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The Rowett Rollercoaster
The Rowett Revolution became the Rowett Rollercoaster as Blues recovered a 2-0 half-time deficit to beat EvoStik Premier League Blyth Spartans 3-2 and secure their progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup. A first goal in 18 games for Lee Novak along with a brace from Wes Thomas in six second-half minutes shattered dreams of a big cup upset for Blyth.
I will admit I was cursing Blues at 3:45 yesterday afternoon; ten changes had seemingly shattered the rhythm of the side and (from the highlights at least) it looked like some of the fringe players involved had struggled to show why they should be given a run in the first team. And yet, within fifteen minutes of the restart Blues had taken the lead and looked like they would add more against what the commentators were saying was a rapidly tiring Blyth side – once again showing that people on social media and messageboards (including me) should have more faith in the team and Rowett.
As much as Blyth are a long way below Blues in the football pyramid, I think this represented a unique test for Rowett and again showcased why I think he could be a huge success for us. At 2-0 down at half time the temptation to bring on two or three subs must have been huge but Rowett stuck with it, confident the eleven players he had sent out in the first half could turn it around. Even at 3-2 Rowett only brought on Koby Arthur, giving players like Callum Reilly, Guy Moussi and Lee Novak (who have all had limited spells off the bench in the league) a chance to show the boss their chops over ninety minutes.
I think it’s inevitable Blues are going to move players on in this window and I think this match may have crystallised one or two decisions. As much as I know we probably need to sell one or two to trim the deadwood I hope we can also move out some of the younger players on loan – neither Will Packwood nor Reece Brown were in the eighteen man squad and I think both need first team action if they are to continue developing as players. I think Blues have a decision to make about trying to move on Jonathan Spector or Neal Eardley and I think if Blues can do a deal with Spurs Grant Hall may well be sent back too.
Guy Moussi’s contract as another fortnight to run and Rowett will need to decide if the Frenchman has shown enough to be kept until the end of the season. I’ve not seen enough of Moussi to really say one way or another if I think we should keep him – I wouldn’t be surprised either way.
This week also sees one other D-Day for someone with the postponed BIH AGM taking place on Tuesday. It’s easily possible that everyone will be voted back onto the board by the shareholders but with all the shenanigans going on around BIH in the last fortnight and the rumours and counter-rumours that have flown I wouldn’t like to predict which way things will go – my only hope is whatever happens it means BIH (and by extension Blues) can move forwards.
Tags: Blyth Spartans, Gary Rowett, Guy Moussi, Jonathan Spector, Neal Eardley
61 Responses to “The Rowett Rollercoaster”
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Though we fought back well and won the game there’s only Thomas and maybe zigic if he gets more game time who have any chance of making the first eleven, we were crap first half and ok second half and that’s about right from what I saw and I was there.. Same eleven next week against Wigan with Thomas and zigic on the bench.. The rest , available for transfer as far as ime concerned . Kro
How did Duffy play? Worth keeping or send him on his way?
Sorry Dave, just seen your response on an earlier thread – thanks for this!
He done ok,but he’s been injured a long time and like a few others yesterday probably wasn’t match fit. I’d hold on for now.Eardley,Hancox and a few others wasted their chance yesterday and should be moved on.
surely you still want Morrison to stay in the squad or did you forget he was
the one player to keep his place
Of course i want him to stay and,no,i didn’t forget he’d kept his place.
Need to move on a few players send them to Clarke I think
Dan, what time of day in the UK will we know what happened in h.k. My big fear is that pp1 gets back on the board, then it is bye bye pp2 and we start paying, from club funds, the over inflated charges associated with pp1 again. I am not overly a fan of pp2, he is after all still BIHL, but he is massively prefered to the other gentleman, who if involved would instigate Gray’s sale to ensure he gets paid.
Think a few need moving on really perhaps Clarke will want them
ive been a fan of blyes since yhe age of nine year old and i have to say birmingham city never do things the easy way yesterday proved that but and this is no way slagging lee clark off but i somehow fink the result would of been diff if he was still ther but wd blues on result great comeback
Their two goals were shocking defending, infact we didn’t defend, both non league goals, our three goals particularly Thomas’s first were non league, the game may have ‘captured the imagination of the fa cup’ but the quality was p*ss poor, hopefully this will also put to bed all the crap we have to read about how great the giraffe is, that side that played yesterday needs to be given away in January, it was dreadful
Zigic was one of the very few that came out with any credit yesterday. Along with Thomas and Novak.
Spot on Lee.
Our defending was reminiscent of some Sunday Pub games I have watched.
Putting aside the histrionics of “The romance of the FA Cup,” the quality of football from us was very poor.
G
Tbh,i was surprised we went in 2 down. You’re right it was piss poor defending and there is no excuse for their goals. We had looked dangerous first half when we got the ball wide,but neither Keeper had a lot to do really. First 15 minutes of the 2nd half,we just blitzed them and they fell apart straight after our 1st goal. I will accept rustiness and lack of game time,but some players let themselves down and should be got rid of.
To be fair that was the first time that group of players had played together in a competitive match on a really poor pitch. The obvious ones to move on permanently for me are Lee and Spector. I doubt whether Rowett really wanted to risk Morrison but says it all about how much he rates Packwood and Hall.
Thanks to the Oystons’ shenanigans I think Clarkey has even cash to to play with than Gary.
Blackpool started the Season with just eight senior professionals!!
Thought it was nice of blues to give the vile fans a bit of excitement yesterday as there own team is like watching paint dry, at 2-0 I had about 15 txt message in the space of 5min. Funnily enough I had no reply’s from 4:15.
Ultimately I think we take the win a run, yesterday was never going to be a day where the team got credit from the press box & everybody in the whole country were Blythe supporters, if we had won 7-0 people would have said so u should, if we had lost then the result would have gone down in history, so lets be glad we got the WIN! With Wigan (H) & Leeds (A) two very winnable games & with some good transfer activity we could be looking at an exciting 3 1/2 months to the end of the season! KRO
Hi all happy new year to all
Let’s hope Tuesday brings some positive
News for all.
I’m struck by the parallels between this season and the 1990 – 91 season, for those of old enough to remember.
To summarise for the younger fans, BCFC board clash with fans (in particular the popular “Tired & Weary” fanzine), over deeply unpopular Membership scheme (you had to have a bit of plastic to verify you were “ok” which was swiped at the Turnstile before you were admitted).
On the pitch, a Blues team, supposedly of promotion potential were floundering, under a manager (Dave McKay) who clearly didn’t have a clue how to get the best of his players. Blues were also skint and have no choice but to flood the team with promising youth players. Much bitching from either side in local media, and we even had a big donkey upfront in John Gayle!
Eventually MCkay gets the push, and a new manager (Lou Macari) transforms both performances on the pitch and the team’s fortunes, as the Blues go on a storming cup run in the Leyland DAF which eventually leads to our first trip to Wembley in 38 years and a peice of Silverware, even if it is a realtively meaningless Cup.
I’m dreaming I know, but let’s hope history repeats itself completely and Rowett can take us to Wembley next May (but not dump us for Stoke City in the summer!)
Pills please Nurse….
Richard,remember it like it was last week and I agree,Macari’s impact and our plights were very similar. I was at wembley when the “big donkey up front” scored the winner. Probably the best Blues goal I ever had the privilege to witness in the flesh.
Donkeys don’t score goals like that
Richard I hope that’s were the similarities end. Subsequent to the Cup triumph the Board upset Macari.
Lou walked out and eventually pitched up at Stoke City.
The rest as they say is “Hoy, Hoy,Hoy, Delila.
Nick Townsend recalled from Lincoln, so maybe someone wants to cash in on Randolph??!!
Certainly looks to be a bit of a pre-curser to us loosing a keeper alright.
Or else Doyle picked up a minor knock against Blyth!
Doyle tripped over a cabbage on blythes allotment
Who do we want in tomorrows draw? Its a difficult one. Every round you reach in the FA Cup represents decent prize money. So maybe a home draw v Cambridge or Arsenal away.
Apparently £90,000 if you win in the 4th round.
That great! How many nights of ‘entertainment expenses’ would this represent for Pannu?
Blackpool at home :-)
That would be perfect. I wasn’t a fan of LC to say the least but just for this afternoon I am rooting for him.
Unfortunately, The Vile scored in the last few min’s to get a lucky 1-0, win,!!.
Whtts happened since GR Has been here really is astonishing, to think there were people and plenty of them here who blamed everything on the owners and off field problems for our lamentable performance under Clark.
That has now been shown to be rubbish once and for all, it was Clark together with his two comic sidekicks who were solely to blame for our plight.
Let us be grateful that the Greek bared us the gift of Rowett
What a difference to hear GR at the post maatch interviews. With GR its not how he says it but the detail in what he says. He doesnt say the players gave their all when we were crap, he openly states that certain players may have just earned their P45’s, whilat others have a lot to do to convince him they have a long term future at the club. And all with a good dose of humour!
I would like Rochdale at home in the 4th Round. The reason being that when we won the Carling Cup in 2010/11 we had luck in the draws.
All ties up to the 2 legged Semi Final were at home against inferior teams. They were Rochdale, 2nd Round, MK Dons, 3rd Round, Brentford,4th Round and AV in the Quarter Final.
“Inferior teams at home” … “AV in the quarter finals”
Hahaha – brilliant :)
Just a thought. I hope the absence of nearly all the 1st team players wasn’t so they weren’t cup-tied, when the vultures come circling during the January Window. Listened to the commentary on Blues Player and there were numerous comments about the terrible state of the pitch. It’s no wonder we were dragged down to their standard as it was impossible to play our usual style. Had we been at home, I think Blyth would never have been in it, but hey that’s the fun of the FA Cup!
Wasn’t the pitch at Blackpool abysmal too, we didn’t perform well there either
Any rumours on any signings anyone ?
I must admit that I wasn’t impressed at all with the 10 changes & wasn’t surprised at the 1st half non-performance. I think it’s unfair on the fringe players being asked to impress in a team of strangers against a team used to playing together & used to winning, albeit at a low level. Let’s face it these fringe players don’t even play together in competitive reserve games.
Still perhaps GR possesses that vital ingredient of successful managers, ie a lucky manager. Bit like Brucie when he took over from TF. Very impressed with GR so far, so I’m not complaining.
Hill field I agree, best goal I ever saw watching Blues and his first goal was a corker as well!
Watched it earlier on YouTube. Great memories. Any of you younger kids out there who haven’t seen it have a look. Carling cup it wasn’t but still a great day for the club!
Sorry,were talking about John Gayles overhead kick when we win the Auto Windscreen cup back in 1990.
Apologies again,it was the Leyland Daf cup.
And it was 1991 not 1990.
I was there. Was’nt that the one where Paul Tait took off his shirt after scoring t to reveal a certain T shirt with a certain infamous motto?
I remember the post match interview from John Gayle on live TV when he was asked how he felt. “Fukin’ tremendous” was JG’s response! I still have that match on VHS, show how old I am.
Oh no,I give up!!
No that was 1995 auto windowscreens. Tait scored the winner. I was there.
coming back to the blyth game…..GR can count himself a very very lucky man indeed…..10 changes what was he thinking?? it certainly could have blown up in his face if blyth had scored that third goal before half time……imo we would have certainly not come back from that….. he obviously likes riding by the skin of his pants….imo he nearly lost that match, and would have been very embarrassing indeed.
Mark, we did ride our luck in that first half but lets not forget we could have been 2- 0 up before they scored and rowett was right to make so many changes because the squad players needed game time because many of them have hardly played in the ten games under rowett so again at half time after a firm talking to they got the job done and our second team got us through to the 4th round…. There’s not been many shocks except propably Norwich and forest going out so lets be thankfully for that and look forward to the draw come 7 pm tonight and a easy home game or a nice easy day out away, the money clubs can wait till at least 5th round but I would love a cup run because I am from that era when the FA cup was everything so bring it on!!! Kro
Dave I am happy with the result in the end…..but IMO GR took a massive gamble in changing 10 players……on another day may be if we were beaten possibly by them 3-0 or 2-0…..there would been reflection on the amount of changes he made.. of course fringe players should get ago that goes without saying… imo gary should have maybe kept faith with a core amount of players…..will see if this cost us in the next match, or we find out soon enough if our rhythm been broken……kro
Agreed Dave,i certainly didn’t see those goals coming before half time. I thought we would go in 0-0 at HT,GR would have words and we would win the game. When the score is 2-0 then the third goal is massive for whoever gets it. You could see them wilt once we got one back. Mark,say what you like but we shouldn’t have been worried by that team selection. Man for Man we had the better team and if we had lost,it would have been the players fault,not the managers,as you yourself have said many times.
sorry it would have been GR FAULT not the players, lucky for him that third goal for blyth never happened!!! my point was he made far too many changes??and got lucky…you can see it how you like..
If Pav gets voted out who else is as interested as he was in the Blues within BIH
Not taking anything away from GR…he has “the football brain” i think, but LC built those players..with no cash………Morrison for captain next season when Robbo may step down……KRO
LC might have built those players, but it takes a Rowett to win with em!
Built them into what ? An unresponsive team playing without confidence,quality and belief. Rowett has installed all of this and he is responsible for building these players into the TEAM they are now.
Just been reading the comments on Saturday’s game. No one seems to have pointed out that Packwood is injuries. Also with today events clear why Hall not included. On another point Townsend been recalled because not playing for Lincoln first team.
Morrison made masive difference who bought him in
Rowett