[Archived] Villa Semi Final Match Preview

[Amo]

Our formation WAS 4-4-2, despite Dunn playing with Kalinic, he was almost in line with him in this formation.

Thank you. The 'OMG 451!' is just a blanket criticism. It's the team selection and organisation that's the real problem.

[rebelmswar]

What I saw today on TV was a complete and utter disgrace. A half-empty stadium and a dead crowd is just embarassing and disgusting, and a complete insult to the game and to the club. To be in the semi final, with a chance at Wembley and show such a distinct lack of support is inexcusable. What a contrast it was to see the shirtless Villa fans in the winter weather celebrating and cheering the team on before the game even started, while the Blackburn fans sat there looking bored from the get go.

We have a team completely lacking in confidence and instead of being shown support, they were shown the opposite. It's a disgrace. I'm sorry, but I can't handle it anymore.

You can not blame the symptom of the cause.

Do you think that if we were playing well and had belief in the team that it would be that way?

I have seen some defenses in my time and that is as flimsy as aluminum foil.

I have seen that crowd applaud teams that have lost, but with dignity. I have seen that crowd raise spirits of players who miss chances.

The pantomime that is on show at the moment is worth every boo and disgruntled fan.

Blame the cause.

[Dan]

What I saw today on TV was a complete and utter disgrace. A half-empty stadium and a dead crowd is just embarassing and disgusting, and a complete insult to the game and to the club. To be in the semi final, with a chance at Wembley and show such a distinct lack of support is inexcusable. What a contrast it was to see the shirtless Villa fans in the winter weather celebrating and cheering the team on before the game even started, while the Blackburn fans sat there looking bored from the get go.

We have a team completely lacking in confidence and instead of being shown support, they were shown the opposite. It's a disgrace. I'm sorry, but I can't handle it anymore.

People will undoubtedly say we played better in the second half. Well, wake up people... the formation and the tactics did not change one bit in the second half. The difference was that the players kicked in and started creating chances. I just can't believe it took Kalinic to hit the post for the crowd to finally get up off their feet.

Our formation WAS 4-4-2, despite Dunn playing with Kalinic, he was almost in line with him in this formation.

People want us to be less cautious, well how did we concede our goal? On the counter. You can't say we should be more attacking against a Villa side who punished us on the counter and were lucky not to punish us with more goals after that.

The team is completely devoid of confidence and Sam needs to put that right, but playing in front of a half empty stadium in a cup semi final with fans looking like they don't really care will not have a positive effect in any way.

I am completely depressed by this and am likely going to resort to trolling this messageboard in true Abbey style, only instead of taking the ###### out of Sam and the team, I will be taking the ###### out of the fans who have been on their periods for the past few weeks. Awesome? K, thanks.

How can you slag our fans off if you weren't there yourself? Have you ever been to Ewood? It's difficult motivating yourself to cheers the lads on after seeing that shower play defensive hoof ball. I can't blame people for not going, I bet any turning up late turned back round and went home after seeing the depressing team news again. Don't insult the loyal fans though, they've suffered enough with their great loyalty to the cause!

[LeChuck]

Thank you. The 'OMG 451!' is just a blanket criticism. It's the team selection and organisation that's the real problem.

Exactly. It's impossible to listen to anyone who shouts that because they're obviously not watching what's going on, just complaining for the hell of it.

As you say, it is the other things which need complaining about. Can't be bothered to go into it all right now.

[philipl]

Strange, I am sure I saw Villa running through a line of five statues in our midfield on at least three occasions.

[PAFELL]

Oi oi oi oi oi oi OI!

OI!

You come out with some rare old manure on this forum, but you've just slagged off fans who've been going, but decided to miss this one, and you WATCHED IT ON THE TELLY?!

Enough irony in that to make your own sodding aircraft carrier.

I'd pipe down if I were you, matelot.

Bloody cheek.

Just because a person was not at the game, does not mean he can not write an opinion. I wasn't at the game and I also thought Rovers supporters were out sung. I won't slag the Rovers supporters off etc or anybody wha has an opinion about the atmosphere.

You do not know where Miker is from or living. I have only been to 4 games this season, Fulham away, spurs and sunderland at home and wigan away - I hope to go to whu away. But that is only because of where I live. But that does not make myself or any other person who does not live near Blackburn any less of a supporter. Niether should we be moaned at for having an opionion.

[broadsword]

You must be joking.

You can't slag people for not going, when you've not gone yourself.

Total nonsense.

[1864roverite]

Will the real Blackburn Rovers please stand up ?

Another semi final and guess what ? Another loss. Repetetive isn't it ?

Tonight, my prayers were almost answered. No Andrews in the squad and therefore no calamtous play or so I thought.

The first half was a total disgrace. No tactics, no effort, no defending, no progress and no nothing but suicidal football. The Rovers players were strangers to each other, not one knew what the round thing was they were actually running after, no-one wanted responsibility, no-one took charge and there was a distinct lack of leadership on the pitch.

To see Villa take only a 1 goal lead into half time actually gave me some hope because we should have been dead and buried,

I was somewhat preturbed at Rovers lack of footballing nouse. I have no ideas why SA decided to play 4-5-1 againa t home because by his own admission, we are NOT SCORING goals. So why persist with only 1 striker on the pitch ? Dont get me wrong, Niko played brilliantly well. His efforts deserved a goal maybe two but he cannot forage and score alone up front.

In the pre-match build up we heard numerous Rovers players talking about how they wanted to go to Wembley, how they didnt want the same disappointment suffered in Cardiff and at Old Trafford. What pi$$ed me off was not one single player - Niko apart - showed that on the park in the first half.

The boos that rang out as Clattenburg blew up must really have gotten to Sam and he must have realised that he has a big job to win the fans round. If the media interest on him prior to kick off was big then come Sunday 5pm, he wont have much support left and will surely have no option but to resign or be sacked.

The second half was a different team although it was still a 4-5-1 set up. A totally different attitude, support for each other, a willingness to run, fight yet still the set up was littered with itsy bitsy football. How Niko didnt score was unbelievable but make no bones about it, Villa could have been out of sight if we didnt have a bit of lady luck on our side.

Why couldnt Rovers have played like this in the first half ?

It is an enigma that only SA can answer. His job is NOT safe that is certain.

Rovers are set in a downward spiral. Playing a game for 45 minutes is not good enough. The crowd are restless, they want goals, they want effort. They need safety. What fan wants to see a team so dire in mindset going out to ensure they dont concede a goal then virtually giving one away ? SA your lack of nouse, your unincisive team selections are undermining everything good at Ewood. That spiral has to stop on Sunday.

Todays game gave youa clue about your midfield. Keep Andrews out and we can move forward. You need two forwards on the park and you MUST revert back to 4-4-2 playing Dunny just behind the front two.

Set up 4-3-1-2 if necessary.

Whatever happens now, I dont see how Rovers can get any sort of positive result at Villa Park. Martin O'Niell has a class set up, a good team who work for each other for 90 minutes. Villa deserved their luck and I wish them well. it ould have been so different if SA had taken the chance to play a more direct game in the first half because that first goal was the all important issue in this tie.

Game over I am afraid to report.

[broadsword]

It's the team selection and organisation that's the real problem.

No real passing options, again and again and again.

[Dan]

Why one striker at home? WHY???.

We are dying on our arses because of Allardyce's negative tactics,sick and tired of this.

I keep asking the same question. It doesn't work and Sam is the only person that doesn't realise this. He eventually changes it, but it's usually too late. It's like he has a serious mental disorder or wants to be sacked. You can't play a defensive tight game with average defenders, they just aren't good enough. The only time we look good enough is when he changes it after half time. By this time we have to chase the game and it's too difficult when low on confidence.

You can bet your arse it'll be the same on Sunday and he'll probably drop Kalinic for Di Santo(I'm sure it's in his loan agreement that he has to play most of all our league games).

[Blue n White Rover]

We were unlucky. We didn't deserve to win nor did we deserve to lose. Kalinic had to great efforts denied by the post, and that is just pot luck, he couldn't have done anymore than he did.

The less we talk about the 1st half the better. We lacked any spirit, lacked any passion, and you would think that after the full time dressing room lock up, the players would respond by getting out the blocks, but it was the complete opposite. Every opportunity we had to pass the ball we were void to it, and simply hoofed it up top. I thought our first half performance VS Sunderland was bad, this was equal if not worse than that.

The second half was a huge positive for me, we actually passed the ball a lot more, and bought our wingers and midfield into play. Emerton had a good half on the wing, and maybe Sam should start him there VS Fulham on Sunday. Nzonzi was solid but nothing special. Our midfield looked a whole lot better without Andrews. The players seem to know what they are doing when they are passing the ball to feet, rather than in the air and to me Sam has to realise that as soon as possible. If not, we will be served with the utter garbage we had in the 1st half.

Kalinic for me deserves special praise, the lad was top notch today. You'd think his head might have dropped after the 1st effort, but he kept plugging away and made a good run for his second effort that came off the post. His hold up play is very good, and he has good agility to turn the defender as well as run at him.

Another positive for me was Ollsson at left back. He gives us more pace in the team as well as another attacking option. We seemed like the Rovrs of old today for about 10-15 minutes of the second half. Meaning, we closed the opposition down, passed the ball out to our wingers and got decent crosses into the box for our striker to attack. That was the real positive for me.

Moving onto Sunday, Sam really has to pull a rabbit out the hat for this one. It is a MUST win game, lose and the pressure will really be on. A win on Sunday will give us the required confidence to put up a good performance against Villa, and maybe even snatch a late win.

MASSIVE GAME VS FULHAM!!

[eddiewac]

Why was there such a big question mark over Agbonlahors dive?? I thought it was one of the most blatent dives I've ever seen! Christ he knew exactly what he was doing! Even so, abysmal performance, deserved nothing, total shambles, when is he gonna learn?!?!!? 4-5-1 DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also don't think we were unlucky, yes we hit the post twice but they were the only real chances we had, how many did they have?? Ridiculous, shambolic, get rid

[Tom]

Back home now with mixed feelings, mainly frustration more than anything, Villa were there for the taking in my opinion Sam got it all wrong

- Awful substitutions, 2 of them were just for the sake of it seemingly.

-Salgado has taken some stick on here and here did play a part in the goal but I thought he was good overall and saved 2 near definite goals with simply superb blocks.

- I thought Dunn was poor, a lot of effort but no end product

- Kalinic I thought did almost outstandingly well in the circumstances, hardly put a foot wrong and at times brought the ball down superbly only to have nobody near him, so unlucky not to score maybe the header should have been put away but the strike was superb

- Ref was abysmal both ways, some bizarre decisions

-Credit to the villa fans (apart from the idiot who through something at Pedersen) they were superb, ours were awful but its understandable

-I sat next to the dugouts and Sam looked a man who cracking under pressure

In an ideal world Sam gets us playing football and it sorts itself out as in reality keeping the man in charge is the best for the club but and its a huge but he has to change his ways starting with a win and some real football on sunday.

[DE.]

Thank you. The 'OMG 451!' is just a blanket criticism. It's the team selection and organisation that's the real problem.

So we're playing a creative midfielder as a striker in a 4-4-2 formation when we have a number of perfectly capable strikers on the bench?

OK then.

[Kelbo]

First half difference was that Villa played with width which we didnt have!!

Kalionic was quality, link up, play, held the ball up, was strong and two excellent strikes which were so close, this lad will come, he has the quality, buit we do not create enough and need a quality midfielder badly, much better though withoutn Julie in midfield and if we can vring in one or two we should be OK.

Robbo was quality tonight, top man along with Kalinic.

[beerwins]

The 1 up front thing really cant be an excuse this game as dunny was was really playing off the shoulder of niko, the problem was the tactics villa are a fast attacking counter team and you cant combat that with the long ball game or your going to get caught out pushing up to fast, you have to build up your attacks slowly and keep possesion and retain your shape.

We didnt really stand a chance with our current tactics and I doubt very much we could have changed it so late in the day to have enough effect if Sam wants to stay he needs to do a bit more homework and ditch the longball, even our set pieces are too predictable, pump it high to samba, every defender in the league now knows where our corners and free kicks are going, trying some shorter stuff mixed in wouldnt hurt.

There are ways for Sam to get us out of this mess but is he big enough to change?

[G Somerset Rover]

There are ways for Sam to get us out of this mess but is he big enough to change?

Will he be given the time to change?

I'm now hoping not.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just because a person was not at the game, does not mean he can not write an opinion. I wasn't at the game and I also thought Rovers supporters were out sung. I won't slag the Rovers supporters off etc or anybody wha has an opinion about the atmosphere.

You do not know where Miker is from or living. I have only been to 4 games this season, Fulham away, spurs and sunderland at home and wigan away - I hope to go to whu away. But that is only because of where I live. But that does not make myself or any other person who does not live near Blackburn any less of a supporter. Niether should we be moaned at for having an opionion.

Yes but I know a dipstick when I see one. Ignore him and he'll go away.

[DE.]

"The first half we looked nervous and frightened that we were playing in a semi-final," Sam told Radio Rovers after the game.

"Unfortunately we fell for the sucker punch, letting them break out from the edge of their own box from our free-kick.

"We did a lot of work on that, but unfortunately for us it told and a beautiful pass to Milner was put away really well.

"It was poor from our point of view in the first half, but that was the only difference between the two sides.

"In the second we didn't look anything like the same side, we came out and played with the spirit and the ability and the skill that we expected and we made life very difficult for Villa, we put them on the rack and we had the chances to score, but didn't unfortunately.

"But for some bizarre reason, we just can't get the goals. I don't know what poor Niko has to do. He's headed against the post and then his first time shot looks like it is going in but it hits the post and comes out.

"So when you get those spells you have to score, but it wasn't to be.

"We still have a great shout, but we should have made it 1-1, but we still have a great opportunity and if we play like we did in the second half then we have a chance."

Allardyce was disappointed that it took 45 minutes for Rovers to hit their stride, something they can't afford to do in six days time when the two sides meet in the second leg.

"We've got to have a ninety minute performance at Villa Park.

"If we get that and a little bit more quality and a little bit more luck who knows."

The only difference between the two sides was Villa's counter attack? Tell me another one. A "sucker punch" ? He makes it sound like we were all over them and got unlucky

[Dan]

A question: would any other premier league team have played so defensively first half? The first half today made us look the worst attacking team in the league. Last night I was so jealous of Reading. Our players are at least as good as theirs, but because of the managers incompetence they only play half the match at the most. If we'd attacked properly and ran our hearts out tonight might have been different. The manager has lost the players. Second half they were playing for the team, not the walrus.

[RovertheHill]

We can't play for more than 30 minutes it seems. Frustrating because when we do play we tend to be a threat

In the first 15 minutes each of our defenders made an individual schoolboy error that could have cost us. You cannot blame the manager for that even though the buck stops with him.

Difference between the two teams was highlighted for me in one short spell. Long ball down our right. Abongogogogogolahor sets off after chased by Samba. Within seconds Milner, Heskey and Young give him 3 options and we do well to just cut out the threat. Ball goes to Dunn who plays a similar ball to Kalinic, who sets off after it. And precisely NO players go after him giving him NO options.

Kalinic will come good. He had a hard time against that dirty ginger lump that used to play for West Ham but I thought he played well. He was very unlucky tonight - that second shot that hit the post was a difficult ball hit really well. He seemed to link with Dunn well too.

There is no such thing as a 50-50 ball with Pedersen. I think the technical term is Big Girl's Blouse.

[Blue n White Rover]

A question: would any other premier league team have played so defensively first half? The first half today made us look the worst attacking team in the league. Last night I was so jealous of Reading. Our players are at least as good as theirs, but because of the managers incompetence they only play half the match at the most. If we'd attacked properly and ran our hearts out tonight might have been different. The manager has lost the players. Second half they were playing for the team, not the walrus.

How do you know that smartass?

[Dan]

The only difference between the two sides was Villa's counter attack? Tell me another one. A "sucker punch" ? He makes it sound like we were all over them and got unlucky

Bloody hell! The only difference was the goal?!? I've heard some bullshit in my time, but that takes the biscuit!

[Tom]

One other point I don't know if any blame can be aimed at the council but the pavements around the streets up near the infirmary were a disgrace people were falling everywhere, they've had a long time to prepare as well

[Dan]

How do you know that smartass?

Because they looked disillusioned with the system they were playing. Do you know how to spell WHITE non-smartass?