As only a few of us bothered to make the trip last night...so here is my take on the evening. (Remember I am inherently optimistic)
The first half was the most boring and insipid 45 minutes of football I can remember. Blackburn were not "better" than we were...they we just not as bad as we were....if you see the difference
They were complete pants ....but we were worse. We weren't out-played, because no one was actually playing...They were just more likely to score, which they did. However on the stroke of half time at 45+7 (Spurr the Rovers player had been polaxed at about 2 minutes in ...no-one saw what happened, he was just lying there....and it took near on 10 minutes to get him off)....this incident actually destroyed the impetus of the start and may go some way to explaining the very dead first half. Anyway at 45+7, Austin broke away crossed to Chery who appeared to have a very easy header into a fairly open goal, which he contrived to put over the bar.
The second half, was completely different. CR had obviously had spoken to them, and we came out like a steam train and duly scored. A lot of goalmouth action, Austin got the ball practically on the goal line about 10 yards to the right of the goal, and slotted it in through the narrowest of angles (helped by a touch from a Rovers player, I think) and 10 minutes later we had a stone wall penalty turned down, everyone in the ground except the lino saw it. We were playing well then, and that would have turned the match. We also had a fantastic breakaway down the left again with Austin, passing to Luongo, who instead of shooting when 1 on 1 with the goalie passed right (AWJM who I met on the way to the tube, said the ball was actually played behind him, and so the chance was not so clear cut as we behind the goal thought). This obviously fuddled his mind, as 5 minutes later he shot when a pass to Mackie probably would have got us the goal.
So individually
Smithes: I am not sure if it was a foul or not. He had both hands on the ball at one stage, and then he dropped it. The BBC it was headed out of his hands, the Rovers player (Rhodes?) was backing into him. I think I will take the 5th ammendment, on it. He should have had a firmer grip on the ball, but you see them given, and in fact....one was given against us in the second half, when Austin roughed up the keeper and he lost the ball, but went down poleaxed. The rest of the match he was Ok, a couple of good saves two point-blankers that Green would have been proud of. He punches rather than catches, which is worrying...BUT...He distributes the ball well from both throws and kicks!!!
Konchesky: played Ok, little to mention and got forward....so OK
Ned: turned and beaten for the Rovers 2nd...the distance between him and Angella at that time meant that Rhodes could run between the pair and shoot ...Smithes had no chance. Ned (partially) made up for it with his goal. Another fault...he is not chatty , he is not as good a captain as say Joey or Clint on the field...I do not think it is in his character to change that.
Angella: You get what is written on the tin. Solid, keen to go forward. I was quite impressed, in a solid team he will be outstanding
Perch: Have major problems with him, loses the ball too easily, never quite in the right place.
Henry: He cannot cope with the creative side of his role, so his solid defence of the backfour, which was good last year, has gone...now a liability, when he goes forward, he cannot get back
Toscer: better than Henry, but only just. Same faults but slightly better creatively...I would like to see Doughty and Ale play together
Phillips: in and out of the game...and the number of times he stands off the ball rather than tackle, it cost us the winner on Saturday, it nearly cost us last night...I also think he, Chery and Luongo get confused by CR asking them to swap wings as often as they do
Luongo: His poorest game, as he should have had 3 goals....but actually just saying that I realise, that 3 times he got into match winning positions...so the misses were bad, but he got there...so he wasn't all that bad
Chery: was he playing? Replaced by Mackie, who gee-d things up a lot, by sheer energy...Should have come on sooner (sb72 would have enjoyed him coming on)
Austin: always bustling, seemed too deep for me most of the time, several times was back to receive the ball to START an attacking move
ChrisR: He took too long to make a change. Mackie for Chery, should have been made earlier. Ale for Henry should have been made at half time
The ref and linesman (in front of R block 2nd half) were the worst I have seen in a long time.
He booked Smithes for protesting over the goal. He booked Austin for coming on without permission when changing his boots, and then sent him back and refused to look at him or get him back for 2-3 minutes. One of the pettiest things I have ever seen. The lino missed the handball, and manage to get at least 3 corners/goalkicks the wrong way round.
So ...to round up...I still have not seen us win since December 8th 2014.
I have bought a new "lucky" shirt....which I put on at half time, and we scored immediately.....and in fact one the second half 2-1....and so I am optimistic for the future
Sorry for the length but I have been to Clive W new creative writing classes.