[Archived] Millwall [H]; 13/3/2013. F.A. Cup Quarter-Final Replay

[RevidgeBlue]

Well, over the last 42 years of watching Rovers there've been many lows but this ranks for me as amongst the worst of them. Maybe not quite Crystal Palace away but one of the worst. Probably because given the semi final draw this was probably the only viable chance we'll ever get to play in the FA Cup final in my lifetime. Yes we might get to Wembley in a play off final or the Johnstone's Paints at some point but the FA Cup final/semi final? Hmmmm................

I was watching the game from a slightly different vantage point tonight, JW lower rather than JW upper which although it doesn't offer the same overall view of the pattern of play, felt far more pitchside and gave me slightly different perspectives to normal. I was also fairly close to our technical area.

First half the two forwards Best and Rhodes worked incredibly hard making runs almost non stop but they often required an early ball which was never forthcoming or when it did come lacked any quality whatsoever. For some strange reason we persisted in hoofing the ball forward in straight lines throughout the game. When you've got 2 strikers on the pitch and players who can or ought to be capable of delivering the ball in from wide areas, Dunn, Pedersen, King, Martin Olsson etc etc the obvious thing to do would seem to be to look to get the ball out wide asap and deliver it in from dangerous areas. Unbelievably however we hardly ever seem to look to do this!

I can't see any hope of any improvement whatsoever under Appleton. To win games you have to score goals. To score goals you have to create chances and we seem completely incapable of doing this under Appleton. That should come as no real surprise to anyone given Appleton either got rid of or won't use the creative players we have/did have. Then having changed the style of player in the team he won't play to their strengths.

Jake Kean is starting to look a little shaky and his honeymoon period appears to be coming to an end.

Marcus Olsson is keen as mustard but isn't a footballer in a million years.

It's an absolute insult to the colours and the badge every time Pedersen pulls on the shirt these days

Josh King, good grief, how did he end up at United? He's absolutely useless!

If you didn't know any better you'd think the players were trying to get Appleton the sack tonight by just deliberately hoofing the ball aimlessly forward. New captain Dann being arguably the worst culprit. Meanwhile whilst all this was unfurling did our esteemed manager seem alarmed? Not at all he just stood completely impassive on the touch line arms folded or hands in pockets in finest Kean/Berg style. Next to him his assistant who I presume was Ashley Westwood looked like an overgrown schoolboy in football shorts and long socks.

In contrast I did like the cut of Darren Moore's gib, he was living every moment and kicking every ball constantly advising and gesticulating to the players and seemingly dying a thousand deaths at their incompetence. Unlike the 2 dummies beside him.

Like I say not a good night to be a Rovers fan. Sunday surely has to be last chance saloon for Appleton. The only question for me would be, do we replace him now or after what will be another seemingly inevitable defeat?

[perthblue02]

Thanks for that Revidge , look forward to match reports to get a reasoned view on matches that we don't get to see over here. Unfortunately did get this one and the one on Saturday.

Think Rochina used correctly would have scared the living daylights out of the Millwall defence,

[RevidgeBlue]

Thanks for that Revidge , look forward to your match reports to get a reasoned view on matches that we don't get to see over here. Unfortunately did get this one and the one on Saturday.

You might be thinking of Parsonblue, he usually does an (excellent) match report. This is the first time for a while I've done a lengthy piece but I felt so strongly after tonight.

I have to hold my hand up as well and admit my views aren't particularly impartial. I don't like the style of play under Appleton and haven't since day one. If others who were previously singing his praises are starting to say the same thing that might be rather more telling.

[perthblue02]

You might be thinking of Parsonblue, he usually does an (excellent) match report. This is the first time for a while I've done a lengthy piece but I felt so strongly after tonight.

I have to hold my hand up as well and admit my views aren't particularly impartial. I don't like the style of play under Appleton and haven't since day one. If others who were previously singing his praises are starting to say the same thing that might be rather more telling.

Yeah I got you mixed up with Parsonblue been up since 2am to watch the game after only 4 hours sleep , my excuse !

Fair assessment on tonight though from what I saw via espn feed

[RevidgeBlue]

..............And just to ultimately rub salt in the wound got back to the car and there was something yellow flapping under the windscreen wiper.

Thought it might be a parking ticket of some decription but upon inspection it was a flier from a Company called Soccerexpress.co.uk advertising

"WEMBLEY PACKAGES"

Executive return coach travel £33.

Coach and one night hotel packages £79.95.

Won't be needing that then. Thank you Michael Appleton.

[Audax]

I'm glum, especially for some people who apparently had high high hopes on this alright.

[Waggy76]

Eddie, the situation is crystal clear. While the Indians own the club and continue to destroy it the fans won't return. Venkys will never be accepted by the people of Blackburn and if they attempt to recoup their losses by putting prices up next season then 10,000 will seem like a huge gate. Personally, I see no end to this spiral of decline until the Indian mob sell up and leave.

Tonight was the worst I have felt as a Rovers supporter in over half a century. We were discussing after the match that we were poor in the early 70s in the Third Division but at least the players, although not very good, put some effort into the game. Perhaps the fact that they lived locally and often mixed with fans had something to do with it. Apart from Dunny how many of these overpaid prima donnas really care about the club? After this game they will have got into their expensive cars and driven home to their fancy houses in Cheshire and the fat pay cheque will arrive at the end of the month win, lose or draw.

The only crumb of comfort is that we won't have to put up with the sight of Desai, the brothers Grimm and Shebby lording it around Wembley.

Too the point and 100% correct ...

The rot starts at the top .

[bypass06]

A NEW LOW FOR BLACKBURN ROVERS

http://thetwounfortunates.com/a-new-low-for-blackburn-rovers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-new-low-for-blackburn-rovers

[CapeTownRover]

ABSOLUTELY @#/? RESULT AT @#/? HOME, FOR A PLACE IN THE DAMN SEMI FINAL TO BE PLAYED AT WEMBLEY. No more of this nonsense now. This season has to come to end very quickly now. at least 85% of this squad needs to be shipped off. If it means we have to sell Rhodes to get funds in, then so be it. I am absolutely livid about this result, especially when you consider how low everybody is feeling. This would have given us all a lift, and now we head into the Burnley game demoralised and low on confidence.

[PAFELL]

Too the point and 100% correct ...

The rot starts at the top .

They also won't get their worldwide advert of 'their baby' at wembley.

[Athlete]

that ranked as the all time low...how much further can we fall ?

[CapeTownRover]

Lose to Burnley at home Athlete?

[Paul]

Fantastic post from Revidge, wish I could have posted so incisively. For me Charlton at home this season was the all time low but that was a combination of many things.

All I have to add to RB's comments is this; with the exception of Rhodes not one player on the pitch is good enough for us to have a hope of promotion next season. I exclude Dunn but we have to accept he's probably a bit part player now.

I've been giving Appleton the benefit if the doubt as I've liked his words. However recent tactics and his signings, Jones excepted, prove he is out of his depth.

After Charlton when I was utterly distraught I've found these things don't move me in the same manner. Defeat on Sunday though will bring real anger from all sides.

Administration beckons in the coming months. If this means we rid ourselves of the Raos and management it will be like lancing a boil. Only when these people leave, who are suppurating mass on our club , can the healing begin.

[matt83]

Lose to Burnley at home Athlete?

Relegation this season. Every time think rock bottom is here it gets worse.

[CapeTownRover]

i will take administration right now, ill drop down to league 1 right now, if it meant the V's @#/? off into the distance and never to be seen again. Im so angry right now

[cesus]

Relegation this season. Every time think rock bottom is here it gets worse.

Absolute possibility, 27-30 points to play for only 6 ahead of the drop zone. We are the team in the worst form in the league, literally can't score. No obvious tactical plan being aimed for, no sign of any change in play or form. Not doom mongering here but after the arsenal game we look like and most certainly deserve to be seen as relegation fodder!

[broadsword]

administration = ten points next season ... i hope.

very deeply depressed about it all this morning. it all seems so hopeless.

how do you solve a problem like rovers? it's easier to say who or what we should keep rather than what we should bin.

certainly i'm not interested in keeping the manager ... another parasitic chancer who got the gig through knowing the right people. the one thing he got right is saying the club needs an exorcism

[Kei]

I feel the result last night has absolutely buried us. The Arsenal result was a killer because for one game it felt like the old BRFC, there was a bit of hope. It felt like the badge and the shirt had some pride restored to it, like we weren't dead yet, like the old Rovers were still in there, under all the heap of suffocating sh1te that Venkys have dumped on us, the very faint beating heart of the real BRFC showed itself at the Emirates. Sentimental crap probably, but it's the way it felt to me.

It's hard to think that it's still beating after the display last night. Burnley have been dreaming about the next game for 34 years. They could deliver a hammer blow that would destroy any remaining dignity we had left and I dread to think how far we still have to fall if they do.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Garbage, from start to finish.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Administration beckons in the coming months.

You sound very sure of that Paul?.....

[Amo]

Watching the game thought that Dunny and Peds where a breath of fresh air compared to the lower league Jason Lowe and has been Murphy. Sadly the guys in front, and wide of them, with the exception of Leon Best first half, offered absolutely bugger all.

Behave yourself, Pedersen was awful.

[walk down bolton road]

What solution is there Phillip? An out of his depth Appleton is just a symptom. Venkys are the disease

Exactly what we were saying when Kean was manager,Kean was a symptom,Venkys are the disease.

Until the disease of Venkys is removed and the imposters in the corridors of power at Ewood Park are removed,we are on the road to oblivion.

[Kamy100]

It's the hope that kill's you.

After we beat Arsenal, I was starting to think that at least on the field we had turned the corner and that we could drive forward with a little bit of positivity.

How wrong was I! Over the last 2 years we have seen some abject performances, but last night was the worst. Here we were in a Quarter Final, playing at home with a golden chance to progress to the semi's and maybe even the final itself and the team let the fans down again with a woeful display.

I won't go into the game but will say that this defeat is totally on Appleton. In my opinion a good manager is one that can adapt his tactics if Plan A is not working. Appleton's gameplan failed on Sunday but we got away, but he emplyed the exact same tactics last night. Shittu is a very limited defender, however is major strength is physicality and arieal ability, therefore hoofing the ball forward almost all of the time is going to maike him look like a world beater. The biggest disappointment/concern is that despite Plan A not working, Appleton did not change the gameplan, even with change of formation we were hoofing the ball long during the second half.

Bitterly disappointed.

[BigBar]

Watching the game thought that Dunny and Peds where a breath of fresh air compared to the lower league Jason Lowe and has been Murphy. Sadly the guys in front, and wide of them, with the exception of Leon Best first half, offered absolutely bugger all.

Appleton = NO GOALS again !

Was the Millwall keeper ever forced to make a save ?

Wow you thought Peds was a breath of fresh air??? Do you live in between a rubbish tip and a sewerage plant?? He was disgraceful, one of the worst performances ive ever seen from a pro footballer! Should rot on the bench til his contract is up..PATHETIC!

[Parsonblue]

Give over Parson, I'm surprised you've been conned by Appleton for this long. We've played nothing like this badly under any of the other managers this season.

When Kean walked out we were in the top 3. When Berg took over we were in a respectable position. After Bowyer found the right balance for us and got us ticking over, we looked nicely placed for a tilt at the play offs. Appleton has destroyed the balance of the squad by offloading any creative players, bringing back the dross we had on the books like MGP, Orr and Marcus Olsson and bringing in more dross of his own (Jones excepted) on loan. He's turned us into an absolute shambles.

Venky's don't pick the team, choose the tactics or motivate the players. That part is purely down to the manager and his coaching staff. They are however at fault for employing this clown when he had a poor managerial record elsewhere before he arrived here.

The removal of Allardyce, John Williams, Tom Finn, Martin Goodman and so many more is when and where the rot set in. The appointment of Kean, Shebby, Agnew, Shaw etc have been a disaster for the club and the last time I looked the people responsible for all that live in Pune. As for Kean getting into the top three in the Championship, I may be wrong but he was the guy who put us in the Championship in the first place. Gary, quite rightly, didn't want the job - and who can blame him - while Berg was never going to succeed with the in-fighting at the top of the club. I get that you don't like Appleton but who in their right mind would touch this club if he is sacked? While Venkys are here this club is only going one way. Thousands have turned their backs on the club since Venkys got involved as last night's attendance shows. The problems at this club are far more deep rooted than who sits in the dugout.