Over the next few days, I’ll be posting write ups or podcast episodes of a review of the month I missed. With this new feature, I to invite anyone and everyone to be as involved as possible. If you have a question a comment or anything at all, email it to me and we’ll get it talked about on any future episode. Feeling bold? Even if you just have a simple built in mic or a whole studio, record a comment or question and I’ll throw it in the episode myself.

As always, discussion starts in the comments where I hope to see some of the posters return. Sorry again for the month long hiatus, but we’re back baby.

21 year old Croatian International Nikola Kalinic is the leading contender to be signed at Ewood Park now. Reports coming from The Mirror and the Lancashire Telegraph have both confirmed the striker talking to Rovers today, with Rovers looking to steal the deal from Portsmouth, who couldn’t come up with the transfer money Hajduk Split wanted in the first installment. So what’s the CV of this Kalinic guy?

First off, the guy’s tall. Like 6 ft 11⁄2 in tall. Nice to have up front. Internationally he played U 17, U19, U21 and now has made two appearances in the Senior Squad for Croatia. Between 2005 and 2009, Kalinic scored 32 times in 58 appearances for Split in the Croatian top flight, the Prva HNL. So he’s young, tall, and knows how to score. Sounds exactly like the profile for a striker the Rovers need right now. Having said that, before today I have never heard of him. So has anyone else? What’s your thoughts on this sudden development? Let me know! UP THE ROVERS!!!

This past weekend though, Rovers were not to be denied. Having the lion’s share of chances and controlling most of the game, the lads went on to beat Portsmouth decisively 2-nil. The win also left Big Sam heaping praise all over the squad.

Samba played up front again and cause all sorts of problems for the back row for Pompey. A goal from MGP calmly cleaning up the spill David James left and a Benni Mac spot kick were all the lads needed. Pompey even had a chance with a PK themselves courtesy of league 3 superstar Keith Andrews but failed to hit the target to sum up their afternoon.

From here we have Chelsea next, and I don’t relaly expect anything form the game, but I don’t mind. Right now I’m happy we’ve hit 40 and I’m gonna enjoy it.

UP THE ROVERS!

Then someone lit a fire under Pompey’s asses. And Rovers weren’t ready. 2 goals later the game looked hopeless. Had it had been the Rovers of a few years ago or even last year, it probably would have been. Then Matty Derbs came on and lit a fire under Rovers’ asses and it was a game again. That header was perfect and was also his first touch as well as only 20 seconds after coming on. Then lucky for us, Pompey forgot that Tugay is, in fact, my Turkish Delight, and he had a beauty of a goal.

Then it all went to hell. Matty Derbs blown offside and a mystery foul committed against England’s crappiest number 1, and all a sudden a game that should have been 4-2 was still 2-2. The foul wasn’t a foul so I’m going to stop calling it that. But if you remember from this post here from the game against Man U, we too had a goalie get fouled but no one seemed to mind then. Officiating inconsistencies are really messing up the game. Derbs was onside and then this messed up call, really changed the game. Then the Rovers’ defense went to take a nap and watch some football while Pompey fired in the third and final goal.

The Rover’s inability to finish and close out games is just making this season incredibly frustrating. Stuck in 19th we really need to turn around some things; fast. Man U again for Carling Cup round 5 this midweek. Highlights after the jump.

After a slow first 30 or so and after a few scares by Pompey and a few decent chances ourselves, Blackburn looked a different and better side. Gamst wasn’t terrible (which is basically like saying he was good) with a few decent services and few header attempts on goal. Bentley had a solid performance but it was the holders in the back of the midfield and the back four that did great for me. Samba and the Admiral looked in a form not seen for a long time, quite immense and new signing Vogel didn’t make a bad play. Quite impressed.

Our biggest scare came from an errant back pass and Big Brad attempting some tricky footwork. Luck for us it came to nothing. Backup Pompey keeper Ashdown got the start over David James, and it may have helped our cause; certainly didn’t hurt it. And while Pompey might have been a bit unlucky to not get a goal, Blackburn defiantly deserved all three points. Bring on the last minute push for Europe. With Derby and Big Club left, anything could happen. Till then though, Up the Rovers!

Highlights: