[Archived] Rovers v West Brom

[JAL]

Rovers Rock and roll football loved it today!

[Raymond Rover]

Don't normally post but this was a game I am proud to crow about. My younger brother said we looked a bit like Barca with our passing at times and I agree with him, absolutely loved the way we performed today. Hoilett was a standout on the pitch but Robbo was mom for me so absolutely brilliant saves and kept a clean sheet.

Fantastic win and loving the change, keep it up!

[cruz]

Er...I'm fairly sure he was ASKED to come on by Sky, that's how it usually works.

And he was very complimentary about our club and about our performance today.

You really are an oddball.

You don't say. He could have respectfully declined but Sam has always craved the exposure.

I only caught his comment about being rightly labelled a hoof merchant as I digested another match where I was entertained.

I will ignore the purile element of your post.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Cruel of Sky to ask Sam to comment on the match seeing he must still be hurt by his unjust dismissal at Ewood. Must also have been tough for him to see the team he created move up to 7th knowing that he should be in charge and receiving the plaudits. Thought he spoke well on Sky. The man remains a class act.

Spot on Jim,Allardyce was respectful with his comments about what happened to him and gave credit to the Rovers fans.

[cruz]

Spot on Jim,Allardyce was respectful with his comments about what happened to him and gave credit to the Rovers fans.

Good to hear

Am I alone in thinking Kalanic just isn't going to make the grade?

[dan323007]

Just watching MOTD, how tall is the guy that interviewed Steve Kean after the match??? Great result, gutted I didn't get to watch the match. Hoillett is looking a class act. Seventh Heaven!!!

[JAL]

Good to hear

Am I alone in thinking Kalanic just isn't going to make the grade?

No, but hes got to have a little bit more time to develop and grow just like Hoilett has, personally Mame Diouf looks better though.

[Veevs]

I love how the BBC mentioned a goal came from a MGP long throw..

Given it was JJs first EPL game I thought he was pretty decent to say the least, people often dont notice the defense minded midfielders (like the whole chat about carrick etc) he broke up play, passed well and at times was over enthusiastic.. something we need is passion.

Would like too focus on Kean though, his selection was spot on, his choice on loans perfect and his targeting attacking midfielders atm spot on.. as for his game tactics until subs thought it was great, you can see his plan with the passing between key players.

Look at the teams core atm the straight strip down the middle.. Robbo, Samba, JJ, RSC with some pace and flare bouncing off them.

Sure we where not amazing tonight but you can see the plan forming.

[sweet]

Some stats for you guys lifted from guardian chalkboard, in regard to j.jones performance today.

Passes - 28

Successful - 23

Unsuccessful - 5

Interceptions - 3

Tackles - 7

Won - 5

Lost - 2

Clearances - 3

Successful - 0

Unsuccessful - 3

Considering many seem to be comparing him to Savage, here is the same stats from a game Savage played for us, against a team of similar quality to west brom (middlesbrough), which we won 2-1.

Passes - 43

Successful - 30

Unsuccessful - 12

Interceptions - 4

Tackles - 4

Won - 3

Lost - 1

Clearances - 0

Successful - 0

Unsuccessful - 0

[alexanders]

Kalinic had å beatiful flick to Hoilett on the second goal!

[JAL]

I love how the BBC mentioned a goal came from a MGP long throw..

Given it was JJs first EPL game I thought he was pretty decent to say the least, people often dont notice the defense minded midfielders (like the whole chat about carrick etc) he broke up play, passed well and at times was over enthusiastic.. something we need is passion.

Would like too focus on Kean though, his selection was spot on, his choice on loans perfect and his targeting attacking midfielders atm spot on.. as for his game tactics until subs thought it was great, you can see his plan with the passing between key players.

Look at the teams core atm the straight strip down the middle.. Robbo, Samba, JJ, RSC with some pace and flare bouncing off them.

Sure we where not amazing tonight but you can see the plan forming.

Just think if he could have added Duffer to the squad, that would have been assurance for more and more goals at Ewood Park.

[cruz]

Kalinic had å beatiful flick to Hoilett on the second goal!

He meerly chested it to him, hardly an assist. If he learns to stay on his feet and get a good deal stronger he may make the grade. He has time on his hands but will patience run out before that?

[alexanders]

He chested it yes, but it was some with perfection.

[sambo]

Bet Jim's gutted we won today

And don't pretend you're happy!

[tonygreenbank]

An enjoyable day out at ewood today. Well deserved win and now challenging for Europe! All the publicity so far this season has gone to Holloway, Coyle, Moyes,Pardew, Pulis et al but Rovers have sneaked into 7th place largely unnoticed and certainly unheralded!

A final thought about today but I detected a real buzz in the crowd which would not have been apparent on TV. A buzz that suggested that the team was playing exciting football again with the promise of a bright future under our new owners!

[Rover & Out]

On today's showing we should comfortably avoid any sort of relegation battle.

Whilst going forward we may need additions to improve the squad, I don't see any need to bring any additional players in this transfer window (unless development, e.g. Rochina, or to replace an outgoing player).

It's great to see the likes of Hoillet and Olsson performing in the Premiership, and with the likes of Kalinic, N'Zonzi, Hanley and P.Jones also, the future would appear to be very bright.

I really think we need to give these youngsters as much game-time as possible between now and the end of the season.

[Miker]

You don't say. He could have respectfully declined but Sam has always craved the exposure.

He could've also respectfully accepted and done a professional job, showing nothing but respect to the club that sacked him, which he did. If we're going to move on from Sam then the anti-Sam briage need to let go as much as the pro-Sam brigade. He saved us from relegation, he re-built our team and left that legacy for Kean to strengthen further, let's be respectful of that and move on. Continually attacking him for what was nothing but a job well done is just disgusting in my eyes.

[Mercer]

He could've also respectfully accepted and done a professional job, showing nothing but respect to the club that sacked him, which he did. If we're going to move on from Sam then the anti-Sam briage need to let go as much as the pro-Sam brigade. He saved us from relegation, he re-built our team and left that legacy for Kean to strengthen further, let's be respectful of that and move on. Continually attacking him for what was nothing but a job well done is just disgusting in my eyes.

Absolutely!

[sweet]

He could've also respectfully accepted and done a professional job, showing nothing but respect to the club that sacked him, which he did. If we're going to move on from Sam then the anti-Sam briage need to let go as much as the pro-Sam brigade. He saved us from relegation, he re-built our team and left that legacy for Kean to strengthen further, let's be respectful of that and move on. Continually attacking him for what was nothing but a job well done is just disgusting in my eyes.

Re-built our team? All that really needed readdressing when he took over was a replacement for Bentley (robinson was a aqequate replacement for friedel). Other than that it was pretty much the same team hughes had managed to constantly challenge for europe with.

People need to realise the only reason we were in a relagation fight, was solely down to the poor management and lack of tactics ince deployed. Any manager worth his salt should of kept us up, with the squad hughes had built and left behind. Instead of building on what hughes had created (like ince should of), he decided to completely overhaul the type of football we played, and 'rebuild' with players that fitted his long ball, negative ideology.

Somehow, Allardyce has managed to con people into thinking he took over a terribly poor team, which isn't true. What he took over, was a good squad that had been playing under terribly poor management, and that was the reason we were in a relagation fight.

[Valois]

Steve Kean's eigth game in charge and people still insist on comparing our performance, with that of a when BFS was in charge.

There was some good post match reviews at first, a few divided opinions on the likes of Dunn and Jones performances, but as i have gone on, it's got back to the same old same old.

Surely it's time to move on, and forget the tactics employed by Sam, and concentrate on the tactics employed by Kean. It's becoming tedious, and it's been the same after every single game since Kean took charge.

I thought today was evident with how Kean is trying to get us to play, and with the addition of a creative midfielder we will almost be there. Of course there was the odd mistake, and we started to go a bit more direct with long balls when Dunn went off, but that was always going to happen, he was the link from the midfield to our attackers.

It's still a work in progress but so far so good, 3 points, and I was entertained with some pretty good football at times, long may it continue.

Long live the Kean era, the Sam era is dead

[Steve Moss]

On today's showing we should comfortably avoid any sort of relegation battle.

Whilst going forward we may need additions to improve the squad, I don't see any need to bring any additional players in this transfer window (unless development, e.g. Rochina, or to replace an outgoing player).

I think you are correct that we will avoid a relegation battle. But we won't hold our current position without a solid creative midfielder. There are too many teams close on our heels with a game or so in hand at present. Currently, I suspect we're looking at 10th, when a few million on a young, top drawer midfielder could have us locking down 7th and pushing for 6th.

[FourLaneBlue]

Surely it's time to move on, and forget the tactics employed by Sam, and concentrate on the tactics employed by Kean. It's becoming tedious, and it's been the same after every single game since Kean took charge.

Sam was one of the studio guests. Of course it is going to be a big part of the discussion surrounding this game.

It will subside gradually, but not today.

[Ozz]

You know what? I really enjoyed today's game. Not just cos we won. We did that alot in the last two years. But in the run up to half time, we really battered West Brom. And OK it was an OG that got us in front. But we deserved it. Because we played good football. And we did when we played Liverpool, which I also really really enjoyed.

I liked Sam, and was proud of what we achieved with him. No-one could fault his methods, ideas, work rate and diligence. But blimey this is a damn sight more exciting. It's like the difference between shagging your wife of eight years and rolling over, compared to getting caught by her squeezing the tits of the bar maid in your local.

Venkys should copyright the phrase-Never A Dull Moment.

[Sverre]

Steve Kean's eigth game in charge and people still insist on comparing our performance, with that of a when BFS was in charge.

There was some good post match reviews at first, a few divided opinions on the likes of Dunn and Jones performances, but as i have gone on, it's got back to the same old same old.

Surely it's time to move on, and forget the tactics employed by Sam, and concentrate on the tactics employed by Kean. It's becoming tedious, and it's been the same after every single game since Kean took charge.

I thought today was evident with how Kean is trying to get us to play, and with the addition of a creative midfielder we will almost be there. Of course there was the odd mistake, and we started to go a bit more direct with long balls when Dunn went off, but that was always going to happen, he was the link from the midfield to our attackers.

It's still a work in progress but so far so good, 3 points, and I was entertained with some pretty good football at times, long may it continue.

Long live the Kean era, the Sam era is dead

Well put.

I have been positive about Kean ever since he took over. He has certainly impressed me, and even exceeded my expectations.

Big Sam is a very good speaker, with sharp persuasiveness. He made me believe that Blackburn lacked technical quality, and that we couldn't play a fluid passing game. Just a couple of months back, I had the mentality of "as long as we win, I don't care how we play. After all it is a result business, as Allardyce pointed out". Although effective at times, the football was much less entertaining.

Blackburn rovers can actually play football, we can actually pass the ball and create goals without relying solely on set pieces. It is a good feeling, isn't it?

[philipl]

Just read on the bbc that there were a record 22 nationalities on the pitch today!

And by my calculation, there were 13 different nationalities from the 14 we used.

They were saying it equalled the record of 21 before Hanley and Roberts came on so it must have reached 23.