Lone striker works for us, says Blackburn Rovers stand-in boss (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lone striker works for us, says Blackburn Rovers stand-in boss

9:25am Monday 30th November 2009

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NEIL McDonald has stressed Blackburn Rovers have earned the majority of their points this season playing just one up front after Saturday’s Ewood Park bore draw.

Rovers’ assistant boss, in charge in the continued absence of Sam Allardyce, was quick to defend the decision to revert to playing Franco Di Santo as a lone striker – despite supporters’ complaints of a lack of ambition after the 0-0 draw with Stoke.

Allardyce, who returned home yesterday after surgery, picked the side, with Jason Roberts unfortunate to be dropped to the substitutes’ bench due to a change of formation.

Since the introduction of Roberts and Benni McCarthy swung the game in Rovers’ favour against Portsmouth, Allardyce has fielded two strikers in the last two games, but opted to give David Dunn a more advanced role this time round.

McDonald said: “Over the season so far, we have picked up 13 points and that is the formation we have played so the manager wanted to go with that.

“We have got the majority of our points that way, we wanted to get David Dunn further forward.

"We have picked up another point at home, which is excellent. Three points would obviously have been better.

“It is a blow that Dunn went off, because he had been in form in but we have taken him off and we will assess him over the weekend to see how he is.”

McDonald, while disappointed at his side’s lack of invention, was delighted to see Rovers keep their second clean sheet in three games.

At times this season, Rovers have been guilty of losing concentration at crucial times but stayed solid as they continued their impress run of results at Ewood Park.

McDonald said: “We were disappointed the way we defended against Fulham and we were really pleased with how we did against Bolton and we have had that same kind of performance ton Saturday.

"We have kept a clean sheet as well which is great but you need to score goals as well to win games.

“I would give Stoke credit. They are a very hard team to break down, they have two banks of four, are well organised, are a big bunch of lads as well.

“We have created a couple of chances and we almost finished it towards the end with a header from Chris Samba.

"We have broke them down, their keeper has made a few good saves, which is what he is paid to do.”

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French Rover, Brossac France says...
10:51am Mon 30 Nov 09

Fair do's to Mac for trying to justify the one up front strategy, and I have to acknowledge that we have won points when we used it BUT I reckon we would have won those points anyway, and won them earlier in the game and done so with more attacking and entertaining football if we had played TUF in those same games. Its rubbish really to try and justify the rubbish one up strategy as it immediately allows the other team the chance to play - as we dont put them under the same pressure as TUF would do. We have the players to go two up front and put more pressure on the opposition and play a more attractive, attacking and rewarding style of play. Time the Rovers management stopped trying to defend the 'indefensible' one-up front at home strategy! I can accept it 'away' at Chelsea maybe or Man Utd but not at 'home' and to Stoke!