Blackburn Rovers 2 - Aston Villa 0

53% possession? yeah right lol

I completely disagree - Downing was really good again. Our problem was Hogg and Ireland never touched the ball and if they did they gave it away. Such a light-weight midfield. Honestly Ireland needs to shape up, 0 tackles and he passed the ball instantly to avoid the tackle giving it away half the time. No time for someone like that.

I think the team and Houllier are heading decisively in the right direction. This could be the season I've been waiting for. A "transitional" season where we start to play proper football on the ground, making max advantage of out talented younsters would do me - but there is plenty of time to turn things round in the League and do better than that. We look with added punch up front as if we can challenge Lpool and Bolton for another 6th place finish - and this could then be the start of bigger things to come. Lets be clear, we were the better team in each of the last 3 away games and deserved more like 7 points rather than one. Throw in last weeks Villa Park robbery and we could be on the heels of the top 4 if the luck had run for us rather than against us. And that's before the benefits of further improvements from Gerard who massively impresses me. He is giving everyone a chance - but if you do not deliver you will not keep your place for long. He sees the game most fans see. Yes there are still downsides as to why we lost. Stupid free kicks unnecesarily given away continue - with Warnock a consistently guilty party. Gabby has not been seen enough for Houllier to judge and is been given his chance - but can only show that despite his undoubted plusses he adds to the team - being a clinical finisher is not one of them. The Fonz must get a proper run. He will deliver. He makes the right runs, he takes up the right positions - he just looks like a real striker to me. There is no one else and unless Gerard unearths someone in January he will be our best bet for this season - and certainly in my mind for the next half dozen games. Ireland needs to improve or he will be out. But so so many plusses. We are unlucky. We might easily lose to Arsenal next week, but should keep the faith. It will be followed by wins at the Sty and at home to the Albion , and we will press on from there. This is going to be a good season. We are going to progress. We are going to entertain. Well played Villa, we are on the right tracks.

I can't be so optimistic when I see us lose to sucker punches (free kicks, set plays) time and time again in the dying minutes of a half or a game. Warnock and Luke Young are guilty, so is Albrighton (twice recently) and if the manager doesn't sort that aspect out we don't have much hope. The other thing is our very poor record of scoring from our own set plays. Collins gets the occasional head to a ball but Dunne rarely does. We pump balls in the air time and time again for what? Certainly Downing is best on the left but he can play well on both wings with the right support. Ash Young is best in the middle of the play as he's our most creative player. But sort out our defence and give away goals please!

I'm a Rovers fan, at the game today.. can't say we deserved the 2-0 but I think a 1-0 would have been fair.. you look good on the break, but when we sat back and let you play in front of us, you couldnt do much.. the size of our players compared to yours meant we took most of your crosses easily enough... Downing was quite good on the right I thought.. your CM let you down.. not physical enough for ours.. Someone in the mold of Mikel from chelsea, or Alex Song from Arsenal would be needed I think!

all you o'neill haters are fools,think utd play good ball every game,last season very unlucky not to win a cup apart from a bad ref,great counter attack football under o'neill wish he was still here;[o'neill] i dont want to sell are best players,[board] no we need to money;[o'neill]grand go ***** yourselfs,class act.