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.

I’ll be honest here; this is a must win game. After this game we have league games against Everton and Villa, with a league cup game v Notts Forrest thrown in between those games.

Then after Villa and the retrn of big Brad and Stephen Warnock, we have Le Arse, Chelski, The B@stards, and ManUre.

This is a must win game.

Hopefully we will have a lot of players to choose from. Emerton is close to making a comeback, and Dunn, Reidy and Grella all should have used these 7 days extra to get back into shape and fit. Here’s the team I would put out:

——————-Robbo———————
Jacobsen Samba Givet Chimbonda
Dioufy Dunn Nzonzi Pederson
Benni (if fit) Kalinic

Wolves have earned 4 points from their 4 games but should be ours for the taking. If we go out and play solid defensively (like we have been lately) and our strikers can get some shots on target, we should pull out the 3 points.

Any thoughts about the game? Your XI you would field? As always, let me know and UP THE ROVERS!

Here’s how we’re looking: Robinson, Brown, Jacobsen, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Khizanishvili, Warnock, Olsson, Diouf, Hoilett, van Heerden, Doran, Nzonzi, Andrews, Pedersen, McCarthy, Roberts, Di Santo.

Look at that list and remember who’s out and doubtful and try and build a solid starting XI. Our midfield can’t even be completed let alone compete. Very worried about what we could see if Nelson and Samba don’t make the cut.

Citeh will be probably fielding a 1-0-9 formation, with a team looking like this according to SkySports:
Given, Richards, Dunne, Toure, Bridge; Wright-Phillips, Barry, Ireland, Bellamy; Robinho, Tevez.

Let me just say, I am looking forward to a win. But if we draw or even lose I can not say I’ll be surprised. I just hope the boys are ready to get the season going the right way.

Now the invitation. I invite all Rovers fan in the NYC area to make the trek into the NYC and come watch the game with me and a bunch of other Rovers fans at Nevada Smiths. We’ll be there a little before kick off and through out the match so please come by if you are able to.

Hopefully the next post will be a victory review. Until then, come on new season AND UP THE ROVERS!

So what does this mean for our striker force?

It means we have a ton of strikers again. Paul Gallagher, Benni Mac, Jason Robers, Di Santo, Dioufy, and now Niko. I believe we’ll see a good healthy mix of Benni, Jason, Di Santo and Niko with Diouf probably playing on the right wing as a RM.

So what’s everyone’s take on this new boy? Yay or Nay? And how do we feel about the start of this season? Let me know! UP THE ROVERS!!

It means we now have 4 quality strikers on the books with Di Santo, Benni, Jason Roberts, and Dioufy. With Gally probably going to be sold but Nikola Kalinic a possible singing it means our striking woes are gone for the start of this season.

We haven’t even dropped near half of the RSC sale, and we have all this money to spend of Kalinic and another midfielder. So this gives us this week and next to bolster and strengthen our starting squad in the middle of the park. Exciting times, and things are looking promising.

We do need these reinforecemnts though, as N’zonzi and van Heerden will probably need ressie time before even being considered for the starting XI. A new, quality midfielder who will walk right into the team and start is still pretty necessary in my opinion. However, with this striker situation having been resolved, things are looking up for the start of this term. As always, UP THE ROVERS!

We’ve looked at a ton of strikers and have graced the football hot sheets’ back pages many times this summer. Lets take a look at some of the strikers we’ve been linked to this summer shall we…..
We were in for Ruud, but that quickly fell through. Then we were out of the race for Crouch before the race even started. Then it was crafty old vet Vieri’s turn for a chance to shine at Ewood. But he pulled a no show and is now playing poker. Some one wanted a move for Bent, so of course we were linked to him straight away, for a hefty £13million sum no less. Glad we missed that one. Then we inquired about Benjani, followed by an unsuccessful attempt to lure Niko Zigic from Valencia.

More recently, the signing of Algerian international Kamel Ghilas fell through before it became serious as the striker from Celta Vigo failed his medical.

Now we play a waiting game. After writing on a report in the Mirror, Rovers are still waiting on the arrival of Chelsea striker Franco Di Santo on season long loan. Even Benni Mac, who is working on his fitness all summer, would love to see the strike force bolstered, even if it means a cut in his own playing time.

So everyone from Big Sam right down to myself is eager to see who we can bring in to increase our goal count for next season. With a little more than 2 weeks till kickoff, who can we hope to see walking out onto the pitch in the famous Blue and White Halves? I might not know exactly who right now, but I have faith that it will be someone who can do a job for us up front, and move us back up the table where we belong.

With no actual strikers in the starting XI (does anyone know why Benni mac wasn’t? Does Big Sam really not like him that much or is he hurt and I missed it?) Rovers were forced to play with Samba and Villanueva up front. They took their chances where they could with MGP and Nelson all having attempts that failed to really materialize into much.

The stand out performance of the game I think was Robbo. Without him between the sticks the scoreline would have been a much different and higher digit. Highlights after the jump, I hate reporting losses, it makes me feel like a journalist and not a fan. So here’s looking towards West Brom, let’s go out on a high. UP THE ROVERS!
Chelsea v Blackburn 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!

Striker Jason Roberts is hopeful about retuning to this starting XI this term while battling a stress fracture affecting his third metatarsal. He remains optimistic and will helpfully be ready for the Wigan game.

The Stoke game is this Saturday and Vince Grella is hoping to play apart. Hvaing played for the reserves this week, the midfielder is anxious to get a run out and prove himself. He told the official website, “I still have six games where I want to give my contribution, whether it is big or small, to Blackburn.” Promising to hear. A little added depth never hurt anyone.

Stoke’s form has been quite good in the last 6 matches. D W L W W D go the order of their last results, taking 11 points from a possible 18. Rovers will hopefully bring the same fighting spirit they had against Spuds (and didn’t have against L’pool) to the Britannia. My optimism is high though as the the news of the traveling fans making the trip will mean the Rovers will have some great support. From the O-site:

Rovers will have the backing of almost 3000 supporters from Lancashire down for the game, the offer of free away travel combined with a game of huge importance means all of the tickets allocated to the club have sold out.

Exciting.

Benni Mac will hopefully get the start and Samba will hopefully play defense as Rovers look tp climb the ladder up from 16th and add to the 4 point safety they cling onto. UP THE ROVERS!

Well Rovers took a break for international duty last week and I used that time to catch up on some work and keep my GPA game up. But the lads are back and so am I, but I’m not the one stopping The Spuds’ six-match unbeaten league run.

Rovers started off strong with a chance in the 11th from MGP to El Hadj but he failed to convert. Things started going down hill from there though with our rock solid new man Gael Givet was called for a handball in the box. You can judge that one for yourself, but when the commentator takes Rovers side, you KNOW it’s not a penalty. (Which it wasn’t, the ball hit inside shoulder) Keane converts although the ball wasn’t on the spot. Clearly, you can see it in the highlights. The balls off the spot. I don’t get how that works either, but whatever. Rovers down 1 nil. MGP gets a knock and heads off with Dunny coming on. Jase Robs gets a knock and holds on till halftime, then he comes off. So what does Big Sam do when his hand is forced?

PUTS CHRISTOPHER SAMBA UP FRONT!!!

Yes that’s right the big man playing up next to Benni Mac and being an all around nuisance for the Spuds players. Rovers make some chances, Spuds don’t do too much. Then they started doing stuff and the game looked pretty much over. Then, Wilson Palacios winds up being sent off after collecting two yellow cards in the space of two minutes. Fantastic. Finally a little bit of luck heading our way. Then Robbie Keane knocks the ball away in the box with his hand but the ref closes his eyes and skips away pretending all is just and well in the world. No matter though because then Samba showed up, and went hardbody all over Corluka and worked the ball to Benni Mac who fired it home from 10 yards out. Then Rovers took the lead when Gomes misjudged a corner and and ball fell to Ooijer who, from barely a yard out, directed it calmly home. Amazing.

14th on 34pts. Lets ride this momentum to liverpool.

Highlights: