Jeremy Teo | Just Simply Me

Rovers for the Drop

This space has been stagnant over the past year or so, and the only rare occasions I pen something down is about soccer or rovers.  However, given the way things are going, I may not even have much to write about rovers soon as they look destined for the drop.

This has got to be one of the tightest seasons over the past few years, and I’m only referring to the bottom of the table. I can’t remember the last time a bottom club chalking 32 points with 5 games to go. Truth be told, it has gotten pretty boring at the top. Man Utd are probably going to run away with the title despite being under par for most of the season, and credit will have to go to the 37-year-old Welsh wizard who has been their most consistent player. Forget Berba, Rooney or even Chico who have been scoring the goals, because over the entire season it has been Giggs who has been fueling the engine of the United team.

Of course, United’s likely triumph this season is not all their work, but more of their opponents’ efforts (or lack thereof). You don’t even need to be a football fan to see the gap in Arsenal’s defence and goalkeeping positions.  However, Arsene’s apparent faith in his players slapped him hard in the face, and his youth policy (and resulting lack of experience) withered under the pressure of four possible titles. In my opinon, his reputation over the past few years came crashing down all in one season, and it’s best summed up in his desparing claims that “second is still a success”. For the record, after today’s draw with Liverpool, they make not even make second. As for Chelsea, they are way off the pace because of one reason, err person – Fernando Torres. Since the blues splurged the 50 million, it has been rather obvious that Ancelotti has been pressured to play Torres despite the latter showing horrendous form for Liverpool all season. As a result, the more effective pairing of Anelka and Drogba can’t play. You can also see how Chelsea’s players are trying too hard to feed the balls in for Torres, hoping for the striker to break his duck. But the only outcomes are heavy touches and poor control.  In their desperate attempts to accomodate their new 50 million dollar man, Chelsea has messed up their entire team and gameplay.  As for Man City and Spurs, they definitely look like a group of strong individuals, rather than cohesive strong teams.

So down to the bottom. 5 more games to go, and it looks to be 5 teams for the dogfight - Wolves, West Ham, Wigan, Blackpool and Blackburn. And despite being a rovers fan, I would prefer to take a more realistic stance instead of being too optimistic, and would predict that Wolves, Blackpool and Blackburn will be going down. The reasons are obvious. Firstly, sacking Big Sam was never a mistake, but not finding an apt replacment was a huge one. Steve Kean seems to lack the experience, mettle and authority to tide us through this dogfight. Secondly, look through the fixtures list and its obvious that we have the toughest fixture list by miles, i.e. we have already squandered most of our easier matches in the past few weeks. Home matches against both Manchester teams and a derby game against an in-form Bolton is hardly anything we can look forward to, and away matches are just forlon conclusions for us. And to be honest, I can’t even see where our next point would come from. Lastly, unlike the other teams around us, who have their Charlie Adams, Peter Odemwingies, Darrent Bents, Hugo Rodallegas and Demba Bas – all potential match turners and game winners, we have quite honestly, no one. For two seasons, we barely had anyone scoring more than 5 goals in a season. Speaks pretty much about our quality.

I’d like to remain optimistic, but the only way we can stay up now is for the four teams below us to do even worse, which is rather unlikely given that they have easier fixtures. And putting things into perspective, it’s actually fair to say that we deserve the drop given our poor showing throughout the season. The only consolation is that I’ve lived through one relegation, so another one would not be as hard to take. And as compared to how I could only receive updates through a tiny section in The New Paper when we were last in the 2nd tier, I’ve now got the Internet to check on Championship scores.

With that said, I really do hope I’m wrong come May 22.

A Long Awaited Departure

My calls for Big Sam to go have finally been answered. It was a long wait, but better late than never. When I saw the soccernet headlines “Allardyce Leaves Blackburn”, I must admit that I had mixed emotions for a good 5 seconds or so. That 5 seconds was for the gratitude and appreciation for keeping us up after the disaster wreck left behind by Paul Ince. However, crude as it may sound, 5 seconds is all I can spare and I’d happily move on from there.

For some reason, a number of observers have lauded the work Big Sam has done at Rovers over the past couple of years. However, apart from his first season efforts at helping Rovers stay up, he honestly hasn’t really contributed much. You really need to be a Rovers fan to understand the pain of watching your side under Allardyce, and the pain of enduring his claims to be good enough to manage England (and Real Madrid), his direct 4-5-1s, his support for Jason Roberts (the next long awaited departure), and his post-match interviews.

Many have also claimed that given Blackburn’s finances, Big Sam has done a relatively good job in the transfer market to maintain a decent squad. But I never seem to grasps that argument as well, because apart from the purchase of maybe Steven Nzonzi (which itself was a gamble), he’s not brought in anyone else worthy. He claimed to have developed Kalinic into a premiership striker, but the young Croatian has recently faded into oblivion. Salgado’s experienced, but truth be told he’s old and too slow for the EPL. Chimbonda’s does not seem to understand the basics of defending, while Mame Biram Diouf is scarily taking the Franco Di Santo route to neverland. And Benjani and Popov who? The only positive bit of ‘transfer’ in the Allardyce era is the development of homegrown youngers such as Phil Jones, Martin Olsson and Junior Hoilett. But I wouldn’t even accord Allardyce the full credit for their development, as I don’t think they were properly utilized in the last year or so (maybe except Phil Jones). And even though money’s not on our side, you start to look at the other mid-lower table teams around us and wonder why so many of their new and unknown purchases (the likes of Tchoyi) can always make such great impacts.

Victim of Venky’s takeover he may be, but things have become so stale that any change away from Big Sam is good. The owners apparently have big plans, but we all know that our chicken company is no match for the riches from Russia and Abu Dhabi, so I’m just hoping for someone decent who brings back the beauty of the game at Fortress Ewood. I always felt that the flair and creativity of players like Gamst, Dunn, Olsson and Emerton have been hoarded by our (too) direct style of play, so hopefully things will change. There are a number of potential candidates who will be exciting choices, and I certainly hope Venky’s won’t disappoint with their choice. Thanks Big Sam, but as much as how many will disagree with me and lament your departure, I for one feel your departure will be key for Rovers to move forward.

Goodbye Mrs Lee

She was sophisticated yet simple, well-known and yet down-to-earth, strict but yet very kind. Such was the uniqueness of the great lady. Just as how Tan Siok Sun (in GKS’s biography) penned that there would be “no encore” of the forefathers who led Singapore through the post-colonial tribulations, the same would apply for Mrs Lee.

The final parting moment struck the hearts of many Singaporeans, mine included. Despite the media coverage, this wasn’t about any figure of authority, but of three children who lost their beloved mom, and more significantly of a 63-year love story which touched the hearts of many. A good exemplication of how at the end of the day, come what may, family and love is still the essence of life.

No doubt should we not live in the past, but by no means should we forget how the past made the present possible.

To Put It Simply

Been a while since I last updated, and somehow the countless thoughts always fizz away right at the moment I sit afront the laptop. Hence, I shall attempt to do a fast one by keeping things simple.

To put it simply, 2010 has been in military terms, a Charlie Mike (continuous mission). Went into my final semester preparing for interviews and assessments, all amidst a hectic rush to complete my thesis. When that was done, I dived straight into a major publications assignment which saw me clock like 3 hours of sleep within 4 whole days, with a major exam slotted right in between. Then said my final farewells to NUS, before embarking on my 2-month ‘over-seas’ trip. When that was done, work ensued, with my only ‘recess’ being commencement. No break, but I’m not complaining. In fact, I’m lovin’ it. Probably the most efficient use of my time, ever.

To put it simply, graduation has given me a taste of what’s always been regurgitated about pointless grade-chasing. Whatever paper you get in the end, it may mean something, but definitely not everything.  Too many permutations in life for one to think that his/her life is set-in-stone upon good or bad grades.

To put it simply, World Cup was about an England team lacking variations and creativity, a Maradonna who got what he deserved for his arrogance, a disiciplined and organized German team epitomising world champion credentials, and a Spanish team who probably just deserved the World title.

To put it simply, new EPL season will be about a Manchester duel at the top, and a Wolves, West Brom and Blackpool trio at the bottom. Blackburn’s been quiet, and my realistic sense points to a 12-14th finish. Rovers needs funds, and whatever takeover talks can only be positive news. Still have my reservations over Big Sam, although the Diouf loan and impending Roberts sale points to the up-side of things. Now to just show Grella out the door.

To put it simply, some Singaporeans complain and expect too much. Same people fussing about the country’s way of life are the same people reaping the benefits of uni education, proper housing and stability. Same people who question the influx of foreign workers are the same people picky about jobs. Same people who bemoan foreign sportspersons are the same people who voice dis-support for the YOG. Same people who … you get my point. All cynical-ism but no appreciation, all complaints but no solutions.

To put it simply, the Singaporean in me will always enjoy NDP. The element of patriotism is in itself inexplicably dear, and while it’s a bonus for me to embrace it, it’s simply a loss for those who choose to forsake it. Your take. I take mine with love and pride. Happy Birthday Singapore!

Firm on My Opinion

The situation used to be the more hectic school got, the more I blogged. But now, school’s so hectic that I don’t even want to mention anything about it. Some things change, but some things just don’t – just like my opinion on Big Sam. So yes, the last sentence would be a head’s up to how this will be yet another Blackburn Rovers entry on this space of mine.

This season can be best described as a roller coaster ride for Rovers. We started from the bottom, slowly crawled our way up (like the first ascend of a roller coaster ride), then made a sudden drop (thumping at Emirates and Stamford Bridge), then climbed up a little, ran through a flat part of the track (3 consecutive goaless draws), then had more slight ups and downs, before hitting the highest point of the ride (the good 7 points last week). Today, either the ride met a 90 degrees vertical drop, or the ride broke down, or the roller coaster jumped rail, you choose. It was just plain disappointment.

Portsmouth have huge problems off the field, and are doomed for relegation. Today, they had so many injuries they couldn’t even fill their bench, they were down to 10 men for most of the second half (9 men if you consider Kanu’s apparent absence), they had a keeper who looked out of sorts, and they had Aaron Mokoena captaining the team and filling in as a centre back. Yet, a supposedly in-form Rovers could only get a 0-0 draw with them. Mind you, we had the disposal of an almost full strength squad, and we did field an almost full strength squad. To me, this was not a draw, nor was it even a defeat. It was an embarassment. And yes, you’d probably guess where I’m pointing my finger to.

When Big Sam commented in mid week how our guaranteed survival will make him experiment and play around with the squad, I was picturing exciting things to come. Pressure’s off, style is on, or so I thought. I thought it would be great to finally see Linganzi and Basturk play, or see Kalinic line up with a second striker, or see an attempt at an ambitious 4-3-3 formation with Olsson and Hoilett as supporting forwards on each side. After all, with all of Pompey’s problems, this was surely the perfect opportunity to try something new. But no, Big Sam stuck with the boring 4-5-1 (or 4-4-1-1 which never functioned like one), never made changes to the squad, and worst of all, started with Jason Roberts up front. The result says it all. And if not for Gael Givet’s heroics, we would have lost the match. Sure the players had to take some blame for the poor performance, but one has to question Big Sam’s faith in Roberts, and why he’s not resting a very tired looking Nzonzi. And with every opportunity to go all out attack on a horribly weakened side, why didn’t he even attempt to do so? As with most of Rovers’ matches of late, today’s one has been dull. Sure we had the chances, but again they were not taken (think Roberts), and we played the same flat line long ball tactics.

Of late, Big Sam’s been trying to defend the team from all the long ball accusations, but what he does not realise is that these comments do not just refer to long ball tactics, they also generally mean a boring and predictable style of play. So I would suggest that instead of just repeatedly defending the team through verbal actions, Big Sam could start by showing more ambition and optimism in his formation/line-up choice. If not for the results, then at least for the fans.

Soccer Amidst the Assisgnments

Just thought I would take a break from assignments, and give my honest two cents about of the BPL season so far with 7-8 games to go. It’s been one of the most exciting seasons for a long while, as we’re heading into a 3-way battle for the title, a 4-horse race for the last Champions League spot, and of course another desperate battle at the foot of the table. But if there’s one way to assess the teams this seasons, I feel it would be best done through the performance of the managers (apart from Pompey, poor Grant). And to make things simple, I will stick to the classification of the brilliant, the good, the bad and the ugly.

The brilliant. If I were to take into consideration squad strength and general public expectations, then I would have only two names here, Alex McLeish and David Moyes. Birmingham were never favourites for the drop, but neither were they expected to be in the top half of the table. Apart from a slow start to the season, they climbed their way up and will most probably finish in the top half. What’s commendable about McLeish is that despite the availability of finances, he did not splurge and instead brought in effective players who mattered and delivered, and he’s turned Birmingham into a decent premiership side with strong characters.

As for David Moyes, he’s surprised me as he did last season. Everton started slowly again, but very quietly they managed to climb up the table, and all of a sudden the Toffees are in for a decent shout at 4th spot (although I think they may end up not even in the Europa spot). The thing that impresses me is how Moyes can get the best out of his not-so-big squad, and somehow get the best out of his young players. Moyes can be verbal at times, but I’d say he has spent most of the season silently concentrating on his job to guide Everton into a comfortable position just below the 4-horse European fight. He probably deserves more credit than he’s received.

The good. Ferguson, Ancelotti and Wenger would probably be the first mentions here, although I would single Fergie out for bringing the best out of Rooney. It’s often said Man Utd function like a one-man team this season. On the goal-scoring front I would agree, but I think its important to look at the bigger picture of things to realise that Rooney is only performing well because of players like Valencia, Fletcher and Park. I think Fergie’s deployed them well this season to play alongside Rooney’s style, as they make the great runs to free up space, or great crosses for Rooney to work his wonders. Of course I’m not undermining Rooney’s individual brilliance, but what I’m saying is that if you take Rooney out the goals dry up, but if you put Rooney back in without the supporting players and the goals will start to dry up too. So I personally think it would be a quadruple of titles for Fergie, if Rooney and the trio stay fit.

Apart from the managers of the top 3, I would also give the thumbs up to Harry Redknapp and Martin O’Neill for living up to European spot expectations, and also Roy Hodgson for creating a strong (although at times inconsistent) Fulham side. I am hoping they win the Europa League. Similarly, Tony Pulis gets a mention as Stoke are no longer a side tagged with relegation worries, as Pulis has shaped them into a strong physical side with execellent set plays (sounds like Blackburn a couple of years back). And the only manager at the bottom who gets my nod for this category would be Mick McCarthy, simply because he’s stayed positive through the season and has got Wolves playing some decent football recently. Wolves are still widely tipped for the drop, but I’m somehow certain that he can continue to get the best of out players like Doyle and Jarvis, and as long as Ebank-Blakes don’t play, they would stay up.

The bad. As I already know of who falls into the next category of ‘the ugly’, the rest of the managers would somehow fall here. Steve Bruce and Gianfranco Zola for underachieving despite having great individuals in their team, and Bruce for recording that remarkable 15 games winless streak. Owen Coyle for doing a last-season-Hull-like plunge when at Burnley, and then having a slow start at Bolton (although he’s starting to work his magic again in the last few weeks). Roberto Martinez for bringing in his ineffective Swansea players (think Scotland). And surprisingly, I would also include Brian Laws here and not in the next category, as Burnley’s current plight is only partially his fault. The other half of the fault lies with the management even appointing him, and the Clarets should be going down.

Of course, Sam Allardyce lies in this category. Bias would usually place one’s supported club manager at a higher standing, but my sentiments are otherwise. Recently there are a number of Rovers fans who follow the tide, i.e. be supportive of Allardyce when we string results together, and then go against him when things go bad. But for me, my loath for Big Sam has always been a constant. I personally still think he’s not making the right decisions in terms of team selection and man management, and I’m starting to irk at how he shifts the attention away from team selection problems when we lose, but credits his ‘gamble’ or foresight when we get a good run in. If I may compare, I think our squad is pretty similar to Everton at the moment, with a fair bit of experienced players, and a growing number of prospectful youths. But somehow, I think Everton is much better managed, and play the better football. Again I’m not going to totally discredit Big Sam, but I just don’t see us becoming a top 7 side again under Allardyce.

The ugly. So who’s left? Phil Brown, Roberto Mancini and Rafa Benitez. Brown should’ve been given the boot much earlier, as I fear it may be a little too late for Hull. The on pitch half-time team talk and end-of-season karaoke session will always leave a bad impression, but I would say he’s been somewhat uninspiring for the whole of this season and half of last. I would say that he has the strength of a squad comparable to quite a number of teams at the bottom, but the only difference is that he can’t get the best out of his players like the other managers can. And up till today, I’m starting to wonder why he wears that hands-free microphone. If it’s for communicating some tactics with someone from somewhere, it obviously has not worked, and it would probably serve better as a karaoke mic now.

Roberto Mancini has to say the least, accomplished nothing different from Mark Hughes. In fact, I think results have actually been worse since he took over, and his latest outburst at Moyes cements his frustrations. And it’s not just the results, even their style of play has not changed much. And if you ask me, the best thing he’s done is probably to loan Robinho out. But apart from that, Big Daddy’s (impatient owners) watching and the clock’s ticking away Roberto.

I just had to leave Rafa Benitez for the last. I’m seriously still scratching my head over why Juventus is so anxious to secure his services for next season, because I think he’s been the worst manager all season. Liverpool have way underperformed, and his constant denial and blame-shifting tactics are getting on everyone’s nerves, including Liverpool hardcore fans. It’s still hard to figure out why he’s using Aqualiani as a bench warmer, but the worsening temper of both Gerrard and Torres are clear signs of how the top players are getting frustrated with the club, and more so at how Rafa’s running things. It’s therefore of no surprise that Carragher has decided he may just ‘walk alone’ to another club, and I wouldn’t be surprise if Gerrard and Torres follows suit. And even if Rafa continues to say ‘they cannot afford to lose’, I think they’ll lose a couple more games and 4th spot will be all but a dream. And the only way to save this ‘sinking ship’? To hope that Juve tows this Spanish titanic away from the club.

Best When Served Hot

Just like food, blog entries are best when served hot. However more often than not, just when I want to pen these thoughts down, they seem to fizzle away right when I sit myself down in front of WordPress, rendering them into the lost oblivion. Take this week for example. So many things had happened and there were blogging tendencies aplenty, but school work, laziness and the sudden lost of writing inspirations resulted in my entries turning ‘cold’. Nonetheless, I shall attempt to do a week-in-review of these ‘cold dishes’ in one entry.

The two words which filled both small talk and tabloids around the country in the past week, Jack Neo. The news of his affair(s) came as quite a shocker, and despite the nature of the whole thing being terry-bly (pun intended) similar to other famous sportsmen around the world, Jack Neo’s one was closer to Singaporeans’ heart. Admist the whole saga, the one person which stood out was definitely Jack Neo’s wife, Ms Irene Kng. I think she showed tremendous strength and character, and the way she handled the whole matter was really admirable. Wendy Chong and Foyce Le Xuan on the other hand, have chosen to go down an unnecessary path which I think will bring them more shame then fame (if that is what they sought for). Well things will never be the same, for the Neo family, and for Singaporeans’ perception towards Jack Neo and his future productions. After all, one can forgive but will never forget. Then again, time will heal, and I truly hope things will get better for their family.

The Jack Neo saga also brought about much criticisms on the media, and how they handled the whole issue, especially during the press conference. They were reproached for unobjective reporting, for intruding into personal space, and for snapping away at Ms Kng when she collapsed. However, I personally do not see things as negatively as people make them out to be. Sure, you could question morality and ethical conciousness, but the media are just simply carrying out their jobs. The matter of fact is that despite how most of us sympathize with the situation, the public will always be hungry for juicy news stories and scandals, and the media is simply doing what they can to provide for these appetites. We can always leave objective analysis and viewpoints to the newpaper forums, commentary columns or blogs. But if the media reports about factual incidents, how can they really be blamed?

Scandals aside, on a personal note, it was also quite an ‘eventful’ week for me. It was strange how I blogged about graduation the week before last, and straight after that I received a number of phone calls, e-mails and snail mail through the week. These string of calls and mails somewhat laid the path for my post-graduation ‘plans and activities’. For one, the commencement letter reminded me that it was finally going to be my time to throw my mortar hat, something which I never thought was possible since my poly days. Events which involved the throwing of head-dress has always been special for me, during BMT passing-out parade and OCS commisioning parade, and alike those events, this will be another milestone event, and it’ll be another one I dedicate first of all to my parents.

My ‘over-seas’ trip after my final university examinations has also been confirmed. It has been almost 4 years, and I’m feeling rather apprehensive about the whole thing, albeit having a tinge of excitement about what is to come. Also, the whole matter of jobs and interviews surfaced again in the past week. Much has changed and happened since my last entry, and my already narrowed choices have been further scoped down. It’s been a week of hard thinking, and I’m quite sure about what I want now. The lesson learnt is that it is important for one to be true to himself/herself, to listen to what his/her heart says, and to follow his/her gut feelings. A light shines, and I’m hoping it shines till the end.

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

My previous three entries have been about soccer, so I thought it was high time I deviated from the talk about my favourite sport, to a pressing issue which I’ve deliberated about for a couple of years, but will actually only face in a couple of months. Graduation.

The lack of blog entries (complaining) about school for this final semester is not so much because school work has been a breeze – in fact the pressure’s much greater, but simply because I’ve chosen to view the matter of grades and CAP in a different light. It is after all my final semester, and I believe that seven whole semesters of constant grade striving and worrying is more than enough for anyone to take.

Those who know me well enough would know about my strong desire to graduate and step into the working world. You see, it has reached a point where I feel I’ve been studying for too long. Apart from a 2 year NS stint in between, it has been almost 14 semesters of assignments, deadlines and examinations – and not to mention nerve-wrecking wait for results. School had been fun, enjoyable and memorable in more ways than I could have imagined, and I’m certain I will one day look back to miss it dearly. But for now, there is a stronger urge to work; to earn my own living, to provide for my parents and to lessen their burdens, and to pave a career path for which I hope will be an exciting one.

I’ve spent quite a bit of my time and energy this semester planning for employment after graduation. I’ve already gone through a number of assessments and interviews in the past month, and as much as how I’ve held the ‘keep all options open’ mentality, I’ve narrowed my choices down to a few selected ones. Some are ranked higher than others in terms of preference, but ultimately each has its own merits, and much of it will still depend on whether the opportunity presents. I’ve gone for each interview with huge anticipation and exictement, and each time I have these mental images of what my future would hold if I were successful in my interviews. Yet after such thoughts, I will still be apprehensive about whether the jobs are really suited for me, and if they are really something I would want or prefer.

There’s also a common dilema of interest vs. renumeration vs. future progression. The usual advice is that interest is critical, but ask anyone out there in today’s pragmatic society, and its hard to touch your heart and say money does not matter. If you ask me, money is not the most important, but is still essential and definitely a big consideration. As for future opportunities and progression, I think it is definitely something to think about, but yet again one starts to wonder if it’s really necessary to think so far into the future. After all, there’s only so much one can plan for. I’ve never planned for entry into NUS, morever CNM, and it was only under fortunate circumstances and luck (and a momeny of folly turned blessing in disguise) which tided me to where I am today.

So to think of it, should I really plan so far ahead, or just head down the normal ‘just do what I have to do now, and let nature take its course’ road. As Forrest Gump says, ” Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get”.

Fortress Ewood

It’s been more than a month since my last update, as school work and pre-graduation commitments have kept me busy. The last two entries have been about Rovers, and I’ll keep to that trend with this entry, despite the fact that this personal blog is slowly becoming a Blackburn Rovers commentary space.

Rovers has been on the up in recent weeks, barring that dreadful performance at the Britannia Stadium. It’s been 4 wins 1 draw and 1 defeat in the last 6 games, with all 4 victories at home, keeping up Ewood Park’s status as a fortress. We are currently sitting comfortably at 12th in mid table, and although the relegation-survival number is 40, I would think we just need a couple more points to ensure safety this season. There’s even been talk of aiming for the Europa League, although I’ll hold that thought considering we still have many top table clubs to play in the remaining fixtures.

I spoke about the need for Big Sam to go in my last entry, and despite the recent good run, and his partial success in mixing around his dull 4-5-1s with 4-3-3s, I’ll still remain critical of him. But today I’ll focus the talk on the players instead of him.

The first in line, Keith Andrews. I was just reading an apology article from a fellow Rovers supporter for being too overtly critical about him, and I couldn’t agree more. I feel that Andrews has actually received much unnecessary flak of late, and I think much of it pretty much stems from the fact that he was a League 2 player brought into the Premiership ranks. I’ve however always been happy with his simple but committed style of play, and I personally thing he is the best (and only) contribution Paul Ince made to Rovers. Andrews played as an emergency center-back in our derby demolition of Bolton a couple of days back, and this exemplified his commitment to the club. He has already played in many different positions this season (including warming the bench), and never has he once disappointed us or whined. Sure, he lacks the creativity, and could do better to ensure his many attemps on goal reap better rewards, but what the club really needs is strong characters, and Andrews fits that bill. Some have compared him to Aaron Mokoena, but I say Andrews is far better. I’ve never been a fan of ‘the Axe’, and apart from Portsmouth’s financial troubles, I think he’s the next closest reason to Pompey’s eventual relegation this season. Yes, that’s how much I think of him.

The brightest star shining of late is none other than Nikola Kalinic. Big Sam’s real proud of this young chap, and I’m sure many Rovers fans share the same sentiments after his recent performances. He’s already bagged 7 goals this season, and although only 2 of them have come in the league, I’ve been more impressed with his hardwork and overall play rather than his goal scoring form. I still feel he would do better with a strike partner, but he’s shown how he can hold up play well in the 4-5-1 formation, and still chasing after balls after the 75th minute of play speaks pretty much about his work rate. I think he’s only going to get better, and wished that he featured much earlier for us this season. Big Sam claims that part of Kalinic’s success is due to the fact that he did not rush the young Croatian into playing too quickly, and this gave him time to develop and settle down. But truth be told, Kalinic could have already been ready since he came, and thus I wouldn’t give Big Sam too much credit for his ‘development programme’.

Most of the squad have been doing their job well, with the likes of Nelsen, Robbo, Givet, Nzonzi, Gamst and even Diouf, but the most promise comes from Olsson and Hoilett, as these youngsters have been the creative sparks for Blackburn’s less-than-inspiring style of play. The worry though is that recent track record clearly shows that promising players never remain long at Ewood, and I think they should be snapped up pretty soon by other clubs.

On the flipside, there have been quite a number of under-performances and disappointments. I think Chris Samba has been pretty shaky all season in defence, and he hasn’t quite used his height to contribute at the other end as well. His recent sending off speaks much about his season so far, and I would say he’s been lucky to only receive 1 red card this season as he’s been clumsy on several occasions.

Jason Roberts, to simply put, has been typical of himself. His missed chances had cost us a bag load of points last season, and the saving grace this season is that Kalinic has kept him on the bench. He’s still missing sitters (as he’s done most of his career), and although he came off the bench to score against the Trotters, he almost missed that mind you; it hit the keeper before going in. With only Kalinic, Roberts and Di Santo as our strikers, there’s only one I really fancy, and I think we need some new blood in that department.

No one can question the commitment, skill and vision of David Dunn, but he’s injury prone-ness has been a real concern. He shone brightly at the start of the season, even igniting a chance for an England call up, but recent injury (again) has kept him pretty quiet. As much as how he’s Blue and White through and true, I’d have to say that his injuries are becoming a huge liability for the club. Nothing anyone can really do, but we’d probably need to replace his bones with steel plates and muscles with cement to get the best out of our vice-captain.

Liverpool’s up next at Anfield, and considering how we’ve only chalked up 1 win and 3 draws away all season, I’m not expecting anything. And it doesn’t help that Nelsen’s recent injury has caused us huge defensive woes. But since we’ve managed to cast aside the pressure of relegation, I’m just hoping we’d emulate the form of recent games, and show a different side of our game in the remaining matches. A mid-table 10th position finish to the season shouldn’t be too much to ask for.

Time’s Up Big Sam

One may question my loyalty, but I was perhaps one of the happier Blackburn Rovers supporters after the 0-1 defeat to Villa in the Carling Cup semis. I was actually half hoping that we stumble, and the reason simply being that I wanted the pressure to mount on Sam Allardyce. At the start of the season, we emulated the form of our closest rivals Burnley; by winning at home, but faltering away from Ewood. However, the tide has turned and now home games are also turning to dull draws and disappointing defeats. It has since been 10 games without victory in all competitions, and it’s ironic how Big Sam mentioned that these 10 games were going to get better after a tough fixture list at the start of the season.

As a Rovers supporter in Singapore, I am usually reserved in my opinions about the team. This is because my thoughts are usually based on occasional televised Rovers matches, BPL highlights, football review shows, and online match reports. As such, I admit that I probably can’t see as big a picture as fans and analysts in Europe who watch almost every other match. However, my recent scour through the Internet for articles and reviews have affirmed that my sentiments are widely shared around the world. I wrote a comparison between Big Sam and Mark Hughes in my previous entry, and gave subtle hints about how things might have been (or be) better without Big Sam at the helm. But this time, the message is straight and clear. Sam Allardyce must go.

There was much anticipation in this January transfer window, hoping that Big Sam could spring a Bolton-like Jay-Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaeff move for Rovers. However, it turned out that players currently under his radar are either unheard of, or questionably past their prime. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that Rovers lack the financial muscle, but Big Sam’s constant mention of how he “cannot bring anyone in to improve things because no one is being sold” is simply frustrating. If we lack the ability to bring someone in, then shouldn’t he focus on re-working a plan to make the best of what he has? That is after all, what a good manager is suppose to do, isn’t it? Going on and on about unfavourable market conditions is simply not going to improve anything, and James Beattie cannot do a Stoke-like relegation saving antic every season. And mind you, with or without any replacements, we already have a decent pool of talent in the squad.

His obsession with finding replacements will also not go down well with the players’ morale. One can start to question his management and leadership abilities, and if his constant criticisms and axe-wielding methods are doing any good at all. If Big Sam sees them as a ‘motivating method’, then I would think that it backfired and resulted in players starting to lose some faith in their big man. I believe in the importance of leadership, and if your men are under-performing (especially after so many matches), then the one at the top should definitely reflect and take a fair share of blame.

Patience is also running dry with his direct long-ball and 4-5-1 strategy. No doubt we are known for our more physical and direct approach since Hughes’ time, but we had our fair share of beautiful football (and results) then. Now, things have turned really dour, and despite the fact that we have won more matches with at least 2-3 strikers up front, Big Sam will always revert back to his ‘style’. One can’t describe the frustrating feeling of watching his favourite team play ugly yet ineffective football.

This post-match interview by Big Sam was quoted in Soccernet. “We gave a spirited performance in the second half. What more can we do? Not a lot, but hopefully next time it will turn in our favour when we get a chance in front of goal.” It appears that Big Sam has learnt a thing or two from Rafa Benitez, trying to spice up the positives and going into semi-denial that things can only get better. We finally saw Rafa silenced after Liverpool’s FA Cup misery, and one can only wonder how long more it will take before Big Sam gets silenced.