TEAM NEWS: King and Best start for Blackburn Rovers

1:29pm Sunday 10th March 2013 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Andy Cryer, Blackburn Rovers reporter

LEON Best will make his Blackburn Rovers full debut in this afternoon's FA Cup quarter final at Millwall - with Wembley awaiting the winners.

The powerful striker starts in attack alongside Jordan Rhodes, having missed the season so far with a cruciate ligament injury, while Josh King also makes a surprise return from injury.

Morten Gamst Pedersen partners Jason Lowe in the centre of midfield, with King on the left and David Bentley returning to the side on the right.

Markus Olsson continues at left back, with Scott Dann and Grant Hanley in the centre of defence and Adam Henley at right back.

Midfielder Danny Murphy has again been left out of the squad after a series of poor performances, while Daviud Dunn returns to the bench.

ROVERS: Jake Kean, Adam Henley, Scott Dann, Grant Hanley, Markus Olsson, David Bentley, Jason Lowe, Morten Gamst Pedersen, Josh King, Leon Best, Jordan Rhiodes

SUBS: Greg Sandomierski, Bradley Orr, Gael Givet, David Dunn, Nuno Gomes, Karim Rekik, David Goodwillie

MILLWALL: David Forde, Alan Dunne, Danny Shittu, Liam Trotter, Rob Hulse, Shane Lowry, Mark Beevers, Chris Taylor, Andy Keogh, Jack Smith, Dany N'Guessan

SUBS: Maik Taylor, John Marquis, Liam Feeney, Adam Smith, Jimmy Abdou, Karleigh Osborne, George Saville

Comments(45)

willhelmrover98 says...
1:34pm Sun 10 Mar 13

great to see King Best playing, and even better to see Dunny on the bench! Got himself fit again for the Dingle Derby!

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1952 rover says...
1:40pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Now don't let us down please.

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stefjam says...
2:18pm Sun 10 Mar 13

15 mins & i'm bored & disgusted at our pathetic display!! the most overpaid inept squad we have ever had!

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stefjam says...
2:28pm Sun 10 Mar 13

wish we got a goal for every time we kick it out of play from dead balls !!! bloody awful !!!!

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passingfootball says...
2:43pm Sun 10 Mar 13

need to string 5 passes together without giving it away, whats the point of lumping it long and getting nowhere, not even a shot at goal yet

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Xander_ says...
2:49pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Watching this makes me glad I can't make it to many games. Where is the tactics? It seems to me the only thing we want to do is hoof the ball up to Rhodes or Best as soon as we get it, and we can't even do that! Absolutely awful!!

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stefjam says...
2:52pm Sun 10 Mar 13

I agree, MA & the tactic of playing hoofball & missing out the supposedly talented wide men has created not a single chance !!! Glad I have not paid to watch these 2 awful teams. They have shitu, but we are shitttter !!!

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Iiii1111 says...
2:53pm Sun 10 Mar 13

stefjam wrote:
15 mins & i'm bored & disgusted at our pathetic display!! the most overpaid inept squad we have ever had!
My friend it's not any better after 45 mins.........profess
ional footballers that can't pass a football.

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sean_brfc says...
2:53pm Sun 10 Mar 13

stefjam wrote:
I agree, MA & the tactic of playing hoofball & missing out the supposedly talented wide men has created not a single chance !!! Glad I have not paid to watch these 2 awful teams. They have shitu, but we are shitttter !!!
A bit harsh on Millwall.

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Baldly goes says...
2:54pm Sun 10 Mar 13

It's like a Sunday league thrash.

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Angry From Accrington says...
2:54pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Appleton does talk a lot of sense though by all accounts.

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bornindarwenliveinnottm says...
2:55pm Sun 10 Mar 13

What a shower of ****. I'm thinking of coming out of retirement and turning up at Brockall next week because these players are shocking. Pedersen just needs to hang his boots up, Lowe needs to be moved to full back again, Bentley needs to think of something else to do as he can't play football anymore, marcus olson is a joke and wouldn't get in at any other league club in this country and did King actually touch the ball then. I'm glad I'm an armchair fan as I couldn't watch this week in week out. I think I might make a start on the tea.......

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passingfootball says...
2:58pm Sun 10 Mar 13

it would be better if we had an extra body between the striker and midfield, the forwards havent even had scraps to feed off, been out of the game most of the time the players behind them are so eager to get the ball to the front men that they couldnt care less how it will reach them, there needs to be quality, be comfortable in posession and be prepared to wait until the right opportunity comes along, so the striker can do someting after he's got the ball,

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A Darener says...
3:00pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Two up front but they never get the ball!
What on earth has happened to Bentley! Not even a shadow of his old self. No interest strolling around mouthing off and fouling when ever ball is near him. Dann magnificent.

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Wellsy11 says...
3:00pm Sun 10 Mar 13

I understand what MA is trying to do, but is it me, or are just getting shi**er by the weeks!!??
We are still woeful in centre midfield, if only Dunn could "find" some fitness, he and jones would help things. Pederson & Lowe is a shocking cm, but other than murphy, what choice has he got?

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moh says...
3:01pm Sun 10 Mar 13

passingfootball wrote:
need to string 5 passes together without giving it away, whats the point of lumping it long and getting nowhere, not even a shot at goal yet
No Murphy and not one string of passes in midfield. Pederson, Bentley, Lowe very ineffective. Worst than Murphy.

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A Darener says...
3:01pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Doesn't look like Murphy will play again. Dann new captain.

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Iiii1111 says...
3:02pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Only chance is to take Best off and play one up front with an extra midfielder.....still think we'll be carp though.

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Wellsy11 says...
3:02pm Sun 10 Mar 13

I hope MA is spending every minute of every day trying to get a central midfielder!!

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fishcake 75 says...
3:02pm Sun 10 Mar 13

I cannot believe how inept we are, all that is happening is rovers playing hoof ball what is the point of having a midfield with two wingers and not using them millwall are there for the taking if we press them and get behind them awful display so far

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JPainter90 says...
3:02pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Shocking performance so far. You wouldn't think a game at Wembley was at stake. No passion.

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CheltRover says...
3:04pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Look on the bright side, we are still in it. We need a vast improvement second half though and can only see us winning if we score first

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moh says...
3:05pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Wellsy11 wrote:
I understand what MA is trying to do, but is it me, or are just getting shi**er by the weeks!!??
We are still woeful in centre midfield, if only Dunn could "find" some fitness, he and jones would help things. Pederson & Lowe is a shocking cm, but other than murphy, what choice has he got?
MA is not a surprise, many on these boards said when he was appointed that he is a draw specialist and his philosophy is to defend, defend and get a lucky goal at other end. Only Shaw could not see it.

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moh says...
3:05pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Angry From Accrington wrote:
Appleton does talk a lot of sense though by all accounts.
so did Kean!

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Wellsy11 says...
3:08pm Sun 10 Mar 13

moh wrote:
Angry From Accrington wrote:
Appleton does talk a lot of sense though by all accounts.
so did Kean!
Kean just spouted total bulls**t!!!
At least MA talks the talk....
Not sure venkys will let him walk the walk though....

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stefjam says...
3:10pm Sun 10 Mar 13

a shot at last !! over !!! wow i thought Orr did OK, the people slagging the wide men off, how can they do anything when the defenders & keeper keep hoofing it long all the time !?!?!

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rover-till-dudp says...
3:10pm Sun 10 Mar 13

I have just witnessed the most disgraceful first half display of football from a Rovers team ever. I thought the big boot SA tactics were long gone. Sorry MA, you have simply got it wrong, you are not going to win many Rovers fans over with that kind of display.

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Wellsy11 says...
3:11pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Dunn on for eeee-Orr!!!

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Wellsy11 says...
3:12pm Sun 10 Mar 13

He was only on the pitch 20 mins, lol!!!!

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Wellsy11 says...
3:16pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Sorry 12 minutes!!!!

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stefjam says...
3:17pm Sun 10 Mar 13

it is now laughably bad !

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merlinrabbit says...
3:17pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Wellsy11 wrote:
I understand what MA is trying to do, but is it me, or are just getting shi**er by the weeks!!??
We are still woeful in centre midfield, if only Dunn could "find" some fitness, he and jones would help things. Pederson & Lowe is a shocking cm, but other than murphy, what choice has he got?
We are getting worse by the weeks. Appleton is as tactically clueless as Kean was. Shocking game. Burnley will have a field day

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Wellsy11 says...
3:22pm Sun 10 Mar 13

8 shots to an out of form millwall, 3 to us!!!
Just doesn't get better, even Danny shittu had three of them!!!

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merlinrabbit says...
3:25pm Sun 10 Mar 13

If you are going to openly show your displeasure with an experienced footballer like Murphy, take the captaincy off him and leave him out of the squad when other options are cuptied, you have to have a plan B. Appleton clearly hasn't. Murphy has been awful but is this a better performance without him?

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Wellsy11 says...
3:27pm Sun 10 Mar 13

At the moment they are all ****!!!

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Wellsy11 says...
3:30pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Now 11 shots to 3, cue their late winner, again!!

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moh says...
3:33pm Sun 10 Mar 13

merlinrabbit wrote:
If you are going to openly show your displeasure with an experienced footballer like Murphy, take the captaincy off him and leave him out of the squad when other options are cuptied, you have to have a plan B. Appleton clearly hasn't. Murphy has been awful but is this a better performance without him?
Murphy would at least pass a few good balls, Bentley and Pederson should not even be on bench never mind playing. Good to see Rhodes and Best giving all. .

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merlinrabbit says...
3:47pm Sun 10 Mar 13

moh wrote:
merlinrabbit wrote:
If you are going to openly show your displeasure with an experienced footballer like Murphy, take the captaincy off him and leave him out of the squad when other options are cuptied, you have to have a plan B. Appleton clearly hasn't. Murphy has been awful but is this a better performance without him?
Murphy would at least pass a few good balls, Bentley and Pederson should not even be on bench never mind playing. Good to see Rhodes and Best giving all. .
They can't give their all in that set up with those tactics though. If I were Rhodes I'd feel I'd wasted a season at rovers

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merlinrabbit says...
3:48pm Sun 10 Mar 13

stefjam wrote:
15 mins & i'm bored & disgusted at our pathetic display!! the most overpaid inept squad we have ever had!
And the 2nd most useless manager. Waiting for late goal now to lose game

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stefjam says...
3:57pm Sun 10 Mar 13

dire from both sides, don't think I'll bother wasting another 2 hrs of my life watching the replay! that was very shitttttuuu !

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Jarrod Schulz Bearded Wonder says...
3:59pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Job done, get them back to ewood and by the time they get here you will see a more coherent unit of players. Some of these players have only played together twice. When they get more used to eachothers positioning it will be a different side. Scott Dann and Hanley were immense today. Good to see Dunny back and my how we have missed the supertankers turns in the shipping lane. Its looking a more solid unit now. It will only get better from here on in, unless we get another batch of imjuries. Bentley was poor today but he is still getting used to it. On the up.

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Xander_ says...
4:00pm Sun 10 Mar 13

moh wrote:
merlinrabbit wrote:
If you are going to openly show your displeasure with an experienced footballer like Murphy, take the captaincy off him and leave him out of the squad when other options are cuptied, you have to have a plan B. Appleton clearly hasn't. Murphy has been awful but is this a better performance without him?
Murphy would at least pass a few good balls, Bentley and Pederson should not even be on bench never mind playing. Good to see Rhodes and Best giving all. .
Sorry but disagree on Best. Don't think he did anything at all. He didn't even drop back or chase the ball to win it back. Same with Bentley (who is shocking) and King. Neither of them looked interested. I hope we stay up this season.

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A Darener says...
4:03pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Second half vast improvement. Still no goals against in cup run. Well done lads, finish them off on Wednesday. Terrible display but good result.

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handyamBRFC says...
11:58pm Sun 10 Mar 13

the reason in my opinion why we are so 's.....' in the championship is we don't have the midfield to cope with championship pressures.

Championship football is a different ball game and actually in my opinion prem. players don't necessarily make good championship players.

We need a complete midfield.
x 3 /4 players
The only way we can stand up and be counted in the championship is if we have the right physically strong players.
strong, physical, box to box ..etc..
but also we need hard as nails humans,
we need fighting dogs of war,
we need lion heart warriors,
we need the Battys,
we need snarling Sounesses
we need bad boys who will rip chunks out of opposition and shred them to bits.

we need the championship to be scared of BRFC because at the moment everyone knows how soft BRFC are especially in the midfield areas.

Very...very pooor

which impacts greatly on the poor defense giving them extra pressure making them look even worse
and the strikers who get few if any chances because of no link up play from midfield.

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MatthewCA says...
10:28am Mon 11 Mar 13

Bentley's ball control and linkup play need to improve, lots of time he is out of control. quality is there, but performance is lacking........

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