Match Day Thread Blackburn vs Newcastle United

Rovers had a game plan and done it perfectly. Well done to them .. we are too predictable, too slow in moving the ball, not enough movement. But we still bossed the game and should have won comfortably. Teams know how to null our danger and hit us on the break. The ginger perlo is not the problem. The system and predictability of our play is the problem. On another day we would have won this one 2 or 3 nil. Problem is we are having too many of those days.

 

Well watch out mate because at this rate you might just end up in that very same ****ty prem next season!

 

Really couldn't have been a more perfect position concede a free kick from, maybe even better than a penalty as the wall is in the keepers way.

Shoot Colback! FFS you could have easily just closed him down, Rovers were offering nothing and had no invention and couldn't find a way through and no doubt if Colback hadn't fouled they would have messed it up...but no, give them a perfect opportunity at a pot shot at goal!

It's not a crisis, weren't still nicely comfortable in second, but thing must change.

 

Now I know why we think you are deluded

 

You just never know, mate, you just never know!

 

We might not get promoted

 

Absolutely agree. I think we are too predictable. Basically our extra quality makes the difference usually in this league but if the oppo are tactically astute enough they can do a Blackburn on us. Badly miss having a creative player in the middle of the park.

 

Don't really want to criticize Rafa, but he is costing us points. We are far too predictable to play against and his insistence on playing one up top is leaving us toothless. His treatment of Mitrovic is shocking and his continued use of Colback, Dummett, Diame and Perez is baffling.

We should be walking this league with some of the players that we have. We have lost games because Rafa has got things badly wrong. Something needs to change andquickly

 

I'm inclined to agree. I'm very surprised he hasn't tried something a little different around this busy period of games and with Shelvey out. Personally I would have definitely given it a go with two up top to at least have a look at a plan B so we could mix it up a bit of needed.

 

I hope he has something up his sleeve, and pretty damn quick. If he is getting rid of Mitro, which looks obvious because he has NEVER given him a proper chance, then we are null and void of a 2nd striker. Certainly neither Perez or Diame come into that category, and creativity is just non existant without Shelvey.
Rafa must learn that our defence is slow and easily put under pressure, Colback is a joke and Perez is certainly NOT an impact sub. Playing an attacking winger, ATSU, for 8 mins was pathetic. Unless Rafa changes things then those chasing teams ( who all just keep on winning ) will smother us.

 

Seemingly sizeable advantages in this league can seem to disappear quickly. It's not a certainty we will go up at all.

 

If Reading win their game in hand and beat us, then they would be on the same points, it was a 9 point gap at Christmas, I wouldn't so we are comfortable at the moment. Also my word we have some poor players, Dummett, Hayden, Colback and Gouffran in the first XI is concerning not convinced our players are promotion quality at the moment.

 

I don't think there is any need to panic. However it is pretty clear we have been through a bad run. We are losing games because we lack firepower, creativity and dare I say it, a plan B. I still think we'll occupy one the two automatic promotion spots come the end of the season. It was never going to be a simple task, but I do think we are making it a lot harder for ourselves. I know I was a voice of discontent when things were going great results wise, but tended to be shot down with "yeah but look at the results". I just think some sway too much one way or the other and the truth is normally somewhere in between. Rafa is doing a good job overall. Match day wise I'd give him only a C+ though given what he has at his disposal.

I still think he needs more flexibility with regards to Mitrovic. At this level he can be very useful both in goalscoring and physicality. He simply must get Yedlin and Lazaar in at full back. He must also play Atsu. We need more zip and pace about us. There are limited options in wide areas and at number 10. Therefore in the short term he needs to get creative and use the full backs to provide variety when teams sit back. You then need to get Ritchie and Atsu to stay very wide.

Mourihino gave a good example yesterday when West Ham went down to 10 men. The way he changed to use Rashford and made him get paint on his boots. You have to find ways to stretch them and make them come out to close you down. That creates space. We just seem to keep plugging away hoping we will get a break. Dummett is still a centre back playing left back. He is a plodder. Anita I have no real problem with but I think Yedlin at this level is very useful as he has an x factor attribute in extreme pace.

I thought Blackburn used a well drilled display with a blueprint employed successfully by other teams. More and more teams are trying it and not just at St James. Soon teams will adopt it every week, so we need to smarten up quickly. I think Rafa is clever enough to work this out. I just hope he is not too stubborn to change.

 

I'd go 3 at the back in this league. Dummett can then be useful. We have ready made wingbacks in Yedlin and Lazaar with Anita and maybe Haidara as ample cover. We need only play one DM alongside Shelvey then think about going three up top or two. Sorry for formation porn, but....

Darlow

Clark, Lascelles, Dummy

Yedlin, Shelvey, Hayden, Lazaar

Ritchie, Gayle, Atsu.

You could fiddle around all day with variations, 3-5-2, 3-4-2-1. We don't have great full backs for back four, and struggle to attack at pace. This solves it for me.

 

There is enough room to try this or 352. You can go Mitrovic (or whoever replaces him) up top with Gayle. Or as you suggest play three. It would also maybe bring Perez into the equation. Personally I think Mitrovic would excel as the centre piece in a front 3 of a 343 a la Costa. He is better suited to that role which requires others to provide the movement.

The point is we do have options in the squad.

I don't like two left footers in a back three though. Mbemba for me when not at ACON. We will lose Mbemba, Atsu, Diame. I just hope Rafa can be open enough to develop some plan B's C's and D's. If he does we should win the league at a canter.

 

Too many players in this squad aren't good enough and if there not good enough now, how are they gonna be good enough for next year?

I love Rafa me, but theres a few niggles, like Lazaar? how does rafa rate dummett higher? why bring Lazaar in? also Perez and Mbemba, two solid young players for us, usually putting in good shifts, but since rafa these players have regressed somewhat? Mbemba was out best CB last season and at 22 should be playing most games at this level. Colback, Gouf we know these players are sh1te, they have been for ages, yeah they put in a good performance now and again and fool us all into thinking twice, but they will always let us down.

for god sake Mitro and gayle up front, big man little man! its bloody mathematically and scientifically proven to work!

If the majority of this squad is in the PL next year (should we make it) we will be in for a very long season. I think we have way too much deadwood way too much!

 

We're selling mitro

 

nah, I wont let it happen. I let the carroll deal slide, even the cabaye deal, but nah not this I will do everything in my power to ensure he don't go. Where's he gonna go anyways?

 

I fail to understand why Yedlin, Lazaar and Mitrovic fail to get regular games ahead of Anita, Dummett and Perez. They are three talented players that would cause Championship defences a lot of problems. All three are established internationals ffs.

 

I'd be going mental if I was Lazaar, not only are you not getting picked, but he is being forced to watch Dummett get selected over him, also missed out on the ACON because he's not playing. Perhaps regretting picking us over Fiorentina