Northwich v Wovers: 20th March 2021

[Wilpshire Blue]

I wanted Bowyer out and will never apologise for it.
That guy had one of the best sets of players we've had in recent years and couldn't get us into the top six once (hmm, ring a bell?)
He was so tactically inept, I used to sit in my seat cringing with his "what we have, we hold" approach, knowing full well that the opposition would score(as they often did).
He also oversaw the first dingles win at Ewood for donkeys' years and then repeated the trick.

Absolutely dire football to watch.
His sacking wasn't the reason we were relegated.
Some numpty cancelling the agreement with Colin Wanker and appointing Coyle was the reason.

 

[Wilpshire Blue]

Regarding the next manager when ToMo goes, I have no idea who is available, what package we could offer etc.

If I was a Barnsley fan, I doubt Valerien Ismael would have even been on my wish list but somebody did some great research and look at them now.
Smaller club then us, almost certainly a lower budget than us but 5th in the league and a 5 point cushion to 7th place.
Good on 'em.
Similarly Xisco Munoz at Watford. Won the league with Dinamo Tblisi twice - I'd never heard of him as a manager but these guys are obviously out there.
Watford I would put down currently as a bigger draw than us (recently Prem and a bigger war chest) but we are Blackburn Rovers and known throughout the footballing world.

Hopefully, when ToMo goes, we will have someone with a bit of nous looking at a wider picture than the same old merry-go-round names.

 

[steve w]

I tend to agree with Gord on the Ince appointment - he was employed as a publicity stunt as much as anything else - and that backfired big style. The man was a clown and blotted John Williams copy book - JW redeemed himself and went for security with Sam which is what he should have done pre Ince (I don't doubt he would concede that now)

Bowyer I liked, and was sad to see him leave but his problem echoes TM a little (imo) - There is no place for people pleasing in football - The manager needs to be ruthless with team selection, he needs to know his mind and if that upsets the "prima donna" egos of some - so be it.

My problem with TM has always been his illogical loyalty to players that have needed dropping or in some cases, who should never have darkened our door ( SG and BB are reason enough for him to be in the cross hairs - lets be honest - that £12m better used would see us knocking on the automatic promotion door)

His connections to the other Coventry 2 (MV and SW) and the Brockhall swindle have pushed me over the edge and I want all three gone - now!
Gord has muted on numerous occasions the BB and SG signing stink - I agree! And suspect we are being milked again - not quite as obviously as the JA/SK days but milked all the same!

The last ten years have stopped being about football and the club I love - its been more about who is doing what and why? And how can we come out at the other end with a club still there to watch?
Thank fuck I still have the memories of the days when we were a proper club and not this dysfunctional mess we are now!

 

[OnlyOneTugay]

I’m not a big fan of the way Rovers play . All the sideways and backwards possession is a bit like chess , whereas I’d prefer Rovers to play more like draughts , quicker and more direct .

However I see what TM is trying to achieve . I think the defence is improving , the midfield isn’t a problem. The problem is up front where Rovers aren’t mobile enough and don’t have a big enough threat ( literally and metaphorically) . The midfield are hampered because the options to play the ball forward are now limited , so they play it sideways and back .

It’d be interesting to see how Ivan Toney or some such similar player would fit into the current Rovers team . The problem is TM has spent enough on the forward line and it’s his own fault that we’ve now been sussed and the goals have dried up .

Its a big risk changing managers . For every Valerien Ismael you get many , many ‘ failures ‘ I guess many see failure as not getting in the play-offs or the top two. Personally for a club the size of Rovers, with an ever decreasing core of support and financial restraints , I see failure as relegation.

 

[Drog]

I wanted Bowyer out and will never apologise for it.
That guy had one of the best sets of players we've had in recent years and couldn't get us into the top six once (hmm, ring a bell?)
He was so tactically inept, I used to sit in my seat cringing with his "what we have, we hold" approach, knowing full well that the opposition would score(as they often did).
He also oversaw the first dingles win at Ewood for donkeys' years and then repeated the trick.

Absolutely dire football to watch.
His sacking wasn't the reason we were relegated.
Some numpty cancelling the agreement with Colin Wanker and appointing Coyle was the reason.

A bit unfair that. Gary Bowyer brought in an awful lot of good players and made us quite a few bob. Top of my head, King, Gestede, Cairney but no doubt there are many more. Incidentally what we were talking about previously two of those in King and Cairney could quite have got into the promotion squad in 2001 but few of the rest would. That is an indication of what is needed to finish top two.

 

[Drog]

Regarding the next manager when ToMo goes, I have no idea who is available, what package we could offer etc.

If I was a Barnsley fan, I doubt Valerien Ismael would have even been on my wish list but somebody did some great research and look at them now.
Smaller club then us, almost certainly a lower budget than us but 5th in the league and a 5 point cushion to 7th place.
Good on 'em.
Similarly Xisco Munoz at Watford. Won the league with Dinamo Tblisi twice - I'd never heard of him as a manager but these guys are obviously out there.
Watford I would put down currently as a bigger draw than us (recently Prem and a bigger war chest) but we are Blackburn Rovers and known throughout the footballing world.

Hopefully, when ToMo goes, we will have someone with a bit of nous looking at a wider picture than the same old merry-go-round names.

Ismael must be good but lets be honest and as I highlighted recently Watford have kept most of their players and have a wage bill which must be 3x ours. Gray and Sar are on 63k and there are a raft between our top wage earner on 14k and them. That's a bit of an unfair comparison. Would Munoz have even considered managing us?

 

[Drog]

I’m not a big fan of the way Rovers play . All the sideways and backwards possession is a bit like chess , whereas I’d prefer Rovers to play more like draughts , quicker and more direct .

However I see what TM is trying to achieve . I think the defence is improving , the midfield isn’t a problem. The problem is up front where Rovers aren’t mobile enough and don’t have a big enough threat ( literally and metaphorically) . The midfield are hampered because the options to play the ball forward are now limited , so they play it sideways and back .

It’d be interesting to see how Ivan Toney or some such similar player would fit into the current Rovers team . The problem is TM has spent enough on the forward line and it’s his own fault that we’ve now been sussed and the goals have dried up .

Its a big risk changing managers . For every Valerien Ismael you get many , many ‘ failures ‘ I guess many see failure as not getting in the play-offs or the top two. Personally for a club the size of Rovers, with an ever decreasing core of support and financial restraints , I see failure as relegation.

It all comes down to the dreadful signings of Dumb and Dumber doesn't it?

 

[Wilpshire Blue]

Ismael must be good but lets be honest and as I highlighted recently Watford have kept most of their players and have a wage bill which must be 3x ours. Gray and Sar are on 63k and there are a raft between our top wage earner on 14k and them. That's a bit of an unfair comparison. Would Munoz have even considered managing us?

I did say that Watford have more money and are a bigger draw than us currently.
I have no idea what package would be offered to the next manager and that will determine whether we are shopping in Regent Street or Bank Top.
Managerial appointments don't always have to be the lazy option though.

 

[steve w]

Just to balance things slightly - The team that took us back to the Prem was a massive gamble by JW and the club - They were all on big money and the decision was taken to go shit or bust for a quick return - fortunately they pulled it off at the second attempt, but by all accounts there was a fair bit of sweating going on at Ewood.
Watford/Norwich are taking similar paths - these days that's probably more enforced by economics and a much tighter market place than choice.

I still think a massive factor these days is players protecting their livings - a promotion would cause lots of journeymen sleepless nights trying to find a club and wages at similar levels - most of our squad are happy where they are?

 

[Wilpshire Blue]

A bit unfair that. Gary Bowyer brought in an awful lot of good players and made us quite a few bob. Top of my head, King, Gestede, Cairney but no doubt there are many more. Incidentally what we were talking about previously two of those in King and Cairney could quite have got into the promotion squad in 2001 but few of the rest would. That is an indication of what is needed to finish top two.

I disagree Drog.
Bowyer had a team that contained Hanley, Duffy, Cairney, Rhodes, Gestede and King - all of which went on to play in the Prem (to differing degrees).
He couldn't get us into the top six, even for a couple of weeks.

He was OK as a stop-gap to end the crazy managerial merry-go-round but, as with many things Venky's back then, it was a big mistake to let him carry on for so long.

 

[Drog]

As Jack Walker frequently said... "Blackburn Rovers is a business and has to be run as a business". How many Manager's who've been here any length of time will leave the club with a positive balance in the accounts? I'd wager there has only been KMD, Hughes and Bowyer.

 

[Wilpshire Blue]

Personally, I'd rather have something entertaining to watch on the pitch as well.
Dalglish and Hughes managed both things.

 

[Drog]

Our football is entertaining. I frequently visit future opponents fan sites and the Rovers are known for entertaining, pass and move attacking football. I think if you did a survey of Championship club's supporters (and even managers) based on entertaining football the Rovers would feature higher in the table than they are. What we need is a settled enough midfield and defence to make add 'winning' to entertaining.
Swansea mb....

Mark_Jack_London
March 7
Cooper has a conundrum now.
The 5 midfielders that worked so well at the end of the Stoke game fell apart halfway through the first half during the Boro game (if not before).
So what does he do for this game.
Tired bodies and minds to deal with too.
How does he shuffle the pack? Blackburn play an attractive brand of football. So should he go with a more progressive line up? Drafting Yan in? Using Arriola - depending on where his head is after the Cardiff fan exposed his historical, but inappropriate tweet?

Further down the page.... Relief that two of our strongest players would miss the game.

• OnceaJack
  March 8
  Club News
  Armstrong and Branthwaite set to sit out Swans showdown
  Tony Mowbray doesn't expect to have any fresh faces available on Tuesday night
  
  
  
• 
  Malc
  March 8
  Malc8 Mar 2021
  

  Some good news for us 20 goal Adam Armstrong is unlikely to play against us .

  Also likely to miss the game against Brentford on Friday .

 

[Wilpshire Blue]

I don't care what opposition fans "think" about our style - I watch 90% of the matches and it's only entertaining on the very rare occasion when we paste someone.
If we go behind or the opposition sets up defensively, it's mind-numbing, clueless stuff.
And, as we've taken 24 points from the last 23 matches, it's a lonnggg time since we had much on the entertainment side of things.

 

[CLW-BRFC]

I don't care what opposition fans "think" about our style - I watch 90% of the matches and it's only entertaining on the very rare occasion when we paste someone.
If we go behind or the opposition sets up defensively, it's mind-numbing, clueless stuff.
And, as we've taken 24 points from the last 23 matches, it's a lonnggg time since we had much on the entertainment side of things.

Pitch has not helped with some of the home games. Like every other team, There have been a few boring games.

 

[steve w]

I don't care what opposition fans "think" about our style - I watch 90% of the matches and it's only entertaining on the very rare occasion when we paste someone.
If we go behind or the opposition sets up defensively, it's mind-numbing, clueless stuff.
And, as we've taken 24 points from the last 23 matches, it's a lonnggg time since we had much on the entertainment side of things.

Our points tally is running at a relegation level - as mentioned earlier if we hadn't had a fair chunk of luck and a decent start - We would be deep in a relegation fight.
The pitch is a problem - but Swansea cured a similar problem? maybe if we hadn't been spending on Brockhall plans and applications we could have repaired the pitch?
And we do play 50% of our games on other pitches - away form has improved dramatically during lockdown for lots of teams. 7pts out of 36 available is form that would cost most managers their jobs - but buddy's look after each other I suppose

 

[Drog]

I don't care what opposition fans "think" about our style - I watch 90% of the matches and it's only entertaining on the very rare occasion when we paste someone.
If we go behind or the opposition sets up defensively, it's mind-numbing, clueless stuff.
And, as we've taken 24 points from the last 23 matches, it's a lonnggg time since we had much on the entertainment side of things.

Eh? The very last match was really entertaining and full of good football.

 

[Drog]

The pitch is a problem - but Swansea cured a similar problem? maybe if we hadn't been spending on Brockhall plans and applications we could have repaired the pitch?

Steve... Swansea's needed re-turfing only. Ours requires digging up completely and re laying and then re turfing. A 2m job that can ONLY be done in the close season.

 

[steve w]

Steve... Swansea's needed re-turfing only. Ours requires digging up completely and re laying and then re turfing. A 2m job that can ONLY be done in the close season.

I would bet Swansea will be doing a "proper" job in the closed season - like us hopefully.
Our ground staff have done a great job recently - I couldn't see how it would stand up to 3 games in 8 days - but it did

Maybe the problem is of our (TM) own making? There were reports of the first team training on it? Wonder why when we have a duplicate pitch at Brockhall (plus indoor facilities)
Could it have been a matter of keeping people out of the way while surveyor's were at work?
Or that the indoor pitch has been mothballed already? - That is a rumour doing the rounds!

I don't think our pitch has been in a good state for quite a few years - After the Liverpool friendly before last season I posted that you could actually see the plastic grid underlay and I was amazed Klopp let his team play on it

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

A bit unfair that. Gary Bowyer brought in an awful lot of good players and made us quite a few bob. Top of my head, King, Gestede, Cairney but no doubt there are many more. Incidentally what we were talking about previously two of those in King and Cairney could quite have got into the promotion squad in 2001 but few of the rest would. That is an indication of what is needed to finish top two.

King, are you kidding? He only put the effort in when the cameras were on him in the cup. I don’t genuinely believe he really wanted to play for us and had his sights on supposedly better things. Gary Bowyer lost my support when we drew 0-0 at home to bloody Yeovil as he had us playing for a draw.