[Archived] Chelsea Vs ROVERS

[bluebruce]

POSITIVES: Roque. No one holds the ball up better or lays it off better at our club since Shearer. Also a special mention to Lowe. He was excellent too.

Didn't think either player covered themselves in glory.

[Hughesy]

Supine performance from Rovers - weak defending and no attacking threat.

That's 7 points out of 18 for Kean including a a very fortunate victory at West Brom.

Rovers held their shape in the 1st half but looked disjointed in the second period after poor substituions by the manager .

Kean has it all to prove and justify the decision to replace Sam.

As for Santa Cruz, he wandered around to no effect but will be happy with another £90,000 in his back pocket.

Lets compare eh....

Last season under Sam - Chelsea 5 - 0 Blackburn

This season under Kean - Chelsea 2 - 0 Blackburn

Seriously is it too much to ask to support your team?? or are you a dingle really??

[martmitch]

FT 2-0

wasnt expecting a win so not disappointed, however a massive improvement for me in how we were playing big 4 teams away from home under kean. We were playing football, not hoofing it and giving the ball away every time, on another day we could have picked up a few goals ourselves. Hoilett and salgado getting better for me every game, apart from a few lapses the defence were superb, but thats all it take for a team like chelsea to punish you. if we pull off all our intended signings i.e. adam as well as J Jones I can see a team with the quality to finish comfortably in the top half of the league. bring on the albion

[joey_big_nose]

Shame about the result and our lack of offensive ideas was a bit sad. I don't think we troubled Chelsea at all once we got two strikers on the pitch, no one was linking the midfield with up front. Olsson and Pedersen were disappointing, but this was largely due to an excellent Chelsea work ethic.

However there are a lot of positives.

1) Defensive organisation was outstanding - I find this particularly encouraging as I thought Kean might be a bit cavalier and similar to Ince.

2) Lowe seems like he is a very good young player. Not that imaginative but had a decent game

3) Cruz looks match fit, strong and showed some class touches.

Quite confident that we can build on this.

[Bobby G]

Supine performance from Rovers - weak defending and no attacking threat.

That's 7 points out of 18 for Kean including a a very fortunate victory at West Brom.

Rovers held their shape in the 1st half but looked disjointed in the second period after poor substituions by the manager .

Kean has it all to prove and justify the decision to replace Sam.

As for Santa Cruz, he wandered around to no effect but will be happy with another £90,000 in his back pocket.

Santa Cruz's lay offs were excellent. His movement good. Unfortunately no link up from midfield.

Yes, only 7 points out of 18 is not the best start, but we've been dealt this card (Kean), and we've seen some positive signs too so let's see what he can do with his few signings. Also on 28 points right now, we would need 4 more wins to stay up I'd say, so whilst it may be a yo-yo season, staying up should be OK now hopefully.

Although, albeit, we have played a couple of games more than most teams.

[LeChuck]

Ah well at least it's been better than under Sam.

Honestly, that was no better than under Allardyce. Also proof that attacking players don't necessarily result in an attacking team.

Not that I blame Kean at all, he was very restricted today by the availability of players. I thought his choice to put Diouf against Cole was a smart one, it gave us an out ball in the first half. Not sure about Hoilett playing in that attacking midfield role though, his pace is no use there.

[MarkBRFC71]

Not as bad as expected no shame in losing away to the champions.

Need a midfielder in though Dunn is finished.

At least it wasn't the drubbing it might well have been have been under Sam given his record away against the big teams.

Agree about Dunny, he can't be relied upon at all with his fitness record, and I think Pedersen's form is dipping again, although he's nothing like a natural CM anyway. Jones and Adam would instantly be first choices should we get them both IMO.

[Blue n White Rover]

100% effort

0% creativity

Better than 50% effort and 0% creativity under Allardyce.

We didn't get embarrassed this time around at Chelsea. Our confidence shouldn't drop too low. Next week is the big game, we get 3 points and it leaves us a good distance away from the relegation zone.

Only Arsenal away left now from the big four. City, Spurs and United all yet to come to Ewood.

If we can get Adam in, then it will be a great January window for us.

[Teacup]

The first half was very good, but Kalanic looked completely lost, his positioning was awful and his first touch was poor. Also Mama was absent today, didn't really see that much of him to be honest. Santa Cruz came on for the second half but by that time it was too late, Chelsea started to turn up the tempo and our midfield dissolved when Hoilett was subbed for Roberts. Basically we somehow ended up with 7 defenders and 3 strikers and no midfield, was truly awful to watch for 20-30 minutes or so in the second half. Hoof it style football was back and every chance the defenders had to pass it, or even when Robinson was in possession they just hoofed it to Roberts who basically just lost it.

Santa looked good though, he did as much as he could but he just wasn't getting the ball. Hoilett and Olsson looked good also, until Hoilett was taken off. Lowe looked pretty good during the first half but hardly noticed him in the second. Salgado played awesome and Samba looked sharp until he basically gave the ball away, which lead to a corner which lead to the second goal. Unlucky, but he shouldn't be making those mistakes against Chelsea.

[Look4Me]

Is it just me being used to Kalinic and his lightweight, or was Santa Cruz two classes above when he came in? He won pretty much every duel he was in and managed to bring his team mates into play every time.

Too bad about the poor defending for the two goals. We really shouldn't let two goals in on corners when we manage to stop most in open play.

We really need a central midfielder who gets around a bit and can win some tackles. Lowe did ok considering the opposition, but MGP struggles with the tempo against the good teams. He's looking for the early pass, but when the others aren't in position he doesn't know what to do and is easily muscled off the ball.

Was also good to see Givet having a good game again. That tackle against Drogba in the 1st half was brilliant.

[brian_gallagher85]

Some positives, but just as many negatives to take from today's game.

Samba looked the poorest of the back four in the first half and that back pass was beyond stupid - it's not how comfortable on the ball he is that's the problem, it's the fact that he's a complete muppet at times

Lowe was a vast improvement on Dunn today who looks well past it now - can we please sign Adam Venkys

MB Diouf was at the heart of everything we did well today and when he was moved inside we really began to go down hill and never recovered to be honest.

Roque getting 45 minutes under his belt was a bonus and I'd also forgotten how good he really is with the ball at his feet.

Poor result, but no massive harm done thanks to other results going somewhat our way.

[Amo]

Supine performance from Rovers - weak defending and no attacking threat.

That's 7 points out of 18 for Kean including a a very fortunate victory at West Brom.

Rovers held their shape in the 1st half but looked disjointed in the second period after poor substituions by the manager .

Kean has it all to prove and justify the decision to replace Sam.

As for Santa Cruz, he wandered around to no effect but will be happy with another £90,000 in his back pocket.

You're quite obviously an Allardyce fan first and a Rovers fan second. Please take your petty ramblings somewhere people would give a damn - like the nearest Dingle forum.

* I don't care if anyone comes on here and says 'I've known Jim since he was yay-high, he's Rovers through and through!' It's the same crap people tried to defend waggy with.

[92er]

However there are a lot of positives.

1) Defensive organisation was outstanding - I find this particularly encouraging as I thought Kean might be a bit cavalier and similar to Ince.

Quite confident that we can build on this.

I didn't go to the match and I won't be watching Match of the Day tonight, but Radio Lancs said that both goals conceded were because of very sloppy defending.

[Bobby G]

Better than 50% effort and 0% creativity under Allardyce.

We didn't get embarrassed this time around at Chelsea. Our confidence shouldn't drop too low. Next week is the big game, we get 3 points and it leaves us a good distance away from the relegation zone.

Only Arsenal away left now from the big four. City, Spurs and United all yet to come to Ewood.

If we can get Adam in, then it will be a great January window for us.

Rubbish about no effort under Sam.

I think we were 6 minutes away from a draw last time out under Chelsea. Today they were wounded, and we didnt get at them as much. Hands down, they were better than us though.

[jim mk2]

Salgado played awesome and Samba looked sharp until he basically gave the ball away, which lead to a corner which lead to the second goal. Unlucky, but he shouldn't be making those mistakes.

Special mention for Salgado who just gets better and better. Can't remember who signed him.

Samba is a key player for us but does make basic errors which is why his wish for a move to a "top" club is unlikely to happen.

Some players don't realise when they have a good thing going.

[crazykiller]

I was pretty pleased with what i saw, we gave the double winners a pretty good run for there money and we looked threatening at times today a shame we coudnt get on the scoresheet, Kalinic is frustrating struggled today couldnt hold the ball up, Roque came on and did well as did M Diouf, and the defence in the main did well bar the goals, overall not to disappointed.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

As for Santa Cruz, he wandered around to no effect but will be happy with another £90,000 in his back pocket.

Sorry - didn't realise that City wouldn't have paid him if he was still sat in their reserves !

[92er]

Some positives, but just as many negatives to take from today's game.

.

I think the next match is a big one for Kean.

[philipl]

Both goals were poor ones to concede but when Chelsea have so much posession in the final third they are going to get lucky with some of their efforts.

[Tom]

WBA is a big test of the new regime. So far it's been a very mixed bag from the good (Liverpool, west brom) to the bad (stoke, Sunderland) to the indifferent ( west ham, QPR, Chelsea)

Nobody could say it's all better or all worse than under Sam as it's too early to say. I will say I much prefer our approach to games now and last Wednesday was as enjoyable as any game in recent memory.

Having said that we need to beat teams like West Brom at home if we are to stay in this league.

I just wish Kean could have a clean slate and have everyone behind him instead of people poised ready to basque in the glory of every negative.

[imy9]

Supine performance from Rovers - weak defending and no attacking threat.

That's 7 points out of 18 for Kean including a a very fortunate victory at West Brom.

Rovers held their shape in the 1st half but looked disjointed in the second period after poor substituions by the manager .

Kean has it all to prove and justify the decision to replace Sam.

As for Santa Cruz, he wandered around to no effect but will be happy with another £90,000 in his back pocket.

What about Liverpool Jim, was that lucky? You seemed to go missing after that game mate. We have a massive injury situation, which is getting worse but rather than be balanced and fair to the new manager you seem to be infatuated with Sam and his 6-4-0 game plans, on my ignore now.

[tony gale's mic]

Don't think you can take too many positives or negatives from todays performance.

Yes we fared a lot worse last time round at Stamford Bridge but we had a team struck down with swine flu and were playing a Chelsea team who were in good form at the time, rather than one who've been in their worst form since Abramovich took over.

First half we did reasonably well but a lot of it was down to Chelsea not getting into full gear.

Second half we offered very little and Chelsea eased to victory in the end.

Overall disappointed we didn't offer anything more against a team who are in very poor form, but losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge is still acceptable.

[Blue n White Rover]

Rubbish about no effort under Sam.

I think we were 6 minutes away from a draw last time out under Chelsea. Today they were wounded, and we didnt get at them as much. Hands down, they were better than us though.

Sorry I meant away from home. I've watched Rovers get battered 7-1 against United, 5-0 vs Chelsea and both those results could easily have been double figures. Both those games we showed little effort in the entire game.

At home we were a different kettle of fish, I'll be the first to defend that his home record was fantastic. However, his away record was woeful and I, as well as many other Rovers fan, will agree with that.

[92er]

Special mention for Salgado who just gets better and better.

Someone commented that Salgado was at least partly responsible for one of the goals when he drifted away from his position on the line.

However good he is going forward, his poor defensive qualities have resulted in our conceding more goals than we needed to.

[brian_gallagher85]

Not wishing to carry on Jim et als crusade to discuss the pros and cons of Sam and Kean, but did anyone else feel from watching today's game that we had a better chance of getting back into it under Kean than we would have had under Sam?