Blackburn Rovers blog: Villa tie was just another Groundhog Day (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Blackburn Rovers blog: Villa tie was just another Groundhog Day

10:55am Wednesday 2nd February 2011 in John Myles By John Myles, Blackburn Rovers fan columnist

A deja-vu weekend if ever there was one. Rovers lose 3-1 to Villa in the FA Cup just like last year; Roque suffers an injury; Andy Murray fails at the final hurdle yet again, and Manchester United come from behind to eventually triumph.

It’s like Groundhog Day.

So it’s another season of not so sweet FA for Rovers and if we draw Villa away next year in either cup competition we should demand a re-draw.

I must admit the early kick-off caught me completely unawares.

Since I was out and about I decided to check the score on my phone at what I imagined would be the half hour mark only to find that we’d already lost.

It wasn’t quite as bad as my experience many seasons ago of turning on the radio when I was about five minutes from Boundary Park in my clapped out Beetle to hear that we’d already been beaten 3-0 by Oldham.

It seems from their first half showing that the Rovers players were also taken by surprise by the early afternoon start.

We don’t even have the consolation of seeing the headline I was desperately hoping for: “Burnley Go For a Burton”.

At least we have tonight’s game against Spurs who suffered an even worse cup exit at the hands of Fulham to look forward to.

This is one fixture look forward to more than most and we’ve had some good recent tussels with Tottenham. I think we will all be satisfied whatever the result with another positive and attacking performance, where we at least give it our best shot and pressure them from the start and high up the pitch as we did against Liverpool.

Due to print deadlines I’m unable to report on yesterday’s last ditch transfer activity involving Rovers. I can only hope we have signed at least one quality player and that we have retained Chris Samba.

Life certainly hasn’t been boring since Venky’s took over with rumours abounding that we are in for this Brazilian, or that Argentinian.

The reality, however, has been much less sensational, and bar any final day marquee signings, the position will be very much as I predicted a few weeks ago, namely lots of big talk but little actual spending action.

Perhaps our new owners are sensibly biding their time knowing that the January window is a notoriously overpriced time to buy, but equally it may be a pattern we will ultimately have to get used to.

Our dealings so far seem to resemble a subtle version of the game of chicken, where we enquire or even bid for numerous players but have no real intention of actually signing them.

Certainly our pursuit of both Ronaldhino and David Beckham served to reinforce a belief that Rovers were ultimately courting publicity rather than the players.

Sorry to talk chickens again. I know we are all saturated with fowl puns. I’m just a bit worried that if the Spurs fans as they sometimes do bring along a cockerel and a Rovers fan again tries to sneak in a chicken, the entertainment could be X-rated.

In a week where sexism in football is all the talk lets hope Rovers strike a blow for the female of the species!