Underrated Rovers 11

[Bigdoggsteel]

13 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

One of the best Rovers games I've seen.

I couldn't stand Dickov, but he was effective for Hughes as he set the tempo of the rest of the team which allowed Hughes to create his "bully boy Blackburn" style of play.

Wilcox got no end of stick from Rovers fans. I have no idea why. He was a great servant and a good player. When he broke through I used to stand on the enclosure. All game I'd hear "bloody Wilcox" from the same group who used to stand near us.

Rovers should have signed him permanently. He did a very good job.

I remember when Short chose Derby instead of Rovers in 92. I think his reason was that he didn't want to move house. He was at Notts County I think. I though that he'd made a terrible decision, then years later he turns up at Ewood. He was another solid player who brought stability and nous in the post Hodgson/Kidd mess.

I read we were quoted £10 million for Jones, but that was during a ridiculous time at the club, so who knows. He probably didn't have an agent who was in on the scam. 

[oldjamfan1]

14 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

I remember when Short chose Derby instead of Rovers in 92. I think his reason was that he didn't want to move house. He was at Notts County I think. I though that he'd made a terrible decision, then years later he turns up at Ewood. He was another solid player who brought stability and nous in the post Hodgson/Kidd mess.

Craig is worth his place in the history books simply for his part in the Easter Sunday massacre in 2001.

[Stuart]

4 hours ago, Mike E said:

Ooijer carried the stench of a weak first half-season throughout his time with us imo. In his first couple of games he gave away a pointless penalty and scored an own goal.

After he broke his leg at City that first January, he came back all guns blazing and I'd put him on a par with Berg, personally.

Wasn’t he also sent off?

[Atko's Engine]

7 hours ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Wilcox got no end of stick from Rovers fans. I have no idea why

I think the main reason he got so much stick was because he wasn't Scott Sellars.

One underrated player I'd include in any list is Paul Warhurst. A superb player, but so unlucky with injury.

And Tony Gale. He only made a dozen or so appearances but he was wonderful for us when called on, always seems to get forgotten about when people talk about 94/95. Or maybe it's just me.

[speeeeeeedie]

1 hour ago, Atko's Engine said:

I think the main reason he got so much stick was because he wasn't Scott Sellars.

One underrated player I'd include in any list is Paul Warhurst. A superb player, but so unlucky with injury.

And Tony Gale. He only made a dozen or so appearances but he was wonderful for us when called on, always seems to get forgotten about when people talk about 94/95. Or maybe it's just me.

You may be right. Sellars was like Messi to Rovers fans. Would he have played for England without his injuries?

Warhurst has been spoken about quite a bit on here recently. Another who's career was blighted by injuries. He would have been an England regular without them. He oozed class.

Tony Gale was brought in by Ray Harford. I think that he was ready to retire but due to the squad being short on numbers during the summer of 1994 he gave it a whirl. He was very composed and was happy to step aside when everybody got fit. I like his commentary too. He's on over here quite a bit.

Edited May 1, 2020 by speeeeeeedie

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

10 hours ago, Atko's Engine said:

I think the main reason he got so much stick was because he wasn't Scott Sellars.

One underrated player I'd include in any list is Paul Warhurst. A superb player, but so unlucky with injury.

And Tony Gale. He only made a dozen or so appearances but he was wonderful for us when called on, always seems to get forgotten about when people talk about 94/95. Or maybe it's just me.

Warhurst could have played anywhere on the pitch and been a star. He would have been an all time great but for the injury.

[LeftWinger]

I'd say David Goodwillie, he always reminded me of a Scottish Wayne Rooney. 

Also Mauro Formica, who was very similar to Gabriel Batistuta in my opinion. 

?

Edited May 2, 2020 by LeftWinger

[Bbrovers2288]

Tugay according to motd, how he doesn’t make it into top 10 never to play for a top 6 club is beyond me 

[Mattyblue]

Same reason Brad wasn't on the keeper list... because he played for Rovers.

[iacok]

Always liked Simon Barker. Presumably football in top flight when he went to QPR. Or maybe Rovers wanted the Money!

[Sparks Rover]

Berkovic

Cowans

Gayle

Hignett

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, iacok said:

Always liked Simon Barker. Presumably football in top flight when he went to QPR. Or maybe Rovers wanted the Money!

Or both. He had what you can't teach, that spacial awareness that allows you to always turn away into space and not into opponents.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[MarkBRFC]

Mark Hughes as a player would be my shout for this.

Played a vital part in our promotion year in 2001, we had been stumbling a bit early season and he came in and made an instant impact with 2 goals on his debut. Important goals against Stockport and Preston that year too.

Also, that performance in central midfield against Spurs in the cup final the year after, absolutely bossed it at 38 years old.

[Mike E]

Just now, MarkBRFC said:

Mark Hughes as a player would be my shout for this.

Played a vital part in our promotion year in 2001, we had been stumbling a bit early season and he came in and made an instant impact with 2 goals on his debut. Important goals against Stockport and Preston that year too.

Also, that performance in central midfield against Spurs in the cup final the year after, absolutely bossed it at 38 years old.

Shows you the calibre of player to put in a MOTM performance at 38 out of position.

[roversfan99]

One controversial shout for a player who was always popular but both at the time and after his departure slightly underappreciated has to be Jordan Rhodes.

There was always an undercurrent of people trying to find holes in what he couldnt do and a blatant under-appreciation of quite how ridiculous his goal record was. 3 full seasons in teams that ranged from shambolic in the first year to more stable in the second and third (with obvious major flaws still existing) he got 27, 25 and 21 goals. Then a further 10 in a half season prior to his departure. It takes incredible anticipation, composure and intelligence to be so consistently prolific. We have been lucky to have since had Graham and Dack but even in League 1 neither could smash the 20 goal barrier Rhodes did every full season he was here. Goals always will be priority 1 from a striker, he was an absolute guarantee. 

His post Rovers career is pretty irrelevant to how good he was here, played a key role in Boro's promotion but went to 2 clubs who clearly had bought him without necessarily the managers final say and I think hes suffered a crisis of confidence but it doesnt take away his extraordinary consistency here.

[simongarnerisgod]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

One controversial shout for a player who was always popular but both at the time and after his departure slightly underappreciated has to be Jordan Rhodes.

There was always an undercurrent of people trying to find holes in what he couldnt do and a blatant under-appreciation of quite how ridiculous his goal record was. 3 full seasons in teams that ranged from shambolic in the first year to more stable in the second and third (with obvious major flaws still existing) he got 27, 25 and 21 goals. Then a further 10 in a half season prior to his departure. It takes incredible anticipation, composure and intelligence to be so consistently prolific. We have been lucky to have since had Graham and Dack but even in League 1 neither could smash the 20 goal barrier Rhodes did every full season he was here. Goals always will be priority 1 from a striker, he was an absolute guarantee. 

His post Rovers career is pretty irrelevant to how good he was here, played a key role in Boro's promotion but went to 2 clubs who clearly had bought him without necessarily the managers final say and I think hes suffered a crisis of confidence but it doesnt take away his extraordinary consistency here.

unfortunately in the modern game a striker is expected to be able to do everything,im`e  of the opinion that strikers are paid to score goals,i think jordan is seen as a bit of throwback,if he`d been around in the 80`s he`d most likely be playing in the top division,rush and lineker wer`nt complete players,they just had the nouse to sniff out opportunities in the box

[roversfan99]

21 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

unfortunately in the modern game a striker is expected to be able to do everything,im`e  of the opinion that strikers are paid to score goals,i think jordan is seen as a bit of throwback,if he`d been around in the 80`s he`d most likely be playing in the top division,rush and lineker wer`nt complete players,they just had the nouse to sniff out opportunities in the box

No matter how the game changes, nothing will ever change the fact that goalscoring is the number one priority of a striker though.

I dont think its realistic to expect Championship to be good at everything. Ultimately I also felt that people overstated other areas of his game, but the proof was in the pudding in terms of the limits that put on his ability to score goals, ie very little. For example, Armstrong is lightning quick, but Rhodes was at least as effective in behind because the timing of his runs was far, far better, Armstrong often caught offside, and once he got in behind, he was clinical whereas Armstrong probably misses more than he scores and is more of a scorer of great goals rather than a great goalscorer. He was also of no use if we went direct but he wasnt useless with his head, he did score quite a few headers when he again used his intelligence to get a yard.

I dont think theres been a better consistent Championship striker in the last decade than Rhodes as he was here, barring obvious exceptions like Mitrovic of players who maybe spent a year here post relegation. I also feel that he can be considered underrated just because his unrelenting goal record over 3 and a half season was remarkable and made him the best striker around at this level at that time.

[oldjamfan1]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

No matter how the game changes, nothing will ever change the fact that goalscoring is the number one priority of a striker though.

I dont think its realistic to expect Championship to be good at everything. Ultimately I also felt that people overstated other areas of his game, but the proof was in the pudding in terms of the limits that put on his ability to score goals, ie very little. For example, Armstrong is lightning quick, but Rhodes was at least as effective in behind because the timing of his runs was far, far better, Armstrong often caught offside, and once he got in behind, he was clinical whereas Armstrong probably misses more than he scores and is more of a scorer of great goals rather than a great goalscorer. He was also of no use if we went direct but he wasnt useless with his head, he did score quite a few headers when he again used his intelligence to get a yard.

I dont think theres been a better consistent Championship striker in the last decade than Rhodes as he was here, barring obvious exceptions like Mitrovic of players who maybe spent a year here post relegation. I also feel that he can be considered underrated just because his unrelenting goal record over 3 and a half season was remarkable and made him the best striker around at this level at that time.

Difficult to argue with any of that really. JR was definitely a bit of a throwback in the sense that he was an old fashioned poacher, but by God he was good at it!!