[Archived] Rovers V Liverpool

[Ozz]

Can't believe I'm disappointed with a draw against Liverpool, but the game could have given us three points. Rovers did nearly everything right, bar put the ball in the net, just unfortunate that the best chances didn't fall to Benni, I feel he would have gobbled up them up, esp the Di Santo and Kalinic ones.

But as for Liverpool, just how and where do they thin they are going to win a trophy? With Torres they had no match winner, I looked around the side and didn't see any body capable of bettering our mid table budget team.

Only complaint-El Hadji Diouf. For me he was a waste of space yesterday. Didn't beat a man, don't remember him getting a cross in, and most of the time lost possession. Add his histrionics, he became a liability, and was a red card walking till he got the hooked off.

Liked the look of Nzonzi and Grella yesterday, Grella played a vintage David Batty performance for us. Keep that up sir.

[alexanders]

Lay off alexanders..... it's hardly a withering criticism of kalinic is it?

I think he is critizing him and pointing him out infront of the rest.

It wasnt such an easy chance as people are making out. Why not mention Di Santo's terrible touch 1 on 1 with Reina?

[thenodrog]

Just seen the spanish clown who is presiding over Liverpool's tail spin interviewed on MoTD and desperately searching for excuses for a poor performance. He could have heaped some praise on the efforts of the opposition but no, apparently Liverpools failure to win was down to a bad peach. Mighty odd if you ask me........ I thought they gave em oranges at HT?

And I thought it was us Brits that were always supposed to always wash fruit when we are abroad.

[Iceman]

That Kalinic miss when Reina came sprinting out... My God, I'd even expect my fat Sunday League CF to have waddled the ball round him and finish, it was that bloody easy!

[thenodrog]

I think he is critizing him and pointing him out infront of the rest.

It wasnt such an easy chance as people are making out. Why not mention Di Santo's terrible touch 1 on 1 with Reina?

Probably because he wasn't asked about Di Santos abberation by the interviewer. Hardly the hair dryer treatment was it?

[alexanders]

Probably because he wasn't asked about Di Santos abberation by the interviewer. Hardly the hair dryer treatment was it?

I agree it wasnt, but I think it is wrong to point out one single player like that and blame him.

[Parsonblue]

I think he is critizing him and pointing him out infront of the rest.

It wasnt such an easy chance as people are making out. Why not mention Di Santo's terrible touch 1 on 1 with Reina?

Sam did exactly that. After the game he said that we had missed three good chances - Di Santo, McCarthy and Kalinic - to have won the game and that the players were all disappointed that we hadn't won. Nothing wrong in that. Indeed, far from destroying Kalinic's confidence, I think Sam has gone out of his way to introduce him slowly and work on him on the training ground.

[alexanders]

Sam did exactly that. After the game he said that we had missed three good chances - Di Santo, McCarthy and Kalinic - to have won the game and that the players were all disappointed that we hadn't won. Nothing wrong in that. Indeed, far from destroying Kalinic's confidence, I think Sam has gone out of his way to introduce him slowly and work on him on the training ground.

I have only read that interwiev where he singled out Kalinic's miss. I apologize if he did say that we missed three good chances and therefore not pointing out Kalinic.

[yellowsubmarine]

Was pretty satisfied with Grella's performance last night. Almost every tackle was spot-on. The best I've seen from him so far.

Diouf was pretty disappointing. He really needs to calm down. His yellow was just pure stupidity and risked getting himself sent-off and giving more headaches to the team. But I must say his defensive work last night was pretty solid.

[Stuart]

The substitutions didn't help much imo. I've no problem with Hoillett for EHD but Benny was contributing far more than Di Santo when he was winched and when Andrews came on Grella, N'Zonzi and Emo appeared completely perplexed. We were then treated to a huddle of midfielders in the centre of the pitch virtually able to hold hands and with nobody wide right.

About time you got one wrong Theno. For all his faults (yes, I know) when he came on yesterday it was to man-mark Gerrard out of the game. Not saying he did that brilliantly but he wasn't just an other centre midfielder.

I'm one of his biggest critics but we saw yesterday his proper role in the Rovers squad. A late sub designed to close out a game. Not pretty but he did his job.

[Paul]

Like everyone else I'd have settled for a good performance and a draw before the game, in fact I'd have accepted a good performance and a defeat as I wouldn't have expected much out of a match against a top four side. So by the end of the game to be disappointed we hadn't won is a great result. This is the first time I've seen Liverpool this season and I was surprised by their lack of adventure, Benitez came to Ewood looking for a point and perhaps snatching a win which demonstrates some respect for the Rovers or a lack of ambition on his part? Liverpool are average and it's hard to imagine how they'll win anyhting this year.

We played the 4-4-1-1 / 4-5-1 again which I don't like and I don't think suits a player like Di Santo. He had a very good game yesterday but doesn't have many goals in him so it's difficult to see how this system will allow us to score when Dunn isn't playing. McCarthy linked the play well but he wasn't surging forward in support in the way Dunn does, having said that other mid-fielders seemed to get further forward than in previous matches.

For me N'Zonzi had his best match to date, Nelsen and Samba were back to their best and Grella far better than I would have expected. I'm not sure Di Santo is the right striker for us, yes he can play good football but does he create chances for himself or others? I'd have preferred to see Kalinic up front, in his time on the pitch he created two chances out of nothing for himself and based on the little we've seen has more goals in him than Di Santo.

Diouff was poor for me and looking very slow. I also thought Hoillet showed why he still has a lot to learn in the manager's opinion or is he simply better if he plays more centrally?

[philipl]

It has calmed down on here now but honestly, I expect to see bad tempered bitching when we lose or play badly but we have just had the best four days to be a Rovers supporter since I don't know when- any suggestions folks?

- knock Chelsea out to progress to a semi-final in thrilling fashion

- should have beaten Liverpool but played very very well with positives throughout the team

- 29,660 crowd makes it one of the 30 biggest since Ewood was rebuilt

- we move ahead of the dingles to stay

If you can run the video here, I really like everything Sam has to say.

[thenodrog]

Diouff was poor for me and looking very slow. I also thought Hoillet showed why he still has a lot to learn in the manager's opinion or is he simply better if he plays more centrally?

EHD does have the ability to help out our full backs whereas Hoillet loses posession in dangerous areas but there is no doubt Hoillet makes things happen in attack when he comes on. imo they provide for a good left side partnership

[CrazyIvan]

You're getting confused between opinion and fact again Crazyivan.

You really like to belittle people don't you? Again, I'll say it in caps so you can understand me. I NEVER MENTIONED FACTS. Get over yourself. Not everybody has to agree with you.

[47er]

I dont entirely agree Al. I'm with 47er. There is a place for them both. EHD has the experience to work the left whilst Hoilett is a wonderful quicksilver option to replace him after 65 mins or so. He has significantly altered our attacking emphasis twice in the last week and against two top teams. Hoilett's downside is a tendency to give the ball away cheaply in dangerous situations.

I was just going to type exactly that when I read your post! I think we are in a minority of 2 though. For me Doeuf is able to use his experience to retain the ball, either by holding it up till help arrives or drawing a foul or throw-in.He thereby takes the pressure off the defence.

Hoilett showed his inexperience yesterday by losing the ball several times when we were going forward. He also hit one miles wide when it was impossible to score. But he did set Kalinic up beautifully. So he needs to learn to be a bit less spectacular and get some defensive skills while retaining his undoubted creativity.. Sadly it doesn't look like he will get those skills with us.

I believe many fans will never forgive Doeuf for THAT penalty and his on-field behaviour in general is often hard to take as it was yesterday.

[ABBEY]

That's alls I've been calling for ...guts battling and a will to win...as for spits debate...he's a liability...his booking was that of 6 year old pampered schoolboy having a paddy.bloody hell how

quiet were the bin dippers? They should of been down to 9 men as well...get benni as main one frontup and santos feeding him.

[RovertheHill]

I didn't realise how bad Gerrard's penalty dive was until I just saw them discuss it on Goals on Sunday. Cheating hypocrite.

Check

[den]

I was just going to type exactly that when I read your post! I think we are in a minority of 2 though. For me Doeuf is able to use his experience to retain the ball, either by holding it up till help arrives or drawing a foul or throw-in.He thereby takes the pressure off the defence.

Diouf does have some outstanding qualities IMO. He can hold the ball, which is desperately needed at times and his positional play is good. Givet didn't get the same cover when Hoilett came on.

The problem with players like Diouf though, is that they don't play the game the modern way - one touch, pass and move. He slows the game down far too much and that can cause players around him not to make runs. If he had the ability to play both ways, he wouldn't be at Ewood though.

[Tom]

I also think Sam's talk about Kalinic's miss is a bit iffy, no need to make a point of how he should have hit the target, one thing I don't like about Sam is he is always to quick to blame someone else. If it had gone in he probably would have said it was just down to his substitutions.

We know Kalinic should have hit the target but no need to say it in the media imo.

[Miker]

I also think Sam's talk about Kalinic's miss is a bit iffy, no need to make a point of how he should have hit the target, one thing I don't like about Sam is he is always to quick to blame someone else. If it had gone in he probably would have said it was just down to his substitutions.

We know Kalinic should have hit the target but no need to say it in the media imo.

It's a valid comment to make IMO, since we got everything else right except the finishing. Plus I'm sure Sam mentioned all the misses, not just the Kalinic one and it was down to the journalist what part of the interview was mentioned.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I didn't go to the game so I can only go off what I saw on MOTD. Lot's of people on here are really up beat about yesterdays game and our performance, on tv the first half merited one passage of play. The second half was better but even so I thought the commentators gave us a bit of a kicking, inferring it was a poor game. Anybody care to comment ?

On the Kalinic miss I thought good goalkeeping, an indifferent pass and a greasy pitch made life hard for the lad. He received the ball in the wrong place at the wrong time. Having said that he wasn't prepared to take a clattering so I think he panicked a bit.

The De Santo miss was worse I thought, he never looked like getting a shot off.

[Stuart]

I didn't go to the game so I can only go off what I saw on MOTD. Lot's of people on here are really up beat about yesterdays game and our performance, on tv the first half merited one passage of play. The second half was better but even so I thought the commentators gave us a bit of a kicking, inferring it was a poor game. Anybody care to comment ?

On the Kalinic miss I thought good goalkeeping, an indifferent pass and a greasy pitch made life hard for the lad. He received the ball in the wrong place at the wrong time. Having said that he wasn't prepared to take a clattering so I think he panicked a bit.

The De Santo miss was worse I thought, he never looked like getting a shot off.

Sorry Tyrone but if you only go of MOTD you will not be able to form any valid opinion of the game. More damning of MOTD than your good self.

You'll need to watch Sky Sports Football First AND Goals On Sunday to even get close.

(Seems so backward that a more credible view of a football match is offered by a commercial broadcaster helping the big clubs get bigger, than a supposed impartial state-run broadcaster).

[Amo]

Just because it was 0-0 (and their darling Gerrard didn't lead 'Pool to victory) BBC slotted us in last. There was plenty of controversy in the second half for discussion, but BBC felt it was a non-event.

[Stuart]

It was the same listening to Le Tissier who'd covered the game for football Saturday. He said the game was boring!

I imaging he was only been watching when Liverpool were in possession - must have been a pain for him that those blue and white objects on the screen kept stopping Liverpool from playing.

[Hughesy]

Is he trying to destroy the kid's confidence?

We know Kalinic should have hit the target but no need to say it in the media imo.

I suggest you both watch the BBC videos - he didnt slate them, just told the truth that the players should of got the shots on target.

As for taking credit - he gave it to the players

As for Rafa "The pitch wasnt the best"