My Neck Hurts...

... and it's in no small part because of the game of 'hoofball' that went down at Ewood Park earlier today. I understand completely that Blackburn are fighting for their premier league lives, and good luck to them (more local derbies, northern dominant league and all that jazz), but the way we got dragged into their game was a little disappointing.

The bells of change rung out before the kick-off and we saw Bogdan come in to replace Jussi, who had been really quiet impressive during our last outing at Fulham so why the change came now I really can't say. Gardner, Cohen, Taylor and Rodrigo made up the midfield and when I say midfield, I mean the part of the team that spent the most time starring up into the clear, blue Lancashire skies. Rodrigo showed us all exactly why it was that he hadn't featured more this season and the only thing worse than his performance was the fact that nearly all of the people around me where calling him "Mourinho"! *

Wheater was playing at right back in the absence of Steinsson, and to be fair to him it was clearly an uncomfortable position for him, but he too was less than convincing. As for the goal, the aforementioned Mourinho gave it away cheaply around our box and the make shift defence just sort of stood off Olsen and give him an invitation to shoot, which he took... and scored.

We then spent the rest of the match looking devoid of inspiration or craft, no Sturridge to help us out this time. Davies always fails to perform against Rovers and once again he lacked control, finesse and all the other qualities that he possessed earlier in the season that meant he earned his first call up for the national squad months previously. In short, Blackburn were scrapping tooth and nail for the chance (nay, the privilege) to play us again next season, we just looked like we didn't want to break a tooth or nail so close to jetting off for the summer holidays. I fear that our season will now just fizzle out as it so often does.

There were (as Sammy Lee would say) 'positives', Ricardo Gardner for example. Although we all know by now that the centre of the pitch is not the place that does him justice, it was nice to see him back and playing for us again... oh, that's about it for the positives. Bogdan looked pretty accomplished too I suppose.

Man of the match? Well, actually I'm going to give this to Taylor. I was thinking about this earlier and of all the fringe players that have been shut out of the squad over the season, non have shown more determination to fight for a place than Matty, and seeing as the rest were sub par today, he picks up my acclaim.

*Not quiet as bad as the last time I was at Ewood Park and the guy in front of me spent the entire game screaming at a certain "John Elmander" to shift his lazy so and so.