Blackburn vs Boro
Friday, 4th April
Ewood Park is probably the away ground that I’ve been to most often over the years, mainly because we used to live about half an hour away near Leyland. I’ve been as a corporate guest too, but never when Boro were the visitors, as I always preferred to sit with our own fans.
In the mid-90s, I went to one of Rovers’ European games as a guest of RSA and someone had to choose which player to present the match ball to before kick off. Every week the sponsors ended up choosing Alan Shearer, but I insisted on giving it to Stuart Ripley. He was way over on the other side of the pitch and told me he’d never been picked before - he smiled when I explained to him that it was his reward for all the time I’d shouted, “Skin ‘im, Rippers” as he glided past another fullback in his Boro days at Ayresome Park.
That’s enough nostalgia - let’s turn our attention to Friday night’s game. We often allude to bogey teams here on Diasboro - teams that we seem unable to beat, whatever form we’re in at the time. If ever there was a team to put in that category, surely it’s Blackburn. Add in the 3 points debacle and it seems they always get one over on us.
Maybe Friday, though, will be our opportunity to put some of that history behind us. Rovers have lost 4 of their last 5 games whilst Boro have only lost 1 out of 5 - fans at Ewood are so unhappy at the moment, that they’ve suggested that senior management should stay away from their games.
According to the BBC, “A collection of Blackburn Rovers supporters groups are calling upon senior club officials to stay away from the side's remaining games this season. The fan groups want chief executive officer Steve Waggott, head of football operations Rudy Gestede (I can’t imagine him not being a fans’ favourite, can you?) and chief operating officer, and representative of the owners, Suhail Pasha, to not attend any of the final league matches. The groups believe these figures have become a target for frustrations at how the club is being run and their absence could result in a more positive environment for the team to perform in.”
If Boro could get an early goal, the home fans are likely be very vocal in their displeasure and might start to get on the players’ backs, which can only be good for our chances of grabbing three points. I’d anticipate a relatively small home crowd of around 10,000, whilst I’d hope that we sell our full allocation, to cheer us on to a win.
Every game until the end of the season is a must win (or, at least, mustn’t lose) if we’re going to get into the play offs - our chances of getting there still remain low, but coming behind to beat Oxford on Saturday should boost the players’ confidence, particularly Kelechi Iheanacho’s, who scored his first goal in English football since October 2023. Add in some players coming back from injury and maybe, just maybe, we can continue to dream.
I’m going to predict a 0-1 win, although I’ve got to acknowledge that our record when I’ve written starters isn’t brilliant. Fingers crossed that my last one for this season brings success.
Great stuff Martin but don’t be too sure that it’s your last match preview ????
There could be two playoff games and a play off final and a championship promotion bus parade to report on !
Some good insight into the Rovers hierarchy! I remember going to watch them play at home when Boro were the visitors and Shearer winding the Boro fans up by giving them V signs !! Nasty piece of work he wasn’t doing it for fun !
I think we will win !
The new players seem to
be bedding in and starting to play well and know their roles. Perhaps our coaches are turning them into better players ???
Not a Boro 3 but a Boro2 !
OFB
Well done with the starter, Martin. You’ve nicely combined a little nostalgia and local colour with an apt description of the issues facing Rovers right now, which we all hope will play out in our favour. I hope Gestede does turn up; it would be brilliant to get one over on the useless lump and come away with the three points.
Like you, I’ve probably been to Ewood more times than any other ground. I used to live in nearby Chorley, so this was a home game for me. I’ll be at the game again on Friday. My record there over the years has been pretty abysmal in terms of Boro successes. In fact, I can only ever recall one win for us when I’ve been there, which was a magnificent 4-0 trouncing of 10 man Rovers in 2004. Jimmy Floyd got a superb hat-trick and George Boateng scored his first ever Boro goal.
Here are the highlights. Enjoy and salivate!
https://youtu.be/uVTGtqQBYBA?si=6vsAMq_QhqcP0cyt
As Martin said, Blackburn are our worst bogey team of the current era. It’s yonks since we’ve beaten them, and they even knocked us out of the FA Cup this season to boot. We owe them one big style. Because of my sad record and the bogey factor, and because we have no real pattern ourselves of following up good wins with a second one, I’m hesitating to predict a Boro win this time. But Boro oozed confidence in the second half against Oxford and the old slick passing game we used to enjoy with Carrick returned. If we can reproduce those qualities on Friday I think we’ll give them a game. Let’s get into them from the off and get their ever-dwindling crowd on their backs.
I’ve taken a huge leap of faith in the Boro management team this week. I have renewed for next season. Time for them to repay my and fellow bloggers’ loyalty, and that of thousands of others, by picking up enough points to get us into the playoffs.
@clive-hurren Thanks for the match link. What a good batch of some passing in there. Downing was superb and the Gaiska pass for Boeteng was out of this world! Mind, did you notice the Blackburn defender during the first goal? He must have been really embarrassed after that. Magnificent as our ex-manager would have said.
And thank you, @Martin for the starter, too. I hope we can improve our performances at away matches next - we have been poor results wise on our away trips. We have lost six, drawn one and won one in our last six games. Meanwhile, the Rovers have won three, drawn once and lost two at home in their last six games.
So it should be a tight match. I have never seen Boro at Blackburn as I travelled there once from Finland, but only to find out on arrival at Ewood Park, that the match was rained off. I hope for better weather on Friday.
But we need to get a result. So I will go for 1-2 win. Conway hasn't scored for a while - a brace for him?
Up the Boro!
.. and it was nostalgic to hear Ali Brownlee again. What a miss when he passed away. The voice of the Boro. Up the Boro!
Thank you Martin for an excellent introduction to Friday night's game at Blackburn. I have only attended their ground once, but visited Blackburn and surrounds on many, many occasions, having had several friends from there or thereabouts over the years.
Performances matter more now than at any time in the season so far. It has reached the point that the impressive and dominating Boro side that we all know is in there, but only occasionally get glimpses of this season, will turn up for every game. I would love for us to win for once against the Rovers, especially at their place, but a wounded animal can be a dangerous thing. They do have the quality and I am sure it will start to come right for them eventually. In the Exmil Challenge I considered this would be a draw and perhaps just now I would still be satisfied with one point, although all three would be great.
I will miss this game as the Powmills have a long standing dinner date on Friday, all the same I will keep an eye on progress. An entertaining 2-2 draw is my prediction, but let me be wrong!
@original-fat-bob. “There could be two playoff games and a play off final and a championship promotion bus parade to report on !”
I see the tablets are still working OFB! 😉😎
@original-fat-bob I remember our fans taunting Shearer at Ewood with a chant of “you’ll never score for England” - he then proceeded to score against us of course.
@clive-hurren I’m pretty sure I was at that game too. Happy days…
@jarkko We were meant to be at that game too. I managed to get the Discovery to the pub in Blackburn for the planned pre-match meal, but it was touch and go, as the roads were so flooded.
Thanks for the starter, @Martin. It served as a reminder to alter my diary/calendar, which was originally written-up listing this game as a Saturday match. My understanding is that the game has been moved to Friday in order to be shown live on SkyTV. The caravan not yet having been cleaned for the season (this weekend would have been the season-opening camp at Bedale), I will stay at home and toddle along to the Battered Badger to watch it on the TV there. Hopefully the van-preparation can take place in time for next week's camp at Sutton-on-the-Forest, at a place new to us just north of York. Millwall v Boro can be a BBC Tees affair from there.
Summer is a-coming...
@forever-dormo We’re headed to York later this afternoon - will be passing quite close to Sutton.
Thanks Marin for an informative opener but I regret to say that I do not share the optimism that many have expressed since Saturday's win.
I accept and was pleased by our second half performance but it was again only half a match performance against a very average Oxford side, who should have had the match sewn up after 20 minutes; if we play as we did in those 20 minutes against the stronger teams in this league (Blackburn?) then we will definitely not pick up the much needed points.
Is anyone else steeling themselves for a "typical Boro" end to the season; we lose the next three games to put an end to our play off aspirations only to win the remaining games and finish just outside the top six!
I am out for dinner on Friday evening so will be recording the match and will catch up upon our return.
As you have pointed out our record against Blackburn is dire, we need three points, they are struggling so what could go wrong!
I hope I am wrong but this is exactly a scenario we have seen in the past only for "typical Boro" to turn up. 😎
@k-p-in-spain Maybe take solace from the fact that, despite some dire performances this season, we’re still within striking distance of the top 6. It’s results that matter, particularly at this stage of the season, rather than how we play - any scrappy win will do.
We’ve generally found it easier to play the better teams this year, rather than those who park the bus - Rovers will want to get at us, which might leave space for our passing game to create chances.
For many clubs, their season is effectively over - nothing left to play for and left hoping for a better future next year. At least we’re still in with a shout.
Martin,
Many thanks for the headliner and you are right I always see them as a bogey team. When I was very young I seem to remember Boro conceding nine(9) at Ewood Park and I think it was when Brian Douglas was on the wing for them. Lets hope that doesn't happen this time.
I saw the consultant yesterday and he's totally happy but I must say the physical check made my eyes water, he even apologised for the discomfort on my part! The next visit is July when we'll be thinking about the new season...
I also got a new iMac and it is finally up and running so what could possibly happen to spoil this week? Once again thank you Martin.
ATB everyone.
UTB,
John
@john-richardson. Good to hear that the consultant is happy and I trust you were once you were over the physical exam! 😎
@martin-bellamy. I agree that we are still in it and that we have tended to play better against the stronger sides but that was earlier in the season when the team was more settled and generally playing well.
Since then the level of consistency has got worse and that’s why I don’t put much store on a good performance or good half as the opposite can quickly appear in the next game; fingers crossed my fears prove unfounded during the season run in. 😎
I must confess that there were a few performances against Oxford that I didn’t expect.
Howson of course rolled back the years and played a captains and leaders performance.
Travers made three important stops in the first half amd we must sign him permanently
Borges goes from strength to strength and has developed a strong rapport with the fans. As for the goal well what can I say !! We’ve signed a Brazilian !
Iheanacho had his best game for the club and finally looked like the player he was supposed to be. The goal he scored obviously did wonders for his confidence and I’ll be looking for a lot more from him.
Iling Jnr put over two great crosses for two great goals amd looks like a great wide player
Whittaker made a difference when he cam on and nutmegged two Blackburn players with ease
So the new signings are beginning to gel, is it because they are now familiar with their new teammates? Or have our coaches made a difference to how they play?
Let’s see how they play on Friday !
COB
OFB
Thanks for the excellent opener, Martin.
I must admit that I’m almost indifferent at this stage of the season, so convinced am I that we won’t go up no matter where we finish. Still, I do hope we finally get a win at Blackburn and put a good run together to end the season as strongly as we can.
Sadly, there will probably be a lot more upheaval in the summer and any momentum may be lost.
It does make me laugh that here we are, at the start of April, wondering if the team is starting to gel!
I think I'm right that the 45th and 47th President of the US intends, at about 10pm UK time today, to announce his "Liberation Day" tariffs against those countries which he believes have for many years been taking unfair financial advantage of the USA. We don't yet know which countries and which goods and services will be affected by the expected tariffs. Harmless and polite neighbours like loveable Canada? Mexico? The EU? Japan? Will the UK dodge a bullet and, if not, will the UK announce retaliatory tariffs?
I'm just glad we have got Aidan Morris signed up before the 200% tariff (or whatever figure is arrived at) is imposed in retaliation on imports from the US. At least @JohnRichardson has already taken ownership of his new Apple iMac, otherwise the old reliable Olivetti typewriter might have been expected to make a re-appearance! And how would we and Hull City have dealt with the sale and then the UK return of Matt Crooks? Does his work count as services or is he regarded as lumber bearing in mind his height and nick-name ("Tree")?
Amongst the few things less consistent than the Boro these days are US foreign and economic policies.
@forever-dormo
Make Aidan Great Again!
🤣@forever-dormo
Make Aidan Great Again!
@martin-bellamy - Love it! Must get a hat made up! (As it happens my son-and heir attended St Aidan's College which is on the banks of the River Wear, not the Tyne despite Roger Whittaker's song).
@forever-dormo I used to live just south of Durham City in a small village called Hett. Happy days and a great place for my girls’ early years.
@martin-bellamy - One of the likeable things about Durham City is its size: small and walkable. Yet there is much to see in Durham and the Cathedral is very special.
@forever-dormo I can thoroughly recommend Benjamin Myers’ book, Cuddy, which tells the story of Cuthbert and the building of Durham Cathedral - it’s a magical read.
@martin-bellamy - Thanks for that. The football blog with "extras"!
Thank you for the super Headliner Martin, and the bits of personal history thrown in for good measure. I have never been to Ewood Park, so no bad memories from visiting.
However, I have enough from the past associated with Blackburn, as we all do, following Boro, live, radio and now streaming.
As to tomorrow evening, which Boro will turn up for the latest “must win” game. Will it be the fragile, slow off the mark team of last Saturday’s first half or a rejuvenated team of belief and purpose. Will we get behind their defence to give us a chance or just pass the ball until we lose it.
I will be watching more in hope than expectation of a win.
Finally a match day. I am really looking forward to the match. And hope for three points.
If you want to read more about the off-field problems at Blackburn, you can read more in here:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4g323w7yg7o
Up the Boro!