[Archived] 2010/11 Match Report: West Ham v Rovers

[Rovermatt]

Good point considering our horrendous record at West Ham. Would love to see those cockney twits go down. It's a club suffering from serious delusions of grandeur and they've been living off 1966 and all that academy of football nonsense for too long now.

[neophox]

If United beat Chelsea tomorrow. Maybe both us and United will settle for a draw. Únited winning the title. They have much better goal difference than Chelski.

[Nafe_rovers]

good effort lads... can I just say I though our fans were fantastic today

[DE.]

If United beat Chelsea tomorrow. Maybe both us and United will settle for a draw. Únited winning the title. They have much better goal difference than Chelski.

Unfortunately I think Fergie will want to put the boot into us re: Allardyce.

[thenodrog]

I didn't see anything of the match today and it doesn't sound very pretty but that is one big fat point. It was absolutely crucial not to get beaten and we didn't. Not out of the woods yet.

[daveoftherovers]

A win against Bolton and a draw against Spam, I'll have that thankyou very much!

[Tom]

Superb work by Jones and Emerton for the goal, Jones is a machine.

[Andy]

Agree - though also credit to MGP for his commitment in a 50/50 challenge which gave Jones the ball in the first place.

[den]

Good post.

Yeah, but I think you're the most balanced poster on here Gav.

[Tom]

Agree - though also credit to MGP for his commitment in a 50/50 challenge which gave Jones the ball in the first place.

This is true I didn't notice it at first, good goalline clearance as well

[jim mk2]

Long day down in London and back. A few thoughts:

Rovers fans were fantastic, outsung their West Ham counterparts who seemed resigned to defeat until the surprise equaliser.

Rovers played very well for 70 mins until Herr Hitler's thunderbolt after which we sat back and could easily have lost. I didn't realise until watching MotD how easy Robbie Keane's chance was.

Nzonzi was outstanding, J Jones played well and Pedersen put in an excellent shift - any criticism of him on that performance is unjustified in my view. Where was P Jones by the way ?

Would have settled for a point before the match but ultimately disappointed not to have won against a poor West Ham team.

First time I have seen Rovers gain a point at Upton Park so am grateful for that.

Time for bed.

zzzzzzzzzzz

[AJW]

jones was outstanding ..(again) please sign him up... we look so much better with him and n'zonzi in midfield

[den]

Where was P Jones by the way ?

Back spasm.

[booth]

Absolute nonsense.

Andrews was amazing and the substitutions that Kean made were clearly the reason we managed to hold on for a point. He's certainly a genius and I for one will demand we keep him on as manager.

Bringing Keith Andrews and Roque Santa Cruz on, in a game that would have guaranteed to keep us in the top flight, when we were winning, replacing a player who had scored and one of our brightest young talents, was clearly the right decision at that moment. It didn't in any way unbalance the team.

Keith Andrews on for Jnr Hoillett. How did I not see that as being anything but a clever move?

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Some of the abuse Kean has got today is out of order. For those criticising his substitutions - please offer alternatives.

Andrews didn't do badly today and was the logical choice when the tiring Hoilett came off. RSC and Rochina didn't do anything but who on our bench would have made a difference? Their goal was down to a great strike, no subs were going to stop that.

Its a shame but the blame everything on Kean culture is not growing thin. I dont think he's the right guy for the job but to criticise every move he makes when, like today, he's done very little wrong, is pathetic. Id go so far as to say that over the past 6 weeks Kean has set up the team reasonably well and not done a bad job.

Well deserved point, would have taken it beforehand without a second thought and that should seal WHAMs fate.

4 points in 2 games was what we needed and thats what we got. Credit to the team and manager.

[booth]

Back spasm.

Hey I don't like Kean being in charge but no need for that!

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Andrews was amazing and the substitutions that Kean made were clearly the reason we managed to hold on for a point. He's certainly a genius and I for one will demand we keep him on as manager.

Bringing Keith Andrews and Roque Santa Cruz on, in a game that would have guaranteed to keep us in the top flight, when we were winning, replacing a player who had scored and one of our brightest young talents, was clearly the right decision at that moment. It didn't in any way unbalance the team.

Keith Andrews on for Jnr Hoillett. How did I not see that as being anything but a clever move?

Who would you have brought on???? Formica? Rochina? Attackers when we clearly needed another body in central midfield?? Dont let this get in the way of your hating for Kean, but I would like to know what you would have done instead.

Hoilett had just returned from a hamstring injury. Do you think it would have been wise to keep him on past 60 mins when he'd had a relatively ineffective game?? Andrews didn't do badly. He's a very poor player but today he was alright and the reason for him being introduced was totally logical.

Replacing Roberts didn't make a blind bit of difference. RSC was ineffective but who the hell else were we to bring on?

[booth]

Who would you have brought on???? Formica? Rochina? Attackers when we clearly needed another body in central midfield?? Dont let this get in the way of your hating for Kean, but I would like to know what you would have done instead.

I would have purchased someone other than Formica who could actually make a difference back in January.

Alternatively, as he didn't show the foresight back then and with that bench I would have moved Mame Diouf to the right, replacing Jnr, and so keeping some pace and brought on Benjani who for the last two games has looked our brightest forward. That would have maintained some continuity.

Santa Cruz was very poor, which isn't a surprise with his recent appearances. Whether he's unfit or just disinterested who knows, but Niko deserves that place on the bench before him. He won't get it because Kean has to justify wasting 90k a week somehow.

Andrews has just come back from injury and is a poor player anyhow as you said. A poor player and lacking match fitness to boot. By anyones logic it was certainly a crazy decision to make at a crucial time.

[Hughesy]

Sambas block that saved us the point.....

Original replay early on, and then again from another angle around 55 seconds

[Brfcrule1]

Booth I don't know whether you have read the match report but Kalinic was sent home by the doctor maybe it was flu or something else it mentioned it on the match report on the official site just after half way down. I wish people would lay off Andrews looking at the game after he came on he retained the ball well & was passing forward for a change. I agree RSC did not do much & maybe we should have bought on Rochina instead of him,but agree J.Jones,NZonzi & MGP were outstanding JJ is our very own Robbie Savage with a good engine & quite creative. I would love to have him here permanently in the summer Hoilett was a bit subdued but I suppose coming back from injury will take it's toll on the young man. Roberts apart from the goal was ineffective but for me Motm has to go to Samba without his presence at centre half we'd be finished. His positioning all day was outstanding Cole never got a sniff of goal and his last ditch tackle to deny Cole at the near post was immense & today he has earned us a deserved draw. In the first half Robbo could have had the deck chair out & had a break they were woeful, but have to conclude I believe when Keane missed that chance from 3 yards with that chance gone goes WHU premier league status.

[bigbrandjohn]

Booth I don't know whether you have read the match report but Kalinic was sent home by the doctor maybe it was flu or something else it mentioned it on the match report on the official site just after half way down. I wish people would lay off Andrews looking at the game after he came on he retained the ball well & was passing forward for a change. I agree RSC did not do much & maybe we should have bought on Rochina instead of him,but agree J.Jones,NZonzi & MGP were outstanding JJ is our very own Robbie Savage with a good engine & quite creative. I would love to have him here permanently in the summer Hoilett was a bit subdued but I suppose coming back from injury will take it's toll on the young man. Roberts apart from the goal was ineffective but for me Motm has to go to Samba without his presence at centre half we'd be finished. His positioning all day was outstanding Cole never got a sniff of goal and his last ditch tackle to deny Cole at the near post was immense & today he has earned us a deserved draw. In the first half Robbo could have had the deck chair out & had a break they were woeful, but have to conclude I believe when Keane missed that chance from 3 yards with that chance gone goes WHU premier league status.

If you want a giggle check out this twitter stream on Robbie Keane. government Health warning

http://m.feeltiptop.com/Robbie%20Keane/

[USABlue]

I will have to jump on the Kean bashing bandwagon today. I thought West Ham were there for the taking, we cut them open whenever we went down the flanks, why we took the foot off the gas after scoring defies logic to me. I think if we'd kept pressing and going wide we could have had a bag full. Not sure what was said at halftime but it could not have been in the least bit motivational. Cruz was a disgrace to the shirt today. I watched him back out of a challenge long before it even came close. Diouf gave up on a play after losing the ball, one where he could have easily made an effort to win it back. I thought Peds gave a decent effort but I think he put his boots on the wrong feet. this is the kind of stuff that bothers me. Alas I think we are far far far from safe, 3 points would have done the trick but we seem to want to take it to the last day.

Junior was off today and I think we missed P Jones, I love the way J Jones play and we really should push the boat out to get him. Beat United and we live to play another season in the Prem.

[blue_and_white]

Normal (Big Sam dare I say) season, that'd be a disappointing result. However given our circumstances and form, you have to be very happy with a point. Only Samba, Emerton and Roberts stood out for me today, with Samba being our best player by a mile. But at the end of the day we did enough to keep ourselves in the driving seat. Well done Steve, you haven't disgraced us for 2 games in a row!

[RevidgeBlue]

Great point we'd all have taken before kick off, and if we'd come from behind to earn a point in the 76th minute everyone would be absolutely ecstatic but of course it's still a bit disappointing to be pegged back after being so near and yet so far from guaranteed safety.

As usual the criticism on here of Steve Kean is completely OTT - how many results have we got at Upton Park in the last 20 years? Is it one win in 1994 and two draws or something like that?

I managed to catch the last 30 minutes or so live and sort of got the impression that instead of trying to play our normal game we were trying to play well within ourselves as you would when you are trying to run the clock down for the last 5 mins etc. Nothing that unusual about that, I've seen us be too cautious and sit back too much on a lead under every manager we've ever had since I've been supporting us.

Strange keeping from the normally immaculate Paul Robinson for their goal, not sure if he could have got to it but he just stood and watched it go in without any attempt to save. He did the same with a couple of efforts which flashed wide as well.

Sensational block at the end and performance in general from Samba. What a man, what a player. When he shows that level of form he's the best centre half around.

[PAFELL]

I will have to jump on the Kean bashing bandwagon today. I thought West Ham were there for the taking, we cut them open whenever we went down the flanks, why we took the foot off the gas after scoring defies logic to me. I think if we'd kept pressing and going wide we could have had a bag full. Not sure what was said at halftime but it could not have been in the least bit motivational. Cruz was a disgrace to the shirt today. I watched him back out of a challenge long before it even came close. Diouf gave up on a play after losing the ball, one where he could have easily made an effort to win it back. I thought Peds gave a decent effort but I think he put his boots on the wrong feet. this is the kind of stuff that bothers me. Alas I think we are far far far from safe, 3 points would have done the trick but we seem to want to take it to the last day.

Junior was off today and I think we missed P Jones, I love the way J Jones play and we really should push the boat out to get him. Beat United and we live to play another season in the Prem.

I was at the match. Although Rovers had the better of whu in the first half. It was inevitable that whu would really press in the second half. They would have had a rollocking at HT - they were booed off, therefore they had to do better.

My view was you could feel the pressure - from both sets of supporters. Rovers were winning, needed a second goal. WHU wanted and needed to score - I believe the tension got to the crowd cos for awhile as we approached the last 20 to 30 minutes, not a lot of chanting from both sets of supporters.

When whu scored then their supporters got behind their team - Rovers defended and held out. Point gained, two loss! I would have taken a point at kick off. But having been 1 0 up and approaching the final 15 minutes, gutted we couldn't hold out and win.

Substitutions - strange. RSC is as much use on the football pitch as an ashtray on a motorbike. He is finished. I also thought he had put a lot of weight on. Maybe we need a thread on here 'Do Not sign RSC'.

Human behaviour got the better of both players and supporters alike - makes no difference what your paid - due to the pressure and tension of the situation both clubs are in. As we didn't get the 3 points, I am happy with a point, because we nearly lost that as well. Unless Rovers conceed a lot of goals in the next two games, whu cannot catch or over take Rovers. We could do with them beating Wigan - because as I said whu cannot catch rovers. We want man u to win today in the hope they take their foot off the gas when we play them.