[Archived] Preview: Aston Villa v. Rovers 20th August 2011

[Raymond Rover]

What I am doing at Steve Kean right now

http://i.imgur.com/D9UUq.gif

[Finch]

Rovers look so relegation-bound

For me Rovers sealed their fate when they decided not to replace Kean. My fear is whether we will go the way of other ex-Prem teams and stay down long term (Leeds anyone?) Time will tell.

[OJRovers]

This is what happens when you put a non-manager in charge of a Premier League football club.

For every fan over the years that says 'I could do a better job than Allardyce/Hughes/Hodgson/McKlish/whoever' they are mistaken. There's a reason these guys get paid a lot because they know how to set up clubs to stay in the league. You can't appoint a complete amateur and expect him to be up to it.

[ebenrocks]

That was absolutely tragic. Hoilett is the only player in the team with any sort of quality, the rest of them look like a pub team's reserve side. Painful to watch. Salgado was the worst player on the pitch, but that isnt exactly saying much.

I'm just really struggling to see us improve at all, crap players + crap manager = crap team. Simple as. If everything stays the same we'll be going down for sure.

Hughes is proven to be a fantastic manager for rovers, the owners and kean have been banging on about how they have a decent budget and enough money to pay Raul's wages. (Please don't use that word again) Raul, use that money to get Hughes back in and then we might have some kind of hope of a decent season. As it is, I wouldn't be suprised if we're sinking without hope by Christmas.

[Veevs]

That was awful..

Positives: Petrovic looks pretty decent, Goodwillie looked decent (but out of position), Dunn made it through the match and jnr was a shining light until moved up front.

Negatives: Blackburn looked awful, Awful tactics throughout I mean long ball game in the last half hour (to Jnr against Dunne and Collins.. complete joke tactics), players all over the place, Salgado looks awful this season, NZonzi didn't look great, defensive positioning awful, Nelson pulled all over the place trying to cover for young hanley and Salgado, Roberts should not be wearing the halves, NO communication at all within the side, no LEADER on the pitch... list could go on.

On the radio they talked about Arsenals problems at the moment, bringing youngsters through is all well and good but not so many at the same time.. same applies to Rovers and none of our potential signings address that issue if anything we are making it worse.

[Josh]

well that was dire, if Salgado plays against Everton then Kean is a bigger fool than first thought.

[RevidgeBlue]

We have a poor squad but the lack of fight suggests that these players aren't giving 100%. Has Kean lost the dressing room and the respect of the players? (Did he have it in the first place?)

It appears a bit that way but the self same players displayed fight in abundance during the last five games of last season and it appeared they were playing for Kean irrespective of any shortcomings he might have.

What could have changed since then?

[Pinch]

Also can't see the point in dropping our best player from last week (Formica) or signing Petrovic and not playing him but I can see the theory behind wanting to put two workhorses on up front in a 4-4-2 and trying to defend from the front. However I'm taking it from comments from those watching the game that the usual suspects (Salgado Dunn and Pedersen) simply aren't up to the task and are letting the Job down.

Yep, leaving out Formica was a mistake. Why not bring Dunn on for him if he (Formica) is struggling.

[booth]

never deserved anything from the game. poor tactics and poor performances.

robbo - 5 - not much chance with the goals but looked dodgy with communication

salgado 3 - looked totally out of his depth. offered nothing

nelsen 7 - didnt do to badly

hanley 4 - his fault for the 3rd

ollson 4 - cant defend and offered little going forward

pederson 5 - good header, did nothing else

dunn 4 - ran round like a headless chicken.

hoillet 8 - only bright spark

nzonzi 3 - do not rate this guy at all. gives away the ball 90% of the time

goodwillie 4 - didnt do anything to impress. suprised some on here where saying he was a bright spark in the first half

roberts 1 - might as well have been playing with 10 men. didnt do anything all game

Goodwillie was the only person holding the ball up, retaining it and fighting for the ball in the first half. Also note that he was being played out of position on the right. I suggest you go back and watch the game again if you can stomach it. To give him the same mark as Dunn isn't fair when it's not the position he's used to playing, and we have a useless lump up front giving us nothing.

Having him on the right meant that Salgado was even more exposed.

Hoilett wasn't in the game until the second half so that 8 must be because of his second half display.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Never mind folks..perhaps Everton are as shyte as us!

[bigbrandjohn]

OK so lets look on the positive side. Petrovic looked commanding linking well with Dunn when he came on and will definitely start next time. Formica and Goodwillie should start together. Roberts is a battler but save that for a rainy day against Wigan. I think two injured centre halves is having a huge impact on our game flow in particular set pieces.

Bad day at the office but with new signings imminent and some promising touches from those who actually had a chance to touch the ball, I have had worse days supporting Rovers. Give it a month for the new guys to settle in and the defence sorted and then will be the time to judge.

[afx111]

today we missed a midfield enforcer like jermaine jones to tidy things up......

[Stuart]

I wonder how many of our transfer targets' price tags just went up?

We are now desperate for quality and the selling clubs will hold all the cards.

[Pugg]

Hopefully venkys were over with a load of guests and have been totally embarrassed.

Even junior who was our best player only came to life in the second half. We looked completely unprepared

So, so disappointed. Hard to be rational.

[Pinch]

That was awful..

Negatives: Blackburn looked awful, Awful tactics throughout I mean long ball game in the last half hour (to Jnr against Dunne and Collins.. complete joke tactics), players all over the place, Salgado looks awful this season, NZonzi didn't look great, defensive positioning awful, Nelson pulled all over the place trying to cover for young hanley and Salgado, Roberts should not be wearing the halves, NO communication at all within the side, no LEADER on the pitch... list could go on.

I think you could add Hanley to that list... tough for him to be dropped into the starting XI, but that's a reality.

[modes98]

Watching the game from a bar in Zante takes the edge off an awful performance.

I thought Robbo could have done better for all 3. Hanley was dire as was Salgado.

Only real bright spots were hoilett and petrovic.

Back to the sunshine for me.

[DE.]

I honestly don't see how we're going to stay up this year. The club has been systematically taken apart since Nov 2010, Venky's ownership and subsequent sacking of Allardyce and hiring of Kean has resulted in a sustained loss of form and ultimately looks like it's going to cost us our premier league place this year.

It's early days yet but unlike almost all previous years, I don't think there are three teams in the league worse than us.

Depressing... I feel like distancing myself from it all, because I see no hope for the team with the present owners/manager in charge. I know I'm not going to be able to though

[T4E]

Chris Samba is an absolute disgrace and should be thrown out of our club on his ear. Disgusting the way he's completely abandoned us. Number one priority must be replacing him and getting rid, we cannot go on allowing him to disrupt the club.

[booth]

Nzonzi is probably overrated by our fans. Cant pass, slows up play, cant control the ball. Another new DM or else our team is severly unbalanced. Lansbury?

It doesn't matter who we bring in. Even if we got Raul and another new defensive midfielder we'd still be relegation bound.

The only way things will change is if we replace the manager and Venky's allow them to manage on their own terms. Let's face it, the only way that Kean got the job is his ability to enthusiastically say yes come what may.

[EWOODACE1]

Goodwillie was the only person holding the ball up, retaining it and fighting for the ball in the first half. Also note that he was being played out of position on the right. I suggest you go back and watch the game again if you can stomach it. To give him the same mark as Dunn isn't fair when it's not the position he's used to playing, and we have a useless lump up front giving us nothing.

Having him on the right meant that Salgado was even more exposed.

Hoilett wasn't in the game until the second half so that 8 must be because of his second half display.

i dont need to watch the game again. i dont think goodwillie offered much. dunn ran his balls off hence his rating which still wasnt high. and yes hoillets score was based on the 2nd half.

they are my thoughts on my ratings i gave as people will have their own. no need to tell me to watch the game again.

[brian_gallagher85]

I'm starting to think that if Kean was found in the sack with the owners' other halves he'd still have a job, they seem to be the only thing on the planet more clueless than our team at the minute.

Salgado, Roberts and Hanley need removing from our first team with immediate effect. They offer nothing but possession to the other team throughout the game.

I can't see any of this changing before it's too late, we're the worst team in the league at present and the table shows it.

The lack of fight on show today was really telling, it's clear for all to see that they've given up on Kean...well apart from teachers pet - Roberts.

[chris]

Positive:

Holliet looked good, Dunn did ok, nelsen did ok.

Negative:

Goodwillie not PL class yet, thought everything he did was fairly poor

Roberts is poor

Olsson sucks at left back

Salgado too old

Nzonzi didn't do much

Hanley not good enough

Pedersen good goal, didn;t do anything else

[bluefred]

id stick him in the reserves until xmas and get a replacement NOW> the ungratefull disloyal tw-t.

Chris Samba is an absolute disgrace and should be thrown out of our club on his ear. Disgusting the way he's completely abandoned us. Number one priority must be replacing him and getting rid, we cannot go on allowing him to disrupt the club.

[thenodrog]

It appears a bit that way but the self same players displayed fight in abundance during the last five games of last season and it appeared they were playing for Kean irrespective of any shortcomings he might have.

What could have changed since then?

Personally Simon I don't believe for one minute that the players were playing for Kean in those Apr/May matches. Be honest why on earth would they?

Early days of course but after two matches against fairly ordinary opposition we are pointless and already adrift at the bottom. Most could see this happening 9 months ago of course. It's been like watching a car crash in slow motion.

[rovers1993]

04-05 = After 5 games = 19th with 2 points including losses to Southampton, Newcastle, arsenal and draws with man utd and wba. First win coming 18th September against pompey.

Finish the season 15th with 42 points.

05-06 = After 6 games = 1 win 3 losses and 2 draws. 5 points from 18. Loss to west ham, villa, Newcastle and draws to Bolton and spurs. Won against fulham at home.

Finish the season 6th with 63 points.

06-07 = After 5 games = 1 win v city, 2 losses v pompey and chelski, 2 draws v Sheffield utd and everton home.

Finish the season 10th with 52 points.

07-08 = After 5 games = 2 wins v city and boro, 3 draws v gunners, everton and Chelsea. That’s 8 points from 15.

Finish the season 7th with 58 points.

This year = After 5 games = 2 losses, potentially 1 win v everton, 1 draw v fulham and 1 more loss v arsenal. That’s 4 points.

I’m just giving pure statistics here but it seems like we are heading for a 15th place finish… or it may turn out like the 05-06 season where we came 6th and nearly got in the champions league.

First things first, KEAN OUT!