie 6 points above the drop zone. Pompey were nowhere near in as bad a state as we were.

[begresko]

Sam actually said he would take a point before kick off.

I would presume Benni plays just off Samba

If someone offered him three he would also take that. Its a highly logical thing to say but doesn't mean he has planned the team around only acheiving a draw.

[budha]

ROVERS: Robinson, Ooijer, Nelsen ©, Givet, Warnock, Diouf, Grella, Tugay, Pedersen, McCarthy, Samba

Subs: Bunn (GK), Khizanishvili, Mokoena, Andrews, Villanueva, Olsson, Doran

From the official site. Unchanged XI.

[G Somerset Rover]

ROVERS: Robinson, Ooijer, Nelsen ©, Givet, Warnock, Diouf, Grella, Tugay, Pedersen, McCarthy, Samba

Subs: Bunn (GK), Khizanishvili, Mokoena, Andrews, Villanueva, Olsson, Doran

From the official site. Unchanged XI.

As Phillip said it would be - an unchanged XI.

So McCarthy will probably play slightly deeper than Samba but will get up in and amongst him when he can. I have a feeling that we can carry on being Citeh's bogey side so will go with a 1-1 draw.

On a sidenote our bench is absoloutely dreadful!

[rovers1993]

they did play well last week so they deserve to be starting but one worrying thing is the sight of robinho running at ooijer... he'll have his work.

and ireland taking on grella... we need pace in our team asap!

[Amo]

Plus they had an even more incompetent manager than Ince who was destined to fail from the moment he took the role.

That doesn't say a lot for Ince when Adams beat him this season.

[LeChuck]

I think that's the best XI we can put out under the circumstances, there isn't anyone on the bench that you'd strongly feel deserves a starting place.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

What happened to "Mokoena will never play again"?

[mattyc2422]

Getting real keen now. Start the bloody match!

[Guest Vinjay606]

That doesn't say a lot for Ince when Adams beat him this season.

Well Ince at least succeeded in the lower divisions. Adams failed miserably there as well.

[Fife Rover]

He did a great job at Rovers, but his behaviour during a possible Santa Cruz transfer lost a lot of respect i had for him. Constant media comments unsettled the player and at the same time the squad. I can't remember a time when he was our manager when we tried to unsettle players, especially so publicly. So what changed?

In terms of today’s game, I think a point would be a decent result and three points would be fantastic. City has a decent record at home (they seem to struggle away) so its going to be a tough game.

He swapped his boss from Williams to Cook.

[KoNG]

Is Dunny injured...?

[Amo]

Is Dunny injured...?

He's had an operation to fix his Achilles injury, so he's out for the season.

[thecomebackid]

The local TV channel's covering Pompey v Arsenal and looks like Chelsea v Fulham is commentary game on BBC World Service

No TV. No radio. All it needs now is Stuart Hall to be reporting from Eastlands to totally put the mockers on!

Come on Rovers!

[mattyc2422]

Benni running off a knock. Looking okay thus far, especially with Grella and Tugay in midfield.

[thecomebackid]

How many Rovers fans there?

[RibbleValleyRover]

End to end stuff so far, no major chances by the sounds of it. Playing some neat football and Grella is imposing himself and doing well so far.

Benni has taken a knock from a Bridge clash.

[KoNG]

He's had an operation to fix his Achilles injury, so he's out for the season.

oh bum