[Archived] Birmingham Preview

[thenodrog]

Spot kicks are all to do with whats running through your head at the time.

Julian Dicks was never deemed to have very much running through his head at all. Maybe thats the key.

[RoverRich]

The penalty was well struck by Peds but it did lack placement and was a decent height for the keeper. It was a good save by Foster but could have been made harder with a better pen. I was trying to think, how many penalties has Peds taken for us? What is his record as I can't remember him scoring a penalty but could be wrong?

[thenodrog]

yeah sorry didn't mean it like that, but you certainly want your strikers to score as many goals as possible and this penalty was the perfect opportunity. MGP missed and we cant dwell on that. After listening to the interview by BS he seems to be saying the same thing we slipped up and should have killed the game off however I agree with the commentator on that interview and Kalinic was just too isolated and Allardyce shot him down quickly relying on his stats.

He can say what he wants but I'm sure when he sits the squad down to view the video nasties he will be running and re-running Brums goals time and again.

btw I couldn't see N'Zonzi anywhere for Brums second goal. Has he showed up anywhere yet or has he been officially reported as missing in the midlands ?

[thenodrog]

Kalinic had a pretty good record back home, so yeah.

Can't comment on that but I can comment on the one that I've seen him take against Chelsea last season and it was bloody awful. Weak and next to the keeper and he telegraphed the direction to Hilario too. It was our worst pen that night by a country mile.

Why you want to put him in position to take any more I don't know.

[den]

I doubt he's 'out of confidence' when he scored last week and Sam's been bigging him up. That said, I agree, he should have taken it.

You didn't see the last one Kalanic took for us then?

[Majiball]

To be honest, and I am biased, but I would say Tugay is one of the top ten midfielders to grace the Premiership in the last ten years, so ludicrously good that you have to say that we are unlikely to see his like again, even if we had 20m to spend. He would raise the quality game immeasurably on his own which is something even Europe's best would struggle to do. So hugely influential.

Was it not Alex Ferguson who apparently always wanted to talk about him after we played them? Cracking player still cannot believe we got him so cheap.

One thing on Ped's penalty is that he has no disguise in his run up, The keeper knows which side he's going to kick towards before he's hit the penalty. Given Robbo can smack the ball almost the whole length of the pitch you have to assume he can hit a ball 12 yards with some power, I'd give him a go in training.

[den]

Left footers and penaltys Thenodrog.... never the best combination to get the best result from a spot kick. I'd have Morten practising them with his right foot instead.

Matt Jansen was never very good at spot kicks.

You never saw Mike Harrison taking penalties then? After Shearer, he was the best I've ever seen at Ewood Jal.

[47er]

At last seen the highlights.

Thought Penalty was struck ok but placement poor. Where did our defence go for the equalizer and where did a midfielder disappear to for the Gardner winner(and sorry Robbo did really miss getting part of a hand to the ball).Promising but Brum have to be on the target list of Away wins.

Far better than John Carew's a minute ago!!!!!

[JAL]

You never saw Mike Harrison taking penalties then? After Shearer, he was the best I've ever seen at Ewood Jal.

Its a general football observation seeing so many left footers miss a penalty spot like Pearce and Waddle did in the world cup. I'm sure I've seen Maradona in his pomp miss one.

Simply dont ever feel over confident when ever I see a left footer taking a pen and this isnt just about Rovers but everyone else.

[Fife Rover]

To be honest, and I am biased, but I would say Tugay is one of the top ten midfielders to grace the Premiership in the last ten years, so ludicrously good that you have to say that we are unlikely to see his like again, even if we had 20m to spend. He would raise the quality game immeasurably on his own which is something even Europe's best would struggle to do. So hugely influential.

I thought we played well yesterday but clearly these is a bit of an issue here. Pedersen is our only player who picks a pass, and while he is good he is hardly first rate. Nzonzi when he has a lot of time can be neat, but largely is a destructive and set piece player. Even Dunn is at his best running at players. Same for Diouf.

We do need probably two players at a minimum who have a bit of guile. Popov could be one. We also need someone who can sit a bit deeper and pass through the middle and spread the play. We can't ignore it as our standard method of attack is effective and forces the other side deep, but we can't pick the pass to undo them. If we can add that string to our bow then we can probably start to think about 6th as a target.

Absolutely spot on JBN. We certainly do need a creative MF (or two even). As you say our team is crying out for a player in CMF that can spot a pass and also hold/ run with the ball. I say we simply cannot do without at least one and probably two (for cover). I don't think Dunn is the one because as you say he likes to run with the ball and rarely spots a killer pass.

[Fraserkirky]

Kalanic looked amazing yesterday !!!!!!!!

Would love a top class foward up there with him

[Exiled in Toronto]

Am I the only person who saw the header against the post as coming from Samba's head? Looked pretty clear on the slo-mo, he pushed Kalinic out of the way. Still a bad miss though.

I don't buy the unlucky argument; poor execution from us twice at the back meant we had to score three. The post and the pen were also execution issues. Everyone used to dismiss Benni's goal totals as mostly pens, but we've missed virtually all the ones he didn't taken in the last couple of years.

[Amo]

You didn't see the last one Kalanic took for us then?

*Kalinic

Yes, I saw it, but it was ONE penalty during a season where Kalinic was hardly bursting with confidence. He was tucking them away back home, and I would have given him another chance on Saturday.

[RoverRich]

Am I the only person who saw the header against the post as coming from Samba's head? Looked pretty clear on the slo-mo, he pushed Kalinic out of the way. Still a bad miss though.

I thought it came from Samba as well to be honest. He seemed to run into the back of Kalinic and push him out of the way in order to get his head on the ball. Even if it did come off Kalinic I can see why he missed with Samba almost on top of him.

[thenodrog]

Was it not Alex Ferguson who apparently always wanted to talk about him after we played them? Cracking player still cannot believe we got him so cheap.

One thing on Ped's penalty is that he has no disguise in his run up, The keeper knows which side he's going to kick towards before he's hit the penalty. Given Robbo can smack the ball almost the whole length of the pitch you have to assume he can hit a ball 12 yards with some power, I'd give him a go in training.

From Rangers bench / reserves too!

MGP simply needs to straighten his run up slightly.

.... Robinson could do a Julian Dicks no doubt but if a keeper takes a pen and it is saved or rebounds from the woodwork then it can lead to an opposition goal. with 10 professional footballers to pick from it's a rum do if we have to use a keeper for pens.

Its a general football observation seeing so many left footers miss a penalty spot like Pearce and Waddle did in the world cup. I'm sure I've seen Maradona in his pomp miss one.

Simply dont ever feel over confident when ever I see a left footer taking a pen and this isnt just about Rovers but everyone else.

Batty and Beckhams missed em for England too.

[berkshireblue]

Am I the only person who saw the header against the post as coming from Samba's head? Looked pretty clear on the slo-mo, he pushed Kalinic out of the way. Still a bad miss though.

I don't buy the unlucky argument; poor execution from us twice at the back meant we had to score three. The post and the pen were also execution issues. Everyone used to dismiss Benni's goal totals as mostly pens, but we've missed virtually all the ones he didn't taken in the last couple of years.

Toronto - disagree , ever since Dunn took a penalty in the LC shoot out on his debut at QPR he has had a good record

Last penalty dingles away - cool as a cucumber

Unfortunately he was not playing

Selling Benni was the best thing we ever did, whats he done since he left?

[Majiball]

From Rangers bench / reserves too!

MGP simply needs to straighten his run up slightly.

.... Robinson could do a Julian Dicks no doubt but if a keeper takes a pen and it is saved or rebounds from the woodwork then it can lead to an opposition goal. with 10 professional footballers to pick from it's a rum do if we have to use a keeper for pens.

Don't miss then.

Kalinic should be on them anyway those vid's we all saw prior to his arrival had him scoring some nice pen's.

[hollowsr]

Toronto - disagree , ever since Dunn took a penalty in the LC shoot out on his debut at QPR he has had a good record

Last penalty dingles away - cool as a cucumber

Unfortunately he was not playing

Selling Benni was the best thing we ever did, whats he done since he left?

Off topic but was that not at Newcastle??

[Ricky]

Yup, Newcastle it was

[Neil Weaver]

Amongst all the clamour that Niko should have taken the penalty, what would it have done for his confidence if Foster had saved it? As Drog and Den have said, his record with us is hardly brilliant.

[thenodrog]

Don't miss then.

Kalinic should be on them anyway those vid's we all saw prior to his arrival had him scoring some nice pen's.

Go to 16 mins and tell me what you think..... apart from the fact that it was a great cup night.

http://www.footytube.com/video/blackburn-rovers-chelsea-dec02-28691

[Amo]

So you're judging him on ONE penalty? Don't forget he scored one against Peterborough, plus the ones he tucked away back home.

[thenodrog]

So you're judging him on ONE penalty? Don't forget he scored one against Peterborough, plus the ones he tucked away back home.

I've seen MGP take 3 I think and all have been confidently and well struck. I've seen kalinic take one and it was poor to awful. Anyway I assume MGP took the pen in Dunny's abscence cos Sam will have judged him on many penalties taken at Brockhall.

Don't get me wrong I like Kalinic and think he is quality but penalty's are highly pressurised and are a different kettle of fish. Same with Robinson, when he has no time to think he's OK, when he has more time to think he's not so good.

[sambo]

After they went 1-0 up, we resorted to non stop hoofing. Was so frustrating, as Birmingham had dropped back incredibly deep.

Kalinic was very good, with more support he will be amazing.

EH Diouf looked much improved again!

Very frustrating, was at cloud 9 at 1-0 - the away end was bouncing!

[Ossydave]

EHD seems to have gained a yard of pace somehow, he looks far more useful than he was last season