[Archived] Paul's Progress

[gumboots]

Most of them.But they look awkward and geeky anyway on or off screen!

But we don't disrespect their opinions because of it or doubt their expertise.

[T4E]

You tell me Einstein.

What ironic punnage given todays news.

[BuckyRover]

Especially if you're thick.

Witty retort

[tonyoz]

It's amazing to read so many people fearing for Paul Robinson's welfare on the Everton thread. It seems that more and more are coming round to Paul Ince's opinion of our new keeper. (At least I hope that's what it is and not just a fear of his likely replacement!)

Keith Andrews got some decent press too after the Fulham game. Now we have high praise for Robbie in the reports from last night. The youngsters are doing well and all the fans who watched the match yesterday have posted positively on the quality of football delivered. Giving Tugay 90 minutes and moving Warnock into midfield were brave decisions weren't they? Carlos looks the real deal and brings the kind of expectation that we haven't seen since Duffer was in his prime.

Oh, and what's happened to Annan..........and what about Castillo?

(Yes, I know I'm a glass half full kinda guy when it comes to Rovers but my point is..........)

Surely Ince must be given some credit for backing his judgement when many on here were slagging off his every decision? Let's hope the run continues at SJP on Saturday..........I can't wait.

[T4E]

Witty retort

Likewise.

[novella]

Ince's record so far in all competitions (not including the friendlies).

Played 7

Won 4

Drew 1

Lost 2

For 11

Against 12

Considering the two heavy defeats that have made the goals tally look a bit rubbish. The results make this a decent start for Ince in my opinion.

[Majiball]

No, whether you're thick or in the top 10% in terms of IQ or whatever the equivalent is now. Cameras make people nervous.

How true.

I've seen some of the brightest fall apart when confronted with a room of 300 of there peers.

[OscarRaven]

I've given Ince plenty of stick (although don't consider myself anti Ince just somewhat critical) so:-

The manager has to take a lot of credit for last nights result. Brave choices and a great game of football to watch.

The team worked hard and for each other last night, I thought £17 was a bit steep but very much value for money in the end.

Well Done & More Please.

[Blackpool_Rover]

Hes had a very good start and i have more confidence in him than i did with Hughes. Ince isn't scared to make decisions...and thats nice. Hughes was crap with Substitutions and if the game doesnt start well for him he runs out of ideas...he cant be spontaneous...look at last night against Brighton. Even if this season is a bit topsy turvy and we finish mid table...im looking forward to the furutre with Ince.

[DanLad]

I've given Ince plenty of stick (although don't consider myself anti Ince just somewhat critical) so:-

The manager has to take a lot of credit for last nights result. Brave choices and a great game of football to watch.

The team worked hard and for each other last night, I thought £17 was a bit steep but very much value for money in the end.

Well Done & More Please.

I did think that Ince was having a bit of a Souness moment putting Warnock in midfield, ala Gresko.

Everton are a very good side and we beat them convincingly, albeit with a few scares (wouldn't be Rovers without them!)

Ince did a good job, although I was praying that it didn't go to extra time. An extra 30 mins for the legs of Fowler and Tugs, plus a couple of players picking up knocks near the end, would have seen us in trouble.

In any event, some lovely flowing football. Tugs was masterful, Carlos' touch is sublime. Plenty of positives for the manager!

[RibbleValleyRover]

I was part of the large "wait and see" what unfolds group. He wasn't my choice but i was prepared to back him and watch what happens with Ince in charge.

Its still early days yet but i am encouraged and overall impressed so far with his performance.

[martmitch]

have to agree PI is showing positive signs following our double drubbings, and his press interviews do make comical reading

[T4E]

Its still early days yet but i am encouraged and overall impressed so far with his performance.

What is encouraging is that after the back to back drubbings, Ince came out and publicly said he would be working hard with the defence trying to "keep the back door closed". Two games later and we've kept two clean sheets.

It's the first time I can think of him outright making a statement and successfully following it through. It bodes well.

[Hughesy]

To be without 6 centre midfielders (Dunn, Reid, Grella, Andrews, Mokoena, Vogel), rest your two wingers (Pedersen & Emerton), rest your centre defence (Samba & Nelsen) and rest your 1st choice strikers (Roque & Roberts) and to beat Everton so easily was very, very good. Well done Paul Ince.

Without a doubt Ince is bringing his own style of football to the club. He is looking for a solid defence, with attacking wingers & full-backs, a battling & skillful midfield with a good attack. It bodes well for the future.

Now lets not have the doom & gloom back after our next two tricky games. The next two games really could go the opposite way so lets stick with Ince and back him.

[OscarRaven]

The premier league games just don't have that free flowing expressive football I have seen in the two cup games.

We punt it long in the games I've seen and its been dire kick and run stuff at times, I think there are two reasons for this

1) Playing to Roberts strength and Santa Cruz's ariel abilty

2) Traditional 442 formation, We need that link man (Fowler, Carlos, Dunn, Benn Mc?) and two defenisve minded midfielders to play like last night, more 451.

[philipl]

To be without 6 centre midfielders (Dunn, Reid, Grella, Andrews, Mokoena, Vogel), rest your two wingers (Pedersen & Emerton), rest your centre defence (Samba & Nelsen) and rest your 1st choice strikers (Roque & Roberts) and to beat Everton so easily was very, very good. Well done Paul Ince.

Without a doubt Ince is bringing his own style of football to the club. He is looking for a solid defence, with attacking wingers & full-backs, a battling & skillful midfield with a good attack. It bodes well for the future.

Now lets not have the doom & gloom back after our next two tricky games. The next two games really could go the opposite way so lets stick with Ince and back him.

Add Judge to the absent midfielders, Benni to absent forwards and Robinson going off injured after 12 minutes with Bunn cup-tied and Jason Brown extremely doubtful because of a virus he ended up playing with- I guess Brown knew that if Bjorn Bussman got between the posts, the lad would make the slot his own for ever!

[Mr Creosote]

Jason Brown barely had a save to make last but he went about his business in a calm confident manner. I think we are fairly strong between the sticks just now, Robinson's scan pending.

Brown isn't the tallest but I wouldn't have liked to have been on the end of that haymaker he threw at Newcastle.

[thenodrog]

Without a doubt Ince is bringing his own style of football to the club. He is looking for a solid defence, with attacking wingers & full-backs, a battling & skillful midfield with a good attack. It bodes well for the future.

Good grief! Thats exactly what Hughes did! What made you think that up?

[Martin]

All things considered Ince has done well. But he will be judged on PL points.

Ince seems to be putting out some Souness esque teams - but they actually work!!!

We have some tough fixtures coming up.

It's game on.

[BuckyRover]

Good grief! Thats exactly what Hughes did! What made you think that up?

Maybe when Bellamy played for us (a long, long time ago), since then we have become pretty turgid.

[John]

With so many people missing, I thought last night's result was exceptional.

Well done Ince for a brave team selection.

Will be interesting to see the line up for Saturday.

[joey_big_nose]

Good grief! Thats exactly what Hughes did! What made you think that up?

No, I think that is unfair. Ince's philosophy is clearly a lot more offensive than Hughes. Hughes looked to keep us stable and have two attacking outlets - Cruz and Bentley. Warnock and Emrton were give licence to get forward but the central areas were all about holding things together. Dunn for example played much deeper last year.

Ince on the other hand looks for everyone bar the the centrbacks and one central midfielder to get forward. Hughes would never have given Dunn the licence he got under Ince. I also doubt Treacy would have been blooded and told to get up there, similar with Olsson. And I cannot see the Welshman taking a punt on Carlos.

At times under Ince we have had five or six very attacking players on the pitch (eg. the final 20 mins against Fulham).

It has its weaknesses but it is certianly more interesting than the Sparky approach.

You could potentially say the success in the last two games has come from people thinking we will sit back more due to our style last year and then we suprise them. As we accumilate more games maybe other managers will realise Ince is more Keegan than Moyes and will tailor their tactics to suit. The one area we are clearly very vulnerable is on the counter with pace (see West Ham and Arsenal, and to an extent Everton away) so teams who do have pacy players could turn to a more defensive formation that looks to close us down and then feed their speed deamons when the retireve they ball and exploit the space behind our midfield and inthe full back positions.

However, as long as Ince has a plan B - and that plan B is embodied in the invention and skill of Carlos and Tugay - to keep the ball and steadily break teams down and be clever as opposed to gung ho then we will be set up to do well agianst a variety of opposing game plans.

[RevidgeBlue]

It's the first time I can think of him outright making a statement and successfully following it through. It bodes well.

You obviously missed him saying "No-one else is leaving the club - 100%" after Bentley and Friedel departed then?

(Not sure it was the right thing to do turning 6m down from Sunderland for Michelin man, but he certainly stuck to his word.)

[T4E]

You obviously missed him saying "No-one else is leaving the club - 100%" after Bentley and Friedel departed then?

(Not sure it was the right thing to do turning 6m down from Sunderland for Michelin man, but he certainly stuck to his word.)

A couple of days later he said "We're so pleased RSC has agreed to stay, we were worried for a while" or words to that effect. He turned out to be right, but it certainly wasn't as clear cut as he made it sound at the time.

Amusing that you, as someone who accuses certain posters of always looking for the negative in things, replied to my post with that criticism, don't you think?

[gumboots]

You obviously missed him saying "No-one else is leaving the club - 100%" after Bentley and Friedel departed then?

(Not sure it was the right thing to do turning 6m down from Sunderland for Michelin man, but he certainly stuck to his word.)

Arrived just at kick off since my daughter had rung shortly before the match to say she and friend were on their way from Stoke and would I please get them tickets. My son told me who we had playing and what the Everton team was when I got inside and my heart sank. It was great though. I like being proved wrong like that. I felt pretty relaxed once we'd got the goal and what a good move and goal it was. If Arsenal had scored it they'd have been drooling. The players looked like they enjoyed it too. Ooijer reads the game so well and it was good to see Warnock urging the team forward at the end. Ref handed out some odd bookings or failed to hand out some odd bookings, whichever way you want to call it, but I could not believe the way Everton just weren't at the races. They tried the intimidation but didn't really succeed. Saha might be a threat if he ever gets fit again but they just looked aimless for most of the match. Fans seem to feel Moyes not signing a new contract is affecting their team performances. Our team just look more together now and it was interesting to hear Olsen say they play 11 v 11 games in training now so all the players get used to playing together. An improvement over the last couple of games - can we go to Newcastle and win or will we do our usual give them the points; they need them performance.