[Archived] Paul's Progress

[Tom]

question to the people against Ince, how long would you give him now?

I have tried to be and think I am pro Ince but I genuinely don't know how long you should give it if we are bottom 3 come Jan.

Glad it's not me who has to make the decisions.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Progress ? He seems to be losing the plot...

After another woeful performance today - it was only thanks to Paul Robinson that the scoreline was kept to 0-2, it could have easily ended up 0-5 - I'm again concerned with the flippant remarks of Paul Ince after the match, in which he painted a rosy picture of the recent poor form.

Ince said: "We could have got something out of the game. It's disappointing that our performances haven't got us the points we deserved."

We didn't deserve anything from today's match. We were second best in all departments. The first half, in particular, was completely dominated by Chelsea. Our passing was sloppy, giving the ball away continuously. Without David Bentley we suffer from a chronic lack of creativity and pace going forward and Jason Roberts was left completely isolated up front.

I was expecting us to lose to Chelsea today - so the result isn't a surprise - but once again another feeble performance from Rovers has left me concerned about the direction the team is heading in.

Very depressing, we wouldn't have scored if we'd have played until tomorrow.

You're right. We've scored just three goals at home so far this season and have gained only one victory at home - a 1-0 win over Fulham. We haven't had a win in our last six matches. But Mr Ince seems to think that everything in the garden is rosy and our performances deserve more points.

I wonder whether Ince is going to wake up one day and realise the seriousness of the current situation. We are not too good to go down. With two of the three promoted teams - Hull and Stoke - doing better than expected so far, there are a number of teams that could be sucked into a relegation battle this season. Rovers are one of those teams.

After the match Ince started to sound a bit like Graeme Souness and his infamous "lady luck" excuses. Ince said: "We just need an element of luck to push us forward."

We need a damn sight more than luck at the moment. We need some pace going forward, some wide players who can beat a man and deliver a good cross, we need a striker alongside Santa Cruz (when he's fit) to score some goals and we need defenders who don't make some of the silly schoolboy errors that has meant we've currently got the joint worst defensive record in the Premiership.

22 goals conceded so far and only three goals scored at home is relegation form.

Ince should be concerned. "Luck" is not the reason for some of the rotten performances this season.

[1864roverite]

There is no doubt some of the passing has improved.

There is no doubt our defence has improved and has also imploded at times.

There is no doubt the football has improved at times.

However, the end result of his first few months is simple.

We have a vastly negative goal difference to other teams.

We have a poor goals scored column.

We have more playes injured than I can ever remember.

Our crowds are down almost 10% on last season.

We appear to be heading backwards rather than moving forwards.

So, for me, his assessment is a D. Thats based on his performance and his signings.

It is the hardest thing this season to even get motivated about going down to Ewood such is our inept displays. Something has to change and the quicker the better. Its either the back room team, the training methods or the players/management., and everyone knows its ALWAYS the manager that pays the price

[cn_barlow]

looking ahead i cant see us getting anything out of any games until we play stoke at home.

I was against his appointment, but wanted to give him time. i think he'll be gone by the new year

Why bring on Derbshire and play him in midfield? why bring on Fowler to play as a lone striker. Lunacy.

[bubblerrovers]

question to the people against Ince, how long would you give him now?

I have tried to be and think I am pro Ince but I genuinely don't know how long you should give it if we are bottom 3 come Jan.

Glad it's not me who has to make the decisions.

In a ideal world he'd be gone on Monday, the minute we appointed him i worried, never liked him as a player to be fair hated him. After his first press conference i feared the worst, i got the feeling he was very nervous and not sure if he could do the job, now every time i hear him speak too the press i wonder what rubbish will come out next. His comments to the press never fill me with confidence and that obviously goes for the players too, just look at what Redknapp has done at totenham in the matter of days It's all about confidence. I know we can't compete with them for money etc (as Ince has pointed out now 627 times) but so many players are under performing it has to be his fault. The only one thing that he's done is get in Robinson and got RSC to sign a new contract, sadly all that means is we may get a few extra million when he leaves. EVERYONE has said we needed a right winger or someone creative and we signed nobody,

[thenodrog]

why bring on Fowler to play as a lone striker. Lunacy.

If he hadn't hilariously cluttered John Terry no one would ever have known that he was even on the pitch. NO ONE can now deny that his signing was just rank bad stupidity by a stubborn manager!

[Bobby G]

Im getting worried quickly about our future in the league.

Whatever people want to say, the goal difference usually says alot and teams USUALLY finish according to it as well and right now we are rock bottom!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

question to the people against Ince, how long would you give him now?

Like most posters I'm not against Ince,I want him to be a success but the doubts seem to become bigger every week.

I just have a bad feeling that this squad is not as good as we are led to believe and injuries and suspensions are horribly adding to a rookie managers problems.

On todays striker showing just what the hell do we do if Cruz is sold come January!!

If we get bogged down in a relegation scrap who is to say a new manager will get us out of the brown stuff?

Worrying times if team form doesn't turn around soon.

[rovers_rob]

The premier league this season is crazy, other than the top 4 everyone is taking points of each other. Fair enough we are 15th with 13 points and that doesn't seem good but 3 points are separating 20th and 10th place so we are pretty much in the same position as half the premier league teams.

I can't understand it when people say we should sack Ince after 13 games, should the other 10 teams that are within 1 point of us sack there manager as well ?

As for Ince's signings I think they have been decent. Robbo, Simpson and Carlos are doing well, I might be my own but I think Andrews doesn't look out of place in the team and when Grella is fit he looks like he can handle himself in midfield.

He is a young manager who will make mistakes but I still think he is the right man for the job and I am confident that we will beat sunderland and get at least 4 points from spurs and pompey.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Andrews and Grella are nothing more than mediocre Rob...dont kid yourself.

[den]

Andrews and Grella are nothing more than mediocre Rob...dont kid yourself.

Yup.

[1864roverite]

On todays striker showing just what the hell do we do if Cruz is sold come January!!

Dont you mean WHEN sg ?

[rovers_rob]

Andrews and Grella are nothing more than mediocre Rob...dont kid yourself.

Grella has hardly played but he did well against boro and Andrews wasn't mediocre against West Brom.

Andrews reminds me of Mark Atkins but I suppose he was mediocre as well.

[LeChuck]

Andrews and Grella are nothing more than mediocre Rob...dont kid yourself.

At least Andrews cost peanuts and will probably be worth a few quid more when we decide to sell him due to his now higher profile.

£3.3 million Grella is ridiculous though given that he's 29 years old. We simply can't afford to pay those kind of fees for players that old.

[1864roverite]

Andrews reminds me of Mark Atkins but I suppose he was mediocre as well.

Thats a shocking comparison, he is NOWHERE near fit or talented enough to lace the boots of SUPERATKO

[imy9]

At least Andrews cost peanuts and will probably be worth a few quid more when we decide to sell him due to his now higher profile.

£3.3 million Grella is ridiculous though given that he's 29 years old. We simply can't afford to pay those kind of fees for players that old.

We paid £3.5 for Sav and he was what 31?

If Grella (when fit) turns out to be a good player then £3.3 million is worth the fee.

[rovers_rob]

At least Andrews cost peanuts and will probably be worth a few quid more when we decide to sell him due to his now higher profile.

£3.3 million Grella is ridiculous though given that he's 29 years old. We simply can't afford to pay those kind of fees for players that old.

We paid 3.6 for a 30 year old Savage and I think Grella is a better player. Andrews played well against Villa and West Brom and if it wasn't for Bennis stupid hand ball and Nelsen and Sambas sloppy defending we would have won both games.

[den]

Just as an aside, Grella and Andrews both limped out of the ground tonight.

[imy9]

Just as an aside, Grella and Andrews both limped out of the ground tonight.

Bleedin' Nora, has PI ran over a cat or something?

Ooijer, Dunn, Reid, RSC, Grella, Andrews, Emerton out for the next game, SEVEN first 11 players!

I really hope Den that it is nothing serious.

[Bobby G]

I guess thats why Andrews was subbed. We would have been too lucky to think Ince thought he was rubbish and pulled him off!

[den]

I really hope Den that it is nothing serious.

Don't know any more than that. Neill Ardley said this on Radio Rovers. [about one hour after final whistle and we still hadn't got to the end of LBR.]

[Neil Weaver]

Bleedin' Nora, has PI ran over a cat or something?

Ooijer, Dunn, Reid, RSC, Grella, Andrews, Emerton out for the next game, SEVEN first 11 players!

I really hope Den that it is nothing serious.

And wasn't that Warnock's fifth booking today? Not sure if that means he'll miss next weekend or the weekend after though.

[Exiled in Toronto]

"The team finished eighth last year and we want to be better than that this year - hopefully we will."

Taken from today's People article - spooky eh? I believe the guy who took over the team who finished 7th said something very similar - and currently both teams sit 13th and 15th respectively.

It seems the new Man City manager is making almost exactly the same 'progress' as our Mr Eyebrows.

If they both need sacking, somehow I think the Arabs will wield the scimitar before our own chairman swallows his pride.

[gazsimm]

Just as an aside, Grella and Andrews both limped out of the ground tonight.

thats just Ince's problem at the moment he cannot pick the same team from one week to another due to the massive injurys we are having this season, i think any average PL team would stuggle with all the injurys we are getting at the moment.

Once we get some of better players back and playing i am sure the results will improve. One win though and we will be mid table again so we are not in that a bad of a postion, like some people are making it out to be.

[Sandiway Blue]

thats just Ince's problem at the moment he cannot pick the same team from one week to another due to the massive injurys we are having this season, i think any average PL team would stuggle with all the injurys we are getting at the moment.

Once we get some of better players back and playing i am sure the results will improve. One win though and we will be mid table again so we are not in that a bad of a postion, like some people are making it out to be.

Sensible post.

A couple of weeks ago Everton were in the same position as Rovers are now,couple of decent results later and they are sitting pretty in 7th position.Rovers have a decent fixture list coming up before the end of the year in which we should be able to move up the table.If after Xmas we are in the same position then will be the time to get worried,but until then,lets get behind Rovers and try and give them a lift and give them some vocal support as it has been sorely lacking all season.