MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

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Sutekh
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MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Sutekh » 19 Aug 2018 08:54



When : Wednesday 22nd August, 7.45pm
Where : Ewood Park, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 4JF
Capacity : 31,367
Away Stand : The Bryan Douglas Darwen End
What might I see in the area : The ghost of LS Lowry

Reading Nil take their 100% record to Blackburn in their next effort to try and lose it! Now the club are officially on their worst start to a league season since 1959 when they lost the first 4 games of that season (to Port Vale, Norwich and Newport both home and away) but at least that season the team scored goals, managing 6 in those 4 games and 25 in the first 11 games so results were bound to turn up eventually.

And, you see, that is the problem. Chances created are a real premium and have been really ever since Stam took over in the summer of 2016 and the conversion rate of those chances is worse than pathetic. Every game it seems a real struggle to get anything more than a couple of shots on target at best and you’d have to say even if Mo Salah or Harry Kane were in the team there’d be the same struggle in the goals for column.

Supposedly another attacking option is being looked at for a loan into the club at some point before the end of the month but that player is going to have to be capable of real quality to be able to lift things. They certainly need to be the type that can magic something out of nothing as that is what Reading Nil’s threat in front of goal amounts to - nothing.

In addition to the 100% record that Reading Nil currently have, they also have the little matter of trying to improve on the massive 2 wins recorded from their last 27 away league trips played on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening. Still at least it’s not a Saturday home game so there might be some chance.

Meanwhile, up in Lancashire, Blackburn are unbeaten. They are on a high after their quick return to the Championship and more so after a good away win at Hull on Saturday. They haven’t lost a league game at Ewood since Wimbledon visited in September last year and their 0-0 with Millwall last week was the first time they’d failed to score a league goal at home since that Wimbledon game (a run of 22 games). Dominic Samuel is doing well up there, but then he’s been given a chance in a team that more than likely plays to his strengths which he never got under Stam. The player to try and shackle down though is one time alleged Reading Nil target Bradley Dack who seems to be developing a knack for scoring at this higher level already.

Team selection is going to be difficult as ever with the standard idiot length injury list that follows Reading Nil around going from strength to strength it seems. Let’s expect talisman Barrow to still be missing so it’s likely to be that same limp and unbalanced formation as we got yesterday. I mean Swift stuck out wide left :roll: really is not an intelligent move. If it’s the same squad availability as for the Bolton joke then I’d go for an attacking line up to take the game to Blackburn rather than sit back and try not to concede while hoping for a breakaway with the pace we don’t have so; Mannone, Yiadom, Moore, Ilori, Richards, Swift, Meyler, Blackett, Bodvarsson, Meite, Baldock while hoping that I was dreaming that we sold Evans.

Referee

Oliver Langford from the West Midlands is slated for this one



Previously

17 Mar 2018 > Norwich City 3-2 Reading
26 Dec 2017 > Bristol City 2-0 Reading
28 Oct 17 > Reading 0-2 Middlesbrough
12 Jan 17 > Reading 0-1 Queen’s Park Rangers
03 Dec 16 > Fulham 5-0 Reading
04 Oct 16 > Portsmouth 2-2 Reading U23 (Checkacrowd Trophy)
27 Sep 16 > Brentford 4-1 Reading
19 Jan 16 > Reading 5-2 Huddersfield Town (FAC3R)
16 Dec 15 > Hull City 2-1 Reading
11 Mar 14 > Leeds United 2-4 Reading
14 Dec 13 > Huddersfield Town 0-1 Reading
06 Mar 12 > Reading 1-0 Portsmouth
27 Aug 11 > Hull City 1-0 Reading
16 Oct 10 > Reading 0-1 Swansea City
09 Feb 10 > Reading 1-0 Plymouth Argyle

Historically

As with most trips up north Reading Nil do not have a very impressive record. At Ewood Park there is just the one win to show from their nine previous league visits - though that win was on the last visit there.

The full league record there is played 9 won 1, drawn 4, lost 4, for 13, against 20

How to follow the game

  1. Get a ticket and travel to the game
  2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
  3. Ring/text a mate for updates
  4. Use an iFollow subscription
  5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)
  6. Use the red button on SKY SPORTS (or the Sky Sports app) for subscribers to find a live stream as supposedly all midweek FL fixtures should be available to watch (but bet it doesn’t work)

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Snowflake Royal
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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Snowflake Royal » 19 Aug 2018 09:28

What I'd like to see the line up as, but won't:

.....................Walker
.......... Ilori, Moore, Blackett
Yiadom.............................. Richards
.............. Meyler, Bacuna
........................Swift
................ Bod, McNulty

Although ideally I'd like an entirely different midfield

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by CountryRoyal » 19 Aug 2018 10:41

I can feasibly see us getting zero points from the next two games.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Old Man Andrews » 19 Aug 2018 10:48

Oliver Langford looks extremely over officious.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by windermereROYAL » 19 Aug 2018 10:50

Bradley Dack went off injured yesterday, still going to be extremely hard


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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by SCIAG » 19 Aug 2018 11:09

Pretty embarrassing OP there - the cynic in me says that it's a transparent attempt to get a sky-is-falling quote in the i. Fair enough if yesterday has you down, but the bits about Swift and Samuel are just ridiculous.

We desperately need two fit wingers on the pitch. I don't want to see another half hour of kicking the ball into the opposition's defenders. We need to get a win on the board and end the panicking.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Snowflake Royal » 19 Aug 2018 12:30

Are we seriously so awful we're desperate for the return of Aluko?

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Old Man Andrews » 19 Aug 2018 12:32

Snowflake Royal Are we seriously so awful we're desperate for the return of Aluko?


He's worked a lot harder than your heroes Kelly and Swift this season.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Rea Ding » 19 Aug 2018 12:42

weirdly optimistic about this one as the players will have everything to prove with less pressure being away from home at a pretty quiet stadium. Think we will win this one 1-0, heres hoping


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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Snowflake Royal » 19 Aug 2018 12:55

Old Man Andrews
Snowflake Royal Are we seriously so awful we're desperate for the return of Aluko?


He's worked a lot harder than your heroes Kelly and Swift this season.

Aww bless, you're so dim you think I'm a Swift fan. :lol:

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Hound » 19 Aug 2018 12:57

Is Dom Samuel doing well I’ll there? Really?

It’s a winnable game but PC needs to reverse his mistakes of last game

Bacuna and Swift did well against Brum and that performance is all we have to hold onto this season so far

Barrow should hopefully be fit. I’d play the same side as against Brum, maybe with Mannone and Meyler in for Walker and someone else.

I think the OP is a little silly tbh. We’ve scored in 2 of our 4 games. We have created some chances, as I keep saying, for me the issue we are unable to keep a clean sheet is more the problem. I’d happily take a few 0-0s but we always concede a silly goal. Have a bit more confidence in the back 4 and we’d be more likely to take risks going forward and create more

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Snowflake Royal » 19 Aug 2018 13:01

If we scored more we might concede fewer and we wouldn't need clean sheets to get points.

Old Man Andrews

Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Old Man Andrews » 19 Aug 2018 13:01

Snowflake Royal
Old Man Andrews
Snowflake Royal Are we seriously so awful we're desperate for the return of Aluko?


He's worked a lot harder than your heroes Kelly and Swift this season.

Aww bless, you're so dim you think I'm a Swift fan. :lol:


Apologies. You are such an apologist and naturally limp I assumed you'd love guys like Swift.


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genome
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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by genome » 19 Aug 2018 13:07

I saw a stat on Twitter that out of the 34 games in all competitions (and friendlies) in 2018 so far, we have won 4.

FOUR

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Hound » 19 Aug 2018 13:14

Snowflake Royal If we scored more we might concede fewer and we wouldn't need clean sheets to get points.


Of course this is also true

Thing is it’s not like we are wilting under pressure. It’s not like we are valiantly holding on but the defence finally buckles under pressure. It’s been a silly lapse of concentration for nearly every goal against this season - 2 of them esp have been absolute gifts

Think Bolton had one other chance which they totally fluffed. Derby likewise, and doesn’t sound like Forest had any other real chances either

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Snowflake Royal » 19 Aug 2018 13:25

Hound
Snowflake Royal If we scored more we might concede fewer and we wouldn't need clean sheets to get points.


Of course this is also true

Thing is it’s not like we are wilting under pressure. It’s not like we are valiantly holding on but the defence finally buckles under pressure. It’s been a silly lapse of concentration for nearly every goal against this season - 2 of them esp have been absolute gifts

Think Bolton had one other chance which they totally fluffed. Derby likewise, and doesn’t sound like Forest had any other real chances either

This is true.

The defence was particularly bad yesterday, but overall I'd still say midfield is the actual problem.

Swift can't track back or tackle and takes on people in our own half.
Kelly rarely plays to the whistle, does Holywood passes and gets muscled off the ball.
Bacuna thinks he's kicking for touch.
Meyler plays in concrete boots
Edwards thinks he's a yard quicker than he is and can't time a challenge
Barrow can't follow basic positioning, track back or defend.
Aluko goes awol and constantly turns into challenges in the middle of our half.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Hound » 19 Aug 2018 13:30

Did you watch the Brum game out of interest Ian?

Thought that was the best I’d seen our midfield for ages. Swift tracked back nicely a number of times and ran his backside off. Bacuna played nicely alongside him and they looked strong and athletic. It wasn’t perfect but it was better.

Meyler and Kelly isn’t working at all. Both too slow, and don’t bring the ball forward

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Snowflake Royal » 19 Aug 2018 13:38

Hound Did you watch the Brum game out of interest Ian?

Thought that was the best I’d seen our midfield for ages. Swift tracked back nicely a number of times and ran his backside off. Bacuna played nicely alongside him and they looked strong and athletic. It wasn’t perfect but it was better.

Meyler and Kelly isn’t working at all. Both too slow, and don’t bring the ball forward

No. Bolton was my first game, although I caught most of Forest online.

I don't put much stock by the Brum result. The reserves of one of the few teams to be worse than us in recent years isn't what I'd call a decent test. And they still had chances they should have scored.

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Hound » 19 Aug 2018 13:42

Yeah Brum were terrible but still. And it was spin to say it was their reserves, I think their midfield was the same as they played va Swansea

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Re: MATCHWATCH : Blackburn Rovers (a) sponsored by 3 league wins in 2018

by Snowflake Royal » 19 Aug 2018 13:53

Hound Yeah Brum were terrible but still. And it was spin to say it was their reserves, I think their midfield was the same as they played va Swansea

I was led to believe it was virtually a totally changed side from their previous game.

At this point I don't care who plays, hell I even picked Swift and Bacuna myself up the page. I just have zero expectation for them.

Personally, I like Kelly, I think he's our best performing midfielder (faint praise), but he's more of a force multiplier type than someone who will grab a game and change it. Sadly nothing times Kelly is still nothing.

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