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

[JAL]

What does that even mean? And why do you keep on calling the manager " Stephen"?

The current players are carrying this clown, Kean, thats what. If Rovers were to allow Kean and his agency to recruit for another say two transfer windows then the most probable outcome would be that after a lot of money had been spent, yet there wouldnt be a lot to show for it on the playing field.

[den]

Yesterday was Keans team and tactics alright, and they worked, which we should all be greatful for.

I think the conditions and the enormousity* enormity of the game lead it to panning out as it did Gav. It was just a matter of get the ball forward as best as we can and the players giving their all, - which they did. There was no tactical masterplan yesterday.

It was hoofball at it's best, but I'm not complaining. I'm still waiting for Topman and others to come along whingeing about it though, but strangely they are fairly silent. The players working their socks off for the club and simply wanting the win more than Bolton was the right recipe. We couldn't have asked for any more.

* where did I get that word from?

[RevidgeBlue]

This "when we win it's down to the players/Sam and nothing to do with Kean and when we lose it's down to Kean and not the players fault" routine being trotted out by various posters has reached ridiculous proportions now.

After the run we've had I didn't expect the red carpet and a ticker tape reception for Kean after yesterday's crucial win, nor does he deserve it, but it is churlish in the extreme not to at least acknowledge that the players have given everything for him in the last two games. I've been watching Rovers just over 40 years and there have been various points under different managers when the players did not appear to be playing for the manager or themselves Iley, Saxton, Harford (in particular) Hodgson, Kidd, Souness, Ince etc etc.

On the flip side I have been absolutely delighted with the commitment and passion shown by the players in the last couple of games. Well done to them for that and I hope it continues for the final three games. However the players aren't completely blameless for the position we found ourselves in. They got twenty one points from seventeen games under Sam and then ten from seven under Kean leaving us on thirty one points from twenty four games. We are not a squad who are capable of challenging for

Europe but we should not have been in this position given the healthy position we were in after the West Brom game.

Neither do I understand the personal venom directed towards Kean. He'd frankly have been mad not to take the job when it was offered to him after Sam was sacked. If he'd refused to take it then someone else somewhere would have taken it, it wouldn't have got Sam his job back and a new man would most likely have wanted to bring in his own backroom team leaving him out of a job altogether.

Is he the man to take us forward next season? No, based on his record this season and he should be replaced with an experienced manager who hopefully favours a rather more expansive style of play than Sam. Aftet that I have no particular feelings about the bloke one way or the other.

[thenodrog]

So you advocate turning this generation's best chance to follow Shearer into a second rate target/flick-on man and one of the dirtiest forwards in the division? You should stick to berating people for not having your powers of fore-sight (or is that hind-sight?).

If I was KMD I'd be calling on my experience working with Big Al into turning him into a goal machine.

Good for you Jisty.

[Stuart]

Rev, you're right about the perpetual argument re: win/lose, Well done Kean/Well done players but I don't see it as the players fighting for Kean - churlish or otherwise. They know what is at a stake and have fought tooth and nail over the last few home games (particularly). Where was this fight a few games ago? Why didn't we beat Blackpool for instance? They are a worse team than Bolton.

We keep hearing (from Kean via the LT) that the "R word" (as he likes to call it) isn't being discussed. Well, guess what, the players found out anyway!

My gut feeling is that something has changed. Maybe the rumours about Benitez are going strong within the club? But I really don't think that Kean/Jensen can take all the credit. For instance, the tactics have CLEARLY changed over the last few games also. From trying to play it around on the floor all the time to a more direct approach (in the main).

The damning thing is that Kean/Jensen SHOULD be taking all the credit for our victories, so why aren't they?

I really don't want to end the weekend on our sour note because we finally have some light at the end of the tunnel but Kean really must go at the end of the season - it's that simple.

My biggest fear (after my fear of relegation) is that he won't...

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Parsonblue's excellent match report is now published on the front page here and the text is copied into a new thread for discussion of the match here. Discussion of Steve Kean can remain here, perhaps.

Wen Y Hu

Great match report, reminds me of Alf Thornton. Giving my age away now.

[American Rover12]

These people made them comments durring the game when the players were missing chance after chance, look at the times of the quotes, obviously they are going to comment on it. You are never safe at 1-0.

You having a go at them for saying what 30,000 other people were thinking at the same time.

Spot on. My comments about the lack of finishing were just that; doesn't mean I wasn't thrilled with the result. Bring on the Whammers!

[Steve Moss]

The strength of Blackburn Rovers football club carries Stephen Kean, not the other way round.

I believe this to be very true.

What does that even mean? And why do you keep on calling the manager " Stephen"?

So far as I can determine, its actually his name. It is certainly the name he used in his playing career, at least from what I could tell when I was looking for his coaching license online. Sometime between playing and coaching he dropped 'Stephen' in favor of 'Steve'.

By way of full disclosure, I'm actually a 'Steven' not a Steve. My family was poor and couldn't afford the 'ph' so we made do with a simple 'v'.

[thenodrog]

Not really. I wanted him to have a chance .........

Really? I'm suprised you had even heard of him last Nov/Dec. I hadn't. Also I can't rem you ever mentioning on here that we should sack Allardyce and give the job to Steve Kean.

[teddy]

Great match report, reminds me of Alf Thornton. Giving my age away now.

wish we had alf now reporting for us.in his reports we never played bad and every time we did lose we was always the best team,

[thenodrog]

What about the old saying " credit where credits due.... ". Steve Kean was the manager of BRFC yesterday and it was Steve Keans team that came away with the 3 points. For Gods sake, some people on here are just nuts. Give it a rest and go and get some sun.

I'd like to agree Brian, unforunately I don't share the 3 second memory limitations of an average goldfish.

[Steve Moss]

BLACKBURN ROVERS vs. BOLTON WANDERERS – KICK OFF 3.00pm, 30th APRIL 2011 - BARCLAYS PREMIERSHIP

Why I decided to step in and do this preview is two-fold, firstly I enjoying doing them, and in turn hope you like reading them, but secondly I’m rather superstitious and I’m sure you are too, and in the six previous previews I have done we are undefeated.

P6 W5 D1 L0 F16 A4

(Norwich 3-0, Middlebrough 3-2, Newcastle 3-0, Everton 0-0, Peterborough 5-2, Aston Villa 2-0)

I sincerely hope the streak continues!

As I'm also highly superstitious, I vote you write the next three previews.

[broadsword]

We've got a nice 1 game unbeaten run going now, we need to keep it up. (As Steve would say.)

[Stuart]

We can let him off the United one, Steve!

Kean's comments to the BBC

Interesting Kean thinks we need one win. Let's hope it wasn't the Blackpool game!

Amazing journalism too, "Blackburn's deserved victory over Bolton on Saturday, courtesy of full-back Martin Olsson's first-half goal, brings a timely end to a run of five straight home defeats during a 10-game winless streak."

Did I miss something?

For all our faults, I reckon our previous 5 home games were 3 draws and 2 defeat.

[USABlue]

Great win, great commitment and fight by the lads. I've seen it for a few games now, except Everton and I do think some of it is from Kean. I also think this bashing of KEan by way of crediting the players ONLY for a result but blaming the manager for a poor result is stupid. Bloody hell I think it was philip had the manager blamed if we lose before the sun even rose on Saturday. Yeah, it's all got too far. Still a lot to do for us to stay up.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I must have watched a different game yesterday; 'Sam hoofball at it's best' Right...apart from 2 up front....the whole game....no Pedersen doing his blind dinks towards no-one in particular...and most of our clear-cut chances coming from fast counter-attacks played on the ground. Long free kicks into the box was not a tactic invented by Allardyce and was a factor of his style that I never heard anyone complain about.

[rog of the rovers]

As I'm also highly superstitious, I vote you write the next three previews.

Haha!

My record is intact!

P7 W6 D1 L0 F17 A4

I promise I will try and make it 8 unbeaten at some point next season!

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Really? I'm suprised you had even heard of him last Nov/Dec. I hadn't. Also I can't rem you ever mentioning on here that we should sack Allardyce and give the job to Steve Kean.

I wanted Kean to be given a chance once appointed. I never once called for Allardyce to be sacked. Keep up

I had heard of Steve Kean when he worked with Chris Coleman at Fulham. Your admission that you hadn't dosn't surprise me one little bit.

[brian nelsen]

I'd like to agree Brian, unforunately I don't share the 3 second memory limitations of an average goldfish.

Don't get it.

[Ozz]

I though Rovers played really well on Saturday. Wish we could play that lot every week-Wheater at right back was manna from heaven for us. Olssons goal was deadful-they were terrified of him, and virtually ushered into the box and allowed him to poke it into the net.

Goes against common opinion, but Roberts had a good game, he worked very hard, held the ball up well and put in a real shift . Benjani to a similar level, but he has no pace and struggled in his more progressive attempts to create.

But after Olsson faded second half (relatively speaking) the best player was Jermaine Jones. He is the guy we should build a team around for me, but I doubt we will see him again after the season finishes. He is too good a player for us!

Any way a good do all round Saturday, really enjoyed myself and hopefully we have enough on the table to see us home now.

Last few seconds of the game from the Darwen End, look at Robbos joy at the whistle.

Little video clip below.

Rovers win.

[den]

I must have watched a different game yesterday; 'Sam hoofball at it's best' Right...apart from 2 up front....the whole game....no Pedersen doing his blind dinks towards no-one in particular...and most of our clear-cut chances coming from fast counter-attacks played on the ground. Long free kicks into the box was not a tactic invented by Allardyce and was a factor of his style that I never heard anyone complain about.

Sounds like it touched a nerve.

Personally, I had no problem at all with the way we played against Bolton, - it was exactly what was needed. Yes we played some nice football at times, we always have, but don't kid yourself that it was much different from what we saw under the previous manager. In fact, it's been that way for quite a while now as other posters have commented on.

What happened to this new Bolton style of attractive passing that we keep hearing about? Virtually everything they did originated from a long ball to Davies.

[thenodrog]

I wanted Kean to be given a chance once appointed. I never once called for Allardyce to be sacked. Keep up

I had heard of Steve Kean when he worked with Chris Coleman at Fulham. Your admission that you hadn't dosn't surprise me one little bit.

Why on earth would I have heard of him? I'll wager that you are the only one on here who is pretending to have heard of him previously.

Tell you what dgs prove how infinite your wisdom is... who suceeded him as No2 at Coventry and who holds that position right now?.... Oh and no googling mind!

Don't get it.

Why does that not suprise me?

[thenodrog]

Sounds like it touched a nerve.

Personally, I had no problem at all with the way we played against Bolton, - it was exactly what was needed. Yes we played some nice football at times, we always have, but don't kid yourself that it was much different from what we saw under the previous manager. In fact, it's been that way for quite a while now as other posters have commented on.

What happened to this new Bolton style of attractive passing that we keep hearing about? Virtually everything they did originated from a long ball to Davies.

usual thing Den. If something is said often enough people start to believe it. Parts of the first half in particular the ball hardly touched the ground. Wimbledon v Wimbledon by two managers who apparently are both keen advocates of passing football.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Why on earth would I have heard of him? I'll wager that you are the only one on here who is pretending to have heard of him previously.

Always great when a know all actually admits to knowing not much. I read an article about Chris Coleman being considered a bright young managerial prospect at Fulham and Kean was namechecked as being an able assistant. I also remember Kean going to Spain during Coleman's stint over there. No pretence on my part. I only read it in the paper, nothing to big myself up and lie about really Alf.

Tell you what dgs prove how infinite your wisdom is... who suceeded him as No2 at Coventry and who holds that position right now?.... Oh and no googling mind!

Dont know. Dont care.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Sounds like it touched a nerve.

Personally, I had no problem at all with the way we played against Bolton, - it was exactly what was needed. Yes we played some nice football at times, we always have, but don't kid yourself that it was much different from what we saw under the previous manager. In fact, it's been that way for quite a while now as other posters have commented on.

What happened to this new Bolton style of attractive passing that we keep hearing about? Virtually everything they did originated from a long ball to Davies.

Hard to tell from the telly of course but I'm sure the wind made long passes seem more hopeful than skillful for both teams. I actually enoyed the game despite the self-induced tension, mainly because we were a lot more in their faces - more like a Hughes performance I thought