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

[Mattyblue]

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.

Who cares?

None of the other strikers can do it on the pitch- where it actually matters!

ps attendance: 28 and a half thousand.

[beerwins]

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.

Which begs the question why the hell did we waste 6 mill on him?

Shocking business and a total panic buy.

[gumboots]

Who cares?

None of the other strikers can do it on the pitch- where it actually matters!

ps attendance: 28 and a half thousand.

I'm not saying I care either and I agree I'd probably give him a chace because he can't be worse thn what we're playing at the moment, but that is supposedly the reason. If you keep on asking the answer doesn't change, whether you or I like it.

[moerpho]

So...even drunker now and on reflection I can't help but feel absolutely and totally depressed. It's not just that we dropped another 2 points at home - again I might add - but more so the fact that any goal scored by anyone but Hoilett or Olsson feels more like a fluke than anything else if you understand what I mean. Kalinic is sorely missed as he at least tries to score (when not doing Da Drogba Walz o' Falling Over) and actually looks like scoring when he gets in position. He just had more bad luck (yeah I know I know) than anyone playing black jack for 24 hours straight (house always wins...). Not to forget that the other absentee, Givet, has a knack of scoring when it really is needed. Why oh why didn't they even make the squad?!?

I have tried to stay positive, and even defended Kean at one point, but enough is enough. Even from far away you get the feeling that team selection is based more on who's one Kean/Jensens "good" side rather than ability/the best for the team. Dunn/Roberts/Benjani/Gamst/Emerton should be used as impact subustitions at best the way they are performing. Against "soft" teams like Birmingham and with two tough Jones' in the middle - why not give Formica or Rochina a chance to prove they were worth the investment? Keep Dunn/Gamst on the bench and put them on if the experiment failed? Couldn't get much worse could it? Take Hoilett out of the equation and we are pretty much done for as long as Olsson is playing left back so what is the harm in supplying some more creativity up front (if the rumours are to be believed re: Formica and Rochina)? It's not like Croque is banging them in/supplying assist after assist, ditto on Gamst, Emerton and Dunn. No excuses left if you ask me.

Hate to join the Doom Squad of Latterday Haters, but seriously...why aren't you people living over there knocking daily on every door at Ewood Park demanding answers to what is happening? Fan forum? Local press? SOMETHING?!? The writing is on the wall....major changes needed on every level during summer or we are dead cert to go down next season should we by some miracle survive this season. Next week we are up against Everton who beat Wolves comfortably today despite being woeful for most of the 1st half I saw. Wish I had the money to come over and join in on the singing, but will quietly dry my eyes at the comfort of my home. My heart goes out to all of you who spend your hardearned money to support this lot week in week out. Enough rubbish from me. Hope the rest of you will have a good weekend....

[bazza]

Foy always has it in for us. He is almost as bad as Attwell.

So far this season there have only been two teams who have played at Ewood who have not looked better than us.

West Ham who were shaky and scraped a draw and Liverpool who were obviously not playing for their manager.

Everyone else who has been here (in League matches) have looked a better team.

That signals to me that we deserve to be relegated. If we survive it will be by good fortune rather than good football.

We have a strange squad of players. Some young ones like Hoillet , Olsson, P Jones and Hanley. Most are getting long in the tooth.

Whichever division we are in next season there will have to be a massive change in the playing staff this summer.

Salgado, Nelsen, Dunn, Pedersen, Emerton, Roberts are all getting too old and need to be replaced.

RSC should return to City and J Jones, unfortunately, will return to Germany. M B Diouff will go back to United and Gael Givet will go back to France. E H Diouff will also be shipped out.

The non-players such as Grella and Andrews will leave. As will Kalinic who's had his nose shoved out.

That leaves a thin squad of Robinson, Bunn, Samba, Olsson, Benjani, P Jones, Hanley, Hoillet........................erm???? Jason Lowe........................erm????

A huge reconstruction task for the manager, whoever the manager may be.

[booth]

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.

Lack of confidence perhaps?

He's never been given a proper run in the team that's for sure. Amazing for the price we paid.

[gumboots]

Hate to join the Doom Squad of Latterday Haters, but seriously...why aren't you people living over there knocking daily on every door at Ewood Park demanding answers to what is happening? Fan forum? Local press? SOMETHING?!? The writing is on the wall....major changes needed on every level during summer or we are dead cert to go down next season should we by some miracle survive this season. Next week we are up against Everton who beat Wolves comfortably today despite being woeful for most of the 1st half I saw. Wish I had the money to come over and join in on the singing, but will quietly dry my eyes at the comfort of my home. My heart goes out to all of you who spend your hardearned money to support this lot week in week out. Enough rubbish from me. Hope the rest of you will have a good weekend....

What the heck is the point when the owners and anyone who really make decisions is in India? should we charter a flight and get ourselves over there, and would they listen even if we did?

[beerwins]

Lack of confidence perhaps?

He's never been given a proper run in the team that's for sure. Amazing for the price we paid.

The only run he got was playing the lone striker role for which is clearly not his game, for the vast ammount of time under Sam many of us could'nt wait to see him play with another striker to get the best out of him, now we have the opportunity to play him along side another striker and he does'nt make the bench.

Something is not quite right with this lad.

[SAS]

Awful result awful refereeing decisions, how the ref and lino's missed a blatant foul followed by a blatant offside I will never know.

The game ended in a sour note for me avoiding all the objects being thrown from the Birmingham fans onto the lower darwen end. It was utterly disgraceful and happened at least twice during the game. The objects were bottles, coins, spit and even glass...

[ABBEY]

STITCHED UP BY CORRUPT SCUM REF AGAIN..AS BEEN SAID,FOUL BEFORE GOAL AND HOW THE HELL WE DIDNT GET A PEN IN 2ND HALF IS PROOF WE ARE BEING KIPPERED! TWO ARMS WRAPPED ROUND BENJANI AND DRAGGED DOWN AND NOWT GIVEN(COMPARE IT TO FULHAMS PEN ) .IM STILL WOUND UP AND HAVE STOPPED IN ,IF I WENT OUT TONIGHT I WOULD END UP AT GREENBANK LOL.

WE NEED TO SEND CROCKY AND MAME BACK TO MANC .

[grizfoot]

So far this season there have only been two teams who have played at Ewood who have not looked better than us.

West Ham who were shaky and scraped a draw and Liverpool who were obviously not playing for their manager.

Everyone else who has been here (in League matches) have looked a better team.

I'm sorry I've seen some stupid comments on this messageboard but that's got to be right up there I'm afraid. All but two teams have outplayed us this season at Ewood, you serious? yet we still have a home record which reads W6, D6, L4. We must have been extremeley lucky to have got six wins having been outplayed in 14 out of the 16 home games. Granted I think some of the home performances have been below par this season but I find it hard to think of a game where we've been outplayed at all this season, we've always been in the game going into the last ten minutes or so. The home performances against the "big boys" have been good, thought we where very unlucky not to get anything from the Chelsea & Arsenal games and like you alluded to we beat Liverpool regardless of who was in charge. You refer to that game and the West Ham has being the only two teams who didn't outplay us this season, I'm shocked by that.

Today's game was fairly even contest if anything we just edged it in my opinion. Against Blackpool I thought we where the better team only a poor referee decision swayed the game. Newcastle at home again another fairly equal game with not much happening. Tottenham at home, thought this was a good performance by us actually and I thought we where the better team. West Brom, fully deserved win in my opinion capitialised on poor defending. Stoke at home, this would probably rank up as one of our worst performances and even then we weren't totally out of the game till injury time. Wolves at home, we won 3-0 and offered a good threat going forward deserved win despite not being a great performance. I could go on but my point remains I don't know what games you've been watching but they seem to be totally different to the ones I've been watching. We've had a lot of rather close games this season and I fail to recall seeing a team at Ewood and thinking woah we are getting totally outplayed here. Some teams had neat possession of the ball at times, I remember the Everton, Newcastle & Wigan games where a bit like this but none of these teams hurt us with their attacks. Sorry for the rant I just needed to try and add some balance to this overly negative atmosphere on here at present.

[booth]

The only run he got was playing the lone striker role for which is clearly not his game, for the vast ammount of time under Sam many of us could'nt wait to see him play with another striker to get the best out of him, now we have the opportunity to play him along side another striker and he does'nt make the bench.

Something is not quite right with this lad.

First season, took him a while to get a game. Looked brilliant in cup games. Hit the post and bar more times than any other player I've seen. I thought it'd be only a matter of time till those started going in.

I hear Roberts is brilliant in training.

[bazza]

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.

And, I presume, RSC and Roberts are banging in loads and loads of goals all day long in training.

Funny that when Kally plays in a decent team such as Croata he has a blinder, and can hit the barn door with banjos, footballs and tin-cans all day long.

What the heck is the point when the owners and anyone who really make decisions is in India? should we charter a flight and get ourselves over there, and would they listen even if we did?

I've already suggested that those from this site who can afford it charter a flight to India to confront the Venkys.

It can't cost much more than two trips to Warsaw and Genclerbirgrli !!

[gumboots]

And, I presume, RSC and Roberts are banging in loads and loads of goals all day long in training.

I don't know - but there has to be some reason why he's not playing. as I said - I'd give him the chance myself because he can't really be worse on the pitch, can he? However, I'm not the manager.

[Rover & Out]

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.

I couldn't care less what he does in training, his performances this season don't warrant a place in the stands behind Diouf and Roberts.

[den]

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.

You don't need to keep repeating it Gumboots. It's so obvious to anyone that actually watches him. That said, there is an argument that he's as good as the others. Big deal. None of them are good enough.

[patrickvalery]

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

I have thought this for a while now. Our goal difference, although poor, could be our saving grace. Sad if it does come to that though.

[patrickvalery]

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 actually thought Kean was boxing clever when he refused to criticise the ref after the Fulham match. I thought his dignified response may have carried some weight with the referees in the next few games. However, as we have continued to suffer at the hands of every other official since that point, i was clearly wrong! But what can you do? If we make a song and dance about it then it sounds like sour grapes. It also sends a real sense of desperation to the players. Its a lose lose situation.

[Steve Moss]

I have thought this for a while now. Our goal difference, although poor, could be our saving grace. Sad if it does come to that though.

That assumes that Everton, ManC and ManU don't torpedo us.

[ada2020]

I actually thought Kean was boxing clever when he refused to criticise the ref after the Fulham match. I thought his dignified response may have carried some weight with the referees in the next few games. However, as we have continued to suffer at the hands of every other official since that point, i was clearly wrong! But what can you do? If we make a song and dance about it then it sounds like sour grapes. It also sends a real sense of desperation to the players. Its a lose lose situation.

I agree to a certain degree patrickvslery, however, sour grapes or not Ferguson doesn't worry one bit about doing the same thing, neither does wenger. However Kean appears reluctant to do it so we desperately need some one else to do it instead.

[patrickvalery]

That assumes that Everton, ManC and ManU don't torpedo us.

Come on Steve! Keep the faith man! It wouldn't surprise me to see us getting a few more unexpected points in games like that. The ones when the pressure is off a little because we're not expected to get anything.

Then again i could just be clinging to any hope available. I think i'm rapidly running out of options!!

I agree to a certain degree patrickvslery, however, sour grapes or not Ferguson doesn't worry one bit about doing the same thing, neither does wenger. However Kean appears reluctant to do it so we desperately need some one else to do it instead.

I suppose the fact they can count on 60-70k supporters pressuring any ref at home and an adoring media following helps them not to. But i agree with what your saying. The nicey nicey approach hasn't worked. I'm just not sure what will!

[Amo]

Well, we expected nothing against Arsenal and 3pts against Brum.

So we're only 1pt worse off.

[roversmum]

The looks on some of the Birmingham players today were frightening, pure hatred - particularly Ferguson - what was that about? If anything,he should be grateful to Rovers for nursing him back from injury and allowing him to return to Rangers. I know they're not a particularly pleasant bunch, they've always been divers, a kick here, an elbow there, but they seem to have sunk to new lows this season. I hope Derbs hasn't been led astray by it all.

[Parsonblue]

Well, we expected nothing against Arsenal and 3pts against Brum.

So we're only 1pt worse off.

We also expected 3 pts from Blackpool but only salvaged one so that makes us three points worse off and in a season as close as this that could be the difference between survival and relegation. I know Mrs. Desai said that winning wasn't everything but I think she and her favourite son in the managers' chair are taking it to extremes now. Next game will be mid April and the last win was January. I think someone needs to explain to her that three teams actually go down and the golden goose stops laying all those golden eggs that is the Sky TV deal. Perhaps then she might set more store in winning and might appreciate that manager's do make a difference in this League. I wonder if the West Brom revival would have been as successful with Kean at the helm instead of Hodgson? Silly question really.

[Andy]

I've actually heard the exact opposite about Kalinic - that he and Benjani are the ones banging them in in training, but neither seems to be getting a decent chance.

Strange that so many are blaming refereeing decisions - and even going as far as claiming corrupt referees with ulterior motives to relegate Rovers (!!) - for our results, rather than how we're lining up, organised and performing.

Looking at the remaining fixtures, I am worried big-time.

No chance of a result at Goodison next and there's only Bolton at home that I can imagine us taking anything from - and 1-3 points is not going to be enough to stay up...