Favourite rovers' player performance this century

[oldjamfan1]

Brad Friedel at Arsenal in a 2-1 victory in 2002. He made save after save after save that day against arguably the best team in the league. Special mention of his performance in the League Cup final earlier that same year too.
 

Many Tugay moments already mentioned but one that doesn’t seem to have been put forward so far was Yakubu’s four goal haul against Swansea in about 2009 or 2010. Even Shearer didn’t manage to do that for us in one game.

[SuperBrfc]

There were many special Brad performances, the cup final display being right up there.

However, I'm going with oldjamfan's pick too. Arsenal away in October 2002 was absolutely stunning.

Our goal was under siege for the final 30 minutes as we held on to a 2-1 lead. Against that Arsenal side containing the likes of Pires, Henry and Bergkamp. Wave after wave of Arsenal attack, but Brad kept everything out! Even now, 20 years on, I'm still buzzing thinking back to that afternoon. Superb.

Honourable mention for Duffer too, tearing Spurs to shreds at White Hart Lane on the final day of the 2002/03 season. What a way to secure a top 6 finish.

[bluebruce]

41 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

There were many special Brad performances, the cup final display being right up there.

However, I'm going with oldjamfan's pick too. Arsenal away in October 2002 was absolutely stunning.

Our goal was under siege for the final 30 minutes as we held on to a 2-1 lead. Against that Arsenal side containing the likes of Pires, Henry and Bergkamp. Wave after wave of Arsenal attack, but Brad kept everything out! Even now, 20 years on, I'm still buzzing thinking back to that afternoon. Superb.

Honourable mention for Duffer too, tearing Spurs to shreds at White Hart Lane on the final day of the 2002/03 season. What a way to secure a top 6 finish.

I was aware of that Friedel performance and thought about mentioning it, but I didn't actually see it. I remember hearing some very excited commentators talking about how he was keeping them at bay single handedly.

Honestly, what a fucking keeper.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

52 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

There were many special Brad performances, the cup final display being right up there.

However, I'm going with oldjamfan's pick too. Arsenal away in October 2002 was absolutely stunning.

Our goal was under siege for the final 30 minutes as we held on to a 2-1 lead. Against that Arsenal side containing the likes of Pires, Henry and Bergkamp. Wave after wave of Arsenal attack, but Brad kept everything out! Even now, 20 years on, I'm still buzzing thinking back to that afternoon. Superb.

Honourable mention for Duffer too, tearing Spurs to shreds at White Hart Lane on the final day of the 2002/03 season. What a way to secure a top 6 finish.

He was equally good in that FA cup tie down there when we got a draw and beat them in the replay at Ewood. Several times I thought “ bollocks, that’s in” and somehow he keep the ball out.

[SuperBrfc]

10 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He was equally good in that FA cup tie down there when we got a draw and beat them in the replay at Ewood. Several times I thought “ bollocks, that’s in” and somehow he keep the ball out.

Yeah, that was another special performance. I remember a stunning double save he made late on in that game to keep us in the tie. Fingertips to keep the first effort out. He was on the floor for the second shot but kept that out too.

Special keeper.

[wilsdenrover]

10 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

Yeah, that was another special performance. I remember a stunning double save he made late on in that game to keep us in the tie. Fingertips to keep the first effort out. He was on the floor for the second shot but kept that out too.

Special keeper.

This one?

 

 

[SuperBrfc]

5 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

This one?

 

 

Yes! That's the one. Thanks for finding that.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

39 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

This one?

 

 

Yeah that one. I thought the Henry flick was going in and the follow up shot. Fabrigas was having a good cry after the game.

[frosty]

14 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yeah that one. I thought the Henry flick was going in and the follow up shot. Fabrigas was having a good cry after the game.

Beating them in the replay with McCarthy's late stunner after Fabregas had thrown his toys out the pram after the first game was immensely satisfying. Great times.

[SuperBrfc]

18 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yeah that one. I thought the Henry flick was going in and the follow up shot. Fabrigas was having a good cry after the game.

I think that was the game where Fabregas said "I thought you played for Barcelona" to Hughes on the pitch after full time. Only because we didn't let them beat us, of course.

I loved seeing us wind Wenger and his team up. It was him that started off the "bully boys" nonsense, I think. Lucas Neill, Todd, Mokoena, Nelsen. You can't mess with those guys. Looking back on old games from around that time on YouTube, even the likes of Nils Eric Johansson, Ferguson and Reidy are flying in, fighting for the ball.

Despite Wenger's views on us, I always enjoyed watching his teams. They played some fantastic football and were always my preferred choice over Fergie's lot for the title (as we couldn't be up there with them in the 2000s).

[Upside Down]

2 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

This one?

 

 

Stick it in the Friedel thread 👍

[simongarnerisgod]

it was so satisfying to hear wenger crying about our performance,he  and benitez absolutely hated playing at ewood or the reebok,you could see him on the touchline getting visibly wound up when the opposition did`nt bend over and pull their pants down,great times when rovers and bolton used to stick it up the big boys more often than not

[Ewood Ace]

On 04/06/2023 at 20:18, oldjamfan1 said:

Many Tugay moments already mentioned but one that doesn’t seem to have been put forward so far was Yakubu’s four goal haul against Swansea in about 2009 or 2010. 

The celebration after his first goal should automatically discount that out as an option.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Ewood Ace

[berkshireblue]

On 04/06/2023 at 21:43, SuperBrfc said:

Yeah, that was another special performance. I remember a stunning double save he made late on in that game to keep us in the tie. Fingertips to keep the first effort out. He was on the floor for the second shot but kept that out too.

Special keeper.

Yes that FA CUP game was a noon kick off only got back from Bayer Lev away game that morning and he was unbelievable

Fabregas had a go at Hughes afterwards

[Guest]

Bit of a lesser one, but purely based off importance to our club... Dack at home vs Peterborough in the league one season. That was the game that won us promotion, not Doncaster.

[tomphil]

Friedel v Spuds league cup final.

[roversfan99]

4 hours ago, Mellor Rover said:

Bit of a lesser one, but purely based off importance to our club... Dack at home vs Peterborough in the league one season. That was the game that won us promotion, not Doncaster.

We won promotion by 9 points and 20 higher goal difference to be fair, I am not sure that it was as decisive as it seemed.

[Admiral Nelsen]

Tugay and Brad rightly getting the mentions they deserve.

 

I've been wracking my brains for some less obvious ones, and a few have come to mind. Bellamy at home vs Middlesbrough in a 3-2 win was something else, and summed up the difference he made to us that season. Scored two brilliant goals, the second of which came after Sav got himself sent off following a dodgy handball decision. 

For all of his inconsistencies, Josh King had some absolute blinders for us too. The FA cup games obviously, but there was a match at St Andrews when we were 4-0 up in no time at all, and at least three came from King having their full back on toast. You take the standard of opposition into account, but he caused absolute havoc that day. 

 

But the main one which comes to mind wasn't even in a Rovers shirt. I remember seeing New Zealand somehow manage a 1-1 draw with reigning champions Italy at the 2010 World Cup. The Sky Sports website used to give player ratings at that time, along with a short caption describing the performance. I only ever remember them giving out a 10/10 once, which was Ryan Nelsen in that game just with the word "heroic" next to him. 

[M_B]

On 04/06/2023 at 22:58, SuperBrfc said:

I think that was the game where Fabregas said "I thought you played for Barcelona" to Hughes on the pitch after full time. Only because we didn't let them beat us, of course.

I loved seeing us wind Wenger and his team up. It was him that started off the "bully boys" nonsense, I think. Lucas Neill, Todd, Mokoena, Nelsen. You can't mess with those guys. Looking back on old games from around that time on YouTube, even the likes of Nils Eric Johansson, Ferguson and Reidy are flying in, fighting for the ball.

Despite Wenger's views on us, I always enjoyed watching his teams. They played some fantastic football and were always my preferred choice over Fergie's lot for the title (as we couldn't be up there with them in the 2000s).

I think it was Nigel Worthington at Norwich who coined the bully boys phrase. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

We won promotion by 9 points and 20 higher goal difference to be fair, I am not sure that it was as decisive as it seemed.

It very much was, 1-0 down until Dacky won us the game, 2 tough away games to come. A Mowbray side had it well within themselves to crumble in that situation. Shrewsbury gave up after that.

[SuperBrfc]

18 hours ago, M_B said:

I think it was Nigel Worthington at Norwich who coined the bully boys phrase. 

Yes, you're right. I've just had a search around online and it was Worthington who started that off.

Surprised by that. I assumed it was Wenger as I remember him moaning about us "bullying" his teams.

It just goes to show though, it wasn't just the big names who we got to and irritated back then.

I'd take managers and fans disliking us because we pose a threat to them, over empty platitudes because we are no threat to them, every day of the week.

[M_B]

4 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

Yes, you're right. I've just had a search around online and it was Worthington who started that off.

Surprised by that. I assumed it was Wenger as I remember him moaning about us "bullying" his teams.

It just goes to show though, it wasn't just the big names who we got to and irritated back then.

I'd take managers and fans disliking us because we pose a threat to them, over empty platitudes because we are no threat to them, every day of the week.

I did remember us being a couple up, and the Blackburn end singing 2-0, to the bully boys. 

[bazza]

On 08/06/2023 at 16:34, tomphil said:

Friedel v Spuds league cup final.

The whole squad v Spuds get my vote. Tiny Taylor as an attacking right wing back. Berg and NEJ at centre back. Jansen & Cole, Duff, Dunne and Gillespie. Not forgetting Bjornabye, Yordi and Hignett. Of course Friedel and Hughes were the mainstays but what a performance.

Bellamy beat Pompey on his own.

New one. MGP v Fulham to volley in, from such an acute angle, Kuqi's cross and later to put a pin point corner for Tugay to volley home. Also when he scored both goals for us to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford.

How I miss those days; probably more than when Dalglish was in charge.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

40 minutes ago, bazza said:

The whole squad v Spuds get my vote. Tiny Taylor as an attacking right wing back. Berg and NEJ at centre back. Jansen & Cole, Duff, Dunne and Gillespie. Not forgetting Bjornabye, Yordi and Hignett. Of course Friedel and Hughes were the mainstays but what a performance.

Bellamy beat Pompey on his own.

New one. MGP v Fulham to volley in, from such an acute angle, Kuqi's cross and later to put a pin point corner for Tugay to volley home. Also when he scored both goals for us to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford.

How I miss those days; probably more than when Dalglish was in charge.

That was a great volley but the cross was equally good.

[Upside Down]

On 10/06/2023 at 07:23, bazza said:

The whole squad v Spuds get my vote. Tiny Taylor as an attacking right wing back. Berg and NEJ at centre back. Jansen & Cole, Duff, Dunne and Gillespie. Not forgetting Bjornabye, Yordi and Hignett. Of course Friedel and Hughes were the mainstays but what a performance.

Bellamy beat Pompey on his own.

New one. MGP v Fulham to volley in, from such an acute angle, Kuqi's cross and later to put a pin point corner for Tugay to volley home. Also when he scored both goals for us to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford.

How I miss those days; probably more than when Dalglish was in charge.

We ruffled a lot more feathers during that time. Definitely my favourite era. And we managed to do it with one of the smallest budgets in the league.