Stoke(home)predictions

[champs95]

Just for the record champs,I dont have lofty expectations for us and last night's result wasn't my over ambitious expectations dashed.
I feel we have a middle of the road team and where we are and the chance we still have is nothing far short than brilliant.
I would love to be there home and away each week but work,mixed with a long journey do not work on a regular basis.
I feel sorry for some of our more LOCAL fans who have to get the big book of excuses out for not attending,as they are the ones holding this club back.
Lee based in stow on the wold still makes probably 3 or 4 home games a season but for the ones a stones throw away,what is their excuse?usually venkys
"I wont return until they are gone"
Change the record as without them we go POP.

Its not so much an excuse. Bury used to get 2,500 fans and that is a bigger town than Blackburn.
Blackburn is one of the poorest towns in the UK. With a very big (percentage wise) population of Asian's who do not attend football matches. The people who can go, mostly wont have the money to spend on football, and Blackburn historically averaged around 8-10k.
The stadium is way too big.
Look at Burnley, now an established Prem side. When they play Bournemouth they get about 14k.
I donbt think there is one person left in Blackburn who uses the excuse, 'I don't go because of Venkys' as its completely outdated.
Its just a very poor town, and folk don't have much money.
But expectations match Leeds United who get 35k every home game. And Leeds is one of the biggest northern cities. We are competing with city sized clubs, who spend millions more than us. We are above most of them.

And the knee jerk reaction is to be disappointed and critical. By rights, had we finished 4th bottom this season it would be an achievement.

[champs95]

moving forwards, when we play Barnsley away shorty, I can imagine quite a few will expect us to simply turn up, play ok and walk away with 3 points. Because to some, football is by numbers. On paper, which football isn't played, you will look at the relative positions and presume form and that will be a big part, and its 3 points to us.
In reality, which is the tougher game? Bristol or Swansea at home? Who will come and attack us, or them? Or Luton or Wigan?
I believe the hardest tests will be the bottom 3 away.

[AucklandRover]

Don't know why they put Downing on free kicks though, as he isn't very good at them.. no power.

It's a good point, Saxo. Set pieces are where we miss Charlie most.
When you look at Armstrong's size, you wonder if it wouldn't be better for him to be taking the kicks.

[AucklandRover]

moving forwards, when we play Barnsley away shorty, I can imagine quite a few will expect us to simply turn up, play ok and walk away with 3 points. Because to some, football is by numbers. On paper, which football isn't played, you will look at the relative positions and presume form and that will be a big part, and its 3 points to us.
In reality, which is the tougher game? Bristol or Swansea at home? Who will come and attack us, or them? Or Luton or Wigan?
I believe the hardest tests will be the bottom 3 away.

I agree that it's very hard to work out in advance which teams will "suit" us better. Annoyingly, I don't think Stoke would have played the same game, if they hadn't been coming off the back of a few performances where they had tried to play in a more positive style, but conceded several goals.
Apparently (this is according to my cousin), BC aren't very good at the "stifling" game. They have conceded 51 goals. On the other hand, Swansea do seem to have a well-organised defence. Mind you, it's getting to the stage of the season where teams looking for a play-off spot will surely be trying to get three points, rather than one.
I see there are some other key clashes this weekend: Cardiff/Brentford; Fulham/PNE; Millwall/BC. Interestingly, Brentford do seem to have hit a sticky patch, and Bristol City have to stage a huge psychological recovery after what was apparently a truly dire performance against Huddersfield, midweek.
All very intriguing. I actually enjoy the twists and turns when I haven't got my Rovers blinkers on!
If I'm truly honest, none of the Championship teams this season look anything like PL standard!