[Archived] Blackburn Rovers V Portsmouth

[thenodrog]

Robbo looked assured again, the one time he was beaten Nelsen saved us with a world class block.

Great block.... but I think when I see that again that it was missing and outside the far post.

Warnock gave too many balls away, in fact for the first 70 minutes he was the only threat to Rovers superiority.

Grella's short passing game, ineffective and is the only real negative about his display.

Neither of em could pass wind today. Very odd.

[grizfoot]

A very comfy win in the end I don't know how much that was down to our good performance or Pompey's poor one.

I thought Nelsen and Givet were superb at the back and dealt with Crouch brilliantly. Warnock however had a shocking game for the large part doesn't seem quiet right in the left-back role since he's been playing in central midfield, lost count of the amount of times he gave the ball away. Andrews did an adequete job in the absence of Ooijer at right-back. Tugay played some wonderful passes in midfield and finished the whole ninety. However Grella didn't impress me again, he is a good tackler and will chase down players but his passing is woeful at times. Diouf held the ball up well but I'd like to see him run at defenders a little more and actually take them on rather than just shielding the ball and passing it sidewards. Glad to see Pedersen get his first goal of the season, which was long overdue. Had his usual type of game good in patches and poor in others but you can't moan at the workrate he consistently puts in tracking back and it was a good job he was today with Warnock being a little off the pace. Upfront Samba caused the usual havoc even against two of the league's strongest centrebacks. McCarthy had another good game with a few nice touches and his game was capped of nicely with him converting the penalty.

On a sidenote Mike Riley was absolutely terrible, totally destroying any flow to the game free-kick after free-kick when there was clear opportunities to play-on and fouls for the smallest of infringements.

On the whole a good result which almost guarantees our Premiership status for next season.

[The Prof.]

riley knob

ROVERS PROUD OF THEM AGAIN TODAY....................

TUGAY PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ONE MORE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you just get 5 games on a pay per play basis against lower level opposition you get a coach, a leader, a crowd pleaser, some skill, passing and on todays showing some pace (or was it me?). Just as a bonus you also get 12-15 points. Keep him on.

[colin]

Just a note on the kicking off in the wrong direction thing. From the screen today it seemed that Nelsen won the toss and elected to start defending the Darwen End first. Hence Portsmouth taking the KO.

I don't know if it's just me, but is MGP getting back to some form over the past couple of months? The seems to have picked up his game quite considerably. Anyone thinking the same?

[The Prof.]

Got goosebumps just reading that, must've been something special to see. What a legend Tugay is and has been.

On this display expect a £2m bid from Villa.

[Hughesy]

Time to relax now, we are safe. Players should be proud of the way they have gotout of the relegation battle with relative ease.

[champions1995]

WE ARE STAYING UP!

What a win today! I was impressed with the energy and passion of the lads today, producing three superb points which retain our Premier League status.

Tugay was immense today - he should become a coach at rovers! Not once can I remember him giving the ball away and he always found the space and time to pick an inch perfect pass.

Nelsen and Givet were also outsanding at centre back and could become a stunning partnership next season.

UP THE ROVERS!

[The Prof.]

Thought this display was settled in 10 minutes. Samba is becoming convincing to me as a forward.

By 0hr,10mins he had flattened Dustbin, floored Campbell, (anyone notice they both had bandages in the second half) and browned the right backs trousers in a challenge which would have brought a red card and a police conviction against a top four side. James bottled his challenge for the first goal but after his early challenges so would a T34 medium tank.

Showed Crouch (really rated at 10m?) how to play. Won every header, held the ball up and was involved in every move. He has made Benni the player he was again.

Needs working on could be the ideal Rocky replacement although his control and workrate has made Rocky look a little superfluous.

Robbo - Another good game.

Andrews - paid his £2m fee back today

Givet - Settling in and looking very sharp

Nelsen - Don't EVER underestimate his contribution this year. My MoM . Player of the year by a country mile.

Warnock - ?????? what was he doing last night - can I come next time Stephen?

Diouf - Workmanlike and some signs the skill might return

Tugay - Whoaaaa Sam. 5 games against the right opposition and you get 12-15 points matey. Sign him up and expect a Villa bid for £2m.

Grella - mmm.... good and bad. Clever enough but needs to settle soon.

Morton. Goal went to his head - thought he was Pele and didn't need to look at the ball to pass.

Samba - rather you than me! Awesome!

Benni, Fat, playboy, gobby, so what, class, and no one better in the box on his day. Worked hard and is he getting quicker?

But the Darwen End being full of rovers has made it a joy to be a Rover again. PLEASE JW find a way!

Staying up Staying up staying up,,,,,,

[RevidgeBlue]

Don't want to sound like too much of a grouch on a momentous day for the Club, but I thought the two scorers MGP and Benni had fairly poor games otherwise.

And as much as I love Tugay, a further playing contract is definitely not a good idea.

Still, today is proof miracles can occur.

Us safe after being adrift at Xmas, and philipl at Ewood Park again.

Well done sir!

[HemelRover]

Just got back from the game. Echo the praise by all for Big Sam and the effort and team spirit in all the players.

2 things i noticed.

Grella - does he ever pass the ball forward? Every pass seemed to be backwards or sideways. Sometimes it may be the right pass, but he doesnt even seem to look forward for a team mate in space.

Robinson - Loved the celebrations when we scored both our goals and also when the penalty. Seems to really care. (also, good job BBE for the noise during Ukata's pen attempt, sure it helped him miss)

Also,

Mokoena wearing pink boots. What the hell??????

[Exiled_Rover]

Strange I thought McCarthy was immense today.

[Hughesy]

Samba player of the season for me by a mile.

Amen to that

Lets end the game well and then hopefully Big Sam will get the credit that he deserves for a remarkable job.

Spot on too

Portsmouth going down next season I think.

Exactly what I said today too. If they lose Crouch & Johnson in the summer, then with thier debts I see big trouble ahead. An ageing squad. James will be 40 by the time the next season starts, Sol Campbell almost 36 and 7 players out of contract in the summer. Oh well -

[HemelRover]

Just watched MOTD. Pathetic. The Analysis was as follows.

Gary Lineker - "Earlier we saw Blackburn winning. Sams done a great job with them."

Alan Hansen "Absolutley fantastic. Such a big game monday night(Newcastle v Middlesboro), If somebody wins that game then concivebly the can stay up."

Pathetic 14 words is all we merited.

[DE.]

I don't have time for their empty words anyway. They can focus on their beloved Liverpool, Newcastle and Tottenham instead

[Ninjathunder]

Just watched MOTD. Pathetic. The Analysis was as follows.

Gary Lineker - "Earlier we saw Blackburn winning. Sams done a great job with them."

Alan Hansen "Absolutley fantastic. Such a big game monday night(Newcastle v Middlesboro), If somebody wins that game then concivebly the can stay up."

Pathetic 14 words is all we merited.

Don't get riled by it. Better to attract little attention for the right reasons then lots of attention for the wrong ones.

[Beta Ray Bill]

Another great result.

Interesting side story to those who are complaining about Sam's playing style.

I went to the match with a Huddersfield Town season ticket holder and he couldn't stop talking about how great it was to see two teams with great vision, the way they hold the ball, and generally make passes that reach a player (I guess he was excluding Warnock!) This simply doesn't happen in League One even by the best teams. When I was mumbling about it being pretty awful at times in the match, he thought I was mad.

So regardless of what we think, we aren't that bad to a well versed footie fan rather than just a Premiership follower.

[thenodrog]

Just watched MOTD. Pathetic. The Analysis was as follows.

Gary Lineker - "Earlier we saw Blackburn winning. Sams done a great job with them."Alan Hansen "Absolutley fantastic. Such a big game monday night(Newcastle v Middlesboro), If somebody wins that game then concivebly the can stay up."

Pathetic 14 words is all we merited.

What school did Gary Linekar go to? In describing Chelsea's current initiative he informed us that no Asians play in the Premier League. I'm sure that there are more but straight off the top of my head I can think of Zurab and Tugay from Georgia and Turkey respectively, Banayoun from israel and Manchester Uniteds Ji-sung Park. The days when the BBC used set the standard for broadcasting are long gone.

[thenodrog]

Strange I thought McCarthy was immense today.

Immense eh? Please watch the first goal again and when the cross from deep is on it's way to Samba on the back post McArthy to be found is ambling about miles outside the box instead of rushing in to get a knock down from Samba ....... and he still ended up Peter Jackson MoM.

[shadsworth cloud]

Re MOTD

it started with "today we are concentrating on the battle to stay up. But first Liverpools visit to west ham"

'nuff said

[Lurid Coat]

What school did Gary Linekar go to? In describing Chelsea's current initiative he informed us that no Asians play in the Premier League. I'm sure that there are more but straight off the top of my head I can think of Zurab and Tugay from Georgia and Turkey respectively, Banayoun from israel and Manchester Uniteds Ji-sung Park. The days when the BBC used set the standard for broadcasting are long gone.

I can forgive him for failing to mention Zurab and Tugay, as Georgia and Turkey are European in that they take part in the European Championship qualifyers (although the same goes for Israel). There are, however, other Asian players in the Premier League:

Tamir Cohen (Bolton) - Israel

Seol Ki-Hyeon (Fulham) - South Korea

Andranik Teymourian (Fulham) - Iran

Benayoun (Liverpool) - Israel

Tal Ben-Haim (City/Sunderland) - Israel

Park Ji-Sung (Man Utd) - South Korea

Cho Won-Hee (Wigan) - South Korea

[yoda]

I can forgive him for failing to mention Zurab and Tugay, as Georgia and Turkey are European in that they take part in the European Championship qualifyers (although the same goes for Israel). There are, however, other Asian players in the Premier League:

Tamir Cohen (Bolton) - Israel

Seol Ki-Hyeon (Fulham) - South Korea

Andranik Teymourian (Fulham) - Iran

Benayoun (Liverpool) - Israel

Tal Ben-Haim (City/Sunderland) - Israel

Park Ji-Sung (Man Utd) - South Korea

Cho Won-Hee (Wigan) - South Korea

is sun ji hi still at city too

[Rover95]

Thought we put in a good performance yesterday on the whole. Obviously, lots of improvement needed in various areas - but you can't question the players committment to the cause.

The atmosphere was good - fans in the darwen end certainly makes a difference. I do have one gripe though and that is the constant slating of pedersen whenver he gets the ball from certain fans in the bbe lower. To the 'fan' who shouted (the second pedersen got the ball)'run with it you f***ing w*****' you should be ashamed of your self. Oddly, I don't hear the same abuse whenever tugay or warnock send passes astray, which for warnock happened a lot yesterday.

No-one deserves that sort of slagging off.

[Exiled_Rover]

I can forgive him for failing to mention Zurab and Tugay, as Georgia and Turkey are European in that they take part in the European Championship qualifyers (although the same goes for Israel). There are, however, other Asian players in the Premier League:

Tamir Cohen (Bolton) - Israel

Seol Ki-Hyeon (Fulham) - South Korea

Andranik Teymourian (Fulham) - Iran

Benayoun (Liverpool) - Israel

Tal Ben-Haim (City/Sunderland) - Israel

Park Ji-Sung (Man Utd) - South Korea

Cho Won-Hee (Wigan) - South Korea

I imagine he was referring to people of Indian or Pakistani descent.

[The Prof.]

I can forgive him for failing to mention Zurab and Tugay, as Georgia and Turkey are European in that they take part in the European Championship qualifyers (although the same goes for Israel). There are, however, other Asian players in the Premier League:

Tamir Cohen (Bolton) - Israel

Seol Ki-Hyeon (Fulham) - South Korea

Andranik Teymourian (Fulham) - Iran

Benayoun (Liverpool) - Israel

Tal Ben-Haim (City/Sunderland) - Israel

Park Ji-Sung (Man Utd) - South Korea

Cho Won-Hee (Wigan) - South Korea

Wrong type of Asians. Sorry.

[Exiled_Rover]

Immense eh? Please watch the first goal again and when the cross from deep is on it's way to Samba on the back post McArthy to be found is ambling about miles outside the box instead of rushing in to get a knock down from Samba ....... and he still ended up Peter Jackson MoM.

No-one argued that he's the hardest worker in the team. That said he held the ball up well, played well off Samba and linked play with the midfield. Although it was a penalty he also bagged himself a goal.