Having started my journey at 6.30am in Hackney to cycle to Euston to get the 7.20am train to Manchester, tried to sneak on an earlier train back from Preston and got stung for £46 difference on my ticket I was more than a little ticked of with all things Rovers by the time I got back to London. This was only made worse when I was attacked on my bike by a chav and his bint on a moped on the way back across London to the pub. So I drank my frustrations away and have come to the conclusion we are a long way from panic.
Firstly, as I suspected, the Kean and VD haters have blurred the line between hating Kean and what actually happening on Saturday. Take 3 first choice defenders out of any team and they will struggle. But Kean and VD are completely at fault for having not replaced Jones quickly enough and also taking so long over transfers, Petrovic for example, although not even trained with the team would have been useful to have a defensive midfielder eligible to play.
Firstly the defense on Saturday, 3 youngsters and a veteran who is prone to mistakes, and made a mistake. Hanley has been good when paired with the experience of Samba or Nelsen. Paired up with N'Zonzi was asking for trouble. Not only was the defense very weak but it had a massive knock on effect to midfield, we lost N'Zonzi, meaning no defensive midfielder and Olsson had to move back to left back, meaning Pedersen had to play and we lost Olsson's excellent attacking threat down the left. All in all a bad set of circumstances. Givet falling ill cannot be helped by anyone, even with him in the team it would have made a huge difference, N'Zonzi would have paired up with Dunn in midfield and stopped O'Hara bossing the second half.
In spite of these difficult circumstances we were the better team for the whole first half, had a ball saved half way over the line in the second minute, attacked well, had numerous corners and freekicks and deservedly took the lead. But we did as Rovers so often do, switched off and let Wolves get a rush on us after our goal, they pulled out frail defense apart and exposed Salgado against Fletcher and scored.
We lost Emerton for the second half, the most experienced Rover on the pitch gone, further weakening the team, but we fought out an open and even contest for 45 minutes. Dunn and Salgado made silly mistakes that led to a penalty, Robbo made a great save then lets himself down by flapping at a cross allowing Ward to volley home very well. Other than that Robbo was rarely troubled.
We attacked very well for 90 minutes, Formica looked good, Rochina looked class when he came on and Goodwillie looked very lively, good movement, couple of great runs and 3 shots at goal. Certainly looks capable of being a good signing. Hoilett was a threat and did well, just a quieter game than I'd hoped for. So the new players look promising, we just lacked our usual solid defense. Had Nelsen, Samba and Givet been fit I have every belief we'd have won quite easily. Yes that is optimism and hindsight, but we really weren't that bad, just crippled but injuries in one position.
At least Givet and Samba will be back for Villa by the sounds of it, so I expect a vast improvement defensively and then in central midfield with N'Zonzi and hopefully Petrovic.
I am annoyed at Kean and VD for not acting quickly enough on transfers, we are clearly in the market for a defender and with Givet ill in the week, Samba and Nelsen clearly not yet fit the problem was obvious and nothing was done in time to address it.
Thoughts from Saturday
posted on 15/8/11
You raised some good points, and first half they looked good. Second half after the penalty they were awful, not helped by some bad refereing, could not get a string of passes together, the whole right hand side of the pitch was rarely used, and i never really saw Kean giving out any orders to get it together. This is where he lets me down big time. He has no plan b. (Except in court)
posted on 15/8/11
In the first 20 mins we were by far the better team and could easilly have been three up,sadly it all turned on us failing to cut out a simple cross that was beautifully pin pointed to the far post and finding Salgado totally lacking in height,but a very simular goal scored by Crouch aginst Samba last season,bu for me Dunn and Peds,Emo cannot possibly be expected to all play in the same team together all three with mayb the sight exception of at times Emo totally lack pace or energy and indeed for me would struggle in the Champs league,that is what we lacked on saturday,also a manager who can use tactics,McCarthy showed us all how to hang on to a one goal lead,we were never at the races when they took the lead,so in conclusion, players to old,a totally niave manager,now you tell me what does that point to?
posted on 15/8/11
My thoughts regarding the summer is that shamefully there is insufficient ability and knowledge at the club to get things truly organised and ready. How could these half-wits not understand there was major work required following our pathetic run of form last year and relegation concerns.
My thoughts regarding the injuries is how embarrassing that for the first time in my memory our club has stooped so low to be blaming injuries even before a ball has been kicked this season. Two months R+R, 3-4 weeks intensive pre-season training, with new revered players available, last January's developing superstars available, the inner confidence gleaned from squad harmony surviving last season and then Kean with his new found knowledge and experience available to call upon. Moaning like a 3 year old about injuries. What a joke having just had three months to rectify all concerns. It is time this lot realised this is professional sport, not the under 11's on Witton Park and started to take the club seriously.
My thoughts from Saturday differ from the gilt edge ramblings of others. My thoughts are that I pay my season ticket money to watch my team give 100% week in week out as a professional sporting outfit. I expect them to have belief and confidence and discipline. I expect management to select the players required and set the team up properly to maximise our chances of obtaining winning results. I don't expect the group to collapse as soon as things get hard and management to have absolutely no clue as to how they can change things. I expect us to be very competitive against the poorer teams in this league, especially at home. I don't come to watch the level of ineptitude served up week in, week out by Kean.
My thoughts going forward are that our squad is easily good enough to stay up, but with Kean in charge we are easily bad enough to go down.
My thoughts regarding today are that Kean is in court and has changed his plea to guilty and subsequently been proven to be a liar, drink driver and general low life. Banned, fined and ridiculed.
The OP states that fans have blurred the line between Kean and the Wolves game, but then amusingly and immediately goes on to admit that Kean had three months to rectify some of the problems we experienced against Wolves. So what line has been blurred? Some folk just cannot see what is in front of them.
Kean needs to go asap along with any stooge recruited by him. Get a decent manager in please at long last. It is so boring having to watch Kean fumble badly out of his depth for so long.
posted on 15/8/11
I heard Alan Shearer on match of the day and he also thinks we are in big trouble.Every team has bought or swapped players they think they need for the new season ,this bunch of clowns are going begging to big Sams mate ,look ive took his job can you now give me a few players for the new season,I think Red Nose will see him coming.
posted on 15/8/11
The OP states that fans have blurred the line between Kean and the Wolves game, but then amusingly and immediately goes on to admit that Kean had three months to rectify some of the problems we experienced against Wolves. So what line has been blurred? Some folk just cannot see what is in front of them.
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No, blurring the line as in the fact that we lost was heavily affected by injury/illness. Had Givet been well enough to play we'd have been in much better shape on the pitch.
Our key losses this summer have been Jones and Jones. Petrovic is our like for like replacement for Jermaine and footballing authorities have made it a very long winded process of getting him to the club, he didn't make it in time to play.
We tried to sign this Mongongu fella to replace Phil and couldn't due to passport issues. I'm sure we will sign a centre back in the next 2 weeks but we should have sorted something out before the season started, Kean and Venky's take blame.
Losing Kalinic and Benjani has basically gone unnoticed as neither ever did anything. RSC and M.Diouf going back from loans again is out of our hands, but again neither were overly impressive. But that is 4 strikers out.
Goodwillie has come in and looked decent, along with the emergence of Formica and Rochina as goal scoring threats I don't feel the team is any weaker, plus the probable addition of another striker in the next 2 weeks. Nick Blackman coming into the first team squad is fine by me, he'll probably score as little as the 4 strikers who left did anyway.
My overall point is we've got court out having been slow to replace Phil Jones and Nelsen and Samba taking longer to get fit plus Govet's unforseen illness. With everyone back fit we will be fine.
posted on 15/8/11
"...court out..."
Steve Kean sure was that.
posted on 15/8/11
"My overall point is we've got court out having been slow to replace Phil Jones and Nelsen and Samba taking longer to get fit plus Govet's unforseen illness. With everyone back fit we will be fine."
Trouble is that Givet appears to be going down the same injury-prone route as Nelsen (can Nelsen still do it) and with Salgado mis-firing, maybe Ribiero is a good enough replacement. Things will inevitably be better next week but this has been a crushing start to the season - hopefully the kids will have a better base to recover from.
I really think we need to sign at least two defenders and a real left back would be nice. Trouble is they're quite rare...
posted on 16/8/11
I must apologise for the behaviour of my bint, I thought being an optimistic chap that you'd take the beating like a man and smile thru it...