[Archived] Villa Semi Final Match Preview

[CAPT KAYOS]

If we get through, it'll give me an excuse visit the new Wembley.

Shouldn't that be the a chacne to visit the 'excuse' they call new Wembley

[mellison24]

The Villa game is a must win game, but not because of what the win brings in terms of 'how we fare in the 2nd leg'. It is a game that we must win for the sake of the teams confidence. And even then, a win with the current tactics is still unacceptable. We need to win by playing simple passing football on the floor.

I just hope to God this gets sorted out sharpish. I hate seeing the club fall short of what it can do. This bunch of overpaid players should be playing passing, WINNING football!!!

[the original david brent]

anyone know how many tickets have been sold?

gets right on my testes that our town don't seem to get it - that in the blink of an eye we could be out of the big time forever, yet here in front of us is a reasonable chance to win the 3rd biggest trophy our country can offer. just wish were a city....or at least a town with a decent catchment area.

PS i'm sick of hearing 'i'm not watching whilst that fat f@@k3r is in charge'. ultimately, who do we support, rovers or our manager? we've been spoilt and need a reality check.

well said. the "8000" planning to stay away are a disgrace. Typical fickle rovers fans. Their dislike for the manager and the football been played is not an excuse to miss this game. It should be about packing ewood out for a semi final and showing the nation that as a town we are proud of BRFC, instead of being a laughing stock with the ground half empty. How anybody can glorify thousands of empty for a semi final as a clear message to the board about the manager is beyond me!

[Ewood Spark]

well said. the "8000" planning to stay away are a disgrace. Typical fickle rovers fans. Their dislike for the manager and the football been played is not an excuse to miss this game. It should be about packing ewood out for a semi final and showing the nation that as a town we are proud of BRFC, instead of being a laughing stock with the ground half empty. How anybody can glorify thousands of empty for a semi final as a clear message to the board about the manager is beyond me!

Any misapprehension I was under that Blackburn was a footballing town, and deserved a Premiership club, disappeared on Monday night when the steward at Eastlands gleefully informed me that Rovers had sold less than 300 tickets ... an astonishing feat that probably could not have been matched by any other club in the country (I'm sure even Torquay would have rustled up more support than that from Devon on a Monday night). An absolute disgrace.

[stuwilky]

Interesting that the hard-core N01 is still looking very empty!

Why do you keep using that - I know of not one person who thinks this other than you.

[RevidgeBlue]

Any misapprehension I was under that Blackburn was a footballing town, and deserved a Premiership club, disappeared on Monday night when the steward at Eastlands gleefully informed me that Rovers had sold less than 300 tickets ... an astonishing feat that probably could not have been matched by any other club in the country (I'm sure even Torquay would have rustled up more support than that from Devon on a Monday night). An absolute disgrace.

I disagree completely Neil given the equally disgraceful nature of the away performances for the last 9 months. Plus the fact the manager virtually concedes away games against the top 6 or 7 - it might have been better if there'd been less than 30 there - then the message would have been even clearer.

And sure enough the players didn't disappoint - conceding yet again inside the opening ten minutes or so.

[Paul]

Any misapprehension I was under that Blackburn was a footballing town, and deserved a Premiership club, disappeared on Monday night when the steward at Eastlands gleefully informed me that Rovers had sold less than 300 tickets ... an astonishing feat that probably could not have been matched by any other club in the country (I'm sure even Torquay would have rustled up more support than that from Devon on a Monday night). An absolute disgrace.

Can't agree with that ES. We usually go to Eastlands but to be honest I just couldn't be bothered. A cold, snowy Monday knowing the manager expected to be beaten, wouldn't even try to win. What's the point? I've watched the team play with this attitude at Anfield, OT, the JJB and have given up on them when it comes to away games. Bolton away was good, really good in fact....and where was Allardyce?

[Mr. E]

Going tomorrow, but even if we progress Allardyce always rolls over for the top 4/6 teams so probably a pointless exercise.

Everyone should get behind the team never the less.

However, I for one certainly won't be singing 'big sam's barmy army'.....time to stick to the Uncle Jack version until Allardyce has gone.

That's my biggest fear...even if we somehow progress here, what awaits us with City or United? Just imagine waiting for team news at Wembley to find out Andrews and/or Diouf start with 4-5-1 as the gameplan...

Our only hope is for him to pick a great team tomorrow that establishes itself for the rest of the season and doesn't allow him to change it too much.

[cn174]

QUICK QUESTION

WHAT TIME IS THE TICKET OFFICE OPEN TILL TOMORROW?

If you are going to phone up and buy your ticket to pick up, they usually sell them over the phone until 3 hours before kick off. Otherwise you'll hae to queue when you get here.

[stuwilky]

Some of the Villa fans are now working themselves into a frenzy about this match being postponed.

[champions1995]

Any misapprehension I was under that Blackburn was a footballing town, and deserved a Premiership club, disappeared on Monday night when the steward at Eastlands gleefully informed me that Rovers had sold less than 300 tickets ... an astonishing feat that probably could not have been matched by any other club in the country (I'm sure even Torquay would have rustled up more support than that from Devon on a Monday night). An absolute disgrace.

I completely agree with this Ewood Spark. For a Premier League team to sell less than 300 tickets for a game just an hour from base is umbelievable. I thought following your team means going through thick and thin? Derby County were relegated with a record low points tally of 11 in 2007-08 but still averaged 32,000 at home and took a good following away, despite taking just 3 points from 19 away games. In the Blue Square Premier this season, Oxford United took 2,000 fans to Kidderminster and saw their side witness a 3-1 defeat.

Lets get behind Big Sam and the team to help us stay in the Premier League and to maybe get us to Wembley.

[cn174]

I completely agree with this Ewood Spark. For a Premier League team to sell less than 300 tickets for a game just an hour from base is umbelievable. I thought following your team means going through thick and thin? Derby County were relegated with a record low points tally of 11 in 2007-08 but still averaged 32,000 at home and took a good following away, despite taking just 3 points from 19 away games. In the Blue Square Premier this season, Oxford United took 2,000 fans to Kidderminster and saw their side witness a 3-1 defeat.

Lets get behind Big Sam and the team to help us stay in the Premier League and to maybe get us to Wembley.

Cna I just point out that there were more than 300 people there. There wasn't a great deal of us, but there were more than 300.

Why pick out random examples? Rovers took 5000 away to Wigan on Boxing Day.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

One of the highest % per population average attendances in the country.

4,000 to Bolton/5,000 to Wigan.

All that despite the horrible football we are being fed........

But Blackburn's not a football town?.Why the ###### dont some people think before they engage their mouths?.Your just giving the Blackburn hater's(most of the media) more fuel for the fire.

[daveoftherovers]

Can't agree with that ES. We usually go to Eastlands but to be honest I just couldn't be bothered. A cold, snowy Monday knowing the manager expected to be beaten, wouldn't even try to win. What's the point? I've watched the team play with this attitude at Anfield, OT, the JJB and have given up on them when it comes to away games. Bolton away was good, really good in fact....and where was Allardyce?

In complete agreement, I went to all those games except OT, and you're right, when we roll over to have our tummy tickled at ALL of them! Why should I pay my hard earned cash, in the current financial climate, with a family to feed, to simply freeze my balls off, get bored and angry and then watch the home fans laugh at us????!!

And Bolton, correct! All started when we saw the line up, we started well, we sung, Dunny scored a belter and we cruised it, even getting the bonus of a comedy own goal, that's how it should be, but just the once this season, just past the 1/2 way stage is simply not good enough!

I'll be there tomorrow night, just because I feel I should do my bit, however, is it too much to expect the manager, staff and players ALL to do their's as well????!!!

Please BS and Players, F***ING TURN UP, FROM THE BEGINNING and FOR THE WHOLE GAME, that's all we ask!

[bigbrandjohn]

On the subject of Villa,try this for size. a virtual pint for the first person to crack it.

http://www.skysports.com/fun_games/missingmen/0,20922,15143_5832183,00.html

[Tris]

Any misapprehension I was under that Blackburn was a footballing town ...

To be fair, Rovers don't really play any football at the moment ...

[champions1995]

Cna I just point out that there were more than 300 people there. There wasn't a great deal of us, but there were more than 300.

Why pick out random examples? Rovers took 5000 away to Wigan on Boxing Day.

I ask why the inconsistency in support? 5000 fans at Wigan but about 300-500 at Man City. Yes it was a Monday night and a very difficult looking game but why can't we take more supporters to a game in such close proximity? As for the examples, I believe they were decent examples to use.

As for another comment about giving the media more fuel for the fire, I'm afraid support like what we had at City is really not going to help.

[broadsword]

Looking forward to this with a perverse excitement. Just how awful will we be? Will the semi be over before our girl's got her clothes off?

Will Allardyce start knitting up in the stands?

Will Andrews do one of his chest-trap/ header specials? Will he point more than the Pointer Sisters?

How many times will Robinson come for a high ball and spill it?

What sort of hopeless set-up will we have with the strikers?

Just how ineffective will our wingers be?

The answers to all these questions and more will be revealed tomorrow night in the next episode Ewood Crossroads.

[Alan75]

Can't agree with that ES. We usually go to Eastlands but to be honest I just couldn't be bothered. A cold, snowy Monday knowing the manager expected to be beaten, wouldn't even try to win. What's the point? I've watched the team play with this attitude at Anfield, OT, the JJB and have given up on them when it comes to away games. Bolton away was good, really good in fact....and where was Allardyce?

Seconded -

My expectations for each game used to build up as soon as the final whistle of the last game is blown.

Souness used to p me off with his pre-season comments that the main aim was to remain a premiership team.

It was so refreshing that when Hughes would set ambitious targets for various points in the season, and you knew that although games against the big 4 were usually the bully boy tactics, Hughes main aim was to get a good result.

Unfortunately we are now back to the Souness philosaphy of no ambition except retaining premiership status - the worste thing now is that there is no possitive style shown by the players, no player has the ability to battle and no player has the ability to turn the game.

Ive given up away travelling as there is no incentive when the manager is so negative, and Im also getting to the same frame of mind when I hear team selections for games at Ewood.

[Mr. E]

Seconded -

My expectations for each game used to build up as soon as the final whistle of the last game is blown.

Souness used to p me off with his pre-season comments that the main aim was to remain a premiership team.

It was so refreshing that when Hughes would set ambitious targets for various points in the season, and you knew that although games against the big 4 were usually the bully boy tactics, Hughes main aim was to get a good result.

Unfortunately we are now back to the Souness philosaphy of no ambition except retaining premiership status - the worste thing now is that there is no possitive style shown by the players, no player has the ability to battle and no player has the ability to turn the game.

Ive given up away travelling as there is no incentive when the manager is so negative, and Im also getting to the same frame of mind when I hear team selections for games at Ewood.

except that Souness only said that to play down expectations and get us playing like a hungry underdog, which often (though not always) worked. Evidence for this is his success at the club.

With BFS, however, you really feel like his only goal is 17th place. That's why games like this will be very rare opportunities at some glory as long as he is in charge.

[Ossydave]

Well after much belly-aching about whether or not to go tomorrow I've decided to give it a whirl and get behind the lads and I'm looking forward to it.

[Ricky]

I'm in the same boat ossydave, but I also have a 340 mile round trip to look forward to. Happy days!!

[Tris]

I'm in the same boat ossydave, but I also have a 340 mile round trip to look forward to. Happy days!!

Stop yer moaning Ricky ... the second leg's on yer doorstep!! It'll be the rest of us putting in the hard yards to shout the team on to Wembley a week tonight!!

[Nelsta]

God knows what i'm expecting tomorrow night.I dont know if im nervous because i think we can sneak a win, Or nervous about how many we'll conceed.I do believe how ever that we will need to score about 3 goals tomorrow to have any chance.

[Ricky]

That is the one perk tris. We've had shed loads of snow down here today so the drive up could be interesting