[Archived] Preview of Wolves vs. Rovers; 22 May 2011.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

For me, there is a simple approach to this game.

The line up for the kick off must be 4-5-1.

Assuming Samba is fit enough to start the line up from midfield should be this.

Salgado Samba P Jones Givet

Hoilett Emerton JJ NZonzi Olsson

Employing this lot allows some interchange should we suffer an injury.

Up front, Roberts should be used from the off, even if he just runs around harrassing the wolves defence for 45 minutes.

the subs bench will be interesting.

M Diouf, RSC and Kalinic are definates as is Bunn. Hanley should be on there as well as Dunn and Pederson.

I agree with Philip. Wolves are under more pressure than us, as a point leaves them below us whilst their goal difference may also be a worry.

The above team allows for a number of changes. Hoilett can be replaced by emerton, Dunn and Diouf. Samba can be replaced by Hanley or Givet, Pederson can play left or central midfield whilst olsson is mr versatile. Rovers also have the option of 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 if required.

The trick is for Rovers to score first. That puts ALL the pressure on Wolves. Deflates the other teams below us and heaps loads of pressure on others.

I keep telling myself I am not worried or concerned. I hope that at 605pm on Sunday the season is put to bed and I can concentrate on a good few fishing trips instead of crying a summer of tears for relegation.

Cant disagree with anything you have put here - would set the team up exactly the same way - though see at as a 4-3-2-1

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

For me, there is a simple approach to this game.

The line up for the kick off must be 4-5-1.

Assuming Samba is fit enough to start the line up from midfield should be this.

Salgado Samba P Jones Givet

Hoilett Emerton JJ NZonzi Olsson

Employing this lot allows some interchange should we suffer an injury.

Up front, Roberts should be used from the off, even if he just runs around harrassing the wolves defence for 45 minutes.

the subs bench will be interesting.

M Diouf, RSC and Kalinic are definates as is Bunn. Hanley should be on there as well as Dunn and Pederson.

I agree with Philip. Wolves are under more pressure than us, as a point leaves them below us whilst their goal difference may also be a worry.

The above team allows for a number of changes. Hoilett can be replaced by emerton, Dunn and Diouf. Samba can be replaced by Hanley or Givet, Pederson can play left or central midfield whilst olsson is mr versatile. Rovers also have the option of 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 if required.

The trick is for Rovers to score first. That puts ALL the pressure on Wolves. Deflates the other teams below us and heaps loads of pressure on others.

I keep telling myself I am not worried or concerned. I hope that at 605pm on Sunday the season is put to bed and I can concentrate on a good few fishing trips instead of crying a summer of tears for relegation.

Yeah, I'd got with that line-up as well. At least we've established what our best first 10 is now although it's taken until the end of the season to do it. As for the strikers- well as somebody once said " If you put them all in a sack and beat the sack with a big stick you wouldn't be punishing the innocent" or words to that effect. That team with a Darren Bent type striker would be pretty handy.

Wolves have got their own selection problems- last two games they've done OK without Doyle, now he's fit again . Do they change the team or leave him on the bench ?

[John]

I hope that at 605pm on Sunday the season is put to bed

I am looking forward to putting it to bed, the last few months have been like slow torture.

[Daremz]

A season full of bad football and bad luck will come to end on Sunday. With Blackpool shocking Old Trafford (1-2 victory) and Wigan hammering a tired Stoke (0-3), we'll get an injury time free kick at the edge of the box which get stuck in a forest of legs with Chris Samba eventually poking in a priceless equaliser, after committing a foul - not noticed by the referee. Because Birmingham lose at Spurs (2-1), they, Wolves and WHU will go down and we, only just, stay up.

Keep the faith.

[tony gale's mic]

Have to say, despite being pretty downbeat on our chances for much of our time under Kean, I'm more optimistic than most. United won't lose at home to Blackpool, they'll still put a decent team out and will be formidable at OT. Blackpool might snatch a draw. Birmingham won't win at WHL either.

Wigan stand the best chance but their away record isnt great and Stoke are good at home. Still maybe can see Wigan getting out of this one, though I'd still put money on Wigan and Blackpool going down with West Ham.

We're basically safe unless events start conspiring against us. If and when they do, then I'll start to get worried.

[den]

Can't see the logic in deciding to judge a manager on one highly unusual game.

I'm not judging him on this one game EIT. I'm just trying to say that if he were to win at Wolves it would be a big feather in his cap. Some people think I'm trying to make it hard for him and I'm not. Maybe it's because people tend to put labels on people and get confused when a "balanced" viewpoint is put forward.

If we do go down, it wont be because of this game alone.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Have to say, despite being pretty downbeat on our chances for much of our time under Kean, I'm more optimistic than most. United won't lose at home to Blackpool, they'll still put a decent team out and will be formidable at OT. Blackpool might snatch a draw. Birmingham won't win at WHL either.

Wigan stand the best chance but their away record isnt great and Stoke are good at home. Still maybe can see Wigan getting out of this one, though I'd still put money on Wigan and Blackpool going down with West Ham.

We're basically safe unless events start conspiring against us. If and when they do, then I'll start to get worried.

Pretty much my reading of the situation also.

[Amo]

Maybe it's because people tend to put labels on people and get confused when a "balanced" viewpoint is put forward.

Oh no you di'int!

[Brfcrule1]

I have to ademit I am looking forward to it but nervous at the same time it will certainly be a long week but am looking forward to going up there with my little personal radio in pocket listening to the other results it will have the same feel as that old guy on the last day listening in when City went down no doubt before that will discover grey hairs but hopefully our team does not give us fans too many heart aches by the way can someone confirm when I watched Arsenal vs Aston Villa when villa did them did I see Robin V.Persie have quite a few grey hairs? could someone confirm? maybe playing for a team that never wins anything has something to do with it

[Ralfinho]

I have to ademit I am looking forward to it but nervous at the same time it will certainly be a long week but am looking forward to going up there with my little personal radio in pocket listening to the other results it will have the same feel as that old guy on the last day listening in when City went down no doubt before that will discover grey hairs but hopefully our team does not give us fans too many heart aches by the way can someone confirm when I watched Arsenal vs Aston Villa when villa did them did I see Robin V.Persie have quite a few grey hairs? could someone confirm? maybe playing for a team that never wins anything has something to do with it

Personal Radio? Thats sooooo last century!!!! lol Im gonna be using Skysports centre on my phone

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

I'll have one last go.

The Wolves game, for Steve Kean, will be a totally different game than Bolton. Bolton were away from home, tired and their season had, to all intents and purposes, finished. Yes, we wanted a win badly, but we weren't in a "win or be relegated" situation. Kean hasn't been in that position before. He's never been faced with having to win an away game against a side that could be relegated if they don't beat us. Kean will be tested far more on Sunday at Wolverhampton than he was against Bolton. Wolves have to win and will fancy their chances. The atmosphere from their fans will be intimidating. I imagine they'll fly at us from the off. I asked the question "can he get a win when it really matters"? That's why we'll learn more about him than we have before.

You, MB and magicmorten seem to be arguing that he's already proven that he can do it. I disagree.

The point I'm making is this.

For a start, you claim that the Wolves game is a 'must win' game. Its not. We can lose and stay up, correct?

This isnt a 'win or be relegated situation'. That doesn't mean that we shouldnt try to win, but its not technically a must win game for either side.

You claim that the Bolton game wasn't must win. Technically, under the same meaning as the Wolves' game, its wasn't, however, a win was far more important. The chances are that the result against Wolves will be irrelevant. The Bolton result was going to matter whatever happened elsewhere.

So, in conclusion. Kean showed that under similar circumstances, he set up the side to win and we did. You claim that he hasn't been in this position before, well I'd say that he's been in this position for the past month.

That doesn't make him a good manager, it doesn't make him the right man for the job and it doesn't erase the previous 5 months of his tenure, but it does who that he can cope under similar pressure.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Rovers to take gamble on injured Samba

[AggyBlue]

Rovers to take gamble on injured Samba

'Lack of energy', that's a new one for me

[den]

The point I'm making is this.

For a start, you claim that the Wolves game is a 'must win' game. Its not. We can lose and stay up, correct?

You think Rovers can go into Sunday's game looking to get anything other than a win? As far as the manager is concerned - and that's what we're discussing, - the Wolves game is a must win game. That means, from the K.O. he has to look to win the game at the risk of any other result. That could change during the game as I've said. The Bolton game didn't require that we win at at the risk of any other result, because even a draw would still have left us with three more games, two of which, Wham and Wolves, were below us.

Different situations.

[BuckyRover]

BRFCS

Blackburn Rovers Football Club Semantics

[Shabani]

We'll go into this game in exactly the same way as we have done all year away from home

try and maintain order at the back and hit Wolves on the break, its the sensible and right tactic to employ

[den]

We'll go into this game in exactly the same way as we have done all year away from home

try and maintain order at the back and hit Wolves on the break, its the sensible and right tactic to employ

Yeah, but in previous away games, as long as it stayed level, we didn't need to change anything. What does Kean do if we are still level at the 70 minute mark?

It will be a different challenge to him.

[philipl]

The news on Hoilett, JJ and Samba is the best we could hope for at this stage.

I am breathing a little easier now.

As for the we can draw and stay up school of thought. Five clubs are looking at the reality that two of them will lose some £85m all up (that's the value of promotion from the Championship)on Sunday.

If we win, we finish 15th end of story.

If we draw and three clubs pull off wins, we are down end of club as we know it.

Sorry, but you don't gamble £85m on the risk of others not winning no matter how unlikely it might appear to some posters. All I can say is there is a long history of clubs saving themselves on the last day through pulling off unlikely away wins in the Prem.

[m1st]

They use the wings well, with Jarvis and Hunt providing pace, in the middle Henry is designated with stopping/interrupting play. Up front Fletcher is having a great run, but their preferred player Doyle is back in fitness.

I'm not too sure about that, benny. Jarvis hasn't been picked to start either of their last two games [although he's come on as a 2nd half substitute in both], in each of which they've scored 3!

Also, see what I quoted my Wolves correspondent as saying in the preview

And your worst under-performers?

Matt Jarvis …… since his good form was rewarded with his first England cap last month.

Maybe Jarvis will start if McCarthy goes for Doyle, rather than Fletcher up front; but that's their problem; not ours!

[den]

BRFCS

Blackburn Rovers Football Club Semantics

You're right Bucky and you should know about semantics.

Anyway, it's a shame that what I see as a fascinating situation is turning into another argument. There is a discussion to be had about how we should approach the game though. Too much aggression from rovers and we'll leave the door open for Wolves, too little and we run the risk of other sides sending us down. It will be very interesting to see how the manager goes about it and it will also be very interesting to see how the fans at the game will want rovers to go about it.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

You think Rovers can go into Sunday's game looking to get anything other than a win? As far as the manager is concerned - and that's what we're discussing, - the Wolves game is a must win game. That means, from the K.O. he has to look to win the game at the risk of any other result. That could change during the game as I've said. The Bolton game didn't require that we win at at the risk of any other result, because even a draw would still have left us with three more games, two of which, Wham and Wolves, were below us.

Different situations.

Ahh... I think you've slightly moved the goalposts here. From the manager's perspective he should treat every game as a must win game. Of course we should try and win the game on sunday, no one on here would dispute that.

The point I assumed you were getting at was that Kean had never had to prepare the side for a game which was a 'must win'. Taking to one side the manager's perspective, this game is clearly not a must win game simply due to the fact that we can lose and stay up. In fact it would take a remarkable turn of results for the Wolves game to mean anything at all. That doesn't mean that Kean shouldn't get his team set out to win the match.

The Bolton game had more riding on it than the Wolves game does. That's pretty clear. You said Kean hadn't been under this sort of pressure before and I believe that he demonstrated in the Bolton game that he can cope.

[Majiball]

The Bolton game had more riding on it than the Wolves game does. That's pretty clear. You said Kean hadn't been under this sort of pressure before and I believe that he demonstrated in the Bolton game that he can cope.

If we lost the Bolton game we still had matches to put things right. Lose at Wolves on Sunday and if results conspire against us, then there's no games left to change things.

Will Kean cope if say during Saturdays game he gets told, ###### we're in the bottom three? At no point in the Bolton game was our future decided at Wolves it will be and if we are behind in that game our future will not be in our hands.

People are right to say he's never been in this type of pressure situation before, because he hasn't as the man pulling the strings. As a number two surely at Fulham he's been here before, but it's never the same when your 'the man'.

[bennyboyt11]

I'm not too sure about that, benny. Jarvis hasn't been picked to start either of their last two games [although he's come on as a 2nd half substitute in both], in each of which they've scored 3!

Also, see what I quoted my Wolves correspondent as saying in the preview

Maybe Jarvis will start if McCarthy goes for Doyle, rather than Fletcher up front; but that's their problem; not ours!

I think Mick will see that we're actually quite strong in the middle of the pitch now, with JJ and N'Zonzi/Jones and will look to get at our weaknesses, Salgado & Givet/Olsson. I'm only going off what makes sense in my head, like you say Jarvis isn't playing at the moment so perhaps it will be completely different.

Both teams will be fired up, the first 20 minutes is going to be a real crash course in terms of challenges and pressure.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

If we lost the Bolton game we still had matches to put things right. Lose at Wolves on Sunday and if results conspire against us, then there's no games left to change things.

Will Kean cope if say during Saturdays game he gets told, ###### we're in the bottom three? At no point in the Bolton game was our future decided at Wolves it will be and if we are behind in that game our future will not be in our hands.

People are right to say he's never been in this type of pressure situation before, because he hasn't as the man pulling the strings. As a number two surely at Fulham he's been here before, but it's never the same when your 'the man'.

If we had lost against Bolton we had a couple of hard games to resurrect the season. We lose against Wolves and Brum still have to beat Spurs and Blackpool still have to beat Utd. I'd therefore say that the Bolton and Wolves games arent too disimilar in terms of pressure.

I understand where you're coming from. If Blackpool and Brum are winning then things will get tasty in the last 20 mins or so. The players will have to come through that as much as the manager. I think Spurs and Utd will do the job mind you.

At least its not boring.

[AggyBlue]

The Bolton game had more riding on it than the Wolves game does. That's pretty clear.