[Archived] Bolton at Ewood

[gumboots]

Can I go back to my original post? Gestede looked shattered at the end of the Liverpool game, so why play him from the start of the next game if you can manage to give him a mini break? I didn't say he couldn't play. Just why push him if you don't have to?

[ABBEY]

J*B was NOT like that at all. Just comparing a pampered footballer to what I used to do ( don't anymore). Love the way thing get twisted on here.

Gestede had loads of rest from Sunday to Weds. Wished I could have days of rest and work say 1 hour a day train/gym and 4 hours a week on the pitch. DODDLE!!!!!

If they are tired ,bless, then its in the head.

[perthblue02]

Yeah and supposedly "all the scouts left 10 minutes early".

Probably fed up with Don Estelle saying to them" c'mon lads make me an offer I'll do you a good deal, I'll chuck in some nice racking at cost "

[Al]

Isn't that the same place GG is always obsessed with?

I don't want to start any more conspiracy theories, but it makes you wonder just who or what is up there.

Who is GG? Bloody hate initials.

Quite a pattern developing here:

Rhodes starts. He scores. We win.

The clown of a manager drops him.

We draw or lose

Repeat.

Other than the goal terrible game. Brown must be vying for the title of worst striker ever to play for Blackburn Rovers with Paul McKinnon.

Rhodes did seem to be angry with someone when he scored, I thought his ire was directed rather more towards the dug out than up in the stands.

Someone commented earlier that Rhodes and Gestede can't play together. I think they could under a decent manager. Marshall and Conway can play well on occasion but generally contribute painfully little between them. Marshall is playing particularly poorly at the moment imo.

I know I keep on about it but they are on the wrong wings. It doesn't work for crosses.

[Al]

Last week the Sheffield Wednesday manager admitted after the game that Brown was the player they couldn't handle - it was his winning of the ball in the air that provided Jordan with his chance. Brown will put in a shift, close defenders down and hold the ball up - things that Jordan can't do. At the end of the day if you are playing with two strikers then you need them to compliment one another and, to a certain extent, both bring something different to the game. Personally, I thought Brown had another good game last night in terms of holding the ball up and laying it off despite being marked by two defenders most of the time. He's certainly not the worst striker I've seen at Ewood by a long way, indeed, considering he was a free I think we've pick up a bargain.

God I hate those words "put in a shift" it's rough translation is "has no flair". Unfortunately flair is discouraged at Ewood.

[Bucksrover]

God I hate those words "put in a shift" it's rough translation is "has no flair". Unfortunately flair is discouraged at Ewood.

Putting in a shift still counts with me - recent players Murphy and Etuhu may be the reason.

Murphy had a bit of flair - just didn't move

[ABBEY]

murphy had the flare but Gav still wears da flares

[Husky]

Who is GG? Bloody hate initials.

I know I keep on about it but they are on the wrong wings. It doesn't work for crosses.

I feel like I'm in Groundhog Day by answering this again.....................there's a big clue

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.....of course GG is our very own Groundhog Gary.

[Al]

Putting in a shift still counts with me - recent players Murphy and Etuhu may be the reason.

Murphy had a bit of flair - just didn't move

I said "flair" not "flower". No complaints about Etuhu.

I feel like I'm in Groundhog Day by answering this again.....................there's a big clue

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.....of course GG is our very own Groundhog Gary.

No initials = no problem.

[Husky]

Even Raheem "I'm tired" Sterling was up and down the pitch for the full 90 against us and he'd already played a full 90 minutes just a few days earlier.

He's obviously had a good talking to at some point (perhaps even involving a sports psychologist) and who knows probably more than a few decent sessions with a fitness/strength and conditioning coach.

The thing is it doesn't (or at least shouldn't) take a fit player more than 2 days to recover from a game. It's not even close to "over-training". Another thing that's ridiculous is that they often blab about certain players being 'short of match fitness' yet it's only proper game time that will give and help them retain said match fitness - not missing games.

I'd bet that a player that plays twice a week has better match fitness than a player that plays every 1-2 weeks.

[Gav]

murphy had the flare but Gav still wears da flares

Only when I'm out in Rishton.

[gumboots]

Even Raheem "I'm tired" Sterling was up and down the pitch for the full 90 against us and he'd already played a full 90 minutes just a few days earlier.

He's obviously had a good talking to at some point (perhaps even involving a sports psychologist) and who knows probably more than a few decent sessions with a fitness/strength and conditioning coach.

The thing is it doesn't (or at least shouldn't) take a fit player more than 2 days to recover from a game. It's not even close to "over-training". Another thing that's ridiculous is that they often blab about certain players being 'short of match fitness' yet it's only proper game time that will give and help them retain said match fitness - not missing games.

I'd bet that a player that plays twice a week has better match fitness than a player that plays every 1-2 weeks.

Last time I looked Steve peters was at Liverpool

[ABBEY]

Got some crackers on Twitter ha ..we ARE their big rivals ha .. Just pointed out that burnley , nobbers and Blackpool are miles in front of the rival stakes for us ..

[thenodrog]

Other than the goal terrible game. Brown must be vying for the title of worst striker ever to play for Blackburn Rovers with Paul McKinnon.

Brown should never start unless it's desperate times, for me any two from rhodes, Rudy and king can work together, all 3 likely to be gone in summer.

I'm pretty sure you two are guilty of ball watching! I'll agree that Simon might have a point that Brown is not a great goalpoacher nor is he eye candy but imo he played very well last night as the back to goal target man that we have been lacking for long enough. Playing support striker he was the target for the 'out ball' time and again. He worked like a trojan all the time he was on the field in either midfield or attack and was constantly marshalled by two muscular, mauling Bolton defenders yet the ball still either stuck to him or was headed on to other players. Maybe you two should canvas our defenders for their opinion of Chris Brown?

My gripe with Rhodes is that with his back to goal he is useless and he cannot provide any hope of relief for the defence when they are being pressurised. Gestede can compete physically and King is useful for the corner flag balls but Jordan Rhodes is precisely why we have been so brittle and so susceptable to even the slightest opposition pressure in the past. How often has it been pointed out how poor we are at defending a lead? It's not easy when a defence clears the ball only for it to come straight back at them seconds later.

Last night on a few occasions Rhodes received a short pass on or around the half way and through the defence to run onto and all it did was highlight his complete lack of pace (granted on one occasion the Bolton CH/Capt should have been sent off near the end for stopping him with the point of his elbow). I suggested before the the Stoke game that it might pay dividends to pair Brown with Josh King and I still think it will.

If anybody wants to have a go at a player then I'd suggest Ben Marshall is the one not pulling his weight at the moment.

[thenodrog]

Since I was at one of the games I don't need to. Hanley was better than he's been for while and also was decent in the away game prior according to the radio. I particularly remember him having his timing back in terms if his stopping and jumping forward to intercept. Killa is a good covering defender, part of the problem for me with Duffy and Hanley was they are both natural front line CBs- aerial and quick. Neither could adapt to a role organising. Killgallon is certainly showing better form than Dann ever did- which illustrates why we have players throwing good performances next to him- even one lad 3 hours off the train.

CH's tend to improve with age and whilst Kilgallon and Baptiste are massively experienced I think both Duffy and Handley can still improve. Not too wise imo to chuck the baby out with the bathwater just because it's common practice amongst the Blackburn faithful to constantly scapegooat a player. I bet Handley can't wait for Jason Lowe to recover.

First time I saw Cairney I thought he could play in the traditional no 10 role. I'm still not convinced he's got the right attitude to play there but he's got the ability to play that role.

Brown doing the donkey work in front of him helped Cairney play a more creative role no end.

Boltons thuggery, OTT gamesmanship and an inept referee almost left a bad taste only for JR to add the sweetener at the death.

A well deserved win and all credit to the lads for keeping going.

I noticed early on that they appear to have turned into the image of their Manager.

Just as an aside how come our singists couldn't come up with any Shearer chants? 'There's only one Alan Shearer' / ' Shearers gonna get ya' / 'you're gonn gat your effin head kicked in' etc would have been well funny everytime he was raging on the touchline. Why have the 'ends' lost their spark?

[Stuart]

CH's tend to improve with age and whilst Kilgallon and Baptiste are massively experienced I think both Duffy and Handley can still improve. Not too wise imo to chuck the baby out with the bathwater just because it's common practice amongst the Blackburn faithful to constantly scapegooat a player. I bet Handley can't wait for Jason Lowe to recover.

One of these days you'll spell his name correctly.

[DE.]

One of these days you'll spell his name correctly.

I always thought the Handley thing was a joke I wasn't getting...

[only2garners]

How often has it been pointed out how poor we are at defending a lead? It's not easy when a defence clears the ball only for it to come straight back at them seconds later.

That for me was the real positive from the game at Hillsborough last week. For the first time in ages and despite conceding a goal with half an hour to go, we never really looked like not winning the game. Sure some of that was a very competent defensive display but having the outlet to Brown where we would have some possession up the pitch for a while was a revelation.

Marshall's just in the bad run of form that Conway was earlier and that Cairney has been in for most of the season. He probably needs a rest for a game or two.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Village in Cheshire apparently.

That for me was the real positive from the game at Hillsborough last week. For the first time in ages and despite conceding a goal with half an hour to go, we never really looked like not winning the game. Sure some of that was a very competent defensive display but having the outlet to Brown where we would have some possession up the pitch for a while was a revelation.

Marshall's just in the bad run of form that Conway was earlier and that Cairney has been in for most of the season. He probably needs a rest for a game or two.

When they all click, we will be awesome!

[bazza]

Yeah and supposedly "all the scouts left 10 minutes early".

They stayed 10 minutes longer than the Rao family used to do, then.

On the subject of Henry, he is in some ways reminiscent of samba. Very raw and lacking in positional sense often but has those long legs that seem to stretch further than you'd think they could. With someone alongside him to talk him through games, as he has with kill gallon, he could be very useful to us

He's only here for a month. I wish it were longer because I agree with you.

[Neil Weaver]

I remember when we signed Marshall, one member (sorry can't remember who) had a gander at the LCFC forums and reported that the view was he was a fine player on his day but anonymous when it wasn't his day. Nothing has changed - he's either hot or cold, there's no happy (and consistent) medium.

[bazza]

I still like Marshall even when he isn't on top form mainly because he can use both feet which many professional footballers amazingly cannot do.

[thenodrog]

One of these days you'll spell his name correctly.

sfw? Like friedel / friedel it matters little, just tell me someone who doesn't know who I was referring to.

[tomphil]

I think Marshall has just run out of steam a bit recently. There has been questions over his fitness since he got here but recently in games he's been doing a lot of tracking back etc and putting in real shifts. He went off knackered v Lpool and I was surprised he started last night. I'm one for playing players on their correct sides but thought he looked uncomfortable last night.

Let's not forget though Bolton went in for the physical stuff last night and it was blood and thunder at times. Thankfully we matched em but a few of ours struggled with it.

[joey_big_nose]

I'm pretty sure you two are guilty of ball watching! I'll agree that Simon might have a point that Brown is not a great goalpoacher nor is he eye candy but imo he played very well last night as the back to goal target man that we have been lacking for long enough. Playing support striker he was the target for the 'out ball' time and again. He worked like a trojan all the time he was on the field in either midfield or attack and was constantly marshalled by two muscular, mauling Bolton defenders yet the ball still either stuck to him or was headed on to other players. Maybe you two should canvas our defenders for their opinion of Chris Brown?

My gripe with Rhodes is that with his back to goal he is useless and he cannot provide any hope of relief for the defence when they are being pressurised. Gestede can compete physically and King is useful for the corner flag balls but Jordan Rhodes is precisely why we have been so brittle and so susceptable to even the slightest opposition pressure in the past. How often has it been pointed out how poor we are at defending a lead? It's not easy when a defence clears the ball only for it to come straight back at them seconds later.

Last night on a few occasions Rhodes received a short pass on or around the half way and through the defence to run onto and all it did was highlight his complete lack of pace (granted on one occasion the Bolton CH/Capt should have been sent off near the end for stopping him with the point of his elbow). I suggested before the the Stoke game that it might pay dividends to pair Brown with Josh King and I still think it will.

If anybody wants to have a go at a player then I'd suggest Ben Marshall is the one not pulling his weight at the moment.

Agree that Brown and Gestede do make the opposition defence work extremely hard and play deeper. The way to handle Rhodes is play a high line. Can't do that with Gestede and Brown as they will knock the ball on for Marshall etc to run onto.

I would be quite curious to se Brown and Gestede together. It would certainly scare the bejesus out of the opposition centre backs. I doubt anyone in the league could cope with them both at once physically. As you say that panic benefits the midfielders coming in like Marshall and Cairney.

Issue with King and Brown together is both can create absolute havoc in the opposition back line but neither look like scorers (Kings Stoke wonder game apart). When Rhodes, King and Gestede go in the summer we need to find pace with a finishing touch.