Well Paid Warriors – Stoke City 1-0 Blackburn Rovers

As the minutes ticked by at the Bet 365, and the rain cascaded down in monumental volumes, my mind was drawn to an utterance frequently levelled at our ball kicking heroes.

‘Footballers are overpaid prima donnas’. 

Although this statement may have some degree of truth when argued in an educated manner, it never felt less appropriate than yesterday afternoon at the Best 365.

What I witnessed in the second half of Stoke City v Blackburn Rovers, in conditions most wouldn’t survive a trip to the local shop in, was an epic slog to defend football’s most valuable commodity, three points. This potential three points at stake for Stoke was founded on two factors, an early goal, and their ability to defend it. 

The early goal transpired to be Stoke’s solitary attempt on target, when Nick Powell headed home Morgan Fox’s left wing cross. Powell punished the Blackburn defence, which had midfielder Bradley Johnson deputizing in the centre back position in the absence of Williams and Ayala. 

Rovers came closest to equalizing when right back Nyambe crossed, and left back Douglas struck a low shot against the post. The ball flew back, and not even the lightning fast Adam Armstrong had reflexes sharp enough to convert the rebound.

Half time came and went and Armstrong’s clearest sight of goal for the day resulted in Stoke keeper Bursik saving with his face. We knew then that attack against defence was going to be the pattern for the remaining 40 minutes.

Blackburn boss Mowbray threw on Downing, Butterworth, and Dolan. Rovers deployed a new shape that, as both sides became more entrenched in their task, looked something like a 2-1-7 formation!

With 20 minutes left, the playing conditions almost made the ‘could he do it on a cold Tuesday in Stoke?’ seem a sensible take. The final minutes of the game resembled one of the battle scenes from Game Of Thrones, the wind and rain was unrelenting, and Stoke defended their territory under an endless siege of Rovers attacks. 

For all their possession, attacking full backs, and the much feared Elliott and Armstrong, Rovers didn’t quite have enough to get that precious equalizer, and the more passive Potters prevailed.

For Stoke, whilst there are more attractive sides in the Championship, none would choose to face them in the play-off semis, least of all with Stoke defending a lead, and the second leg at the Bet 365.

For Blackburn, there’s an understandable sense of frustration, that despite their attacking prowess, a lack of consistency has them currently adrift of a play-off spot.

This wasn’t an end to end flowing masterpiece, it was a war of attrition. Stoke won it, but both sets of players fought hard in ghastly conditions. Yes, the players pocket a nice sum, but in this epic slog of a match with no adoring audience, it was ‘well paid warriors’, rather than ‘overpaid prima donnas’.

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