[Archived] Rovers v West Ham

[Pete1981]

I dont know if this has been mentioned or not, I'm just wondering what people think of this protest

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_139339792787195

[Andy]

I dont know if this has been mentioned or not, I'm just wondering what people think of this protest

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_139339792787195

In fairness, and on reading a load of the posts on there, almost everyone seems a bit...special?

Protesting isn't the way forward - certainly not at this stage of proceedings and certainly not when we need to rally together ahead of a huge match against West Ham.

[slough_rover]

Balls to those protesting. We have got rid of a manager who did his job of keeping us up bit since then has subjected us to some of the worst football in the league. It is because of fat sam alone that I along with others refuse to attend away games. Save the protests until we know who will be the permanent manager and what transfer targets we look at in Jan. I for one and welcoming the prospect of enjoying some football.

Under Sam we played the second highest percentage of long balls in the league with the lowest percentage of long balls sucessfully completed. Not having to put up with those stats anymore is why I wont be protesting.

[broadsword]

No just leave them until we know which direction the club is heading in terms of a new manager & new players.

Protest over a manager being sacked?? A manager that a massive amount of our fans hated his style & tactics?? Give over!

I thought we'd been told over and over on this board that people who were against Sam Allardyce were very much in the minority. Don't try to have it both ways.

[LeChuck]

With U-turns like that, Hughesy should join the Lib Dems.

[broadsword]

remember that camp male cheerleader for Rovers that got on youtube a few years back?

Was that Hughesy?

[Ozz]

Looking at the weather forecast for Saturday, which includes heavy snowfall during the day, it could put the match at risk of postponement.

[Bobby G]

Would be a nightmare. We need a game to get the last few days out of our systems.

[chaddyrovers]

here a new chant for saturday game of:-John Williams Blue and White Army

Think we should support the chairman at saturday game to show the New Owners that We WANT John Williams to stay and be the Main Man at the Club!!!

[mhead]

How old is JW? He may feel he has now come to the end of his own career.So do not expect him to stay forever and this may be a good break-point.

[JAL]

We all know now that the dust has settled that Steve Keane is going to get the FULL supportof the Rovers faithful on saturday, so the key for me is, can Steve and the team come out winners in the second half, something that big Sam seemed to struggle with this season.

It should be extremely interesting to see who starts and who is omitted i.e who Keano rates and doesnt rate excluding injury's.

Will be interesting to see if the Blackburn end can raise their voices for once should be good !

Bring it on and lets do it !

[Tom]

Really looking forward to this but totally nervous just in case. I will say I am just as confident if not more confident than with Sam in charge as it had 0-0 written all over it before.

I do feel there are some people around here actually hoping we lose so as to prove a point like there was a few that seemed to revel in losses under Sam.

The crowd has to get behind the team from the offest though.

[Dan Furness]

I had a lot of anger in the start of the week, that has turned to a willingness for victory on Saturday. The last thing we need is to give an air of negativity to the players.

Come on Rovers

[Amo]

I don't think anyone will be expecting Rovers to play 'total football' on Saturday. With any luck, we'll just see more flexibility to our approach, something that was rarely ever in Sam's vocabulary. That means encouraging the players to press the ball, make the most of possession, and not fall foul to monotonous long-throws or Robbo launching it at every opportunity. Everyone at the club needs an uplifting performance and result to help dispel this week's controversy. I'm hoping Kean will hand starts to Hoilett, Olsson & Kalinic. The first two for their pace and energy, and Kalinic because I think he'll have a point to prove.

[braddock]

I shall go on Saturday supporting Blackburn Rovers. I will give the new owners time to prove themselves and I'm delighted Sam Allardyce won't be there.

If we batter them it won't prove anything conclusively and if we get battered it won't prove anything conclusively. I imagine if we are beaten it will be the end of the world on here but it will take quite a while to fully understand and measure the extent of the damage or success of this takeover and I will not make knee-jerk judgements when I do not know the whole story.

John Williams is here and that gives me hope. Sam Allardyce is gone and I see this as positive. I'll go and support the lads with some free chocolate buttons.

[jim mk2]

Is snow forecast for Saturday ?

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Would love to see Rovers start with both Olsson and Hoilet on the wings...and dare I dream, two up front.

We could still play 6 at the back

[Grez]

I don't think anyone will be expecting Rovers to play 'total football' on Saturday.

Better than " trebuchet football"

[Kelbo]

Would love to see Rovers start with both Olsson and Hoilet on the wings...and dare I dream, two up front.

We could still play 6 at the back

Steve Kean is no mug, he wil not change things too much too quickly, he may play more of a passing game but there will still be the set plays and still some hoofs from Robbo, too much change too quickly would throw us in dissaray, I feel he will play more of a passing game and may include more pace in the side where he can counter quickly, we shall see!!

[Yorick]

We all know now that the dust has settled that Steve Kean is going to get the FULL supportof the Rovers faithful on saturday, so the key for me is, can Steve and the team come out winners in the second half, something that big Sam seemed to struggle with this season.

It should be extremely interesting to see who starts and who is omitted i.e who Keano rates and doesnt rate excluding injury's.

Will be interesting to see if the Blackburn end can raise their voices for once should be good !

Bring it on and lets do it !

Poor Steve Keane (who?) will be torn between picking the team which in his mind will do the job best and a team that the gung ho owners and the Allardyce detractors want to see. Almost an impossible position to be in for any game never mind his first one. He could easily fall between two stools here. To go out to win an all important match or to go out to entertain and hope that the square pegs can fit into the round holes as required? A massive game to face with unreasonable expectation on his shoulders and with one hand tied behind his back. He'd be so much better placed if the game was away to a top 3 club. I'd go so far as to say there is less pressure on Avram Grant who by all accounts is drinking in the last chance saloon on Saturday. It will be interesting.

[philipl]

From Lawrenson on the BBC:

Blackburn v West Ham

I was stunned by the sacking of Sam Allardyce, and I don't really know where the new owners of Blackburn think they are going to take them.

I've heard them say they should be finishing fifth or sixth in the table and that just makes me think they don't know what they have let themselves in for.

It sounds to me like Rovers have been taken over by people who a) don't understand Blackburn, don't understand the Premier League, and c) don't understand that Blackburn staying in the Premier League every year is an achievement, and is something that Sam virtually guarantees you.

It's very strange to hear them talking about spending £5m in January and expecting that to make all the difference - good luck to whoever gets that job!

As for West Ham? Well, the manager Avram Grant is really on the rack at the moment. Apparently he has been told he has to win one of his next three games to keep his job, but I don't really understand that. Are they really saying that if he wins one and gets three points from his next three games that he is going to be OK?

It almost sounds like they are hoping he doesn't, so they can make a change. If they do, then everyone is going to be tipping Allardyce to get the job.

By now, you would hope that the people running the Hammers, David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady, will have made their minds up on Grant. If they think he is the man for the job then back him some more in January. If he isn't, then do something about it now.

It's going to be hard for Grant to get anything out of this game, though, because it's at Blackburn and they won't change anything even though Allardyce has gone, because his first-team coach Steve Kean is in charge for now.

Blackburn are a very well-drilled side who stick the ball in the right areas. For me, West Ham are a team with too many faint hearts, which is not what they need right now.

Prediction: 2-1

[Exiled in Toronto]

Poor Steve Keane (who?) will be torn between picking the team which in his mind will do the job best and a team that the gung ho owners and the Allardyce detractors want to see. Almost an impossible position to be in for any game never mind his first one. He could easily fall between two stools here. To go out to win an all important match or to go out to entertain and hope that the square pegs can fit into the round holes as required? A massive game to face with unreasonable expectation on his shoulders and with one hand tied behind his back. He'd be so much better placed if the game was away to a top 3 club. I'd go so far as to say there is less pressure on Avram Grant who by all accounts is drinking in the last chance saloon on Saturday. It will be interesting.

Most times when Parkes took over as caretaker, the first few games saw very different line ups to what had gone before. No point changing the boss if the next guy isn;t going to change anything was his philosophy. Can't wait to see the line up.

[jim mk2]

Is snow forecast for Saturday ?

Hello, hello, is there anybody out there. ?

Is snow forecast for Saturday ???

[Yorick]

Most times when Parkes took over as caretaker, the first few games saw very different line ups to what had gone before. No point changing the boss if the next guy isn;t going to change anything was his philosophy. Can't wait to see the line up.

Ironically if my memory serves me correctly Parkes was quite happy to keep players behind the ball and grind a point out of every match. Our replayed match against Boro made Allardyce's tactics resemble those of Keegans Newcastle.

[Tom]

Hello, hello, is there anybody out there. ?

Is snow forecast for Saturday ???

Light snow according to the BBC