[Archived] Paul's Progress

[dingles staying down 4ever]

The second half yesterday was totally unacceptable, comfortably the low point of the season to date.

And that's where my head is on the matter - that has to be THE lowest point or it is game over. For me, Ince is on a rolling final warning of one game. Not 3, not 5, but next Sunday against Spurs.

There, we need to see a total reversal of attitude and application from the players, a performance to be proud of AND a result. I don't care that some will be away until Friday on international duty, that excuse has been exhausted. Spurs are still below us in the table, and a defeat there would be the final straw for me.

If Ince can pull that one off, then he deserves a crack at Portsmouth the following weekend, and if the signs remain good then the Quarter Final at Old Trafford and the Liverpool home game as well. Ewood will be a hell of a lot happier on December 6th if those three away games bring in 6 points and a cup Semi Final place.

The "back or sack" poll is revealing, running as it is at approx 60% v 30%. I'd have guessed at 95% v 5% given the weight of posting against the manager, although having said that, it's still the same vocal stuck records who never wanted Ince in the first place who are still making all the noise on here. It seems many readers ignore the crap, but it clearly snowballs as the vultures feed off each others glee at being the biggest Ince critics.

From the unsubstantiated rumours to the open trolling by 2 or 3 prats who break the rules every time they post on here - the groundswell of anti-Ince sentiment on this MB has been a disgrace on what is a SUPPORTERS site - to the extent that I understand it is no longer respected as a barometer of fans views in circles where we would like to think it should be.

One abysmal 45 minute spell of football has diminished my opinion of Paul Ince but I will continue to dismiss all the rubbish which is being bandied around as fact on here. My feelings on the matter will hinge on what happens on the pitch at WHL next Sunday, and I will repeat what I started with - ATTITUDE, PERFORMANCE and RESULT. Nothing less will do.

Up until Saturday afternoon I'd have agreed with you but that second half performance was terrifying. I think that performance showed that Ince has not got the full support of the playing staff which is several nails in his coffin. It is for that reason my views on Ince have changed and suspect a change in management style is needed.

If Radio Rovers is correct and there was a heated meeting between players and management then it hopefully will have cleared the air. If his personality skills are similar to when he was a player I suspect it may have made the matters worse.

[Athlete]

he has to go - dont think he had the players on side even before a ball was kicked this season

the heated discussion will probably have made matters worse !

his tactics are nil , he isn't surrounded by premier league backroom staff so he can't be assisted proper , he hasnt the qualifications required by the PL .

I have never felt so bad since the Kidd days he has to go !

[jonv]

tris +1

[Rover4ever]

I am thinking he will be required to bring in at least 2 points from the 2 away games.

The only way I think he will survive beyond 2 defeats is if we dominate the game and then have flukey penalties given against us in the 90th minute.....

[broadsword]

I wonder what Darren Lewis is saying now?

The Daily Mirror scribe you mouthed off about how Ince was teh best man for teh job, that little old Blackburn Rovers should be grateful that he's willing to come to us blah blah blah.

Or mouthy Ian Wright saying how Ince would succeed because he's a winner, blah blah blah.

[den]

I'll go with most of what Tris says. Just a couple of comments to add to them.

Firstly - the poll not reflecting the posts. Well that's no different to anywhere else really. The people who are not happy with something, whatever it is, are the one's who complain. The happier people tend not to post. So yes the comments/posts are probably exagerated. There's no doubt in my mind though, that the majority of fans have very grave doubts about the direction the club has taken since Ince's appointment.

Secondly, Tris says: the groundswell of anti-Ince sentiment on this MB has been a disgrace on what is a SUPPORTERS site - to the extent that I understand it is no longer respected as a barometer of fans views in circles where we would like to think it should be.

The views being aired on here are the exact same views being aired elsewhere. The boos on Saturday, and before that, at Ewood? The comments to Radio Rovers? The comments in the LT? The comments of people in general wherever you talk to them?

If the club don't think the fans on here are worth listening to, if they think they're not representative whatsoever of rovers fans in general, then they're in for a shock if things don't turn around on the pitch. Do the club only take note of comments on here when things are going well?

I'd still love Ince to turn things around, but can he? I dunno. One things for sure Tris, he/the team have got to show something soon.

[gumboots]

I'll go with most of what Tris says. Just a couple of comments to add to them.

Firstly - the poll not reflecting the posts. Well that's no different to anywhere else really. The people who are not happy with something, whatever it is, are the one's who complain. The happier people tend not to post. So yes the comments/posts are probably exagerated. There's no doubt in my mind though, that the majority of fans have very grave doubts about the direction the club has taken since Ince's appointment.

Secondly, Tris says: the groundswell of anti-Ince sentiment on this MB has been a disgrace on what is a SUPPORTERS site - to the extent that I understand it is no longer respected as a barometer of fans views in circles where we would like to think it should be.

The views being aired on here are the exact same views being aired elsewhere. The boos on Saturday, and before that, at Ewood? The comments to Radio Rovers? The comments in the LT? The comments of people in general wherever you talk to them?

If the club don't think the fans on here are worth listening to, if they think they're not representative whatsoever of rovers fans in general, then they're in for a shock if things don't turn around on the pitch. Do the club only take note of comments on here when things are going well?

I'd still love Ince to turn things around, but can he? I dunno. One things for sure Tris, he/the team have got to show something soon.

a very measured post Den and one with which I fully agree. I have very much wanted Ince to succeed not because of who he is or anything about him but because his success would be ours and I sensed a very real feeling of excitement and enthusiasm in him when he was appointed. However, without the fans Rovers are nothing and if he is losing the fans who were with him at the start of the season you do have to wonder whether he can turn things round. I'm still not for immediate sacking for reasons I've outlined elsewhere, but I would hope fervently that our board are looking elsewhere so that if they do sack him they do have someone ready to take over very quickly. I'd still love Ince to turn it round but I can't remember many performances as bad as that one in Saturday's second half, and the prospect of his being able to get the team playing better begins to look more unlikely with each performance.

[thenodrog]

(and before you try to twist my words two steps back is NOT relegation)

.

If the season finished today we would be relegated imy. Thats not word twisting that is fact as it stands.

[hawkiiz]

get allardyce. simple as that.

if ince dont have backing from the players, he is no use. dont let him spend the money in january

[kinney]

im not impressed so far, he seems to be making the wrong decisions.

il be surprised if we pick up more than 1 point in the next 3 games, and with other team around us picking up points, it can only get worse. there is no team like a derby or a watford were they are already dead and buried, so the relegation area is always alive and i dont think we have the organisation, quality or the passion to push on up the table. Time and time again we are just lumping the ball up the santa cruz, with roberts in no mans land doing bugger all, and we get nothing. warnock needs to be back at left back, he isnt suited to the centre midfield role, there was 3 occasions were warnock was completely asleep against sunderland, it isnt looking good. we need to be beating the teams around us, and if we cant beat sunderland at home, then who can we beat?

we are playing sam allardyce style football, it isnt attractive. i wouldnt mind if we were picking up points, but were not doing that either. too many 2nd rate signings.

keith andrews (maybe in the wrong division)

robbie fowler (enough said)

grella (havnt seen much, always injured, but doesnt look like a 4 million quid player)

carlos villa doesnt seem to have a set position, not sure whether 5 million represents value for money, but its another big decision for ince.

we need a david bentley replacement. its not good playing pedersen on the right, we need a quality signing to come in on the right hand side and provide for santa, otherwise hel be on his way.

on a positive note, danny simpson is looking a good player, shame hes on loan. should look into signing him when is loan is up. emerton always gives 110%. good to see zurab in the team, lets hope he keeps his place in the team.

its brian kidd all over again! we are in the relegation zone and we are constantly getting worse.

rant over.

[Eddie]

get allardyce. simple as that.

if ince dont have backing from the players, he is no use. dont let him spend the money in january

Why is it that everyone here seems to think that Ince doesn't have the backing of the players?

[CrazyIvan]

Why is it that everyone here seems to think that Ince doesn't have the backing of the players?

It's a rumour spread around by a couple on here that has been jumped on as fact and used to bash Ince as usual.

[kinney]

it was reported in the daily mail pre season, that some players walked out of training. apparently bents was involved after being asked to do some press ups or sumat.

of course, it was only rumour.

when youv had a manager like hughes, when the organisation and team spirit was second to none, its pretty bad stepping down to ince. he may have experienced guys around him, but at the end of the day, hes the manager.

no fight, theyv rolled over against the big teams so far. the big 4 used to hate coming to ewood, they knew they might win, but they knew they would always get a good game and a battle.

[gumboots]

It's a rumour spread around by a couple on here that has been jumped on as fact and used to bash Ince as usual.

I'm not into Ince-bashing as you know but I think he's beginning to lose the confidence of the players. that's from personal observation and not from rumours I've heard or anything like that. They look like any success they have had is down to them and on saturday then didn't seem to be confident that they were going to get help from the management team in terms of encouragement and tactics and when they lost their way there was no guidance coming from the sidelines. I know a manager can only do so much from the bench but he can still get messages across and if the players believe in him then they will try to do what he suggests.

[Iceman]

again, how do you expect to gain the support of the players, when you play them out of position every week. As a player, you would feel really hard done by when you a central midfielder, and you are asked to play as a goalkeeper, and then make a mistake and get dropped for it.

[T4E]

It's a rumour spread around by a couple on here that has been jumped on as fact and used to bash Ince as usual.

It's nothing of the sort.

A few people have been good enough to share what they've heard from various sources. Some people have dismissed this out of hand purely because they haven't read it on SkySports.com. Others have accepted it as a possibility. Not one person has stated it as absolute undeniable fact.

It never ceases to amazes me that those who previously advocated the "balanced view" seem happy to pick and choose when that theory is applied.

[almuncle]

again, how do you expect to gain the support of the players, when you play them out of position every week. As a player, you would feel really hard done by when you a central midfielder, and you are asked to play as a goalkeeper, and then make a mistake and get dropped for it.

That explains a lot,,, Put Roberts back in the goals then..does look xxxx as a striker now you mention it

[RevidgeBlue]

It's nothing of the sort.

A few people have been good enough to share what they've heard from various sources. Some people have dismissed this out of hand purely because they haven't read it on SkySports.com.

Like you said that was nothing of the sort either.

A few people have chosen to post unsubstantiated rumour whilst declining to cite any of their sources which is why most have chosen to dismiss said "information" out of hand.

[T4E]

Not citing a source, whether it's because something has been said in confidenitality, or whether what has been said is just rumour going round, is not a reason to keep information to yourself.

As long as everyone looks on these things as what they are - rumours, unproven either way - then hysteria shouldn't come as a result.

[CrazyIvan]

It's nothing of the sort.

A few people have been good enough to share what they've heard from various sources. Some people have dismissed this out of hand purely because they haven't read it on SkySports.com. Others have accepted it as a possibility. Not one person has stated it as absolute undeniable fact.

It never ceases to amazes me that those who previously advocated the "balanced view" seem happy to pick and choose when that theory is applied.

It's the use of 'sources' without ever providing any evidence. Actually, this latest rumour has not come from any 'sources' but has been posted on here by one or two and picked up as fact. I prefer to believe things that happen rather than someone telling me that such a person has said such a thing to another person who passed it on to them etc etc...

[T4E]

I agree with you Ivan - anyone declaring such things as fact deserves to be ignored. But by the same token, insisting they must be wrong because evidence cannot be presented is in no way balanced.

For me, the content of the rumours is largely irrelevant. What bothers me is that it is indicative of the situation we are in. I cannot remember such rumours circulating at any point during Hughes' tenure. If we were performing to our capabilities and sitting in mid-table at worst, I don't imagine such things would be seeing the light of day.

[AussieinUk]

For me, the content of the rumours is largely irrelevant. What bothers me is that it is indicative of the situation we are in. I cannot remember such rumours circulating at any point during Hughes' tenure. If we were performing to our capabilities and sitting in mid-table at worst, I don't imagine such things would be seeing the light of day.

Thank you T4E.. I think most don't give a crap about these 'rumours'.. I am worried by the team performances and the subsequent results.

[CrazyIvan]

I agree with you Ivan - anyone declaring such things as fact deserves to be ignored. But by the same token, insisting they must be wrong because evidence cannot be presented is in no way balanced.

For me, the content of the rumours is largely irrelevant. What bothers me is that it is indicative of the situation we are in. I cannot remember such rumours circulating at any point during Hughes' tenure. If we were performing to our capabilities and sitting in mid-table at worst, I don't imagine such things would be seeing the light of day.

My original point still stands then. I didn't say that these rumours were right or wrong but that they had been taken as gospel and used to bash Ince as usual. That's it.

[T4E]

Who is taking them as gospel?

[gazsimm]

I have backed Paul Ince every time on here, but Saturday's performance was one of the worst displays i have seen from Rovers at Ewood, which is very worrying. His team selection baffled me, why did he play Oojier at left, when Warnock could have played there and Tugay could have played in midfield instead. Santa Cruz was not fit as well which did not help cause and Danny Simpson is just not good enough i am affraid.