[Archived] Preview of ROVERS vs. Blackpool; 19 March 2011.

[PAFELL]

I know we are not supposed to give Kean any praise but we totally dominated that second half. Could have scored four. 24 shots Rovers to 8 Blackpool.

Sometimes you have to give credit when its due - that second half was good. though I wonder who gave the HT talk in the dressing room. Whoever it was deserves the credit. Not what I was wanting at the start of the game, but in light of events I'll take the draw.

[Billy Castell]

Must have been a strange atmosphere at full time. I'm feeling a mixture of relief, anger, happiness and a grim determination about wanting Kean and Venky's out.

[PAFELL]

Must have been a strange atmosphere at full time. I'm feeling a mixture of relief, anger, happiness and a grim determination about wanting Kean and Venky's out.

How can you have a club without owners? Nobody else wants to buy the club. So like it or not we are stuck with venky's until somebody else is interested in buying the club.

[joey_big_nose]

I think we will be okay. It will be tight, but if we can keep Hoilett fit and P Jones comes into the midfield then we are in with a decent shout. I was impressed with Nzonzi (apart from his appalling finishing) and J Jones added loads of energy to link attack and midfield although continues to give away stupid free kicks. Givet is back also so we can shift Olsson to left mid which should help.

Big issue is strikers. Cruz was disappointing today which is worrying as he is supposed to provide quality, MBD plain bad, Roberts and Kalinic do not really look that good when they play either. One half decent forward and we would be okay, but it just isn't happening for any of them.

[G Somerset Rover]

? Can you elaborate, I'm sure you know what you mean but I don't.

We're not in the same position as 2.59 because our most winnable game has gone by without a win.

I'll try Tyrone. I was of the opinion before the game and am now that given our run in a point today wouldn't be good enough. It does keep Blackpool closer though.

Where are we going to pick up wins from with this clown in charge? We'll get spanked against Arsenal at the Emirates and any confidence from getting back to 2-2 today will be meaningless.

[Pål Pot]

I just amazed how long it took from Steve Kean to understand Kingson's weakness with high balls in the box. You just got to exploit your opposition's weaknesses even though it might not look nice. Apart from many other things we missed quality crosses and especially throws into the box. Subbing MGP in was spot on this time, but it should have been done at least 15 before it happened. Under BFS we would have been battering Kingson with crosses and throw-ins.

Deserved point, definitely. But it still is just one point.

I'd like to know how many decision Mrs. Desai thinks Mr. Kean got right today.

[Balwer]

Cannot fault the second half display and effort. Considering Rovers were down and out at HT due to a bad referee disision and a very good free kick. Somehow Kean has had a good team talk for them to play like they did in the second half. By all accounts Rovers had the better of the first 2o minutes in the first half.

Jermain Jones has to learn he cannot keep on fouling the way he does, in the areas he does. Instead of paying 90.000 a week to RSC Rovers should have pushed for Adams.

Not sure whether you can put it all down to Kean's talk at halftime. Perhaps the players decided to play in spite of him? If his speech was so motivating then why haven't we come from behind at another other point this season?

[Bobby G]

My voice is gone. What an escape. Table is so tight. 3 points from bottom. We need to break 40 points for sure.

Sack Steve Kean tonight regardless.

Amazing effort from the players to fight hard for the shirt.

[Commondore]

Roque Santa Cruz is the best football player on our forward line, but he played so deep today he just wasn't a threat. Add Hoilett, constantly turning up on the left flank, and you get a pretty harmless forward pairing. Roberts showed what he's good for: coming on the last 15 minutes to hound tired defenders with his physique.

[alexanders]

This will just hide all the flaws, regarding Keans inability with team selection and tactics.

Horrible post

[BangkokRover]

My voice is gone. What an escape. Table is so tight. 3 points from bottom. We need to break 40 points for sure.

Sack Steve Kean tonight regardless.

Amazing effort from the players to fight hard for the shirt.

How was the atmosphere after the game?

[Dan]

I'd like to know how many decision Mrs. Desai thinks Mr. Kean got right today.

Mrs. Desai hasn't got a ###### clue about football and neither have her idiot Brothers. She'll probably think that it was a good result.

[Balwer]

Horrible post

You happy with a point at home to Blackpool? I thought Iceman was spot on. Four strikers on the bench. Bringing on a midfielder (Peds) for a striker (Diouf) when you are losing? Bringing on Roberts ahead of Kalinic?

We haven't won today, and it's sad that a lot of people are treating it like a win because we came from behind. We are still bottom of the form table, we are closer to the bottom points wise than before the game, and we have a very tough run ahead.

[pick32]

i agree that santa cruz was playing far too deep hoilet played amazing and kept getting to the byline and pulling it back but no one was there. We need a striker who gambles and is good at snatching goals in t he 6yard box, oh wait Kean we have one starts with a K and ends in alanic.

[rebelmswar]

Horrible post

But true.

Anyone who thinks a draw at home to Blackpool is acceptable is as deluded as the manager.

I don't give a toss if we came from behind and it was two bad decisions from the ref. They had two disallowed.

Utter tripe.

[Guest linganzi]

There is nothing any of us can say .

[Iceman]

Hoilett alongside Kalinic, with Formica in central midfield and M Diouf down the right. Olsson down the left, with Givet at at left back.

Robbo

Emo Samba Nelsen Givet

P Jones

M Diouf Formica Olsson

Kalinic Hoilett

[Roversi]

people give Jason Roberts a hard time, but he is the type of player you need in a battle like this. yes, if your going for the top 7 then he is useless but in a relegation battle he is useful. Credit to J.Jones ran his socks of today, and great to see P.Jones back, even today you could see he is by far our best players. holiett constant threat.

[BangkokRover]

We haven't won today, and it's sad that a lot of people are treating it like a win because we came from behind.

100% spot on.

[Doogs]

The only chance to stay up is sack Keen tonight. Totaly out of his depth.

[BangkokRover]

people give Jason Roberts a hard time, but he is the type of player you need in a battle like this. yes, if your going for the top 7 then he is useless but in a relegation battle he is useful. Credit to J.Jones ran his socks of today, and great to see P.Jones back, even today you could see he is by far our best players. holiett constant threat.

If you are going for top 7! Priceless :D :D

[1864roverite]

The problem with today was that Kean set us up playing 4-3-3 when a simple 4-4-2 would have been the way forward.

Once we went with Roberts we caused more problems and Blackpool struggled to cope.

Kean is nowhere near good enough to take us forward.

He is tactically inept and I wonder just what tactics systems Rovers have worked on this last 12 days.

A truly awful referreeing performance from H Webb.

That is a costly draw at home Rovers are facing the drop, are in downfall and there is nothing to give me any sense of hope of avoiding the drop.

I am feeling pretty much crestfallen at todays non performance.

[rebelmswar]

The only chance to stay up is sack Keen tonight. Totaly out of his depth.

If it happens I will kiss my own ass.

[Bobby G]

People need to remember that we just drew with Blackpool when we needed a win.

A good comeback but a completely unaceptable result.

Thank you very much Sir.

Some people may be fooled by delusions of the comeback. Put it in perspective and we lost 2 key points.

[DE.]

Ultimately a terrible result, only made slightly better by the lateness of our equaliser.

As I've said previously in this thread, our defensive mentality under Allardyce was incredibly important because Rovers are the masters of spurning opportunities - as proven again today with a ridiculous amount of chances missed and N'Zonzi on a one-man mission to do anything but find the back of the net.

As long as Kean keeps playing this defensively frail system we will not win, because our attacking players do not have it in them to outscore opposition. Unfortunately the defensive grit that had been installed under Allardyce seems to have completely left us now, so all we can really do is pray we get an arseload of luck in the next few games.