Should Be a Good Battle Between Two Evenly Matched Teams — Notes for Blackburn Monday, 2nd Dec 2013 12:00 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday's game by delving into their forums. "As a team, we're pretty much the total opposite to when Steve Kean was in charge. We're far more organised and dogged. Players fight for each other and look much fitter. We don't concede goals by the bucket load anymore and can actually hold on to a lead." With only 10 goals scored in total in their last six outings, most Blackburn games have been tight contests with little given away. Saturday's 1-0 win at home to Leeds and the previous weekend's 0-0 draw at home to Reading were in character with many recent performances. "We still struggle to get the best creatively out of Rhodes, but we're a steady outfit without too many weaknesses, but without any amazing strengths either. In reality, we're a solid mid-table team who could sneak sixth with a huge amount of luck and a hell of a run of form." "All of these good home performances will be completely overshadowed unless we can actually start showing up on the road", "You can't be happy with home draws when you simply do not turn up to away games", "Eight away games have brought just six points from the 24 available." Gary Bowyer"I'd rather just stick with Bowyer for now. Things aren't perfect at present, but those with short memories seem to have forgotten that it has been, and could be a hell of a lot worse", "Our primary goal is not promotion. It is stability and the lowering of our wage bill." "Does Bowyer have the nous to break down stubborn teams? We haven't seen that so far this season", "We always play well against teams who don't just come to defend for 90 minutes, but teams who come to frustrate us are a massive problem." "Every game feels like déjà vu. The tactics, the passing, the movement and the chances created care all entirely predictable. I don't need to go and watch the match. I can see it in my mind", "We have the makings of a decent side, but things don't click like they should be doing." The Clueless Owners"The owners are clueless. That cannot be denied. I don't think it's down to a lack of ambition, but purely down to being clueless. The fact that they are clueless after three years means they will never learn or have any idea of how to run a football club. They are just clueless."
"We are in a position where our owners are ambitious, but have no idea how to achieve success", "Thanks Venkys, you are living the dream! Tossers!", "At least they have to suffer this football with us." It takes little to bring supporters venom to the surface on this subject. "This mob have endured that the club will have many long hard years ahead, even if we survive as a going concern", "We are a club with tremendous debt, no recognisable board structure, no transfer funds and a bang average squad", "We're owned by the worst owners in English football." The signing of Jordan Rhodes is regularly quoted as an example of their poor judgement. "The owners believed that spending £8 million on one player, when the rest of the team were below par, would be enough to get us promoted. If everyone's truthful, the £8 million has been wasted." Defence"Considering the damage Steve Kean did to the defensive side of our game, Bowyer has done well to fix these problems and make us a solid team whilst not reducing us to Appleton-style anti-football", "Credit has to go to Bowyer and his coaching team for our defensive solidity."
"Jake Kean is as ropey as hell. Three crap kicks and he dropped a simple catch (early on against Leeds)", "You can almost see his heart sink when he does something daft", "I cringe when the ball gets near him. His confidence looks shot to pieces." The 22-year-old goalkeeper is a youth product has had loan spells at Hartlepool and Rochdale. "He pulled off a brilliant point blank save" against Leeds, but many Rovers sense a mistake is never far away. "Hopefully Kean will draw confidence from his terrific save." "Dann and Hanley are proving to be rocks at the heart of the defence. Nice to see two clean sheets in a row", "The both played well and were rarely troubled (against Leeds)." Twenty-two-year old Scotland international "Grant Hanley is the more solid, consistent and physical centre-back." "One worry for me against Leeds was how [Scott] Dann was beaten in the air regularly by the much smaller Luke Varney." The 26-year old former Birmingham man "struggles with busy and physical forwards", "His ability to read the game is vital as it is often hard for him to win a straight physical contest." The regular left back is Tommy Spurr. The 26-year-old former Owl and Doncaster man scored Rovers' winner on Saturday. "Spurr is another solid player for this league, and an improvement on Martin Olsson, who clearly didn't want to be here anymore." Chelsea loan signing Todd Kane has played regularly at right-back. The 20-year old has been picked ahead of Wales under-21 international Adam Henley, who many Rovers would like to see start. "Curiously, how are our full-backs playing? Do Kane and Spurr get in advance of the wingers with any frequency? The trouble with all of our wide players is simple. None of them are good enough." It was interesting that there were no comments to be found about their full-backs' attacking play. Central MidfieldFans agree that Rovers biggest issue is to sort out their midfield. They have a lack of quality players out wide coupled with a lack of creativity through the middle. "There is no supply line whatsoever from midfield", "There is no need whatsoever to play two defensive midfielders in this league." "The midfield isn't mobile enough to allow us to play through to the frontman. The defence will always look to Rhodes for an out ball because they have no other options. We need to get a maestro in midfield to get the best out of Rhodes."
"Being part of the defensive midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation plays to Jason Lowe's strengths. He can focus on what he does best, breaking up the oppositions play and protecting the back four", "Lowe is turning into a decent defensive midfielder, even if he isn't the kingpin people are hoping for." The 22-year-old Rovers youth product has mostly been paired alongside former Pompey player 31-year-old Lee Williamson. "Lowe and Williamson are too pedestrian together", "We do not create enough. We only need one of these." Many Rovers think they are too similar. "Credit must go to Gary Bowyer for making the tactical change which gave the outstanding Taylor the opportunity to work the space in front of the Leeds back four", "He switched to playing behind Rhodes and it worked", "He's a real battler", "He runs his socks off and plays well in three positions." The Blackburn manager switched his advanced midfielders around to great effect after 15 minutes on Saturday, moving David Dunn to the left from the centre, Josh King from the left to the right flank, and Chris Taylor from the right into the central attacking midfield role. Twenty-six-year old former Millwall and Oldham midfielder Chris Taylor has not featured regularly, but had a terrific game against Leeds when he switched position. "He has been very good. It goes to show what can happen when you give a lad a chance." "Taylor is an intelligent player who keeps it simple and plays the right ball at the right time", "I hope today (against Leeds) cements Taylor's place in the side. I have been scratching my head all season wondering why he couldn't seem to get a game." Former Hull man and Northern Ireland international Corry Evans is hugely missed, having torn ankle ligaments on international duty. "We really miss Evans. He's such a key player", "He's more of an all-round midfielder and adds real attacking impetus when he plays." David Dunn"Oh, to have Dunn fit for more than half a dozen games a season!", "He is our only bright spark", "Dunn is the only truly creative player in today's team. He is the one player who puts in forward penetrating passes", "Dunn tries to make things happen and it's always possible when he is on."
"Today's win over Leeds showed how important a fit Dunn is to us", "We played off the back foot after he was substituted", "Once Reading put a stranglehold on Dunn, our tactic seemed to be to play long balls up to King's head on the wing. It didn't work." "If Dunn plays well for 60 minutes, we have a realistic chance of winning." The 33-year-old former Birmingham City player is seen as the one player who can offer real quality to Rovers midfield play. However, time and "dodgy fitness levels" are catching up with him. "I would rest Dunn for Ipswich. We need to keep him back for next Saturday's game at QPR", "There's no way Dunn can start more than one of the three games this week." Wide Midfield"Tom Cairney is totally wasted on the wing", "He is much better in the middle, and is a real talent", "He looks a class apart to our other available central midfielders", "He is a wasted shirt on the right", "Cairney drifts in when playing wide right giving us no width and congesting central midfield."
Scotland U21 international joined from Hull City this summer, and a large number of fans want to see him used more centrally. The 22-year-old "reminds me of Carrick", "Cairney keeps us ticking over in midfield and keeping possession for longer periods." "Had Josh King's effort gone in it would have been something special." The 21-year old Norway international joined Rovers from Manchester United this summer. "King's pace gets him into good positions, but he is so poor with the ball that none times out of ten he screws it up." "King is infuriating. He does well to get into a good position but seems clueless when he gets there", "King cannot cross. He is better cutting in", "The trouble is he is rubbish at that too. His left foot is non-existent", "He can't shoot either." "I think Rochina will start against Ipswich. His style is definitely suited to away games and counter-attacking", "Has Rochina played any reserve matches? I wouldn't expect too much from him at the moment." Twenty-two—year-old former Barcelona B striker Ruben Rochina came on from the bench against Reading after recovering from shoulder surgery in August. Many Rovers would like to see him play in a wide attacking role or as a second striker. Strikers"I have seen a few garbage strikers play for Rovers over the past 50 years and Leon Best is up there with the worst of them", "Best is an ignorant, arrogant, lazy, self-opinionated under-achiever who thinks the world owes him a living. He is a really despicable individual." "Best is a pub footballer talent with a superstar ego." The former Newcastle striker greatly angered supporters this season for critical comments he has made on social media. "Best undermined the manager with his comments. If it means dropping him, so be it." Former ITFC loan striker DJ Campbell has been used recently as a substitute. "DJ Campbell was impressive at holding the ball up when he came on (against Leeds)", "I agree. DJ did well yesterday when he came on, but could he maintain that for 90 minutes? I'm not so sure."
Rudy Gestede was signed on loan from Cardiff on the loan transfer deadline day, with a view to making the move permanent in January. "Rhodes and Gestede could be a decent striker partnership. Let Gestede be the target man and Rhodes play on the shoulder." "I can see why Bowyer has gone for a target man. My worry is that neither striker will drop into midfield to help when we don't have possession." "I expect Gestede to be on the bench at Ipswich and probably in the running for a start on Saturday at QPR." Jordan Rhodes"Our biggest problem is Rhodes. We need to find a method of playing that suits his lack of pace and lack of ability to hold the ball up. This is a constant problem for how we play. Other than the odd lay-off, he does nothing."
"Playing one man up front who cannot play as a lone striker is asking for trouble, and we have seen this in countless games. Rhodes may as well be sat next to me in Block One when he's not scoring and the whole team suffers for it. Talk of building the team around him is ludicrous and foolhardy." The Scotland international and former ITFC player has baffled many fans. "How someone so adept at taking chances first time in such a calm, sure and accomplished manner can be so cumbersome and clueless elsewhere on the park is a major confusion indeed." "Rhodes is an exceptionally limited player", "Against Leeds, he couldn't win the ball in the air and his first touch was awful. He made some token gestures at closing defenders down, but Dunn did more chasing and he is 10 years older. Teams are handling Rhodes with ease at the moment." "Match Rhodes for pace, stay right behind him, cut out the supply and your job is done if you don't get sloppy and lose concentration in the box", "Some centre-halves have had their easiest day of the season marking Rhodes. I bet they hardly break sweat." "Don't get me started on the £8 million wasted", "Maybe the division has sussed him out, but for most of the Leeds game he found no space and he certainly didn't create any", "When he doesn't score, he doesn't offer anything else." Rovers' Fans Views on ITFC and the Game"Portman Road is a tough place to go but we really need to get something out of it to keep us in touching distance of the play-offs", "It's not a happy hunting ground for Rovers. I can't remember the last time we actually won a game there and we've lost plenty." Given their poor away form, most Rovers would happily settle for a point: "I would take a draw as McCarthy's sides are never easy to beat", "I would expect Ipswich to be quite direct under McCarthy. Bowyer should set up defensively and play two holding midfielders. We should keep it tight for the first half hour and then see how the game is panning out." "I have no confidence in us being able to shut up shop. If we pose little attacking threat, it'll only be a matter of time before Ipswich score", "I can't see our defence holding out, especially with a keeper who is less than confident even in home games. He will be under far more pressure here." WebsitesThe busiest Blackburn Rovers message board is BRFC.com.
Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
You need to login in order to post your comments |
   Blogs 295 bloggersIpswich Town Polls[ Vote here ] |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Jake Kean
Jason Lowe
David Dunn
Tom Cairney
DJ Campbell
Jordan Rhodes
