[Archived] Middlesbrough Preview

[BuckyRover]

I'm being reactive not pro-active.

People talk about Fowler ALL THE TIME.

He is just a squad player. Don't get so fret up. It is as if people think he is the devil incarnate or something. No he is not as good as he used to be, no he is not good enough for a first team start, but is he good on the training ground and good enought to be a squad player; YES HE IS.

Most of the pleasure I take from this board is smugness in knowing Ince won't be sacked anytime soon, and that all the doom merchants are just going to have to deal with it.

What i am not looking forward to is his inevitable move to another club when he does start to do well.

[CrazyIvan]

I did it deliberately because I think the Ince can do no wrong camp are probably driving some of the anti-Ince vitriol on here which issimplya reaction to their nonsense which is every bit as hyperbolic as some of Frisky Jim's caustic contributions.

Comparing Larsson so unfavourably is asking for a heap of trouble. You forgot he left Celtic to join Barcelona where he was a success, that he was averaging a goal every other game at Helsingborgs (24 in 51) and then was only on loan at Man U where he scored 3 in 7.

That is one heck of a lot more distinguished than Robbie F's recent career but nobody would be more pleased than me if Robbie starts knocking in a goal every other appearance for Rovers.

I have been 100% consistent on Ince- he is a very mixed bunch at the moment and there are serious issues still unresolved.

Who is in this mystical 'Ince can do no wrong' camp then? I haven't actually seen one yet. I don't think anything anybody else says on here would have any impact on the very firm Ince haters. Ince deserves praise when he does something well and criticism when something he does is proven to be a bad idea and many of us will do both. Some people have agenda's and that is plainly obvious. Whilst I may not agree with people regarding the Fowler situation I don't their opinions are anything like as ridiculous as Frisky Jim about JW and I can't think of anything else you can throw at those people.

For what it's worth, in my opinion Larsson was a very good striker and Fowler hasn't got a patch on him and probably never will have.

I've seen you change your mind so often it's funny. Other people have seen it too. It's better to shut up then it is to put forward an opinion you change your mind on a day later unless you actually come out and say 'I was wrong'.

'Serious issues still unresolved'? What are they then?

[den]

I find these two sentences coming from you to be comical and utterly ironic. Again you use the 'Paulette' tag for a Rovers fan who dares to be positive about the club, it's insulting and childish.

I'll take the "credit" for the Paulette tag CrazyIvan.

I used it in first, in response to people calling me and anyone else who dared to suggest that not everything in the garden was rosy - anti Ince. It's just not on suggesting that Ince might have made a mistake or two is it?. Oh no! Mustn't say anything negative eh?

Now you don't like the name "Paulette"? Maybe you can see the other side of the picture.

EDIT: there you go again in the post above - "Ince haters"

[Mr Creosote]

For the muppet slating SAF for signing Larssen- Henke is 1000 times the player Fowler ever was. He delivered at all levels over at least a 7 year period whereas Fowler was goodish for a couple of seasons. If I had the choice now, I'd say Larssen would still get more goals in the Premiership than Fowler can. At least he's fit and interested. Something Fowler hasn't been for YEARS (Liverpoo first time around?)

Fowler at his pomp was a better striker than Larssen.

[CrazyIvan]

I'll take the "credit" for the Paulette tag CrazyIvan.

I used it in first, in response to people calling me and anyone else who dared to suggest that not everything in the garden was rosy - anti Ince. It's just not on suggesting that Ince might have made a mistake or two is it?. Oh no! Mustn't say anything negative eh?

Now you don't like the name "Paulette"? Maybe you can see the other side of the picture.

EDIT: there you go again in the post above - "Ince haters"

I know it was you who created that tag and I've posted as such previously.

I'm not sure if the next sentence is aimed at me or not as I've never said everything is rosy in the garden. I don't see Fowler being a success and I have no idea why he is there, I waited to see before making my mind up on that one but I have made myself clear. No manager has a divine right to be supported in everything he does as no manager is every right all of the time. I do think Ince deserves our support though, he is Rovers manager for now and the foreseable future.

I do see the other side of the picture and I would not class you as a 'very firm Ince hater'. You might criticise and I might disagree with you but I don't think you're as vitriolic as some and I also don't think you have an agenda like some.

[Mr Creosote]

Wouldn't that be much more accurate in the good old days when we all payed cash?

Larsson wasn't found getting splinters in his arse from Cardiff's subs bench was he?

No, he was playing for the mighty Helsingborgs. sheesh

[ABBEY]

Warnock thought the first half was the best we've played all season. I think he's not far out with that assessment.

We're you ######?

Edit : Drunk

not had a beer before a game for 3 seasons now.We played some decent passing but we lack as i said earlier oooooomph.There were quite a few who left at half time because they were bored and have been all season.Some stayed downstairs and some said they were staying in the blues bar.WE SHOULD BE BEATING THE LIKES OF BOLTON AND BORO,especially as ince and other people said we CANT beat the likes of chelsea ,arsenal or utd.

What I dont like /accept is one up front ,never have never will.We also dont "fight " enough when we lose possesion its like we wait for a mistake from the opposition.Some on this thread have had a go at the crowd but is not up to the team to provide entertainment and get the crowd going or is it down to the fans to get the team going?

[philipl]

Who is in this mystical 'Ince can do no wrong' camp then? I haven't actually seen one yet. I don't think anything anybody else says on here would have any impact on the very firm Ince haters. Ince deserves praise when he does something well and criticism when something he does is proven to be a bad idea and many of us will do both. Some people have agenda's and that is plainly obvious. Whilst I may not agree with people regarding the Fowler situation I don't their opinions are anything like as ridiculous as Frisky Jim about JW and I can't think of anything else you can throw at those people.

For what it's worth, in my opinion Larsson was a very good striker and Fowler hasn't got a patch on him and probably never will have.

I've seen you change your mind so often it's funny. Other people have seen it too. It's better to shut up then it is to put forward an opinion you change your mind on a day later unless you actually come out and say 'I was wrong'.

'Serious issues still unresolved'? What are they then?

Try reading

[Ozz]

Paul and the Paulettes recently. Names to the faces please

[LDRover]

Don't particularly want to add fire to the tiff between you and Hughesey but you claim on the one hand you're not blaming Ince yet on the other you say the football is not exciting.

Whose fault is it then? Mark Hughes'? Dalglish's? Howard Kendall's?

Edit: To balance the debate up in one of Hughesey's posts (which seems to have been removed) he expressed the view your previous LT column was poor and that JW wasn't happy with some of your output. Well if JW wasn't happy with some of your columns that seemingly makes two of us, and I think your column was a lot better than the current ones of John Myles which I think are pretty poor.

It's not really a criticism of Ince Simon, in fact at times this season it's been better than Hughes' stuff without a doubt. All I'm trying to say is that if the football on show was as entertaining as some seem to think there would be more willing to get down to Ewood to witness it.

At times it's good, at times it's not but on balance it's OK. I can see passages of play that are a world away from late last season's bilge but I can also see periods in games when the stuff on show is mind numbing - I can appreciate it takes time to change and it's a balancing act between points and performance but IMO it's not entertaining...as yet anyway.

[BuckyRover]

Paul and the Paulettes recently. Names to the faces please

ey up!

Not in my Lancashire!

[waggy]

i think blaming ince for the low crowds is as low as any rovers fan can go.under hughes the gates were going down,that was successfull football.

[CrazyIvan]

Try reading

I do a lot of that philipl. Seems you don't...

[AggyBlue]

Paul and the Paulettes

They should do a version of the Wild Rover.

[Exiled_Rover]

No, he was playing for the mighty Helsingborgs. sheesh

If I remember correctly that was his choice - he promised to end his career with them. Plenty of top clubs still wanted him when he agreed to join them.

[JAL]

Revidge and JAL, are you saying the transfer budget target for this summer was to make an £8m profit?

Irrespective of the £16m jump in free Sky cash (after netting out the budgeted wage increase to £40m), the £4m profit on Manager dealingsand the £3m the Trustees put in to boost the transfer pot?

Re making an £8m profit if I was the owner why not seems like an excellent return then put the lack of spending on the new managers head until he settles in - good strategy.

As a typical Blackburn fan and probably shared by the Walkers we want something for next to nothing which is nothing new, but there was strong rumours coming from people close to the top of the Ewood park tree that the money the trustees were putting was a publicity stunt to keep the fans off their backs you Philipl have maintained that thought and have consistently deflected criticism onto Paul Ince for lack of spending.

Many posters on here will know that i've knocked Paul Ince in the past but on the viewpoint of Ince not splashing the cash sorry that just doesnt wash with me though come January the real truth will come out if Rovers spend withpout having to sell Roque then i'll be proved wrong but until then I stand by what I say.

They have got some cash but the football world should be readjusting itself regarding fees and wages so going in a complete circle I hope Rovers dont waste money for the sake of it.

[waggy]

ince has signed fowler and andrews,squad players just like the axe and brener.they did not play in this game but dominate the thread,surely fans should stick to the topic.we all know rovers will never spend big again,we shop in the bargian basement and any manger who keeps the club in the premier whilst doing this,desrves credit.IF ROVERS FANS CANNOT GET USED TO THE FACT WE WILL NOT SPEND 8/9/10/15/20/25/30 MILLION ON PLAYERS GO AND SUPPORT MAN UTD

[Exiled in Toronto]

Re making an £8m profit if I was the owner why not seems like an excellent return then put the lack of spending on the new managers head until he settles in - good strategy.

As a typical Blackburn fan and probably shared by the Walkers we want something for next to nothing which is nothing new, but there was strong rumours coming from people close to the top of the Ewood park tree that the money the trustees were putting was a publicity stunt to keep the fans off their backs you Philipl have maintained that thought and have consistently deflected criticism onto Paul Ince for lack of spending.

Many posters on here will know that i've knocked Paul Ince in the past but on the viewpoint of Ince not splashing the cash sorry that just doesnt wash with me though come January the real truth will come out if Rovers spend withpout having to sell Roque then i'll be proved wrong but until then I stand by what I say.

They have got some cash but the football world should be readjusting itself regarding fees and wages so going in a complete circle I hope Rovers dont waste money for the sake of it.

That's my view also. I think it ties in with the club being told by prospective buyers that their asking price as too high, by 10 million did Nicko tell us? OK then, squeeze 10 million out in dividends from a windfall Bentley fee and the extra Sky money and sell for 10 million less - job's a good 'un!

[imy9]

Oh dear, now we have a Paulette suggesting Larson was in some way an inadequate player.

Um he was not great player:

101 Caps- 37 goals

Seven years in Scotland, what a great league to score goals in!!

Man Utd 7 games 3 goals

Barcelona 40 games 13 goals

Fowler:

fourth highest goal scorer in PL history.

30 goals three seasons on the bounce in a top league.

Whatever reservations people have about Fowler as a person ,as a striker he was exceptional, second only to Shearer as a finisher.

[philipl]

We'll just have to agree to disagree yet again.

[imy9]

Fair enough but the stats certainly support Fowler

[thenodrog]

For what it's worth, in my opinion Larsson was a very good striker and Fowler hasn't got a patch on him and probably never will have.

Crikey! You're stiking your neck out a bit there Ivan!

[thenodrog]

Fowler:

fourth highest goal scorer in PL history.

30 goals three seasons on the bounce in a top league.

Whatever reservations people have about Fowler as a person ,as a striker he was exceptional, second only to Shearer as a finisher.

Good comparison Imy. Both are very wealthy in their own right but note that Shearer had the sense and dignity to retire at the top rather than sit on somebody's bench every week until his reputation was in tatters and he was classed as a joke figure by his teams own and opposition fans alike.

[BuckyRover]

I don't know about that.

I laugh at Shearer and his pseudo-punditry every time I see him

[thenodrog]

I don't know about that.

I laugh at Shearer and his pseudo-punditry every time I see him

I bet Shearer would laugh at your salary too Bucky, even if it is mega bucks to you.