[Archived] Which striker(s) do we go with on Saturday?

[67splitscreen]

I reckon Coyle will go with a fluid 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 as he will have noted our midfield weakness and they wont want to be chasing the ball too much given it's their third match in six days.

In that event, IMO, he has to first make sure we are not outgunned in midfield and we need Phil Jones back in there. This is a match we have to win and therefore we need to gamble.

I'd play Robbo / Salgado, Samba, Hanley, Givet / Phil Jones, Nzonzi / Hoilett, J. Jones, Olsson / Benjani, Kalinic.

Pace down the flanks, get the ball in the box as often as possible and use the power of the big boys in the box as often as possible.

Unfortunately, I think he'll start with Croque and his Cheer leader up front.

Only one sub.

Edit double post.

[1864roverite]

The primary concern has to be midfield NOT who plays up front first and foremost.

Looking at what we have NZonzi has to be paired with JJ in the middle, this is where Bolton will be looking to force the issue.

Width wise I just hope Junior is fit and that Dunny is crocked out of the game. I dont say that with malice but his lack of fitness has played havoc with the way we are set up.

If we are to go 4-4-2 then I think we should go with RSC and Kalinic, with Benjani, Diouf and Roberts on the bench. Granted Benjani did a lot of running on Monday but the sum total of the effort upfront was faff all.

The line up should be this (IMO)

Robinson

Emerton

Samba

Jones

Givet

NZonzi

JJ

Hoilett

Olsson

RSC

Kalinic

subs Diouf, Roberts, Rochina, MGP, Benjani, Hanley and Bunn. If Dunny is fit then put him on the bench instead of Roberts.

The above set up allows for a 4-4-2. It can be changed to a 3-5-2 if required should Bolton stifle midfield with a 4-5-1 set up AND they will employ Elmander as a midfielder if he is fit as I do believe at this point Sturridge be just be sidelined with an ankle knock. The benched players also allow for change in formations.

One thing is certain. Lose and we drop like a stone. This is the biggest Rovers v Bolton game since they came and won promotion many moons ago when they took Ewood Park as their own, and that is a memory hard to remove from the grey matter for some of us. If ever there is to be revenge for survival then this is the game. Kean has to show his balls and pick the team capable of winning.

This is it Rovers, the clubs lifeblood is at stake.

[mjs]

If we do play with two up front, then it has to be RSC and Kalinic.

They have the most quality out of a bad bunch, and quality is needed when it comes to having to win games.

[tony gale's mic]

Please, please please not Roque up front.

Any two from Kalinic, Benjani and Rocinha.

[OsloRover]

Tough choice, the only consensus seems to be that Roberts should not start.

The problem is that none of the other strikers have forced themselves into the side either.

I would probably play RSC as the lone front man with Rochina right behind him. Santa has done bugger all since he came here but if we can actually give him the ball in the right positions he is always the most likely to score.

--------------Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Givet - Olsson

Hoilett - Jones - Jones - Gamst

--------------Rochina

----------------RSC

[chris]

Tough choice, the only consensus seems to be that Roberts should not start.

The problem is that none of the other strikers have forced themselves into the side either.

I would probably play RSC as the lone front man with Rochina right behind him. Santa has done bugger all since he came here but if we can actually give him the ball in the right positions he is always the most likely to score.

--------------Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Givet - Olsson

Hoilett - Jones - Jones - Gamst

--------------Rochina

----------------RSC

not a bad side on paper is it, would be interesting.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Tough choice, the only consensus seems to be that Roberts should not start.

The problem is that none of the other strikers have forced themselves into the side either.

I would probably play RSC as the lone front man with Rochina right behind him. Santa has done bugger all since he came here but if we can actually give him the ball in the right positions he is always the most likely to score.

--------------Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Givet - Olsson

Hoilett - Jones - Jones - Gamst

--------------Rochina

----------------RSC

That would get my vote - though I did like the Jones/ Nzonzi / Jones midfield from the Arsenal game - thought J Jones was superb in that match when given license to push further forward. Possibly play those three in midfield and drop Gamst - with Rochina playing on the left hand side just behind RSC with Hoilett on the right just behind RSC :

--------------Robinson

Salgado - Samba - Givet - Olsson

--------P Jones - Nzonzi

--------------J Jones

----------Hoilett - Rochina

----------------RSC

[chaddyrovers]

If we do play with two up front, then it has to be RSC and Kalinic.

They have the most quality out of a bad bunch, and quality is needed when it comes to having to win games.

i agree with them 2 up front but we have to support them from midfield and we have to create chances for them and not just rely on long balls!

[American Rover12]

Roberts and Niko. Then we can see

a. if they can play together

b. who is better

c. who to get rid of (if not both)

[rebelmswar]

Please, please please not Roque up front.

Any two from Kalinic, Benjani and Rocinha.

I agree, but if we play two upfront it will be Father Crutches and Roberts. I will bet money on this.

I would LOVE it if we played Benji and Kalinic up front, love it.

Diouf to me just seems uninterested.

i agree with them 2 up front but we have to support them from midfield and we have to create chances for them and not just rely on long balls!

Rubbish.

We have been trying that for months. Wingers out wide pinging balls in ala Wilcox and Ripley is our only hope of passes even remotely from midfield being productive.

We need a seige mentality and a seige mortar to blast more long balls into the box.

[Tom]

One thing for sure is Benjani has to start in my mind, whether RSC / Niko / Rochina play alongside him is another matter

[Torgeir]

Roberts and Niko. Then we can see

a. if they can play together

b. who is better

c. who to get rid of (if not both)

You think this is a time to experiment eh?

Diouf and Benjani for me, with Olsson and Hoilett on the wings. Four players who can run at defenders and even though none of the four can hit a cows arse with a banjo at least they can hit a barn door with a medium sized planet.

[Daremz]

Jon Stead and Craig Bellamy.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

I reckon Coyle will go with a fluid 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 as he will have noted our midfield weakness and they wont want to be chasing the ball too much given it's their third match in six days.

In that event, IMO, he has to first make sure we are not outgunned in midfield and we need Phil Jones back in there. This is a match we have to win and therefore we need to gamble.

I'd play Robbo / Salgado, Samba, Hanley, Givet / Phil Jones, Nzonzi / Hoilett, J. Jones, Olsson / Benjani, Kalinic.

Pace down the flanks, get the ball in the box as often as possible and use the power of the big boys in the box as often as possible.

Unfortunately, I think he'll start with Croque and his Cheer leader up front.

You call Kean a clown and yet you've chosen 12 players..

Anyway,

Robbo

Salgado Samba P.Jones Givet

Hoilett Nzonzi J.Jones Olsson

Rochina

RSC

Niko hasn't proven himself in 18 months. Benjani can do a job but doesn't score enough. RSC is better than both even though he's out of touch. The rest picks itself.

[tony gale's mic]

"Out of touch"? Do you think RSC was "out of touch" from 2000 to 2007, and then again from 2008 to present?

[Baz]

I think Dunny had an injury last night, so doubt he'll be fit for Saturday. N'zonzi is the obvious replacement for me.

I think we need MGP back in the team for set pieces, and also would question if Salgado's fitness up to 2 games in 5 days at this point too, I'd pick Emerton at right-back instead.

Got to give Roberts last 20 mins against the one team he's prolific against too.

--------Robbo-----------

Emo-Samba-P.Jones-Olsson

------J.Jones-Nzonzi----

Diouf----------------MGP

-----Benjani-Cruz-------

Hoilett in for Diouf if fit.

[Hughesy]

We need Olsson on the left wing.....Olsson & Hoilett running riot in midfield will cause them BIG problems.

[SuperCat]

I would personally play Samba up front for sure.

Combined with Junior and Olsson combo from the wings.

Desperate times and all that.

[chaddyrovers]

samba comments about rovers need to score move

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Christopher-Samba-insists-Blackburn-need-to-start-scoring-goals-to-survive-relegation-article728287.html

[hi-jaq]

I don't think it really matters who we play up top as long as Roberts is sat in the stands with a suit on & RSC is on the bench... any of the others would probably be as threatening in any combination you choose to put them in.

We have a massive problem with playing RSC... no David Bentley!!!

None of our current midfielders or wingers can cross well, that is what RSC needs... without the supply of high balls across the 6 yard line, he's buggered. It was the same with Bellamy, we had Bentley & Tugay slipping balls in behind & down the channels... perfect for a player of his type.

We need a centre forward who can hold the ball up, or get the knock downs, and we need a striker who is clever enough to anticipate the situations that his partner gets in and offer support by getting to the knock downs & flick ons, or stand just off and look for a quick one touch pass to keep it moving.

I've just talked myself into Benjani & Kalinic for Saturday, although I like the look of Rochina... I'd like to see what he's like on the left wing in a 4-4-2 though, he's pacey & he's got good footwork.

Anyone notice Formica was on the bench for the City game... I reckon we could see him against the bog trotters!!!

[steo]

Our set-pieces were terrible on monday so pedersen has to play i'd drop jermaine jones and play zonz and peds in the centre with olsson and junior on the wings and roque and niko upfront.at the moment samba is our biggest goal threat but he needs a decent delivery and on his day there's no one better than pedersen sadly he has had another brutal season though like too many other rovers players.

[Bobby G]

Roque & Rochina

[joey_big_nose]

Our set-pieces were terrible on monday so pedersen has to play i'd drop jermaine jones and play zonz and peds in the centre with olsson and junior on the wings and roque and niko upfront.at the moment samba is our biggest goal threat but he needs a decent delivery and on his day there's no one better than pedersen sadly he has had another brutal season though like too many other rovers players.

I'm surprised you would drop J Jones. He has been good for us in an otherwise woeful midfield.

For all the talk of two strikers it seems largely pointless to me as they jst can't cut open an oppostion team. Hoilett and Olsson combining down the left however has, and with decent consistentcy, so is the logical priority.. Team for me:-

--------------------Benjani

--------Hoilett-----Dunn-----Diouf/Rochina

-------------Nzonzi----J Jones

Olsson----Samba----P Jones----Salgado

--------------------Robinson

We would then at least know we had one proven way of hurting Bolton by totally overloading the right back. Hoilett is enough to take apart the sorry soul on his own, but with Olsson on the overlap we are pretty much guaranteed to get in behind reasonably regularly. The issue is someone getting on the end of the crosses.

I worry about 442 as Cahill and the likes will soak up pressure against our ineffective forwards and the Bolton five will dominate midfield. Our strikers are just not doing it so I don't see the point in persisting. Also if the lefty combo doesn't work (I am almost certain it will) we can always bring on Givet and reshuflle, and bring a striker from the bench.

What screws this plan up is if Hoilett isn't fit. If that's the case we are in massive trouble.

Set pieces are a problem - but if we include MGP we lose a lot of workrate in midfield which I don't think we can risk. If he did come in I would favour Ped replacing Dunn. We can't play both Dunn and MGP in my opintion as it makes the midfield static and ineffective defensively.

[Bobby G]

I love how a good battling performance from Benjani (with ABSOLUTELY no goal threat) was enough to sway so many people in giving him a game on Saturday, some as a lone striker.

He battled away and created things for the second striker, but he wont do anything if he is the lone man, and certainly offers almost no goal threat at all.

[joey_big_nose]

He battled away and created things for the second striker, but he wont do anything if he is the lone man, and certainly offers almost no goal threat at all.

Agree that Benjani is no real goal threat - but then none of our strikers are. So we might as well get in someone who will work hard, and competes well physically and in the air and will generate knockdowns and lay offs for our midfielders.

RSC drops too deep and is now slow and has no confidence.

Kalinic is unsettled, low on confidence and offers little in physicality or work rate.

Big Jase works hard and is physically strong like Benjani, but is shyte in the air.

So Benjani it is....

The emphasis should be to get our two dangerous players, Hoilett and - to a lesser extent - Olsson, in the positions where they can really hurt the opposition. Not play two poor strikers who can't score just for the sake of having two upfront in the rather hopeful belief it will produce a goal.

Plus the shape of 4231 makes us more defensively sound which is a welcome bonus.