[Archived] Rovers vs West Brom preview

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

22,900... a near miracle considering what is going on!

[47er]

Yesterday was the first time this season when we have been really poor at home. It was also the 5th of our 6 winnable games in a row from which we have taken 4 points and got steadily worse through this period. All this points to relegation. It's such a bad situation I can hardley bring myself to get angry about it anymore. Kean still doesn't seem to notice that we are getting overrun in midfield every week and yet again poor defending allows a mediocre team to win easily. Who knows what was going on with the 2 who let their player to stroll through for the 2nd goal but if we don't have any tacklers in the team we shouldn't be surprised if we can't win any tackles.

I'll ask this one more time--------with Emerton and Diouf in would we not have been a far more cohesive team?

[Sparky Marky]

I'll ask this one more time--------with Emerton and Diouf in would we not have been a far more cohesive team?

Without a shadow of doubt mate. Our ball retention is shyte....Im a fan of diouf thought he was great at wbrom last year....just another cock up in a long list.

[Mattyblue]

Things are now so bad that at ANY other club, action would now be taken (obviously it would never have got to this elsewhere).

Saturday was absymal. There was just a stench of decline and acceptance around the place, that the 20 years of achievement is now over.

But who's there to see the misery? Who are the 'Kean Out' chants aimed at? We point at an empty directors box.

[jim mk2]

But who's there to see the misery? Who are the 'Kean Out' chants aimed at? We point at an empty directors box.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you want action and want to get the message out worldwide you have to get supporters en masse on the pitch.

[Gav]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you want action and want to get the message out worldwide you have to get supporters en masse on the pitch.

The modern day Rovers fan doesn't have the balls to run on the pitch, most of them are scared to shout "Kean out" FFS.

[Wild Irish Rover]

For me, the most obvious sign of a cynical undercurrent behind the scenes was Kean's baffling substitutions.

Vukevic was perhaps our most influential player in the first half, retaining and regaining possession and taking on players with attacking flair. So Kean replaces him with... Jason Roberts?

Next he takes off Dunny (albeit a shadow of the David Dunn of old) and puts a central defender (Grant Hanley) in midfield instead - might have worked with a certain young Mr Jones, but Hanley was even more out of his depth than Gamst at left back..

Now, I did remark to a friend at this point in the game that the only worse action Kean could take would be to introduce David Goodwillie.... I wish I'd said David Cameron, because I think the PM might have been a lot more capable of changing the game than our imported Sunday league'er from Scotland...

Game, set and match Keano. I reckon if he'd looked at it at half time and said, what would be the three worst things I could do to wreck our chance of getting anything out of the game, then the three subs he made would have been the ones to introduce. Mind you, the bench wasn't exactly stuffed full of talent on Saturday, was it?

I'll be there again on Tuesday. God help SK if someone's got some rope..

[bestierover]

The modern day Rovers fan doesn't have the balls to run on the pitch, most of them are scared to shout "Kean out" FFS.

Modern society. The threat of criminal prosecution extends into non criminal behaviour.

[Wild Irish Rover]

The modern day Rovers fan doesn't have the balls to run on the pitch, most of them are scared to shout "Kean out" FFS.

Unfortunately the threat of a lifetime ban and a heavy fine are a disincentive for most fans too.

Bear in mind that even the chants of 'Stand up, if you want Kean Out' barely get any reaction amongst the majority of fans. The club 'owns' the space over the wall, so it would be a very brave (and admittedly powerful) statement, if there was a mass pitch invasion. I doubt that the Rovers fans have the balls or the appetite for such a move, however - and individuals or small pockets of passionate protesters are easily picked off by stewards, further reducing the power of the dissenting majority.

We live in a society where dissent and protest are actively discouraged by the people 'in charge' - until we recognise that the only way to change things is to voice our concerns, loudly, consistently and with real passion, nothing is going to change.

Tell your children, argue with your friends - the only way to make a difference is to say NO to indifference, and get out there with the courage of your convictions.

[ABBEY]

The modern day Rovers fan doesn't have the balls to run on the pitch, most of them are scared to shout "Kean out" FFS.

Spot on ! I was ready to go on pitch on Saturday and alls I got was .. Oh it's abbey he wakes up angry

[Mike Graham]

It did not stop those birmingham city scumbags from doing so in the final game of the season 2 or 3 years back when they played us. I wonder how many of those wally's got a ban, fine or whatever?

[thenodrog]

Never met him, but he volunteered his time and effort to help the site when we asked, which we appreciate. There was hardly a massive queue, probably because some are so difficult to moderate.

I find mods are the most difficult to moderate.

[Rover_Shaun]

Next he takes off Dunny (albeit a shadow of the David Dunn of old) and puts a central defender (Grant Hanley) in midfield instead - might have worked with a certain young Mr Jones, but Hanley was even more out of his depth than Gamst at left back..

Hanley went to right back and Lowe moved into midfield.

The Roberts sub though was baffling. What differnce can Roberts make to a game when we neeed some pace to get behind the defence? Roberts is just a clone of Yakuba minus the footballing ability.

[thenodrog]

I never bother with the official website, but thanks for pointing that out. Couldn't see it on the BBC website.

Anyway, I shan't bother asking on the messageboard again, hopefully that will please you.

Don't take it to heart Bryan, I put it down to PMT..... old macca's been suffering from that on a regular basis for many years.

oh btw..... 22,909

[gbax]

Dann out for up t o 6 weeks - Groin!

[thenodrog]

22,900... a near miracle considering what is going on!

It's weird I grant you but the effect might be masked by 'gimmes'.

I've no ST for the first time in decades cos I couldn't bring myself to give a set of incompetents and liars my £400, yet there has only been one match that I have missed through having no ticket offered (Man City and I was in Venice anyway) because lots of people keep are offering me theirs! v Swansea I was in the Darwen End and on sat I found myself in the Bburn End Upper courtesy of a mate with a ST who stopped going after the Spurs match when he found himself actually wishing for Spurs to win the game!

[thenodrog]

For me, the most obvious sign of a cynical undercurrent behind the scenes was Kean's baffling substitutions.

Actions speak louder than words WIR. Despite frequent assurances that the venkeymob are really enthusiastic and keen on seeing BRFC successful their actions tell me otherwise. Asset stripping is supposedly illegal in this country but for a small time Premier League club relegation must make it oh so easy to disguise.... not to mention actually engineer. Whether it's that or the Glasgow heresay I don't know but any normal owner would have potted Kean last march. There is something dark and dirty that we are missing somewhere imo.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Serious Question

Does anybody on here sit close to the home dug out?

This area should really be propelling the disgust and unpleasantaries but bar the one incident the other month, all I have witnessed is clapping.

Where's the furore?

It has to turn nasty people - only chance and only way anything will happen.

Carry on as we are and either a club representative/player or fan is going to end up seriously injured.

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

Parsonblue's match report is now published to the front page here.

[Neil Weaver]

There is something dark and dirty that we are missing somewhere imo.

It's not just your opinion Gord, some of us (and I'm including you!) have suspected as much for months. Thing is, what can any of us do about it? It's the next battle after the Kean one, and I get the feeling it'll be tougher and a lot more important, hard though that might appear to be to comprehend at the mo.