[Archived] Rovers V Man Utd

[philipl]

Oh dear.

We never came close to being beaten by the Mancs in truth. We've screwed up their title challenge, made them look pedestrian and rounded off a totally crud week for them.

What's not to like?

As for the game itself, it was anti-climactic but captivating.

[AlanK]

Well done Rovers. Nuff said

[RIML]

“But when you play against a team like United, you have to take your chances when you get them.”

How ironic, United didn't take their chances against us, how many times have we rued missed chances against teams like United, it makes the result feel even better.

[thenodrog]

BTW, news headlines this morning suggesting Rafa wants another £60m to spend this summer.

He'll get a third to a half of what they get for Torres I'd imagine.

btw Den the dictionary definition of the word 'investment' simply does not have the same meaning when applied to a footballing context. The word 'Investment' is frequently used by people who have never invested in anything larger than a postage stamp and most of whom would struggle to even spell it.

[Exiled_Rover]

Oh dear.

We never came close to being beaten by the Mancs in truth. We've screwed up their title challenge, made them look pedestrian and rounded off a totally crud week for them.

What's not to like?

As for the game itself, it was anti-climactic but captivating.

Except for when Valencia was put clean through by Berbatov of course.

[thenodrog]

One or two on here need to take off their blue and white glasses.I saw my first game in 1961 so I don't any lectures on loyalty. I called it as I saw it, My mate who's a " City" fan who played to a good standard sent me a text after the the game - it contained one word - "Dire".

You called it as you saw it and then feel the need to quote a City fan as back up. Good grief that lot have prob spent 200m in the time that has elapsed since Hughes left and now they are sounding like they've read the book on football! Dire would be very apt for that lot if the Ayrabs hadn't turned up when they did... Dire straits!!

Anyway I think your bio-rhythms must be out of kilter. You and your City chum are displaying very selective memory and will both will have seen many many worse matches in all those years that you can apply the adjective 'dire' to before you can apply it to yesterday's. Certainly not free flowing but just as certainly not dire in any way.

One thing which I don't think you have mentioned is that Sundays MU team is the finished article, the end product from a manager who has been in the hot seat for 24 years and spent countless millions. Every player in thats quad has been of his own choosing.

Our team is at best 'work in progress'. You need to consider that and the fact that SA is using players that he inherited and would never ever have been likely to bring in to play his system if he had been here just a few years more than the 16 months that he has had to date. You are well old enough to rem but you must have forgotten that Alex Ferguson was not an instant success at OT and that it took him a full 5 years and the brink of being sacked before they won anything.

Time to cut Allardyce some slack and wind your neck in I think Tyrone. You are sounding more like an impatient teenager than a mature adult.

[jodrell]

I can’t believe some of the moaning on the game IMO I thought it was a good game but not a classic but have seen a lot worse.

How far have we come From December and when we played the big four and got some real hammerings. People saying Sam’s got two or three games and he could be out.

Anyone would think Ince was still in charge. If you don’t think you are getting value for money get a ticket for one of the big clubs and pay £40 - £50 +. I you don’t think they put 100% in go and watch Div 2 old Div 4 Conference or local combination team.Or do a Waggy and spend just as much behind the bar or watch it on some dodgy web site. No offence to overseas long distance Rovers fans, or people who can’t afford to go.

We have come a long way in the last 18 months and even more in the last 20 years. Think positive. Rant over.

[mhead]

Tyrone ...please google 'curmudgeonly'...especially the bit about being crusty.

Football supporting is a dynamic event in the flesh. You can take a child to a really turgid match

and they will enjoy the lights,the noise,the food,the eccentric fans,the HANDBALL.

On television you get none of this. You cannot see the linesmen,the off the ball incidents,crowd events etc etc

You do not hear " 5-0 and you can't go home" and you do not feel HOW much we hate the Mancs for their sheer arrogance

and divine right to win EVERY game.

And on Sunday THEY did not win. We held our own.

I take up my normal position on the Riverside for the Arse match. Only 3rd time this year(hope they do not take my ST off me!)CANNOT WAIT.

[Montfort]

Earlier in the week I watched, partly in amusement and partly in horror, as Ferguson went on about "typical Germans" deliberately getting his man sent off in the Bayern Munich game. Has this man no shame ! ( you dont need to reply to that - we all know the answer ) But good, I thought, exemplary behaviour from United players from now on. On Sunday, I dont think I have ever seen so many players throw themselves down to the ground in the vain hope of getting a penalty. Well done to the referee for not being presurised.

[Hughesy]

I've not been on here for a while and I wonder why my mood had improved.

Really enjoyed today at Ewood and then I come on here and read some of the b*ll*cks posted and wonder why I bothered.

Some facts. Whether they are the worst Utd team for years or not, they are the champions and are currently second in the league and were a midges away from ANOTHER Champions League semi-final. Why can you not be happy that for the most part we matched them. And I thought the atmosphere was great. Certainly was where I was sitting. Especially the HANDBALL chants which well and truly shut the scum up.

Frankly I don't know why some of you bother. Spend your hard-earned money on something else if it's that sh*t

Totally spot on!

Can I second that Amen brother!! SPOT ON.

Put simply, they are 2nd and were nearly in the Champions League Semi's, so they are a top 16 side in the whole of Europe (At worst)

We matched them and shut them out

How much Did Berbotoss cost compared to our ENTIRE squad, correct, we would have ample change left! FFS Will the Moaners GET A GRIP and F*** off and support a massive club like Spurs or Villa and moan at their managers instead and do the rest of us (Those that have our feet on this earth) a favour.

Well done Big Sam and well done the team, lot's of effort by each and every one of our players today.

Spot on

Interesting, all the pundits on television are applauding a great defensive display, Jones got M.O.M - Salgado had a good game too and not one of the back for gets above a 6???

Quite odd.

There is a reason to not read the gaurdian....6/10 for Jones, Givet, Samba or Salgado!

[brian_gallagher85]

Earlier in the week I watched, partly in amusement and partly in horror, as Ferguson went on about "typical Germans" deliberately getting his man sent off in the Bayern Munich game. Has this man no shame ! ( you dont need to reply to that - we all know the answer ) But good, I thought, exemplary behaviour from United players from now on. On Sunday, I dont think I have ever seen so many players throw themselves down to the ground in the vain hope of getting a penalty. Well done to the referee for not being presurised.

Handball!!!

[RibbleValleyRover]

You do know Hughesy that it is perfectly normal to watch a game and analyse the performance of an individual irrespective of the result? For example if you asked pretty much any fan who watched the game they will tell you that Pedersen had a terrible game. By your logic we shouldn't point this out or talk about it because ultimately we achieved a good result?

My god it would be boring every week if all we did was praise or slate a result every week and did not delve deeper into specific individual performances.

[Hughesy]

No mate - im on about those that honestly believed our whole defence were all only rated 6 as a max. I disagree 100%.

Pedersen was poor...and Emerton was poor again.

[LDRover]

Here here.

Too many people on here think yesterday's performance was something to be really proud of. It simply wasn't.

The reaction from some people is so far gone it suggests we beat United 5-0. If only. We played out a 0-0 draw against a poor United team and lacked any kind of ambition to put the ball in their net. We were terrified of taking any risks and committing anyone past the half way line – hardly the traditional approach you'd expect from a team on home territory.

I travel to every home game from Aylesbury because I love Rovers, want to be entertained and want see some us get one over other teams by taking the game to them and being positive. The home record is an impressive stat and something to be proud of but it's not the be all and end all.

I don't travel in the car for six hours to see a midfield that is completely void of any attacking ideas and is happy to pass the ball back to Robbo from the half way line because we're not willing to offer up any other options.

I firmly believe we could have beaten United yesterday, they were that poor. I'd have been as thrilled as most people on here if we'd sneaked a 1-0 because we'd have shown some endeavor.

If we come out against Everton with the same game plan, I'll be thoroughly p*ssed off.

Fair play to you pal making your way from there every week, I sometimes struggle to get my arse down there from Lower Darwen!! Does the lad with 'Bournemouth Rover' on the back of his shirt come on here? Respect is due to that lad as well.

[DeadlyDirk]

To be honest although I think our defence did well and I think I'd give a 7 (Good performance) to all of the defenders I guess I can see where the press is coming from.

There were some good challenges on the day and we pretty much nullified any attacking threat they had but it wasn't as though people were pulling off last ditch challenges for 90 minutes or were constantly being bombarded.

I was biting my nails all the way to the end during the recent draw against Chelsea thinking they might score at any moment but I was relatively calm throughout the last ten minutes of the United game, I couldn't see them scoring without a big slice of luck or a dodgy decision.

What really surprised me is that I can't recall Nani/Valencia/Obertan(That French chap they replaced Ronaldo with) going past Givet or Salgado (Who are not renowned for their pace) at all, something Gareth Bale found ever so slightly easier a few weeks ago.

It was about as comfortable a day for the defence as you could expect against the champions which is fine by me, any point against the champions is a point well earned and a point gained.

It's not that I think the defence can play better or am even slightly unhappy with the performance, more of a case of quietly going about their job and dealing with what was thrown at them which was surprisingly little for a side going for the title.

Roll on Everton.

[DazRover]

Here here.

Too many people on here think yesterday's performance was something to be really proud of. It simply wasn't.

The reaction from some people is so far gone it suggests we beat United 5-0. If only. We played out a 0-0 draw against a poor United team and lacked any kind of ambition to put the ball in their net. We were terrified of taking any risks and committing anyone past the half way line – hardly the traditional approach you'd expect from a team on home territory.

I travel to every home game from Aylesbury because I love Rovers, want to be entertained and want see some us get one over other teams by taking the game to them and being positive. The home record is an impressive stat and something to be proud of but it's not the be all and end all.

I don't travel in the car for six hours to see a midfield that is completely void of any attacking ideas and is happy to pass the ball back to Robbo from the half way line because we're not willing to offer up any other options.

I firmly believe we could have beaten United yesterday, they were that poor. I'd have been as thrilled as most people on here if we'd sneaked a 1-0 because we'd have shown some endeavor.

If we come out against Everton with the same game plan, I'll be thoroughly p*ssed off.

Spot on. I would have loved us to have had a real go at them yesterday, we always did in the Souness and Hughes days with a similar gap in finance. Don't forget the scum beat them, and if they can do it, anyone can!!!!!!!

[Kelbo]

Spot on. I would have loved us to have had a real go at them yesterday, we always did in the Souness and Hughes days with a similar gap in finance. Don't forget the scum beat them, and if they can do it, anyone can!!!!!!!

When you have played football, you dont always pick things up, when you do your coaching badges, one thing becomes evident, against good sides you simply have to have a game plan, we defended well, pressed the ball and created chances, not too many, but they were there, I read about Valancias missed chance but what about our missed chances?

You cant push on against good sides, they will murder you, we havent got the personel to do that.

As for Burnley beating them, missed penalty, early season and sometimes things like that happen, to compete and play open football against the top sides, you really do need top players all over the park.

[Blue n White Rover]

No mate - im on about those that honestly believed our whole defence were all only rated 6 as a max. I disagree 100%.

Pedersen was poor...and Emerton was poor again.

What ratings would you give them?

[Neil Weaver]

Well seems as though that marvellous pundit Mr Crooks thinks our defence did OK.....Team of the week

[Miker]

Here here.

Too many people on here think yesterday's performance was something to be really proud of. It simply wasn't.

My brother hasn't properly watched a game of football in years. On Sunday he watched the game all the way through for the first time in years and was overjoyed to see the mancs suffer this loss of points (he hates the mancs). He said we played brilliantly and our defence was superb and the team should be proud of their performance. To each his own.

But if you can't find pride in making top teams drop points to us and be in the decent position we're in on a tight budget through sheer team spirit and gritty work then I simply feel sorry for you. I think it's embarassing for a Rovers fan to feel ashamed in front of others for taking points off the champions.

[Hughesy]

What ratings would you give them?

No less than 7's with possibly 8 for Givet.

[Tom]

I thought it was a nice touch that even though most of the united players got stick we gave giggs a good ovation when leaving the pitch. Some just Deserve it and he's one of their only bearable, unscowling players unlike rio who I'm covinced tried to belt the ball at olsson on the deck after he was fouled (he missed and hit Sam)

[cn174]

To make people happy the LET gave both Jones and Givet a 9!!!

[USABlue]

Reading this thread and the wide range of view and how people defend them it's no wonder I don't come on here much anymore. We all know the only one right is me. Really though I see far too much criticism, it's as if people watch too much of the top teams and expectations are way too high for us. I think it's best I just continue to watch when I can and leave this wide range of views alone

[philipl]

Reading this thread and the wide range of view and how people defend them it's no wonder I don't come on here much anymore. We all know the only one right is me. Really though I see far too much criticism, it's as if people watch too much of the top teams and expectations are way too high for us. I think it's best I just continue to watch when I can and leave this wide range of views alone

Spot on.

The football economy determined that the game was better served by Bentley and Santa Cruz rotting at Spurs and City than entertaining at Ewood.

Handicapped as we are by location, it is always great to put a dent in the big boys and especially United. Going for a 4th title? Oh I didn't realise.