The Joy of (Twenty-)Sixth? Rovers / Boxing Day

[TonyDomingos]

from a bloke on the Blackburn forum re Emile & Eidur:

Agree totally mate...I've seen both of them in the last couple of weeks playing for notlob u21 in Leyland and both of them are unfit, eidur looks a bit overweight and they both have limited mobility even at that level. Our defence should be shot if either of these two scores.

This is kinda where I'm at. Goal from E or E = me + town hall steps ... you know the rest

[KeyserSoze]

When's the, er, grand opening then, tony?

[TonyDomingos]

When's the, er, grand opening then, tony?

[William the White]

If someone had told me 4 months ago, that Bruce would be calling Pratley an outstanding midfield lynchpin, I'd have had them sectioned.....

Loved Lennon's post match interview. It sounds like a good bollocking was handed out at half time. Fair play to him for not pulling punches ("Some of them were still thinking about Christmas dinner") and most importantly, for recognising the problem and sorting it at half time.

Do we have a link? Do we have highlights? Is the offside controversy settled?

[TonyDomingos]

Lennon http://youtu.be/LjIuPg9G3vc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Heskey http://youtu.be/fbG3-u0jemg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Spartan2]

Great to stick it to the dingles after them going 1-0 and giving it "wanky wanderers" all match. Brilliant atmosphere. Heskey was superb. His passing was accurate and inventive. First touch he played a brilliant pass across the box for Feeney who hit the side netting. Great hold up play, scored, changed the game, perfect debut.

Not much to add that hasn't been said. Thought we rode our luck a lot today could have easily been beaten by half time. For us Chungy? missed an open net from 2 yards. Hall was anonymous, like playing with ten men. Danns was decent but made two major feck ups that could have been costly. Pratley superb again, some good performances all round. For five minutes we destroyed them, Heskey scored, Chungy hit the bar and Pratley won it.

He scores when he wants, he scores when he wants, Emile Heskey, he scores when he wants! Never thought I'd be singing that at the Reebok.

[KeyserSoze]

Just seen there's no football league show on tonight. What the hell!? Christmas RUINED.

[NiceHotCuppaTea]

Just seen there's no football league show on tonight. What the hell!? Christmas RUINED.

We'd only get 20 seconds anyway! Just watch the extended highlights on offish youtube tomorrow!

[freeindeed]

I must say that I found Blackburns "Handball!.....Handball!.....Handball!" chant very funny.

[TANGODANCER]

If we rode our luck, was it any different for them? We had chances, score two goals and got three points. They were the form side, got a goal that sounded a bit fortuitous and we came back and won. The rest matters not a whit. We've had enough of the other stuff along the way, and what the opposition might have done is Auntie Fanny/Uncle Tommy stuff. Bollix to em.

[jaffka]

Great stuff.

Sounds like a good game and most importantly we won. That's what matters most.

They can do the whining and moaning about the game, makes our win even better.

Six fingered tossers. Feck em.

[KeyserSoze]

If we rode our luck, was it any different for them? We had chances, score two goals and got three points. They were the form side, got a goal that sounded a bit fortuitous and we came back and won. The rest matters not a whit. We've had enough of the other stuff along the way, and what the opposition might have done is Auntie Fanny/Uncle Tommy stuff. Bollix to em.

They rode their luck, too but we rode it with more abandon! we converted more of our clear cut ones than them. Bit of a platitude but it was the key. They were very profligate. Rhodes and to a small extent king/gesture were a real physical test for our back line. I wouldn't say they passed it but they didn't give in.

Loners did well for the saves. Seemed injured to me tho. Was holding his back in the first half and his kicks were crap for a bit. Also looked very uncomfortable bending, flexing etc. might just be me.

Back four faced a stern test. Didn't pass it with flying colours but got most of it right. Ball over the top though. Too easy. Thought ream and vela did well. Vela I think could be a bit more aggressive going forward but I guess he will get better with more experience there.

Danns had the thankless task of playing anchor while all the other midfielders ran forward and not back. Was overrun so many times. Second much better with prat ley deeper with him. Busy, aggressive, and in the main good with the ball. Chungy a delight as always but had an air of 'give me the ball because I'm better than you' about him. Fair enough, tbh. Ran down a couple of blind alleys but mainly great. Pratley a hero second half as mentioned. Hall played like a kid. Feeney anonymous first half, but he ain't a forward, better when turfed out wide second half but still not brill.

Gudjohnsen looked Ill but when he got on the ball was so classy. Moving it quickly, and if not that then always correctly. Great ball to heskey for the goal. Ivanhoe was a beast when he came on. A danger to the opposition, his own players and himself. Gave me two laughs, one where he jumped for a header and pole axed prat ley, and then holding a defender off with his hand and pushing him too the ground. They'll be rolling the bumps out of the turf for weeks to come. Also seems to have graduated from the Ian Marshall school of jumping a week too early for headers.

In summary, get. In.

[officer_dibble]

Great game yesterday, really enjoyed it. Heskey scoring off that top quality pass will now be one of my favourite goals I think!

Defensively we stood up and were counted I think. A couple of errrors by vela maybe (I think he played King onside). Lonergan top drawer. Ream was immense I think. Thought Danns who did a lot of the dirty work against a couple of strong midfielders probably shaded it for motm. Pratley was decent but wasted the ball maybe a bit more? He doesn't half put a shift in though.

Interesting set up by lennon with hall/feeney up top then chungy on his own when it wasn't working. Heskey coming on gave us a proper outlet, albeit he was knackered after 15 minutes (understandable).

Eidur was a cut above and will be extremely useful. Chungy will be missed!

Great game, love the energy and enthusiasm we play with. Cant see us ever giving up, case in point being the scramble on the line.

[thebish]

what a difference that makes - to have a team that sometimes wins!! still glowing today - a real christmas present! cheers Lennony and the lads!

[TKIZ!]

https://twitter.com/FootballFunnys/stat ... 77/photo/1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[thebish]

https://twitter.com/FootballFunnys/stat ... 77/photo/1

[TKIZ!]

https://twitter.com/FootballFunnys/stat ... 77/photo/1

Hahaha. There has been a few more. The Mirror did a piece yesterday called "The Internet reacts to Emile Heskey scoring.."

[thebish]

The difference between Freedman and Lennon...

under Freedman - the 2-week international break is a blessed relief and seems too short!
under Lennon - the day in between the festive fixtures is too long to wait!

[Hoboh]

The difference between Freedman and Lennon...

under Freedman - the 2-week international break is a blessed relief and seems too short!
under Lennon - the day in between the festive fixtures is too long to wait!

[clapton is god]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUyhPgb ... e=youtu.be" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Extended highlights just posted.