Welcome to Roger’s Rovers Advent Calendar - read the full story behind it and add your comments HERE.

Day: 14/30

Season: 2010/11

Fixture: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3 Rovers (22/5/11)

Highlights

Why Chosen 

The old cliché that football is “a game of two halves” could be stretched over the whole campaign in 2010/11 as Rovers ushered in a new era. The Venkateshwara Hatcheries Group, a conglomerate from Pune, India, took ownership and its safe to say that is been an “interesting” relationship ever since. Chaos swirled around the club from the moment Venkys took over. The tailspin of performances under rookie manager Steve Kean saw Rovers edge closer to the drop. Only an inspired team effort at Molineaux allowed blushes to be spared. Ex Baggie Jason Roberts opened the scoring, whilst Brett Emerton (who seemed to save his best for Wolves) doubled the lead, before Junior Hoilett made it three. The away side was in dreamland. Wolves would mount a spirited comeback to make things interesting, but both clubs survived and the relief was palpable all around the ground.

Aftermath 

The club seemingly decided to bury their heads in the sand in the aftermath of the result. Steve Kean became permanent manager and an overhaul of the squad (namely strip out the experience and replace with cheaper options) led to a predictable relegation less than a year later. Interestingly only four of the starting XI that took the field at Molineux (Robinson, Martin Olsson, Givet and Hoilett) would take the field at Ewood against Wigan the year after (see yesterday). Another interesting note is that 3/5 teams involved on ‘Survival Sunday 2011’ now play in League One (Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan) only Wolves and, then already relegated, West Ham United remain as Premier League clubs.

Honourable Mentions 

Rovers 2-0 Aston Villa (21/11/10) – Rovers first game under the new ownership saw Sam Allardyce’s men defeat The Villans thanks to a brace from Morten Gamst Pedersen. 

Manchester United 7-1 Rovers (27/11/10) - Six days later, Rovers would be humbled at the home of the Champions. A Dimitar Berbatov inspired performance (he scored 5 goals) saw United thump a sorry Rovers. Reports of Venkys watch parties and humiliation in front of their friends would be labelled as a reason Sam Allardyce would lose his job just over two weeks later. Fans however maintain more Machiavellian issues were behind the dismissal.

Rovers 3-1 Liverpool (5/1/11) – Perhaps Steve Kean’s finest night as Rovers boss. The enigmatic Benjani rolled back the years with a brace. Steven Gerrard blazed a spot kick into the Blackburn End and former boss Roy Hodgson would be serenaded with cries of “Sacked in the morning! You’re getting sacked in the morning!”. Three days later Hodgson was out and another former Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish was in.