[Archived] Paul's Progress

[dingles staying down 4ever]

It never has been a barometer of Rovers support. 16,000 ST holders are not represented by 3 dozen people who have embraced the soap box offered by the internet and can shout more loudly and more often than the other 3 dozen who may disagree with them but can't be arsed to get embroiled in the mess. Neither 3 dozen would be representative.

This MB used to provide a useful "window on the fans world" to an interested and influential audience. Sadly, those days are gone.

The thing is about Ince, he does seem to polarise views. I've spoken to various groups of fans around, such as people around me at Ewood, work, neighbours and friends, and their views tend to be similar than those on this MB. Some can see positives in what he is doing others can only see harm and immediate pending doom. I seem to remember similar polarised views in the part season in which Souness arrived.

Also it is the doom merchants who seem to be making most noise. Negative views always seem to be the views which people like to express.

So I see this MB is like a MORI poll at present and is pretty representative of the general view.

[LDRover]

Based on the supporters I sit near at Ewood and the opinion in the pub that I'm party to I'd say it's 80% against Ince at this moment, and that's increased drastically over the last month or so.

[philipl]

Deliberately posting this now in the hope that a bunch of people can come on here and yah boo sucks at me after we have beaten Sunderland tonight with a vibrant display of attacking football without a single alarm at the back. I will be ecstatic if that is the case.

100% of us surely agree that results have been disappointing and that there are on-field problems that need to be sorted. Paul Ince did not inherit a squad that was aged or lacking in confidence or ability and my gut feel is that most supporters would say on football merits (forget being a small town punching above our weight) we under-performed against what the squad was actually capable of in coming 7th last season. 5th was definitely "doable".

The passionate division is between those who say give Ince a chance and those who think that giving Ince a chance is a increasingly resembling a one way ticket to the Championship.

Rovers' problem is we have this artificial device called the January transfer window looming which right now is working against both the club and Paul Ince.

The directors have a simple question to ask themselves- what has happened to restore their confidence in Paul Ince's transfer abilities at Premier League level that went missing in July and August?

If things are as bad as I think they are, Rovers have to make the decision quickly to change manager to give the new guy the chance to see the set-up at first hand and work with the whole of the January window. Rovers owe Ince no loyalty after the way he reacted to the Newcastle link when it first appeared. That's why I think the clock is ticking.

[den]

Some are down to fans not supporting and indeed getting on the backs of our players.

But it does no good to moan because it changes nothing.

Rubbish Gumboots.

The fans have nothing to do with the current situation.

What I see as people giving their opinions on the situation, - you see as people "moaning". Posts on this messageboard are indeed reflective of the general feeling of the fans IMO. Some people need to deal with the reality. Telling people that they shouldn't criticise or voice opinions on a messageboard, that a few have said doesn't reflect accurately the regular rovers fan, is naive in the extreme.

If things were rosy at Ewood, they would be rosy on here [and the LT and the official messageboard and at the ground].

[Tris]

The directors have a simple question to ask themselves- what has happened to restore their confidence in Paul Ince's transfer abilities at Premier League level that went missing in July and August?

If things are as bad as I think they are, Rovers have to make the decision quickly to change manager to give the new guy the chance to see the set-up at first hand and work with the whole of the January window. Rovers owe Ince no loyalty after the way he reacted to the Newcastle link when it first appeared. That's why I think the clock is ticking.

But philip, the bit in bold only exists in your head. It's pure fiction. If you use that as the basis for further comment, you're going to end up posting some proper garbage.

Which you then have!

[Beta Ray Bill]

If things were rosy at Ewood, they would be rosy on here [and the LT and the official messageboard and at the ground].

Den, I think you've finally lost it. Things are NEVER rosy on here!

[Hughesy]

Based on the supporters I sit near at Ewood and the opinion in the pub that I'm party to I'd say it's 80% against Ince at this moment, and that's increased drastically over the last month or so.

Based on everyone I sit near to at Ewood - Blackburn End Lower, 100% of them are all happy with Ince and only feel its a matter of time until we get the win we need to kick start the season. Most are very happy with our football, but not the performance against Arsenal. Everyone I spoke to at ewood was also very positive about our display against Chelsea. Also all very happy with Ince's signings, in particular Villanueva & Robinson.

[rovers_rob]

The directors have a simple question to ask themselves- what has happened to restore their confidence in Paul Ince's transfer abilities at Premier League level that went missing in July and August?

You are questioning Inces ability in the transfer market but he was appointed at the end of June and he had no staff whatsoever so he had to assemble a backroom team, asses the players he has got and also look for new players at the same time.

I think he has been sensible in the transfer market, maybe he should have bought a right winger but Emerton has been one of our best players this season. If you look at who he has bought I think most of them have been decent.

Andrews - not everyone cup of tea but he has put in a couple of decent performances against Villa and West Brom and scored a goal. He has lacked agaisnt Man U, chelsea and Arsenal but that goes for most of the team.

Simpson - I think he has been superb, he is young talented kid who has played well this season.

Robinson - Replacement for a true Rovers legend, but so far so good.

Villenueva - He is on loan, Ince decided not to gamble 4 million quid until he had a good look at him. I think he has potential and he is already a crowd favourite. He is not the finished article but I hope we sign him.

Grella - He hasn't been fit since he has come here but he showed what he is capable of against boro. the jury is still out but in my opinion he looks decent.

Fowler - Fair enough, I can't understand why we got him but he is on a play as you pay deal until Jan. He did well in the Grimsby game but he has looked poor in premier league games.

[broadsword]

Everyone I spoke to at ewood was also very positive about our display against Chelsea.

You must be bloody joking?

OK, we passed well in patches, but never once looked like scoring.

If we had actually had scored, Chelsea would've just stepped up a notch.

Do you only talk to people once they've had 10 pints?

[LDRover]

Based on everyone I sit near to at Ewood - Blackburn End Lower, 100% of them are all happy with Ince and only feel its a matter of time until we get the win we need to kick start the season. Most are very happy with our football, but not the performance against Arsenal. Everyone I spoke to at ewood was also very positive about our display against Chelsea. Also all very happy with Ince's signings, in particular Villanueva & Robinson.

I sit BBE Lower too, I believe near you actually, one of us must have selective hearing. Does ABBEY not sit near the pair of us??

[Tris]

I sit BBE Lower too, I believe near you actually, one of us must have selective hearing. Does ABBEY not sit near the pair of us??

Abbey doesn't sit!! (But he is in N01!)

[gumboots]

Rubbish Gumboots.

The fans have nothing to do with the current situation.

What I see as people giving their opinions on the situation, - you see as people "moaning". Posts on this messageboard are indeed reflective of the general feeling of the fans IMO. Some people need to deal with the reality. Telling people that they shouldn't criticise or voice opinions on a messageboard, that a few have said doesn't reflect accurately the regular rovers fan, is naive in the extreme.

If things were rosy at Ewood, they would be rosy on here [and the LT and the official messageboard and at the ground].

so you're suggesting that playing in the negative atmosphere at ewood, when players are booed for getting the MOTM award as happened on sunday, is not contributing to the problems our team have. It's bad enough playing when you get no credit from the media for playing well, but players soon get used to that when they play for Rovers. You've linked 2 things i didn't. The moaning on here is one thing. the non support and negativity at the ground i another. On here you're allowed to moan but I still maintain that in the end it does no good. You're allowed to criticise players too but I think we might be making a big mistake if we do it during games. confidence plays a large part in performance and it cannot help playing at Ewood the way it is now. It's not to do with numbers, although falling crowds don't help, but it is to do with the atmosphere we create, and if it is such that a player is going to be booed for mistakes then sooner or later the mistakes become more frequent because the difference between a good pass or a bad one is not purely one of technique but of confidence.

[jim mk2]

It never has been a barometer of Rovers support. 16,000 ST holders are not represented by 3 dozen people who have embraced the soap box offered by the internet and can shout more loudly and more often than the other 3 dozen who may disagree with them but can't be arsed to get embroiled in the mess. Neither 3 dozen would be representative.

Disagree.

Those members expressing anxieties over Ince and their fears over Rovers's future under his stewardship reflect the general feeling in the clubs and pubs in the town. Talk to most Rovers fans and they will say the club has gone downhill in the past 6 months.

[Tris]

Disagree.

Those members expressing anxieties over Ince and their fears over Rovers's future under his stewardship reflect the general feeling in the clubs and pubs in the town. Talk to most Rovers fans and they will say the club has gone downhill in the past 6 months.

Which actual pubs and clubs are you referring to Jim?

[Neil Weaver]

Disagree.

Those members expressing anxieties over Ince and their fears over Rovers's future under his stewardship reflect the general feeling in the clubs and pubs in the town. Talk to most Rovers fans and they will say the club has gone downhill in the past 6 months.

Hmmmm, and pray remind us Jim, how would you know that?? You live around East Lancs then (I genuinely don't know, just that the only time you seem to comment first hand on seeing Rovers is when we play in the Midlands)?

[leftfooter]

Deliberately posting this now in the hope that a bunch of people can come on here and yah boo sucks at me after we have beaten Sunderland tonight with a vibrant display of attacking football without a single alarm at the back. I will be ecstatic if that is the case.

100% of us surely agree that results have been disappointing and that there are on-field problems that need to be sorted. Paul Ince did not inherit a squad that was aged or lacking in confidence or ability and my gut feel is that most supporters would say on football merits (forget being a small town punching above our weight) we under-performed against what the squad was actually capable of in coming 7th last season. 5th was definitely "doable".

The passionate division is between those who say give Ince a chance and those who think that giving Ince a chance is a increasingly resembling a one way ticket to the Championship.

Rovers' problem is we have this artificial device called the January transfer window looming which right now is working against both the club and Paul Ince.

The directors have a simple question to ask themselves- what has happened to restore their confidence in Paul Ince's transfer abilities at Premier League level that went missing in July and August?

If things are as bad as I think they are, Rovers have to make the decision quickly to change manager to give the new guy the chance to see the set-up at first hand and work with the whole of the January window. Rovers owe Ince no loyalty after the way he reacted to the Newcastle link when it first appeared. That's why I think the clock is ticking.

Whilst sceptical about Ince's appointment (mainly due to his derogatory comments about us when he was at Inter); once JW made his decision, I was of the opinion that we/the club should stand fully behind him.

I must agree however that recent results have been disappointing and at the time of writing this places a big question mark over Ince (more over his tactics than his acquisitions if you ask me).

I would just like to remind the critics however, that - if memory serves me well - we fired Roy Hodgson in November and still got relgated that season.

Further, as I stated on this thread just a few days ago, for those questioning the current training methods at Brockhall, Man City's injury list is just as bad, if not worse than ours. Nobody appears to be questioning Hughes' fitness regime at Eastlands (his tactics are another matter).

Knee-jerk reactions therefore should be avoided.

Just a caveat, which I have highlighted in bold; I don’t agree with your categorisation Philipl. The division is/was between the following:

1. Those (the silent majority in my opinion) that want Ince to succeed and despite lingering misgivings, are prepared to give the man a chance.

2. A small but vociferous coterie of malcontents, who from day one of his arrival at Brockhall have filled this MB with the most personal invective and bile against the man, long before a ball was kicked in anger.

3. Those who appear to see the appearance of Ince as akin to the arrival of the Hidden Imam heralding the dawn if an intolerant new world order (buckyrover & Imy please take a bow) - where even relegation is a virtue, as this would presage the Chosen One’s return at the head of the forces of righteousness and do battle with the forces of evil in one, final, apocalyptic battle.

There is a world of difference between the type of criticism cited by Philipl above, and the lynch mob mentality displayed by the likes of T4E and his sad sociopathic cronies.

The problem is, opinion on here seems to be dictated by a howling totalitarian fringe that castigates those in camp (2) as 'Paulettes & Hughes bashers', and those in camp (3) as apostates and heretics.

I suspect that the majority of opinion still stands in camp (1). If results don’t pick up towards Xmas however, the quiet tolerance and forbearance shown by most of us thus far will reach its limits.

[philipl]

That is very fair comment leftfooter.

I know Tris has inside access and his statement that everything is hunky-dory on the transfer front is very encouraging.

Unfortunately, it is at odds with what I am aware of, and unfortunately, the way things actually happened up until 31 August.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

That is very fair comment leftfooter.

I know Tris has inside access and his statement that everything is hunky-dory on the transfer front is very encouraging.

Unfortunately, it is at odds with what I am aware of, and unfortunately, the way things actually happened up until 31 August.

I believe what is missing is an "exciting " signing. A player who will immediately have an impact on the team, attendances, morale and more importantly results.

At the moment whilst we have some quality players, there is no one in particular who the casual fan would pay good money to watch.

If there is money available then it needs to be spent on a single outstanding player who will complement those we already have.

If he takes the whole transfer kitty then so be it. It will be worth it.

[broadsword]

I believe what is missing is an "exciting " signing.

There is absolutely zero feel-good factor about the club at the minute.

[ABBEY]

I sit BBE Lower too, I believe near you actually, one of us must have selective hearing. Does ABBEY not sit near the pair of us??

say hello i dont bite haha

Abbey doesn't sit!! (But he is in N01!)

i stand because everyone in front stands and i wouldnt be able to see otherwise.. is the official response tris haha

Abbey doesn't sit!! (But he is in N01!)

i stand because everyone in front stands and i wouldnt be able to see otherwise.. is the official response tris haha

[LDRover]

say hello i dont bite haha

That's not what I've heard.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Hmmmm, and pray remind us Jim, how would you know that?? You live around East Lancs then (I genuinely don't know, just that the only time you seem to comment first hand on seeing Rovers is when we play in the Midlands)?

I can guarantee you won't get an answer.

[The Prof.]

You must be bloody joking?

OK, we passed well in patches, but never once looked like scoring.

If we had actually had scored, Chelsea would've just stepped up a notch.

Do you only talk to people once they've had 10 pints?

Chelsea were under strict instructions not to get injured in the second half - Malouda did't listen ha ha!

You are questioning Inces ability in the transfer market but he was appointed at the end of June and he had no staff whatsoever so he had to assemble a backroom team, asses the players he has got and also look for new players at the same time.

I think he has been sensible in the transfer market, maybe he should have bought a right winger but Emerton has been one of our best players this season. If you look at who he has bought I think most of them have been decent.

Andrews - not everyone cup of tea but he has put in a couple of decent performances against Villa and West Brom and scored a goal. He has lacked agaisnt Man U, chelsea and Arsenal but that goes for most of the team.

Simpson - I think he has been superb, he is young talented kid who has played well this season.

Robinson - Replacement for a true Rovers legend, but so far so good.

Villenueva - He is on loan, Ince decided not to gamble 4 million quid until he had a good look at him. I think he has potential and he is already a crowd favourite. He is not the finished article but I hope we sign him.

Grella - He hasn't been fit since he has come here but he showed what he is capable of against boro. the jury is still out but in my opinion he looks decent.

Fowler - Fair enough, I can't understand why we got him but he is on a play as you pay deal until Jan. He did well in the Grimsby game but he has looked poor in premier league games.

Villenueva won't be signing permanently on current displays.

[BuckyRover]

I am not vociferously pro-Ince. It just annoyed me that a lot of people were giving him a hard time for no reason. I knew it would affect things in the long run. thenodrog, Den, T4E, jimmk2, Le Chuck have all been vehemently anti-Ince, I was just trying to counter it.

If I said there are a few things that have concerned me (which they have) we would be left with two camps. A very vocal anti-Ince group and a wait and see group. The only one that would be heard would be anti-Ince and eventually that side would prosper (I do actually believe this group would take great delight in seeing him fail).

My only crime, actively seeing the positive side, trying my best to put a positive spin on things, giving an opposing view.

I am very shocked that people think philipl is giving a balanced assessment. He has been against Ince from the very start, his saving grace is he dresses it up very well. Saying we aren't as good as Lecce?

Were Lecce playing in a downpour?

Are AC Milan as good as Chelsea (Look at the facts & figures and decide yourself)

Did Lecce replace their entire backroom staff and management team a couple of months ago?

Are many of their players out injured?

The two are not comparable, yet he tried to make it seem that way.That is not constructive criticism, it is reminiscent of the way the Daily Mail constructs it's arguments.

[ABBEY]

I am not vociferously pro-Ince.

OMG ....!!!!!!