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

[thenodrog]

6 games isn't long enough to for a graph to be relevant. 1 win from us and the graph changes massively.

Really? You may be right but why do the form gurus actually base the table on six games? Anyway how about 8 games? That has to be relevent cos thats all we have left!

[Rover & Out]

Not an ideal result but it looks a hell of a lot better than it did at 4pm!

I don't think anyone can fault the overall performances in the last two games.

Without a couple of poor refereeing decisions, we'd be looking a lot more comfortable than we are now.

Hoilett was superb again today, say's a lot that he could be the difference between us staying up and going down.

Diouf experiment over, send him back to United early!!

[thenodrog]

Diouf experiment over, send him back to United early!!

And get t'other un back from Glasgow.

[47er]

Kean is clearly a manager who is out of his depth, but I can't really blame him today, he can't do anything about a shocking referee and the second half players did as well as could be expected, showed at the very least that they are behind him. I don't think that Venky's have any intention of sacking him.

We don't know if the players are behind him or not. They could have done it for the Club, for the fans or for themselves for all we know.

One thing is for sure they did it via Route 1! You're surely not suggesting that was Kean-inspired are you?

[des]

at half time I thought we were down and out, however this point could save our season.

However we have to fight for every point, sod the nice football for now, just get to 42 points and them the club can be rebuilted next season.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Heart rate only just got below 100 - only football can do to you what that game did today.

The non-penalty and N'Zonzi's 2 misses, both easy and at crucial times, should have condemned us to defeat, so it's a point gained, but we won't stay up scraping those.

If Hoillet, Jones and Jones stay fit we gave a chance. Junior was amazing but his impact nullified by no striker making front post runs. J Jones looked the first box-to-box midfielder we've had since Flitcroft. But we need one of the strikers finds some goalscoring form to keep us up. Diouf not good enough once again; Roberts had a good cameo but we all know what happens over 90 mins; RSC I was never convinced about even when he scored 23, he wouldn't have got 10 without Bentley and a lot of his goals were inconsequential. The one thing I think Nico does well is movement in the box so it has to be him from here on in.

[rebelmswar]

Things look better after half bottle of grouse. Least we got a point I suppose.

Just can't see where the points are gonna come from.

Sad.

[Sysagent]

Forecasting a hard fought 2 - 2 draw which will help neither of us in the current predicament...

Not pleased at the final result, we needed the three points, it was a class example of a game of two halves.

The first half Kean led, the second purely based on the players plan and what they thought would recover the situation.

It was plain to see and it's as obvious as the nose on my face that the players have no confidence in the great impersonator.

Will we stay up?

Yes if the players come out every match like they did in the second half and believe in themselves and spurn any advise that those two bufoons try to instill.

Why Cruz & Diouf remained on the pitch is a mystery also, lack of service and lack of skill was enough for them to be replaced imo, but unfortunately the players can't substitute themselves can they...

Both Jones's worked well, Nelly had a good game and led from the back like Samba, the two dynamo's (Junior & Olsson) had a good game as well (would prefer them both on the wings as it works), Pedersen at times looked like he couldn't be arsed running half the time.

Anyways Match of the Day in a moment.

p.s. Webb had an Howler

[tmap]

They should get Robinson to take all their free kicks - his delivery was perfect every time.

That penalty was one of the most bizarre things I've seen in a game. The Blackpool players didn't seem to understand what he meant. Nice move leading up to it though. Also, the free kick which led to their second wasn't a free kick either, however well taken it may have been. I think Rovers can count themselves a little unlucky, although if they'd had any strikers who'd been fit and interested they'd have scored 4 or 5 in the second half - every time we attacked down the left we looked likely to score.

[Tom]

Typical that Adam scored two today but over the game Jermaine Jones was the best midfielder on the pitch.

Hoilett got to the byline many times and we had any number of chances that deflected just wide or onto the post.

Another day that would have been more than comfortable.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I don't think anyone can fault the overall performances in the last two games.

The fact of the matter is we did not have the guile or craft to defeat either of these average oppositions.Whichever way people try and tart the situation up,we are not scoring enough goals....we are not winning enough games to save our arses.

Speaking to the fella sat next to me at the game and we both agreed that there was no leadership on the field of play for Rovers that first half,heads dropped far too easily..it was shocking to see.

[USABlue]

No one is saying we're already down.

I am, pretty much. Just trying to prepare myself for the worst

[Sysagent]

Wasn't a penalty in a million years and the freekick that Adam scored from was dubious as well, also thought Rovers could have had a penalty awarded when Blackpool's number 3 pushed Hoillet down in the area during the second half.

Say it again Webb had a real howler today.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Typical that Adam scored two today but over the game Jermaine Jones was the best midfielder on the pitch.

Hoilett got to the byline many times and we had any number of chances that deflected just wide or onto the post.

Another day that would have been more than comfortable.

[Ferrit]

Adam is massively overrated. Yes, he took the free kick well but completely went missing in the 2nd half. He's one of those players that catches the eye with the odd spectacular pass, or goal here or there, but does pretty much sod all for 75% of the game.

He is also not remotely interested in defending. I know a few Blackpool fans, and they all admit that it's Vaughan that pulls the strings in the middle for them.

Not sure why i'm ranting about it .... just watched the highlights on Match of the day and they were doing their best to make it look like Adam was running the show, when for me, it wasn't like that at all.

[bazza]

Blackpool to go 2-0 up in the first half hour..........................

I'm not going to tell you the rest

The rest was supposed to be a 5-2 victory.

Ah well. I was mighty relieved at the end to get a point. This also stopped 'pool from getting three.

Relegation is still wide open for lots of clubs but we certainly look like red hot favourites.

However, we must continue to hope until the fat lady sings.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

This is where i struggle about todays match. But for poor finishing and refereeing we would have won easily - but it is yet another opportunity lost. How many more chances will we get ?

Dont think Kean was to blame & to be honest we started off reasonably well - just luck seemed to be against us. We could even get a result against Arsenal - if we play Hoilett just behind a lone forward - & have some of the luck that has deserted us in the last two matches.

[jim mk2]

Perhaps the manager has seen the light after the second half. Hit the ball long and hit it hard - it's worked for us in the past under the previous manager and it works for this set of players. Two points lost today but the return of Phil Jones is a big plus. Him, Samba and Hoilett are the key to our survival. Good fightback but too many points have been thrown away and the run-in is awful. I still think we're going down.

[Tom]

Just seen it again and if Webb isn't reprimanded for that decision the whole system is corrupt.

Also Adam is a cretin I just can't understand his reaction to his goal.

[jim mk2]

Also Adam is a cretin I just can't understand his reaction to his goal.

Which one - the first or the second ? The freekick was brilliant and worthy of celebration.

[Tom]

The first, acted like a complete moron. Immense freekick otherwise invisible.

I can't work out why celebrating with your fans is a yellow but winding up the opposition fans is fine.

Glad Andy Reid came on today he was useless and a bigger bloater than he used to be.

[Mercer]

Charlie Adam = class. Time on the ball, finds space and a wonderful passer / striker of the ball.

That's why Liverpool and Spurs want him.

As I've flagged many times, I believe that he could have been ours for £5million right at the BEGINNING of the window. Instead, we f----ed around and have probably spent £10m+ on agents' fees, transfer & loan fees and wages, and for what ?

[BangkokRover]

Charlie Adam = class. Time on the ball, finds space and a wonderful passer / striker of the ball.

That's why Liverpool and Spurs want him.

As I've flagged many times, I believe that he could have been ours for £5million right at the BEGINNING of the window. Instead, we f----ed around and have probably spent £10m+ on agents' fees, transfer & loan fees and wages, and for what ?

What a load of rubbish!

So if we had bid £5 Million we would have had him, so no chance of Liverpool and Spuds bidding for him as we had bid £5 Million????

Blackpool had obviously decided they will go down with out him, so were never going to sell him.

I thought he was excellent in the first half but no where in the 2nd and rightly taken off.

[philipl]

6 games isn't long enough to for a graph to be relevant. 1 win from us and the graph changes massively.

Football isn't a science. If it was there wouldn't be any point in bookmakers.

Lies, damn lies and statistics. Let's see the form after 38 games.

I swear, some people would be happy with relegation just to be right!

And which game from the forthcoming fixtures is that win going to come in???

One win lifts us to 18th in the form table even if we get it at Arsenal.

That really is a rubbish post

[Tom]

Ultimately the only table that really matters has us in 13th.

Where it will have us come the last day none of us know. (But I think 18th)