[Archived] Manchester City V Rovers

[tonyoz]

Each transfer window that goes by other teams get stronger and we just stay the same

There are a lot of crap teams out there. That's why we will probably stay pretty much where we were in the league even though we lost.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Yet another lack lustre performance. I do wonder whether Sam is playing the %'s. We have a squad decimated by injuries - I do wonder whether he is targetting matches - like Pompey next Saturday - and effectively writing off matches like City away.

As disappointing as it is - we will see a different team next season - not sure it will be better or not though

[insiderover79]

I understand the lack of money argument, but we need wholesale changes, I can think of 7 or 8 to leave the club and well as many as we can to join the club.

Sam to play to his tactical strengths whether we like it or not, because he is a proven good manager at our level (our level is mid table again whether we like it or not)

I am annoyed we lost again but with a poor and decimated squad we do have to target the "winnable" games for this season.

Lets make some noise and get over the line next saturday then re-build.

[andyroversmad]

I dont want sam to sign 7-8 average players we have to many of them, I would rather he signed 3-4 quality players but i dont think we will even have the money for that after board take there cut of the Roque sale

[insiderover79]

I dont want sam to sign 7-8 average players we have to many of them, I would rather he signed 3-4 quality players but i dont think we will even have the money for that after board take there cut of the Roque sale

I dont want that either Andy, I am just saying we need to get rid of some gawd awful tripe we currently have, and hopefully sam can bring in 4 or so good ish players and expose a little bit of the youth side of the club to bulk the squad if needed

[Tom]

By all accounts it sounds like we did OK on the whole today just got unlucky and had a couple of lapses.

I'm sure if we were a bit luckier today and played exactly the same people wouldn't moan as much.

This is football, we were ppor V spurs and won and weren't too bad today and lost.

To say we are the worst team in the league is nonsense to be honest, yes we're poor and changes need making but don't forget we are also suffering a lot of injuries.

[Amo]

People do get carried away on here. The league table denotes the worst team in the PL, and they happen to be from the West Midlands.

[Manc Rover]

Neither time played well, but our defence was terrible for the first 2 goals (was at the bar for the 3rd so cant comment). On another day we'd get a point after that but we didnt really create anything. 2nd half we looked a bit better, Carlos did well. Pedersen up front was laughable!

We will stay up. Just fortunate there are other crap teams around us. Revolving door beckons!

[only2garners]

Dear me there's some rubbish written on here, presumably from people who were not at the game. I'm just back and, given the circumstances it was a damn sight better performance than the last two away games. Inevitably we did not have a real threat up front but given we were playing with a centre back and a forward carrying a knock in the first half and later on with a left winger as lone striker that's not too surprising. Even so, we had the majority of the ball and had more shots than City and it's while since we could say that away from Ewood. For half an hour City barely got into the Rovers half and with Grella and Tugay passing the ball in the centre of midfield it was a long way from the hit and hope we have played. Then City score two very scrappy goals from nowhere and we are then completely undone by a dreadful penalty decision. No doubt the ball hit Givet's arm but from a range of about a yard it was difficult to see what he could have done about it. To add insult to injury Mike Dean then booked no less than three players for arguing. Then to compound that there was a handball at the beginning of the second half by Dunne which was much more of a shout but of course not given. To be honest I wouldn't have given either of them but certainly Dunne's was much more debatable.

We then had most of the second half play but with no strikers on the pitch didn't really threaten until we faded in the last 15 minutes - knackered I imagine. Despite the scoreline City were indeed woeful - they played better at Ewood at Christmas and they weren't great then. It says something when the home team is 3-0 and 3-1 up and they are time wasting.

[andyroversmad]

I dont want that either Andy, I am just saying we need to get rid of some gawd awful tripe we currently have, and hopefully sam can bring in 4 or so good ish players and expose a little bit of the youth side of the club to bulk the squad if needed

Im just worried about were this money is gonna come from to stregthen the squad, for instance we sign Givet for 3 - 4 million thats gonna be a large chunk of the roque sale gone already and we still need to streghten the whole of midfield and upfront.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Im just worried about were this money is gonna come from to stregthen the squad.

Thats the big question on everyones lips andy.This present side is in such decline we probably need to spend millions just to survive again next season.

[Gav]

Thats the big question on everyones lips andy.This present side is in such decline we probably need to spend millions just to survive again next season.

Spot on SG.

I want to slate the manager as we’ve shipped so many goals away from home recently it’s a disgrace, and he’s not been able to address even that situation let alone any other that currently exists.

But the facts of the matter are we’ve not invested in the team for a number of seasons now and the cracks are well and truly showing. Be it Allardyce or anyone else, you can only wave the magic wand so many times.

[allanncd]

There are many gaps in the team but there may also be players returning from long-term absence - Grella, Emerton, Dunn, Reid...oh now I am dreaming. Hopefully Sam will find some better squad palyers on frees than some of the existing crap...Moko, Treacy and Ollsson for starters.

[tashor]

3 players booked for protesting the penalty. When does that ever happen. Does anybody think that could ever happen to, say, ManU ever, ever, ever without them actually killing the ref ??? While not defending our idiots for their useless protesting I would like to put on record the contempt officials of our national game hold for the lesser lights they have to officiate. Fair play my fleurklin' shiny arrse

[DE.]

I didn't expect anything out of today's match, and wasn't sure why some people were so confident we would get anything. City are an average side, but they've got talented individuals who can score goals. We, on the other hand, cannot score many goals. Odds were always on City winning this one, unfortunately.

Still, results have gone our way again, and if Newcastle lose tomorrow it'll pretty much be "as you were".

Can't wait for this season to be over.

[champions1995]

Yes we are conceeding a lot of goals away from home and have lost our last four, but you still can't question the job Big Sam has done. We have missed key players all season and the last four away games have been very tough. We lost 4-0 to a very good Arsenal side who have just stretched their unbeaten run to 21 league games. 4-0 to Liverpool who are banging in goals left, right and centre. 1-0 to Stoke who have been formidable at home this eason and have (after today's game with West Ham) lost just 2 of their last 15 home games. And today we have lost against a City side who have scored more goals at home than anyone else (albeit with playing an extra game) and have won 11 of their last 12 at Eastlands.

Once this season is over, we can plan for next season and then sort it out.

Our home form will decide our fate. And remember we have only lost once at Ewood since Big Sam took over and that was against Villa who were playing very well at the time.

[bigbrandjohn]

If we stay up wholesale changes have to be made to this inept squad.

Pedersen is absolutely a shambles really. He has lost his confidence and technique. His first touch, his layoffs, everything, other than long throws and heading is all over the place. Diouf has no pace compared to a couple of years ago and I see that as a problem for next season too. Central midfield was so deep today that it gave City the whole world worth of space to play football.

I cant wait for this season to end.

I want PROPER players playing for my club again.

Is that the Pedersen who was BBC man of the match online, surely some mistake

[Guest Kamy100]

I didn't get to excited after the Wigan game and won't panic after today. Basically still need a win from our final three games, two of which are at home against fellow strugglers, if we can't win one of these then we deserve to go down.

[24right]

Just got back from the game. Notwithstanding the current injuries, we are a team very short of pace down the flanks and we do not have any real attacking drive from midfield. Take away the dead balls situations and we don't have much to offer going forward in open play.

In this league pace is everything and Sam needs to weave some transfer magic in the close season.

[den]

I am going for a beer.

[roversmum]

Well, I was at the match. I've read what folks had to say, and I still can't get my head round it. I also heard what Richard Dinnis had to say about it on the radio.

I didn't think the lads played well at all, the first goal should have been long cleared and the penalty should not have been given. I was very disappointed with the passing. It seemed to me as if the lads were not only a yard off the pace, but some of them seemed as if they were there in body only. Tugay's invisible friend made his appearance once again, although I thought he was magnificent for the first half hour. My worry was that there didn't seem to be much, if any, empathy between the lads. Passes were made to players who for some reason were not ready or expecting them, the ball constantly sailed out for a City throw or was picked up by a City player.

When Carlos came on, things brightened up a bit. He has a way to go, but my goodness what a talent. He's not afraid to get stuck in, either.

The referee, is one of those that you know when his name is announced, that you are going to be up against twelve men. Three cards for dissent, for goodness' sake, what's that all about? I won't even mention various decisions.

Dioufy, what was that penalty about? Luckily Keith was on hand to get us one goal, better than nothing. Loved the song 'You've got Robinho, we've got Keith Andrews...'

I guess I was just a bit out of sorts this afternoon. I was none too impressed when a steward started going on to me about our team being @#/? - he's there to steward for goodness' sake and Benni and Samba going off with possible injuries were not on my game plan.

[AggyBlue]

Is that the Pedersen who was BBC man of the match online, surely some mistake

Big mistake. By the BBC.

Peds performace was dire, as bad as I' seen from him.

[roversmum]

Parts of that match were as if they didn't know each other or had even met; they had no idea what they were on the pitch for or even what the ball was...

[AndyNeil]

He needs a kick up the ass, along with a few others ... no goal threat and no end product. Once again Andrews scores (even if it was a tap-in from a crap penalty) and nobody really mentions it - what does that guy have to do?!?!

[gumboots]

He needs a kick up the ass, along with a few others ... no goal threat and no end product. Once again Andrews scores (even if it was a tap-in from a crap penalty) and nobody really mentions it - what does that guy have to do?!?!

Change his name to Andrinho?