[Archived] Blackburn Rovers V Portsmouth

[Tom]

Maybe I'm doing him a disservice and rating him at a lower standard due to his background and reputation which is unfair to him.

He was solid, industrious and effective in an unpreffered position.

[Hughesy]

Andrews didnt do bad in the game. He is a good squad player, just not good enough to be in our starting 11 next season.

If we did receieve an offer of £3m+ though, id sell him.

[LeftWinger]

Andrews....

If we did receieve an offer of £3m+ though, id sell him.

£3m!

[Hughesy]

That was the rumoured amount from Pompey.......

[DaveyB]

Sorry, Riley had an agenda for yesterday's game right from the off with stupid officious game-destroying decisions. He was also, as usual, completely biased against us.

That's ridiculous - he was poor admittedly, but then he always is, but I can't see how you can suggest he was biased against us. Both penalties, on another day, with another referee, could easily have not been given - I thought the one given against us was harsher than the one for us, but I don't think either were clear-cut. And as for the first goal - I can't think of any other referee who would have allowed that to stand. Samba goes in studs-up on the keeper, doesn't get the ball and then takes the keeper out, leaving an open goal for Pedersen to tap in. Just imagine if that was given against us - then we'd really have something to complain about.

But, no you're right, it's clear that he was biased against us

I thought the clearest thing to come out of the game was just what a poor decision it is to get rid of Tugay. I keep reading that his legs are gone, he's too old to play in the Premier league, but on Saturday he showed that that's just rubbish. He played the full 90 minutes - didn't fade, or run out of energy, and was the best player on the pitch, from either side, by a country mile.

An example - 3 minutes to go and the ball gets cleared from our area deep into their half - who's the first player out chasing the ball down? Yup, you've guessed it, Tugay. When pompey then work the ball out wide and put a cross in, who's the player back in our area to clear it? Yep, you're right, Tugay!

To say his legs have gone is an insult - he had far more energy than Diouf - who, imo, has been nothing other than poor since he arrived. Put it this way, I know who I'd rather be watching next season between the two!!

[Hughesy]

Is that Diouf who put over at least 3 good crosses? Beat his full back a number of times and also nearly scored with a little flick?

Im sorry but Diouf works his socks off. And Yes Tugays legs have gone. He might of played for the full 90 minutes but he wasnt the best player for the full 90 minutes, far from it!

[modes98]

Tugay got man of the match in the report I was reading last night.

Dioufy had a cracking game, put in soem dangerous crosses and changed wings with MGP to great effect.

Just spotted myself on the Rovers v Pompey match gallery, with the Utaka penalty miss

[trueblue]

Tugay got man of the match in the report I was reading last night.

Dioufy had a cracking game, put in soem dangerous crosses and changed wings with MGP to great effect.

Just spotted myself on the Rovers v Pompey match gallery, with the Utaka penalty miss

And Nick Hewer from The Apprentice stood next to the steward at the top of the stairs

[Amo]

Player Ratings from the Portsmouth rag:

ROVERS -

Paul Robinson - Did everything he needed to 7/10

Stephen Warnock - Overlapped at every opportunity 8/10

Gael Givet - Comfortable afternoon 6/10

Ryan Nelsen - Easy to see why he was a Pompey target 7/10

Keith Andrews - Out of position and out of depth 5/10

El Hadji Diouf - Hate to say it, but some quality deliveries 7/10

Vince Grella - Hard-running display 6/10

Tugay - Veteran's vision still stands out 8/10

Morten Gamst Pedersen - Crossed well and grabbed goal 7/10

Christopher Samba - Gave Pompey a battering 8/10

Benni McCarthy - Busy and intelligent display 7/10

LET'S 'AVE HIM: Christopher Samba - Makeshift striker or not, the Republic of Congo International was a nightmare to deal with his height and power.

HE'S ALL YOURS: Keith Andrews - Uncomfortable at right-back, gave away a penalty and could have been sent off for a spate of reckless challenges.

POMPEY -

David James - Will want to forget first goal 5/10

Younes Kaboul - Asset when lapses are cut out 5/10

Hermann Hreidarsson - Silly penalty to concede 5/10

Sol Campbell - Real tight against Samba 6/10

Sylvain Distin - Fared reasonably 5/10

Richard Hughes - Dogged but not dominant 5/10

Sean Davis - On the ball, but not effective 5/10

Hayden Mullins - Needed to have a bigger impact 5/10

Glen Johnson - Needed to be wider 5/10

Nadir Belhadj - Looked lively but unused 6/10

Peter Crouch - Starved of supply 5/10

STAR MAN: Sol Campbell - There were few, if any, positives for Pompey, but Campbell stuck to his task against Christopher Samba.

MAGIC MOMENT: Pompey fans' constant backing. Fair play to the hardy bunch who made the trip - shame about the display.

[RevidgeBlue]

HE'S ALL YOURS: Keith Andrews - Uncomfortable at right-back, gave away a penalty and could have been sent off for a spate of reckless challenges.

Sheeesh - give a dog a bad name - they must have written that on Friday night.

My "HE'S ALL YOURS" would have been Peter Crouch - absolutely hopeless on Saturday - Samba showed him how to play the "nuisance" role to perfection - and he's not even a forward!

Incidentally was told fairly reliably post match Saturday that we lodged a 9m bid for Crouch at the start of the Jan window BEFORE RSC went anywhere etc. but Pompey said "not for sale" etc.

Lucky escape?

[Amo]

They're just hopping on the bandwagon with Andrews. I thought he did well at right-back, all things considered, and his supposed handball should never have been given.

The 'He's All Yours' section is only for the opposition. I would have put Warnock for his poor passing, or maybe Grella because he was fairly limited in his play.

It's also ironic they gave Samba MOM, but labelled Campbell their best player.

Today's Daily Mirror gave Tugay MOM with 7/10, and Big Chris had a paltry 5/10. WTF?

[gumboots]

Player Ratings from the Portsmouth rag:

LET'S 'AVE HIM: Christopher Samba - Makeshift striker or not, the Republic of Congo International was a nightmare to deal with his height and power

[

and what makes them think that we'd sell him at a price their seriously in debt club could afford or that Chris would leave our club for theirs? If he were to go it would be for a mid table club I'd think and since we aim to be comfortably that next season why would we want to sell him anyway and why would he want to go?

[Amo]

Fear not, Gummy, they do it for every week for every team they play. Don't read anything into it.

[modes98]

And Nick Hewer from The Apprentice stood next to the steward at the top of the stairs

haha, hadn't spotted that. Brilliant. I'm the stupid one with the red arms (hoody) waving to put him off,

[Blue blood]

Not sure what the portsmouth rag know too much about football.

Andrews or Warnock were probably our worst players. Andrews DID struggle at rb - but there's no shame in that. He's a centre mid trying to get to grips with a difficult league that's above his ability. That's a big enough ask in itself, let alone asking him to play in an unfamilar position. No one's asking Benni to play left back for example. Andrews is a weak link at rb, but then he tried all game, and after the first 20 or so minutes he was ok so can't really complain. Oh and the Portsmouth paper should acknowledge the joke that was their penalty.

As for giving Givet a 6. What are they on??? Just because it wasn't flashy and showey doesn't mean it wasn't an excellent display of how to defend. The guy was worth at least an 8 imo.

On another note, whilst Crouch was pretty ineffective, I was impressed by his work rate and the way he stuck to his task. Having said that I think we can get a better big striker. But for £5 million or under Crouch wouldn't be a bad signing.

[gumboots]

Fear not, Gummy, they do it for every week for every team they play. Don't read anything into it.

Not afraid - just think it's a bit of a cheek.

[LeChuck]

Not afraid - just think it's a bit of a cheek.

I think you've kind of missed the point, it's just a different way of saying 'Man of the Match' or whatever. They do it when they play Man Utd/Chelsea etc, it doesn't mean they literally want to sign the player mentioned.

[only2garners]

And as for the first goal - I can't think of any other referee who would have allowed that to stand. Samba goes in studs-up on the keeper, doesn't get the ball and then takes the keeper out, leaving an open goal for Pedersen to tap in. Just imagine if that was given against us - then we'd really have something to complain about.

Unfortunately for this argument Samba did get the ball.

[philipl]

Unfortunately for this argument Samba did get the ball.

and he was at least a foot away from making any contact with David James as well.

[den]

I didn't think Samba got the ball or the keeper. James was simply too concerned about Samba's lunge and took his eye off the ball. That's James' problem.

[SAS]

MAGIC MOMENT: Pompey fans' constant backing. Fair play to the hardy bunch who made the trip - shame about the display.

MAGIC MOMENT: Pompey fans' constant backing. Fair play to the hardy bunch who made the trip - shame about the display.

Dunno about anyone else, but i think i heard them about 3 times, and that was in the first half.

And even then if wasnt very loud. The top tier really does stop an atmosphere

[alexanders]

The reason why Andrews played RB against Pompey.

Ooijer fined and dropped

[b12_simon]

Dunno about anyone else, but i think i heard them about 3 times, and that was in the first half.

And even then if wasnt very loud.

Being in the Darwen End I could hear them a lot better and they were great. Only let up once or twice.

The top tier really does stop an atmosphere

Indeed.

[roversmum]

Think they had their 'band' with them! That little stand thing with their 'band' in it at Fratton Park is so funny but VERY annoying!

[AggyBlue]

The top tier really does stop an atmosphere

The atmosphere has been great the two games away fans have been up there.