[Archived] Paul's Progress

[RovertheHill]

As someone who was uninspired by the appointment of Ince (I wanted Ten Cate) I am shocked by the level of antipathy against him. I've read comments about the defence being sh*te - this is the same defence that was assembled by MH and frankly was possibly worse between January and May - 4 conceded against such great teams as Birmingham and Coventry for example. I've read comments about what a terrible signing Andrews is (and personally I wouldn't have signed him) and how good MH was at unearthing gems. Ladies and gentlemen I give you Shefki Kuqi amd our current centre-backs (see sh*te comment earlier - you can't have it both ways!) I've read comments about this being 1999 all over again - well it may be my memory (I'm old) but I don't think we're anywhere near that level at the moment - we are creating opportunities which we didn't do back then. IMHO, the reality of the situation is that we are missing Bentley - like it or not. He contributed goals from midfield and more importantly, opportunities for RSC. Where Ince could have done better is in replacing him, and that is probably down to inexperience. He will have another opportunity in January hopefully - I would like some pace - possibly Lennon.

[trueblue]

A post WAS removed because I asked for the race debate to be dropped and that post carried it on

[Exiled in Toronto]

Why are you repeating that garbage? What did you have against Hughes?

Because slipping into the bottom 3 after 12 games is being portrayed as a catastrophe by some whereas we were there when Hughes arrived and early into the next 2 seasons, before we had our second half year revivals which sadly did not materialise last year after a great start for once.

Nothing against Hughes - the dirty ship-jumping and bad-mouthing @#/? - but it is garbage to suggest we are in any kind of worse position than we were 3 and 2 years ago at this time.

[Athlete]

I was against the appointment of PI from the start didn’t think he was the right man for the job, I think we needed someone with experience who could steady the ship over the summer with all the obvious transfer issues we all had been aware of since the end of last season. I am a season ticket holder who hasn’t really enjoyed his time in charge so far I hope he proves me wrong I really do as I fear a relegation scrap looming (I don’t think some of our players have the heart for the fight). I think he’s made some enemies in the players he has and his tactics have been left wanting on several occasions. As I say hope I get proved wrong and hope we can get something against Chelsea and get a run going from then on.

my sentiments exactly

[John]

I know a lot of people are saying that they are witnessing some of the best football they have ever seen, but I still come back to the point that we currently do not have the players to 'play the game in the right way'. Also, with our financial resources, I cannot see us to be in position to attract players of the required quality to play this 'attractive football'. Especially considering our current injury crisis it should be all about the points just now.

Neutral article here shows how managers may not be given time to implement this style - An attempt to play a passing game resulted in his downfall and confirms a malaise that exists at the higher levels of the English game.

"But I want the players to get the ball down and play. We have some very good players and I encourage them to play.

[thenodrog]

Because slipping into the bottom 3 after 12 games is being portrayed as a catastrophe by some whereas we were there when Hughes arrived and early into the next 2 seasons, before we had our second half year revivals which sadly did not materialise last year after a great start for once.

Nothing against Hughes - the dirty ship-jumping and bad-mouthing @#/? - but it is garbage to suggest we are in any kind of worse position than we were 3 and 2 years ago at this time.

Didn't Ince jump ship too? Or does it not count when it's our club?

I know a lot of people are saying that they are witnessing some of the best football they have ever seen, but I still come back to the point that we currently do not have the players to 'play the game in the right way'. Also, with our financial resources, I cannot see us to be in position to attract players of the required quality to play this 'attractive football'. Especially considering our current injury crisis it should be all about the points just now.

Neutral article here shows how managers may not be given time to implement this style - An attempt to play a passing game resulted in his downfall and confirms a malaise that exists at the higher levels of the English game.

"But I want the players to get the ball down and play. We have some very good players and I encourage them to play.

Square pegs and round holes eh John?

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Just watching SSN where a Celtic player is responding to Ince saying Man Utd versus Celtic at old Trafford was Men versus Boys.

Our manager should have kept his mouth shut, did he not watch Rovers v Man Utd at Ewood this season.

[Ewood Spark]

Just watching SSN where a Celtic player is responding to Ince saying Man Utd versus Celtic at old Trafford was Men versus Boys.

Our manager should have kept his mouth shut, did he not watch Rovers v Man Utd at Ewood this season.

Perhaps they misheard him and he actually said it's ManU versus The Bhoys

[patrickvalery]

I agree 110% with those saying we don't have the necessary personnel to be playing attractive, yet, successful football at present. However, this is not an excuse for not trying to do so.

People harp on about Hughes and how much better off we were with him in charge. I cannot fault his work here and as i have said in the 'Hughes is not such a good manager' thread, he is to be applauded for that. But in my humble opinion he simply did the basics very very well. His performance should be the example to anyone trying to guide a club out of the relegation zone. He bought tenacious, hard working, hard to beat players and installed a fitness ethic into the club which won or saved many points in the dying stages of games. This approach didn't change as we got more successful. We were extremely one dimensional throughout this tenure.

Ok so things aren't all rosy under Ince. Maybe he has made poor judgements at times. A more experienced manager may not have opted for Andrews or Fowler. They may have opted to keep it tight against the Arsenal. But surely Ince's appointment is/was about potential. I'd rather have taken a punt on someone i felt was going places in the managerial world than a sure bet who would have ensured a safe transitional period. People have short memories when it comes to football. If all chairmen had the patience shown by many on here then the likes of Ferguson would never have materialised.

I for one have missed us playing decent football. Some of the stuff we played under Souness and obviously Dalglish was outstanding. I know we don't have those resources anymore, but it doesn't mean we can't play decent football. Ince is his own man and wants to stamp his own style onto us. With a settled side he will do this. Ince has inherrited an aging side who need repair. I believe this was also a factor in Hughes leaving. The club cannot make wholesale changes and as such they need to be replaced bit by bit. I think with the January and summer transfer windows out of the way we will have a better idea of Ince's team. Until then he has to make do. But should he change his ethics? Not in my opinion, no.

[jonv]

to be fair the second half of last season was boring and predictable. if we turned up to games and got results we should have easily gotten we would have finished a few places higher. The post game interviews got boring and the player mentality was becoming "turn up, play, go home" week in week out. hughes would not have got us to europe this season, it was time to change and Ince has been bought in. To say it has been dull would be an understatement, however getting results against teams we should be disposing off hasn't changed.

being a rovers supporter is amazing, i love it... the highs are so high and fingers crossed any lows coming up don't involve the number 3 at the end of the word bottom.

im much in prefer of the excitement bought this season, seeing new players and new tactics... we may not be getting results at the moment, but games have been there to be won, it takes just 1 win to get that confidence that we can win games and the ball is rolling... to all the doubters... your heart isn't blue... its more a turquoise tbf

[Jan]

Poor judgment? I give you Ince's "men against boys" comment. The "boys" managed to be beating Manure at home until the 83rd minute, and still managed to draw. If that makes Celtic boys, what does it make HIS Rovers side? Amoebae?

The man's an idiot with an opinion (usually wrong) about everything. Which he should keep to himself.

And for those who would quite rightly point out that Celtic were second best, I point out that we were puppies who rolled over to have their tummies tickled. Celtic at least showed some fight.

[gumboots]

Poor judgment? I give you Ince's "men against boys" comment. The "boys" managed to be beating Manure at home until the 83rd minute, and still managed to draw. If that makes Celtic boys, what does it make HIS Rovers side? Amoebae?

The man's an idiot with an opinion (usually wrong) about everything. Which he should keep to himself.

And for those who would quite rightly point out that Celtic were second best, I point out that we were puppies who rolled over to have their tummies tickled. Celtic at least showed some fight.

On the night of the first Utd celtic game it was like watching men against boys, so why use that to have a go at Ince. Nothing wrong with anyone saying it and I suspect Strachan actually used that to motivate his boys.

[Hughesy]

2nd time round they did yes. 1st game they lost 3-0, we lost 2-0.

[T4E]

On the night of the first Utd celtic game it was like watching men against boys, so why use that to have a go at Ince. Nothing wrong with anyone saying it and I suspect Strachan actually used that to motivate his boys.

The second game was far more men against boys. Septic hardly had a sniff of the ball all game, their 36% possesion was mostly made up of goal kicks and throw-ins.

[gumboots]

The second game was far more men against boys. Septic hardly had a sniff of the ball all game, their 36% possesion was mostly made up of goal kicks and throw-ins.

In terms of posession you're right but the defence played very well getting in lots of tackles so i suppose you could say they stood up to them rather better. Problem was they gradually retreated/were pushed further and further back and could not get out of their own half. Basically that invited Utd onto them and the goal when it came had an air of inevitability about it. Lot of criticism around about the subs Strachan made too.

[DingleBaiter]

Poor judgment? I give you Ince's "men against boys" comment. The "boys" managed to be beating Manure at home until the 83rd minute, and still managed to draw. If that makes Celtic boys, what does it make HIS Rovers side? Amoebae?

The man's an idiot with an opinion (usually wrong) about everything. Which he should keep to himself.

And for those who would quite rightly point out that Celtic were second best, I point out that we were puppies who rolled over to have their tummies tickled. Celtic at least showed some fight.

Good to see you having the confidence to wait & see what the result was last night before posting Jan

Maybe Ince said it just to motivate Celtic, in which case it had the desired effect did it not? Good to see Smith & Strachan not letting such a throwaway comment upset them too much hey?. Can't help feeling they were being just a tad over-sensitive for what was someone else's opinion, and cliche after all. Then again, maybe it's the Braveheart spirit.

Back to your Kewpie doll, he DOES say some silly, flippant stuff I'll admit. However, rather than think he should keep them to himself, you've always the option to ignore, listen or forget it/them. George Galloway & Alex Salmond have made careers of doing the same

You shouldn't let such things get to you, really....

[Jan]

2nd time round they did yes. 1st game they lost 3-0, we lost 2-0.

Celtic away, Rovers home. Celtic 2 offside goals (and one for Manure wrongly disallowed)= 2-0. we were abject and lay back and whined.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

You should all know better than to tickle Jan's Shamrock!!

[ABBEY]

you dont want any mentioning of burnley on the other thread because this is a rovers board ,but you are ok to yak on about the skirt wearers?

[dopper69]

Celtic away, Rovers home. Celtic 2 offside goals (and one for Manure wrongly disallowed)= 2-0. we were abject and lay back and whined.

Reality is that they lost 3-0. Do you support Celtic or something?

[leftfooter]

Anyone slightly concerned with the amount of injuries we are picking up?

Bert who has been IMO our best player this season so far is out for two weeks!

Is there something being done wrong with the training?

Yes, it is a concern. Ince is an unknown quantity at Premier League level, and it's natural to question his methods.

Not having a go at you at all RVR, as you raise a legitimate point and your posts, whether critical or supportive of Ince are usually fairly presented and well argued.

There is no evidence to suggest however that this is because something is going wrong in training.

Naturally the usual suspects in the rabidly anti-Ince Awkward Squad (sadly they are brazen enough to know who they are) have been seizing on this issue to highlight the failings of the current regime, in contrast to the previous one.

Whilst it's fair to say that Hughes brought preparation and scientific training methods to a much higher level than we had previously during his time at Ewood; just to put things in perspective, Citeh under Hughes have suffered a far more frequent and chronic catalogue of injuries than we have under the Ince regime:

Petrov

Johnson

Bojinov

Vassell

Mwaruwari

Benjani

Evans

I'm sure I've missed out others.

[T4E]

you dont want any mentioning of burnley on the other thread because this is a rovers board ,but you are ok to yak on about the skirt wearers?

Tattie scroungers, Abs.

[philipl]

Manager Paul Ince wants to employ former Manchester United team-mate Andrew Cole as a striker coach at Blackburn Rovers. (Various)

Hmm, didn't he used to play for Rovers as well? Trust the BBC not to know these sorts of things.

Anyway, Jason Roberts will be able to add to his formidable array of missed chances techniques.

Seriously, I hope Andrew has more success than Worthington is enjoying with the guys at the back.

[Esulx]

Manager Paul Ince wants to employ former Manchester United team-mate Andrew Cole as a striker coach at Blackburn Rovers. (Various)

Hmm, didn't he used to play for Rovers as well? Trust the BBC not to know these sorts of things.

Anyway, Jason Roberts will be able to add to his formidable array of missed chances techniques.

Seriously, I hope Andrew has more success than Worthington is enjoying with the guys at the back.

Worthington???

[philipl]

Forgotten the bloke's name. I am so impressed by what he is achieving and the way he talks about the Rovers every time he's in the media.