[Archived] Derby County vs Blackburn Rovers Sunday 04/08 4pm kick off (Live on Sky)

[thenodrog]

The defence of Lowe is now becoming as hysterical as the criricism of him imo. It seems fairly clear cut to me, he'll run all day and fill a spot on the pitch, but as someone else said if you simply want an athlete in there you could play Mo Farrar. As a squad player he provides excellent cover at full back /midfield. For a team with genuine promotion/play off aspirations he's not good enough to be a regular starter imo.

As for the crowd getting on his back, I don't honestly believe they do this as the vast majority can tell the difference between someone who is grafting their socks off but hasn't any technical ability and someone who is merely going through the motions.

Yes, because neither Marrow nor Lowe are capable of distributing the ball effectively themselves.

Jason Wilcox, Tim Sherwood, Lee Carsley, Keith Andrews, Lucas Neill were all 90 min grafters who became the targets of the boo boys. There's prob lots more examples too.

[thenodrog]

I'm a big fan of Rochina but even in the half-hour yesterday the downsides of his talent were apparent. He is just not a team player, he goes for glory at every opportunity, often when a simple and effective pass to a team-mate is available. It was obvious his ego would overrule Judge with the free kick and almost as predictable that he would squander it by just hitting it against the wall.

The likes of Judge, Cairney and Taylor, plus Dunn, could well supply sufficient guile in his absence, and they are all far more likely to play for the team rather than just themselves.

Rochina has real quality and an unpredicability which scares the opposition sh1tless. When he is playing he will do things that will turn games. He'll screw up but that come sunder the heading of you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. Dunny can do similar but the others are not in the same league for sheer creativity. Every good team needs a player like Rochina.

[Lytham]

I kind of agree, but the pattern was set last season when he started off with the reputation of a genius and fan's favourite and then ten games later he was called Billy Big Boots and headless chicken and worse. If and when he plays a run of ten games or so this season I have a feeling that it may be the same. Hopefully he's learning. I don't think he's either a genius or a headless chicken, he's a very good player, but he does have significant downsides.

Judge, Cairney and Taylor don't have his skill but they have ability and also more of a team ethic.

I think Bowyer made an error yesterday by bringing on Best to replace Rochina, when Cairney or Taylor would have been better at that stage, in that the shape could have stayed similar. Then bring Best on for the last twenty minutes. Apart from the goal Best still has a long way to go, I think.

[RevidgeBlue]

I agree with Revidge (for once!). Best case scenario we were only gonna be play-off outsiders this season. We've just lost our (and arguably the league's) most talented player with the ball at his feet, which could well put us out of the running.

Only Dunn, a genius signing or a big money signing can do the same job in my opinion.

Why thank you kind sir - you'll have to bear with me - still trying to get to ten. (Been chuckling all day at that one)

The point about Rochina is that big squads are designed to carry injuries and ours is bigger than most, as another poster pointed out today we could happily put out 3 fairly decent different starting elevens. However whereas most of our players could instantly be replaced by a player of exactly the same type if injured, do we have anyone else who is capable of keeping us flowing, producing a bit of creativity, moment of magic or a killer pass?

I get the impression the new signings are all honest hard working grafters but not sure if any of them have the same attributes. Maybe Rosado is the closest we have?

[DE.]

Rochina just isn't that important. Bit of a typical overreaction on here, as usual, on the back of a single game. Rochina looked pretty good for the half an hour he was on and I've been an advocate of him since he joined the club - but he is FAR from the be all and end all of our season. It's revisionism of the highest order to suggest otherwise purely on the basis we've barely seen the lad play any consecutive games for us since he's been here.

It's a shame he;s injured but we'll have to do what all good teams to and get by without him. Quite frankly the team might as a whole develop better without him - when a player is in the team whose talent is far above the rest of the group it tends to lead to an uncomfortable over-reliance on said player to deliver and for the rest of the team to start slacking in response. When that player is Rochina, who is far from the finished article, it's unlikely to work out long term.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Why thank you kind sir - you'll have to bear with me - still trying to get to ten. (Been chuckling all day at that one)

The point about Rochina is that big squads are designed to carry injuries and ours is bigger than most, as another poster pointed out today we could happily put out 3 fairly decent different starting elevens. However whereas most of our players could instantly be replaced by a player of exactly the same type if injured, do we have anyone else who is capable of keeping us flowing, producing a bit of creativity, moment of magic or a killer pass?

I get the impression the new signings are all honest hard working grafters but not sure if any of them have the same attributes. Maybe Rosado is the closest we have?

Haha apologies, that last line was quite rude. As you may have gathered I've defended Pedersen so many times now that its become something of a sore point, you'd think I'd just get used to it and chill out!

I agree, Rochina is the guy we are least equipped to replace as long as Dunn's injury woes continue. The thing that Rochina has which pretty much nobody else in our squad does is the ability to beat a man. If you can't beat a man in football then you simply can't open teams up without resorting to the aerial route. From the point at which Rochina got injured to the point at which we started lumping it up to Best, our creativity dwindled to pretty much zero.

I found myself becoming nervous, bordering on alarmed whenever we had the ball. Cause the one thing you can guarantee in the Championship is the opposition will hunt you like ravenous wolves when you're in possession. And the likes of Marrow, Lowe and Williamson freeze like rabbits caught in headlights if they're expected to do anything slightly difficult with the ball. Rochina loves it, he demands to be put in that situation, which is exactly what you need.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

On the first viewing there will be a few eyebrows raised that Rovers haven't featured as anyone's favourites and that's not a bad thing.

Plant the cash now folks before those odds come tumbling.

Just got 20/1 at William Hill today for us to be Champions. An outside shot but 20/1 is good odds.

[chaddyrovers]

I was very happy with the team performance and thought Judge and Spurr was our best players in the Match.

was impress with Best performance when he came one. he hold the ball up well and look to get involved when he could.

Lowe did well defensively. should have scored aswell. not a midfielder playmaker tho. But he is a defensive midfielder for defo.

I thought we look to cross the ball during aswell more than we have since Sam Allardyce days as manager. this is the way to get Rhodes scoring more goals than last season and give him better service than last season.

Rochina look good until the injury aswell.

But more important point is the players keep going and look a lot fitter last season and keep going to the end of the game. this is what we the fans have been asking for and moaning about for ages. so well done to Bowyer and Neville(head of sport science) for this.

[Colt Seavers]

A lot of Lowe's work is done off the ball.

I don't think many people realise this.

about two hundred yards off the ball would suit me just fine!

[Rover_Shaun]

He's certainly got a very apt surname given most peoples opinion/expectation and his skill level

[JAL]

How good it looked to see a FITTER Rovers team. The togetherness, fight and pride were on show, all attributes missing over the KEAN period.

Apart from a few cock ups by Lowe I am quite happy with the way the team is set up.

The result at Derby wont mean anything unless we can get the home form off to a positive start versus Forest and that wont be an easy thing to do.

On the first viewing there will be a few eyebrows raised that Rovers haven't featured as anyone's favourites and that's not a bad thing.

Plant the cash now folks before those odds come tumbling.

So Rovers are going to do well with two central midfielders who cant score goals, cant provide goals, yet give goals away.

This is going to be a footballing first.

[tomphil]

Given the standard we are now at i thought we did ok yesterday. Shame about Rochina as he may have opened them up but the performance was tidy and workmanlike at times. We got better in the latter stages and created a few chances. Silly pen to give away but a game like that last season we'd probably have got wollaped after going behind so it was good to see them battling till the end. You can tell they are a bit fitter than last season and the team seems far more robust.

[K-Hod]

So Rovers are going to do well with two central midfielders who cant score goals, cant provide goals, yet give goals away.

This is going to be a footballing first.

If we play that way. Failing that, best not to write off Tom Cairney after his brief appearance, and Corry Evans before he's even kicked a ball for us eh?

[Roost]

First time for a couple of seasons that I have felt optimistic about Rovers. Some great debuts, but the highlight for me was the team spirit. When we equalised the players went crazy - when did that last happen?

At last, a team with real potential, being looked after by a manager who looks and sounds like he cares.

[Bundesburn]

I actually reckon both Judge and Cairney could do a job in Rochina's role, certainly Judge's work ethic could make up for whatever he's lacking in skill/flair when compared with Rochina and, by all accounts, Cairney has some skill about him.

The thing I'm most worried about is that without Rochina, will we end up with 4-4-2? The shape of the side before we lost Rochina and even our ability to pass out from defence (my jaw dropped the first time it happened) was very refreshing and I'd like to see more of that.

[Al]

If we play that way. Failing that, best not to write off Tom Cairney after his brief appearance, and Corry Evans before he's even kicked a ball for us eh?

Just leave it. He wants us to fail to justify his wumming.

[bringdunnback]

Really happy with the performance but I'm not getting too excited just yet. I'm writing a blog about all things Blackburn and it would be great if you guys could check out my review of the game!

http://anotherewoodview.wordpress.com/

Any feedback is much appreciated.

[adsfortheblues]

Derby had one of the best home records last season. Only lost 4.

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[tonyoz]

There is a different atmosphere about the place; this is the most pleasing thing I think. The players seem "up for it" again.

Before the game I wandered over to RoversPlayer and discovered that I had already signed one of those never-ending direct debits - dammit! So I watched a few clips and, to my surprise, found my own enthusiasm starting to return.

I was particularly impressed with a Craig Short interview. That lad talks a lot of sense. He is the sort of calibre you want in a support team....and he was some player too. The likes of Grant Hanley can only benefit from his input. Even the jovial kit-man was worth a listen - I reckon the player he referred to as "high-maintenance" is our Leon.

Oh yes............and the game was definitely worth staying up for. I really enjoyed it.

[Jimmy612]

Just got 20/1 at William Hill today for us to be Champions. An outside shot but 20/1 is good odds.

I hope you didn't throw too much at it. We are a long way from Champions material

[Sparky Marky]

Just got 20/1 at William Hill today for us to be Champions. An outside shot but 20/1 is good odds.

Complete delusion. Good luck there mate....wouldn't waste more than 50p on that.

[rovermagic]

Henry Winter ‏@henrywinter 8m

Gary Bowyer has a nice wry sense of humour. Asked about the many problems that beset #brfc last season, he replied: 'What problems?!'

Henry Winter ‏@henrywinter 6m

Very early days but Gary Bowyer seems just what #brfc need. Knows & loves the club. Calm. Players/fans clearly responding positively to him

Good comments by the Best Sport journalist in the UK.

here is his match report http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/10221455/Derby-County-1-Blackburn-Rovers-1-match-report.html

[BigBar]

Happy with the point, some promising performances and also some very average ones...great ball in for the goal and great finish from Best. Be nice to get a few games unbeaten under our belt and get confidence up more and more...

Impressed with:

Judge

Spurr

Best

Unimpressed with

Lowe

Marrow

Rhodes (maybe bit harsh but cant get special treatment because of his past, even though he should )

[rovermagic]

Winter is a top sports journalist. I had avoided thinking about football and Rocers all summer. And was depressed about season start. But this match really lifted me. Great performance. Rochina magic. Judge, Spurr tops. Best game I've ever seen from Hanley. We collapsed a bit after Rochina injury. But great resilience as Best started to get stuck in. Bowyer great subs: Taylor & Best. Real energy and incisiveness about side. So much better without Peds, Murphy, Etuhu, Dunn, Bentley, even Olsson. Hats off to GB.

[thenodrog]

..Then bring Best on for the last twenty minutes. Apart from the goal Best still has a long way to go, I think.

Is it me or does anyone else think that Leon Best looks significantly overweight?

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Didn't we beat them in the FA Cup?