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

[Iceman]

LeChuck, I get what you are saying. But if he has something to offer, something different, then give him some game time. We might be missing out, because we do not know what the lad has to offer. Is he worse than Andrews, Grella or Dunn? Can he be any worse, and if he is no good, then it really doesn't alter anything.

[Mozzer]

if everyone showed the determination and effort jermaine jones showed today we probably would of won that game

last minute goal imo saves kean's job - which he has no idea about

its alright tho - only arsenal next :/

[RibbleValleyRover]

Didn't go to the game or watch it as I was out fishing so I can't really comment on the individual players performance. I did have a radio with me and did hear updates on the score on Five Live, I was not surprised to see us go 2-0 down and reports of the team being booed off at HT.

All I can say is a point is not good enough and if we are to have any chance of staying up Kean has to go.

[RevidgeBlue]

Very strange game today.

Thought we were well on top until Howard Webb (who had an absolute nightmare) gave Blackpool a non penalty then we conceded a needless freekick outside the area, Adam executes it brilliantly and we're out of it to all intents and purposes. After that we went to pieces for the remainder of the first half.

Second half we came out a different team. Nzonzi misses a sitter after a minute (which the manager can't be blamed for) Samba scores soon after and we're all over them for most of the second half hitting the post three times in the process.

However a game which we should have won second half looks like coming to nothing until Hoillet's equaliser deep into injury time. The very least we deserved on the day I thought but not an acceptable result pre kick off. Whether it's enough in the long run remains to be seen, however we are unbelievably still 13th.

Very disappointing contributions from two of the loanees today, RSC and M Diouf (Are your hearts really in it?) and Emerton (might as well go back to Australia again on that performance)

Phil Jones did very well when he came on after a long lay off I thought.

[LeChuck]

LeChuck, I get what you are saying. But if he has something to offer, something different, then give him some game time. We might be missing out, because we do not know what the lad has to offer. Is he worse than Andrews, Grella or Dunn? Can he be any worse, and if he is no good, then it really doesn't alter anything.

We don't know what the lad has to offer, but the staff do because they see him in the training. Admittedly I don't trust them to do much correctly, but if they thought he was anywhere near PL ready then he would have at least been on the bench by now. Again, why would Kean not play one of his own signings if he thought he was good enough?

None of those three midfielders you named played today, so that doesn't really make much sense. Even with those three gone he couldn't make the bench. Tells you something.

I reckon he'll come good in time, but he looked like a schoolboy in those training pictures compared to the other players so I fully expected him to play very little this season when I saw them. Rough diamonds need work to shine. Remember, patience is a virtue!

[Mercer]

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway: "I don't think Howard Webb had a good game today - I think both managers will agree on that. I didn't even think our penalty should have been given."

Trying to make Kean out as unlucky so that Venkys foolishly will keep Kean and therefore button-down one of the relgation slots. Very clever fella is Holloway!

[RevidgeBlue]

We were lucky to score in the 93rd minute when easily we could've missed that chance and lost. However, we deserved a point if for nothing but the effort of the players. No one can take that away. Nevertheless, I dont attribute any of that to Steve Kean.

However, if the players weren't putting in a shift, I'm sure you'd be the first to blame that on the manager.

[CrazyIvan]

On another day, that penalty decision would not have been made and the free kick would not have been one or gone our way. And at least 4 of the 24 shots we had would have gone in. Kean isn't to blame for us only drawing that game. At half time, it felt like a relegation game; one where all the crucial decisions go against you. Fortunately, there was something said at halftime and you can only expect that it was Kean to have said it. Second half was so much better. A bit of luck and we would have won that game.

Maybe, just maybe there is enough in the tank for us to survive. If we play like that second half in the games we have left, we stand a chance.

I'm still not a Kean fan but you cannot blame him for refereeing decisions that defied belief or some poor shooting from some players.

The outstanding players of this game were Junior and we know what he can do, the other is Jermaine Jones who had a genuinely brilliant game. He was literally everywhere making tackles and making some excellent runs at pace. We may just be seeing the best of him now.

[RibbleValleyRover]

And if we lose the next game but put in a decent performance? Will Kean get another game?

We are running out of games and it's points that matter now not performances. Rovers had two weeks off, supposedly trained really well, players say they were behind the manager and yet they were 2-0 down at HT. That goes to show to me that the players don't trust him and that as a manager he tactically doesn't have a clue what he is doing.

[Guest linganzi]

Problem is arsenal is a free game. If we get anything from it kean wins

[Batman.]

Problem is arsenal is a free game. If we get anything from it kean wins

Oh. Should I be wanting us to lose then?

[RevidgeBlue]

Problem is arsenal is a free game. If we get anything from it kean wins

So it's a "problem" if we get a good result at Arsenal?

[Stuart]

Didn't go to the game or watch it...

...and if we are to have any chance of staying up Kean has to go.

That seems to be a recurring them around here RVR.

Okay, as someone who was at the game and seemingly a lone voice...

It was truly desparate stuff in the first half but that was probably as a result of the penalty being given and the player's heads going down. Blackpool's goals came from a couple of set pieces which had it not been for (a poor on the day) Howard Webb trying to make up for his faux pas with the first disallowed goal may well not have resulted in the 2-0 lead for them.

Watching droves of fans in the Blackburn end head for the concourse (being kind) after 20-odd minutes was heartbreaking - although that end did still look full as we got back into the game second half. The fans actually created a fantastic atmosphere towards the end and it was quite right that we got the late equaliser. Although we had plenty of chances prior to that which were spurned. Santa Cruz and Hoilett being the main culprits.

I've been very critical of Kean this last few weeks as my patience wore thin but his motto of "we'll look to the positives" was never more apt than today.

Had it not been for our precarious position, I would say that that was the kind of match which is worth going to. It had everything - lows, highs, atmosphere, head-in-hands, bums-on-edge-of-seat, goals, chances. Perhaps I'm going over the top there but looking at the table with us in 13th says that there are seven teams poorer than us - still! - so we need to take all the positives we can from here on in.

Maybe a change of manager could make the difference, maybe Givet not getting himself stupidly sent off last match might have made a difference. All that debate can wait until tomorrow. I'm going to have a few beers and enjoy this evening. There might only be a couple of such nights ahead over the next 8 games.

[Guest linganzi]

It would just be typical for us to beat arsenal and keep kean in a Job for longer

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

At half time I was despondent and I had consigned our fate to the Championship,at full time I was counting our lucky stars we had got out of jail.

Steve Kean was 'happy' with today's result listening to his post match interview......

WHATEVER DIVISION WE ARE IN COME NEXT SEASON,I PRAY TO 'KIN GOD YOU ARE STILL NOT MANAGER BY THEN.

[Tom]

If we did beat arsenal we'd be near the finish line! Dreamland.

Good post Jisty, I'm trying my best to stay positive.

[John]

The players can be behind him etc and he can offer more new contracts out, but that does not mean he is a good manager.

[sambo]

It would just be typical for us to beat arsenal and keep kean in a Job for longer

To be fair, beating Arsenal away would be a bloody good result, and I'd be happy with it... wouldn't exactly think 'ooh bloody hell we can't sack Kean now!'

[RevidgeBlue]

It would just be typical for us to beat arsenal and keep kean in a Job for longer

Yeah,what a bummer that would be.............

[Guest linganzi]

Jisty I like your post I need your rational thinking right now

I'm just left thinking we didn't beat a team of championship players

[John]

The players can be behind him etc and he can offer more new contracts out, but that does not mean he is a good manager.

[Batman.]

It would just be typical for us to beat arsenal and keep kean in a Job for longer

So the guy who left at half time today wants us to lose our next game. Not really a 'supporter' as such, are you?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

If we did beat arsenal we'd be near the finish line! Dreamland.

Good post Jisty, I'm trying my best to stay positive.

I reckon we'd still be two wins away from possible safety even if we won at Arsenal this season.

[RevidgeBlue]

At half time I was despondent and I had consigned our fate to the Championship,at full time I was counting our lucky stars we had got out of jail.

Steve Kean was 'happy' with today's result listening to his post match interview......

WHATEVER DIVISION WE ARE IN COME NEXT SEASON,I PRAY TO 'KIN GOD YOU ARE STILL NOT MANAGER BY THEN.

Come on SG anyone would have been "happy" with a point at half time after basically being stitched up by Webb and then losing our discipline.

Was it the ideal result pre kick off? Of course not.

[Ferrit]

All this talk about whether we can, or can't sack Kean if we get a result against Arsenal is irrelevant.

There's a better chance of me winning the lottery than there is of us getting a result down there, especially how we are playing at the moment.