When my Father first took me to Ewood Park for a first div fixture against Man Utd back in March '63 I rejoiced. By now I was to see live in the flesh the familiar names of idols Pickering, Douglas, Clayton etc. On the other side some lesser names in my mind of Quixall, Setters, and a couple of strikers I'd scarcely heard of called Law and Charlton. Man Utd went 1 up at HT through Law, Byrom and Fred Pick swung the game back to 2-1 before Charlton finished the scoring in the 75th minute. I wasn't prepared for the elation in the crowd when the Rovers scored. Grown men like my Dad leaping in the air and cheering our scorers to the rafters. I'd never seen anything like that, the noise created from an explosion of unbridled joy was so great I though the Ewood Roof was going to come off!
From that moment on I was hooked! But now looking back just how many times have I been left on Saturday evenings wishing he'd taken me train spotting, fishing, even bloody bell ringing? I felt sick to the stomach last night when Coventry equalised and I bet I wasn't alone! Just why tf do we put ourselves through this misery and then come back for more within a few days?
Since 2022 was heralded in with us all in so much hope and talking of automatic promotion the wheels have fallen off big time. The 11 matches have yielded just 17 points from a meagre total of 8 goals scored! Compare this to the last 11 matches of 2021 with 28 points gained and 22 scored.... and that includes that horrendous 0-7 mullering by Fulham! What's gone so bloody wrong? Well OK an injury to previously free scoring BBD will no doubt be the most popular explanation but it must be remembered that BBD had played 8 matches without scoring in 2022 by the time he tore his ankle ligaments against WBA. After that happened Big Sam Gallagher was put up top in the hope that he'd fill the goals gap but as most Ewood regulars expected that didn't happen did it? Whatever he is Big Sam is no Adam Armstrong is he?
Before Christmas the stats showed that turn of the year we always had the minority of possession percentage, this was in complete contrast to last season when we regularly had over 60% in most matches. This year we had been catching teams on the break, getting players breaking into the box at speed and scoring freely. Since the turn of the year other teams have learned to sit back a little, block Rothwell's runs with bodies and let us punch ourselves out. Sadly TM and his crew have not been able to come up with an antidote. I've griped long and hard that we 'over football' around the opponents box and are too deliberate with our deliveries into the 'mixer', play which costs us the all important element of surprise. By the time we've played our pretty little triangles on the wing the defenders have closely marked Gallagher & Co (btw I say '& Co' when in truth there hasn't been enough '& Co's' around him).
If this was ever in doubt yesterday's match was conclusive proof of our failings. First half we weren't at the races, long balls to the willing Gallagher came to nothing as no one was up top to help him out in an abject first half performance. How we only went in 1 goal down owed much to luck and Coventry's profligacy. Compare that to the change after the introduction of Dack and BBD. Dack scored seconds after the restart with his first touch after fine work by Nyambe retained possession long enough for him to slot a short pass to Buckley in space in the box, without pausing to look around Buckley turned and flighted a ball onto the penalty spot where
the waiting Dack nodded the ball inside the far post. The element of surprise and a Johnny on the Spot is what we have been missing and certainly a Johnny with the finishing skills of Bradley Dack. Would that Dack had been a second half sub in the 1-0 defeat by Swansea. 49 crosses into the box by the Rovers and no goals with one cross into the box enough to see Swansea score the winner.
The second half was almost all Rover's attacks and a fitter Dack could have had a hat trick, BBD hit a post albeit an offside decision against Dack would have ruled it out before a thumping header from a Rothwell corner by the unmarked Scott Wharton saw us take the lead on 82 mins.
Q. How many time have we won after going behind this season? Unbridled joy from the Rovers contingent right through to the 90th minute when Referee Peter Bankes signalled 6 minutes extra time. Fingers crossed and baited breath saw the clock tick past the 96th minute mark and with all eyes on the Ref the Rovers midfield failed to close their opposite numbers down, the defence simply went to sleep and Coventry got THAT equaliser on 99 and a half minutes and all of a sudden train spotting didn't seem so geeky.
Kaminsky... 5 Probably the worst game I've seen him play. His kicking has gone to pot and there is far too much unnecessary punching of the ball. My opinion of two handed punching is that it should be a catch, especially with the super sticky gloves they have these days. Punching is a one handed option necessary to get extra height. Sure the ball has changed but Pat Jennings would have caught those two balls yesterday with green cotton 60's gloves on a wet day.... I'd expect Roger Jones would too! Worse still Kaminsky at one point admirably dashed outside his box to a left wing spot and then tried to take the ball around a Coventry player when every GK must know that was a definite Row Z situation. We were 1-0 down then and to go 2 down before HT would have been suicide.
Nyambe.... 7 Good game by
Rhino and he played a big part in Dack's equaliser. Yet another injury in extra time saw him needing treatment and with no more subs and in obvious difficulty the unfortunate result was that he was struggling to mark Gyokeres for that ridiculous 100th minute goal. When I played an injury to a defender with subs used up would see an attacker or midfielder move back to see the game out with the defender limping around the half way line on a wing. What happened to such basics? Just to add it wasn't his fault as BBD and Dack between them had gone awol and allowed Dabo acres of space to sling over THAT cross.
Van Hecke... 8 Brilliant display from our loan star and especially in the absence of his usual partner Darragh Lenihan. He even found time to perform some fancy footwork that Cruyff or Neeskens would have been proud to claim as their own. We'll bloody well miss him as a player and we'll mis his attitude too that's for sure.
Wharton... 7 At last a goal threat from a CH! With his second goal in three games from dead ball situations I think it's time that we see 'Over the Top' Darragh staying back on the half way line for corners.
Pickering... 6 Looked uncomfortable at times and desperately unlucky to see the ball roll into the corner of the net for an OG from a fine last ditch tackle that he had to make. I thought he'd played Godden on at first but replays show that Godden's run started from behind a few players.
Travis... 7 War horse and always ready to mix it in the middle. Unfortunately all 7 for grafting duties with a big fat 0 for constructive attacking.
Rankin-Costello... 5 Where has this lads' confident and assured play gone? A poor first half which saw him almost give a goal away with a hopeless pass to Travis which was easily intercepted and which saw Dabo thump a strike against the far post. A let off and JRC was duly subbed at HT.
Buckley... 6 Flitted in and out of the match. Another who seems to have either lost his way or selected for special attention by the opposition. A wonderfully quick delivery into the mixer for Dack to score was the highlight of his afternoon.
Rothwell... 6 Strangely subdued first half when to be fair many of our players didn't perform. In fairness Robins aware of his ability had had him tightly marked with his usual running space blocked off. Came much more into the match and controlled the flow and direction of our attacks in the second half.
Giles... 5 Not at the races on the right wing although tbf did play some lovely crosses with his left foot. Another taken off at HT.
Gallagher.... 7 It was a 6 really but he battled well up top with little or no support. God and I do love a trier.
Subs
Dack.... 7 Scored with his first touch and showed exactly what we have been missing. A true poacher. On another day he'd have had a second half hat trick. Still doesn't look fully fit and I detected him running with a slight limp later on. Whether he'd had a knock of that is a permanent legacy from his dreadful injuries I can't say.
Brereton Diaz.... 7 Another who came on and brought a definite threat although not the 'fox in the box' that Dack is. Maybe should have been around to defend and cut out Dabo's killer cross but again he's been out for a long time.
Hedges .... 4 Now I may be unfair but I only saw him touch the ball a couple of times. The worst bit was BBD I think giving him a clear run down the line deep into extra time. He should have got to the corner flag and waste some time but he almost ran backwards was caught and gave a throw in away. (See Mowbray)
Mowbray... 6 I can well understand his reluctance to name a starting line up with Dack and BBD, I can admire his half time subs making this match almost another Derby County chalk and cheese performance. What I will never fathom is bringing on Hedges when he had Dolan sitting there. Hedges did nowt and Dolan would have run himself into the ground in those final minutes and brought a goal threat too. Lets be honest I only see one player ready and willing to perform a 'Dack on the spot' role and play in that second striker role and it's Thyrys.
Referee Peter Bankes.... 6 Scouser. I liked the cut of his jib first half when it appeared that he'd left his whistle in the car but he marred his match in the second half. 5 yellow cards shown to Rover's players v just 2 to Coventry did no way reflect the match, especially when he's only given just over 3 yellows per Championship match all season. Coventry's players especially constantly seeking to pressurise the Ref and guilty of pretending to be fouled throughout the 90 minutes. I can only assume he sent someone out to his car at HT.
) in for the job and give them a decent working budget subject to FFP of course.