[Archived] Blackburn Rovers v Birmingham City 9th April 2011

[PAFELL]

You really think we will lose only 1 game out of the last 6? Ill bet you anything that wont happen.

I can dream and I can hope. We have to do so, or it is pointless even supporting the club. Might as well just put up a white flag now.

[Mr C]

Normally Chris Foy is one of the more sensible(!) referees but after today's 'display' I officially withdraw my support for the Respect campaign.

Surely today must have set a Premier League record for the most drop balls in a game - and how Foy milked them. Each one took an eternity!

As for Rovers? Simply not good enough. Take Hoilett out of the side and our ONLY option is hoofball.

Oblivion is now firmly on the horizon.

It's just all so sad, inevitable and totally, totally unnecessary.

[AggyBlue]

It's just all so sad, inevitable and totally, totally unnecessary.

Yep, Venky's boarded a steady ship and are on the verge of scuttling it.

[Grabbi Graeme]

Injury update

Nelsen had a knee problem, he had fluid drained off it a couple weeks ago.

Hoillet Tight hamstring and was taken off to prevent further damage

Santa Cruz Tight hamstring a couple days ago in training so was never going to last the 90 today.

[Roverdale]

David Dunn got Sky Sports MOM as well. Not seen the game yet but that seems to go against what a lot of people on here are saying?

[chaddyrovers]

were the owners there today? who was sat in the director box? was it just Tom Finn?

[Majiball]

But however bad the ref was, rovers were worse, first half we were all over the show, second half just lacked ideas especially when hoilett went off. If we are to stay up we really need to be beating the likes of brum at home.

I think what ever issues there are with players and club et al, they need to be sorted out and quickly. No Givet, No Kalinic these are two of our best players and they don't even make the bench. If Kalinic had been on the bench he should have come on instead of Roberts, I know most won't agree but I just don't see what Roberts brings to the table sometimes, Kalinic is our top scorer. Roberts could then have come on later for RSC when he's better as we all know, impact man with 20-30 to go. Givet for me would have come on for Junior today, Olsson to Left wing and Dunn on the right, peds in the middle (jones would have been under orders to stay on his back, awful game today ped's(another reason we need a stronger technical area)).

10 million worth of signings, both full internationals, both fit or they wouldn't be in the squad and yet Rochina and Hanley are both on the bench instead??? I'm not being disrespectful to those two as they are both potentially decent players but we need ability now and Givet and Kalinic are both ahead of them at present. What ever the issues the club need to sort them out, reach some sort of compromise or some such and get them back on the pitch asap.

Today for me this was the biggest reason we didn't get the win today, someone needs to sort it out as we need our strongest 18 players on a matchday from now on.

[Amo]

The teams below us in the league are better than us, that's the point.

No, they're not.

They were below us before Sam got sacked and they're still below us now.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

were the owners there today? who was sat in the director box? was it just Tom Finn?

I do believe some nice Tumbleweed was seen floating by! ..............

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Niko & Givet's days look numbered. Clearly off-the-field issues with those two.

Not a bad looking team. Hopefully Pedersen will pull his finger out after being dropped, and Dunn can link-up with Roque in attack.

Hope springs eternally, he's still living on the Burnley goal and the two he got at Old Trafford. Some of us had him weighed up a long while ago.

[Amo]

Hope springs eternally, he's still living on the Burnley goal and the two he got at Old Trafford. Some of us had him weighed up a long while ago.

Don't worry, only another 3 years to go!

[Tom]

One thing that infuriated me about the ref today was when one of their players went down he stopped the game (only after we won the ball mind) and then on the restart Jerome was messing around so Salgado knocked it back to robbo, the ref pulled it back tarted around for 30 seconds then gave it to Jerome to knock out of play.

I mean was that seriously needed? Maybe it's the word of the law but if he's sticking to the rules so tightly how about not booking Brum players for a deliberate handball, kicking the ball away and the keeper constantly wasting time?

Totally incompetent

[Parsonblue]

Oblivion is now firmly on the horizon.

It's just all so sad, inevitable and totally, totally unnecessary.

I couldn't agree more with this. The fact that all this is self inflicted by Mrs Desai and her clan is the bit that really hurts. Decisions made by people in India, who know nothing about the game, could have done untold damage that may well afflict the club for years to come.

A win today could have put real distance between ourselves and the bottom three but, unfortunately, you need to be able to create chances and finish them to win games. Two aspects of the game which we are really struggling with at the moment.

I couldn't believe that Kean didn't have Givet at left-back today to enable Olsson to play on the left. Olsson and Hoilett are the only two players we have who have any pace. To waste Olsson at left-back in a home game, particularly a home game that had to be won, merely underlined the ineptitude of our manager.

Again, Kalinic may not be the greatest player in the world but he has a knack of scoring the odd goal or two. To end the game with Roberts and Benjani as the strike force again underlined how Kean wasted the opportunity to make real improvements in the January transfer window. Santa Cruz is having a permanent strugge with injury. Jones, who was brilliant last week, was no more than average this week. Rochina keeps the bench warm while Formica seems to do a disappearing act on matchday - I notice he is now disappearing whenever the Reserves are playing. So far since January he has appeared in two Reserve games - obviously a real snip at £3.5 million.

If we are to survive I fear we may need to rely on others to make an even bigger mess of things than we appear to be doing. Before today I felt that we needed seven points to be safe and a decent goal difference. However, where the remaining six points are coming from is a real worry. Everton had an impressive result today and anything at Goodison will be a bonus. City are unpredicatable but if in the right frame of mind will take us apart. Bolton is a local derby and Bolton have a habit of getting decent results at Ewood. West Ham is a ground that we rarely get a point at let alone three. Manchester United will be up for it as Sir Alex will no doubt love to send us down as a present for his mate who we sacked in December. Wolves on the last day of the season - we will either be safe by then or relegated.

On the evidence of today I fear the spectre of the Championship looms ever larger.

[Paul]

Possibly the worst football match I have watched, certainly the worst refereeing I can recall. Rovers were largely clueless. Thought Phil Jones had his poorest game to date.

I think we will survive in 17th, possibly on goal difference.

[LeftWinger]

Possibly the worst football match I have watched, certainly the worst refereeing I can recall.

Now I usually value your opinion very highly on here Paul - but this is a bit much. Yes the referee was poor and it wasn't the best of games, but being a Rovers fan you've surely seen worse games and referees. I've seen worse this season.

[Clitherover]

Now I usually value your opinion very highly on here Paul - but this is a bit much. Yes the referee was poor and it wasn't the best of games, but being a Rovers fan you've surely seen worse games and referees. I've seen worse this season.

I dunno, that refereeing was up there...

[gumboots]

I dunno, that refereeing was up there...

Agree I've seen worse perfomances but I can't recall worse reffing.

[booth]

No, they're not.

They were below us before Sam got sacked and they're still below us now.

We have yet to play two of them. I hope you are right.

[ada2020]

Agree I've seen worse perfomances but I can't recall worse reffing.

Isnt that the truth, what an absolute disgrace Chris Foy was today, not fit to referee how does he justify booking Olsson in the first 2 minutes for a completly legal and good challenge.

That set the tone and he did not steer from it, the Blues players have to be the vilest side I have ever seen, play acting, going over under the slightest challenge then staying down, total disgrace.

Rovers need to write to the FA regarding this because it is all becoming rather to common place when Rovers play, at least by compiling evidence and submitting it to the FA they would be putting the onus on the refs, as it is with our weak managment refusing to stand up and criticise the refs performances we are getting rough treatment by referees.

I am fuming regarding this issue now because as far as I am concerned it all looks just to convenient the longer it goes on!!!!

[Rover & Out]

Without sounding like a broken record, why was Kalinic not deemed good enough for the bench?!

I guess the law of average says that we'll get a dubious goal in our favour soon...

I think our only saving grace is that Blackpool and Wolves don't appear to have much left to give.

However, i'd swap our fixture list for theres all day long.

Desperate times as a Rovers fan!

[gumboots]

Without sounding like a broken record, why was Kalinic not deemed good enough for the bench?!

I guess the law of average says that we'll get a dubious goal in our favour soon...

I think our only saving grace is that Blackpool and Wolves don't appear to have much left to give.

However, i'd swap our fixture list for theres all day long.

Desperate times as a Rovers fan!

And repeating myself for the I don't know how manyth time - according to one of our more senior players he can't hit a barn door with a banjo in training.

[misterbigalow]

I was seething when Foy blew the whistle to retake the DROP BALL when Salgado kicked it to Robinson. Jerome was gonna do that anyway, he was just taking forever to do it, and I've never known a player that HAS to be the one to kick the drop ball, its up to the players who kicks it as its usually fought for anyway. Free kicks are obviously taken by the team who has won one, but a drop ball, REALLY? Utter stupidity from a completely inept referee.

But not as inept as our rubbish team and rubbish management. Oh dear.

[cravenblue]

As an aside, what was the attendance today, looked around 28k

[misterbigalow]

And repeating myself for the I don't know how manyth time - according to one of our more senior players he can't hit a barn door with a banjo in training.

As funny as that is, he's our top scorer, so what does that make our other strikers?! I'd hate to see them in training then, must be like watching Monty Python!

[ada2020]

As an aside, what was the attendance today, looked around 28k

Not sure exactly but would agree it must have been close to that or even better.