[Archived] Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United

[47er]

I would say it would be waved away more often than not.

Possibly-but not by Phil Dowd and not against a United looking for a Premiership!

[Rovers Gals]

Don't they have the Champions League final midweek? Ferguson will probably rest his starters.

Utd will field 2nd team against Blackpool . Theybgot rest players for champion league final. My utd friend ( season tkt ) says they won't care about getting a result as bigger fish to fry . They utd and can do what they want etc. Blackpool could very well win and our " happy with a draw mentality " could come back to haunt us ? It's up to rovers to win nxt weekend for our prem survival ! I've got my tickets and hope kean is telling players to attack

[Roost]

Me Steve Kean you are a disgrace to this club.

Giving up trying for a win and ending up with a point that may well see us get relegated. Sums you up you failure.

You horrible, horrible man.

Get out of my town and my club you slimy pr!k.

The last 15 minutes was Keiths best ever by the way.

He made no mistakes at all.

Are you on glue?

Would you have been happier if we had gone for it and united broke and grabbed a winner? It's the bloody shambles of a season that has us in this position, not ten minutes of one match.

[joey_big_nose]

Numpties? Why is everything on this site black and white? I didn't expect the team to recklessly "go all out offensive" against united but I also didn't expect them to lie down and take them playing keep ball across the back for 10 minutes. That was pathetic and frankly if you can't see that then I'm staggered. How about we did something in between. You know, that thing called football

I sympathise with this point of view, but to be honest Utd were happy with a point and we really really needed to not lose. If we had harried the ball we would have opened up the midfield, lost shape, and with Utd's quality they could have easily scored.

I don't really think Rovers had much choice.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Are you on glue?

Would you have been happier if we had gone for it and united broke and grabbed a winner? It's the bloody shambles of a season that has us in this position, not ten minutes of one match.

Correct.

[daveoftherovers]

I sympathise with this point of view, but to be honest Utd were happy with a point and we really really needed to not lose. If we had harried the ball we would have opened up the midfield, lost shape, and with Utd's quality they could have easily scored.

I don't really think Rovers had much choice.

On the nail Joey.

It hurt me to watch it, but we had no choice, my United friends were also the first to point out that we should have interpreted it as a sign of respect by their club, I didn't want to see it that way yesterday, especially when I saw the other results.

[RevidgeBlue]

What if it had been the last game of the season and a point would have sent us down?

Should we have tried to win the ball back then or should we still have sat back to try and stop them scoring again and protect our goal difference?

By doing what we did yesterday we were gambling that nothing unexpected will go wrong next Sunday and that other results elsewhere (which we have absolutely no control over) won't conspire against us.

I find it quite bizarre that people are ok with this. At what point do you stop gambling about what might or might not happen today or next week and attempt to take matters into your own hands?

And why would it automatically have led to United scoring a winner? It probably wouldn't have affected the eventual outcome but it could just as easily have led to a winner for us.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

I was happy when Utd stopped playing.

Only a lunatic would say that we should have gone all out for the win at that stage.

A win would have guarunteed safety, a point has given us a damn good chance of staying up, but a defeat would have left us having to win next week. We didn't HAVE to win, we just had to make sure we didn't lose.

All that matters is WHAM today. If Wigan do not win then we stay up. Blackpool will have to beat Utd next week, a draw wouldn't be enough. Even then, we'd have to lose against Wolves. I dont see either of those results occurring. If we had lost yesterday however.....

Oh, and under Allardyce we lost by 6 goals to this lot so perhaps going all guns against them isn't the best idea?? Good effort Kean.

[Gav]

What if it had been the last game of the season and a point would have sent us down?

Should we have tried to win the ball back then or should we still have sat back to try and stop them scoring again and protect our goal difference?

By doing what we did yesterday we were gambling that nothing unexpected will go wrong next Sunday and that other results elsewhere (which we have absolutely no control over) won't conspire against us.

I find it quite bizarre that people are ok with this. At what point do you stop gambling about what might or might not happen today or next week and attempt to take matters into your own hands?

And why would it automatically have led to United scoring a winner? It probably wouldn't have affected the eventual outcome but it could just as easily have led to a winner for us.

I think we took a view that having lost Samba and Hoilett through injury, settling for a point against United against wasn't such a bad thing.

The pressure of being joint bottom going into next week could have had an adverse effect on the players, so I think it was the right decision Rev, but take your point pal.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

For all the debates about whether we should have chased the ball :-

1. It was towards the end of the match - and to be honest some of our players weren't at their most fresh (understandable)

2. We had just lost our main central defender

3. Remember - just after the penalty we did push them - they cut through us like butter and could have easily scored (though Samba's injury did play a part).

It ain't pretty - but it was the most pragmatic thing to do. Also - our whole game plan - and best chance of getting a result was to sit back and hit them on the break - you chase and harry a team like United and they just play around you and hit you on the break.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

What if it had been the last game of the season and a point would have sent us down?

Should we have tried to win the ball back then or should we still have sat back to try and stop them scoring again and protect our goal difference?

By doing what we did yesterday we were gambling that nothing unexpected will go wrong next Sunday and that other results elsewhere (which we have absolutely no control over) won't conspire against us.

I find it quite bizarre that people are ok with this. At what point do you stop gambling about what might or might not happen today or next week and attempt to take matters into your own hands?

And why would it automatically have led to United scoring a winner? It probably wouldn't have affected the eventual outcome but it could just as easily have led to a winner for us.

That's where you're wrong. If we had gone all out against Utd it would have played directly into their hands. They would have stood a far greater chance of grabbing a second then us, simply due to the players they still had on the pitch. Throughout that second half they looked dangerous and if we had tried to go all out for a win they would have picked us off on the break. We were without Hoilett, had Andrews in CM, were without Samba at CB and had to play Olsson at LB. Do you think we would have kept Utd out for long if we had started to try and push forward?? It was far likelier that they were going to grab a second than us if they had continued to press.

If this had been Sunderland/Bolton/Wolves, then fine, you would be spot on. This wasn't. And to lose sight of who we were playing against seems to be a fairly major point.

We didn't have to win yesterday, regardless of what you're saying. Most of us saw 1 point as being a brilliant result against the best team in the division.

[RevidgeBlue]

Most of us saw 1 point as being a brilliant result against the best team in the division.

It would have been in November or December.

On the day with two games to go, it was two points dropped against two of our rivals.

Don't get me wrong, I'd have killed for a point before kick off. But circumstances change and that was on the basis that I thought that would at least match both Blackpool's and Wolves' results.

That all changed oompletely when we knew Wolves and Blackpool were winning.

We SHOULD have enough but if by a weird combination of results and circumstances we haven't, we will have gone down without trying our best towards the end of that game.

[OhmiBRFC]

Did anyone see United fans in the BBE? I saw one get thrown out just after they scored. Two stewards had to escort him out.

[Kamy100]

The problem with "going for it' during the last 10 minutes was that Fergie cleverly left 4 players forward at all times when they were passing the ball around in defence, so if we pushed forward to try and win the ball, then the with the ability that United have in midfield they could quite easily cut through us and won the game. The point yesterday gives us more options (in terms of results) then if we had lost.

[Tom]

The problem with "going for it' during the last 10 minutes was that Fergie cleverly left 4 players forward at all times when they were passing the ball around in defence, so if we pushed forward to try and win the ball, then the with the ability that United have in midfield they could quite easily cut through us and won the game. The point yesterday gives us more options (in terms of results) then if we had lost.

It would have been suicide, lets remember a certain ginger bloke was in midfield for them at this stage, had we pressed he would have had a field day floating balls into the front 4

[Mercer]

Penalty or not, the debate will rumble on for days and possibly months and years if we go down.

The only certainty in my mind is that if it had have been say Olsson v their keeper yesterday, we would not have got it !!!

[grizfoot]

The problem with "going for it' during the last 10 minutes was that Fergie cleverly left 4 players forward at all times when they were passing the ball around in defence, so if we pushed forward to try and win the ball, then the with the ability that United have in midfield they could quite easily cut through us and won the game. The point yesterday gives us more options (in terms of results) then if we had lost.

Plus the fact JJ and Samba had both been taken off. Under normal circumstances United would have been going for the winner and they'd probably have got it in my opinion. A bit shameful the last ten minutes to be honest but it was understandable given the situation I think. I just hope it doesn't come to look very foolish by then end of next week. Then again a point at home to the Red Scum is a good result and it isn't results like this one that as put us in this position.

[arbitro]

I find it surprising that some supporters thought we should have gone gung ho and pushed for a winner. By that time we had lost our best attacking players (Hoilett substituted and Olssen to full back), our main attacking central midfielder (JJ) and arguably our best and most inspirational defender (Samba). I was happy to see the Rags settle for a draw. If you want a comparison when we played Sunderland at home I clearly remember Allardyce screaming at Pedersen not to run to get the ball for a throw in the attacking third of the pitch. He was clearly happy with the 0-0 (albeit we were down to 10 men) but it was Sunderland we were playing not the Champions elect and Champions League finalists.

[chris]

Penalty or not, the debate will rumble on for days and possibly months and years if we go down.

The only certainty in my mind is that if it had have been say Olsson v their keeper yesterday, we would not have got it !!!

I think sacking Sam and losing JW will rank higher for years of discussion if we go down then a penalty that I thought was 100% right.

[Tom]

Penalty or not, the debate will rumble on for days and possibly months and years if we go down.

The only certainty in my mind is that if it had have been say Olsson v their keeper yesterday, we would not have got it !!!

I can't see the debate, clear penalty no matter the team IMO.

It's a shame but Robbo potentially cost us 2 points yesterday although I imagine they would have bagged eventually in the 8 minutes injury time

[JAL]

Penalty or not, the debate will rumble on for days and possibly months and years if we go down.

The only certainty in my mind is that if it had have been say Olsson v their keeper yesterday, we would not have got it !!!

I'd wager reverse scenario that we would have got it. Revidge blue has a good point about the ball being out of play when contact is made but in that split second moment of play any ref would have given a penalty.

I dont blame Robinson for the pen, than credit Hernandez Chico whatever hes called for his initial burst of acceleration after what was a poor first touch. Robinson had no option to come out, Robbo was quick yet, the Man U player was just that split milli second too quick and the rest we know.

Being strong anti-Keanites watching yesterday you could'nt help but see that our team looked very good against the champions with the only let down being the striker department despite Jasons best efforts . Dont know about you but I could see the makings of what possibly could be another very good Blackburn Rovers team it was just a pity we had Dunny and Andrews coming on to ruin that view.

[arbitro]

I can't see the debate, clear penalty no matter the team IMO.

It's a shame but Robbo potentially cost us 2 points yesterday although I imagine they would have bagged eventually in the 8 minutes injury time

The penalty could have gone either way but for me the fact it wasn't given immediately by either referee or assistant tells me neither was 100% certain of it's validity. Surely in a all matches game changing decisions should be given only when the officials are certain. They added to the controversy by having a public debate rather than speaking on the communications system. At the very least this would have helped to 'sell' the decision.

[chris]

The penalty could have gone either way but for me the fact it wasn't given immediately by either referee or assistant tells me neither was 100% certain of it's validity. Surely in a all matches game changing decisions should be given only when the officials are certain. They added to the controversy by having a public debate rather than speaking on the communications system. At the very least this would have helped to 'sell' the decision.

the ref was certain it was a pen 'if' robinson had not touched the ball, the linesman confirmed this, so ref was 110% certain.

[DE.]

Sitting back was ultimately the right thing to do at the end, though also sad to see.

Let's face it, with Hoilett off the pitch, Olsson pulled into left back and Roberts still playing up front who was going to trouble them? MGP? Dunn? Emerton?

And if they'd counter-attacked, with 4 players up top and Samba gone, it may well have been goodbye to any and all points.

The point has to be taken. The mistake was giving away a stupid penalty, not refusing to go gung-ho at the end.

[Roost]

Just listening to Chris Kamara on Sky - what a tool......

Saying that the ball was out of play for our goal was bad enough, but then to tell blatant lies by saying he could see daylight between the ball and the line just shows what kind type of person he is.

What a cocknose