Barmitzvah Boy
Global winner of the 2021 Christmas Quiz 👊🤩🤩
That was reasonable today. In fact it was reasonably reasonable. Well done chaps.
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NEXT GAME:no idea
Sometime in August
Kick off unknown pm
No idea where
Definitely the Championship
Rovers v Wycombe Wanderers
- Thread starter Wilpshire Blue
- Start date
Old Darwen Blue
Prediction Champion 2021, 2022 & 2023
JRC and Dolan both attacking down the right, frightening for opposing left backs.
And if so we'll have to take it. Especially so if ST sales bomb as I am expecting them to.
btw Just to piss off PNE fans imo Dolans well on the way to being that value too!
Wilpshire Blue
Senior Member
Highlights
www.skysports.com
Blackburn 5-0 Wycombe
Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn and Derby.
Robin
Senior Member
He looks promising this young Dolan and he is only 18 years old! However, Wycombe were still playing league 1 football. What they have achieved as a club is fantastic but Championship is a different beast and they could hardly threat us yesterday. That’s a good sign for us and bad for them. The upcoming fixtures will be a different story though and it’s in those Dolan will get his real test. So will our defence...
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Barmitzvah Boy
Global winner of the 2021 Christmas Quiz 👊🤩🤩
If we get 15 points from those 7 games Robin I will be very happy. Wycombe were poor but we did play a lovely passing game albeit not as high up the pitch as the Bournemouth and Newcastle games; there was more emphasis yesterday on cover at the back. Holtby was immense.
We have suddenly turned from a kick up field and run, to a passing team.....I like the change.
We have suddenly turned from a kick up field and run, to a passing team.....I like the change.
That's a rum do WB. Someone at Sky isn't doing their job properly. Poor old Deggsy's goal isn't included at all. Probably a slap on the wrists due at Sky HQ on Monday am when nothing but instant dismissal would have been on the cards if it had been a Manchester or Liverpool goal that had been overlooked!Highlights
Blackburn 5-0 Wycombe
Highlights of the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn and Derby.
So a welcome to Wycombe Wanderers for the first ever League meeting between the clubs. Blackburn born and bred Gareth Ainsworth dream of this first away fixture was turned into a nightmare by a ruthless Rovers team obviously smarting from two defeats in the last week that could and really should have been two victories but for a gulf in class between Championship and Premier League quality finishing. With the shoe on the other foot the quality of finishing between the Championship and League One is just as stark. The quicksilver Adam Armstrong up against two (and I'm being kind here) rather ponderous centre halves murdered them with his pace and drew a booking out of one and a sending off out of the other. I'm not certain that Charles' foul on Armstrong was intentional but with Armstrong clear on goal and Charles without a hope in hell of catching him the contact left Referee Peter Bankes with only one decision to make. Already 3-0 down and game virtually over I'm sure that Ainsworth would rather Charles had let Armstrong go on to possibly score rather than lose the services of his centre half for the next three matches.
A decidedly spirited opening 10 minutes by Wycombe had me recalling two home defeats to Charlton and Luton last season but a poor back pass by Horgan gave the wonderfully entertaining Dolan the chance to bamboozle the Wycombe defender into a trip and an obvious penalty. Another easy decision for Mr Bankes. Adam Armstrong these days oozes confidence and penalties appear to hold no fear for him, in fact he looks like he enjoys them and in top striker fashion regards a penalty as a 'gimme' towards his season's goals total. So 1-0 down after 15 mins and less than 5 minutes later Dolan made it 2-0. After Armstrong converted Rothwell's marvellous cross with a simple tap in Wycombe's race was well and truly run even before the HT break.
The second half became a stroll in the sun as the sending off gave the Rovers complete control. Degsy got a tap in and Armstrong completed his hat trick when set free by a superb pass from Buckley. A few minutes later and he blotted his copybook when a defensive error allowed him to accelerate away from Wycombe's defence in similar fashion only to be denied by a wonderful save by Allsop in the Wycombe goal.
Kaminski... 6 Obviously an estimated score as he had so little to do after Armstrong opened the scoring. So comfortable in an advanced sweeper position and does look at this stage a real find. Rovers have had so much possession this past week that he hasn't had much of a test so I'll have to reserve my judgement. l am at the moment quietly confident that he will prove a good signing.
JRC... 7 Surprising choice at right back but did Ok and was rarely pressurised. Again illustrated why he can become the new 'play anywhere' Elliot Bennett. Utility players being worth their weight in gold these days to give managers extra tactical options during a match. I had perhaps expected him to replace Bell at left back whose confidence appears to be at a low ebb. Something seems to be in the wind about Nyambe so we'll have to wait and see what comes out in the wash over that one. As I've said before we have two poor to average full backs so any intrigue is hardly worth us losing sleep over is it?
Lenihan... 6 Easiest match he's had in yonks.
Williams... 6 See above. Put a cherry on the top of his performance by being in the right place at the right time to tap home the 4th. How does he manage to get on the end of chances in the box so often? If only he could improve his finishing he could get into double figures this season although I'm sure Daniel Ayala will have something to say about that.
Bell... 6 better performance and looked much more confident than of late.
Holtby... 6 We know about his quality but I'm not convinced of his influence as yet this season. He's no midfield growler and with Trav out he needs to play a big part in the engine room.
Johnson... 7 Did well and maybe feels he has to take Travis's role on board.
Brereton... 6 Did Ok but never looked like scoring. Made two excellent passes during the match but a poor pass to Rothwell could have messed up Armstrong's second goal but for a marvellous repair job by Joe.
Rothwell..7 Always a danger carrying the ball forward at speed but all too often runs out of space and into trouble. Provided an excellent assist for Armstrongs 3rd goal tap in.
Dolan.... 9 What a find! Preston's loss is definitely Rover's gain. Last time they missed out to us as big time as this was when they knocked back Ronnie Clayton! First time I saw Dolan against Leicester I was very impressed but he just gets better and better! Jacobson at left back up against Dolan every week might consider changing his name to Grim as surely he and Grimmer at right back will be having sleepless nights this week. Did something that marked Damien Duff as something special by taking two touches to round his man and draw the penalty. Scored his first goal 4 minutes later and effectively turned the game to our favour on his own.
Armstrong... 9 Used his pace to devastating effect! Sure he won't face as ponderous a defence as Wycombe's every week, nor will we always be up against 10 men but he drew the sending off and he is now displaying a confidence in front of goal that must be making Bradley Dack more than a little uncomfortable!
Subs
Buckley... 7 (Brereton 68) Always easy to come on at 4-0 but came on and played a part by splitting the defence to leave Armstrong in then clear for his hat trick goal.
Chapman... 6 (Rothwell 68). See Buckley but without the assist. Still not back to where he was before those horror hamstring injuries. Has it affected his head forced him to play within himself perhaps? Occasionally looks like he needs the confidence of his youth to return. Lets just hope Tyrees doesn't have suspect hammies.
Davenport ....6 (Holtby 79) Came on to give Holtby a breather and him a run out but had little influence on proceedings.
Tony Mowbray... 7 A confident performance from his team albeit against weak opposition that we will not be up against for quite a few weeks from now. Probably two worries on his mind.
1. How to get supporters to invest in their Season 'Passes' whilst and hopefully keep the owners on side rather than see enforced sales break up his quite unique squad of young guns. It's time now to show our support is unconditional. For a small town team we have punched above our weight for years and we have enjoyed some unbelievable events that other (and some would say bigger) clubs supporters can only ever dream of. Sure I'd like to see footballers salaries reduce to more realistic / affordable levels but we cannot do that on our ow can we?
2. How on earth to get our money back on BB.
Referee Peter Bankes... 7 Decent performance overall. Again Wycombe made his job easy too as despite their protests there can be no quarrels with either the penalty decision or the sending off.
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OnlyOneTugay
Prediction Champion 2019 & 2020
Excellent review as always Drog , many thanks .
By the sound of it a good performance by Rovers and a treasured clean sheet too ( well for me anyway ) . As some have said , more difficult challenges lie ahead , but Rovers can only put away what’s in front of them and yesterday they did it with aplomb.
Some real young prospects coming through and if TM can get the team to defend when it matters ( like in the last 10 minutes at Bournemouth) , then this squad has the makings of doing something really exciting .
In the current economic situation , I’m desperately hoping Venkys don’t decide to turn off the tap or throw in the towel . The former would mean selling two or three of our promising young prospects and the latter , well it just doesn’t bear thinking about . As Steve said , I can’t see there being a fairy godmother ready to step in .
By the sound of it a good performance by Rovers and a treasured clean sheet too ( well for me anyway ) . As some have said , more difficult challenges lie ahead , but Rovers can only put away what’s in front of them and yesterday they did it with aplomb.
Some real young prospects coming through and if TM can get the team to defend when it matters ( like in the last 10 minutes at Bournemouth) , then this squad has the makings of doing something really exciting .
In the current economic situation , I’m desperately hoping Venkys don’t decide to turn off the tap or throw in the towel . The former would mean selling two or three of our promising young prospects and the latter , well it just doesn’t bear thinking about . As Steve said , I can’t see there being a fairy godmother ready to step in .
I would agree with that but it's a worry all the same.
Yes
