[Archived] Blackburn v Millwall 24th November, 2012

[cn174]

My wife is a qualified counseller

So that's how she puts up with you :P

[ABBEY]

So that's how she puts up with you :P

I'm her rock haha

[Torgeir]

Well there's a reason mill are unbeaten in 11 games, possibly the best team I've seen this season in terms of organisation and effort.

I've not got much to add to all previous posts, what really, really annoyed me is that both their goals were very similar to last weeks, Jacket clearly watched that game and told his lads to do the same. Could a more agile keeper have done better? I'm not sure as I haven't seen the highlights. Robbo has always been poor from shots outside the box though, sorry Henning but we can't blame R4G for this one......

I know it's early days under Berg's reign, but if we expect promotion, let alone direct promotion, we need to win games like these. We have only managed one win in five games, and I'll stick my head out and say it - I don't think Steve Kean would have done worse.

Don't want him back though.

[thenodrog]

Haven't read any opinions yet but from about 15-20 mins I must say I was impressed by the skill and application of Millwall.

1. Best away display that I have seen since we beat Swansea. I txtd my lad half way through the first half that Millwall had come here for a win and so it proved.

2. Their team ethic was very strong whereas we relied way too much on Rochina. Millwall knew this, defended the pen area and restricted us to long shots. Rhodes may as well have been sat next to me in the JWU for the entire match for all the use he was.

3. I saw MGP warming up after 30 mins and hoped that it was because Berg had seen the recognised the strength of Millwall down their right where a seemingly endless supply of superb crosses were being flighted just behind or back line. Inexplicably he must not have and the crosses continued.

4. Conversely our strength was down the left where after much good play a seemingly endless supply of bloody awful crosses were easily intercepted by Millwalls defence and GK.

5. Robinson had imo a poor game but no fault to him for appearing to wave at his mates in the stands whilst the two goals screamed past him. (I don't know if it's been mentioned but imo the first goal may have had a strong element of handball about it but who cares really cos Millwall had already had a hat trick of goals disallowed.)

6. The ref was largely unobtrusive which is good, but maybe he was just a little too lax which Millwall quickly recognised and allowed them to rough our little fancy pant players up a bit too frequently.

Overall after cruising the away win at Posh last week we learned the hard way that promotion to the Prem will be an almighty struggle and that we must learn to adapt our game to combat different styles of opposition. Not a great day but if I had to pick a MoM and despite Rochina being a box of ineffective tricks pleasing to the eye it'd probably be Scott Dann.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

We have plenty more "Milwalls" to play. The question is can we beat them? At the moment the answer is no.

We may beat Bolton on Wednesday. With players like Rochina - wrong type for this division - and Murphy - simply too small - in the side we will lose to Burnley. I doubt many of our lot understand what Sunday is about.

Murphy was fantastic against Birningham but Milwall showed exactly how to stop him yesterday.

We're too easy to play against at the moment. If you're hard working, well organised and committed you'll stop us playing. Only the struggling teams will allow us to play our own game, most of the teams that have been in this league for a while know enough to stultify the footballing teams.

Berg wasn't my choice I wanted Holloway but whoever came in would be faced with the same miss match of playing staff. Can I see a happy ending next Sunday ? Not really, we've no leaders on the pitch and too many faint hearts. A coach once told me years ago - " Players come in two groups. There are the players that get you on top in a game and then there are the players that will murder the opposition when the first group of players have got you on top ". We've got a few of the latter and none of the former, that's the problem.

The only plus I can see is we're better away from home than we are at home. Will that be enough in a cauldron ? Probably not.

[McClarky]

I thought Millwall were superb. It was a good game but they were better than us and scored 2 great goals. Showed the weaknesses in our squad up. For me we need a leader at the back, a ball winner and someone who can get forward from midfield, a winger who can cross it and a striker. Not much then. Problem is for all the midfielder/strikers we have they are almost all bits and pieces players and we are lacking specialists. You could ship out half a dozen players to bring in 2 or 3 who have definite roles and the whole squad would be far better. King looks like another versatile player though so probably not what we need just now.

[Ossydave]

I think both players and fans (myself included) expected quite an easy win to be honest, in hindsight that was very narrow minded!

[AggyBlue]

I thought Millwall were superb.

Indeed. Their 'pass and move' carved out so many chances we could have conceded five or six.

They were bigger, quicker, brighter and better than we were.

[JAL]

I think both players and fans (myself included) expected quite an easy win to be honest, in hindsight that was very narrow minded!

Thats something non of us can do going into the Burnley game next sunday.

[the original david brent]

Danns kean

We must have been watching different games. I thought dann was the best of a bad bunch, nor could he be blamed for any of their goals. He was shocking last season, but he has played well this season in my opinion.

[Lancs Rover]

Danns kean

He was un-Kean yesterday.

[Al]

Our main playmaker is Rochina and not Murphy who is ineffective. Millwall spotted this and had two men on Rochina all the game. It was not that he was reluctant to pass, Millwall players constantly surrounded him and he was not able to get a pass away.

King, when he came on looked a bit lost. Maybe it was a bit early to play him but he was not helped by Ollson's refusal to pass to him, presumably because he had taken the place of his brother.

If we drop Rochina we have no playmaker but a place must be found for Vukcevic, probably in place of Murphy who, although he is playing a little better neither helps the defence or the attack. We also must have two wingers. Marcus' runs never amount to anything and Formica, on the rare occasions he is on the wing never takes on the fullback on the outside.We are therefore one sided and easy to defend against.

[jim mk2]

Good question Jim. Those silly sods at OT stupidly gave Fergie about 4-5 years...... and look where it's got them.

Mmmm. perhaps the silly sods at Ewood should have given Kean longer. After all, results have got worse since he left.

[Fife Rover]

Deleted

[Doug]

I know it's early days under Berg's reign, but if we expect promotion, let alone direct promotion, we need to win games like these. We have only managed one win in five games, and I'll stick my head out and say it - I don't think Steve Kean would have done worse.

Don't want him back though.

That's the spirit

Mmmm. perhaps the silly sods at Ewood should have given Kean longer. After all, results have got worse since he left.

That is a safe unit they have you locked up in?

What chance have we got with people reflecting back on the beast in a positive way FFS!!!

[tomphil]

Deleted

If you read it you will see my small comment at the bottom but maybe i should have made sure i didn't quote the whole post but that's life so get over it. What is the point in you posting to bring this trivial matter up. Are you trying to waste bandwith having a gripe over nothing ? Please do enlighten me you miserable kean

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Indeed. Their 'pass and move' carved out so many chances we could have conceded five or six.

They were bigger, quicker, brighter and better than we were.

Mm, " pass and move ". What's that ? When was the last time we had a team that played that way ?

[yoda's brother]

Mmmm. perhaps the silly sods at Ewood should have given Kean longer. After all, results have got worse since he left.

he resigned, or have you forgot.

[Steve Moss]

Plus considering their age, Etuhu and Murphy won't be able to string consistent performances together IMO.

Etuhu, 4 year deal, madness!!

Some of the contracts given out appear suspect. I wonder if Kean knew he was going and decided to shaft the club one more time by loading us up with deadweight?

[Amo]

What was the point of bringing Vukcevic on with five mins to go?

Oh wait, he was tired from playing international footy mid-week.

OH WAIT.

[K-Hod]

They came with no fear, and in all honesty just showed more heart and desire. Of their (3?) goals, I thought one of them should have stood at the time, though I've not seen any replays.

We got exactly what we deserved out of the game. I walked out after the second goal went in, which Robbo should have done better with, looked almost a carbon copy of the first (which he had no chance with IMO)- he continues to be a liability from long shots for me.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Indeed. Their 'pass and move' carved out so many chances we could have conceded five or six.

They were bigger, quicker, brighter and better than we were.

Considering they only had 9 shots in total - of which three were off-side - that would have been one hell of a conversion ratio.

IMO we carved out as many chances as they did - they just finished far better than we did.

I'll agree they were bigger - overall they worked harder - though that isn't saying Rovers didn't try. One thing you forget - it is easier to beat flair players if they don't get protection from thugs like Shittu - though the standard of refereeing is something we are going to have to learn to cope with.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

They came with no fear, and in all honesty just showed more heart and desire. Of their (3?) goals, I thought one of them should have stood at the time, though I've not seen any replays.

We got exactly what we deserved out of the game. I walked out after the second goal went in, which Robbo should have done better with, looked almost a carbon copy of the first (which he had no chance with IMO)- he continues to be a liability from long shots for me.

Your last paragraph is contradictory. If he had no chance with one how could he have done better with the one that was almost a carbon copy of the other ?

[K-Hod]

The Millwall striker (Wood?) hit the first one a lot better and it was more into the corner, thus giving Robbo no chance.

The second goal ended up more centrally in the goal but from a similar distance/angle iirc. Not seen any replays since...

[Salgado Is A Hero]

How did King get on?