[Archived] Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

That midfield looks like a Liverpool dream.

Anyone know how Dunn's calf muscle is by the way? He was taken off at Sunderland because it was tightening up.

Must admit - I do worry about the damage that Cole and Gerrard could do given our current problems in midfield. Personally would be tempted to play five at the back if Samba is fit. 5-3-2 - playing the ball long - with Olsson and Salgado both encouraged to make it more of a 3-5-2 may be our only option. Other than that - maybe Salgado playing defensive midfield - he is a fairly intelligent footballer - so it may just work - play Chimbonda at right wing back (give him chance to play his way into a better transfer).

[bazza]

Must admit - I do worry about the damage that Cole and Gerrard could do given our current problems in midfield. Personally would be tempted to play five at the back if Samba is fit. 5-3-2 - playing the ball long - with Olsson and Salgado both encouraged to make it more of a 3-5-2 may be our only option. Other than that - maybe Salgado playing defensive midfield - he is a fairly intelligent footballer - so it may just work - play Chimbonda at right wing back (give him chance to play his way into a better transfer).

Good ideas. Can I add that I would have Olsson man marking Gerrard to go with him wherever he goes, stop him getting the ball, just be a general waspish nuisance and let the rest play as a ten-man team.

[philipl]

Lawrenson-

Blackburn v Liverpool

It will be interesting to see how Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson sets his team up at Ewood Park. They've lost a lot of games this season through being negative, so they should just go for it and be positive.

I think one or two Blackburn players are already looking towards the end of the season and thinking they won't be around the club for too much longer. I think Rovers are there to be taken as they are easier to roll over now than when they were managed by Sam Allardyce.

Prediction: 1-2

[Majiball]

Happy days, Lawro has us down to lose.

28 points here we come.

[beerwins]

Grella wont be back for this game, injured again I read somewhere.

God damn crock.

[RevidgeBlue]

Starting: Bunn; Salgado, Nelsen, Givet, Olsson; Goulon, Pedersen; Hoilett, Dunn, EHD; M. Diouf.

Subs: Fielding, Benjani, Morris, Linganzi, Lowe, Doran, Potts

That potential line up is absolutely frightening.

Nicko made a comment a while ago that really resonated with me about the previous owners leaving the place "in a state" and that line up would be the perfect illustration of that.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

That potential line up is absolutely frightening.

Nicko made a comment a while ago that really resonated with me about the previous owners leaving the place "in a state" and that line up would be the perfect illustration of that.

Absolutely RB. The saintly trust have slunk off out of town with barely a murmur about the mess they left behind.

[colin]

Hang on here a minute.

Last week Liverpool FC was in meltdown due to it's league position & a home defeat to Wolves. It's now just beaten Bolton by a scrappy 92nd minute goal. If Joe Cole hadn't tapped that one in, Anfield would have booed them off the pitch.

We all know what a 92nd minute winner does for the supporters and the general feel-good factor. But it's still just a sticking plaster over a generally under-performing team.

I know that we are not Barcelona, but we have a decent chance here.

[Steve Moss]

Last week Liverpool FC was in meltdown due to it's league position & a home defeat to Wolves. It's now just beaten Bolton by a scrappy 92nd minute goal. If Joe Cole hadn't tapped that one in, Anfield would have booed them off the pitch.

We all know what a 92nd minute winner does for the supporters and the general feel-good factor. But it's still just a sticking plaster over a generally under-performing team.

I know that we are not Barcelona, but we have a decent chance here.

Absolutely. And I think are chances improve if Bazza's idea of man-marking Gerard with Olsen is enacted. Take Gerard out and Torres follows. A positive result is very possible for this match.

[Tom]

Are we really going to get a battering? Off a team that can't even beat bolton? Yes we might be the worst team in the pre at them moment, a massive laughing stock but bolton arnt that much better...

I don't understand this post, Liverpool did beat Bolton and Bolton aren't even close to a laughing stock

[RevidgeBlue]

Take Gerard out and Torres follows. A positive result is very possible for this match.

Excellent point. I still feel Kalinic's suspension is one absentee too many and the one that broke the camel's back but far stranger things have happened in football so who knows?

[jim mk2]

I think one or two Blackburn players are already looking towards the end of the season and thinking they won't be around the club for too much longer. I think Rovers are there to be taken as they are easier to roll over now than when they were managed by Sam Allardyce.

Prediction: 1-2

Spot on by Mark Lawrenson.

I'm expecting another clueless performance by the new manager and a 2-0 defeat.

[Miker]

Spot on by Mark Lawrenson.

I'm expecting another clueless performance by the new manager and a 2-0 defeat.

Why am I not surprised?

I reckon we have a chance here, make our home advantage count. Yes, we have a lot of players missing, but teams have been in similar situations in the past and done alright, so it's not completely unreasonable to expect the same.

Won't be upset if we lose, but at the very least I want to see us give it a good go and not put in the sort of shoddy performances we've been subjected to during Kean's reign so far.

[Tom]

Spot on by Mark Lawrenson.

I'm expecting another clueless performance by the new manager and a 2-0 defeat.

Would you have expected Sam to get anything with no less than 10 first team players out?

I certainly wouldn't.

Miker, one thing about Kean he certainly goes for a win more than Sam did, rightly or wrongly.

[jim mk2]

Would you have expected Sam to get anything with no less than 10 first team players out?

Yes. And I would have expected him to have gained more than 4 points out of the last 12.

As the season unravels it will become clearer even to the blinkered that the decision to sack Sam was a colossal mistake.

[Mr. E]

It does seem like one injury too many, a point would be a big bonus here.

[booth]

Yes. And I would have expected him to have gained more than 4 points out of the last 12.

As the season unravels it will become clearer even to the blinkered that the decision to sack Sam was a colossal mistake.

Did you expect him to also do as well last season when we had the swine flu epidemic? Remind me how well we did then.

[Mattyblue]

Liverpool have 2000 unsold tickets. First time I have ever not known them sell out the Darwen End.

[gazzaa2]

Liverpool have 2000 unsold tickets. First time I have ever not known them sell out the Darwen End.

Was speaking to a few Liverpool fans who said they're refusing to go because Rovers have put a few quid on the prices for away fans when Blackburn can get tickets at the same end for cheap. They mentioned something about being charged twice as much as West Ham fans.

[roversmum]

Not sure they have room to talk about prices ...

[Mattyblue]

Was speaking to a few Liverpool fans who said they're refusing to go because Rovers have put a few quid on the prices for away fans when Blackburn can get tickets at the same end for cheap. They mentioned something about being charged twice as much as West Ham fans.

So its nowt to do with LFC now being a mediocre outfit?

[Bobby G]

Samba is back. Hanley out.

Its well within us to beat a fading Liverpool side.

[PAFELL]

I thought I’d start this preview by being honest, I can’t stand Liverpool FC, never have, never will. This started at a young age, when I was growing up in the 80’s a few of my friends supported Liverpool because they were winning everything in sight. When I played football in the back alleys, my friends wanted to be Souness or Dalglish, all I wanted to be like was Simon Garner (the closest I ever got was smoking Silk Cut and drinking pints).

I suppose it started off with jealousy but over the years this resentment is still there, I don’t know if it’s the fact that they like to portray themselves as “victims” or the fact they believe themselves as the “perfect” football fans. These “perfect” fans would never call for the manager to be sacked or boo one of their ex players, basically react like supporters of 95% of other clubs. This season was probably the first time in more than 2 decades that I haven’t heard a Liverpool fan say “they’re going to win the league this season”.

I think we are now seeing the true colours of the Liverpool fans especially after the Wolves game, which leads me on to the question whether Woy will be in charge for this game or will he be sacked for a second time at Ewood?

With so many games played in a short time it’s a bit hard to guess what kind of form either side have or what players are available or even fit. I wouldn’t like to start saying that Liverpool are a team we should be beating at Ewood but their record this season is not the record of a team we need to worry about. At the beginning of 2011 they were languishing in 12th place with 22 points from their first 18 games and most importantly they come to Ewood with an away record of won 1, drawn 2 and lost 6, scoring only 6 goals in their 9 away games. This record, according to the BBC website is the worst since 1953-54, which ended in them being relegated (I can only hope history repeats itself).

I wrote this “we do have a bad habit of gifting points to struggling sides” in my preview for the Wham game and was proven right, just hope it doesn’t happen again for this game because when I look at the fixture list at the beginning of each season, this is the game I want to win the most!

Another fact, one of our first games in the 00's was a 1-0 FA Cup win in Jan 2000, hopefully we can start this decade off with a similar result for us.

Finally, may I offer this song to be sung at the game-

How long, since you won the league

How long, since you won the leagueTo the tune of “Go west” by The Pet shop boys or otherwise known as “Your sh1t, and you know you are” song!

Ps I hope to edit this after the next round of games.

Good post.

But I think the song on wednesaday should be "there is only one John williams". In the hope that this may help to get into the owners heads that they should listen to JW. At this time of the transfer window, it is essential they do this now.

[67splitscreen]

Just like a faded team at Anfield a few short months ago.

0-2 at least.

[Ben-2000]

Liverpool have 2000 unsold tickets. First time I have ever not known them sell out the Darwen End.

ROVERS IF YOU'RE READING... DOES THIS MEAN WE CAN HAVE THE DARWEN END BACK NEXT TIME WE PLAY THEM?!!!