[Archived] Blackburn Rovers V Tottenham Hotspur

[G Somerset Rover]

i'm getting worried about dunnys injury now

Me too.."one to two games" we were told at first and every week it's "next game Dunny should be back". What will this be? The 6th game he's been missing?! Nothing we didn't already know, but he's nackered.

Which one player will now step up to the plate? Bugger all has in his absence thus far.

I got the spade out today. It'll be in use tomorrow should EHD, Roberts, MGP or Keef play

[T4E]

But was it not just Diouf and Pedersen that CBA? I thougt the rest seemed to at least try at brum and just played shyte.

Well, Andrews and Roberts are debatable - as they have no actual ability its hard to tell if they're disinterested or actually trying really hard and just nowhere near good enough.

Either way, its not good enough and doesn't justify my making the effort.

[Bazrakats]

As long as we dont have Pederson playing his stupid long throws that only ever meet the head of a defender ill be happy enough so many were just wasted on tuesday. We should definatly give Hoillet and Kalinic a start on saturday but to be honest any one would be better than Roberts. Is it just me or is he physically incapable of jumping?

[Plastic Head]

Olsson should get a start now on left wing. He cannot be worse than Pedersen or Diouf. Team should get nowhere near the first team.

Did you see the Spurs game at WHL last season? He was worse than Pedersen and Diouf.

I think we should play Andrews at left-back. We'll probably get beat anyway so lets have a laugh.

[Plastic Head]

As long as we dont have Pederson playing his stupid long throws that only ever meet the head of a defender ill be happy enough so many were just wasted on tuesday.

Agreed. Let's consign the throws to the tactical dustbin.

We never score from them and get caught out at the back with the centre-backs in the opposition area.

Is it just me or is he physically incapable of jumping?

A bit like me on a Saturday night...

[T4E]

As long as we dont have Pederson playing his stupid long throws that only ever meet the head of a defender ill be happy enough so many were just wasted on tuesday.

The worst thing about that is that he obviously believes he is dangerous in that situation, as several times on Tuesday he allowed the ball to run out when he could have kept it in so we got a throw in. What sort of professional footballer would rather take a throw in than deliver a cross? The @#/? sort.

[G Somerset Rover]

The worst thing about that is that he obviously believes he is dangerous in that situation, as several times on Tuesday he allowed the ball to run out when he could have kept it in so we got a throw in. What sort of professional footballer would rather take a throw in than deliver a cross? The @#/? sort.

Tugs I could well be wrong, but I'm guessing that Allardyce tells him pre-match to launch as many of those sh*te throw ins as humanly possible which may explain why he lets it run out of play constantly.

It's just so frustrating that time and time again they fail to work. The opposition put two men on Samba (who isn't as good at attacking the ball in the air as he could be) and in the event that it does reach Nzonzi it just scuffs off his head.

[T4E]

You might be right SR - I'm sure Sam has a role in it somewhere - but in my opinion any self respecting footballer would rather keep a ball in and cross when possible. I'm sure he's told not to break his balls to keep it in and those situations I can cope with, but there were times on Tuesday when he was almost shepherding it out akin to a defender trying to let it go for a goal kick. Its embarassing.

To be fair Morten Gamst Pedersen could find a cure for cancer at the moment and I'd still think he's a *.

[joey_big_nose]

Did you see the Spurs game at WHL last season? He was worse than Pedersen and Diouf.

I think we should play Andrews at left-back. We'll probably get beat anyway so lets have a laugh.

I mean left wing not left back?! Olsson at full back is an accident waiting to happen. Chimbonda left back to deal with Lennon's pace.

[Hughesy]

What bugs me with the long throws is that very rarely do we actually win the headers, despite having 2 6ft 4+ players.

[RIML]

Loving the team selection without a captain

Whatever team Sam puts out we need to get behind the lads and the manager from the start!

[mellison24]

Loving the team selection without a captain

Whatever team Sam puts out we need to get behind the lads and the manager from the start!

Exactly. I just hope we try to play football against spuds. They are very consistent atmo, but I think we can go as far as to win if we have a go at them:

Robbo

Jacobsen-Samba-Nelsen-Chimbonda

Hoilett-N'Zonzi-Grella

McCarthy

Kalinic-DiSanto

[only2garners]

Exactly. I just hope we try to play football against spuds. They are very consistent atmo, but I think we can go as far as to win if we have a go at them:

Last 6 games WDLDLW. I suppose that's consistent, won 2, drawn 2 and lost 2.

[mellison24]

Last 6 games WDLDLW. I suppose that's consistent, won 2, drawn 2 and lost 2.

My apologies. I had the impression they were on form as they seem to keep climbing the league. Maybe the 9-1 win tarnished my vision a bit there. let's hope thats a load of goals scored against wigan that they can't score 2moz. Hoping for all 3 points. A draw is okay, but we REALLY could do with a win right here right now.

[cletus]

To be fair Morten Gamst Pedersen could find a cure for cancer at the moment and I'd still think he's a *.

[grizfoot]

Be interesting to see what team Big Sam puts out. Personally I'd play Hoilett instead of Diouf on the right and partner McCarthy with Kalinic upfront. Watched the Spurs game the other night and their most potent threat was Lennon and gave City no end of problems, I'd remove Givet from the firing line and move Chimbonda to LB and bring in either Salgado or Jacobson at right-back. Also important whoever is playing LM to track back and help out, for that reason I'd play Pedersen there.

My team would be:

Robinson

Jacobson, Samba, Nelsen, Chimbonda

Hoilett, Grella, Nzonzi, Pedersen

Kalinic, McCarthy

[tomphil]

Does that mean Grella is definately available?

Just read Rovers.co.uk - Grella is back.

And he will last all of what ? 20 mins? very intresting day in store tomorrow!

[Tom]

I'm a bit worried about Pascal, he wears gloves in summer how will he move tomorrow dressed in a full Eskimo suit.

To stand a good chance I'd like to see us go back to being bullies, they wont like travelling up north on a freezing winters day so lets make life hard for them.

[RIML]

How will the players react?

[martmitch]

How will the players react?

I thought that when I saw that article but the said party was before the wolves game so is old news now as far as their players are concerned but has only just got out into the media, their morale didnt seem too low when they beat city midweek

[RIML]

I thought that when I saw that article but the said party was before the wolves game so is old news now as far as their players are concerned but has only just got out into the media, their morale didnt seem too low when they beat city midweek

Why is Harry only dealing with it after this weekend?

Maybe he has only just found out what they really got up to in Dublin

[Blue blood]

We've a fairly solid defence, and with a midfield including Dunn, Emerton and Grella I'd feel rather optimistic about taking on Spuds, whereas a midfield with Diouf, Peds and Andrews in is a certainty to loose imo. Unfortunately we'll be nearer the latter thanks to injuries - and maybe I'm being a cynic but I doubt that Grella will last long even though he's been past fit.

There are positives: the Spurs party cannot help them - Harry is in a really difficult position, if he lets this go all his authority is undermined, if not irrepairably damaged, and he knows this, so punnishment should be weighing on the minds of the players. I'd be fairly confident there will be scapegoats, so some of the players may be a little uneasy at the moment. Additionally Spurs are horribly inconsistent and have lost twice recently to "physical" teams, which rovers have the capability to be. And if Wolves can beat them, so can we.

As for team selection it's more of a case of half automatic starters, half best of a bad bunch, but for what it's worth here's my preferred team:

Robbo

Jacobsen Samba Nelsen Chimbonda

Holliet Grella N'Zonzi Pedersen

Kalinic Di Santo

Note to Sam: Andrews, Diouf and Roberts should NEVER start for rovers again, they're crap and every fan knows it. Playing these three lies to relegation.

I'd add Peds to that list, but we really need someone to play wide left, and Peds is more likely to drop back and help out Chimbonda against Lennon's pace, which is more than can be said for Diouf. I'd also like to see Holliet start on the wing he's more comfortable on. I've a feeling with some nice balls fed to him, he could cause Spurs a lot of problems. Up front we definately need a worker to defend from the front - and Roberts doesn't fulfil this role half as effectively as Di Santo, whilst Kalinic is showing he can create chances so would get in ahead of Benni. (I'm still annoyed at Benni for his no show at Hull.)

Prediction: against the odds a rovers win 2-1 Pedersen and Di Santo to score.

[JAL]

I'm a bit worried about Pascal, he wears gloves in summer how will he move tomorrow dressed in a full Eskimo suit.

To stand a good chance I'd like to see us go back to being bullies, they wont like travelling up north on a freezing winters day so lets make life hard for them.

Chimbonda will be fired up for this game as its against his old colleagues, he should be on for a potential MOM performance tomorrow.

We've a fairly solid defence, and with a midfield including Dunn, Emerton and Grella I'd feel rather optimistic about taking on Spuds, whereas a midfield with Diouf, Peds and Andrews in is a certainty to loose imo. Unfortunately we'll be nearer the latter thanks to injuries - and maybe I'm being a cynic but I doubt that Grella will last long even though he's been past fit.

There are positives: the Spurs party cannot help them - Harry is in a really difficult position, if he lets this go all his authority is undermined, if not irrepairably damaged, and he knows this, so punnishment should be weighing on the minds of the players. I'd be fairly confident there will be scapegoats, so some of the players may be a little uneasy at the moment. Additionally Spurs are horribly inconsistent and have lost twice recently to "physical" teams, which rovers have the capability to be. And if Wolves can beat them, so can we.

As for team selection it's more of a case of half automatic starters, half best of a bad bunch, but for what it's worth here's my preferred team:

Robbo

Jacobsen Samba Nelsen Chimbonda

Holliet Grella N'Zonzi Pedersen

Kalinic Di Santo

Note to Sam: Andrews, Diouf and Roberts should NEVER start for rovers again, they're crap and every fan knows it. Playing these three lies to relegation.

I'd add Peds to that list, but we really need someone to play wide left, and Peds is more likely to drop back and help out Chimbonda against Lennon's pace, which is more than can be said for Diouf. I'd also like to see Holliet start on the wing he's more comfortable on. I've a feeling with some nice balls fed to him, he could cause Spurs a lot of problems. Up front we definately need a worker to defend from the front - and Roberts doesn't fulfil this role half as effectively as Di Santo, whilst Kalinic is showing he can create chances so would get in ahead of Benni. (I'm still annoyed at Benni for his no show at Hull.)

Prediction: against the odds a rovers win 2-1 Pedersen and Di Santo to score.

Problem is blue blood one from either Diouf or Pedersen HAS to start on the left hand side.

[Tom]

Well my games called off so I'll be there, c'mon Rovers send the fans home happy for Christmas, approach the game the way we did Chelsea and not Brum

[RoverRich]

With Pedersen, Andrews, Diouf and Roberts all showing how inept they are on tuesday night, I think it should be getting close to giving Van Heerden a go on the wing. We haven't really seen much of him so far as Sam said when we got him that it would take him a few months to bulk up and get up to speed but its getting to the point where he couldn't do any worse than some of the others we have had playing recently. It would be interesting to see how he fares in the Premier League and what he can bring to the team (if anything). If he has pace and a bit of creativity it may come in handy.

It is also about time Kalinic and Di Santo were paired together up front and, mainly due to his defensive work, we will probably see Peds start on the left so I would have to agree with Blue blood's team above.