Blackburn Rovers pre-season match thread

[Kingleicester]

I really think we will be in a relegation battle this season, I honestly think we are gonna start how we left off, (hope I’m wrong)

[jayfox26]

6 minutes ago, Kingleicester said:

I really think we will be in a relegation battle this season, I honestly think we are gonna start how we left off, (hope I’m wrong)

That's the spirit....

[UHDrive]

12 minutes ago, chapero82 said:

 

This.

 

None of our academy products are good enough for our squad. Today showed that the ones discussed and that played today are poor in ball retention and generally misplaced passes. KDH played the best out of the lot and the GK.

 

Some mention KDH but he's played against a team from the championship that we should be easily beating. He needs loaning. 

 

This season will be about every teams squad strength moreso because of the condensed schedules and internationals. I've said before that since the PL win, we haven't learnt our lesson and strengthened properly with 1 technically adequate player to cover the same position.

 

Edited 5 September 2020 by UHDrive
Typo

[Kingleicester]

Just now, jayfox26 said:

That's the spirit....

Very good

[UHDrive]

Just now, UHDrive said:

This.

 

None of our academy products are good enough for our squad. Today showed that the ones discussed and that played today are poor in ball retention and generally misplaced passes. KDH played the best out of the lot and the GK.

 

Some mention KDH but he's played against a team from the championship that we should be easily beating. He needs loaning. 

 

This season will be about every teams squad strength moreso because of the condensed schedules and internationals. I've said before that since the PL win, we haven't learnt our lesson and strengthened properly with 1 technically adequate player to cover the same position.

 

 

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, honeybradger said:

When has barnes ever done kick and run? He runs with the ball at his feet, thats how elite wingers do it, not with pointless tricks like zaha which achieve nothing. Messi doesnt need tricks, neymar cuts out the tricks as soon as he's put against proper opposition, theyre useless in the modern game apart from entertaining the crowd. The way barnes plays is the right way to do things he just needs to get involved more.

exactly, he needs to improve his first touch and his composure in front of goal, the rest is already there.

[Guest SO1]

1 hour ago, honeybradger said:

When has barnes ever done kick and run? He runs with the ball at his feet, thats how elite wingers do it, not with pointless tricks like zaha which achieve nothing. Messi doesnt need tricks, neymar cuts out the tricks as soon as he's put against proper opposition, theyre useless in the modern game apart from entertaining the crowd. The way barnes plays is the right way to do things he just needs to get involved more.

Could you imagine if opposing teams actually had something to worry about on the right side of our attack. Perhaps Barnes wouldn't get double or triple teamed ever time he has the ball.

[Foxhateram]

6 minutes ago, SO1 said:

Could you imagine if opposing teams actually had something to worry about on the right side of our attack. Perhaps Barnes wouldn't get double or triple teamed ever time he has the ball.

When Ricardo is back they will have a lot to worry about! Not mentioning Maddison down the middle causes defences loads of issues!

 

[Gazza M]

We some how need to put a side out against the Baggies and Burnley to scrape wins. So important we take advantage of this easier start and kick memories of the bad run in to touch. In the mean time we must at least get another CB and winger in to roll out by Man City. Another striker would be the cherry on the cake by the window closes. 

[Guest SO1]

10 minutes ago, Foxhateram said:

When Ricardo is back they will have a lot to worry about! Not mentioning Maddison down the middle causes defences loads of issues!

 

We still need the "Mahrez type" attacker to give us balance.  The more the merrier!

[Foxhateram]

16 minutes ago, SO1 said:

We still need the "Mahrez type" attacker to give us balance.  The more the merrier!

Absolutely, we're clearly looking for a winger to cut inside from the right. So I think BR knows that too.

[hejammy]

So missed this today? Overall whats the summary? Any prospects we think may start this season? How was Vards? 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, hejammy said:

Overall whats the summary?

Shit, but perhaps not a huge surprise given the number of players missing.

 

2 minutes ago, hejammy said:

Any prospects we think may start this season?

Start may be a stretch but KDH and Knight didn't look out of place. No sign of Tavares or Benkovic for whatever reason.

 

3 minutes ago, hejammy said:

How was Vards?

I can't remember him doing anything apart from a nice touch to KDH in the first half. Imagine the level of involvement he's had in our matches since mid-December and you're in the right ballpark.

[foxestalkisfullofidiots]

Love how Harvey Barnes should be the finished article by now and KDH has a lot of potential yet they are the same age

[Heymister2015]

Atm it’s relegation scrap awaits because of the form and lack of quality. But 3/4 signings through the door and that’s forgotten. ie Fofana and Edouard would be a huge boost! But one more would still be needed.

[Manini]

32 minutes ago, foxestalkisfullofidiots said:

Love how Harvey Barnes should be the finished article by now and KDH has a lot of potential yet they are the same age

That’s mental when you think about it isn’t it really. 

[Dan LCFC]

9 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Chilwell made that same mistake many many times for us, that's my point. People make out like he was this elite player but bar that breakthrough first year under Puel, he hasn't looked anywhere near the level a player of his hype should. Under Rodgers I think he has regressed and possibly because he wanted out but either way he was poor defensively and going forward he has no control over what he wants to do. Flashes of brilliance due to his athleticism but I don't think we'll be much worse off with a raw Luke Thomas cutting his teeth in our team than with the Ben Chilwell of the last 18 months.

Agree with this. Chilwell had so many fundamental issues as a player. I'll be amazed if he's still in Chelsea's side in 3 years time.

[Aus Fox]

I actually thought Thomas was our best player, yes he got caught out a couple of times with balls over the top, but hopefully he will learn from that. He is composed on the ball and always appears to play the right ball.

If we look ahead to the WBA game, only Vardy, Barnes and perhaps Thomas play in the same position they played today. 
For anyone saying we are in a relegation battle, you really not looking at the league objectively and focusing sorely on our weaknesses. Our best 11 is far better than  the three promoted sides, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Newcastle, West Ham, Burnley and Brighton. Even playing poorly after the return from lockdown look how easily we pushed aside Crystal Palace and Sheff United.

At the end of the day we do have creative players Madison, Tielemans, Barnes and. Goal scorer in Barnes. We have quality in every position and Ricardo to come back in.

Every thing is clearly not all sunshine and roses, we have lost a key first team player and we’re not sure how we replace him, thought we do have 3 quality right backs who can fill in an experienced LB for European nights and an up and coming left back who will grow.

We are a winger short, and we need to get rid of a few. There is something clearly going on behind the scenes with some top players missing out on game time. 
but results and performances haven’t been great for any Premier League sides.

Lets forget the way last season ended and approach the season being optimistic!

Keep the faith

[Dan LCFC]

10 hours ago, EnderbyFox said:

Barnes

Perez

Gray

Albrighton

 

Please for the love of God sign a bloody winger or two, I can't watch another season of them 4 on rotation 

Genuinely starting to think we aren't going to. Laughable at this point to be honest.

[Tom12345]

10 hours ago, Matt said:

I can't believe how many people laud this style v when Puel was here, its litterally no different.

 

People simply hated (Yes, I used the hate word for once) Puel, me included, but how those same people can justify the style now is beyond me.

 

Vardy must be more than bored, try pissed off.

It is really worrying if nothing major changes.

[Gamble92]

10 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

See these comments are equally as bad as mine claiming he's already better than Chilwell.. " he would struggle to get a loan to the Championship " is unbelievable guff. 

Why would you make a comment that you think is equally as bad? Surely you either believe what you're saying or not?

 

He's had a few games that we were forced to play him in. He was good in one of them. Im sure you'll tell me if im wrong but he wasn't on any championship teams radars before that and i think a League One loan would be much more likely.

 

[Dan LCFC]

9 hours ago, Al-aLondon-Foxile said:

I know it’s preseason, I know you can’t place any importance on it, but I’m tired of this dull possession mentality, and it’s clearly throughout the entire squad. It’s like they’re too frightened to play a forward pass that might not produce, and prefer to turn and pass it backwards. This was against Blackburn Rovers! I know we have to evolve, and it’s patient football, I know I should be grateful for

what we’re getting but I'm sorry, it’s just very dull, and it has been since Christmas.   I fear this season might not go so well. Hope I’m wrong. 

It's a flawed style of play, even the best have their issues playing it. Having witnessed it I'm not a big fan really.

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

It's a flawed style of play, even the best have their issues playing it. Having witnessed it I'm not a big fan really.

I think it's more an issue with how we're playing it than an inherent issue with the style. The big things for me are confidence, tempo and movement/work rate on and off the ball - if those three aren't where they need to be then at this level you're going to struggle no matter what type of football you're trying to play.

 

As a direct counter-attacking team we played some genuinely breathtaking stuff but also some really turgid, aimless hoofball. Similarly, the first few months of last season was possibly the most I've ever enjoyed watching a Leicester team when we were absolutely dominating teams and carving through them, but then towards the end it was so, so shit.

[FOXYTALK]

12 hours ago, mucfox said:

I actually think very highly of Harvey Barnes. He really livened up the game on the left. But the more I see him, the more I think he's becoming a Gray 2.0. Just speed is simply not enough in modern football. His technical skills and overview are unfortunately very limited. In duels he is almost always a loser, just like Gray. This has nothing to do with his age. Hopefully I'm not right and he's playing a great new season. 

 

Barnes was one of the best english wingers last season with 6 goals and 8 assists. His output 3x better than gray in his first full prem season. He is nothing like Gray. Look for him to continue his upward curve and aim for 10x goals and assists. Which he could've got last season. He's one of the best talents we have in our squad. 

[Chrysalis]

I watched 5 mins of the game, we couldnt get out of our half, kept passing round the back and then having the ball poached from us whilst doing it.

 

So in terms of the quality of the play it doesnt look promising.