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McCarthy warns Premier rivals: We're back!
12:40pm Monday 22nd December 2008
Comments (34)
BENNI McCarthy has warned the Premier League the old Blackburn Rovers are back after helping new boss Sam Allardyce end his 11-month exile in style.
The South African striker bagged a brace as Rovers ended their 11-match winless streak with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Stoke before hailing Allardyce for restoring the smiles at Ewood.
McCarthy, making his 100th appearance for Rovers, only started because of Roque Santa Cruz's late calf injury but grabbed his chance to inspire an explosive start to the Allardyce era.
Jason Roberts' opportunistic strike sandwiched McCarthy's goals as Rovers raced into a 3-0 lead on 27 minutes to breathe fresh life into their Premier League survival hopes.
Rovers remain second from bottom in the table, but having built their reputation in recent years on being tough to beat , McCarthy believes the old mentality has finally returned.
He said: “It was clear how we have to play, how the game should be played and we were back doing things we used to do in previous years.
“Things we did under Mark Hughes and things we forgot how to do. We forgot what it was like to win games.
“Once you do that, it's really hard to get a win under your belt.
“Today a new manager came in, he wanted to get that feeling and faith back again. Everyone went out and put their shirt on and said they would sweat blood.”
McCarthy's double helped Rovers to only their second home win of the season and, with crucial games ahead, the striker emphasised the importance of enjoying themselves once again.
He said: “For the last 10 or 11 games we didn't know what it was like to win. It was a fantastic day and getting to the dressing room everyone had big smiles on their faces.
“We got a fantastic victory and hopefully now we can build on it and look forward to getting ourselves out of the big mess we find ourselves in.
“The crowd got behind us and it was fantastic. After everything they are still supporting us. It was a great ride today and I'm just happy we could get the three points.”
Allardyce hailed McCarthy's “top class” performance and insisted every player starts his era with a clean slate.
After a prolific start to life in Lancashire the South African has flattered to deceive over the past 12 months but Allardyce knows it is the future that matters.
“Benni is a wonderful talent and he showed that today,” he said. “I hope I can continue to drag that amount of quality out of him from now until the end of the season.
“If he can get to repeat what he did in his first year here, that would be wonderful.
“I don't know about his condition at the start of the season that is all in the past as far as I am concerned.
“I haven't known him that long, I will just have to find out over time. Like every footballer, he wants to play football. But like every manager, I want him to play to his best standard. If that is the case, we won't have any problems.”
Your Say YourBlackburn Citizen
Robbie, Manchester says...
1:06pm Mon 22 Dec 08
we did play well, but we must play better
keep the faith
hazy, bury says...
1:35pm Mon 22 Dec 08
ossy rover, oswaldtwistle says...
1:40pm Mon 22 Dec 08
that apart why MH and PI both tried making Benni a link player is beyond me, Benni does his best work in and around the box, not chasing shadows on our side of the half way line.
hopefully big sam will leave benni as our furthest forward guy and have whoever is his partner playing the deeper role and doing all the hard running.
keep the faith
chaostheory, Blackburn says...
1:46pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Roberts is also quality we just need to find out where he left his shooting boots!.
MGP looked a different player as well looks like big Sam will drag out of em what we all know they are capable of.
3 from next two games I can live with 4 good 6 excellent.
up the blues
De La Rosa, Blackburn says...
1:52pm Mon 22 Dec 08
they compliment each other perfect... roberts was electric, the powerhouse, full of pace and scaring the holy hell out of players and then you have benni, who has the finesse and skill to finish and create...
benni was constantly just flickin the ball on to roberts on saturday, then benni was gettin forward to provide support... similar to cole n yorke in their hayday i thought...
As for benni being unfit, well, i thought he ran his socks off on saturday...and didnt really constitute being subbed...but when we have quality like matty d on the bench its hard to ignore!
allardyce may bring boring football, but i think weve got the creativity in the players we have not to be like bolton, i think big sam knows this and he knows if he gets confidence back that we had under hughes, he can instil an iron like strength in our defence while allowing creativity and attacking quality to be created from our widemen and strikers...
our season has finally started!
Rovers til' i die
mkrover, MK says...
2:24pm Mon 22 Dec 08
As for Santa Cruz, let's wait and see whether he actually leaves - big Sam might be able to persuade him to stay and he is much better playing for us than he is Man shiity!!
Emperor_Of_Enlightenment, Andalasia says...
2:38pm Mon 22 Dec 08
See Neil Warnock expects to lose his young kids in Jan, don't know if we'd be in with a proper shout or not, but Victor Moses is one hell of a talent (reminds me of Rooney re: physical strength, pace and power and has a rasping shot) but Villa may have jumped the gun and nabbed Bellers!!
BOOO HUMBUG VILLA!! LOL
Boris The Spider, London says...
2:39pm Mon 22 Dec 08
the great blue and white kiwi, kerikeri, NZ says...
2:46pm Mon 22 Dec 08
roque, roque whats all this talk, any more from you and you'll have to walk.
us rovers fans like loyality you see, not like souness,hughes and even bellamy.
three points on saturday was worth its weight in gold, we dont need roque, so please get him sold.
benni and roberts are a good partnership, i guess, given time for them to gel, they could be the next SAS.{shearer&Sutton}
come on rovers, lets aim for three points more, bring more teams down to ewood, and let them here the ewood roar!
BIG FAT SAMS BARMY ARMY!!!!!!!
the great blue and white kiwi, kerikeri, NZ says...
2:50pm Mon 22 Dec 08
roque, roque whats all this talk, any more from you and you'll have to walk.
us rovers fans like loyality you see, not like souness,hughes and even bellamy.
three points on saturday was worth its weight in gold, we dont need roque, so please get him sold.
benni and roberts are a good partnership, i guess, given time for them to gel, they could be the next SAS.{shearer&Sutton}
come on rovers, lets aim for three points more, bring more teams down to ewood, and let them hear the ewood roar!
BIG FAT SAMS BARMY ARMY!!!!!!!
IanB Northern Rover, says...
3:26pm Mon 22 Dec 08
mike55, london says...
3:41pm Mon 22 Dec 08
With Benni his game seems to me to be 90% mental. If it is positive, Rovers will fly.
OZTHEMAN, PRESTON says...
3:46pm Mon 22 Dec 08
mkrover wrote:if Hughes get sacked before christmas then Santa will do a Benni..but I agree he is class and we should do our utmost to keep world class players..if he stays I think we have yet to see the best of him..which he will try to do to prove the city board wrong..RYKARD for city..
Benni is a quality player but also the laziest and currently out of shape, if BFS can get him to shed a few pounds and recreate his sharpness in and around the box he will score goals for us and we will climb the league. As for Santa Cruz, let's wait and see whether he actually leaves - big Sam might be able to persuade him to stay and he is much better playing for us than he is Man shiity!!
bed and breakfast man !, dewsbury says...
3:52pm Mon 22 Dec 08
eddie the eagle, chorley says...
4:56pm Mon 22 Dec 08
darwen white, darwen says...
5:32pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bburn says...
6:25pm Mon 22 Dec 08
darwen white wrote:Now stop being bitter Darwen white. Just heard Kevin Nolan will be a Roverite by January along with your keeper and Ricardo!! Get ready for Big Sam to raid your little club, take the best and leave you with the rest! Never mind, you have that tactical ginger genius at the helm to continue to guide you forward! Bet we finish above your little side this season matey!!
WERE BACK, Yer right, Next to bottom, 1 point in front of West Brom, 4 points from safety. 1 win against a very poor Stoke side who gifted you 2 goals, your in trouble , face it. If Benni Mccarthy thinks differently then he must be as thick as he looks.
darwen white, darwen says...
7:13pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Does being bitter make you LOL at the 6 fingered dingles
Emperor_Of_Enlightenment, Andalasia says...
7:29pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Nolan i'm not sure about. Would prefer Jimmy Bullard, more of a goal scorer and a bigger influence in the dressing room.
onlyonesimongarner, ewood says...
8:10pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Hughes will be history and Mourinho will want Ibrahimovic
Maybe we wil get 10 million from Arsenal
MJ Rover, Blackburn says...
8:23pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Emperor_Of_EnlightenI would be unhappy if we bought Jussi to replace Robinson. It has been the defence to blame for most of the goals we've conceded this year. If the defence plays more like they did on Saturday and less like they have most of the rest of the season, we'll be fine. Also, Jussi is several years older than Robbo and it would be a bad move for us to go for him.
ment wrote:
Have to say i wouldn't be unhappy if Jussi came in to replace Robbo, he's a more consistent goalie. Nolan i'm not sure about. Would prefer Jimmy Bullard, more of a goal scorer and a bigger influence in the dressing room.
As for Bullard being 'more of a goal scorer' - I think he just scored his 2nd goal of the season on Saturday didn't he? Hardly prolific. Having said that, I do think he's a decent player though I think if he's available in January, there will be alot of competition for him, which might price us out of it.
As for Saturday, good to see us take our chances (finally!) and put in a good performance from start to finish. Of course, it is important that we build on Saturday's result over the Christmas period and if we do, we could find ourselves out of the bottom three in the New Year.
kidderstreet, says...
9:02pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Will Benni Mac score 12+ ?
JR will tip in with his usual 7-10 (But his work rate justifies his place).
Matty D. How many??
SO, RSC What is the future?
BUT, unless we do what we did on Sat (CLEAN SHEET) it all counts for nowt.
darwen white, darwen says...
9:05pm Mon 22 Dec 08
kidderstreet, says...
9:10pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Nice to see JR say on Sky Sports that we looked like a "proper team" again.
kidderstreet, says...
9:13pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Unless you sad Mancs know something we don't?
RAyzer, BURNLEY says...
9:16pm Mon 22 Dec 08
kidderstreet, says...
9:19pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Supersonic jet heeled icon of the modern age!!!
Bristol to Yaarkshure in less than four hours??
And your point is??
bed and breakfast man !, dewsbury says...
9:41pm Mon 22 Dec 08
RAyzer wrote:RAyzer,have you just got back,from the bristol game?,i bet your thirsty,straight down your local bar...GUYS AS DOLLS... ha ha...i hear your a regular in there...
were back!!lol..1 win against stoke...santa crud said a month ago,we can still make europe!!!clowns
kidderstreet, says...
9:50pm Mon 22 Dec 08
What happens when Nolan goes?
Answer: BFS=Success
If anybody wonders why, Nolan scores goals from midfield in the PREMIERSHIP.
Dunny & Nolan, with Tugs to take over, + Vogel as well. Still got Reidy as well (but for how long with his injuries?)
One wide player and maybe somebody for the back line, then it might not be so bleak this midwinter.
darwen white, darwen says...
10:06pm Mon 22 Dec 08
kidderstreet, says...
11:46pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Nolan not scored since BFS left?
Better playing for a team going somewhere rather than just waiting to fail?
Morst the 88th min Heartbreaker, Accrington says...
6:47am Tue 23 Dec 08
bed and breakfast man ! wrote:Hey GAyzer - thought you had gone into hiding!
RAyzer wrote:RAyzer,have you just got back,from the bristol game?,i bet your thirsty,straight down your local bar...GUYS AS DOLLS... ha ha...i hear your a regular in there...
were back!!lol..1 win against stoke...santa crud said a month ago,we can still make europe!!!clowns
30 YEARS AND COUNTING!
darwen white, darwen says...
3:42pm Tue 23 Dec 08
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steroidchris, stourbridge says...
1:06pm Mon 22 Dec 08
Simon Thomas then said that he assumed that Winterburn had nohing to do with the team that won on saturday? **** right he had nothing to do with it. You could also assume that he had nothing to do with any other team previous. JW please get in touch with this idiot NOW and tell him to jog on and try and further his career in talking about THE Arsenal. Maybe he could get his typewriter out and write a book about them? Sec word is base-help maybe this is what winterburn needs?