[Archived] Birmingham City Away

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Someone better check on Big Sam cos he's probably having a fit up in the stands with the way we're defending and shooting.

[DE.]

For the first hour of this match, it was dire. We couldn't have played much worse if we'd tried.

When we scored, Birmingham panicked. They became extremely defensive and became very nervous. We, however, simply did not have the class or the desire to outdo them. We had more possession but our performance did not really improve. We were still wasteful in possession and devoid of any attacking ideas. We were nearly caught out on the break twice and were unlucky not to score at the end. Still, the first 60 minutes of this match were unforgivable. If we play like that for the rest of the season we can forget top half of the table, we're gonna be scrapping right at the bottom.

Hoilett should have started. Benni should have started. Roberts, Pedersen and Diouf should be nowhere near the first team. We all know this, why doesn't Sam?

Very, very worried about our future.

[Rovermatt]

We made Birmingham look like Brazil for some of this. Absolutely dire.

[Tom]

come on Sam explain yourself and don't be a coward and hide behind the last few minutes.

You got it wrong, take the blame.

[RevidgeBlue]

Kalinic was desperately unlucky with the last minute header but overall we were hugely flattered by the 2-1 scoreline.

Awful. It's going to be a long second half to the season.

[AggyBlue]

Bollux.

If we had played the whole game like we played the last 30 minutes we'd have won this game.

Big Sam must carry the can for including too many wasters in the starting 11.

[imy9]

Question: Why can a team (with premier league footballers) not pass a football?

Blues played some lovely stuff- we simply lumped it forward! What do you expect Kalinic to do with the pathetic service that he is getting!!

I hope Dunn and Grella are back on Saturday because the rest of them are incapable of doing the basics- I do not go overboard but that was the WORST performance that I have seen from a Rovers side.

[G Somerset Rover]

Your right Rovermatt, throw in Jerome as Drogba too.

Made a game of it for the last ten but that was pretty dire wasn't it? It took Ryan Nelsen to show Roberts and Co. how to put one away and despite Benitez' woeful miss we still couldn't capitalise.

Lose against Spurs as I think we will and we could be in a spot of bother.

[Daremz]

I come all the way from Holland to Ewood to see my beloved Rovers this Saturday. I hope the performance is 400% better than today's, otherwise I can't face my friends, who I've convinced to go with me, for the rest of my life.

Keep the faith, but COME ON Rovers...

[Eddie]

Glad to see Allardyce knows how to invent time machines, because that was the best of Ince right there.

Diouf CANNOT play for this side.

Roberts CANNOT play for this side.

Benni should start. Hoilett should start.

MGP did pretty well. Kalinic did well, but had no service.

Chimbonda and Givet were a big weakness for us, particularly Givet who got lost for the second goal.

Cannot stand watching this team play like that.

No excuses about how much we spend against a team like Birmingham. Our manager was out-thought today.

[1864roverite]

I can stand the defeat. If anything comes out of this in a positive manner its the players that shouldnt don our shirts again.

Diouf, Roberts were absolutely shocking.

Am off to bed for an early night, truly disappointed.

[mellison24]

We got that wrong. Positives....we scored. Hoilett should start. benni should start. With Kalinic ancd DiSanto.

DiSanto is Roberts with a bit of skill. YOU do the maths!

[AggyBlue]

It's going to be a long second half to the season.

Probably as long as the first half

[novella]

How unlucky can kalinic be. Positives should be that diouf, pedersen and Roberts should be released on a free after that. Jacobsen should be starting ahead of chimbonda too.

[Mr. E]

well it's no secret really, our hopes this season lie on other teams being poorer than us. But when we pick up only 2 points against Stoke, Hull and Birmingham, you have to feel a little worried.

[savage8]

Pathetic. Embarassing. Terrible referee and linesmen.

That was hoofball at it's worst. I cannot take one positive from that game.

Lost every 50/50 ball I can remember. I am a very sad Rovers fan tonight. The worrying thing is, will the players feel the same? I fear not.

[ABBEY]

come on Sam explain yourself and don't be a coward and hide behind the last few minutes.

You got it wrong, take the blame.

THERES NO CHANCE....perormence 1 out of 10...bar 10 mins.

[RoverRich]

I've just worked out what we've done wrong.

We spent £6m on Kalinic when we should have paid £6m for Klasnic who has just scored AGAIN.

I only went and put Kalinic in my fantasy football team ahead of Klasnic for this gameweek. Had a feeling that Niko would get on the scoresheet today but typically I now regret my choice! Can't believe we don't have 1 decent striker who can stick the ball in the back of the net

[LeChuck]

come on Sam explain yourself and don't be a coward and hide behind the last few minutes.

You got it wrong, take the blame.

We played badly but what's this "explain yourself" nonsense?

Kalinic must be the unluckiest striker in the league, he would have got us a point if it wasn't for Larsson's face.

[MarkBRFC71]

Hoilett should have started. Benni should have started. Roberts, Pedersen and Diouf should be nowhere near the first team. We all know this, why doesn't Sam?

Absolutely spot on ....

[Eddie]

Kalinic was unlucky not to get the goal right at the end there. It was a good header...and amazingly enough a good corner and MGP's second good set-piece of the night.

[mjs]

We just don't keep possession of the ball because of hopeless long balls and poor quality of passing.

Add to that the fact that we have no pace and creativity.

It's a recipe for defeat, especially away from home.

[G Somerset Rover]

One last thing, Sky chose to show the game where we truly did play sh*te long ball and our only outlet was set pieces. Not exactly helping our reputation tonight.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Fair play to Birmingham. 17 points from 21 possible points and up to 6th in the league.

They showed how much better they are than us today. If we played like them today, we would all be extremely happy for the future. They should have won by a bigger margin if we're honest.

Thankfully we're still 12th in the league although I can't see us staying there considering we can't win away to save our lives.

[Exiled in Toronto]

come on Sam explain yourself and don't be a coward and hide behind the last few minutes.

You got it wrong, take the blame.

Fat chance of that.

He made lot of changes to the team and formation tonight and not one of them paid off. Totally his fault. Hoilett and Benni were several classes above the players he put in in their place. We lived down to every stereotype of his style tonight.