[Archived] Sunderland v Rovers

[Darwen Rover]

Rovers under kean (so far) remind me so much of rovers under Ince..

[Gav]

Isn't Robinson part of the defence Gav?

I was going to add that point, but didn't feel the need Den, I should have know better

[den]

I was going to add that point, but didn't feel the need Den, I should have know better

You should have known better Gav.

You've gotta be on your toes around here.

[Gav]

There is always potential for going backwards when you don't invest in the playing staff and have a zero transfer budget in the summer.

We have quality defenders already at the club, so lack of investment shouldn't impact, or should it.

You should have known better Gav.

You've gotta be on your toes around here.

Yes I know Den

[John]

I do think our defence is fairly strong however would be improved by having a recognised left back, plus a decent/natural defensive midfielder.

[Paul Mellelieu]

It should also be noted how many clubs Steve Bruce has walked out on. I raise my glass to those clubs tonight for being rid of a foul beast.

[Kelbo]

Defending starts at the front, through midfield, if we dont defend through midfield, our defenders get an extra man to cope with, no team can defend all that well with a spare opponent all the time!!

[roversWASmylife]

Just got back and had my tea and still shaking my head.

We were rubbish to sum it up, I've not heard any comments from after the game. Sunderland come at us early on, our defence looked shaky and anyone against us with any pace was going to do well. Sunderland's first goal took a deflection, the second was a decent header by Bent but poor defending.

Took Rovers a while to get out of neutral and wake up. We had a very brief spell in the first half where we knocked it about, Junior was very close to putting MB Diouf through and Diouf (I think) should have scored as well.

Second half we came out a bit, bits of pressure on Sunderland but not enough really to threaten them. Junior had an effort, bit of a scramble in the box.

Hanley didn't do so well in the first half, Benjani came on and Emerton switched to right back. Benjani has no confidence whatsoever at the moment and was useless, his first touch at times was shocking, Dioufy got wound up with him a bit. From the forwards today and on the wings there was very little movement. 2-0 down at Sunderland they sat back and counter attacked, Henderson was very unlucky not to score which hit the woodwork.

As for Dunn and Pedersen they're our downfall in the centre of midfield. Dunn doesn't look that fit, his passing at times was rubbish, Pedersen can put a decent ball in but doesn't do the simple things in the middle of the park. We're missing a ball winner in the midfield so that's an area Kean needs to address.

Defensively we were weak. We can't cope with any real pace up against us and of Rovers couldn't finish.

[Fife Rover]

I just do not get it.

I watch West Ham, we fail.

I watch Stoke, we fail.

I miss West Brom, we pull of a shocking win.

I watch Sunderland, we fail.

What is this.

Stop Watching!!!!!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Those comments are childish and unnecessary from Bruce.Giving the Mackems a sound beating at home next season should be top of any Rovers fans list now.

[47er]

Anyone who thinks we could have got a result today is living in cloud cuckoo land. Just look at their strikeforce, then look at all the injuries + suspensions we had.

Stop using every bad result as an excuse to dredge up Sam Allardyce and what he'd have done differently and how we'd have won

I genuinely believe that some people on here want us to lose, just so they can sit their at home looking smug, remarking to their equally smug friends about how 'right' they were that we'd lose.

The word 'supporter' is quite explanatory, the stem of the word tells you what you are supposed to do if you regard yourself as one. Grow up

By the same token, when we lost and sometimes lost heavily, people hurled abuse at Sam and told him to "accept responsibility".

That doesn't apply anymore then?

And don't make up fictitious people who supported Sam and are now smirking in their armchairs. I supported him and I'm really worried.

So you grow up.

[cruz]

Surely it's more like Kean being left to 'try' and make a silk purse out of the sows ear squad Sam left us with?

[Duffy]

We're missing a ball winner in the midfield so that's an area Kean needs to address.

Defensively we were weak. We can't cope with any real pace up against us and of Rovers couldn't finish.

Totally agree with you on the missing a ball winner in midfield bit - we have been missing that a lot this season and generally for a while. When I saw the line-up I was worried that we might get murdered with that midfield. Unfortunately there were only a few other options available. Unfortunate to lose Hanley to injury at half-time - especially with all the problems we have already in general and in defence.

Overall not really surprised we lost - hoping that we can make the right few buys that see us improving for the rest of the season - especially as we have generally been better in the second half of the season in recent years.

[roversWASmylife]

Those comments are childish and unnecessary from Bruce.Giving the Mackems a sound beating at home next season should be top of any Rovers fans list now.

Generally he's a c***. For the majority of the game he stook on the corner of his box whatever you want to call it on the sideline, threw his arms in the air a lot and generally was questioning the linesman and 4th official for most of the game.

Owen Coyle had an incident a few weeks back can't remember exactly what but Bruce wasn't right.

[Waggy76]

Having witnessed todays fayre , and been critical of Kean in the past ...It is time for all of us to pull the same way . Sam hass gone , Kean is obviously here for the season ...So let us all support him and the club , to avoid relegation ..

His forays (if there are to be any ,without the sale of Samba )will be very interesting ...But I do think , the injuries to Samba and Jones ,within minutes against West Ham are affecting us , far more than anything else..... Now that Robinson is injured , it is becoming critical.....

[tony gale's mic]

Surely it's more like Kean being left to 'try' and make a silk purse out of the sows ear squad Sam left us with?

:lol:

It's funny because you're so anti-Sam the part of your brain that deals with basic logic doesn't seem to work anymore.

Is this the same squad that finished 10th last season?

Is that the same Sam who was the only Rovers manager in recent years to have a negative transfer budget?

[Shabani]

haha! Ficticious people??

I would put good money on their being rovers fans out there who are sat feeling smug because they predicted this defeat. Having met lots of us we are a strange lot, and this bunch definitely includes people who'd rather be proved right then see us win (sometimes)

Today is a winnable fixture NORMALLY. However, one has to caveat this when you look at the players we had out of action, almost a full side. Sunderland had injuries, but could still field a £30m strike force. Although i would've liked to put up more of a fight we have to be realists sometimes.

[roversWASmylife]

Totally agree with you on the missing a ball winner in midfield bit - we have been missing that a lot this season and generally for a while. When I saw the line-up I was worried that we might get murdered with that midfield. Unfortunately there were only a few other options available. Unfortunate to lose Hanley to injury at half-time - especially with all the problems we have already in general and in defence.

Ever since Jones got injured it's been our weak link. Pedersen and Dunn get caught out into pushing too far forward and several times today there was a huge gap inbetween them and the defence. Just very frustrating at the moment watching it.

Pedersen is too lightweight on the ball and neither of them have the pace, Henderson went past them with ease.

[Blue blood]

I don't buy into arguments about their strike force cost 24m blah blah blah - if you believed that we'd hardly ever get a result anywhere.Realistically however I thought our chance of a result went when Kalinic got himself needlessly dismissed at the Hawthorns. Maybe just maybe we could cope with no midfield with a bit of firepower up front.

But no midfield plus only one up front or no midfield plus Benjani plus one surely is never going to cut it.

Spot on about the cost of their strike force. Every team outspends us - if we go on that principle we might as well abdicate from the premier league.

Having said that the injury situation certainly is a mitigating circumstance, and certainly we were up against it today and am not shocked that we lost. I wonder how much of a favour that did Kean though as I'm not convinced without the injuries he'd have got something from the game, as trying to outplay and outscore a team with the quality of Bent, Gyan etc. doesn't seem the smartest move for me. At least the injuries legitimately take some of the heat off Kean for what is a poor result.

Regardless of that the facts are that we're not in a good run, have a tough batch of games coming up, and despite being in a comfortable position in the league, many teams have games in hand against us. A few bad results for us from these games, and we could well and truely be in the mire. Regardless of injuries, changes in the club hierarchy, we need to start grinding out points if we are to survive this season.

[thenodrog]

The bad thing about today is West Ham and Liverpool gaining some momentum.

West Ham's draw at Ewood was the kick start that we all knew it would be. They must love playing us.

Unfortunately but along similar lines our hoodoo on Sland and NE clubs in particular looks to have run it's course.

[roversWASmylife]

haha! Ficticious people??

I would put good money on their being rovers fans out there who are sat feeling smug because they predicted this defeat. Having met lots of us we are a strange lot, and this bunch definitely includes people who'd rather be proved right then see us win (sometimes)

Today is a winnable fixture NORMALLY. However, one has to caveat this when you look at the players we had out of action, almost a full side. Sunderland had injuries, but could still field a £30m strike force. Although i would've liked to put up more of a fight we have to be realists sometimes.

Well said.

Sunderland aren't a millions miles ahead of us, far from it. We lacked ideas today and especially at 2-0 down where Sunderland went sat back and played us on the counter attack from that.

As for Rovers fans on here feeling smug. Hardly a fan, at the moment it's not the best of times however as a fan stick with it through thick and thin. Wasn't many of us who went up to Sunderland probably around 700 at the very most if that, at times we were all frustrated but who doesn't but I certainly wouldn't be sat here saying I told you so.

Kean isn't everyone's favourite and I share that opinion too. However whether we like it or not he's in charge till the rest of the season and the best we can do is get behind him and the players.

[Commondore]

ffs, for now just play hoofball and get a result. this tippy toe football with the players we got, well its just madness. we dont have the players to all of a sudden change the style of play, so stick to the tough in your face football. we look like those southern softies, instead of the tough hard to beat team.

I'm sure you could cram one more cliche into that pile if you tried hard enough.

[thenodrog]

Emerton should be sold if there's any takers.

And if he and his agent agree to rip his contract up! Surely I don't need to inform you that there is more chance of Glenn Miller landing in France tomorrow than that happening?

Simon you need to get up to speed with the consequences of Bosman and Freedom of Contract. It's been with us a decade or more now. It's not Championship manager, we cannot simply hire and fire players on a whim anymore. If we could hire and fire on a whim then Sam allardyce would likely still be in a job cos he'd have been able to offload and replace the likes of Roberts, Andrews, Dunn, Rigters (rem him?), Grella and Emo if you insist, all of whom he has been stuck with ever since taking over from Ince ... not to mention his own mistake Pascal Chimbonda.

I've said before that it's all cock-eyed and that managers in the Prem last far shorter a time than the players they have been forced to inherit. Look at Roy Hodgsons position now where he has to utilise the crap that Benitez left behind. If Emerton goes it will be because we will have paid his contract up to whenever it finishes, leaving us completely out of pocket. Otherwise he's here for the duration, as are the rest... with the exception of Diouff Mk 2.

Don't forget that Steve Kean knew more than any other incoming manager about the qualities and shortcomings of his squad but he was only too happy and eager to take the job. It's his responsibility now.

[des]

today we did not play a ball winning player in midfield, if that happens you will not be able to win. all teams play a least one holding midfield player, so why did we not play one.

yes we play quite well in the second half, however the balance of the side looked a bit odd. still we move on to the next game, and lets hope we sign some new players soon

[thenodrog]

I assume you mean under Sam? Well that's not true. Off the top of my head I can think of Stoke, Everton, Fulham, Arsenal and Chelsea last season.

We have a mediocre squad, that is decimated, and a heavy fixture list. Be fair.

I think we all know that fairness no longer comes into it at BRFC.