http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/ en Copyright 2010 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:19:14 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Yesterday's poor performance and result at Stoke pales into insignificance when learning the news of the tragic death of a Rovers supporter who attended the game at the Britannia. I am sure fans of all clubs will want to pass on their condolences and sympathy to the family and friends of the young man involved. No doubt the club and supporters will take time out to pay their respects at the Hull game at Ewood on Wednesday. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/02/condolences_and_sympathy.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/02/condolences_and_sympathy.php Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:19:14 +0000 The Hammers Hoodoo has officially ended. Ok, it was only a point but for too many years, I have ventured down the District Line to the Boleyn Ground only to witness a West Ham revival take place just at the wrong time. It is uncanny that we always seem to play the bubble blowing brigade at a cross road in their history. This has taken the form of new owners or a new manager being able to get the best out of his team and crowd. But yesterday there would have been more atmosphere on the moon. The arrival of the 'Double David's' did nothing to wake the masses or the team. Indeed Rovers should look upon this as 2 points dropped. West Ham were very poor and predictably it took Rovers 70 minutes to realise that they should be winning comfortably. Up until that point we took part in a game of head tennis and relied on Kalinic to fight a lost cause up front while he relied upon support from the midfield which did not materalise. Then enter Mr Keith Andrews! http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/point_blank.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/point_blank.php Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:47:26 +0000 Before yesterday, the last occasion when I felt overwhelmed with pride to be a supporter of this famous old club was after the epic cup semi-final against Chelsea 3 years ago. Against the odds, the team had come within a whisker of beating the best team in the land (as was) and reaching the first Wembley Cup Final.Yesterday evening was one of those rare moments when the heart beats a little faster and the nerves tingle a little longer. It has not been an easy time for anyone who holds the club close to their heart, but last night will have appeased many, temporarily at least. The team showed that they have a reasonable level of ability and talent who can take the game to the opposition, given the opportunity. Kalinic grows in confidence and matures with every game played. I said many weeks ago that he could prove to be a shrewd investment. I will go further and predict he can be the future of the club. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/pride_and_some_prejudice.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/pride_and_some_prejudice.php Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:36:03 +0000 If you say something long enough and loud enough and often enough then maybe someone will listen and believe it. The fact that Allardyce finally listened and acted on the wishes of 20,000 loyal patrons is belief that he may be more of a football pragmatist than we give him credit for. Changing a defensive, damage limitation philosophy into an attacking one may not be as revolutionary as believing the Earth is round rather than flat. It did however change the expressions on the faces of those present at Ewood yesterday. It was not a classic performance but it was a vast improvement on what we have witnessed recently. It was a joy to see youngsters attempting to run at the Fulham defence with a carefree attitude and if Sam does ride out the current wave of uncertainty, he may look back to this time and say, "Told you so!" Junior Hoilett, Martin Olson and Nikola Kalinic, given time, could turn out to be the Duff, Dunn and Jansen of this new decade. Much criticism has been placed at the door of the under achieving, over budgeted academy for not producing but maybe there are green shoots which can blossom into first team perennials. (even if two of them were not technically home grown) One swallow does not make a summer but it was such an improvement than seeing our only outlet as being a Pedersen long throw. There were times against Villa that he resembled a Norwegian waiter, with that cloth drapped over his arm, more suited to serving cocktails than providing service for the forwards. Instead we had a semi lively Benni intent on making his mark and adding some variation that we have been desparately missing. It has to be all out attack against Villa on Wednesday. Di Santo, Kalinic,and McCarthy must all start up front and be given license to interchange. If Dunn is fit, he can provide support coming from deep. I would even consider playing three at the back! Why not? There is absolutely nothing to lose, and if we do and go down fighting, the nation may consider us and Sam in a new and more positive light. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/young_guns_having_some_fun_at.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/young_guns_having_some_fun_at.php Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:50:38 +0000 According to this morning's Daily Mirror, Big Sam has just 2 games to save his Rovers managerial career. A combination of abject performances, negative tactics and frosty relationships developing with some senior players and directors have apparently hastened the chances of an acrimonious divorce. Ultimately, it will be the fans who will force either a tactical revolution overseen by the present incumbent or demand the ultimate sanction. Even more shocking than the performance on Monday night were the numbers in the Rovers contingent. Some estimates put the figure at 450 for a game which is less than 30 miles down the road. It was below freezing and on TV but I am scraping the bottom of the excuse barrel. Equally, ticket sales for the Villa Semi tomorrow are described as "poor" by some officials at the club. The faithful are clearly not amused. But why do find ourselves in this situation? http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/the_winter_of_discontent.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/the_winter_of_discontent.php Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:34:04 +0000 The country has been in temporary hibernation this week. Images of snow drifts and sledges have provided the nation with an impromptu trip down memory lane to a time when life appeared simpler. There were certainly postponements many moons ago but these were not necessarily the result of slippery pavements and problems in the car park. Before under soil heating became the norm and a prerequisite for top flight clubs, the safety of the travelling public was something of a passing thought as long as the field of play was deemed fit. I remember many times in the 1980's struggling the 5 or so miles to Ewood in blizzards expecting matches to be called off at the 11th hour, only to see the timeless introduction of the orange ball. One game against City springs to mind in '84 where there must have 3 inches of snow on the pitch and much more off it. Harmony on the terraces was a rare event in the mid 80's but the two sets of supporters (maybe taking Paul Macca's lead from the Pipes of Peace video !) decided that a friendly snowball fight, rather than a fist fight, would sort out local pride. It was like something out of It's a Knockout! http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/a_winters_tale.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/a_winters_tale.php Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:56:39 +0000 The dawn of the new decade has been heralded as a chance to forgive and forget some of the mistakes of the last 10 years and to look to a brighter future. For all Rovers fans, the immediate future is one of uncertainty and insecurity. The defeat today in Part 1 of the Villa trilogy was largely expected and less consequential than the result of the 2 legged League Cup Semi to come. I'm sure both managers would have settled on a game of stone,paper,scissors to sort this one out. As for Mr Diouf, cage fighting rather than football was the name of the game! Rovers have been mediocre at best over the holiday period. The first half against Sunderland was appalling. It is the time of year where we can become nostalgic and sentimental and the faithful were racking their brains as to when the football played at Ewood has been as frustrating and uneventful. Only those of a vintage age on the Riverside could pinpoint such occasions. Indeed rarely will there have been such a groan in a ground when a fourth official reveals there is only one minute of added time to play and the discontent was not because the crowd wanted the hlf to be extended! http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/main_course_got_to_be_tastier.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2010/01/main_course_got_to_be_tastier.php Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:24:48 +0000 As an ex-pat season ticket holder living in the capital, nothing surprises me when I analyse the press reports on a morning after a game. This is particularly the case when Rovers have played against one of London's so-called elite. I am used to seeing the same old lazy headlines referring to 'bully boys' and 'hoof and rush' and if we are lucky,we see the occasional blooper of our very own football club having their name changed to Blackpool Rovers! The London based media were no different in their assessment on Sunday morning. The truth is, Rovers were the better side and did try to play football. I have been quite critical of the tactics and performances of late but I have no complaints about Saturday. We just can't finish chances created and unfortunately any team who can't put the ball in the back of the net in this division will find themselves closer to the trap door. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/12/rovers_should_be_spurred_on.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/12/rovers_should_be_spurred_on.php Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:45:18 +0000 I resisted the temptation of venting my spleen after coming in from the match last night in order to give a more balanced view of things this morning. Quite frankly, nothing has changed my view, we were shocking! That game highlights all that is wrong with this league. One mediocre side that incredibly is clinging onto the shirt tales of those wanting a Champions League spot and another team that ridiculously, having scored one solitary goal in five games, is still in mid table. That said, if Wolves persist in short changing their fans by playing a team of reserves in games they feel they have no chance of winning then there is hope for us all. The trend was initiated by Rovers as this column has alluded to in the past. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/12/bumper_january_sales_cant_come.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/12/bumper_january_sales_cant_come.php Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:44:11 +0000 Rovers were ugly on Saturday according to Glen Johnson, so what about Liverpool? They are a team that once seduced the whole of Europe with beautiful, elegant football but are now like some hagged ex-beauty queen trying to recapture their former youth. Liverpool were poor but Rovers, bouyed by the great night last Wednesday against Chelsea, played some decent football at times. Let's be honest, it wasn't the greatest game you will ever witness but it could prove a turning point in Rovers season. It was the first time for many games that we didn't allow our bellies to be tickled by one of the so-called 'big 4'. It also saw Benni have one of his more influential games for a long time. Could differences be resolved and he is still wearing blue and white halves into February. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/12/villa_trilogy_to_define_season.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/12/villa_trilogy_to_define_season.php Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:08:49 +0000 We have had more productive weekends. There was the dreadful blankety blank with Stoke followed on Sunday with an equally dismal cup draw which paired us with Villa. Whoever said romance was dead was foreseeing this particular cup tie! No doubt Sam's love for the cup will manifest itself on Jan 2nd when he gives the first team squad the weekend off to get over the New Year celebrations. It's good to hear that Sam is recovering well. But he won't have been cheered by the performance on Saturday. The writing was on the wall when Neil Mcdonald ordered the dreaded 4-5-1 to be given the kiss of life. It felt like watching a sequel to a particularly bad film that should not have seen the light of day in the first place. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/451_rip_not_on_your_neilly.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/451_rip_not_on_your_neilly.php Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:13:22 +0000 The happy hunting ground which is The Reebok continued to pay dividends yesterday. Rovers throughly deserved the victory against an incredibly poor Bolton side who look destined to wander down to the Championship. With Samba and Nelsen snookering Davies, the performance and manner of the win would have put a big smile on Allardyce's face (and we all wish him well). But it illustrated what a different side we are when we play with 2 out and out strikers. It is irrelevant what permutation we used, in this case Di Santo and Roberts, the system just allows the team to be more inventive and provide support for the runners from midfield. Dunn was outstanding yet again and Diouff played as well as he has for weeks. 4-5-1...R.I.P http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/a_large_grin_and_tonic_for_sam.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/a_large_grin_and_tonic_for_sam.php Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:43:11 +0000 It seems to be going unnoticed but the sun is setting on this first decade of the new Millennium. How will history judge the last 10 years? We have loved then loathed Big Brother,winced at the endless conveyor belt of D list celebs 'enjoying' their 15 minutes and got carried away believing the good times would last forever by living on the never never. When the VIP's finally made it into the Dome on that New Year's Eve a decade ago, few could have imagined that 10 years later, Leeds United would have been drawn to face Accrington Stanley in a consolation cup designed to pacify lower division clubs and offer a route to Wembley. The wider football world has seen significant change. For Rovers however, it has been a decade of consolidation. The first opposition of the new Millennium were Wolves watched in front of a crowd of more than 24,000 at Ewood. The team was being steered to mid table mediocrity by Mr 'Blackburn', Tony Parkes. Brian Kidd had been fired 6 weeks earlier and the club was 3 months away from aquiring the services of Graeme Souness. Rovers were in the 2nd tier. Just 4 short years had passed since the ultimate prize had been claimed. But times had changed. The wealth that Rovers enjoyed was now sloshing around and being appreciated by the big city clubs. Many fans felt that their time in the blazing sun had come and gone. In some ways, this was correct. But there have been many occasions to saviour and some to forget. We have enjoyed promotion, a cup final victory, a season where we flirted with a Champs League position and had fun in Europe. We have also suffered semi final heartache, frequent relegation dog fights and saw some of our more talented players leave just when we were enjoying their presence in blue and white. The team that started that Wolves game, contained one survivor in Dunn (but he's come and gone and come back again ) and characters which we may have forgotten like Darren Peacock and Ashley Ward. For the record, Egil Ostenstad scored in a 1-1 draw. It is likely that only the insane would include 'The Egil' in their team of the noughties, but who would make the grade? This is part 1. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/review_of_the_noughties_part_o.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/review_of_the_noughties_part_o.php Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:55:46 +0000 Another tortuous International break is allowing fans of all clubs to take stock and review the ups and downs of the first quarter of the season. For Rovers followers, the enforced absence of domestic football has come at the worst possible time. If result of the Pompey game was significant, then the 2nd half tactical changes to achieve a victory were earth shattering. The fans had rightly lost patience by half time with the coach and a turgid and insipid system which had failed to produce a single point on the road this season. The fact that bottom of the league Pompey were playing away from home with 2 strikers only underlines that the formation makes the dour Arsenal tactics of the early 90's appear to be like Brazil 1970! Sam himself took the accolades and praise for the insightful changes. But the real heroes were Benni and Jason Roberts. McCarthy wants away, and who can blame him? He does not see a future for himself at the club and more than likely will unfortunately move on. Roberts on the other hand is an Allardyce type of player but rarely has contributed when given the chance. Saturday was different and every Rovers fan was delighted for him as we know he gives 100% despite having limitations. It is incredible to think that if the Pompey result had been different, we would be on the floor of the division with a mighty task to preserve our status in the top league. It is still going to be difficult but if Sam has truly shifted from the dark side, the outlook for everyone will be brighter. The team MUST line up with a positive formation at the Reebok in 10 days time. That means 2 out-and-out strikers. Team of the 'Noughties' Unlike the end of normal decades, this one may fade away without a trace or a whimper purely as it does not have a natural end as the 60's, 70's or 80's did. But with only 6 weeks until the dreaded notes of 'Auld Lang Syne' it is worth considering who would reserve a place in Rovers team of the decade. Using the 4-4-2 system (Sam take note!) I will reveal my selections over the International break. Everyone will have an opinion so get thinking whether you would have Craig Short instead of Ryan Nelsen or Matt Jansen in place of Craig Bellamy. http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/goodbye_to_victor_meldrew_foot.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/goodbye_to_victor_meldrew_foot.php Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:32:24 +0000 Rovers 10th successive failure on the road came as no surprise to anyone. It may not have resembled the debacle of 7 days ago but even Jack Straw who was sat among the faithful in the ghost-like atmosphere of O.T, would fail to put a positive spin on Rovers' recent performances against the Big Boys. The backline may have been tighter than last week but the support to the isolated Di Santo was largely non-existent and on the rare occasions when the ball found its way to him, he was not able to hold it up and bring in others. Kalinic was unfortunate with a shocking decision but if our only opportunity to create any threat on the opposition goal is from set pieces, then please ,please, please, give someone a try other than Pedersen! http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/no_horror_show_but_eerily_fami.php http://blogs.soccernet.com/blackburnrovers/archives/2009/11/no_horror_show_but_eerily_fami.php Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:33:33 +0000