Blackburn Rovers (A) Tue Jan 30th, 7.45pm

[Welsh_Saddler]

"His was a master-mind; and 'twill be long
Before old Blackburn, through the smoke and gloom,
That gather round the busy lathe and loom,
Shall see another half so bright in song".

George Hull (To the memory of William Billington)

A trip to darkest Lancashire for long-suffering Saddlers' fans, as we attempt to halt what seems to be an inexorable slide towards the wilderness known as League 2 and the possibility of playing the likes of Dover Athletic, Bromley or Boreham Wood. Manager Tony Mowbray has got Blackburn Rovers handily placed in League One, currently duelling with the Sloppies for that second automatic promotion spot to accompany Wigan Athletic to the Championship. If goal difference plays any part in Rovers' fate they are sitting pretty with +25, and with their available strikers it's difficult to imagine our keeping a clean sheet. Not only do they have Bradley Dack but in the current transfer window Mowbray has renewed his connection with Adam Armstrong, who was loaned to Coventry City when Mowbray was there - Armstrong is at Ewood Park for the rest of this season. One ex-Saddler who will probably be playing is Paul Downing, signed from Milton Keynes Dons, and currently a first choice defender in their set-up. Blackburn Rovers' recent League One form:-

26 Dec Rochdale (H) Won 2-0
30 Dec Scunthorpe United (H) Drew 2-2
1 Jan Rotherham United (A) Drew 1-1
13 Jan Shrewsbury Town (H) Won 3-1
20 Jan Fleetwood Town (A) Won 1-2
27 Jan Northampton Town (H) Drew 1-1

As those recent results demonstrate, Rovers are not keen on losing .... out of 28 League One games so far this season they've only been beaten 4 times, and (at the time of writing) it's hard to see how our threadbare squad can inflict a 5th defeat on them. Having said that, there's always hope - and it should be noted that Rovers have actually lost 2 home League One games this season, to the unlikely pairing of Doncaster Rovers and AFC Wimbledon!!

But ..... But .... (I hear you say) What sort of team and tactics can Jon Whitney produce for this game? Well, as Marvin the paranoid android famously said ............. "TRICKY". With most of our recognised and effective strike force gone in the shape of Messrs Roberts, Agyei and Ismail, we are left with Bakayoko and possibly Kieron Morris as up-front targets for the Turkish Messi (if indeed he is still with us!!). We have one recognised central defender now that James Wilson has departed, and the only real certainty is that Blackburn Rovers' record home defeat (1-7 on two occasions, to Notts County and Middlesbrough) is in no danger of being amended.

Prediction? Even with my rosiest-coloured specs I can't see us getting anything from this. A draw would be quite an achievement, and the reality would seem to be a 2-0 home win even if Liam Roberts is on top form.

UTS :D

[saddla]

'I read the news today oh boy.
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small.
They had to count them all.
(Lennon, McCartney)
:mrgreen:

[NEWPORT SADDLERS DAD]

Holes or goals?

[Welsh_Saddler]

'I read the news today oh boy.
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small.
They had to count them all.
(Lennon, McCartney)
:mrgreen:

Unofficial Blackburn Rovers website goes by the name of "4000 holes" ... and they have a special page dedicated to the Dingles, which in their case refers to Burnley Football Club.

There's also a page of "Dingles jokes" - e.g "You know you're a Dingle because you let your 12-year old daughter smoke in front of her kids....... :wink:

[SoccerHQ]

Certain defeat here I'm afraid particularly as Blackburn dropped points at the weekend.

Could be 3, could be 4.....

[chunkster]

I don't know where to start with this prediction? It could be a mauling or we could nick a draw? My gut instinct is the mauling. Because I think we are sure to lose ozzy, and let's be honest apart from chambers(who has had a bit of an indifferent season)and maybe Dobson Guthrie Edwards and probably Leah's? I honestly can't think of another one of our squad that could walk into another first division team :| And even if we do sign 3-4 players in the window, they wouldn't have enough time to even get a training session in with the team. If we go with the squad we have then we are screwed :|

[tinned]

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/fo ... burn-test/

Why doesn't he just shut the fudge up and go and beat his chest and repeat the word 'energy' five hundred times instead?

Knob!

[scott_powell]

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/walsall-fc/2018/01/29/whitney-walsall-relishing-blackburn-test/

Why doesn't he just shut the fudge up and go and beat his chest and repeat the word 'energy' five hundred times instead?

Knob!

Can't wait to see his reaction after we're dicked 4-0

[layzeedude]

Playing a team flying high and in form,
Walsall squad looking dodgy,
Whitney's job at risk,

Nailed on 1-0 to the Saddlers! Blackburn to hit both posts and the crossbar, plus one disallowed for off-side. Throw in a missed penalty as well for good measure :wink:

We am Walsall!!

LD

[Ancient Moaner]

This is the sort of nailed on mauling that Walsall teams in the past have come away from with a surprise victory, however, this current threadbare squad is devoid of confidence or quality, heading for a relegation scrap, unable to avoid letting in goals, and about to lose our best player (If he does not appear it's a racing certainty). I'd love to see a Bradford v Wimbledon scoreline, regrettably that won't happen.
Though only half an hours drive, I'm not allowed to go, due to obvious reasons, so I'm hoping those that ARE brave enough to make the journey give 'em an encouraging shout for me!
If we DO lose I hope they keep the scoreline down, we need the advantage of slightly superior negative goal difference!
UTS.

[Asps]

This is the sort of nailed on mauling that Walsall teams in the past have come away from with a surprise victory, however, this current threadbare squad is devoid of confidence or quality, heading for a relegation scrap, unable to avoid letting in goals, and about to lose our best player (If he does not appear it's a racing certainty). I'd love to see a Bradford v Wimbledon scoreline, regrettably that won't happen.
Though only half an hours drive, I'm not allowed to go, due to obvious reasons, so I'm hoping those that ARE brave enough to make the journey give 'em an encouraging shout for me!
If we DO lose I hope they keep the scoreline down, we need the advantage of slightly superior negative goal difference!
UTS.

Love you AM, you always can make a positive out of a slightly less negative of a negative.

I think we'll win 2-0. Justin & Candlin to score.

[Ancient Moaner]

You know me too well Asps my friend, (crikey do I owe you a few pints or what!) always positive, I make Walsallone, Optimistic, Sotonsaddler, Cowshed & Gripper look like real moaning old gits! :lol: :lol: :lol:
A sneaky 1-0 win could lift the clouds of doom on here, but that would have to be at the expense of Blackburn not scoring after 33 attempts on goal, 2 dubiously disallowed goals, Dack being sent off after 3 minutes, a blind referee, a pitch invasion, and our single attempt on goal being a 30 yard screamer of an own goal 5 minutes into extra time! Flying pigs and all that. :?

[Pedagogue]

A sneaky 1-0 win could lift the clouds of doom on here, but that would have to be at the expense of Blackburn not scoring after 33 attempts on goal, 2 dubiously disallowed goals, Dack being sent off after 3 minutes, a blind referee, a pitch invasion, and our single attempt on goal being a 30 yard screamer of an own goal 5 minutes into extra time! Flying pigs and all that. :?

Amazing ... you actually have the same fantasy dreams as I do!!! :evil:

[Walsallone]

Now,Now AM that comment is actionable my friend :D I cannot speak for the others but I regard your description of me as a complete disgrace :D As for the match Walsall to lose 0-6 but I will still be there Saturday!!

[Cowshed]

M6 jUNCTION 17 IS A NIGHTMARE

[Cowshed]

You know me too well Asps my friend, (crikey do I owe you a few pints or what!) always positive, I make Walsallone, Optimistic, Sotonsaddler, Cowshed & Gripper look like real moaning old gits! :lol: :lol: :lol:
A sneaky 1-0 win could lift the clouds of doom on here, but that would have to be at the expense of Blackburn not scoring after 33 attempts on goal, 2 dubiously disallowed goals, Dack being sent off after 3 minutes, a blind referee, a pitch invasion, and our single attempt on goal being a 30 yard screamer of an own goal 5 minutes into extra time! Flying pigs and all that. :?

Ger away with ya :D

[swampysaddler]

Roberts
Edwards
Leahy
Dobson
Guthrie
Chambers
Oztumer
Morris
Kinsella
Bakayoko
Roberts

Subs
Gillespie
Cuvelier
Shaibu
Flanaghan
Kouhyar
Vann
Candlin.

[Walsallone]

Same team as at Charlton with Morris replacing Tyler Roberts....bench includes Cuvelier, Vann and the new lad.

[Walsallone]

Blackburn have 3 new signings in their team....Armstrong,Payne and Bell.....what a team they have for our division. I fear for us tonight :(

[SaigonSaddler]

3-1

[saddla]

Amazing what you can do with parachute payments.

[Ancient Moaner]

Note that Ozzy is IN the team, does this mean we might, just might, hang on to him until the end of the season?
That WOULD be a distinct advantage in our relegation scrap.
We will still get hammered tonight, Walsallone spot on with his scoreline. Which would, regrettably, damage our goal difference dramatically.
Perhaps we should just write off tonight's right 'ammerin' (after all they are favourites for auto promo) and just concentrate on getting a result out of Saturdays game against currently pith poor Dongs.?

[chunkster]

Note that Ozzy is IN the team, does this mean we might, just might, hang on to him until the end of the season?
That WOULD be a distinct advantage in our relegation scrap.
We will still get hammered tonight, Walsallone spot on with his scoreline. Which would, regrettably, damage our goal difference dramatically.
Perhaps we should just write off tonight's right 'ammerin' (after all they are favourites for auto promo) and just concentrate on getting a result out of Saturdays game against currently pith poor Dongs.?

Tbh AM it would be a miracle if we hung on to ozzy, but it just might be the ace up bonsers sleeve :wink: offering ozzy a deal that would be hard to turn down to stay another 6 months, probably more than he would get if he moved, then he can go anyway at the end of the season. I think the new guy looks like a similar player to baka but with more skill, so with the two of them up front could be interesting :)

[saddla]

I follow have cocked up here, I'm watching the live stream in the UK :mrgreen:

[Welsh_Saddler]

After 3 minutes we're a goal down ............ :( :(

[chunkster]

I follow have cocked up here, I'm watching the live stream in the UK :mrgreen:

how?

[boringteacher]

5 minutes ffs

[SoccerHQ]

This will be a long night.

Credit to anyone who has actually gone to this.

[Kevlar]

After 3 minutes we're a goal down ............ :( :(

They've scored too early and give us the momentum.

[chunkster]

This will be a long night.

Credit to anyone who has actually gone to this.

pity the defence haven't :|