[Archived] Rovers vs Bolton - Possibly our most important game in years

[PAFELL]

Thank goodness for 3 points - we now have enough to say-up, 38 points and and our goal difference will do the trick. That's the great news.

The bad news is that we were were absolute shyte. Our football was dreadful and an indictment on our manager. I would not want anyone to call Big Sam after witnessing such shyte.

At this moment in time, in the situation Rovers are in, I would not care if Rovers played the worse football ever seen on a football pitch - but still got the 3 points.

A derby game, threat of relegation and the tension it is bound to cause the result has to come first. Having 17 shots on goal can not mean a team played bad.

[chaddyrovers]

Well Done Rovers! very good performance from the team. first to the ball and didn't give K.Davies anything today. Olsson was excellent and JJ was the same and deserve his MOTM.

I think Roberts should have been take off instead of Benjani fo Kalinic and yeah I did sing for Kalinic to come on.

Kalinic has got into some decent positions so far however due to a poor final ball we can't get to him.

yeah he did and we do need to improve of crossing and our final ball.

we should have score 3 or 4 today.

but at the end of the day we won and that is the most important thing!!!

come on ROVERS!!

[D-side17]

Thank goodness for 3 points - we now have enough to say-up, 38 points and and our goal difference will do the trick. That's the great news.

The bad news is that we were were absolute shyte. Our football was dreadful and an indictment on our manager. I would not want anyone to call Big Sam after witnessing such shyte.

Is this guy for real??

There is a point at which someone's opinions become so biased that that anything they say loses credibility. Mercerman passed that point several weeks ago.

[RibbleValleyRover]

how are people saying we played @#/??

Because we did, but Bolton were worse.

We've played better than that in recent games but got nothing, played worse today and got the three points. At this stage of the season and the situation we are in it's points that count now not performances.

[brian nelsen]

This forum suits Venkys big time. Full of cocks.

[Kamy100]

First and foremost it was all about getting the three points today and that is exactly what we did.

I don't think that it was a poor performance, players worked very hard for the win, the swirling wind affected the game a huge amount. Bolton were extremely poor, they created very little and the limited chances that they got came from Rovers giving the ball away in defensive positions.

I thought that J.Jones was immense, he was everywhere. Ollson also caused them a lot of problems, if our finishing had been better we would've won the game 3-0.

Hopefully players can now take some confidence from this result and try and get something at Upton Park next week.

[DE.]

The performance today is irrelevant in terms of this season, it's all about getting enough points to survive now as the season on the whole is a write-off.

We were wasteful today, but Bolton were a non-entity so it didn't matter. However, our problems are glaringly obvious and there's nothing wrong with pointing them out in the hope they'll be solved in the summer. I doubt any fan on here is disappointed we gained three points, but to pretend on the back of that that everything is fantastic would be wrong. Of course everybody could just comment "yaayyyyy 3 points" but that'd be kind of boring.

[Tom]

Got to say fair play to Bolton today, a couple of times they were quite sporting in giving us the ball back etc.

Obviously it wouldn't happen if they were scrapping at the bottom

[gumboots]

Because we did, but Bolton were worse.

We've played better than that in recent games but got nothing, played worse today and got the three points. At this stage of the season and the situation we are in it's points that count now not performances.

To be fair, the wind didn't make playing conditions easy. There was one point where everyone seemed to lose the ball and run round in circles before they found where it was. Our players wanted it so much that they were all trying to do everything and that caused times when 3 players went for the same ball. We didn't play well but then we didn't need to. This was the most nervous I have felt at a game since the Worthington Cup Final - so thnse i almost found myself holding my breath at some points. The nerves obviously got to players too - think some of the wayward shooting was down to our forwards being generally rubbish, but some was down to them all wanting to be the hero who scored the definite winner and therefore making wrong choices and snatching at things. Mention for the ref, who for the first time in I don't know how many weeks did nothing really worng and several times played advantage sensibly. He was fairly even handed with his decisions and didn't spoil what was already a very scrappy game with over enthusiastic whistle blowing or excessive fussiness.

[PAFELL]

The performance today is irrelevant in terms of this season, it's all about getting enough points to survive now as the season on the whole is a write-off.

We were wasteful today, but Bolton were a non-entity so it didn't matter. However, our problems are glaringly obvious and there's nothing wrong with pointing them out in the hope they'll be solved in the summer. I doubt any fan on here is disappointed we gained three points, but to pretend on the back of that that everything is fantastic would be wrong. Of course everybody could just comment "yaayyyyy 3 points" but that'd be kind of boring.

No everything is not right. Just the win and the 3 points today. Hope we beat WHU next week that should make us safe with 41pts. Then we can protest like hell v man u - live on tv - match. Get safe first and formost.

[chaddyrovers]

Kean says winn was for the fans

http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~2350120,00.html

first decent thing he has said for ages

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We are taking the three points and running,thank God for that...a win at last!!!

I thought we looked much more commited as a team today,a lot of effort went into that win even though we made it hard for ourselves.

A mention about our fans today...GREAT ATMOSHPERE,WELL DONE.

[blue_and_white]

Thought we were good today. 2 centre halves were solid again against Davies who is usually a tricky customer. N'Zonzi and especially Jones were powerhouses in midfield and Olsson was superb on the left. Thought Roberts had another solid game, held it up well and won a decent number of knock downs. We could and should have scored more but got the result so who cares. With our superior goal difference I think we may already have enough but hopefully we can use the confidence to get a result at West Ham and make sure.

Oh yeah and cracking atmosphere. Darwen End never stopped and heard a decent number of songs coming from the Blackburn End. The whole ground joined in at the end too which only tends to happen about once a season. Always gives the players a massive lift and great to see. Bolton see this as a bigger derby than us but their fans were outsung from start to finish.

[RevidgeBlue]

Anyways... I thought we played pretty well given the tension of the situation. But dear me, we need a decent striker!

Spot on on both counts.

[thenodrog]

3 points gained in a nervy and wasteful encounter. Thank gooness for the post again! The football in general was awful but just a few points....

1. Jones in midfield was immense.

2. N'Zonzi made a big difference by stifling Bolton in midfield. tf the manager appears to have learnt a lesson about the choice of players suited to a relegation scrap. Unfortunately that lesson cost us a point on Monday.

btw Keans running scared of the fans imo. He spends much less time on the touchline (I didn't see him at all today until after Olsson scored. Also as soon as the crowd chanted for Kalinic he put him on. Seems he thinks he may need to make a few friends and pdq?

3. Let no one say Coyles football is better than Allardyces! Today exploded that particular myth. Bolton's game plan saw a succession of long balls simply aimed at the excellent Kevin Davies who today was immense in his back to goal role. The Rovers players literally bounced off him all match. I can't help but wonder how we'd be faring if Allardyce had had his way and signed Davies last season and been handed Jones in January?

4. Ref had a good match.

5. We need a proper Captain and proper training . I keep saying how we see two players going for the same ball and it was happening again today. It's amateurish. Almost as much as our free kick 'repertoire' . Also equally amateurish was the fact that as soon as Salgado went off and Bolton gained a corner that no one had the gumption or the direction to take the rh post at corners! wtf do they do all day at Brockhall?

Despite seriously inept and truly awful finishing we have at least given ourselves a fighting chance.

[daveoftherovers]

Much needed 3 points

Ollson was brilliant

The midfield/defence coped really well with their only tactic - hoof up to Davis.

Roberts/Banjo CANNOT finish.

Hopefully we can now get safe then get rid of Kean.

Can I also add to your valid post OJ, I thought everyone put a shift in today, JJ was fantastic, The Zonz took a long time to get stuck in, but did in the end and should have notched, but at least his engine is in good nick and he was trying.

Up front? Can I please add that neither can MBD, HE SUCKS!!!

I agree on the Kean thought, or get proven experience in above him if they won't get shot...

p.s. I thought we (i.e. The supporters) were great today also... And I have no voice

[RevidgeBlue]

I thought we looked much more commited as a team today,a lot of effort went into that win even though we made it hard for ourselves.

A mention about our fans today...GREAT ATMOSHPERE,WELL DONE.

I've been really impressed with the commitment shown by the team in each of the last two crucial games. Quite unlucky not to have taken 4 points imo.

The crowd's backing has been fantastic both games as well. I can't remember either when I last saw the home areas as full as they were today.

[Tom]

I've been really impressed with the commitment shown by the team in each of the last two crucial games. Quite unlucky not to have taken 4 points imo.

The crowd's backing has been fantastic both games as well. I can't remember either when I last saw the home areas as full as they were today.

Credit to the club as well there, brilliant pricing again.

[heysham rover]

Jermaine jones was fantastic today, he won absolutely everything snd made a number of excellent breaks.

Emerton and salgado both worked very hard and ollson provided that bit of spark going forward.

The back four were excellent barring the opening 5 minutes when they were wasteful with a man over.

We wasted an awful lot of good goalscoring opportunities though which on another day may cost us.

Most importantly a near full house, great atmosphere getting behind the team and a massive 3 points.

[jimw1988]

Fantastic to get three points on the board, quality of the performance is irrelevant for me at this stage.

Unfortunately I heard on final score that king kenny was at the game looking at Phil jones!

Was he there?

[MarkBRFC71]

A workmanlike performance, but hey, nothing mattered today except the 3 points.

I thought Jermaine Jones and Olsson were excellent today, and N'Zonzi did a great job with Phil Jones in doubling up on and nullifying Davies to a large degree. The defence looked very nervy and a bit all over the place in the first half (at least 3 times two players went for the same ball), but they settled in the second half and Robbo was pretty much untroubled.

Credit to Kean - I thought he got his subs spot on today (apart from taking Benjani off instead of Roberts). We looked much livelier up front when Niko came on, MB Diouf did added some pace (although his miss was a bad one), and MGP came on and actually looked like he wanted to play instead of flouncing around like he has done of late.

Having said that, for me Kean still needs to go - he just isn't a Premier League manager.

Oh, and how on earth did N'Zonzi miss that header?!? I can only guess he's been on the receiving end of some finishing training from Mr. Roberts ....

What was going on near the main entrance in the JW stand? Police wouldn't let us walk past and we had to double-back on ourselves to walk down Bolton Rd ....

[barry_]

great day today... the win was all that mattered and we got it... all parts of the ground did their bit today in supporting the team

well done me and well done you!!!

[John]

Good to see Olsson stepping up with a goal and great performance.

Massive win looking at the table, imagine if we didn't pick up 3 points.

Was not sure what to make of the starting line up however always useful to have plenty of experience especially when you are involved in a relegation battle.

The players are working hard but the manager for me is still out of his depth.

[imy9]

Well done to the lads a SUPERB victory and hopefully we can all sleep a little easier tonight.

Oh yeah well done Steve Kean your win % has gone up by 5% lol!

[robbo_rovers]

Surely Kalinic has to start against West Ham, he look better than Roberts and Benjani by a mile.