[Archived] Wolves Preview 04/11/10

[thenodrog]

Just want to make another point about Robinson, superb from him today coming off condeding 7 last week, really seems to be made of the right stuff, his head could have been down today but didn't miss a beat, a perfect goalkeeping performance.

Don't know if there is a link but he's been twice the keeper since he kicked Capello and England into touch imo. He also seems to have worked hard on getting down quickly to stop low shots. He was very weak at that when he came at first.

[MarkBRFC71]

And on another day we could have drawn, but we won, so be happy.

Bolton will be a good test, and no doubt you will celebrate a Rovers defeat to justify another ludicrous pop at the manager.

I said I was happy with the result, or did you miss that part?

Yes I don't like the manager, his methods, his arrogance or his style of football but I've given him credit where due in the past. I've never celebrated a Rovers defeat - would you like to point out where I have to justify your diatribe?

Yet another snidey remark, and another pointless, non-constructive post. You really are an arrogant, angry, deluded, bile-filled, bitter little man. Quite sad really.

[daveoftherovers]

Enjoyed yesterday, great result, I though our defence was great (After the first very nervy 10 minutes) glad to see Givet and Jones getting stuck in, Nelsen & Dunn notching, Pederson and Roberts continuing their good form. Slightly disappointed we didn't go for another, but on the face of it, and after the OT debacle, I'd have ripped your hand off for that result.

Very much looking forward to Bolton now.

Well done to Sam and the boys, lovely viewing todays papers!

[thenodrog]

Well Bent and Gyan Didnt do much against Newcastle did they and Carroll is'nt exactly an out an out goalscorer, People just want to see some attacking football and goals scored from open play against a team that goals could be scored against.

Saddo stat. As goals scored seems to be the debate here's the Prem league table compiled purely on goals scored........

MU 35

Arse 34

Chel 30

BWFC 28

Spurs 24

BPool 23

NUFC 23

BRFC 21

MCity 21

Stoke 21

WBA 20

Sland 19

Evton 18

AV 17

Brum 17

Lpool 17

Wlves 17

Fham 16

WHU 14

Wigan 13

8th.

[thenodrog]

These boards are like war at the minute it seems nobody is allowed an opinion without being jumped on, you're either a Sam lover or a Sam hater it seems. Most of us however are just Rovers and care about the club and can see both positives and negatives and assess games as we see them but even then people are lining up to have a pop if it doesn't agree with their agendas.

Can we have a truce for Christmae maybe?

That all depends on the result v WHU Tom. Beating them won't be enough. I think we'll have to score at least 10 to make our 5th columnists slink off into the night and have a very unhappy Christmas.

Stunned by that comment. No one offered much of anything last week but I think he was good today. The lad is a lot faster than I thought too, not out of the blocks but over a bit of distance. He's what 18 or 19 playing out of position in the premier league, gaining respect from most anyone and some of his own fans seem to be able to do nowt but knock the lad. Baffles me it really does

I think JAL is in a majority of one.

Agree that comment should result in some sort of ban for a period of time.

Jones was excellent today in there with MGP, they compliment each other quite well I feel. Think Jones is learning the defensive midfieler role now, perhaps his best performance of the season for me.

Are you sure you don't want to see him hanged?

[Majiball]

Saddo stat. As goals scored seems to be the debate here's the Prem league table compiled purely on goals scored........

MU 35

Arse 34

Chel 30

BWFC 28

Spurs 24

BPool 23

NUFC 23

BRFC 21

MCity 21

Stoke 21

WBA 20

Sland 19

Evton 18

AV 17

Brum 17

Lpool 17

Wlves 17

Fham 16

WHU 14

Wigan 13

8th.

I think you need to look at it slightly differently. If you consider that we are 8th for goals scored alongside the fact we are bottom of the pile for creating chances/shots on goal, then it shows we are pretty good at taking the chances we create. If you were then to add in a player of creativity we could most likely score a significantly higher number of goals. I think we have a 40% shots on target to goals conversion rate, to put that in perspective arsenal are on about 47%.

A ball players and a striker could make a big difference to our season.

[thenodrog]

Roberts is in great from. The cynic in me says he's playing for his next club. Still its nice to see.

I sincerely hope they all are.

[grizfoot]

Interesting game it was yesterday, Wolves started brightly and could have gone ahead but for a brilliant save from Robbo and the help of the post, bar and post again. But after that early scare I thought the game became reasonable even and we punished Wolves when we got the chances. Pedersen's set-piece delivery was awesome for large parts and makes him worthy of the title Norwegian Beckham. The defence bounced back well from the mauling last week and the back four all played well and Robbo behind them was fantastic. It's fair to say the entire team put in decent performances and we looked to have took a full grip on the game when we went 3-0 and continued to press and dominate possession for once. Then quite a bizzare change saw us switch to 5-4-1 when we brought Diouf off and brought on Morris to play at left-back. I'm maybe being hyper-critical because we did win 3-0 but I thought switching to this formation contributed largely to the late Wolves pressure as we'd lost our man advantage in midfield by switching to five across the back. The attitude in the last twenty minutes was summed up when Mame Diouf picked up the ball and delibrately slowed down the tempo when there was a good chance to counter-attack. Boos from the crowd at 3-0 up? harsh crowd you could say but I for one could understand it a bit, at 3-0 up against the bottom side with five minutes to go you'd think we'd try and attack and improve our goal difference which had took a battering last week but no Big Sam had apparentley decided to turn the sign to closed, lock the door and bring down the shutters, yeah that's right we had shut up shop 3-0 up at home against the bottom team in the league. Big Sam's after-match interview summed that up when he said he was as happy with the clean sheet as he was the three goals, although I hasten to add that the switching to 5-4-1 with twenty minutes or so to go didn't help us keep the clean sheet but instead just invited pressure on us when we looked to be bossing the game anyway. As I say I'm probably being hyper critical but it's just little bits of negativity like this that can annoy and frustrate, all that being said we stand in 8th place with 21 points which is a pretty impressive position for early December.

[thenodrog]

Actually we did let our opponent get back up by going to 5 at the back and gifting them possession. If we were to 'put our foot on their throat' we'd have gone for a 4th when we had them on the ropes.

Which part of 'Wolves 0' are you struggling to understand?

[thenodrog]

exactly exile,when the booes rained down it was because the manager bollocked them for attacking and they were forced to go back to robbo from the edge of their pen area!

another one in the first half was when robbo had the ball,dunn was screaming for the ball at the riverside and robbo pointed to the stand -(where zzzam sits and indicated he had to boot it up) and in the 2nd half robbo rolled it out and the man screamed and signalled to him to launch it high.

no agenda its what happened!

If you spent all that long watching Allardyce Abbey how come you didn't see him waving the team forward and urging them to get up in support of the attackers in the last 10mins?

[thenodrog]

We didn't go for a 4th at all.

We brought on Morris, shifted Givet into the centre (giving us five at the back) and then hoofed it up to Diouf and Roberts (and later Benjani). We didn't even try to play it through them, we were content with our 3-0 advantage.

And what agenda is that then?

Read my post above

.."It was hardly his fault that the clearly offside Jason Roberts elbowed the even more clearly onside M Diouff aside when he was clean through. It was hardly the fault of the manager either when the players contrived to botch up the 4 on 3 chance too? If they had gone in it would have been 5"

So do you think Sam gave em instructions to screw up both chances? He obviously didn't want an idiotic Charge of the Light Brigade situation but was obviously being professional by keeping it tight at the back, drawing em out and hitting them on the break. But for inept play by various players we would have had 5 and your Sunday would have been well and truly ruined.

Your comments not only beggar belief but serve to highlight the agenda that you (and Abbey) are claiming not to have.

[Exiled_Rover]

Which part of 'Wolves 0' are you struggling to understand?

Did you watch the game? How many saves did Robinson have to pull out of the top drawer at the end? At least two by my count - both from Hunt.

We switched to 5 at the back, bypassed the midfield and invited pressure on ourselves at a time when the opposition was there for the taking.

[thenodrog]

Surely trying to keep possession is preferable to launching it straight back to the opposition? You do a disservice to our players, anyway. Players like Dunn, Emerton, the Dioufs, Salgado, Jones etc, should have enough to play keep-ball against a poor Wolves team.

The most frustrating aspect is that even when we do 'close up shop' it doesn't work. We have Robbo to thank for keeping the clean-sheet, not any great defensive masterclass. I think that's why people are frustrated that we didn't put Wolves to the sword, because we've seen time and time again that Rovers suck at sitting back.

You have just agreed with my point.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Urgh...

We win and then people complain about how we won...

If we win, Im satisfied. 3-0 was terrific. If fans still demand more well then perhaps they should support bigger, better teams.

Anyway,

Thought Roberts was poor yesterday.

Very impressed with Salgado and Jones.

[JAL]

He'd be a lot better if his 6ft+ height didn't turn into 4'6" when he jumps down to head a ball. Small wonder SA's frustrated with him, a Prem centre forward really should be competent in the air. He's a handfull sure enough but rem he screwed up the Chelsea match for us and was lucky to score with a 'shinner' against Wigan. He's the nearest to Shefki Kuqi that we've had since. Couldn't trap a wet sandbag but a formidable physical presence that unsettles defenders.

btw imo Phil JOnes had a very good game.

When the ball goes upto or into Roberts hes the only striker so far for me were the ball is held up and controlled on a far more frequent basis than any of the other strikers. He stood out in the game against Chelsea but everyone seemed to deflect this praise by bemoaning that missed second half chance, A CHANCE THAT HE FASHIONED ALL BY HIMSELF backed up by all their previously built up prejudices of the guy.

Totally disagree with you thenodrog about Roberts being incapable of trapping the ball as we dont feel the force or pressure that these big premiership centre half's apply when challenging you. You only have to look at the second goal yesterday when he controlled and laid off the ball for an unmissable chance for Bret Emmerton to appreciate his value to the team.

What did Phil Jones do yesterday to earn your glowing praise apart from run around, then run around some more without being influential in the game.

[Steve Moss]

Not everyone agrees with the Ewood 'Faithful'..... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Nelsen

"Nelsen was named in a football "World Cup Best XI" by American sports channel, ESPN on 10 July, 2010"

Ha! We Americans are becoming wise in the way of football. Watch out Spain, Brazil, Holland, etc., here we come.

[John]

Paul Merson's take on the game

"Robinson was outstanding," he told Soccer Saturday.

"He made some great saves throughout the game, at the right time. Fair play to Blackburn, you get whipped-up seven and the week after you come back and put in a performance like they did - but they did have to ride their luck.

Merson says both Robinson and Sam Allardyce deserve special mentions for their strength of character,

"He's a top-drawer manager," he said. "He proves in year in, year out that he gets the best out of his players. Bad result last week, great result this week."

[booth]

Haha, I love that people are getting so irate over a 3-0 win.

Fact is we were crap for the first 10 minutes or so, then we mauled them. Then last 20 minutes we went defensive, in which Wolves almost scored.

You've got to praise the manager for the majority of the game, but with 20 minutes to go with Wolves looking poor we shouldn't have invited them to press us like that. Only for Robbo they might have scored a few. In the premier league it's easy even at 3-0 to let teams get back into games. Must be frustrating for the defence to be expected to soak up pressure like that. I still can't believe Wolves didn't at least manage to get one in the net, we were very lucky.

Even more frustrating is that every time Rovers went forward their defence looked very shaky, I can understand SA not wanting to go too cavalier but we totally sank back into our own half wih no attempt to get forward with any vigour, which was mystifying when we at that point were well on top with only 20 minutes left.

Playing more defensive almost led to us conceding when apart from the first 10 minutes Wolves looked benign.

You can't complain about a 3-0 win but I do think we would have totally destroyed them had it not being for us sitting back in our own half.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I still can't believe Wolves didn't at least manage to get one in the net, we were very lucky.

I did think Wolves derserved more than a 3-0 defeat still a defeat but 3-0 was harsh on them - and for that we were were unfortunate. However - a keeper playing at the top his game is nothing about luck.

Still - strange match - after ten minutes we were the better team - until we went three up - and then we basically seemed to give up. It is a strange feeling - winning the match 3-0 but leaving the ground somehow deflated. It is all about timing - I remember Rovers being given the run around by Barnsley some years ago - and then coming back to score two goals in the last few minutes to draw 2-2 - it felt like we had won - but for the vast majority of that match we were hopeless. Yesterdays match would probably have felt better if we had scored the chance in the last few minutes.

[thenodrog]

Paul Merson's take on the game

Merson says both Robinson and Sam Allardyce deserve special mentions for their strength of character,

"He's a top-drawer manager," he said. "He proves in year in, year out that he gets the best out of his players. Bad result last week, great result this week."

This is just like the Sam Allardyce thread

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2010/12/does_allardyce_get_credit_he_d.html

[darwenblueswearehere]

Paul Merson's take on the game

"Robinson was outstanding," he told Soccer Saturday.

"He made some great saves throughout the game, at the right time. Fair play to Blackburn, you get whipped-up seven and the week after you come back and put in a performance like they did - but they did have to ride their luck.

Merson says both Robinson and Sam Allardyce deserve special mentions for their strength of character,

"He's a top-drawer manager," he said. "He proves in year in, year out that he gets the best out of his players. Bad result last week, great result this week."

Merson was a good player but as a pundit he talks rubbish more often than not, so I wouldn't hold much store on what he said. How the likes of him, Dean Windass and those smug dickheads on the BBC manage to hold down media roles is beyond me.

[Mattyblue]

Merson was a good player but as a pundit he talks rubbish more often than not, so I wouldn't hold much store on what he said. How the likes of him, Dean Windass and those smug dickheads on the BBC manage to hold down media roles is beyond me.

Listen out for how many times Merson says 'I mean', probably a drinking game in that.

[DE.]

Merson was a good player but as a pundit he talks rubbish more often than not, so I wouldn't hold much store on what he said. How the likes of him, Dean Windass and those smug dickheads on the BBC manage to hold down media roles is beyond me.

Windass as a pundit/reporter is just stunning in its idiocy. The man can barely talk coherently, yet he's trusted to report live on games as they're happening? I'd imagine there are plenty of younger reporters with far superior skills who could do his job a million times better than him. Yet he gets his job because he's a (not even particularly well known) footballer. He's hardly going to spike ratings, is he? It's ridiculous.

[John]

As a pundit, I thought Merson was appalling when he first started out, however he has (very) slightly improved recently.

[bigbrandjohn]

As a pundit, I thought Merson was appalling when he first started out, however he has (very) slightly improved recently.

Try listening to Warren Barton. Reckons he would like to see a football game at Blackburn. How's that flowing football working for you dun ve East End Warren. Flowing dun ve bleeding plughole mate. Oh and thanks for the two and a quart a mill fer ye free scoring striker.