Blackburn Preview

It’s pretty well known that Sam Allardyce has 2 games to save his job this game and the Arsenal game after the ‘dreaded’ vote of confidence from Chairman Chris Mort. We all know what happens on Championship Manager when you’re given this. I’m not looking forward to this game, last week was the worst I and many Toon fans have seen us play and I can’t see it getting any better. Allardyce will not abandon his ‘defensive’ approach which is doomed to fail against teams like Blackburn and Liverpool. Why do managers concentrate on the opposition than their own team? Manager’s should be more concerned in getting their own team to ‘beat’ the opposition than trying to contain the opposition, i.e. Bobby Robson and Keegan did this, play 4-4-2 and attack the opposition and Keegan’s case just score more goals than the opposition. Attack is the best form of defence! If our team has the ball then the other team can’t score. These statements bring me back to under Keegan, 3-0 at home to West Ham where we had over 30 shots at Goal; West Ham had 2 in a game which was one the greatest under Keegan’s reign as it should have been 10-15 where Tino taw the Hammers apart. I thought Allardyce with better players at Newcastle would abandon his long ball game, sadly he’s got worse. What’s the point in having striker’s when you can’t get service to them?? Our last 2 good manager’s used 2 wingers (Keegan: Ginola/Sellers, Gillespie and Bobby: Robert and Solano) to deliver the service, it’s simple. Football is a simple game, all this tactic’s etc is a load of rubbish.

Back to the game, Allardyce treatment of N’Zogbia and especially James Milner is a disgrace, these 2 have been our best players this season and they either get played out of position or dropped. We’ve seen them once properly and that was v Everton which actually was our best performance of the season. Coincidence I think not. These two must play in a 4-4-2 formation anything else and I think we are doomed to another pathetic performance and defeat, sadly I believe with a lot of other toon fan’s this will not happen. No doubt Alan Smith will somehow find himself in the team no matter what! Cacapa and Taylor are back thankfully so that we won’t be seeing Geremi in the team as he is past it.
My Prediction: 3-0 Blackburn, despite Blackburn losing 4-0 at home to Aston Villa, I can’t see us gaining anything from the past 4 performances. I can’t see us playing 2 wingers for a change and Alan Smith not starting. I’m hoping I will be wrong because defeat here and v Arsenal see’s us in a relegation Dog fight.

My Team:
Given
Taylor, Beye, Cacapa, Enrique
Milner*, Barton, Butt, N’Zogbia*
Martins, Viduka

What the Team Will Be is any body’s guess, but I am 90% certain it won’t be the team I’ve picked.

But Hey What Do I Know About Football??

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