[Archived] Man City Preview

[Gav]

What are you talking about?? Somewhat ironic is it not that Allardyce seems to inherit terrible teams and have them play hideous football... "It's not his fault - just look at the players he has at his disposal!" Rubbish.

Here's a bit of a newsflash - we have good players. I would prefer to have our defenders over those of virtually any other team in the Premier League outside the top 10. Diouf and Pedersen have 92 international caps between them. The centre of midfield needs work, but Allardyce should have (and would have) addressed that by now had he any intention of passing the football. Benni McCarthy is a top-class striker, Di Santo and Kalinic obviously show great potential. We're not scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to talent - but we're playing like we are.

There are some horror shows in the squad (step forward Andrews and Roberts) but no-one is forcing Allardyce to play them or - god forbid - TURN DOWN OFFERS for them.

I'm not "deluded by the media's interpretation" of Allardyce football - unfortunately I've seen enough with my own eyes to know what we're in for. The reverence with which Allardyce is being treated makes no sense whatsoever.

You're not allowed an opinion on here anymore, I’d give it up as a bad job and spend your evenings sticking pins in an Allardyce doll like me and Waggy.

[jim mk2]

The reverence with which Allardyce is being treated makes no sense whatsoever.

Such as saving Rovers from oblivion last season ?

I cannot think of many other managers who would have achieved that given the players at his disposal.

Your obsession with Allardyce is getting tiresome. Are you autistic ?

[tcj_jones]

Are Spencey and Jonnolad the same person?

[mellison24]

Are Spencey and Jonnolad the same person?

Nah, jonno can have worthwhile contribution on occasion. I think it's spencey and waggy who were split at birth.

[modes98]

Somewhat ironic is it not that Allardyce seems to inherit terrible teams and have them play hideous football...

but we're playing like we are.

There are some horror shows in the squad (step forward Andrews and Roberts) but no-one is forcing Allardyce to play them or - god forbid - TURN DOWN OFFERS for them.

We don't have the cash to be able to remove every player and replace them in 6 months. So to some extent the style of play will be down to the players inherited. Regardless of that fact, Sam had removed some of the lesser quality players and replaced them with young players who have potential or greater ability already.

We have played 1 game this season and dominated a team that has spent over £100m this summer without playing long ball football, something which Liverpool attemped to do all yesterday btw.

Why should you accept an offer on a player just because it is there? Each player has a valutation to the club and unless that is equalled or an offer made in excess then why sell for sellings sake? Roberts is a good 4th choice striker and Andrews is Average to Poor.

If you don't like the style of football you think we play then fair enough but there's no need to on and on about it.

[RovertheHill]

I'm not dismissing any facts. I urge you to re-watch the highlights from Man City - or indeed the whole game if you can - and see if you can come up with two noteworthy Rovers chances that weren't included on Match of the Day. The ball being driven 6 yards wide by Chris Samba after bouncing around the box is not a chance. Simply getting the ball in the opposition box does not constitute a chance.

Last post on the subject from me because nothing is going to change your view on the team at the moment because you start from a negative view of Allardyce and work from there. I didn't watch highlights, I was at the game and I know that I came away disappointed yet entertained. A shot on goal from inside the box, even one that is missed, blocked or saved, constitutes a chance for me. And 99% of footballing viewers. We had plenty of those. We even had one or two sweeping moves with overlapping fullbacks and crosses into the box that had they happened 3 years ago no doubt Mark Hughes would have been roundly lauded. We still had some fundamental flaws (Andrews for example) but we also had some green-shoots.

Time will tell - if we're doing really badly at Christmas I'll hold my hands up and say you were right. If we're doing really well I suspect you'll say it's luck...

[Parsonblue]

I'm not "deluded by the media's interpretation" of Allardyce football - unfortunately I've seen enough with my own eyes to know what we're in for. The reverence with which Allardyce is being treated makes no sense whatsoever.

It makes just as much sense as your totally irrational attacks on Big Sam. Clearly no one is going to convince you that Big Sam is good for Blackburn Rovers. In the same way you are never going to convince me that he's not good for the club. You might not like his style of football but some of us are happy to watch it if it brings results. I'd much rather watch Premier League football with Big Sam and than the fancy stuff that WBA played in getting relegated.

[Kelbo]

I never subscribe to the view that you can play well and lose. Goals are condeded usually because of poor play and goals are missed for the same reason.

On that count a goalkeeper must never ever get a MOM because he didnt save the ball it was simply poor finishing!!

You can play well and lose, just as you can play pretty poorly and win!!

[Gav]

What a big baby! Of course you're allowed opinions, just don't ram it down people's throats with total arrogance and "fact of matter opinions" like spencey does.

Exactly like you're doing now you nugget.

[mellison24]

Anybody noticed that the LET gave samba 18/10? LOL

[Hughesy]

Anybody noticed that the LET gave samba 18/10? LOL

Would you like to tell him it was a mistake??

[Gav]

Ah, so you don't like my tone? He's just getting back what he's giving.

I’m not following his posts to be honest, but this is a message board where people are allowed, no matter how tiresome/boring etc etc, to express views, that some or all don’t agree with.

Lately on here its like lynch mob mentality if someone disagrees with the popular consensus. It makes it worthwhile for some to put forward a radical view just to see the reaction of the people to it.

Not rocket science, is it?

[deryck guyler's spoon]

I’m not following his posts to be honest, but this is a message board where people are allowed, no matter how tiresome/boring etc etc, to express views, that some or all don’t agree with.

Lately on here its like lynch mob mentality if someone disagrees with the popular consensus. It makes it worthwhile for some to put forward a radical view just to see the reaction of the people to it.

Not rocket science, is it?

Was were people could express their view. Certainly not when the Allardyce Stasi are on duty as they seem to have been today

[AggyBlue]

Was were people could express their view. Certainly not when the Allardyce Stasi are on duty as they seem to have been today

Don't stick your head above the parapet

[Plastic Head]

This poster is clearly completely deluded. It's this blinkered view, this (to quote Melchett in Blackadder IV) "total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face" that absolutely boggles my mind. What game was he watching?

We all love the club. We all want to see Blackburn Rovers do well. But let's not go bonkers and claim we'll be getting anything other than "classic" Allardyce-brand football during his managerial reign. It'll only hurt more in the long run.

If we start trying to play through midfield you will have cause to moan, it'll be 0-4 every week.

[spencey7]

If we start trying to play through midfield you will have cause to moan, it'll be 0-4 every week.

What justification can you possibly have for believing that?

Just blind faith in Lord Allardyce?

[BuckyRover]

Martinez got a lot of praise on MOTD for the way his team played at the weekend.

Wigan are a team that sold most of it's best players but still managed to play good football.

A lot of people equate good football to relegation, I don't believe that is true for a second. Just because it happened with Ince does not mean it will happen everytime.

[John]

Martinez got a lot of praise on MOTD for the way his team played at the weekend.

Wigan are a team that sold most of it's best players but still managed to play good football.

A lot of people equate good football to relegation, I don't believe that is true for a second. Just because it happened with Ince does not mean it will happen everytime.

Only one game gone! Better to judge after a few more games. Remember, our first game last season and we beat Everton away - don't read too much into it.

[BuckyRover]

Very true. I will wait till Christmas.

[allrovertheworld]

Martinez got a lot of praise on MOTD for the way his team played at the weekend.

Wigan are a team that sold most of it's best players but still managed to play good football.

A lot of people equate good football to relegation, I don't believe that is true for a second. Just because it happened with Ince does not mean it will happen everytime.

When did our team under Ince play good football? I must have missed that game.

Wigan were also playing a Villa team with some pretty big issues, we were playing a team full of quality with a point to prove to the whole world.

[Paul]

youll find it was samba,but don't let facts worry you

Ah good I thought I'd gone blind or had severe memory loss. So it was Samba who gave the ball away which lead directly to the goal.

[thenodrog]

People are making way too much out of our tactics for this game, yes we hoofed it a lot but that doesn't mean we will in every game, if we had tried to play a passing game against Citeh it would have played right into their hands and we would probably have been on the receiving end of a thrashing.

I'm sure that against different opposition we'll have more of a balance to our play. Whether we like it or not Citeh look like they are going to challenge the top 4, we were never going to try and play them off the park.

Correct. Until we get some quality in midfield how the hell can we adopt a high quality passing game. With just a promising rookie and Keith Andrews in midfield attempting a slick passing game through midfield would be football suicide.

[imy9]

I'm not dismissing any facts. I urge you to re-watch the highlights from Man City - or indeed the whole game if you can - and see if you can come up with two noteworthy Rovers chances that weren't included on Match of the Day. The ball being driven 6 yards wide by Chris Samba after bouncing around the box is not a chance. Simply getting the ball in the opposition box does not constitute a chance.

People seem to be missing the point of what I'm saying here - I don't expect us to play like Arsenal or Barcelona, but given our squad of international footballers from all over the world (who are being paid a fortune), there is NO REASON for us to be playing schoolyard football. All we're likely to have on offer under Allardyce is scrappy hit-and-hope, up-and-under, out-dated, ineffective, reductive, embarrassing crap.

Now there are some posters here who acknowledge that and accept it - some even claim to enjoy it - fair play to them. But then...

This poster is clearly completely deluded. It's this blinkered view, this (to quote Melchett in Blackadder IV) "total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face" that absolutely boggles my mind. What game was he watching?

We all love the club. We all want to see Blackburn Rovers do well. But let's not go bonkers and claim we'll be getting anything other than "classic" Allardyce-brand football during his managerial reign. It'll only hurt more in the long run.

OK:

1. 31:52: Benedict McCarthy produces a left-footed shot from inside the area that clears the crossbar.

2. 36:53: Shot by Jason Roberts from deep inside the penalty area misses to the right of the goal.

3. 58:50: Jason Roberts takes a shot. Save made by Shay Given. Corner taken by El-Hadji Diouf played to the near post, Stephen Ireland manages to make a clearance.

THREE shots taken by our strikers in the penalty area aimed at the goal, one of which was saved by Shay Given= poor finishing, can you find TWO goal worthy efforts made by Man City bar the goals?

Out of interest what was your opinion about Liverpool vs Spurs, would you class that as "hoofball?

[Big Fat Sam]

Martinez got a lot of praise on MOTD for the way his team played at the weekend.

Wigan are a team that sold most of it's best players but still managed to play good football.

A lot of people equate good football to relegation, I don't believe that is true for a second. Just because it happened with Ince does not mean it will happen everytime.

It is more than possible, Reading, Ipswich have all done it you just need a coach who can instill some creativity and structure. West ham last year, (albeit not against our ariel bombardment). You need pace though and not just one player, we have some hopefuls but I thought we had a nice balance between the two and created more than at any stage I remember last season.

[Manchester Blue]

Ah good I thought I'd gone blind or had severe memory loss. So it was Samba who gave the ball away which lead directly to the goal.

Meant to say yesterday was surprised more hadn't commented on this. It was bad enough he gave the ball away he then let Adebayor run past him and didn't get back quick enough leading to the goal. So it was a double mistake. I guess if you're a fans fave you can get away with this stuff?