[Archived] Rovers v West Ham

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Not a great deal of defensive mindedness in that midfield is there?.......

My thoughts exactly.

Though a waste - until we get a decent defensive midfielder in - or ever get Grella fit - Jones has to be played in midfield. This will be a tough match - in Parker they have one of the better midfield players in the Premiership - and Cole is handyy as well.

I woudl agree with Emerton being played in center-mid - but I would go with :-

MGP Jones Emerton Hoilett/Diouf

If we play Olsson at left back - it means that MGP has somebody to create space for him - much in the same way Emerton used to do for Bentley when he played right back.

[vizcaya]

Heart says trashing of West Ham, head says tense stalemate. Heart says changes of both players and formation, head says same line-up as last week. Tossed a coin and I'm going for a thrashing of West Ham by the new look BRFC

Robinson

Salgado-Samba-Jones-Olsson

E.H.Diouf-Dunn-MGP

M.B.Diouf-Kalinic-Hoilett

Rovers 4 WHU 0

Dunn, Jones, Kalinic, M Diouf

[Jim Royle]

We won our last three home games so why change the way we have previously done things. Now away from home is different tale....

Against the sacking, but support BRFC, so despite the circus I'll be there hoping for the three points. Good luck Keano

[pksrover]

My line up:

Robinson

Salgado-Samba-Jones-Olsson

N'Zonzi

Hoilett-MGP-Dunn

Kalinic-Roberts

4-0

Kalinic x2, Hoilett and Roberts

...I'm slightly delirious as it's the last day in work before Christmas and New Years....

reality check....

Whammers will win 2-0...

Benni Big Mac with two goals

[modes98]

I haven't got a clue what Kean is going to do, mainly because I haven't seen him manage any team of any kind in the world.

If I had to guess I would imagine it'll be similar to Sam's team and similar style, because strangely that worked at home!

I wait with baited breath to see what Venky's have asked of him on the pitch. If we try to pass it round to much I fear we will be on the end of a first West Ham away win of the season.

[Kelbo]

I haven't got a clue what Kean is going to do, mainly because I haven't seen him manage any team of any kind in the world.

If I had to guess I would imagine it'll be similar to Sam's team and similar style, because strangely that worked at home!

I wait with baited breath to see what Venky's have asked of him on the pitch. If we try to pass it round to much I fear we will be on the end of a first West Ham away win of the season.

If Venkys have asked anything other than three points, we are in a mess, they should keep out of football matters, they dont understand it, have no knowledge of the game, you know, the expert son reminds me of Jethro in the Beverley Hillbillies with his fouth grade education!!

Maybe we could call them the Indian Hillbillies

[CrazyIvan]

(This is probably the understatement of the year but) Tomorrow's game is going to be interesting. Eyes everywhere will be on us; on the fans, on the new manager, on the team and on the directors box. I don't think we will have been under this much of a spotlight since we won the damn league in 1995. Venkys will be crossing everything hoping that the massive gamble they have taken is going to pay off. If we win, they will be cock-a-hoop. The problem is it's the first game of the rest of the season so they'd better keep everything crossed until we are safe and then hope we finish higher than 13th and possibly 10th. Taking just the snapshot of removing the manager and his number 2 and ignoring what ever else has happened, this has to be the biggest game of the season and one of the biggest since Stoke 2 years ago. If you take into account all the other rumours and upheaval in the club, it takes on an even bigger significance. In many ways, for Venkys sake, Rovers HAVE to win this game. Anything less and the knives will be drawn.

I'll be fully behind my team and the (impressive on paper) new manager Steve Kean. I want us to put West Ham to the sword and I hope we do. I do wonder, though, if a defeat would be as catastrophic a result as it would seem. A win and Venkys will feel they have done the right thing and can continue, a loss and they may well re-evaluate that... No matter, I still want us to win 100%.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Two or three pints beforehand, the hip flask full of Sambuca and I'm going to sing like never before tomorrow.

It would be great for the Blackburn & Darwen Ends to stand for the full ninety as well.

Let's get behind them!

[philipl]

I know I have been as unhappy as anyone at Venkys' involvement of Kentaro in the management of our club.

But it is incredibly important we win this game tomorrow.

So please keep the protests until AFTER the game so that nothing can distract the players from the job at hand.

[Bobby G]

Lets put it this way. We may have the best intentions, but it all depends on how the players start tomorrow. Pressure is on the manager and players to keep the fans at ease. Very difficult and tense afternoon for sure.

[SamTheShrew]

Illness and weather permitting me and the old men will be there.

One Rovers

[Kelbo]

Illness and weather permitting me and the old men will be there.

One Rovers

And this old man will be there with at least one of his sons!!

Again weather permitting, am almost in the white rose county myself, but just far enough inside to be a red rose man

[den]

A sweet little preview, from a Wham fan who obviously believes that his club are a far superior footballing side - even though they are bottom of the Premier league.

Knees up mother brown.

[Wilky]

At the same time we normally do well in the nxt game when one of our managers gets the sack and a new guy comes in or we have a caretaker...

Football's not that simple though.

West Ham have threatened Grant with the sack, who knows how their players will react to that? They have a decent team in terms of personnel, if that threat kicks them into gear then it'll be a tough game.

We don't have a divine right to beat anyone in this league, especially this year with it being so tight. That's part of the beauty of football, we could lose against the bottom team one week and thump a team above us the next.

We've beaten lots of teams already, losing one game wouldn't mean we suddenly have no hope, there is no logic in thinking that.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

A sweet little preview, from a Wham fan who obviously believes that his club are a far superior footballing side - even though they are bottom of the Premier league.

Knees up mother brown.

That article was quite a good read to be honest

What was far more concerning was the level of optimism on their MB as soon as Sam was sacked. They really fancy their chances now. For WHAM, many fans are viewing this game as one of the defining games of the season, ie away from home against an average side with poor support and no manager. This is a big game for them. If we lose this I really fear for where the next month or so could be leading to.

I never thought this club would be in this much of a mess.

[Mr. E]

In any case, we have to go more attacking. Olsson, Hoilett, Kalinic, M. Diouf all need to take a part. Enough with Jones in central midfield. We can't defend properly no matter what it seems, so lets at least get a few extra goals.

[Mattyblue]

That article was quite a good read to be honest

What was far more concerning was the level of optimism on their MB as soon as Sam was sacked. They really fancy their chances now. For WHAM, many fans are viewing this game as one of the defining games of the season, ie away from home against an average side with poor support and no manager. This is a big game for them. If we lose this I really fear for where the next month or so could be leading to.

I never thought this club would be in this much of a mess.

Poor support? Think this week has proved that we have anything but and tomorrow will be a demonstration of that.

[den]

In any case, we have to go more attacking. Olsson, Hoilett, Kalinic, M. Diouf all need to take a part. Enough with Jones in central midfield. We can't defend properly no matter what it seems, so lets at least get a few extra goals.

We have to do what we've been doing in home games for the last two years - win.

[booth]

We have to do what we've been doing in home games for the last two years - win.

We didn't win against a very benign West Ham last season because we barely made it out of our own half despite WH not being in any way a goal threat. One of the most boring matches I've ever seen.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Poor support? Think this week has proved that we have anything but and tomorrow will be a demonstration of that.

The poor support bit was from a West Ham fan's perspective.

But in many ways we do have poor support - in relative terms. The support we have is good and is as passionate as any other, but in numbers it is far weaker than West Ham's. And attendance figures is the only guage used to work out whether support is strong or poor.

I think tomorrow a third of the stadium will be empty. That is what West Ham fans will see. That is why our support is 'poor' in their eyes.

Anyway, the issues surrounding attendances arent important at the moment. A win tomorrow and then things might start to look a bit better.

[den]

We didn't win against a very benign West Ham last season because we barely made it out of our own half despite WH not being in any way a goal threat. One of the most boring matches I've ever seen.

Don't think you read my post booth. I said we have to do what we've been doing at home for the last two years - win. In case you didn't understand, that was in reply to Mr E, who wants us to be more attacking.

[booth]

Don't think you read my post booth. I said we have to do what we've been doing at home for the last two years - win. In case you didn't understand, that was in reply to Mr E, who wants us to be more attacking.

And if it's anything like last year we do need to be more attacking in order to win. Was the same against Wolves last season at home, that is until the boo's at half time made the manager go with 3 up front.

[Mattyblue]

I'd say strggling to fill 30000 home seats when you have a catchment area stretching from The City to the Essex coast

is 'poor' but what do I know?

[Tom]

We didn't win against a very benign West Ham last season because we barely made it out of our own half despite WH not being in any way a goal threat. One of the most boring matches I've ever seen.

Dear lord that was truly awful I think we had one chance near the end, boring negative dross.

Nervous about tomorrow as it's a tricky game given the circumstances, think this board may be best avoided if we lose as some will be revelling in it.

[den]

And if it's anything like last year we do need to be more attacking in order to win. Was the same against Wolves last season at home, that is until the boo's at half time made the manager go with 3 up front.

You're still missing the point booth. What a manager has to do, is what we've been doing very well at home for the last two seasons - win. For any manager, it's not about being "more attacking", it's about finding a balance that brings 3 points. Which is what we've been doing very well, at home, for the last two years.

Agreed?