[Archived] Villa Semi Final Match Preview

[only2garners]

According to the Independent, the reason we are playing Villa next week rather than the week after, is that the Premier League asked us to. This is so that Arsenal's game against Villa on 27th January would not be postponed. Arsenal already only have one possible midweek date to play the Bolton game postponed last night, in late March, unless they are eliminated from the Champions League.

Don't blame me, I'm only the messenger.....

[Rover Down Under]

Without coming over all "6 Yorkshiremen", how would they have coped 50 years ago with working down a coal mine?

It was 4 Bryan.

[mellison24]

It was 4 Bryan.

[S15]

Not sure I completely agree with this. While Nurses etc do far more worthwhile jobs none of them have 20k+ people calling them a c### every week, people routinely asking for them to be sacked, sold, questioning their worth as human beings, judging their every move, whilst being hounded by the media consistently.

The only job that has as much mental pressure put on it as a sportsman, in my mind, is probably being a politician or a top line executive. The issue is not so much what is at stake (clearly the public servants you mention are all involved in more laudable endeavours) but that you have thousands of people actively hating you on a weekly basis, and you know that your actions are routinely, viciouslyly and instantaneously attacked if you make a mistake.

They are well rewarded and I don't feel sorry for them, but to say the pressure is not vast is daft.

I disagree if you are saying the pressure they are under is only rivalled by Politicians. I suspect 99% of footballers laugh of any abuse given to them by fans, and the abuse levelled at them is levelled at anyone working with general public, including nurses etc, albeit not by such a number of people at one time.

Put it this way, if a footballer can, as Mellison is suggesting, finds it difficult to play 3 games in a week to to mental pressure, I think that is absolutely pathetic, and unacceptable.

[thenodrog]

Can't do the new Villa date, and due to moving Fulham to a Sunday cannot make that also.

I am missing at least 3 Prem League games this season due to date changes.

Waste of time having a season ticket, will buy on a match-by-match basis next season. With the crap being played under Sam I will pick and choose.

Very good Preston Blue. Stupidest post of 2010 to date. Now please address all future complaints to GOD, c/o No 1 Paradise Road, Heaven.

btw Any 'waste of time' re: ST's is due to the plethora of speacila offers and bundles which render any savings minimal. The only benefit in having a ST is that without one I'd prob miss an increasing number of matches until I packed in going altogether.

[mellison24]

I disagree if you are saying the pressure they are under is only rivalled by Politicians. I suspect 99% of footballers laugh of any abuse given to them by fans, and the abuse levelled at them is levelled at anyone working with general public, including nurses etc, albeit not by such a number of people at one time.

Put it this way, if a footballer can, as Mellison is suggesting, finds it difficult to play 3 games in a week to to mental pressure, I think that is absolutely pathetic, and unacceptable.

Noooo, I was talking about 5 games in 2 weeks, and that this will be the second occurence of this within 6 weeks. HAVING SAID that, I do agree somewhat with your post here. While I appreciate many people working in the public sector get abused horribly in their jobs, it was my presumption that a footballer must deal with it far more often. The best AND the worst footballers all receive abuse.

I suppose that verbal abuse is almost a given in most things in the modern world. Indeed seeing a dad swear at his 8 year old son in a grassroots game is very depressing.

I also agree that it is pathetic (the fitness issue), BUT I believe it happens with all players and needs addressing.

[S15]

Footballers get abuse a maximum of 5 times in 2 weeks apparently, though usually much less. There are jobs where people are treat like, and feel like s*** constantly, and they usually pay minimum wage.

[mellison24]

Footballers get abuse a maximum of 5 times in 2 weeks apparently, though usually much less. There are jobs where people are treat like, and feel like s*** constantly, and they usually pay minimum wage.

I must say, that is actually a fair point. Although footballers don't get verbal abuse constantly, they do still get stick in the papers nigh on everyday....having said that, they just don't have to read it.

[S15]

That's the thing though, they don't get stick in the papers every day. The only place someone like Jason Roberts gets stick is on a messageboard he probably has no idea exists. No player ever gets daily abuse for any longer than three days from the press, and that usually only occurs if it's in a big England game.

[mellison24]

- off topic

[broadsword]

The only job that has as much mental pressure put on it as a sportsman, in my mind, is probably being a politician or a top line executive.

Get out of here.

I guess heart surgeons have it cushty?

if you don't enjoy being a sportsman for a living then there's something wrong with you.

Footballers getting stick? Well, if they don't pick up the 'paper or watch Sky Sports, I reckon they should be OK. I'm sure they don't give a monkey's about abuse unless it's absolute dog's abuse, and how many cases does that really happen in? I'd be crying all teh way to the bank myself.

How about the ref's? They get almighty amounts of stick every time, they seem to cope all right?

[mellison24]

How about the ref's? They get almighty amounts of stick every time, they seem to cope all right?

This point is well illustrated in Graham Poll's book. A cracking read.

[Roaming Rover]

Oh dear!!!

Yes footballers do have pressure, but the greatest pressure most 'working' people have is paying bills on time and putting food on the table. Now that is pressure.............

My mate is a FC Halifax town fan and all 3 games over Christmas and by the looks of it the next 2 games are called off. That leaves them 25 games to play in 14 weeks, and with a far smaller squad than us.

The games need playing at some point, it's not like it is a relegation 6 pointer against Stoke the players have to motivate themselves for, its a cup semi final. It's a trip to Wembley, surely they can motivate themselves for that???

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

All this talk of pressure makes me think of the Mike Bassett speech when he gets the England job.

[joey_big_nose]

Get out of here.

I guess heart surgeons have it cushty?

if you don't enjoy being a sportsman for a living then there's something wrong with you.

Footballers getting stick? Well, if they don't pick up the 'paper or watch Sky Sports, I reckon they should be OK. I'm sure they don't give a monkey's about abuse unless it's absolute dog's abuse, and how many cases does that really happen in? I'd be crying all teh way to the bank myself.

How about the ref's? They get almighty amounts of stick every time, they seem to cope all right?

Good point about Ref's. Even harder than the players.

I'm not saying players don't enjoy it, of course they do, they love it! Same as heart surgeons or politicians. And yes, of ocurse a heart surgeon, or bomb dispsal expert or loads of niche professions have even more pressure than footballers. I am sure there are loads of jobs out there that do. Any role in the army at war is right up there too. So that was a little glib of me and I apologise.

My point was only that footballers are under loads of pressure by anyone's standards, far more than the vast majority of the UK population, and it takes resilience and preparation to deal with it. It is not a 'non-factor' like Shilto is suggesting, I would love to see how Shilto or anyone on here would perform taking the field in front of 20k frothing a the mouth lunatics.

[broadsword]

Yes, they are under pressure to win, to avoid relegation etc, I won't deny that.

Maybe we all need a bit of perspective, because it is just a game.

[SamTheShrew]

just picked up three tickets for the blackburn end lower

the game being re-arranged means I am now able to make it.

hopefully we will pull something out of the bag!

[Hughesy]

Hopefully sales will be boosted - for the last game we only had 9000 tickets sold in home areas!

Hopefully we can get to at least 20k attendance. Hopefully the extra week of wages for some will help sales

[stuwilky]

Hopefully sales will be boosted - for the last game we only had 9000 tickets sold in home areas!

If that is the case why are there far more seats than that sold on the ticket sales system?

[S15]

Cos only Hughesy has had the official text. IT'S OFF John Williams you know.

[Blue n White Rover]

Hopefully sales will be boosted - for the last game we only had 9000 tickets sold in home areas!

Hopefully we can get to at least 20k attendance. Hopefully the extra week of wages for some will help sales

How? The LET quoted we had sold 11,000 tickets a few days before the game.

[Beta Ray Bill]

Hopefully sales will be boosted - for the last game we only had 9000 tickets sold in home areas!

Hopefully we can get to at least 20k attendance. Hopefully the extra week of wages for some will help sales

and some of this is offset by people how can't attend the rearranged fixture.

[philipl]

It probably should help sales. The Siberian weather is due to ease by midweek and Rovers have the opportunity of making amends for dismal Christmas spectacles by giving City a bit of a fright at Eastlands... or not...

If the City game is off, there is more time to have forgotten what happened over Christmas and a sense of anticipation for a game to build again- one that happens to be a semi-final.

[Hughesy]

How? The LET quoted we had sold 11,000 tickets a few days before the game.

I was told that 9000 had sold up until the morning of the day previous to the game, and that they hoped a big walk on, would boost it further..

[Daremz]

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Barclays Premier League

Blackburn v Wigan, 19:45

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Saturday, 30 January 2010

Barclays Premier League

West Ham v Blackburn, 15:00

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Saturday, 6 February 2010

Barclays Premier League

Stoke v Blackburn, 15:00

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Wednesday, 10 February 2010

Barclays Premier League

Blackburn v Hull, 19:45

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Monday, 22 February 2010

Barclays Premier League

Blackburn v Bolton, 20:00

Those are the essential matches. At least 9 points, otherwise we're doomed.