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Andrews has Premier class, says Blackburn Rovers boss
9:53am Thursday 6th November 2008
Comments (25)
ROVERS boss Paul Ince believes Keith Andrews has always had Premier League potential and predicts the midfielder’s best is yet to come.
The former MK Dons man struck a 25-yard last-gasp equaliser in Saturday’s thrilling 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns – with Ince insisting Andrews’ impact has been no surprise.
The 28-year-old’s arrival at Ewood from League One in August raised a few eyebrows, with many questioning his ability to make the step up from football’s lower leagues.
But, after a spell adjusting to the pace of the Premier League, the Irishman has started to repay Ince’s faith, with starring roles against both Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion.
Andrews is likely to retain his slot in the heart of Rovers’ midfield for Sunday’s visit of Premier League title chasers Chelsea, alongside fellow new boy Vince Grella, and Ince is confident the Rovers faithful ‘ain’t seen nothing yet’.
Ince said: “Keith has been different class. I just felt we had to introduce him to the Premiership slowly.
“You have to adjust to the pace, it is a hectic league, it is a lot quicker than League One and Two and you have seen signs the last couple of games that he is starting to find his feet and show what a very good player he is.
“If you left your job and had to go and do some reporting in Italy it would take you time to adjust. We never had any doubt Keith would be an asset at this level.
“But there is more to come from the lad. I know him well and would not have brought him to the club if I didn’t think he would improve the squad.”
As well as finally realising his top-flight dream, Andrews’ Premier League elevation has re-ignited his international aspirations.
Just two months into his Rovers adventure he made his debut for Republic of Ireland B, and was quickly called into the senior squad for the World Cup qualifier against Cyprus a week later.
Having dropped down into League Two with MK Dons only in 2006, many would have written of his chances of playing for his country - but Ince insists it was only a matter of time.
He said: “Keith has done nothing wrong and is in the Republic of Ireland squad, which should have happened two years ago.
“Its funny how suddenly when he comes here he gets in it, when he was playing so well for MK Dons he never got near it.
“It just shows what a fantastic player he is and will be.”
Your Say YourBlackburn Citizen
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
10:20am Thu 6 Nov 08
Miller11, Mellor says...
10:43am Thu 6 Nov 08
Last week you were moaning on and on about how Andrews would never score.... then he does, and lo and behold... he isn't creating chances!
I don't know what it has to do with anything, but Coventry put 4 past us.... maybe you had turned the radio off by that point.
Andrews was one of our best players against Villa, and without him we would have lost to West Brom.
Paul Ince, the ex England captain and footballing reject..... ok mate.
Tugay plays so deep now (due to the fact he is 38) he doesn't get forward and create chances.
Lets be honest, andrews could score a hat-trick against Chelsea, then go in goal and save a penalty, and you'd still slag him off, because your a pr*ck!
Try going to watch a game you kn*b-head!
Ps. Learn how to string a sentance together!
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
11:13am Thu 6 Nov 08
mshaw28, says...
11:15am Thu 6 Nov 08
He fits perfectly into the Rovers team, i went to watch Rovers play against Villa and he looked very comfortable on the ball and he can make a challenge.
Re - 5 yard passes, clearly you havent been watching many Rovers games this season as Ince has tried to get us playing in little triangles, 1 touch football.
If you want to see long passes, i suggest when Allardyce becomes a manager again, start supporting his team. I'd rather pass it 5 yards to a Rovers player than try playing long balls only to be cut out by the opposition.
Re: Tugs
When playing away from home, the last thing you need is someone like Tugay starting. He has no pace and is cr*p at tackling. This doesnt work when your expecting the home team to come out of the blacks quickly.
Come on Rovers - Unfortunately im going for a loss this weekend. I hate to admit it.
Rovers 1 - Chelksi 2
Please Rovers - prove me wrong
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
11:23am Thu 6 Nov 08
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
11:30am Thu 6 Nov 08
THE GAME HE PLAYED IN AWAY FROM HOME WE WON COMFORTABLY ..show me a game we have even created a chance with Andrews making that chance it wont happen..
Miller11, Mellor says...
11:36am Thu 6 Nov 08
We got beaten 4-1 off Coventry, you moron.
"only rejects play in lower divisions before reaching 30" - absolutely ridiculous statement.
You know absolutely nothing about football. How many games have you been to in your life?
You are thick. Your arguments are complete nonesense, not to mention barely understandable.
msrx6mas, Landan says...
11:44am Thu 6 Nov 08
I'm not optimistic of getting anything this w/e. Thats in contrast to previous seasons when we were all confident Rovers would raise their game for the big boys.
Hope Keith gets all his autographs tho, bless....
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
11:47am Thu 6 Nov 08
Tricky, Poulton-le-Fylde says...
11:52am Thu 6 Nov 08
Coulsdon Dave, says...
11:53am Thu 6 Nov 08
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
12:00pm Thu 6 Nov 08
Tricky wrote:so what dont you understand or is the english language too difficult for you?
Oz the Man if I could understand anything you were saying perhaps I could comment. Anybody who has to call themselves a man must be a clown.
Miller11, Mellor says...
12:10pm Thu 6 Nov 08
OZTHEMAN wrote:Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!
Tricky wrote: Oz the Man if I could understand anything you were saying perhaps I could comment. Anybody who has to call themselves a man must be a clown.so what dont you understand or is the english language too difficult for you?
Miller11, Mellor says...
12:10pm Thu 6 Nov 08
OZTHEMAN wrote:Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!
Tricky wrote: Oz the Man if I could understand anything you were saying perhaps I could comment. Anybody who has to call themselves a man must be a clown.so what dont you understand or is the english language too difficult for you?
Finger Bang, Blackburn says...
12:32pm Thu 6 Nov 08
OZTHEMAN wrote:"without the likes of you he would be told few things"
yes you are right miller,cut the foul language NOW..we lost 4-1 and I forgot the Bolton game as well, thats 3 points out of 15.. carry on defending a waste of space..without the likes of you he would be told few things..I HAVE HAD A SEASON TICKET FOR 8 YEARS SO PLEASE KEEP YOUR FOUL LANGUAGE OUT,I also pray with my boys in the Blackburn end prayer room..
What are you on about you negative tool?
coxy2462, Chesterfield says...
1:01pm Thu 6 Nov 08
RoverDownSouth, Ipswich says...
1:14pm Thu 6 Nov 08
Look at these comments from football365:
Blackburn have shipped more than twice as many goals as this time last season, giving them the very worst defensive record in the Premier League. And like West Ham, they get more vulnerable as the game progresses, with only the Hammers having a worse second-half record.
That of course adds up to points thrown away, with seven points being lost from winning positions - most notably against Aston Villa, but also against Hull and West Brom.
Defence should be our number one priority at the moment, not talking about somen journeyman midfielder! Basically it is sh*t! Samba and Nelsen are not working. Give Andre & Zurab a go.
Tricky, Poulton-le-Fylde says...
2:26pm Thu 6 Nov 08
2)"This doesnt work when your expecting the home team to come out of the blacks quickly." What are blacks in this context?
3)"Macalister" - who did he play for?
4)"INCE just because he watched a reject like you do nothing from the bench whilst we played in europe" I don't think many people would refer to Ince as a reject.
5)"so this reject can score a fluky goal" - fluky??!!! Did you even see the bl**dy goal?
6)"only rejects play in lower divisions before reaching 30" - no idea what you're talking about here.
Andrews may not be the best player in the team but as RoverDownSouth says that is not where the problems lie - the defence is a shambles. More to the point it wasn't that good last season. The difference between now and then is that Big Brad isn't there to paper over the cracks.
Trev Manchester, Manchester says...
2:28pm Thu 6 Nov 08
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
2:31pm Thu 6 Nov 08
coxy2462 wrote:YES WE COULD NOT SCORE AGAINST FULHAM UNTIL HE WAS TAKEN OFF.. IT WAS THEN HE WAS REPLACED BY VILLENUVA THEN WE SCORED 8 MINUTES TO GO IF I REMEMBER RIGHTLY..
OZTHEMAN Andrews was on the winning side against Fulham, remember we won 1-0. I went to the Villa game and Andrews was one of are best players, all the papers gave him 8 and rated him are best player. As for his goal against west brom, that was no fluke he took his time and picked a corner like a true goal scorer. I haven't seen enough of him to form a proper opinion but from what i have seen he looks promising. Give the guy a brake
coxy2462, Chesterfield says...
3:04pm Thu 6 Nov 08
OZTHEMAN wrote:Yeah your right but i don't think it was his fault we couldn't score. I think villenuva would've changed the game whoever he replaced. Like i said before i haven't made my mind up about him yet but i really don't think he deserves the negative comments. not sayin your wrong, its just my opinion.
coxy2462 wrote: OZTHEMAN Andrews was on the winning side against Fulham, remember we won 1-0. I went to the Villa game and Andrews was one of are best players, all the papers gave him 8 and rated him are best player. As for his goal against west brom, that was no fluke he took his time and picked a corner like a true goal scorer. I haven't seen enough of him to form a proper opinion but from what i have seen he looks promising. Give the guy a brakeYES WE COULD NOT SCORE AGAINST FULHAM UNTIL HE WAS TAKEN OFF.. IT WAS THEN HE WAS REPLACED BY VILLENUVA THEN WE SCORED 8 MINUTES TO GO IF I REMEMBER RIGHTLY..
bed and breakfast man !, dewsbury says...
3:10pm Thu 6 Nov 08
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
3:15pm Thu 6 Nov 08
Tricky wrote:1 UGLY CHAMPIOSHIP LEAGUE..lol
1)UCL - what does that mean? 2)"This doesnt work when your expecting the home team to come out of the blacks quickly." What are blacks in this context? 3)"Macalister" - who did he play for? 4)"INCE just because he watched a reject like you do nothing from the bench whilst we played in europe" I don't think many people would refer to Ince as a reject. 5)"so this reject can score a fluky goal" - fluky??!!! Did you even see the bl**dy goal? 6)"only rejects play in lower divisions before reaching 30" - no idea what you're talking about here. Andrews may not be the best player in the team but as RoverDownSouth says that is not where the problems lie - the defence is a shambles. More to the point it wasn't that good last season. The difference between now and then is that Big Brad isn't there to paper over the cracks.
2 This was Mshaw's comment about Tugay..and my answer returned..
3 Gary Macalister played for Leeds Coventry and Liverpool all in the premiership and OLD FIRST DIVISION.At 35 Liverpool bought him and he played for 2 seasons there, 55 games for the reds..
4 I didnt rate him that highly,(personal)yes he was good but he did run away when the going got tough,and at 30 moving to Wolves in the lower division isnt excatly a player the great football world demanded..and after his first season what did he achieve for himself or Wolves?Yes Andrews did get to wach him in practise and on the bench..lol
5 which rovers fan hasnt seen the goal?brom let him run thinking this donkey cant shoot straight it was a good shot but worst thing to happen to us we gained a point,he has become a superstar..without speed passing or real tackling ability..
6 Ince was not exatly old?unwanted by Liverpool and UTD and many other premiership teams..but he thinks he is a god of football he was far from it..
we didnt concede a goal aginst Bolton yet it will be a first in our history to play them and not have a shot on target,Boro was not convincing and neither was the Villa game..why did we give away so much possesion in the second half,radio lancs thinks that he played well because they are still thinking he is a 2nd division player he has to be judged in the league he is playing in.
A Darener, Darwen says...
11:22am Fri 7 Nov 08
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Burger, kenilworth says...
9:59am Thu 6 Nov 08