Blackburn 0 West Ham Utd 1 (09/12/07)

[I am law]

Much as I otherwise rate their strike force, there might be some bonus to our playing them in the cold and rain of a Lancashire December evening.

[Romford]

Anybody know where to park?

Isn't hard mate...plenty of car parks nearby for peanuts

Thanks for that. First trip up there for me this Sunday

Boozer right next to the away end if thats your thing...always seems to be raining so prepare yourself. Most of us are staying in Blackpool the night before for the fight so you will probably see a lot of hungover bods

[Bobby Moore is innocent]

not confident for this one. 2-0 blackburn

green
neill gabbidon upson mccartney
solano bowyer mullins parker boa morte
cole

You are Lawro and I claim my five pounds!

[Eric_The_Hammer]

although Cuntly is out, they are still a very though team to beat away,with great players like MGP,Mc'carthy, Samba,Emerton etc. so we should keep our humbleness and not let our hopes so high so early. a draw would be nice.

I reckon the starting line-up should'nt include key players that should be rested IMO for the match on wednesday at upton park,as the QF is much more important for us.

[rendog2]

Aren't people forgetting it's one of our real bogey grounds?

It aint so bad, had a couple of tonkings there, but not much beats winning there on penalties in the Cup one year. Won there 3 times at least in my lifetime, we have far worse bogey grounds IMO.

True - I think I have that 7-1 eternally etched on my memory as one of our biggest humiliations in recent years...

[Singaporeiron]

We will sneak a win, 2-1 I recon. Defend like we did last week no problems, we will counter better and score

Green
Neill, Gabs, Upson, Linda
Mullins
Solano Parker Matty
LBM
Cole

Wright
Ashton
Freddy
Collins
Bowyer

[Denby]

Wheres the matchday drinking at then?

Myself and a mates first game this season, and the first time we've both been to Blackburn away.
Trains are such a faff, and we have to get on buses and all sorts of rubbish!

I expect we'll be very merry when we get there, but clearly need to top up once there... any advice?

[CentenaryLower87]

Who's in charge of the lazer pen this week then?

[CentenaryUpperHammer]

Can see it a real tight game and they will wanna get one over us because of the fortunate decisions last year. However, if we play like we did against Chelsea and hit them on the countrer im sure we could nick a cheeky goal or 2! Hopefully Neill will have a blinder which will get on their tits even more and the goals will come from Solano and Cole

[ozz]

It aint so bad, had a couple of tonkings there, but not much beats winning there on penalties in the Cup one year. Won there 3 times at least in my lifetime, we have far worse bogey grounds IMO.
True - I think I have that 7-1 eternally etched on my memory as one of our biggest humiliations in recent years...

Last time we met on a Sunday on telly...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2001/10/14/sfgbla15.xml

Just for you travelers on Sunday...drink in the Fernhurst just outside the away end (Darwen End)-dedicated away pub, big enough too.

Bentley and Nelsen suspended.

Parking cheap by London standards, but sparse-try the school up the road towards the M65 . Watch out for Permit Only on side streets, plenty of them I'm afraid.

Don't by fooled by the 0-4 tonking Villa gave us, we honestly battered them even with ten men. They had four shots, scored all four and the last two were clearly offside. You know it's not your day when Marlon Harewood comes on and scores

And don't forget the following chants please.

"Your support is ****ing ****"

"Boooooo" (Savage)

"Your support is ****ing ****"

And

"Your support is ****ing ****"

Never heard these before...would be highly amusing!

And if you enjoy the same amount of spawny jam as last season, you should win 8-0 you scabby twonks!

See you Sunday, Ozz.

[ButterflyBoy]

Just discovered from the O/S that CC is on 4 yellow cards. If he picks up another one (against Blackburn) he'll be suspended for the Carling cup game against Everton. So might be best to rest him in favour of ???

[Kismet]

Just discovered from the O/S that CC is on 4 yellow cards. If he picks up another one (against Blackburn) he'll be suspended for the Carling cup game against Everton. So might be best to rest him in favour of ???

Blimey, well Camara I guess. He's cup tied for the Everton game anyway.

Wouldn't like to see Cole dropped though.

[clarke]

Anybody know where to park?

Isn't hard mate...plenty of car parks nearby for peanuts

Thanks for that. First trip up there for me this Sunday

Boozer right next to the away end if thats your thing...always seems to be raining so prepare yourself. Most of us are staying in Blackpool the night before for the fight so you will probably see a lot of hungover bods

Cheers for the heads up.
Definately my kinda thing, so will have a look for this one.

Enjoy your night in Blackpool

[Hammer Smith]

Team news....

Blackburn midfielder David Bentley serves a one game suspension after collecting five bookings this season. Defender Ryan Nelsen is also absent as he completes his ban for his red card against Aston Villa on 28 November.
West Ham's Mark Noble is pushing for a return to the squad after undergoing a hernia operation. Lee Bowyer is rated "touch and go" after the same surgery. Dean Ashton and Freddie Ljungberg could start after their appearances off the bench against Chelsea last weekend.

Blackburn (from): Friedel, Emerton, Ooijer, Samba, Warnock, Tugay, Mokoena, Reid, Dunn, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy, Roberts, Brown, Savage, Berner, Derbyshire, Khizanishvili, Treacy.

West Ham (from): Green, McCarthy, Gabiddon, Upson, Neill, Etherington, Boa Morte, Parker, Mullins, Noble, Solano, Ljungberg, Cole, Ashton, Wright, Spector, Collins.

[leeo272]

http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php?showtopic=17848

When you cut through all the predictable, uneducated, thoughtless stuff about last season, they're surprisingly not that confident.

I'll take a draw at 5/2.

[Mad Professor]

I hope we mop the pitch with those fools

Can't see it. Aren't people forgetting it's one of our real bogey grounds? THen again we won their rather luckily last season so anything's possible.

We might need to mop the boggy pitch! This game is going to played in swamp conditions the way it is raining and we will need fully fit players without any suspect groins or twitchy knees to battle it out. Should impact on team selection.

[Heysel76]

The upside of having a ground too big to fill, is tickets available at the door for tomorrows match.
I love the idea that i could still decide to just turn up, like it used to be.
Maybe, with everybody building huge grounds, there will be a bit more of this in the future?
I REALLY hope so!

[devonshire flu]

From football365:

NEILL BLASTS `CHILDISH` ROVERS FANS


West Ham captain Lucas Neill accused the Blackburn boo-boys of being ungrateful and "childish" ahead of his return to Ewood Park on Sunday.

Neill joined the Hammers last January after six years at Blackburn and received an angry reception on his first trip back last season.

The tough Australian defender stood accused of chasing the money after swapping Blackburn's push for UEFA Cup football for West Ham's battle against relegation.

Neill expects to run the gauntlet again - but insists he could not have given any more to the Blackburn cause.

"I felt I had been at the club as long as I could be at the club and given them the best I could give them. I needed the change, wherever it was, to sharpen myself up," said Neill.

"I was too comfortable in my surroundings and I didn't want to get stale and I didn't want to put in performances that were just average or mediocre.

"I needed to go and give myself a new challenge and new people to impress and new team-mates to get myself stimulated again.

"That is why I was disappointed with the reception I got from Blackburn because I had given them six years, missing just four games a year for six years and never missing a day's training.

"I led the team in the last part of the season before I left and tried to do it to the best of my ability and I helped get them into Europe.

"I never came out in the press and said anything bad - and then to be booed for furthering my career was a little bit childish."

West Ham's victory at Ewood Park last year kick-started their dramatic survival campaign and Neill is determined to quieten his critics with a repeat performance.

"I had the last laugh that day and I am sure it will be the same again," said Neill.

"Apart from Chelsea last week I think this will be our hardest game to date. It is a compliment to Mark Hughes and his staff that when you play Blackburn you know you have been in a game because they always top the stats in stamina and sprints.

"There will be no greater pleasure than matching them for their work rate and taking the spoils."

It was Neill's tough, competitive attitude that attracted Alan Curbishley as he looked to inject experience and leadership into a struggling West Ham side last January.

"Lucas came to us and he immediately had an impact. I saw him as an ideal captain," said Curbishley.

"The biggest disappointment Lucas had was his reaction from the Blackburn fans. He gave great service to that club - but that is football and I am sure he will get a similar reaction this weekend."

Despite needing a change of scenery, Neill still holds Hughes in the highest regard and believes he is the ideal candidate to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

"The hardest decision was leaving what is a really, really good set-up. Mark was always trying to improve you as a person and a player," said Neill.

"Mark Hughes can take credit for the kind of character he helped me become, he made me a better professional and I was prepared for anything when I left.

"We had a good heart to heart the day I was leaving and he gave me his blessing.

"Now here I am today leading what I feel is a very big club, pound for pound a much bigger club than Blackburn, and Mark Hughes can take credit for that.

"I am not surprised how well Mark Hughes is doing, and the players, and I am sure, if it is not at Blackburn, he will go on to be very successful.

"He has experienced the best there is in Europe - with Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea and international football - and he has taken the best out of them and made his own style of management.

"Because he knows what it is to be successful he has made his footprint and he has everybody striving to achieve it.

"Mark Hughes has the potential to coach Manchester United. It is endless what he can do because he gets his message across and does it in such a professional way."

[Bobby Orangeboom]

"I am not surprised how well Mark Hughes is doing, and the players, and I am sure, if it is not at Blackburn, he will go on to be very successful.

Stir it up Lucas...

[BedworthHammer]

Just getting in car to go got a good feeling about today.CC to score 1st goal .Still a good trek for me being half way up the country