[Archived] Rovers V Stoke

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

4-4-2 PLEASE AT HOME!

We should have more than enough to beat Stoke at Ewood......2-0 Rovers.

Stoke have sold all 3,000 tickets so we should be looking at a crowd around 25,000.

[joey_big_nose]

Rovers team should be as follows imo:-

------McCarthy-------Di Santo

------------------Dunn

-------Grella---NZonzi---Emerton

Olsson----Givet----Samba----Chimbonda

---------------Robinson

Tell the central three to play deep and give Olsson, Dunn and Chimbonda a lot of licence to get forward. Get Di Santo to creat the space for Dunn and McCarthy, as they drop off and float in front of the defence.

[ABBEY]

Got 0-0 written all over it...get your ralgex for stiff necks.

[OJRovers]

Losing at Fulham means we need to get 3 points from this one.

The team:

-----Robbo-----

Jacob-Nelsen-Samba-Givet

--Emerton-N'Zonzi-Dunn

-McCarthy-Roberts-Di Santo

(not quite those positions but more of a diamond)

Was N'Zonzi just rested on Wedsnesday? Hopefully we don't have to start with Andrews again.

We need to throw everything at Stoke and hope to break them down, whilst being careful of them on the break and from set pieces.

Kalinic to come on if Roberts/McCarthy aren't doing much

[JAL]

Rovers team should be as follows imo:-

------McCarthy-------Di Santo

------------------Dunn

-------Grella---NZonzi---Emerton

Olsson----Givet----Samba----Chimbonda

---------------Robinson

Tell the central three to play deep and give Olsson, Dunn and Chimbonda a lot of licence to get forward. Get Di Santo to creat the space for Dunn and McCarthy, as they drop off and float in front of the defence.

I'm suprised you drop Roberts and Jacobsen for Benni and OLsson.

The only way Olsson will be playing premier league football is if we have nobody else fit.

It wouldnt be a suprise to see Di Santo dropped.

[waggy]

i expect us to go back to 4-5-1,i will be happy to see chimbonda/grella/diouff/andrews benched,if we are brave and play 2 up front,we will get a favourable result,otherwise doom and gloom with ronald macdonald in charge

[TimmyJimmy]

This could be painful, I have loads of relatives living in Stoke and most are rabid supporters. Please win lads, just for me. Life will be hell otherwise.

Just read a comment from someone on another thread that this may be the weakest squad we've have had for sometime and it got me thinking. It's OK thinking about the prospects of individual matches like this but it's also interesting to sketch out just who exactly we are at a level with, and therefore should be competitive against.

Mid 90's our peer set was ManU and Liverpool I'd say, and every chance of turning them over. Early 2000's our peer set was probably about the Aston Villa, Spurs level. Last year, well let's say Bolton/Fulham. When we play someone in our peer group we should have a good chance of getting a result and if we play some team below that group we should reasonably expect to wallop them. Looking upwards we are always going to struggle (Villa was a happy exception )

Looking at these teams we seem to have slide down the rankings a bloody long way. Peers today Hull, Stoke?

On this basis I am confident about our chances, howlers excepted, but Stoke are no longer below us in squad strength so we have no right to expect to give them a tonking.

I'll go 2:1. But thinking about this is horribly sobering, we really have slipped backwards in our squad strength haven't we. Sam needs to buy well in January.

[Claytons Left Boot]

When we play someone in our peer group we should have a good chance of getting a result and if we play some team below that group we should reasonably expect to wallop them.

If we're playing someone in our peer group, surely they have just as much chance of beating us. As we're playing Stoke at home, I would say the odds are slightly in our faviour (because of home advantage), but it could go either way.

As for Rovers walloping anyone, on current form, this isn't going to happen.

[USABlue]

I like Stoke City, they are possibly my second favourite team in the Prem, why? I like their energy, they always seem to show a level of commitment that I wish we would aspire to. Given they have lost games late and had some unfortunate decisions, what is it, if that had the points they have lost in the last minute or so they'd be about fifth. Anyway our failure to match Stokes effort will see us go down 1-2. Hoping not I think it will be a cracking game though.

[TimmyJimmy]

If we're playing someone in our peer group, surely they have just as much chance of beating us. As we're playing Stoke at home, I would say the odds are slightly in our faviour (because of home advantage), but it could go either way.

As for Rovers walloping anyone, on current form, this isn't going to happen.

Of course CLB, I was meaning that we could turn up at the ground knowing we have a realistic chance of getting something from the game ie we'd be competitive. Playing those above us (in terms of squad strength) is a thankless task these days, we don't have a snowballs chance in hell - which I guess accords with your second point.

[Plastic Head]

Rovers team should be as follows imo:-

------McCarthy-------Di Santo

------------------Dunn

-------Grella---NZonzi---Emerton

Olsson----Givet----Samba----Chimbonda

---------------Robinson

Tell the central three to play deep and give Olsson, Dunn and Chimbonda a lot of licence to get forward. Get Di Santo to creat the space for Dunn and McCarthy, as they drop off and float in front of the defence.

I would pick myself at left-back before Ollson, and i'm right footed.

[Manc Rover]

I would pick myself at left-back before Ollson, and i'm right footed.

Likewise. He's a liablity! Maybe Jesper Olsson could come out of retirement and play there?

[Mr. E]

Losing at Fulham means we need to get 3 points from this one.

The team:

-----Robbo-----

Jacob-Nelsen-Samba-Givet

--Emerton-N'Zonzi-Dunn

-McCarthy-Roberts-Di Santo

(not quite those positions but more of a diamond)

Was N'Zonzi just rested on Wedsnesday? Hopefully we don't have to start with Andrews again.

We need to throw everything at Stoke and hope to break them down, whilst being careful of them on the break and from set pieces.

Kalinic to come on if Roberts/McCarthy aren't doing much

I'd only swap Chimbonda for Jacobson, but this needs to be the team.

[DazRover]

This is one of those games you look at and think we should win this. Didn't see the game midweek but saw enough during the Bolton game to say this should be three points. Got to play 4-4-2 and get at them.

Great preview by the way.

[CrazyIvan]

Great preview by the way.

Ta

[Tom]

i expect us to go back to 4-5-1,i will be happy to see chimbonda/grella/diouff/andrews benched,if we are brave and play 2 up front,we will get a favourable result,otherwise doom and gloom with ronald macdonald in charge

Does not compute, he's been one of our best players this season and looks a constant threat going forward on the overlap.

I just hope Kalinic gets the nod up front with Di Santo.

1-1 I think

[meerkat]

4-1 Rovers

[RIML]

I've been looking at the results from the start of the season and it wasn't long ago since Stoke beat Tottenham away, however that's their only away win of the season but it shows they are more than capable of beating top sides. On a more positive note, they have lost away to Hull and drew away to Bolton.

[BRFC1995]

I would pick myself at left-back before Ollson, and i'm right footed.

ollson is very,very poor...him or chimbonda, its chimbonda every time

surely salgado has to be tried in midfield at some point, he gets murdered at full back but he can't possibly have less qualities than grella or andrews have in the middle.

JACOB-SAMBA-ADMIRAL-CHIMBONDA

SALGADO-DUNN-EMERTON

ROBERTS-DI SANTO-McCARTHY

[Tom]

Ollson is nowhere near as bad as people make out in my opnion.

He got mullered by Lennon that time but many a fullback will.

[mode_m]

Stoke is no problem, 2 - 0 Rovers even with Dunn out.

[Linny8]

Roberts can't start games, he's ok as an impact player but nothing else for me, if we need to change it we can bring him on to batter the tired defence.

Roberts couldn't batter a fish!

[Kelbo]

We simply must start giving Hoilett some games or we will lose him, he needs games now to push forward, otherwise, whats the point and this lad will come back to haunt us!!

[Majiball]

I don't disgaree, but unless the lad says "yes" I'm staying I just don't see Sam playing him. There's plenty of interest in him already and he will be moved on in Jan, unless he signs.

[Stuart]

Beginning to feel the match day nerves now. Still can't see this being a stroll.

I suspect Stoke will line up with Fuller on his own up front (a richer man's Jason Roberts if you will) and the rest behind the ball so I'm hoping we don't go 1-0 down early on - as is becoming more common again.

If they do go ahead it'll be difficult for us as they will no doubt keep it tight and play on the break, plus we aren't going to have the benefit of Sam's experience to change things round.

We are going to need Dunn and Di Santo to be back on form for this one.