[Archived] Wigan At Home - 27Th January 2010

[thenodrog]

He has decided he is against Sam so, since then, he will now not say anything positive about him until he is either 1) sacked, 2) does something dramatic that makes him like him again, like cure cancer or elimate aids.

Its like the whole Man Utd in debt saga, or the Trustees investment in Rovers. Once he has the bit between his teeth there is no real further debate in his mind!

Don't be so dismissive of Philipl joey. The wind changing affects him quite badly......

....... yet again! He'd be just what you need in the trenches, I don't think.

[thenodrog]

Nope. I support Allardyce generally (apart from when he went off the boil a couple of weeks ago). I was fooked off with him taking off Niko and joined in the booing (not the 442 chant though). However, I see his reasoning to save him for West Ham game, as he'd worked his ###### off.

Very good mellison. Just gone 2-1 up and you join in booing with the experts behind the bbe goal. Sometimes it's better to put your brain into gear before engaging your gob.

Fact is that God gave us 2 eyes, 2 ears and only one mouth..... you should endeavour to use them in that order and try getting the rest of the numpty's around you to as well.

Why on earth would any right thinking person chant for us to go 4-4-2 when we are playing a team with a strong 5 man midfield? Did you hear the Wigan fans berating Martinez for playing a 4-5-1 formation? Fact is that the majority of the Prem play just one up top but apparently we musn't do that cos we once had Shearer and Sutton.

[alexanders]

FFS. The commentators said we were playing 4-3-3. How about that?

We have some idiotic fans who have just decided to be against Sam and everything he does.

[thenodrog]

Boourns not a word about us on MOTD

No and Wigan neither. They must hate them too. The goalless draw at Villa came on before Everton and ourselves too.

Lets be honest though Utd were playing City and they couldn't wait to put that on.

Lee Mason - Bolton born and bred, lives in Bolton, his brother played for Bolton, I know there's some rivalry between Wigan and Bolton but he shouldn't have been able to ref this game, Mark Halsey in disguise.

The linesmen must have been his cousins too!

[gumboots]

The reason that the subbing of Kalinic was boo'ed is because we (fans) wanted him to stay on as a part of 2 up front.

The pairing of Roberts and Di Santo seemed to work well.

The game was enjoyable in the first half, thought we looked a team that has found a new lease of life. Second half started disapointing... not sure why we lost momentum.

I am getting tired of seeing some of our players not being prepared to make a challenge.

Emerton played with determination tonight and that is more than pleasing.

Allardyce said after the match " We bossed the first half. they had to change something. they changed the tactics and we didn't cope too well at first. When they scored it stirred our lads up again and we got back into it"

[thenodrog]

Am I the only one that thought Diouf was pretty good in the first half? He linked up with with the rest of the midfield pretty well with everyone else doing his running. When the pace was taken off (I assume Jr picked up a knock, though why did Sam switch wings?), with Reid being less mobile in the middle and Emerton less so on the right wing, he vanished from the game. That's when the 4-5-1 variant failed as nobody could get up to support Kalinic.

Diouff was pretty good when we were on the offensive as was Hoillett. When Wigan came out for the second half and had a right old go at us in midfield both of em were absolutely useless. We selected the football equivalent of saw Jeckyll and Hyde on both wings last night.

[Exiled_Rover]

FFS. The commentators said we were playing 4-3-3. How about that?

We have some idiotic fans who have just decided to be against Sam and everything he does.

That's the beauty of the 4-5-1 system if the wingers are quick is that in defence it's 4-5-1 and in attack it's 4-3-3. Allardyce's system has started working because he's playing Hoilett and Olssen on one of the wings.

The Rovers fans have turned on Allardyce and sadly it's going to take some to get them back onside.

[thenodrog]

have'nt seen any of the match but by the stats we are getting pummelled....we are the home team right, and they are little old wigan ..fooks sake!!!

8 shot on to our 3

6 corners to our 1

16 fouls by us 7 to them.

what is going on

You'd better get down there and see for yourself.

[Bobby G]

With back to back wins now, a draw at West Ham will NOT be the worst result we could get out of the match.

A win and we are well on our way to looking up the table.

[thenodrog]

The Rovers fans have turned on Allardyce and sadly it's going to take some to get them back onside.

Thats cos we seem to have a very strong band of 5th columnists hell bent on getting Allardyce out by by causing mischief at every opportunity. Lasting and serious damage to the club is a by-product which does not deter them.

[barry_]

Thick as pig-###### I'd suggest. Herd mentality to boot.

Definitely. I was sat there listening to the chants and the angry voices and thinking, just let them get on with it. We scored literally seconds later...

you just carry on spectating and sneering at anything that doesn't fit into your viewpoint.

[thenodrog]

With back to back wins now, a draw at West Ham will NOT be the worst result we could get out of the match.

A win and we are well on our way to looking up the table.

Hang on. We are slowly getting over the damage caused by Hughes's departure and the ensuing sales of our best players but we are a long way off re-establishing our previous position in the Prem. Signing a player who has hardly played for 18 months and only on loan shows just how difficult SA's task is.

Who could put their hand on their heart and say that if we had to play Fulham and Wigan at ewood again that they would expect us to get 6 points? Personally I'd expect 2 or 3 and be ecstatic with 4 if that were to happen. Like the season there are a few green shoots appearing but we are definitely not over our winter (of discontent?) yet.

[PAFELL]

Nope. I support Allardyce generally (apart from when he went off the boil a couple of weeks ago). I was fooked off with him taking off Niko and joined in the booing (not the 442 chant though). However, I see his reasoning to save him for West Ham game, as he'd worked his ###### off.

When Sam came to Rovers last season, I thought then Rovers would survive. I then expected Rovers to kick on good this season - I was cofident that Rovers would finish a comfortable top 10 without any fear of relegation. Then things started to wobble this season. I started to think Sam had lost the dressing room and the players were not responding to him. I hated the fact that in some games Rovers were not having ago at teams and were just siting back. I therefore wanted Sam out - though prefered if Sam sorted himself out first.

Now I think that there was some clear the air talks from everybody after Man city away game. What was said etc only they know. Because since that game there has been a marked change - not perfect, but much better. Had there been players causing trouble in the dressing room, if there was I suspect Bennie. I also think Sam has realised that Andrews is not a good player - but can be used if need be (no choice due to injury)

I have to respect the way Sam has treated Kalinic - though I didn't at first. But I believe we are now seeing the benefits of Sam holding him back. He now needs to do something simular to Di Santo.

but the booing by the supporters, DURING THE GAME, is pathetic. Yes we want attacking football,442 or whatever. But voice that AFTER the game. Stay behind, sit in and chant it. It will be told / heard / reported etc in the dressing room and the board etc. But during the game every single supporter should do what they can to lift the team, get behind the players. Even when they make a stupid mistake, try to lift them up to encourage them to play better. Most of us respond to encouragement, but get deflated when the opposite is given.

It looks like and I hope it continues that Sam has had a hard look at himself, the players have done the same and are starting to work together as a team. Like or dislike Sam, his tactics etc we have to support the club through thick and thin.

[CrazyIvan]

you just carry on spectating and sneering at anything that doesn't fit into your viewpoint.

Huh?

[roversmum]

have'nt seen any of the match but by the stats we are getting pummelled....we are the home team right, and they are little old wigan ..fooks sake!!!

16 fouls by us 7 to them.

what is going on

It's called Lee Mason, masquerading as a referee

It's like the messageboard version of loose women....

sauce for the goose...

The linesmen must have been his cousins too!

According to the programme they were both called R Madeley and came from W. Yorkshire

edit: Booing was daft and well out of order. Some folks around me were STILL giving Pedersen grief as well.

[thenodrog]

I have to respect the way Sam has treated Kalinic - though I didn't at first. But I believe we are now seeing the benefits of Sam holding him back. He now needs to do something simular to Di Santo.

Nobody has suggested this but personally I think SA has preferred Di santo over Kalinic simply because he initially knew that Di santo would be back at Chelsea in January. It appears obvious that his tactic was to use Di santo as much as possible and blood Kalinic slowly in order not to risk him picking up a serious injury and being left from now on with only Roberts up front. The news that we have Di santo until May has taken some striker pressure off and allowed Kalinic to come to the fore.

[tcj_jones]

I found the booing when Kalinic came off massively cringeworthy. Thank God the game wasn't live, because the Rovers fans are in danger of gaining a terrible reputation.

Obviously the fans are in their right to boo but, IMO, it is a right that should only be exercised when absolutely necessary - that way we don't appear fickle as (Please don't use that word again) and we can actually make an impression on the powers that be at the club.

We're going to turn into Aston Villa, booing their players off at half time because they're drawing a game, whilst sitting fifth in the league...

[Paul]

I found this a strange game. To me it looked as though we set up for 4-2-3-1 from the start and it was very effective for 30-35 minutes. The usual gap between midfield and the striker wasn't apparent. To this point I was enjoying the game and pleasantly surprised by both our football and approach. Around the 35 minute mark we seemed to lose concentration, go back into our shells and be playing the more usual 4-5-1 with the increasing gap in midfield, defence, Nelsen in particular, seemed content to belt the ball to the half way line every time. For the second half Rovers made very little impression and for most of this half Wigan looked to me the more likely winners. By the time the crowd were calling for 4-4-2 and "We're supposed to be at home" we looked pretty awful and I was again left wondering how we can play well for 30 minutes or so and then disappear? Like many others I was unhappy to see Kalinic subbed, he didn't look tired to me and having just scored would surely have had the boost he needed to continue? For much of the second half we hoofed (I don't want to use the word but it works) in the hope it would find a Rovers player. Very often it didn't and only increased the Wigan pressure.

Im not a fan of the Allardyce style when he sets us up at 4-5-1 with this enormous gap in midfield. It doesn't work for the team, helps the opposition and certainly doesn't match the style Rovers fans like to see. However the manager has shown several times recently he can play a lone striker, put out a team with five in the middle and provide good entertaining football. It's filling the gap between defence/midfield (when they are sitting really deep) and the striker which is crucial. I do hope Allardyce will work on this as we are so much better to watch and more effective as a team when playing the more adventurous version of 4-5-1. Fill the midfield gap and I for one will feel much happier about the game I'm watching.

Many have criticised MGP long and hard, I don't think I have. Gamst has always struck me as a very decent footballer and person. I don't think he would turn in poor performances deliberately so it's great to see him getting reward for his efforts in recent matches. On Radio Rovers the point was made he may well benefit from a central role leaving younger players to sprint down the wings and do the running for him? No question about his MOTM performance. Interesting we saw such a good performance from him and also McCarthy last week.

Until Reid game on did we have anyone in midfield capable of putting in a tackle?

The referee was awful, one of the worst performances I can remember for a long time.

Kalinic was marvellous, he is going to score goals or at least has a much better chance than Di Santo.

A very important three points, six more needed from the Hull and Bolton matches.

[47er]

That's the beauty of the 4-5-1 system if the wingers are quick is that in defence it's 4-5-1 and in attack it's 4-3-3. Allardyce's system has started working because he's playing Hoilett and Olssen on one of the wings.

The Rovers fans have turned on Allardyce and sadly it's going to take some to get them back onside.

For what its worth my estimate is that roughly a third of fans were against him from the start, maybe more and look for any excuse. With the herd mentality common among football fans that's influenced a lot more to jump on the bandwagon.This continues whether we win or not.In case anyone thinks these idiots know anything about football its only days since they were booing Pedersen. And the cheers when he was announced as Sponsers MOM were embarrassingly small, even though he thoroughly deserved it.

When people say Rovers fans have been spoilt by the Jack Walker years they are dead right. We want champagne football on Thwaites investment and, of course, at fizzy pop ticket prices.

[tcj_jones]

Good post there, Paul.

The one thing I would say is that I support Sam's decision to sub Kalinic. Di Santo's all round game is good, but he hasn't posed a massive threat in front of goal. Meanwhile, Roberts has only just returned from injury (and couldn't hit a barn door from 10 yards anyway) and McCarthy has left. We have very few options up front and, with the game looking as though it's won, it makes perfect sense to keep our striker who is in great form and banging the goals away, fresh for a very important game on the weekend. Sam clearly also had this in mind when the Villa game, constrastingly, was obviously beyond us.

[Gav]

Again it wasn’t very good last night from both sides really, first 20 minutes was ok but after that it was forgettable. But on a brighter note we got the win, which hasn’t been happening.

On the back of the Andrews Witch hunt, how the hell does Diouf continue to get picked week after week, the guy brings nothing whatsoever to the table and the sooner the manager accepts this the better.

I thought the crowd was good for a night match, over 22k which is a good effort I’d say against Wigan.

Now to the manager…..

Like a few have already mentioned, the crowd has turned on him for various reasons and he’s going to find it difficult to get them, us, back on side. The only way he’ll manage this is by results. I like the way he deals in the transfer market, the window is never boring from that point of view, lets see what happens over the next few days.

Good win.

[AndyC]

He has decided he is against Sam so, since then, he will now not say anything positive about him until he is either 1) sacked, 2) does something dramatic that makes him like him again, like cure cancer or elimate aids.

Its like the whole Man Utd in debt saga, or the Trustees investment in Rovers. Once he has the bit between his teeth there is no real further debate in his mind!

in his favour - he called the man u stuff pretty accurately! they are up to their necks in the poop.

shame you've got big sam all wrong though Phil!

[LeftWinger]

While I'm not suggesting we were brilliant - we definitely deserved the win. Other than the goals, Pedersen hit the bar, Kalinic hit the post and also had an effort blocked in the first half, Hoillet fired one just wide before half time, N'Zonzi had one saved from close range, Roberts missed a good chance etc etc. We did actually create quite a few chances to bury the game last night, considering we had no McCarthy or Dunn.

[AndyC]

Nope. I support Allardyce generally (apart from when he went off the boil a couple of weeks ago). I was fooked off with him taking off Niko and joined in the booing (not the 442 chant though). However, I see his reasoning to save him for West Ham game, as he'd worked his ###### off.

if you can see his reasoning - why did you bother booing?

[only2garners]

I think Sam got it spot on substituting Kalinic when he did. It looked a bit crass taking him off just as he scored but clearly he had the substitution planned before. Unlike Paul I thought he was beginning to look a bit leggy, hardly surprising when you're a young lad up front by yourself for 75 minutes. What Kalinic is not as good as is winning balls in the air, which creates difficulties when the team is on the back foot and looking for outlets. Whilst Di Santo and Roberts don't have Kalinic's all round talent they are both good at winning and holding up the ball, which they both did when they came on. In the last 20 minutes Wigan didn't really get close to Rovers' goal and a lot of that was due to the time that the front two provided an outlet. If Kalinic had Di Santo's aerial ability he would be some player (and also probably not playing for Rovers).