[Archived] Sparky - Not A Great Manager?

[Jan]

As much as I admire Mark Hughes and what he did for us I doubt that a return would be remotely possible. Opinion about him is clearly divided and at the moment we need to be united. Unfortunately, just as opinion was split about Big Sam, when he was linked with the club, the supporters are equally divided with regard to Paul Ince. The present manager needs to be given a chance to win the fans over but if the worst came to the worst the club would need a figure that could bring the supporters together and, at this moment in time, that is not Mark Hughes.

We've had 12 league games without the faintest clue of tactics. It's the old Souness/Harford patented method of team selection (pick the names out of the hat and they play in the position they are drawn out against) and the Ray Harford book of baffling substitutions is beginning to show its face again.

They guy is totally out of his depth. He's not getting better, it's all getting worse. By the time you "give him time" we'll be relegated.

[RevidgeBlue]

I think our results will start to improve over the next run of games but hypothetically if Hughes was sacked, and our results also continued to deteriorate and we needed to change things round in January, the only feasible way in which Hughes could possibly return would be on a short term fire fighting exercise until the end of the season only.

Either that or a more permanent tenure under new owners, he clearly wasn't happy working under the current ones, as things stand he would be looking to move on again at the first opportunity which would further destabilise things and give our better players further encouragement to leave.

[CrazyIvan]

He'd be coming back with his tail between his legs and have something to prove.

You really think Hughes would do that? Honestly? I don't know of any football manager or player for that matter who has gone back 'with their tail between their legs' ever in the history of football. Even Harry R didn't do that at Pompey, he went back as the returning Messiah and left for a better offer after turning down Geordies because they wouldn't fly him up to Geordieland. Football managers and players are too arrogant for that and that includes Hughes.

[jim mk2]

The problem is the club chairman; can he swallow his pride, admit he made a mistake and sack Ince before it is too late ?

The portents are not good. Souness should have been sacked long before Newcastle solved the problem for him.

[Jan]

The problem is the club chairman; can he swallow his pride, admit he made a mistake and sack Ince before it is too late ?

The portents are not good. Souness should have been sacked long before Newcastle solved the problem for him.

Agree

Decisiveness does not seem to be in Williams' nature. No-one will want Paul Ince, unfortunately (at least no-one sane, and Ashley has now gone from Newk)

[MCMC1875]

Agree

Decisiveness does not seem to be in Williams' nature. No-one will want Paul Ince, unfortunately (at least no-one sane, and Ashley has now gone from Newk)

First time I've ever agreed with Jim and Jan!

[jim mk2]

I think our results will start to improve over the next run of games .

We struggled to get a point from the recent Boro and WBA matches so with more players injured since then why should results improve ?

We don't have players who can hurt teams and the defence is letting in an average of 2 goals per game.

[Hughesy]

NO THANKS.

Doesnt look like City want him either.

Mark Hughes could be forced out as Manchester City boss by his Brazilian contingent, who are said to be unhappy with the Welshman's management style. A new replacement could be found in the January transfer window. (The Sun)

Hughes, who had met chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak on Saturday night, could fly out to Abu Dhabi for a meeting with club owner Sheik Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday. (The Times)

[thenodrog]

I think our results will start to improve over the next run of games

I think you need to expand on that statement Simon cos I'm baffled why anyone would think that after our 'recent run of games'. imo I have seen simply nothing to substantiate that.

As for Hughes returning I doubt it would happen. BUT it is worth pursuing cos never mind the result at Brum / tactics / ugly football that man in a nutshell has had the club punching way above it's weight but more importantly he has made a shed load of money for the club with his astute player dealings and that is a facet of managemant that MUST be uppermost in the minds of the directors and trustees.

I tell you who I'm sure will be watching all this with more than a passing interest imo ...... Phil Gartside. And that is a scenario that simply does not bear thinking about!

We struggled to get a point from the recent Boro and WBA matches so with more players injured since then why should results improve ?

We don't have players who can hurt teams and the defence is letting in an average of 2 goals per game.

Maybe not Jim but we do have players who have been told to play pretty little triangles in the middle of the park ...... until one of them loses possession that is!

[Parsonblue]

We've had 12 league games without the faintest clue of tactics. It's the old Souness/Harford patented method of team selection (pick the names out of the hat and they play in the position they are drawn out against) and the Ray Harford book of baffling substitutions is beginning to show its face again.

They guy is totally out of his depth. He's not getting better, it's all getting worse. By the time you "give him time" we'll be relegated.

I agree that time is not on our side and that results will need to have improved by mid-December. However, if you were to sack Ince now, which I don't advocate, who do you bring in? We've gone down the road of sacking managers in the past - Iley and Harford spring to mind - without having a replacement lined up. The only obvious candidate is Big Sam - a guy who I have always felt would would do a good job for the club in our present financial circumstances - but the fans would be up in arms in just the same way that they are now over Ince.

I also agree with you that relegation is a distinct possiblity with the way things are going at the moment. There are a huge number of similarities to 65-66 - not least the fact that there seems to be a feeling that we are too good to go down and that our attractive style of football is bound to win games in the end. Complacency cost us our place in the top flight in 65-66, I just hope that the same doesn't happen this season.

[jim mk2]

Surprised at Revidge's statement because along with other older members he's long enough in the tooth to see that this Rovers team is not good enough to stay in the Premier League. Younger members should wake up and smell the coffee or whatever substance they are taking these days.

Perm 3 from us, Stoke, WBA, Bolton and Fulham to go down - and would you bank on us to beat any of those teams ?

[gumboots]

Surprised at Revidge's statement because along with other older members he's long enough in the tooth to see that this Rovers team is not good enough to stay in the Premier League. Younger members should wake up and smell the coffee or whatever substance they are taking these days.

Perm 3 from us, Stoke, WBA, Bolton and Fulham to go down - and would you bank on us to beat any of those teams ?

Well, we beat Fulham at Ewood and drew against Bolton and West Brom away so I guess it's not impossible. Not being a betting person I wouldn't go for it myself, but you never know with football, do you?

[RevidgeBlue]

Surprised at Revidge's statement because along with other older members he's long enough in the tooth to see that this Rovers team is not good enough to stay in the Premier League. Younger members should wake up and smell the coffee or whatever substance they are taking these days.

You're missing the bigger picture imo jim, replacing the manager would be glossing over the underlying problem.

Get another manager in and he'd still have no financial backing off the owners and probably fare no better, or worse, than Ince has done to date. (I.e. not being in the bottom three at any point)

What's the point in that?

[BuckyRover]

I think if we did get relegated, Ince would be the man to get us back into the Premiership. He has already proven he can get teams promoted. I would imagine John Williams would be thinking along the same lines also.

I don't think getting relegated would be that terrible (financially), I think we would be much better prepared than the last time and I would expect us to come straight back up.

I don't believe for a second we will get relegated though

[Amo]

I think if we did get relegated, Ince would be the man to get us back into the Premiership. He has already proven he can get teams promoted. I would imagine John Williams would be thinking along the same lines also.

I hope Williams would be more concerned with finding someone to prevent us going down, thank you very much.

[broadsword]

Fair point, Revidge.

We just haven't backed Ince with any cash. We are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bottom of the spending league. In the end, you keep that sort of attitude up and you end up bottom of the league.

I also agree with Jim, no cutting edge, and no provision of decent crosses at all. We have no decent wingers to speak of, and apart from a few players of genuine class, our squad is piddle-poor.

Problem is, by the time we next have an opportunity to give Ince some cash we will be in the bottom 3. And if we then find out he's no good with it, we're going down and we won't come back.

I just knew Roberts was going to miss yesterday in that one-on-one, he just hammered it straight away without waiting for the keeper to commit.

I'm just really depressed about it all. I think the reason we picked Ince was because he was the cheapest. We're trying to do everything on the cheap, and the sad reality is, that you must spend money in this division or you get leathered.

For pity's sakes, Keith Andrews versus Frank Lampard, it's embarrassing. And very very depressing.

I think if we did get relegated, Ince would be the man to get us back into the Premiership. He has already proven he can get teams promoted. I would imagine John Williams would be thinking along the same lines also.

I don't think getting relegated would be that terrible (financially), I think we would be much better prepared than the last time and I would expect us to come straight back up.

I don't believe for a second we will get relegated though

What colour is the reality in your World?

Have you been sticking smarties up your nose and smoking bananas?

Getting relegated wouldn't be that terrible?! Hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

You're potty mate.

[ABBEY]

I think if we did get relegated, Ince would be the man to get us back into the Premiership. He has already proven he can get teams promoted. I would imagine John Williams would be thinking along the same lines also.

I don't think getting relegated would be that terrible (financially), I think we would be much better prepared than the last time and I would expect us to come straight back up.

I don't believe for a second we will get relegated though

ARE YOU FOR REAL OR ON MAGIC MUSHROOMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KOOL HES BEEN PROMOTED ,LETS DROP TO LEAGUE TWO FOR HIS MAGIC TO WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOULD YOU STILL GO IF WE DROPPED? SILLY ME.

DO YOU GO TO BED AND SING A LULLUBY" ALL THINGS INCE AND BEAUTIFUL ,ALL INCYS GREAT AND SMALL ,ALL THINGS INCE IS WONDERFUL THE LORD GOD INCE MADE THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DONT THINK GETTING RELEGATED WILL BE THAT BAD????? BETTER PREPARED??????????????????

OMG THERE COMING TO TAKE US AWAY HAAHAHAH THERE COMING TO TAKE US AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE LOOOOOOOOONATICS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE ASYLUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ricky]

Abbey I think you missed a ! off the last sentance.

[ABBEY]

!

[LDRover]

I think if we did get relegated, Ince would be the man to get us back into the Premiership. He has already proven he can get teams promoted. I would imagine John Williams would be thinking along the same lines also.

I don't think getting relegated would be that terrible (financially), I think we would be much better prepared than the last time and I would expect us to come straight back up.

I don't believe for a second we will get relegated though

Bucky, although I don't always agree with you I think you put good reasoning in your posts, WTF just happened?

[roverfanuk]

Got to agree with Jan on this one. But if he got the sack from City, we should bring him back on a 5 year deal on exactly the same wage he had when he was here...

[broadsword]

There's not a hope in hell that Hughes would come back, nor should we take him back if we could.

A lot of teh players he signed are still here, how could he tell them to be loyal to the club when he wasn't? His words wouldn't carry any authority.

[joey_big_nose]

To be honest the way Sparky works - onwards and upwards and all that - i think there is more chance he would stick a fork in his eye than come bak to Rovers. I doubt he would be comfotable with the feeling of going backwards.

I would also like to have a manager who wants to manage the club he is at. Ince needs us in order to establish himself, just like Hughes did. If we do let Ince go (I don't think we will, but we shall see) I would much rather find somone who needs to success with Rovers. I was suspicious of Laudrap because it just seemed a bit mercenary and was not that bothered about the clubs he worked for. Ten Cate on the other hand looked quite good as he was a fighter.

Anyhow this is a debate that only really needs to happen if the next three games go badly.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Got to agree with Jan on this one. But if he got the sack from City, we should bring him back on a 5 year deal on exactly the same wage he had when he was here...

teach him al lesson....lower wage

[roverfanuk]

To be honest the way Sparky works - onwards and upwards and all that - i think there is more chance he would stick a fork in his eye than come bak to Rovers. I doubt he would be comfotable with the feeling of going backwards.

I dunno, i keep telling myself that, and then i get reminded of what Harry said and then what happened ie: Pompey-Soton-Pompey etc...

Stranger things have happened thats all im saying... He has pretty much failed at a bigger club, and might feel he needs more time at a 'smaller' club...