Circumstances dictate, however, that for this report, I change my tact.
If I kept with my normal formula, I’d already be on the Star
Performer section, as there was very little to be thankful for, but I will try
my best…….
Blackburn lined up against Bournemouth and shook their
hands. That was problem number 1. Each and every player from the grim north was
bigger, stronger, faster….better…..
According to the Howe interview afterwards, the crowd’s nervousness
adversely influenced the players. Bollocks – it was those handshakes and the
fact that we were playing “Blackburn” – a former premiership side.
While we continue to play as “Little Bournemouth lucky to be
breathing this rarefied air” rather than “we are Bournemouth who deserve to be
here” –THIS is what we are going to get
It took just 9 minutes for Blackburn to take the lead. A
cross from the left looked innocuous enough to the Bournemouth faithful, as we
expect bugger all happening in the box.
Rhodes, a proper goal poacher/scorer, had different ideas.
As the ball skimmed over shin high, he dived and headed in front of the
statuesque defence to glance the ball into the bottom right corner. A fantastic
finish – I couldn’t deny 0-1
Groves had clearly been giving some “inspirational” team
talks as the back 3 (God I hope that’s the last time I use that term) and
Allsop decided to play keep ball between them.
There are 2 problems with this train of thought:
1
Every, and I mean EVERY, team press harder than
we do as they seem to be stronger, fitter and hungrier than we are, so that
puts us under a lot of pressure
2
We haven’t got players that are comfortable
enough on the ball to cope with that
Looking more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full
of rocking chairs the back 3 (shit I’ve done it again) fumbled and bumbled the
ball between them and Allsop and we were getting absolutely rinsed down our
right by King and Best as they both kept playing their “you can’t tackle, stop,
impede me” card.
Blackburn’s second goal actually came from their right as
slick passing and interplay cut the Bournemouth defence apart, allowing Best to
slide in an easy close range goal
The East stand were LIVID (tutted quite loud) about the
first or second passes not being given offside – but it was no more than they
deserved 0-2
The difference between the sides, apart from the 2 goals,
then became apparent to me. Where we took 10 passes to get close, to bugger it
up, they took 2, and were through on goal. We were so slow a pub side could
have defended against us
The 3rd goal was no surprise except by how it
happened
Josh King was sent through and Elphick, darling of the NS,
just bowled him over. Some of the NS complained – but it was nailed on – King was
going nowhere and yet was still fouled -
ridiculous
Rhodes scored the penalty
- of course he did. He sent Rocky the wrong way and put it in the bottom
left 0-3
At half time one of our fans hit the cross bar and the ball
went in – get him on, I thought, as apart from the offside Rantie goal on 5
minutes, that was the closest I’d seen to a home goal
Within 5 minutes of the restart, Hughes, the “experienced”
campaigner of the team (who had replaced the injured Macdonald) had been booked
for a high challenge, then booked again for a late tackle – so for all that “experience”
he’d been sent off – brilliant
As I was googling “what is the biggest winning margin in a
Championship game” the star of the season, for me, started to shine.
Fraser had come on for Pitman because the team weren’t
strong enough to carry Brett a moment longer – and what a difference he made
With his pace and direct running, the massive Blackburn
defence suddenly looked breachable
Trouble was with him on the right and Pugh on the left, who incidentally
had the best game I’d seen without Daniels, what was the point in actually crossing
the ball? There was never any one in the box?
Fraser must have thought that himself as he tried a couple
of speculative shots- but to no avail
I did wonder whether the strikers were somehow allergic to
the box as they seemed so reticent to go to these pastures green, but you’d
have thought the ball just being there so often would encourage them
It was a different game. Sure, they were still cutting us
open like a hot knife through butter, but we were doing the same at the other end –
except we just couldn’t put that final pass to feet
Playing so much better with 10 you really have to question
the 3-5-2 start as playing 4-4-1, with Grabban dropping back worked SO much
better
Bournemouth even got a goal back – with Rantie magnificently
turning and nut-megging in one movement
before sending the rampant Fraser through.
He, in turn, tore through the defence to take the ball early
and coolly slot the ball past the keeper’s left. Such a clinical finish – the first
of many. I hope
And this was after Pugh had managed to hit the post minutes earlier - was there still time for a monumental come-back?
No
Final Score 1-3
Summary – I’d like Leon Best to be allowed into the home
changing room. In there, I’d like ALL of the Bournemouth players to look,
touch, feel, smell, lick WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO to realise he is only human!!
No team in the Championship deserve so much respect that we
should not compete – and yet that is what we failed to do in the first half.
Unless we shake off this small club syndrome, any team with
a big past will beat us – because we have already beaten ourselves
If we don’t think that we deserve to be here – then we
should just bugger off back to a lower division and continue to play the
Groves-esque tippy tappy football at the back that gets us absolutely nowhere
Anyone can see how paper thin our squad is so I really hope
we can use the loan market well. I fear it will be too little too late for
Tuesday – but there is still time for the players to grow a pair and step up to
take responsibility for what needs to be done in a game – including reading the
game and comparing that against the instructions that have been given, if those
instructions are just not working
Star Player – Pugh – best game he’s had without Daniels as
his wing man. Fraser has the fans’ vote – and I get that – although once you’re
3 down, the pressure is effectively off J
Away Support - Excellent
East Stand
Main Stand
North Stand
Who ate all the pies?
South Stand
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