[Archived] Groundhog January - Rovers V Villa

[Messi422]

Olsson seems doing very well today!

[imy9]

I hope certain people come back and read their posts after the game because they are cringe worthy.

Sam has played a competitive side, considering we have a Carling Cup Semi Final on Tuesday- that takes priority not a FA Cup 3rd round match.

For the people questioning Sam's integrity, have a look at the sides played by Arsenal, Spurs and co today which are similar to Sams.

[Laurence]

Yeh because keeping them on the bench and not giving them a chance will do them the world of good.

Get your sam hating hat off will you.

Don't hate the man, just don't understand him, would be delighted to be proved wrong.

[AggyBlue]

Kalinic now with 3 this season, but to be fair he hasn't started all that many games and has an assist or two in there as well.

Went close again, sounded like he should have scored.

[Tom]

Imy9 as a football fan I reserve the right to be irrational during matches.

[Blue n White Rover]

Kalinic misses a glorious opportunity to make it 2-2. Hit it wide, should've finished it, or pulled it back to Salgado.

At least we are showing some fight with 10 men.

[AggyBlue]

I hope certain people come back and read their posts after the game because they are cringe worthy.

It's the same every week.

[John]

Have come back into this match from the dead, hope Diouf gets blasted for his challenge.

[modes98]

Well at least we are making a game of it. Suprised at how much better we are playing with 3 centre backs and 2 wing backs.

I think we should be looking to bring on Hoilett for a last minute blast of pace.

[RevidgeBlue]

Sparky used to do the same, particularly in the early days of his management.

Difference is our away form under Sam is currently horrendous.

Everyone does it, but the idea is to pick a weaker side and still do enough to scrape through.

It's not the side picked that's the problem so much as the manner of the first half performance which has probably left us too much to do.

[Blue n White Rover]

Maceo Rigters is about to come on. His last appearance was in March 2008.

Carew on for Villa

[DE.]

Why can we only play one good half per game?

[modes98]

What a waste of a sub. *he'll probably score now*

[Tom]

Maceo coming on, and so it was written he will score

[Daremz]

Why can we only play one good half per game?

Spot on in my opinion. And to stay in the Premier League, we need to get that 'bug' fixed!!

[Blue blood]

Everyone does it, but the idea is to pick a weaker side and still do enough to scrape through.

It's not the side picked that's the problem so much as the manner of the first half performance which has probably left us too much to do.

Exactly, I remember in the FA Cup against Arsenal away under Hughes, we had a horribly depleated team in the middle of a run of games including the UEFA Cup knock out stages. Due to injuries and resting players the team we put out was very weakened but they defended resolutely and got a deserved draw. We then beat Arsenal in the replay at home.

That is the type of battling performance I want to see from our team all the time, even when we can't field our strongest 11. The resolute defending and work ethic that day seems a far stretch from the current capitulations we see now. Granted we buck up when we go behind but it'd be so much easier if we were hard to beat and played decently from the start.

Edit - Rigters on - would be very in character of the FA Cup for him to score. Tad unfair though that we bring on Rigters they bring on Carew.

[AggyBlue]

Maceo Rigters is about to come on. His last appearance was in March 2008.

Not the substitution I'd have made

[Tom]

The substitutions today have been bizarre but the second half seems undeniably better than the first

[DeadlyDirk]

Not the substitution I'd have made

You're not the expert

[Bobby G]

3-4-2 we are playing now.

[Blue n White Rover]

Not the substitution I'd have made

You're not the expert though are you?

[ABBEY]

You're not the expert

SHHHH your not allowed to call him that according to topman.

[Amo]

SHHHH your not allowed to call him that according to topman.

It just shows the herd mentality that two people made the same joke in succession. Of course, not like it's spun every other week as well...

[John]

Still cannot believe Rigters is on the pitch.

[AggyBlue]

3-4-2 we are playing now.

Jason Wilcox is struggling to tell what formation we are playing