[Archived] Rovers vs Aston Villa preview

[Tom]

And we paid more for Nikola Kalinic than we did for Yakubu.

At the moment Hanley is the better player, by some margin IMO

[speeeeeeedie]

The 1st half was utter dross. The 2nd was markedly better, yet still mediocre. Overall it was more points lost at home.

Other than that I can't see why Hoilett is rated so highly. Yes, he can beat a man but has no end product. He looks dangerous when he gets it but inevitably loses it after trying to dribble past the fourth player. He reminds me of an U14 player.

[Torgeir]

anyone saying Ped had a decent game must have been watching a different game to me.. constantly hoofing the ball to no one, giving easy passes away, poor flat corners and his throw ins weren't beating the first man!

I thought he was key in the second half. I'm one of his biggest critics but I can't fault him for effort today. What we lacked in the first half was what was shown in the second - fighting spirit. And MGP was running all over the place wanting a result, the Olsson twins were running into the same space on the left as they were both so eager to contribute offensively.

I think we have to divide this game into two halves. Why weren't we switched on from the get-go? Again we looked lackluster until something hit us, and it's evident that we are having major issues defensively. But to single Ped out is a bit OTT tbh.

[USABlue]

That's ridiculous, how can you say he didn't play well? The two subs both had a huge impact almost immediately! Marcus provided a lot of energy and his pace made a REAL difference! Him and his brother set the tempo for the start of the second half and it helped balance the team. I wouldn't underestimate this. I'd like to know what you saw that makes you decide he won't make a player? No one's expecting a world beater but today I think he proved he can certainly add something to the team!

I personally don't know how you can defend this waste of a Blue and White shirt. The man actually hides his way through the games, he clearly staions himself NOT to get involved he is as the poster you responded to stealing his pay packet. I saw two passes from him that looked decent which is an improvement in his recent performances but he will have to do a lot more for me. Givet in for Dann when he's back and AN other for Petrovic and it will be an improvement.

Second half was a major improvement I can only assume Kean had nothing to do with it.

[savage90]

I personally don't know how you can defend this waste of a Blue and White shirt. The man actually hides his way through the games, he clearly staions himself NOT to get involved he is as the poster you responded to stealing his pay packet. I saw two passes from him that looked decent which is an improvement in his recent performances but he will have to do a lot more for me. Givet in for Dann when he's back and AN other for Petrovic and it will be an improvement.

Second half was a major improvement I can only assume Kean had nothing to do with it.

You really can put the difference in performance in the two halves down to one thing - the removal of Petrovic.

The man is stealing a living, he's incredibly bad.

I think it also shows how far we've descended when some on here think that Marcus Ollson played well. He'll never make a player.

My post is defending Marcus Ollson's performance. Petrovic is a waste of space, rightly subbed.

[hesfromburn]

Id bet you anything that we get a more substantial fee for Dann than Hanley.

wum!

Yakubu cost us more than kalinic? So how does that prove any point and you don't know that for sure, but performance why's I dont know who you can think dann is 10 times the player Hanley is its clearly the other way round.

But hey you just get on the youngsters back even though he was by far the best player on the pitch today and had to do over half of danns defensive work aswell as his won becuase dann is to slow and awkward to get there.

[McClarky]

McLeish did a Kean today. They were coasting until he made an inexplicable double sub and took their best player off to let us right back into the game. Who said that Weedgies made good managers?

[philipl]

That first half performance was the worst thing I can remember seeing as a Rovers supporter.

And that is saying something given some of the games I have been to.

[McClarky]

McLeish did a Kean today. They were coasting until he made an inexplicable double sub and took their best player off to let us right back into the game. Who said that Weedgies made good managers?

[Puffsan]

1. Robbo was good

2. Orr did Ok again. People only give him stick because he came from Qpr as deadwood. twice the player salgado were first half of this season

3. Hanley keeps impressing me. Looks like a true leader back there. twice the player dann is.

4. Petrovic useless again.

5. Hoilett knows how to dribble, but he is lazy and doesnt help at all. He has potential to be good in the future, but as he doesn't want to sign a new contract why should we help him get more experience. Imo we have players on the bench that can contribute more to the team. Let hoilett sit on the bench for the rest of the season, he can be a sub.

6. Formica was poor today, usually plays better. Dunn looked decent but looked a bit unfit.

7. Marcus olsson looked ok. he gives us speed which we dont really have. Think he can handle PL level football.

positive things for next game: Lowe and givet back, which means we can bench petrovic and dann. Dann will probably not be benched, which is sad.

i want to see these 11 next game

Robbo

Orr, Hanley, Givet, Olsson

simon, N'Zonzi, Lowe, Pedersen

Dunn (if fit) or formica

Yakubu

subs: Bunn, Dann, Henley, Marcus Olsson, Hoilett, Modeste, formica

simon will probably not play for unknown reasons, then replace him with marcus olsson.

[PAFELL]

A draw is decent??? F sake

Dann ain't fit to lace sambas boots

Even though we needed 3pts. Rovers normally lose to Villa. So a draw, under the circumstances has to be considered decent.

At this stage of the season every team in the relegation battle is going to have nerves.

For a change kean used the right subs. But I do not believe he gave the ht team talk.

[johnradfordsubbuteo]

That first half performance was the worst thing I can remember seeing as a Rovers supporter.

And that is saying something given some of the games I have been to.

I'm no apologist for the regime, but 2 words:' jim' and' iley' may help give perspective.

[Bobby G]

McLeish did a Kean today. They were coasting until he made an inexplicable double sub and took their best player off to let us right back into the game. Who said that Weedgies made good managers?

The subs were in the last 10 or 15 minutes and they had the impact of getting Villa onto front foot after 20-25 minutes of relentless Rovers pressure. Its a bit unfair saying his subs cost him. His lack of activity until so late in game may have cost him though.

[gumboots]

Even though we needed 3pts. Rovers normally lose to Villa. So a draw, under the circumstances has to be considered decent.

At this stage of the season every team in the relegation battle is going to have nerves.

For a change kean used the right subs. But I do not believe he gave the ht team talk.

Listening to Kean on Radio Rovers, I suspect he might have done. I think even his eternal positivity took a battering after the first half yesterday and he might just have had a go at the players now there is nobody around to tell him he's talking rubbish that he might be scared of. He did somehow get the subs right and the moving of Pedersen into the middle meant that the ball came forward more quickly.

With the arrival of Marcus on the wing, Martin came into the game more (sibling rivalry?) and this put Junior's nose out of joint a bit as he's Martin's best mate and so he seemed to decide he's better stop giving the ball to a Villa player every time he touched it (did it so often in the first half that we joked that he'd obviously agreed to move to Villa in the summer and was practising passing to his future team mates). The arival of Marcus gave Villa something to worry about in terms of pace, and since they couldn't risk him getting down that wing too often at pace they had to drop back to defend creating space elsewhere. As for having nothing but the pace and therefore not being capable of becoming a player, look at Walcott, Lennon, Wright-Phillips. I'm not suggesting he's on their level, but how many times have we heard that it's their pace that scares defenders and seen that, though they can't cross well or shoot well, they create things just by running at defenders. Don't knock pace - not many of areas of our team have any.

When Dunn scored, the pleasing thing was we actually had men in the box, something we are normally sadly lacking. As for Hanley v Dann, I'd take Hanley every day. He may look clumsy but he is quicker to see what's going on than Dann and to react to it. Playing with a partner who reads the game well, as Jones did last season with whoever partnered him, I think he'd be very good, Playing with Dann, who is often clueless, shows up his every mistake. And he's a kid so he's going to make mistakes - even experienced defenders do.

[Mattyblue]

Radio Rovers:

'As you would expect, a really honest apprasial from the manager'.

All you need is Radio Pravda...

[arbitro]

Radio Rovers:

'As you would expect, a really honest apprasial from the manager'.

All you need is Radio Pravda...

I heard Jackson say something like "we can't say that for obvious reasons" during a conversation with a caller. Why can he not say it (it was alluding to how the club is being run). The other guy (don't even know his name) purports to be a Rovers fan but in his world all is rosy.

That is enough of sugar coated Radio Rovers for me. It will be talksport and five live before and after the game from now.

[gumboots]

Radio Rovers:

'As you would expect, a really honest apprasial from the manager'.

All you need is Radio Pravda...

Don't listen to it either normally but they do get the manager's statement first so have a quick listen to that. he was less positive, more (OOps almost said honest but that word and Kean don't go togehter, so find another word that suggests that he wasn't doing his usual) .... today.

[Stuart]

I too listened to the RR fawn-in programme.

I can barely bring myself to listen and drive safely when Kean is on but I think I'm now becoming immune. Must be the mixture of anger management and pills.

He did still look to "take the positives". Again.

It was also funny when a caller "Andy" followed up straight after the Kean interview to say "well it's nice that Kean is going to enjoy going to Fulham tomorrow" (or words to that effect) and Gerald quickly jumped to Kean's defence about the match affecting our league position - so what?!

Wouldn't be surprised if Kean is guest of honour at Fulham today such is his relationship. I will never forget last season when he snubbed his own fans to sign autographs for Fulham fans.

[Mike Graham]

20,717 a reasonable gate in the circumstances

[adsfortheblues]

Even though we needed 3pts. Rovers normally lose to Villa. So a draw, under the circumstances has to be considered decent.

At this stage of the season every team in the relegation battle is going to have nerves.

For a change kean used the right subs. But I do not believe he gave the ht team talk.

We normally lose to villa? Really, we have beaten them for the last 2 seasons running at ewood.

[thenodrog]

6. Formica was poor today, usually plays better. Dunn looked decent but looked a bit unfit.

Thats harsh. C'mon be fair..... it's only March.

[s_simpson_9]

We normally lose to villa? Really, we have beaten them for the last 2 seasons running at ewood.

I bet London to a brick says we've lost to Villa far more often than we've won over the last 10 years. They and West fricken Ham always do us.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

anyone saying Ped had a decent game must have been watching a different game to me.. constantly hoofing the ball to no one, giving easy passes away, poor flat corners and his throw ins weren't beating the first man!

I agree that MGP had on the whole a poor match - though it is possibly that he was vastly improved in the second half - and was an unbelievable improvement on Petrovic. Looks like Lowe is going to be a key player for us towards the end of the season - because it doesn't look like Petrovic will adjust to the Premiership any time soon (unfortunately if ever).

[47er]

Even though we needed 3pts. Rovers normally lose to Villa. So a draw, under the circumstances has to be considered decent.

At this stage of the season every team in the relegation battle is going to have nerves.

For a change kean used the right subs. But I do not believe he gave the ht team talk.

If we needed 3 points, then a draw can't be a decent result can it?

We needed 3 points and we didn't get them.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

If we needed 3 points, then a draw can't be a decent result can it?

We needed 3 points and we didn't get them.

We need three points in every match we play - but in the scheme of things it wasn't a bad result (especially with other results going our way - so far). The games against Wolves and Bolton will be the ones that define our season - lose either one and we will be looking for a paddle to go up that well known creek.