[Archived] Rovers versus Manchester City, 25th April 8pm

[dingles staying down 4ever]

MGP put in a succession of good performances in midfield last season. We could've stick RR on the wing (where his attributes are better suited) and stuck Bert in the middle. Playing a hugely inexperienced striker in midfield was not the only option.

People blame several things for Rovers demise, but few mention it has coincided with Pedersen moving out of centre midfield to accomodate J. Jones and at the time the superstar that is Keith Andrews.

[AggyBlue]

You really do post some tripe.

Do you read your rubbish before pressing the send button ?

I spotted Gav in the Morecambe Bay Pic

[Gav]

You really do post some tripe.

Do you read your rubbish before pressing the send button ?

Dunn was completely knackered Jim, did you go? Everyone in the ground could see that.

The manager made a bold move, didn't work, but I’d much rather have us go for the win at home than sit back for a point.

Over to you.

[A cup of beans]

Any reason you can think of why you are in a minority of one with that avatar, zacc?

if i am so be it.

like i said.. im prepared to give them time to deliver on their promises.. they havent had time to do so yet.

[Gav]

I spotted Gav in the Morecambe Bay Pic

How good was that picture? Jims posted that before I'm sure, but its fantastic.

[thenodrog]

If Kean brings on a player who makes an unforced error, he can't be blamed for that. Conversely if said player's overall contribution is s***e then obviously the finger can be pointed at the manager in that respect as it's the wrong selection.

Rochina has been at fault defensively for two goals in each of his starts, but that may be just one of those things that happens and a similar thing might not happen to him again for a couple of seasons. I saw enough from him last night to suggest his inclusion for the rest of the season might outweigh any potential negatives.

He's a talent but in two matches running his defensive weakness has been responsible for two goals. As I've said previously he is not the man for a relegation scrap. A benchman to bring on if we are a goal down in the last 15 mins.

[A cup of beans]

Dunn was completely knackered Jim, did you go? Everyone in the ground could see that.

he was walking round the pitch for a couple of minutes and also limping slightly. maybe that wasnt picked up by the sky cameras, for jim to see! or if he was there.. his selective memory

[thenodrog]

I don't think you understand Simon. We started with Roberts and Benjani playing high upfield, as out and out strikers and our 4 mids got run silly by City 5 man mid. So when we actually played 4-4-2, we were at our worst in the game. After c20 mins, either one of Benjani or Roberts started to drop behind, giving us more numbers in midfield. Even when we matched city numbers wise they still had more quality there, - so starting the game by allowing them to outnumber and outclass us there was a bad move.

As for the argument that one up front means we wont score goals, that's a matter of not understanding as well - IMO. Because you have only one out and out striker in your starting line up, that doesn't mean you can't get players forward when you have posession.

First thing a manager must do, is stop the opposition from dominating midfield. Once you've done that, the you can look to getting support to the front man. If we allow Bolton to run the midfield, they'll more than likely beat us.

Correct.

[thenodrog]

I think Kean got things bang on last night,

Bang on Gav?

Relegation threatened. Home match..... 0 goals. 0 Points.

btw where was Kean for most of the match? Mancini was in his technical area most of the time but I didn't notice Kean pitchside until well into the second half. I found that a touch odd cos he is normally pitchside. Could Kentaro be afraid of an adverse crowd reaction on live TV being noticed in India maybe?

As it was I felt the crowd on exit starngely muted. Punck drunk possibly? Or simply resigned to our impending domesday?

[thenodrog]

On the Dunn/Rochina thing, I would have brought Hanley on and switched Phil Jones to defensive midfield, taken Roberts off and shored up midfield even further with Pedersen who is quite sound defensively. In other words I'd have played for a point.

That's what Sam would have done and probably would have been booed for.

Good post 47er. Bringing Rochina on for Dunn given the match situation was suicidal.

Ultimately we ended up losing the game, and that 1 point could make all the difference, but I’d much rather us go down fighting than inviting pressure for the last 20 minutes when well on top.

By introducing Rochina to a 4 man midfield and leaving defensive midfield to just Jones we lost our momentum and invited that pressure. Does your seat face the pitch Gav?

he was walking round the pitch for a couple of minutes and also limping slightly. maybe that wasnt picked up by the sky cameras, for jim to see! or if he was there.. his selective memory

Nobody is arguing that Dunny had to come off. The point being made is that the choice of substituting Rochina for him without changing tacvtics was an incredibly stupid piece of management.

......In fact it was so stupid it might easily have been thought up by Gav.

[A cup of beans]

......In fact it was so stupid it might easily have been thought up by Gav.

ok so who would you have put on theno ? mgp?

[onlyonejackwalker]

he was walking round the pitch for a couple of minutes and also limping slightly. maybe that wasnt picked up by the sky cameras, for jim to see! or if he was there.. his selective memory

Dunn was complaining of some some muscle tightness and quite rightly was brought off.

As stated earlier and as agreed by many, the foolish part was brining Rochina on in centre midfield as clearly highlighted by their goal.

Dunn was having a right old battle with De Jong and it was even stevens. The balance shifted when we had two upfront and Rochina central.

With 20 minutes to go it was always obvious City would come at us to win the game. A point would have been a very good result for us and at that point we should have shored up the defence and settled for a clean sheet and a pleasing point.

[the original david brent]

He's a talent but in two matches running his defensive weakness has been responsible for two goals. As I've said previously he is not the man for a relegation scrap. A benchman to bring on if we are a goal down in the last 15 mins.

I agree. Clearly he is talented, but:

He also lost the ball carelessly at Fulham in the dying minutes. From the resulting attack, Fulham got a corner and then Clatterburg stepped in. Quite simply if he had not stupidly lost the ball, we would have left Fulham with a point.

As harsh as it seems, in the 3 games he has played, his mistakes have cost us valuable points.

[brian nelsen]

A few fans were crying out for Rochina a few weeks ago to come on and make the difference. Now when he is brought on, its wrong. Why did the tactic have to change? He was always coming on purely for more energy that Dunn was, by then lacking. He has quality to deliver a set piece too and in time, should take on that mantle. The problem I think some fans have is that they feel there is no place for his naievety, but I argue that MGP is just as much a liability and I for one don't trust his supposed old head anymore. The substitutions weren't the problem.

[JAL]

This "Darwen Ender" was there and in full voice can I tell you...

And if I may say I find the tone of your post offensive, perhaps not everybody who has one of the cheaper seats in the Darwen End could afford the full price of £28.00 to watch the match, questioning their commitment to the team is a bit of a cheap shot in my opinion when as previously mentioned it's been the Darwen End that has been the most vocal this Season.

Also did it not occur to you that the attendance figures might have been lower due to the match being held on a holiday and fans might not have been able to make it back in time for the match?

Being a Riversider theres been a bit of stick given out to the Blackburn enders on this board regarding cheering the team on, yet last night was a prime example of the Blackburn end giving the team their full backing whilst many of the Darwen enders were absent from the game it must be said.

Enough said.

[thenodrog]

A few fans were crying out for Rochina a few weeks ago to come on and make the difference. Now when he is brought on, its wrong. Why did the tactic have to change? He was always coming on purely for more energy that Dunn was, by then lacking. He has quality to deliver a set piece too and in time, should take on that mantle. The problem I think some fans have is that they feel there is no place for his naievety, but I argue that MGP is just as much a liability and I for one don't trust his supposed old head anymore. The substitutions weren't the problem.

Argue all you like brian but the emphasis of the match swung toward City almost immediately when Dunny went off.

btw Are you saying that a desperate relegation scrap has a place for naivety?

[thenodrog]

ok so who would you have put on theno ? mgp?

Probably mgp for the least disruption cos at the time we were doing well.

Alternatively Handley to CH and then shove Phil Jones forward to compete physically with DeJong and Barry.

If we had to see Rochina play in his best position then he should have replaced either Benjani or Roberts and played in the hole behind the remaining striker in a 4-4-1-1.

[LeChuck]

Amazed that Rochina's mistake has dominated the goal discussion. Phil Jones, as excellent as he was, made the biggest mistake by far. Really poor technique for his attempted clearance.

[ABBEY]

he was walking round the pitch for a couple of minutes and also limping slightly. maybe that wasnt picked up by the sky cameras, for jim to see! or if he was there.. his selective memory

he was puffing like an owd hoss after 10 mins!

[Torgeir]

Probably mgp for the least disruption cos at the time we were doing well.

Alternatively Handley to CH and then shove Phil Jones forward to compete physically with DeJong and Barry.

If we had to see Rochina play in his best position then he should have replaced either Benjani or Roberts and played in the hole behind the remaining striker in a 4-4-1-1.

Shaking up the back four unnecessary in the middle of the game is high risk, so MGP would be the safer move. He would probably have improved our set pieces as Dunn and Emerton didn't deliver the ball too well. Rochina, as you say, really should have been brought one for one of the strikers - if at all.

Amazed that Rochina's mistake has dominated the goal discussion. Phil Jones, as excellent as he was, made the biggest mistake by far. Really poor technique for his attempted clearance.

I'm not blaming Rochina for the goal itself, I think we were controlling the game until until he came on and we lost control of midfield. Jones could have done better, but at the same time it was a shot coming at him when he wasn't perfectly balanced and Dzeko ultimately had a fortune position and put the ball away clinically.

[philipl]

Surprisingly small attendance

[roverwhelmed]

Surprisingly small attendance

I thought that at first. But then, a lot of people are away, with the 11-day holiday a lot of people have taken off work. And it was on Sky, so I guess for City fans - who've had an expensive season with Wembley twice in quick succession, it makes sense to watch it at home/in the pub perhaps, rather than £35 + travel etc.

[Laurence]

Being a Riversider theres been a bit of stick given out to the Blackburn enders on this board regarding cheering the team on, yet last night was a prime example of the Blackburn end giving the team their full backing whilst many of the Darwen enders were absent from the game it must be said.

Enough said.

Were there any Rovers fans in the Darwen End on Monday? - it looked like it was all City.

[AggyBlue]

Were there any Rovers fans in the Darwen End on Monday? - it looked like it was all City.

Tom Finn has been quoted as saying most DE ticket holders don't buy tickets to other parts of the ground when the DE is not available.

Do keep up.

Enough said.

[Gav]

Tom Finn has been quoted as saying most DE ticket holders don't buy tickets to other parts of the ground when the DE is not available.

Do keep up.

Enough said.

Lets not hammer our own fans here, Citys following, for a side pushing for champions league, 30 miles down the road, was pathetic.

They pride themselves on being the best supporters in the world, a part from burnley that is, but that following was rubbish.