[Archived] Wigan Vs Blackburn Rovers

[Amo]

Firstly, why on earth start with Roberts and Benjani?

Any side who lines-up with Benjani & Roberts is asking for trouble, but what option did he have?

Kalinic & Roque were both missing, and Mame Diouf came on and fluffed his lines.

I'm still not convinced by Diouf. He has plenty of running and gusto, but his first touch and finishing need a lot of work. It might be worth looking elsewhere in the summer. Fergie will only try and screw us over, anyway.

[Majiball]

Any side who lines-up with Benjani & Roberts is asking for trouble, but what option did he have?

Kalinic & Roque were both missing, and Mame Diouf came on and fluffed his lines.

I'm still not convinced by Diouf. He has plenty of running and gusto, but his first touch and finishing need a lot of work. It might be worth looking elsewhere in the summer. Fergie will only try and screw us over, anyway.

Diouf is a headless chicken, but he's quick and strong it's just a pity he can't take his chances and thinks Sian Massey is running the line, lol. (It's a joke)

But despite all that I would have started him up top with Roberts, his pace would have given us more opportunities to stretch Wigans back line and would have given us an option in behind.

It can't be an easy task being a wide player in our diamond. One minute your up their end trying to create a chance and the next your having to sprint the whole pitch to get back and cover your full back and defend. Must be physically draining.

[MarkBRFC71]

The Utd games skews the goals against column as you well know.You are the one who brings up the ghost of Sam every post you write. Judge Kean on his own merits. How many points from how many games (and falling)?

Do you think we have enough cover at left-back by the way? Why wasn't this addressed?

Why didn't Allardyce address it either? Oh yeah, because he bought 3 right backs instead.

Believe me, Sam's reign looked far better from a distance behind a keyboard than having to sit through the negative, anti-football every week. Kean is like a breath of fresh air in comparison, and while he might be learning on the hoof, there's absolutely no way in hell I personally would ever wish for a return to the negative dross served up week in week out under Sam.

Allardyce was taking us backwards this season - I'm pretty sure Kean will move us further forward than Sam ever could, if people give him a chance.

[Bobby G]

How was Allardyce taking us backwards exactly?

We were well on course for a top 10 finish on the back of 10th place finish last season. Anything less than that would be Kean's doing.

[Kelbo]

He's got his chance, unfairly or whatever, he has his chance, but consider this, can you name me a person third in charge at a Premier League club, without any real experience, been given a 3 year contract?

Doesnt make sense to me, yet as you say, he has his chance and I can tell you this, if he fails at Rovers, he will find it very difficult to work in many football clubs again, I will not expand on that either.

[Mattyblue]

Exactly Bobby, I'm sick of talking about Sam but when people post utter rubbish like that I need to reply.

Mark and others hated Sam's football, tjey were becoming less enthused about going to Ewood to watch 'dross'. Fair enough, but that doesn't mean the team was going backwards as I have little doubt that we would have bettered last season's 10th place.

[K-Hod]

People still harping on about Allardyce? Lovely.

I went yesterday, and have just seen the highlights on MOTD. My god the defending doesn't get any better!

[broadsword]

Exactly Bobby, I'm sick of talking about Sam but when people post utter rubbish like that I need to reply.

Mark and others hated Sam's football, tjey were becoming less enthused about going to Ewood to watch 'dross'. Fair enough, but that doesn't mean the team was going backwards as I have little doubt that we would have bettered last season's 10th place.

Bet you we don't get as high as tenth this year.

Nobody can convince me that getting rid of Allardyce and putting the first team coach in charge just before Christmas was a good move. Anyone with an ounce of footballing savvy should be able to see that.

[Kelbo]

Bet you we don't get as high as tenth this year.

Nobody can convince me that getting rid of Allardyce and putting the first team coach in charge just before Christmas was a good move. Anyone with an ounce of footballing savvy should be able to see that.

Bingo

[chris]

He's got his chance, unfairly or whatever, he has his chance, but consider this, can you name me a person third in charge at a Premier League club, without any real experience, been given a 3 year contract?

Doesnt make sense to me, yet as you say, he has his chance and I can tell you this, if he fails at Rovers, he will find it very difficult to work in many football clubs again, I will not expand on that either.

I maintain my belief that that Kean is really infact, Paul KcKenna

He brain washing people, look a Nicko, Mrs D, Samba.

There is no other explaination.

He is like Clark Kent he hides under these glasses:

[imy9]

One win last game of the season meant 10th instead of 13th, to suggest we would get the same after 'buying' Benjani and Diouf on loan is laughable IMO

[grinder]

Both the full backs were left very open at times. Their first came from beating our left back and then having acres to attack and a man advantage.

Really it's the midfield's role to help them out in those situations.

Spot on - which is why Salgado has looked poor recently, even at his peak he would struggle given the amount he has been exposed - Thomas was one on one too many times against WBA - we don't seem to have addressed this. Olsson thougfh quicker is not at his best in this position and is equally exposed.

[tony gale's mic]

Bet you we don't get as high as tenth this year.

Nobody can convince me that getting rid of Allardyce and putting the first team coach in charge just before Christmas was a good move. Anyone with an ounce of footballing savvy should be able to see that.

You're assuming that some of our posters on here have footballing savvy, or anything even close...

[MarkBRFC71]

We were well on course for a top 10 finish on the back of 10th place finish last season.

Based on what exactly? Record away defeats?

It matters nothing - Sam's gone, whether you think it's for better or worse.

Time to get over it, and move on.

[tony gale's mic]

Based on what exactly? Record away defeats?

No, based on the fact we were pretty close to 10th when Sam got sacked.

"Record away defeats" only matter in the context of the league if we finished level on points with someone. It's how the league works...

People will carry on defending our previous manager if you keep saying guff like "he was taking us backwards", much like people will still bring up Ince if someone tried to put a positive spin on his reign.

[Exiled_Rover]

You're assuming that some of our posters on here have footballing savvy, or anything even close...

I agree, you're one of the chief culprits.

[Gav]

I have sat through four consecutive Rovers away defeats and I can tell you that many, many supporters felt that under Sam we were more likely to get a result and that's what we wanted.

Will not be following Rovers away any longer until I feel that we have a REAL chance of getting a result. Sorry to say this but I think this job is a bridge too far for Mr Kean.

Its been mentioned you're also in imposter and not a real Blackburn fan, I was sat on the fence, but this statement clearly exposes you.

People have a right to be upset with yesterdays performance, to gung ho, but we had more chances in that game than we’d had all season away under Allardyce, sort of puts your comments into perspective I’d say Mercerman, don’t let the door hit you on the arse on route back to clarets mad or noblot hates man u....

[philipl]

Back to Wigan v Rovers.

I think the thing that hurts was that I had posted that Wigan had the sort of players to exploit the weaknesses in our midfield diamond and that was exactly and predictably what happened.

As for Sam and money- him spending £16m net or whatever it was at Newcastle is an academic point but some of his signings are still there as Arsenal found out yesterday afternoon. Academic because other than Syed buying Rvers we were never going to have £15m to spend in a window.

However, if we'd had £5m net in the summer window, Sam had certainly lined up some very inexpensive gems I would have loved to have seen at Ewood and I don't think anyone could have knocked him for that.

[Bobby G]

We were as much 13th as we are 9th or 10th, or 11th right now. Position was irrelevant and is now too. Reason being tightness in table, games in hand, etc...Its fairer to look at points return with respect to upper and lower table.

[darwenblueswearehere]

Back to Wigan v Rovers.

I think the thing that hurts was that I had posted that Wigan had the sort of players to exploit the weaknesses in our midfield diamond and that was exactly and predictably what happened.

Aye right - you'll be revelling in being 'proved right' pal. The thing that hurts me is the fact that we got beat. End of.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

He's got his chance, unfairly or whatever, he has his chance, but consider this, can you name me a person third in charge at a Premier League club, without any real experience, been given a 3 year contract?

Doesnt make sense to me, yet as you say, he has his chance and I can tell you this, if he fails at Rovers, he will find it very difficult to work in many football clubs again, I will not expand on that either.

I don't care how long his contract is, if he does a Kiddo he'll be gone by this time next year. That's how football works, the fact that the chicken chokers think otherwise shows how little they know about football. NO manager in the football league can buck an prolonged run of defeats.

[philipl]

Aye right - you'll be revelling in being 'proved right' pal. The thing that hurts me is the fact that we got beat. End of.

Avoidably beaten

[Eddie]

Stability has gone straight out of the window? Kean isn't up to it? Outplayed by Wigan?

Sometimes I can't actually stand reading the trash that is written on here after a defeat.

For the first and last 25 minutes of yesterday's game we were a completely different class to Wigan. Now you can choose to focus on the 4-3 defeat and hang yourself in the corner if you would like to, but personally I will look at that as a sign that we could be putting together a good and exciting team that can play football and pick up results. We aren't going to win every game. We are going to lose to teams that are 'worse' than us sometimes. That happens to everyone (take a look at United yesterday or Arsenal blowing a 4-0 lead). Over the past few weeks I have enjoyed watching almost all of our games.

Before Kean took over I can't remember a game this season that I had really ENJOYED watching. It is always nice to see us win, but even the games that we won felt like a chore. I was watching Rovers because it is what I do and it is what I have done since I was a little.

I don't think we will go down this year. I do think it will take a while until the players and staff are fully adjusted to the new system, but having said that I am actually pleasantly surprised by how quickly the quality of football has improved and how at ease the players look with the new system. Let the new signings get into the team and get used to things in the Premier League, let all of the players get back to full fitness and then we can see.

At the moment people want to judge the new manager and the new owners based on every result, every kick of the ball and every little bit of news that leaks out. We win against Liverpool and Kean is fantastic. Lose to Villa and he is terrible. It's really stupid. Give the man time. I think there is far more to be optimistic about with him than there ever was with Allardyce.

As for the transfer discussions...at least he addressed key areas of the team where we were lacking. We've been crying out for a creative central midfielder for years and yet Allardyce never once really tried to fix it, instead he tried to bypass it. Formica may not work, but at least there is a chance that he may be a crucial part of the puzzle.

[gumboots]

Before Kean took over I can't remember a game this season that I had really ENJOYED watching. It is always nice to see us win, but even the games that we won felt like a chore. I was watching Rovers because it is what I do

Agree totally with this. I don't like us getting beaten but we did that often enough, especially away from home, under previous managers, and it happens to even the best of teams, but going to Ewood had become a chore as you say, even when we won.

[Steve Moss]

Olsson should not be at LB, but with Givet out injured there was no choice to put him there. So another area that needs addressing.

Why not use Josh Morris at LB and move Olson to left wing? Would Morris be any worse than Olson at LB? I think he'd be a bit better but even if I'm wrong it would preserve Olson as an attacking threat on the wing.

Allardyce was taking us backwards this season - I'm pretty sure Kean will move us further forward than Sam ever could, if people give him a chance.

I strongly disagree that Sam was taking us backward. Kean may ultimately come good, or not. It is far too soon to tell. But if we lose Newcastle I'll be in a very foul mood.

Bet you we don't get as high as tenth this year.

Nobody can convince me that getting rid of Allardyce and putting the first team coach in charge just before Christmas was a good move. Anyone with an ounce of footballing savvy should be able to see that.

I agree with every thing in this statement. In fairness to Venkys, I would have moved Sam out also but would have waited for the summer. And I would have replaced him with a manager with track record, not a talented coach with no mangerial experience.

It says something about Venkys when [allegedly] their own consultant (Jerome Anderson) also wanted to wait for summer to fire Sam but they overruled him.