[Archived] Blackburn Rovers v Stoke City Preview

[JAL]

After seeing it on MOTD I still think Lowe is at fault for the second goal, just take him out on halfway

Definitely, but that disallowed goal doesnt look so clear on the replay. Formica was shyte on the right wing just hope they get rid of him in this window.

[oozy]

haha at Pedersen on Kean.........

[Tom]

Definitely, but that disallowed goal doesnt look so clear on the replay.

It's a foul but then again technically so is Crouch on Henley for the second as the ball comes in.

I didn't realise how good a chance that was for the Yak at the end.

[cn174]

Just watched motd -

Struggling to see where the foul was for our disallowed goal.

Defending vs Crouch was terrible

Good lad Pedersen!! Didn't even turn around to see if he was ok!

[Al]

Sounds like you're doing everyone a favour by staying away if that's how you feel...

You will be there of course will you not?

[DE.]

Lowe was definitely at fault for the second goal, Henley too for poor marking of Crouch... but they're youth players for goodness sake, Lowe isn't even playing in his favoured position. Blaming them is pointless.

Pedersen's tackle on Kean was amusing... anyone notice Peds didn't even glance at Kean, crack a smile or offer any apology? Just got up and ran off as if nothing had happened

[Ozz]

La la la la *fingers in ears*

La la la la *eyes closed*

La la la la *not watching news*

[daveoftherovers]

My summary, in for a penny...

Usual okay start, then the usual policy of giving their midfielders loads of time on the ball, followed by a couple of defensive howlers.

Build up far too slow, no movement, no ideas, no passion, no one getting stuck in until it's too late.

Selection and formation wrong, Formica is as much as a right winger as Dennis Skinner is.

Petrovich???!!!

I don't blame the young lads for their errors, and Samba will occasionally slip over, but for the rest to just curl up and die in a corner is just depressing

Then the usual rally, when its all too late.

Yes the disallowed goal was very harsh, ref conned by the keeper, and yes Stoke commit assault on anyone in the box, and the ref is poor, but we know and expect all this, so where is he energy when we need it?

Depressing.

[Kelbo]

Lowe was definitely at fault for the second goal, Henley too for poor marking of Crouch... but they're youth players for goodness sake, Lowe isn't even playing in his favoured position. Blaming them is pointless.

Pedersen's tackle on Kean was amusing... anyone notice Peds didn't even glance at Kean, crack a smile or offer any apology? Just got up and ran off as if nothing had happened

Wrong, watch again, Henley was goal side of his man and tight on Crouch, Crouch, with his experience, a little niggle against Henley, pushed him away and Crouch peeled off!! But, Henley should not have been alone against Crouch, who's faiult is that??

[Rovers_786]

gutted we never took anything from this game.

[bigbrandjohn]

Overdosing on Footie today. The flow and intuition of teams like Fulham and Norwich is the benchmark for where we need to be.

[Gogger]

What I will remember from this match and the whole of Venkys reign at Ewood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqbFjdeEZM

[Veevs]

What I will remember from this match and the whole of Venkys reign at Ewood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqbFjdeEZM

I like how he checked to see if Kean was ok before running off..

[Majiball]

What I will remember from this match and the whole of Venkys reign at Ewood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMqbFjdeEZM

ROFLMAO, peds's I don't care what everyone else seems to be saying about you for that your a leg-end in my book.

[alexanders]

Such a punch in the face after the great victory against United.

Felt we were very unlucky with Samba hitting the crossbar, dissallowed goal, save on the line from Woodgate.

Nice to see Goodwillie getting his first goal. Didnt show much to be honest.

Its going to be a thrilling season. No matter what I am still wearing my blue and white next season!

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Is there a big secret about Peter Crouch? Is there something that may explain why Steve Kean seemingly had no strategy whatsoever for dealing with him?

Why would anybody employed as a Premier League manager not know that Crouch is a very experienced, highly effective striker?

Jesus wept.

[alexanders]

Is there a big secret about Peter Crouch? Is there something that may explain why Steve Kean seemingly had no strategy whatsoever for dealing with him?

Why would anybody employed as a Premier League manager not know that Crouch is a very experienced, highly effective striker?

Jesus wept.

The secret is he loves scoring against us. How many times havent we seen Crouch giving Nelsen / Samba handful of problems at Ewood Park and WHL. I think the opposition both Crouch and Berba have scored most goals are us.

[47er]

Message fromBRFC-----------"As of yesterday normal service has been resumed".

[aletheia]

Its all well and good getting men behind the ball and defending deep against good teams. The top six tend to want to pass it through and by defending in numbers the space is limited so it works if you defend with discipline. Sunderland did this excellently against city yesterday.

However, playing against a team like Stoke invites the ball into the box from dangerous areas up to 30 yards out. It's hardly surprising that Crouch bagged a couple. Against the mid to low teams we have to press the ball in the opposition half, theres no point backing off, it makes poor, limited teams look dangerous.

Not that Kean will be too bothered about that, he'll dine out on the United result well into the summer.

Spot on. We already had several warnings before the first goal: easy long diagonals to pick out Crouch with no pressure on the ball. Kean managed to get it right in 2nd half.

[Exiled_Rover]

The secret is he loves scoring against us. How many times havent we seen Crouch giving Nelsen / Samba handful of problems at Ewood Park and WHL. I think the opposition both Crouch and Berba have scored most goals are us.

Crouch and Keane would score 5 against us each game. They're our bogeymen.

[thenodrog]

Wrong, watch again, Henley was goal side of his man and tight on Crouch, Crouch, with his experience, a little niggle against Henley, pushed him away and Crouch peeled off!! But, Henley should not have been alone against Crouch, who's faiult is that??

Is there a big secret about Peter Crouch? Is there something that may explain why Steve Kean seemingly had no strategy whatsoever for dealing with him?

Why would anybody employed as a Premier League manager not know that Crouch is a very experienced, highly effective striker?

Jesus wept.

Everybody now knows what became increasingly apparent within a few weeks of that bald ###### being appointed to replace a proper manager that BRFC would have to score 3 to win. We only stayed up cos we scored 3 on the final day! Kean is absolutely bloody clueless about the defensive aspects required in the Premier League. Everybody connected with BRFC knows how dangerous Etherington and Crouch yet we give them the freedom of the park ffs! Suicide tactics which must have proper managers splitting their sides.

The first goal showed our defensive midfield failings off to a tee. Sure the attention is on Samba slipping BUT Whitehouse standing unmarked, not closed down and without a BRFC midfielder within 10 yards just outside our 'D' had an age to pick out Crouch. Just plain amateur and indisciplined midfield play.

The second goal came about cos two ch's went up for a set piece in the first half. 2 CH's should not go forward unless we need a goal late in the game and certainly not against a team with a fast winger and an international quality centre forward. Henley was isolated because both had gone forward, Samba was miles away, Hanley was struggling to get back in what started as a gallop on the halfway line and ended at a feeble trot with him obviously blowing bubbles.

In conclusion this was amateurish and indisciplined play resulting from naive management put in place as a consequence of a macheavellian figure lurking and plotting in the shadows and carrying and unhealthy influence over naive and gullible owners. Its all so unecessary. If the slumdogs had simply kept Allardyce and Williams together and stuck 5m in every year as they promised then BRFC would not be staring over the precipice which is not only threatening it's place at footballs top table but actually threatening it's existence. Instead we'd just have the few numpties on the Blackburn End booing the manager every time we get 3-0 up and pass the ball sideways and we can cope with them.

[Plastic Head]

Ive had enough now.

The instructions given to the players and the set up and organization of the team are non-existant.

Football is a simple game plated by simple players organized in the main by simple managers. Lets face it most managers struggle to string a coherent sentence together let alone put a powerpoint presentation together or do a vlookup. The media let them get away with this lack of intelligence by asking inane questions such as do you think it was a penalty or how much did you need that win today. Why not ask them proper technical questions about their teams failure, or would that just show up the ineptitude of both the media and the managers.

The most important person at the football club is the manager. A great deal of research and investigation is required before their appointment or disaster follows. Even the diligent Williams admitted he had not looked in to Inces actual input and professionalism at his previous club but at least was quick to realise his mistake. Being positive is not a good reason to appoint someone as manager of a team unless you are under 11s. OK DESAI.

By the time Tony Field left Ewood I and some other members on here had forgotten more about football than the stupid Indian woman will ever know.

So heres a simple lesson.

Why did we get results at Liverpool and Man Utd but couldnt beat Stoke? Well, no tactics or set up really required in the 2 away games. You are forced to defend for you lives and break whenever you can. We have a bank of 4 and then another of 5. Nobody gets out of position and the way forward is a hoof which gives Yak a chance as all their players are looking to get forward. You still need a lot of luck to get a result but we got it.

At home against Stoke is a different matter altogether. You need a plan.

Yesterday there was zero movement off the ball on the rare occasion we had possession. Players just standing looking at the man with the ball. No chance of a successful pass forward. Nobody was willing to make a run and show for the ball. We never even tried to play triangles to get the ball forward. When players moved out of position for whatever reason nobody covered them at all. This led to 2 goals conceded in ridiculous fashion. The only way forward for us was 70 yard hoofs, free-kicks and throws ins. Absolutely pathetic. This is really basic stuff and shows the third rate coach we have as manager as incredibly incompetent.

Even anti football Stoke showed us the way up the field.

This manager will take us out of the football league completely given time.

I refuse to support a team any longer when the owner has never seen a game of football and I am more competent to manage the club than the man in charge.

Lets hope death comes quickly to all those involved.

[John]

If the slumdogs had simply kept Allardyce and Williams

Why would they have done that - does anyone really think, with no understanding of football, that Steve Kean and subsequently John Jensen were picked by the Rao family to become manager/assistant manager.

[BRFCfor83]

5m in every year as they promised

That was Never going to happen In a month of Sundays. They bought this club to make money and that's exactly what they are doing.

[alexanders]

I think we played some neat football and stood much higher in the pitch than we did last year. This is what I like to see.

The commentators were actually enjoying the game and praising it. Nothing like you would expect of a game between Rovers and Stoke were the exact words.

How Stoke had 96% against ours 4% in one part of the game was on the other hand baffling!