Unlucky Blackburn

Blackburn Rovers fighting for their Premier League survival lose 2-0 to Spurs without having a shot at goal in the entire match. What was the game-plan? because they went behind after 22 minutes?

Sounds like they set up alot like argyle have done for lots of games this season, go for the 0-0 and end up losing!

Something like only 25% possession too. Plan was obviously 11 behind the ball and get point.

Which proved it's not just Fletcher who has no plan B.

GreenWhiteBlack wrote:

Sounds like they set up alot like argyle have done for lots of games this season, go for the 0-0 and end up losing!

But when they went behind, there were still another 68 minutes left? In their position they may as well have lost 5-2 and at least had a go.

Wigan were bottom and have just beaten Newcastle, Arsenal, Man Utd, Liverpool and Stoke in their last seven games. They didn't do it by putting 10 men behind the ball and hoping for a lucky break. Blackburn deserve to go down for playing to keep the score down. Disgusting, and their fans who travelled to London must be seething.

Interesting that in the most important game of the season. Man Utd did exactly the same thing almost. One man up front, everyone behind the ball for 0-0. Even when they went behind in the first half, they didn't change it and didn't manage a single shot in the 2nd half and none on target in the whole game. Man City even managed to replace three attacking players with a defender and two defensive midfielders in the second half.

Why/where has this sudden cautious mentality come from. It isn't exactly lending to exciting viewing for the paying punter.

Jon L wrote:

Interesting that in the most important game of the season. Man Utd did exactly the same thing almost. One man up front, everyone behind the ball for 0-0. Even when they went behind in the first half, they didn't change it and didn't manage a single shot in the 2nd half and none on target in the whole game. Man City even managed to replace three attacking players with a defender and two defensive midfielders in the second half.

Why/where has this sudden cautious mentality come from. It isn't exactly lending to exciting viewing for the paying punter.

I think Mancini outhought Ferguson and knew he would play more defensively than usual. City had to win but they were head and shoulders above United tonight. I hope they win their last 2 games but I have a feeling the league still hasn't been decided.

It appears to me that Fergie has had a habit recently in these sorts of games of going for pragmatism over their usual approach. Park Ji-Sung is a must for him in these games, and he's by no means a regular. Odd that he chooses such a conservative team especially tonight. Also if you've never read Jonathan Wilson's 'Inverting the Pyramid' I'd recommend it. There are a couple of chapters in there entitled 'The English Pragmatism' which talk about how the UK adopt such tactics so readily. It's a mindset which is never far away and every now and then becomes the standard approach throughout most of our game for years on end.

At least the result means an interesting end to the season, had United won it would have been contest over.