[Archived] Blackburn Rovers v Stoke City

[Bobby G]

You know what they say, if the suit don't fit...

[Valois]

Dont know what was worse today - our performance by the players or our own fans singing negative chants etc? Pathetic!!

Hughesy, I couldnt make it to the game today as down in London. What were the negative chants?

This is not the time for getting on the players the backs, the only people to direct any negativity towards its Venkys.

[BRFC1995]

The only difference between that performance and your typical Allardyce game is that Pedersen's free kicks have been better this season.

At least we're trying to play football now. Get a central midfielder that comes short for the ball and can pass it and we could be in business. At least Kean has recognised that Kalinic needs a strike partner.

missed the blatently obvious in that kalinic is crap though, which concerns me as well as not seeing givet has been a liability for months the squad maybe thin but you need to go looking in the ressies or youth ahead of players who are so, so far off the pace required and just getting worse by the game.

5 at the back at home to a bunch of randoms, not barca turning up at ewood today.

[JMillZz]

So they can be useless together. Kalinic doesn't stand out as much then.

I take it you weren't at the game then or your dislike of Kalinic has impaired your vision.

The strikers did well today, good movement and hold up play. The midfield was a big weakness and did not offer enough support or create any chances.

Hoilett was promising when he came on. Dunny was awful and we looked weak in general, no real spine to the team. End of the day M.Diouf and Kalinic can not be blamed today as believe it or not Miker our strikers can't just pull chances out of their arses. Without opportunities they can't score. Doesn't help when our defence gets shrugged aside either.

[imy9]

Glad it wasn't just me who felt the condescending manner.,.

[Valois]

so spare a thought for us Australian Rovers supporters living in the UK...

My thoughts go out to you as a fellow Rovers follower, although I still hope we beat you at the Cricket.

[tony gale's mic]

So "individual results can happen"? Like a draw against West Ham and a loss against Stoke you mean? Not only are you trying to be condescending, you also use a self defeating argument. Well done.

And really, I'm not sticking my head in the sand. These are worrying results indeed, and the situation the owners have put the club in is regrettable. But, making Sam Allardyce the Messiah and saying "He would have won these games!" when he's had disastrous results against both Stoke and West Ham for more than one season just strikes me as silly.

He had disastrous results away to Stoke and West Ham.

He made Ewood Park practically a fortress. He almost certainly would have won those games at home. Certainly at least one of them.

Sam Allardyce saved us from a position where we were staring relegation in the face to a position where the next potential step was to challenge for a European slot.

On a negative transfer budget.

As far as we're concerned he was a bit of a Messiah.

[Balwer]

So "individual results can happen"? Like a draw against West Ham and a loss against Stoke you mean? Not only are you trying to be condescending, you also use a self defeating argument. Well done.

And really, I'm not sticking my head in the sand. These are worrying results indeed, and the situation the owners have put the club in is regrettable. But, making Sam Allardyce the Messiah and saying "He would have won these games!" when he's had disastrous results against both Stoke and West Ham for more than one season just strikes me as silly.

One win, four draws and two losses is not disastrous.

If we're comparing apples for apples (home games) then it's one win and three draws. That's right, we never lost to either of those teams at home, in fact, we beat Stoke 3-0 in Sam's first game in charge.

[Valois]

Think we would have been better off today saying our water pipes had frozen Like Everton's

[Grez]

I've stayed neutral for now, but until venkys make a significant managerial change, rovers will be on spiral decline.

I've never seen fighting in blues bar, but it was symptomatic of the full time score

[LeChuck]

The only difference between that performance and your typical Allardyce game is that Pedersen's free kicks have been better this season.

At least we're trying to play football now. Get a central midfielder that comes short for the ball and can pass it and we could be in business. At least Kean has recognised that Kalinic needs a strike partner.

All that is pointless if he can't win football matches. A 'typical Allardyce game' usually saw us win at home.

I'd bet every single penny I own that Allardyce would have got more than one point from the last two games.

Kean will see us relegated this year, we need to appoint someone fast.

[Miker]

I take it you weren't at the game then or your dislike of Kalinic has impaired your vision.

The strikers did well today, good movement and hold up play. The midfield was a big weakness and did not offer enough support or create any chances.

Hoilett was promising when he came on. Dunny was awful and we looked weak in general, no real spine to the team. End of the day M.Diouf and Kalinic can not be blamed today as believe it or not Miker our strikers can't just pull chances out of their arses. Without opportunities they can't score. Doesn't help when our defence gets shrugged aside either.

You're joking right? When Kalinic showed good movement and hold up play he was slated on here continuously for not being able to get any scoring chances. He did exactly the same today. The only thing he improved on was not falling over every time he got the ball, he still did it a couple of times, but less frequently I must admit. The only other thing I saw him do was impatiently blast the ball over the goal with Mame Diouf angrily gesturing at him.

Hoilett usually looks promising when he comes on.

[Valois]

Steve Kean's post match assessment -

"Obviously we are disappointed with the result," Kean told Radio Rovers after the match.

"But I think for large parts of the game we were certainly looking like we were pushing, we were in control of the game but I think the first goal really cost us.

"Gael Givet gets blocked by one of their men and then he can't get back to his position. After that we were chasing the game.

"We knew that Stoke score a lot of their goals in the early part of the second half, we mentioned that to the lads, so that is disappointing.

"I didn't think there was too much between the two sides but we know that Stoke are a massive threat from a long throw and the corners so we are disappointed with the first goal.

"Then we were chasing the equaliser and leaving ourselves a little bit open, but we should have cleared the ball from a full back position on the second goal.

"I thought that in the game a lot of what we did was good, we got the ball up to Mame and Niko, but we couldn't convert good play in the final third into clear cut chances.

"We had a couple of half chances, a header from Mame and a couple of shots from around the box, but I don't think we had any glaring chances, we had a lot of possession in the middle but didn't get the ball higher up. That is something we'll have to work on.

"We need to stick together, there were lots of positive things in the game, obviously the goals are disappointing, but we'll stick together, we'll get back on the training ground and we'll go from there."

[tony gale's mic]

Steve Kean's post match assessment -

"Obviously we are disappointed with the result," Kean told Radio Rovers after the match.

"But I think for large parts of the game we were certainly looking like we were pushing, we were in control of the game but I think the first goal really cost us.

"Gael Givet gets blocked by one of their men and then he can't get back to his position. After that we were chasing the game.

"We knew that Stoke score a lot of their goals in the early part of the second half, we mentioned that to the lads, so that is disappointing.

"I didn't think there was too much between the two sides but we know that Stoke are a massive threat from a long throw and the corners so we are disappointed with the first goal.

"Then we were chasing the equaliser and leaving ourselves a little bit open, but we should have cleared the ball from a full back position on the second goal.

"I thought that in the game a lot of what we did was good, we got the ball up to Mame and Niko, but we couldn't convert good play in the final third into clear cut chances.

"We had a couple of half chances, a header from Mame and a couple of shots from around the box, but I don't think we had any glaring chances, we had a lot of possession in the middle but didn't get the ball higher up. That is something we'll have to work on.

"We need to stick together, there were lots of positive things in the game, obviously the goals are disappointing, but we'll stick together, we'll get back on the training ground and we'll go from there."

I long for the days when Sam Allardyce would take 100% credit for winning 1-0 thanks to a goal which went in off someone's arse.

[JMillZz]

[/b]

missed the blatently obvious in that kalinic is crap though, which concerns me as well as not seeing givet has been a liability for months the squad maybe thin but you need to go looking in the ressies or youth ahead of players who are so, so far off the pace required and just getting worse by the game.

5 at the back at home to a bunch of randoms, not barca turning up at ewood today.

I don't understand where you are coming from sometimes. Just regarding Kalinic mainly, he didn't do bad today, tbh he held it up well against two big, strong strikers.

Your previous post on the last page suggested getting rid of Dunn and Kalinic, I don't get what Kalinic did wrong in your eyes so I'm just going to assume you hate him and thus pick out EVERY single mistake he makes to back up your opinion. Dunn I agree was shocking today and that the 5 at the back thing was a bad idea and it instead should have been Emerton moving central after the sub with Hoilett on the wing. Out of our 2 strikers today, Kalinic was best as Mame wasted a few chances but I still thought he did well. Also considering Benjani and Roberts are both poor I think we need to stick by Niko.

As I've said it was the lack of chances created that was the issue. The strikers were rarely disposessed by their defenders and it isn't like they weren't getting in the right positions. Simply can't pull chances out of their backsides. We don't have Messi or David Villa to just make game changing moves and make something out of nothing. What we need is chances created to give our strikers opportunities to score.

[BRFC1995]

Think we would have been better off today saying our water pipes had frozen Like Everton's

i said the same in the week, can't afford to actually play anymore matches until someone with a clue is manager. Just seen keans post match interview, looked and sounded(voice trembling) like some one who knows they are failing a job interview ready to walk out the door knowing they won't hear back.

[Commondore]

One win, four draws and two losses is not disastrous.

If we're comparing apples for apples (home games) then it's one win and three draws. That's right, we never lost to either of those teams at home, in fact, we beat Stoke 3-0 in Sam's first game in charge.

20 Dec 08 Blackburn 3 - 0 Stoke City

21 Mar 09 Blackburn 1 - 1 West Ham Utd

18 Apr 09 Stoke City 1 - 0 Blackburn

29 Aug 09 Blackburn 0 - 0 West Ham Utd

28 Nov 09 Blackburn 0 - 0 Stoke City

30 Jan 10 West Ham Utd 0 - 0 Blackburn

6 Feb 10 Stoke City 3 - 0 Blackburn

2 Oct 10 Stoke City 1 - 0 Blackburn

[philipl]

Oh dear- cannot even give a good presser any more.

[Tom]

Awful stuff again today I'm fed up moaning about Dunny but he really is fat and pretty much useless now.

Hoilett did far more than Dunn has in the last two games when he came on, Olsson and the forwards were also ok but the tactics were just dire.

Watching Stoke I can see why people hate us now, playing for throwins and having Delap trot over every time, cynical fouls (which the ref let them get away with), time wasting (ditto). Horrible but effective team.

The fans have every right to voice their anger if they feel the need and the negative chants were aimed at Venkys mainly, the chant of 'Hughesy' may be seen as a slight on Kean I suppose.

We are in trouble and the fans have started to turn, lose at the hawthorns and the Liverpool game may turn ugly.

[Exiled_Rover]

Steve Kean's post match assessment -

"Obviously we are disappointed with the result," Kean told Radio Rovers after the match.

"But I think for large parts of the game we were certainly looking like we were pushing, we were in control of the game but I think the first goal really cost us.

"Gael Givet gets blocked by one of their men and then he can't get back to his position. After that we were chasing the game.

"We knew that Stoke score a lot of their goals in the early part of the second half, we mentioned that to the lads, so that is disappointing.

"I didn't think there was too much between the two sides but we know that Stoke are a massive threat from a long throw and the corners so we are disappointed with the first goal.

"Then we were chasing the equaliser and leaving ourselves a little bit open, but we should have cleared the ball from a full back position on the second goal.

"I thought that in the game a lot of what we did was good, we got the ball up to Mame and Niko, but we couldn't convert good play in the final third into clear cut chances.

"We had a couple of half chances, a header from Mame and a couple of shots from around the box, but I don't think we had any glaring chances, we had a lot of possession in the middle but didn't get the ball higher up. That is something we'll have to work on.

"We need to stick together, there were lots of positive things in the game, obviously the goals are disappointing, but we'll stick together, we'll get back on the training ground and we'll go from there."

At least he's seeing what I see.

Though if he starts Dunn again he needs sacking.

[Balwer]

20 Dec 08 Blackburn 3 - 0 Stoke City

21 Mar 09 Blackburn 1 - 1 West Ham Utd

18 Apr 09 Stoke City 1 - 0 Blackburn

29 Aug 09 Blackburn 0 - 0 West Ham Utd

28 Nov 09 Blackburn 0 - 0 Stoke City

30 Jan 10 West Ham Utd 0 - 0 Blackburn

6 Feb 10 Stoke City 3 - 0 Blackburn

2 Oct 10 Stoke City 1 - 0 Blackburn

Apologies, missed the last one (genuinely), but my second point still stands, one win and three draws at home vs one draw and one loss at home.

[tony gale's mic]

20 Dec 08 Blackburn 3 - 0 Stoke City

21 Mar 09 Blackburn 1 - 1 West Ham Utd

18 Apr 09 Stoke City 1 - 0 Blackburn

29 Aug 09 Blackburn 0 - 0 West Ham Utd

28 Nov 09 Blackburn 0 - 0 Stoke City

30 Jan 10 West Ham Utd 0 - 0 Blackburn

6 Feb 10 Stoke City 3 - 0 Blackburn

2 Oct 10 Stoke City 1 - 0 Blackburn

Yep, because away games are exactly the same as home games.

[JMillZz]

You're joking right? When Kalinic showed good movement and hold up play he was slated on here continuously for not being able to get any scoring chances. He did exactly the same today. The only thing he improved on was not falling over every time he got the ball, he still did it a couple of times, but less frequently I must admit. The only other thing I saw him do was impatiently blast the ball over the goal with Mame Diouf angrily gesturing at him.

Hoilett usually looks promising when he comes on.

It actually deflected over. I just think you're being harsh on Kalinic when he looked better than our midfield.

[imy9]

Yep, because away games are exactly the same as home games.

What game do we play away from home? I assume that its 11 vs 11 and a football is used?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Venky's decision to sack Big Sam was sheer lunacy.

Make no mistake,it will come back to bite us hard on the arse in the end.

Awful,absolutely awful today.