Blackburn Rovers.

To anyone who had been fortunate enough to have witnessed the silky skills of Arsenal’s 7-0 annihilation of Middlesbrough, the spectacle of Blackburn Rovers’ clash with Bolton Wanderers must have seemed like the product of another galaxy.

It was a contest as grim, harsh and forbidding as the industrial landscape in which it was set, a catalogue of tackles which at times became so fierce and intense that even Robbie Savage forgot to feign injury. And with football firmly relegated to the undercard, it was somehow appropriate that Sky entrusted the commentary to Ian Darke, who for some unaccountable reason has been transported from the side of a boxing ring, where he showed considerable expertise, to the world of football, in which his inadequacy is ruthlessly exposed in remarks like “The chess match continues.”

In truth, this encounter was just about as far from a chess match as football can get – an unforgiving physical struggle in which referee Mike Riley, with his slim frame and gawky run looking for all the world like an apprentice scoutmaster, was hopelessly miscast as the arbiter of justice.

In stark contrast, the technical area was patrolled by two grim faced managers whose appearance and demeanour crystallised what was happening in front of them - Mark Hughes, thin lipped and inwardly seething, and the huge, intimidating figure of Sam Allardyce, mouth gaping wide, chewing-gum seemingly quaking with fear and face contorted with rage as he hurled abuse at yet another of the ‘injustices’ meted out by the officials.

It was a truly fearsome sight and if Mike Riley had glanced in that direction, he would have been petrified.

So much for the beautiful game.