[Archived] Rovers away day on the South coast - Brighton, Sat 9th November

[bluebruce]

Sounds like our three biggest liabilities all chipped in today to help the opposition win.

Kane- drop him, put Henley in for god sake.

Kean- god knows...we don't have adequate replacements. A position that needs seriously assessing in January.

Etuhu- Nowhere near the team until he is ACTUALLY match fit please. And even then maybe not.

[Giant]

http://www.footballgroundguide.com/brighton_and_hove_albion/#How%20To%20Get%20There%20And%20Where%20To%20Park

Interesting link about away fans road and rail travel to the Amex. I concur.

[somersetrover]

http://www.footballgroundguide.com/brighton_and_hove_albion/#How%20To%20Get%20There%20And%20Where%20To%20Park

Interesting link about away fans road and rail travel to the Amex. I concur.

Yeah that sound pretty much like my trip last year down there which wasn't fun on a cold Tuesday night. Today knowing what the trains are like from last year I did something which I very very rarely do after the third goal I left and I was leaving Brighton station by just before five and unlike last year when I left at full time there was no trouble getting on the train from Falmer to Brighton station.

[arbitro]

Strange game really. I thought in parts we played really well and dominated the game for long spells. However in the main objective of the game we failed miserably. I feel GB will have his toughest team selection yet for the next game as we have several error laden players who are screaming out to be dropped. After GB had been bigging Etuhu up all week I thought he might find a place for him and this poor decision to bring him on brought about the all important first goal. As somebody said to me Etuhu's second touch usually involves a chase. There were several far better options but GB backed the wrong horse. Kean is a liability and his many weaknesses are costing us week in and out. Kane has been disappointing so far and as we now have viable options he should also be dropped. The real worry is the lack of strikers though. The body language of Rhodes was poor today and with Best sulking again and Campbell needing another pre-season I can't see where the goals will come from.

[Parsonblue]

I was hugely disappointed with today's performance. We might have enjoyed plenty of possession but never looked like doing anything with it. We are a million miles away from a promotion outfit. We have issues in all departments. The goalkeeping position is now a major problem and surely the time has come to give Henley a run at right-back. The midfield was poor. Williamson injured again, Lowe back to his normal passing backwards and sideways - anyway but forwards. Etuhu improved in the second half but didn't look match fit. Judge tries hard but makes little impact. Cairney wandered inside too much which gave us no outlet on the right. I'm not sure why we didn't replace Williamson with Taylor and allow Cairney to moved into the centre. Once again, another away match found Rhodes a virtual spectator who contributed nothing and looked totally disinterested. No wonder Strachan won't have him in the Scottish team.

We are conceding far too many soft goals whilst our attack looks toothless. Hardly the characteristics of a promotion winning outfit. With a debt of £54 million there is no chance of putting this right and getting in the sort of quality which we desperately need.

[speeeeeeedie]

The trouble with all the anger/resentment( perfectly reasonable human responses to the last 3 years) every defeat is merely a valve for all the frustration to leak out.

I think that is the way things will be until the Venky's go...imo...They are like a poison that infects everything.

Whatever the analysis of debt and our financial reliance on them, we can certainly never move on with them.

Agree.

My sole knowledge of whether Rovers win or lose is this messageboard. Anything else I read or watch is Premier league or Champions League related. We lose and all the heartache comes back. We win and it's a chance to cling to the hope that we may go up; something that will not happen.

I have not seen us play since Derby away, and will likely not see us live for a long time. I have no idea who Evans, Cairney, and Kane are. I do know that signing players I've not heard of will not lead to promotion. It's a sad indictment of where the club is.

I rarely post on match threads. This messageboard keeps me coming back because of the snippets I get about Venkys incompetence, seeing into the window of the East Lancs life I no longer live, and Kean bashing. It's a far cry from the day I joined. As long as Venkys are here the club is done. This messageboard too. There are scores of posters who keep away now. I think it's out of frustration, not messageboard quality.

[somersetrover]

I was hugely disappointed with today's performance. We might have enjoyed plenty of possession but never looked like doing anything with it. We are a million miles away from a promotion outfit. We have issues in all departments. The goalkeeping position is now a major problem and surely the time has come to give Henley a run at right-back. The midfield was poor. Williamson injured again, Lowe back to his normal passing backwards and sideways - anyway but forwards. Etuhu improved in the second half but didn't look match fit. Judge tries hard but makes little impact. Cairney wandered inside too much which gave us no outlet on the right. I'm not sure why we didn't replace Williamson with Taylor and allow Cairney to moved into the centre. Once again, another away match found Rhodes a virtual spectator who contributed nothing and looked totally disinterested. No wonder Strachan won't have him in the Scottish team.

We are conceding far too many soft goals whilst our attack looks toothless. Hardly the characteristics of a promotion winning outfit. With a debt of £54 million there is no chance of putting this right and getting in the sort of quality which we desperately need.

He had no service bar the one header. That's why he was a spectator and he isn't a big strong striker, which is why he needs someone like Best up with him, the only away game where we played two up for the majority of the match was Bournemouth which is our only away win in that game Rhodes scored two one of which was assisted by Best who scored the other goal. We need two up front apart from Bolton at home I haven't seen anything to convince me that this 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 whatever you want to call it is a formation that works for us.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Got to the game today. The better team won but they scored through three stupid mistakes. Etuhu was a liability in the first half and was lucky to only be shown a yellow. The first half in general was a write off.

Second half was a vast improvement and we showed in glimpses that we had enough to cause them problems but by then we were already 2-0 down and Brighton were sitting back.

Cairney, King and Dunn were decent enough. Lowe and Judge were very poor. Spurr looked composed. Keans error for their third looked laughable.

Rhodes showed today why he won't make a premier league striker. He is totally reliant on service. If you get the ball to him in dangerous positions then he will finish but other then that he offers nothing. A clinical finisher sometimes isn't enough and today showed why. Best would have been more useful. I'm a big fan of Rhodes but its clear where his limitations are. When our midfield clicks and is on form then he will thrive. When they don't he becomes a spectator and then you need someone who can contribute elsewhere. Rhodes just hasn't got that.

All in all a very disappointing display. Brighton really weren't up to much and we gifted them 3 goals. It's one thing to lose but another to throw a game away especially after we started the second half quite well.

We won't get relegated. But we won't get anywhere near promoted either.

And the Amex is the worst football stadium to get away from in the country. I was fortunate to have a parking space at the stadium today but in the past its been trains and they're terrible.

[OJRovers]

When you step back and look at the teams, do the likes of.Brighton, Blackpool, Charlton have better players than us? No. You've then got to then look at the manager. This is not a Bowyer Out message, because I wouldn't trust them to appoint anyone better, but rather than blaming individual players, I think bowyer has to shoulder a lot of blame.

[arbitro]

When you step back and look at the teams, do the likes of.Brighton, Blackpool, Charlton have better players than us? No. You've then got to then look at the manager. This is not a Bowyer Out message, because I wouldn't trust them to appoint anyone better, but rather than blaming individual players, I think bowyer has to shoulder a lot of blame.

When you step back and look at the teams, do the likes of.Brighton, Blackpool, Charlton have better players than us? No. You've then got to then look at the manager. This is not a Bowyer Out message, because I wouldn't trust them to appoint anyone better, but rather than blaming individual players, I think bowyer has to shoulder a lot of blame.

But how do you legislate for individual errors? I have disagreed with some of his tactical decisions (yesterday I thought he got the first substitution wrong) but there is no doubt what is really costing us lots of goals.

[PAFELL]

As per your instructions. Train out from Brighton. Thought coming away from ground was bad. Grumpy stewards at Falmer station herding folk about in little packs onto platform, waiting for ages for train back into Brighton. Not blaming you by the way, Pafell. Not helped by then having to get bus to Hayward's Heath for train to Victoria. Brighton has become a right Bo Ho community and I thought their fans were a miserable bunch of snobby types. Not a pleasant trip there, and I would have said that had we won 10 0! Give me Barnsley any day.

I agree about the grumpy stewards at the station. Train disruptions did not help yesterday. But to be honest most folk are normally away by 7pm. Home fans can stay in the ground after the match, which helps ease congestion at the station. As I came from the Hasting direction, I was back home before 7pm. But i am used to the journey, know where i am going etc, how the system works.

When you step back and look at the teams, do the likes of.Brighton, Blackpool, Charlton have better players than us? No. You've then got to then look at the manager. This is not a Bowyer Out message, because I wouldn't trust them to appoint anyone better, but rather than blaming individual players, I think bowyer has to shoulder a lot of blame.

I think Brighton are dark horses for the play offs. Especially once they get the players back from injury.

[PAFELL]

http://www.footballgroundguide.com/brighton_and_hove_albion/#How%20To%20Get%20There%20And%20Where%20To%20Park

Interesting link about away fans road and rail travel to the Amex. I concur.

Hard not to agree. but as I travel in the opposite direction (Hastings / Eastbourne) - something folk may want to consider next time - I don't always encounter the problems others endure. But to be fair to them, this is only their third season at the Amex, so bound to be problems for awhile. Also, not many football grounds have a train station just outside the ground. If you think getting on the train was hard enough. Imagine what it is like for folk trying to get OFF the train there on match days. There is a college there, many students.

Not trying to defend them. But they are a club recovering from a venky type situation. But like Rovers they had dodgy owners - got to the stage where they didn't even have a ground, where they had to share with others. Horrendous battles with the local council just to get a ground. The way venkys are going, Rovers could have simular problems. Did you notice no hot dog vans etc outside the ground. All catering inside the ground. All part of the continuing battle. Wrong for any club to go through situations such as has happened to Rovers, Pompey, Brighton and others, whilst the powers that be just watch on.

[Waggy76]

He had no service bar the one header. That's why he was a spectator and he isn't a big strong striker, which is why he needs someone like Best up with him, the only away game where we played two up for the majority of the match was Bournemouth which is our only away win in that game Rhodes scored two one of which was assisted by Best who scored the other goal. We need two up front apart from Bolton at home I haven't seen anything to convince me that this 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 whatever you want to call it is a formation that works for us.

Best is a complete waster along with Etuhu and Campbell....

The men who make us tick are Evans and Dunn ...Unfortunately , one is injured til xmas and the other seldom plays ..

Factor into that a Goalkeeper who needs to be taken out of the firing line , no dominant centre back (Hanley maybe 1 day ) ..

Judge , Marrow why were they resigned ? Not good enough then and still aren't ...

Bowyer is the manager by default , Shaw is Cheif Exec and Venkys own the club !!!!

We have not got a chance in hell !

[McClarky]

When you step back and look at the teams, do the likes of.Brighton, Blackpool, Charlton have better players than us? No. You've then got to then look at the manager. This is not a Bowyer Out message, because I wouldn't trust them to appoint anyone better, but rather than blaming individual players, I think bowyer has to shoulder a lot of blame.

Which of our players are better? If Andrews was at Rovers today he would be the first name on the team sheet. Shows how much our quality has gone down. Our midfield 5 are pathetic.

[RevidgeBlue]

But how do you legislate for individual errors? I have disagreed with some of his tactical decisions (yesterday I thought he got the first substitution wrong) but there is no doubt what is really costing us lots of goals.

Exactly, according to the radio yesterday we were the better team for the most part and it sounds like 3 calamitous individual errors cost us goals.

This sort of ties in with players previously getting themselves sent off for me, until players start cutting out needless individual mistakes and decisions, we aren't going to get anywhere regardless of the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the squad.

[Waggy76]

Exactly, according to the radio yesterday we were the better team for the most part and it sounds like 3 calamitous individual errors cost us goals.

This sort of ties in with players previously getting themselves sent off for me, until players start cutting out needless individual mistakes and decisions, we aren't going to get anywhere regardless of the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the squad.

Think , that may have too come from the manager !

[jim mk2]

Bowyer is a young manager who played 14 games in the fourth division, worked with kids for years and through the most calamitous set of circumstances ever visited upon a professional club, found himself in charge of a dysfunctional outfit whose fans perhaps wrongly believe that a return to the Premiership is likely or achievable

The poor lad has less than 30 games under his belt in charge

Of course he will make errors like bringing the execrable Etuhu on yesterday - if we wanted an experienced, seasoned Championship manager we have had four or five opportunities to acquire one - when we came down, when Kean went and when the equally unsuitable and untried Berg and Appleton were sacked

Because "he's a lovely bloke," "the players like him" and his daughter seems like a good sort to a few numpties who follow her on Twitter doesn't make him equipped to forge a miracle from the wreckage that is Blackburn Rovers in late 2013

He has to pit his wits against two managers in the next two games who were thrown into it as rookies and did well but have both had ups and downs and have acquired experience and wisdom which running teams for years brings

Our guy has had the equivalent of half a season, working for a joke figure of a chief exec who reports to clueless absentee owners who aren't sufficiently interested in the team's progress to attend more than an odd game a season and stop for more than an hour

Until we have an infrastructure and support system in place, Bowyer will do no more than I have predicted all along - win one here, lose one there, win a couple, lose a couple and hopefully learn quickly from the inevitable mistakes

He wouldn't have been my choice, I'd have gone for a far more experienced hand but I'm not going to criticise and call for his head because his sin is to be exactly what he is - a young manager learning on the job with no guarantee that he's going to turn out to be an alchemist

Good post Mr Meadows. Rather like one of your old pieces in the Mirror.

[Hasta]

When you step back and look at the teams, do the likes of.Brighton, Blackpool, Charlton have better players than us? No. You've then got to then look at the manager. This is not a Bowyer Out message, because I wouldn't trust them to appoint anyone better, but rather than blaming individual players, I think bowyer has to shoulder a lot of blame.

Kean, kane, spurr , lowe, williamson, judge, killgallon have all started the last two games. I would say as a main core of a team, that is not good enough for top 6. Bowyer may be at fault for bringing in numerous players whilst still relying on Lowe However its not his fault that this group of players cant get us promoted.

All hope rests on Evans, Dunn and Rochina. And maybe getting a keeper on loan. And maybe a right back. And then we would be trying to scrape 6th.

[Amo]

Bowyer is a young manager who played 14 games in the fourth division, worked with kids for years and through the most calamitous set of circumstances ever visited upon a professional club, found himself in charge of a dysfunctional outfit whose fans perhaps wrongly believe that a return to the Premiership is likely or achievable

The poor lad has less than 30 games under his belt in charge

Of course he will make errors like bringing the execrable Etuhu on yesterday - if we wanted an experienced, seasoned Championship manager we have had four or five opportunities to acquire one - when we came down, when Kean went and when the equally unsuitable and untried Berg and Appleton were sacked

Because "he's a lovely bloke," "the players like him" and his daughter seems like a good sort to a few numpties who follow her on Twitter doesn't make him equipped to forge a miracle from the wreckage that is Blackburn Rovers in late 2013

He has to pit his wits against two managers in the next two games who were thrown into it as rookies and did well but have both had ups and downs and have acquired experience and wisdom which running teams for years brings

Our guy has had the equivalent of half a season, working for a joke figure of a chief exec who reports to clueless absentee owners who aren't sufficiently interested in the team's progress to attend more than an odd game a season and stop for more than an hour

Until we have an infrastructure and support system in place, Bowyer will do no more than I have predicted all along - win one here, lose one there, win a couple, lose a couple and hopefully learn quickly from the inevitable mistakes

He wouldn't have been my choice, I'd have gone for a far more experienced hand but I'm not going to criticise and call for his head because his sin is to be exactly what he is - a young manager learning on the job with no guarantee that he's going to turn out to be an alchemist

+1

[Parsonblue]

Exactly, according to the radio yesterday we were the better team for the most part and it sounds like 3 calamitous individual errors cost us goals.

This sort of ties in with players previously getting themselves sent off for me, until players start cutting out needless individual mistakes and decisions, we aren't going to get anywhere regardless of the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the squad.

Bottom line Rev is that too many of our players aren't good enough if we want to go up - hence the mistakes. Brighton defended in depth, drew us onto them and then hit us on the break. It was a game between two mid-table teams who are going nowhere but on the day Brighton defended better and took their chances. Apart from King we posed no threat in front of goal apart from the odd long range effort from Cairney. Nor do I blame a young manager who has been given an impossible job of rebuilding a squad whilst cutting costs. On the evidence of the season thus far, a mid-table finish will be a good result.

[Stuart]

Best meadows post I've ever read.

[PAFELL]

Bowyer is a young manager who played 14 games in the fourth division, worked with kids for years and through the most calamitous set of circumstances ever visited upon a professional club, found himself in charge of a dysfunctional outfit whose fans perhaps wrongly believe that a return to the Premiership is likely or achievable

The poor lad has less than 30 games under his belt in charge

Of course he will make errors like bringing the execrable Etuhu on yesterday - if we wanted an experienced, seasoned Championship manager we have had four or five opportunities to acquire one - when we came down, when Kean went and when the equally unsuitable and untried Berg and Appleton were sacked

Because "he's a lovely bloke," "the players like him" and his daughter seems like a good sort to a few numpties who follow her on Twitter doesn't make him equipped to forge a miracle from the wreckage that is Blackburn Rovers in late 2013

He has to pit his wits against two managers in the next two games who were thrown into it as rookies and did well but have both had ups and downs and have acquired experience and wisdom which running teams for years brings

Our guy has had the equivalent of half a season, working for a joke figure of a chief exec who reports to clueless absentee owners who aren't sufficiently interested in the team's progress to attend more than an odd game a season and stop for more than an hour

Until we have an infrastructure and support system in place, Bowyer will do no more than I have predicted all along - win one here, lose one there, win a couple, lose a couple and hopefully learn quickly from the inevitable mistakes

He wouldn't have been my choice, I'd have gone for a far more experienced hand but I'm not going to criticise and call for his head because his sin is to be exactly what he is - a young manager learning on the job with no guarantee that he's going to turn out to be an alchemist

+ 1 Really good post.

[PAFELL]

Exactly, according to the radio yesterday we were the better team for the most part and it sounds like 3 calamitous individual errors cost us goals.

This sort of ties in with players previously getting themselves sent off for me, until players start cutting out needless individual mistakes and decisions, we aren't going to get anywhere regardless of the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the squad.

Radio commentators were wrong. For a brief 20 minute spell in the second half, Rovers had a few chances - more chances than Brighton - I would say Brighton had about 5 chances and scored 3 of them. Decent shots on goal, saved by an inform keeper. Yes individual errors responsible for the goals. But Brighton were better all over the pitch. Josh King was Rovers best player yesterday imo. First half, both teams were terrible.

[thenodrog]

Have'nt been to that stadium but must admit, when I looked at the location on Google earth, ' out on a limb ' as it is,

seems a bit of a miserable place to go and watch your football.

Can't beat Ewood for the big games, pub crawl on the way to the ground, the atmosphere on the streets, all those smiley faces filled with expectation,

what have they done to us ? where did it all go wrong ?

Dunno bout that but the pubs are shutting at a pace.

[thenodrog]

Jerome Can't pick his nose!

Oddly whilst that gobshyte, blowhard Anderson threatened to sue any Blackburn fans who made defammatory remarks about him or Kean he let SAF off scott free for the most damning one that everybody in football readily remembers. I wonder why?