[Archived] News Article -> 2012/13 Capital One Cup Match Report: MK Dons 2 Rovers 1

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Capital One Cup 2nd Round

MK Dons(0) 2 – 1 (0)Blackburn Rovers

Chadwick 52, 68 Goodwillie 82

Referee: M. Russell Attendance: 5,873

Let there be no mistake – this was not a giant-killing act. For that to take place there needs to be a giant in the vicinity. Forget the manager for a moment — difficult, I know, but try to look past him — and have a close look at what some would have us believe is one of the strongest squads in the Championship. The manager gave the opportunity for this strong squad to flex its muscles at the stadium:mk against League One opposition and the result was a complete and utter embarrassment. The manager tells us that he is buying the players, whilst our global advisor tells us that the purchase of players falls under his remit. The question I would ask is not who is actually buying them but who is scouting for these players. Clearly whoever is recommending them has no grasp of the qualities required to succeed in English football.

One might forgive our recently recruited Iberian brethren for not being up to speed, although judging by the ineptness of their performances in this game, one suspects it might well be some time before they are ready for the rigours of Championship football. However, Messrs Formica and Rochina have been here for eighteen months and yet still can't adapt their game to the requirements of English football. Formica does a passable impression of the invisible man: you knew he was on the pitch because the stadium announcer told us when he entered the fray, but he was damned difficult to find for the spectators let alone his colleagues on the pitch. Rochina, our former Barcelona prima donna, is little more than a show pony whose main contribution is a series of flicks and tricks that usually end in abject failure. Most of this game he spent falling to the ground in spectacular fashion and looking aghast when the referee didn't award him free-kicks for fairly routine and legitimate challenges. Fortunately, Steve Kean spared us the embarrassment of having both of these so-called "prospects" on the pitch at the same time!

MK Dons thoroughly deserved their win as they were the better team in every department. Karl Robinson has built a team that is quick, inventive and thoroughly entertaining. By comparison, the Rovers were lacklustre in the extreme. Slow in thought and execution with a passion for passing backwards and sideways, the Rovers players looked devoid of any attacking ideas. The fact that, Olsson apart, none of the Rovers players possesses that vital ingredient of pace probably explains why we played in front of the home defence instead of trying to get behind them. Again, this surely comes back to the scouting of players, and to continually sign players who lack pace is unforgivable.

That a former "Claret" should apply the coup de grâce merely added insult to injury for the small band of supporters who had travelled down from Lancashire to witness the latest embarrassment for a once proud club. However, the Rovers presented the opportunities to Chadwick, with Grant Hanley being badly at fault for the first goal and Jake Kean handing him the second one. David Goodwillie's late consolation proved too little, too late and the home side had little difficulty in seeing out the game.

The manager made several changes from the side which was rather fortune to beat Leicester City on Saturday. Jake Kean, Bradley Orr, Grant Hanley, Simon Vukcevic, Paulo Jorge, Ruben Rochina and Fabio Nunes all came into the starting eleven. The home side were without the suspended Dean Lewington and had a couple of regulars missing through injury.

MK Dons quickly showed their intentions when they took the game to the Rovers straight from the kick-off. Charlie MacDonald found Daniel Powell on the right wing and the impressive young winger worked his way into the area and drilled a low shot towards the far corner of the net which Kean did well to parry to safety.

As a personal aside, the performance of Powell left me wondering why we are obsessed with bringing youngsters in from abroad who have yet to taste first-team football and yet we seem to ignore the talent that is on view in the lower leagues in this country.

The Rovers then had a wonderful opportunity to take the lead when Nunes got into the area and pulled the ball back for Edinho in front of an open goal. However, instead of blasting the ball home the youngster tried to be too precise and his effort lacked sufficient power and was cleared off the line. Until Goodwillie's late effort, this was as close as the Rovers would come to scoring.

The game quickly settled into a pattern which saw the Rovers content to keep possession with a series of backwards and sideways passes without ever threatening to test the home defence. MK Dons, in contrast, worked the ball into positions where they were able to play in their wingers, who continually tested the Rovers' full-backs and often found them wanting.

MK Dons continually pressed the Rovers further and further back as the men from Ewood found it difficult to contain the lively League One outfit. Crosses fizzed across the Rovers area and Kean looked increasingly jittery in goal. Chadwick fired over with the Rovers defence all at sea and Kean was then called upon to push another Chadwick effort clear for a corner.

The Rovers managed to reach the sanctuary of the dressing room at half-time on equal terms but were distinctly second best in every department.

The second half began in the same way with MK Dons probing for an opening and the Rovers looking sluggish and disinterested. On 52 minutes the home side got the breakthrough that their play thoroughly deserved. Grant Hanley and Jon Ostemobor set off in a race for the ball as it was heading towards the byline. Hanley tried to usher the ball out of play, but Ostemobor was far too quick for him and nicked the ball from Hanley whilst brushing him aside. The Scottish international defender stumbled to the floor and Ostemobor cut the ball back for Chadwick to calmly fire home past Kean. It was a clumsy piece of defending from Hanley, who endured a torrid time all evening.

As the half wore on, more and more of the Rovers players simply faded as they found the energetic pass-and-move game of the MK Dons too quick for them. Edinho, who again gave a good impression of "little boy lost", was withdrawn in favour of Goodwillie, while Jason Lowe replaced Dickson Etuhu. However, the changes did nothing to alter the course of the game, with the home side dominating possession and continually threatening to score a second, whilst the Rovers struggled to make any headway going forwards.

Out of the blue, Goodwillie fired a long-range effort just over to give the small band of followers from Lancashire something to cheer. However, this proved to be only a minor blip in the home side's dominance and on 68 minutes the Dons scored a second goal. Another excellent move presented Powell with a shooting chance and his effort wasn't held by Kean but merely parried to the feet of Chadwick, who had no difficulty in accepting the gift and slotting the ball home.

The game was as good as up for the Rovers at that point and the cries of "Kean Out", which had been few and far between up that point, increased. Rochina was mercifully withdrawn after another inept performance, but the introduction of Formica did nothing to alter the course of the match. Indeed, Formica quickly did his usual vanishing act until the dying minutes when he headed a decent chance onto the roof of the net.

With eight minutes remaining, the Rovers did find the back of the net with one of their few decent moves of the night. Nunes, for once, managed to get behind the defence on the left and when he whipped in his cross, Goodwillie stole in to nod home from close range.

One might have expected or at least hoped that this would spark a late revival, but sadly not. The Dons continued to dominate right up to the end, with Formica's late headed attempt the nearest that the Rovers came to grabbing a second and taking the game into extra time.

In truth the win was nothing less than the MK Dons deserved. They were by far the superior side and that must surely be a cause of concern for the Rovers management. This was not a case of the tactics being wrong so much as the personnel on view were simply not good enough to compete with a League One side.

Kean looked a bundle of nerves in goal, while Hanley had a nightmare in the centre of defence and did nothing to enhance his claims for a regular starting role. His error for the opening goal was crucial and really quite basic. Having all the time in the world to have cleared the ball, he opted to be too clever and tried to see the ball over the line as defenders tend to do. On this occasion he came up against an opponent who was stronger and quicker and paid the price. Scott Dann tried to hold the fort, but with Bradley Orr and Hanley having a poor night he got little help. Marcus Olsson looked decent going forward and was the only player who was prepared to try to get behind the home defence. The fact that he was the only Rovers player on view with any pace perhaps explains why he was our most dangerous attacker. However, his role last night was full-back and with Nunes not prepared to cover when Olsson went forward, there were gaping holes down the left of the Rovers' defence which the MK Dons were only too willing to exploit to the full.

The midfield was the area where the Rovers were totally pedestrian. Vukcevic started promisingly but faded, Jorge did likewise, Etuhu struggled to try to keep the play moving but was fighting a losing battle, while Nunes is yet another winger with no pace. The result was that the team went backwards rather than forwards and the players seemed unable to either run at the opposition or try to pass the ball through them. The result was that they opted for the safety of passing back to an unmarked defender who then, nine times out of ten, launched it forward straight to the opposition.

In attack the Rovers were woeful. Rochina was abject, while Edinho is simply not up to the job he is being asked to do. Formica was every bit as inept as Rochina when he came on, while Goodwillie did at least have a shot at goal and, of course, was on the spot to head the ball home.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of this display is that with only three days left to the closing of the transfer window, the Rovers are still woefully short of quality in every department. The squad may well be big in terms of numbers, but it really is dreadfully short of quality. At the moment one feels that the issue regarding the manager is hiding the fact that many of the foreign players who are being brought in are going to take time to adjust to English football and time is the one commodity that the Rovers simply don't have.

Teams

MK Dons

David Martin; Jon Otsemobor, Gary MacKenzie, Shaun Williams, Adam Chicksen; Darren Potter,

Stephen Gleeson; Daniel Powell, Luke Chadwick (Jay O'Shea 76), Dean Bowditch (Jabo Ibehre 90); Charlie MacDonald (Ryan Lowe 74)

Subs not used: Ian McLoughlin (gk), Dele Alli, Brendan Galloway

Manager: Karl Robinson

Blackburn Rovers

Jake Kean; Bradley Orr, Scott Dann, Grant Hanley, Marcus Olsson; Simon Vukcevic, Dickson Etuhu (Jason Lowe 59), Paulo Jorge, Fabio Nunes; Ruben Rochina (Mauro Formica 65); Edinho (David Goodwillie 59)

Subs not used: Sebastian Usai (gk), Josh Morris, Martin Olsson, Bruno Ribeiro

Manager: Steve Kean

Bookings

MK Dons – None

Blackburn Rovers – None

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