[Archived] Rovers vs Aston Villa preview

[EWOODACE1]

every rovers player was having a go at petrovic constantly coming to the end of the first half. they were really laying into him and he snapped back at a few of them. i dont think he is liked by the players as a lot of times at half time when warming up they seem to treat him badly there.

he was awful yesterday and shouldnt be considered now for the rest of this season. he had 2 games where he looked better but that isnt enough.

hoilet is another that should be left out. im not a big fan of his as he isnt a team player whatsoever and he hasnt been as influencial going forward as he was at the start of the season bar qpr.

steve kean needs to change his tactics. they didnt work a year ago and they aren't working now. the lack of movement is frightening and it seems that our midfield dont know where they should be. the ball moves to quickly from back to front for the midfield to have any impact and as they try and push forward to join in we lose the ball and they are then out of position. this results in the midfield just sitting back and inviting pressure on because it seems they know we wont keep the ball

[Exiled in Toronto]

every rovers player was having a go at petrovic constantly coming to the end of the first half. they were really laying into him and he snapped back at a few of them. i dont think he is liked by the players as a lot of times at half time when warming up they seem to treat him badly there.

he was awful yesterday and shouldnt be considered now for the rest of this season. he had 2 games where he looked better but that isnt enough.

I noticed Bradley Orr having a prolonged go at him which says it all really.

First half we looked a like a team already down; second half we looked like a team that will stay up.

Robbo redeemed his howler last week.

Orr I quite like actually - his attitude in having a go at Petrovic and he gives us much more going forwards on the right than Salgado could now, terrific cross for the goal.

Hanley is looking much more the part

N'Zonzi has grown a lot this season imo, does far fewer of his responsibility-avoiding sideways passes

The Olsson twins have enough pace, if not ability, to stop the opposition pushing up on their right side.

And the Yak is overdue a goal next week.

On the other side of the coin; Junior has regressed a lot this season and we have a bench full of crap

[EWOODACE1]

when dunny scored yesterday he started running over to the bench and it was a horrible feeling i got. i thought the elation was going to be wiped out by him going and hugging kean. but it felt great that he ran straight past him and hugged someone else and didnt acknowlege him on the way back.

as for orr i dont mind him. he isnt brilliant but at least he is a right back. he is very good in the air but when someone is running at him he backs off too much. i'd move givet to left back as i dont feel olsson is a left back, id drop hoilet and move olsson there.

[John]

At the bottom of this article picture of Dunn/Kean: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4169738/Match-report-and-pictures-Blackburn-1-Aston-Villa-1.html

[m1st]

when dunny scored yesterday he started running over to the bench and it was a horrible feeling i got. i thought the elation was going to be wiped out by him going and hugging kean. but it felt great that he ran straight past him and hugged someone else and didnt acknowlege him on the way back.

as for orr i dont mind him. he isnt brilliant but at least he is a right back. he is very good in the air but when someone is running at him he backs off too much. i'd move givet to left back as i dont feel olsson is a left back, id drop hoilet and move olsson there.

Yes, wasn't that great of Dunny?

I wouldn't play Givet at left-back; while he always tries, he always looks much less comfortable there than in the middle of the back four. Some players can play as well at full-back as at centre-back; Givet's never impressed me as one of those.

[Stuart]

At the bottom of this article picture of Dunn/Kean: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4169738/Match-report-and-pictures-Blackburn-1-Aston-Villa-1.html

Inconclusive.

[Fife Rover]

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.

Exactly DMTP. We are presntly engaged in a desparate fight for PL survival and EVERY match from now to the last one is involved in that fight., but those two you indicated are genuine six pointers.

[EWOODACE1]

Inconclusive.

hes running back on the pitch and kean went to him. dunny is pushing him off

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yes, wasn't that great of Dunny?

I wouldn't play Givet at left-back; while he always tries, he always looks much less comfortable there than in the middle of the back four. Some players can play as well at full-back as at centre-back; Givet's never impressed me as one of those.

I can't think of many centre halves who were equally good at full-back. That Italian guy Maldini who played for about 20 years is the only one that springs to mind. I remember Keith Curle who was a pretty quick centre half being made a fool of at full back when he made his debut for England. Givet is far from being the worst left back at the club but as things stand he's definitely our best centre half.

[Derbyshire Blue]

As it stands we are out of the bottom 3 with 45 minutes to go at Craven Cottage

[old darwen blue]

3 nil

[EWOODACE1]

I can't think of many centre halves who were equally good at full-back. That Italian guy Maldini who played for about 20 years is the only one that springs to mind. I remember Keith Curle who was a pretty quick centre half being made a fool of at full back when he made his debut for England. Givet is far from being the worst left back at the club but as things stand he's definitely our best centre half.

henning berg

[roversmum]

hes running back on the pitch and kean went to him. dunny is pushing him off

It looked as if Kean tried to catch Dunny as he ran past him.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

henning berg

Yeah, good call. Could have done with a bit more pace at full back though. Wish he was still here.

[1864roverite]

That first 45 minutes was simply an atrocious abortion of a game of football from everyone in a blue and white shirt. No pride, no effort, no guile and no idea.

granted the second 45 was a muich more cohesive effort but I walked off with a full 20 minutes to go, it was simply that bad.

One thing I did pick up during the 70 minutes was that the players are doing there utmost to ignore Kean. Before we kicked off there was a change in formation, Junior swapped sides. Halkf way through the first half the players were talking to Black whislt kean tried his best to join the talk in without success. It was the same in the second half.

Its a matter of time now, KEAN OUT.

[Stuart]

That first 45 minutes was simply an atrocious abortion of a game of football from everyone in a blue and white shirt. No pride, no effort, no guile and no idea.

granted the second 45 was a muich more cohesive effort but I walked off with a full 20 minutes to go, it was simply that bad.

One thing I did pick up during the 70 minutes was that the players are doing there utmost to ignore Kean. Before we kicked off there was a change in formation, Junior swapped sides. Halkf way through the first half the players were talking to Black whislt kean tried his best to join the talk in without success. It was the same in the second half.

Its a matter of time now, KEAN OUT.

How long before Black hits the ejection seat then?

[47er]

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.

We need 3 wins and a few draws to get to around 35 points which might save us.

Villa have won 2 from the last 10 and are just above us in the table. If we can't beat them where are the necessary points to come from?

It always feels like a win when you are behind for a long time and equalise with 5 mins to go. But you still get 1 point.

A draw is better than a loss and that's all you can truthfully say about this one.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

We need 3 wins and a few draws to get to around 35 points which might save us.

Villa have won 2 from the last 10 and are just above us in the table. If we can't beat them where are the necessary points to come from?

It always feels like a win when you are behind for a long time and equalise with 5 mins to go. But you still get 1 point.

A draw is better than a loss and that's all you can truthfully say about this one.

I think we may not need as many as 35 points - such is the competition at the bottom - with all 5 teams seeming to do their utmost to get relegated. In a different season we would be relegated by now.

Aston Villa away - beat Wolves and Bolton, drew with QPR and Wigan. Just above us in the table ? - 8 points difference at this stage of the season is huge - you may as well say they are only just behind Liverpool (9 points difference).

Having said all that - I do agree that it was one of the more winnable of our remaining home fixtures - but it was always going to be Wolves and Bolton away that would define our season rather than yesterday.

[neophox]

Have to say Wolves looked crap yesterday, they got beat 5-0 against a Fulham side that we have drawn and won against with 10 men. Strange. But we have to give all and beat Wolves on saturday.

Have to say Wolves looked crap yesterday, they got beat 5-0 against a Fulham side that we have drawn and won against with 10 men. Strange. But we have to give all and beat Wolves on saturday. Its a cup final on saturday at Molyneux.

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

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

[den]

Can't see how a draw at home against another struggling side is acceptable - when we're desperately needing wins and we're staring relegation in the face.

Can't imagine any manager thinks this way.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Can't see how a draw at home against another struggling side is acceptable - when we're desperately needing wins and we're staring relegation in the face.

Can't imagine any manager thinks this way.

I would imagine all managers would think it better than a defeat - which is where we were heading for only minutes to go

[den]

I would imagine all managers would think it better than a defeat - which is where we were heading for only minutes to go

When you have got games against Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd, Spurs [all of which we'll likely lose] amongst other very difficult games to come, a home draw isn't acceptable. Not in our situation. I guess you might look back DMTP, at the end of the season if we're relegated and say "well at least we got a good draw against Villa at Ewood"?

[DE.]

When you have got games against Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd, Spurs [all of which we'll likely lose] amongst other very difficult games to come, a home draw isn't acceptable. Not in our situation. I guess you might look back DMTP, at the end of the season if we're relegated and say "well at least we got a good draw against Villa at Ewood"?

Exactly. If we hadn't lost to Wolves, Bolton and West Brom at home perhaps we'd take a draw but we've shot ourselves in the foot so many times at home this season we really can't afford to drop any more points. I would have included saturday in that, especially considering Villa were without a couple of major players, had the fans on their back and have been on a poor run.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

When you have got games against Liverpool, Chelsea, Man Utd, Spurs [all of which we'll likely lose] amongst other very difficult games to come, a home draw isn't acceptable. Not in our situation. I guess you might look back DMTP, at the end of the season if we're relegated and say "well at least we got a good draw against Villa at Ewood"?

Wow - in a season of poor results you can pin down Saturdays draw as the reason we will get relegated - I am impressed.

I am hoping that at the end of the season we stay up by one point - and then I can say - at least the draw against Villa kept us up

I would have included saturday in that, especially considering Villa were without a couple of major players, had the fans on their back and have been on a poor run.

Whereas we are on a really good run - weren't missing two usual first team players, have an excellent home record - and the fans are fully behind the manager.

It was one of our easier matches - but no match in the premiership is easy. Hopefully we beat Wolves and Bolton - and this debate melts away.