[Archived] Sam Allardyce

[Blue blood]

My word the standard of journalism seems to be plummeting.

Hopefully rovers will disappoint the muppet who wrote the article with a convincing win tomorrow.

[DE.]

It's been a long time since "the standard of journalism" has resembled anything remotely decent. That article was good for a laugh, but it's shocking someone gets paid to write it.

[Guest Vinjay606]

If someone thinks BRFC should be challenging for Europe it's not an insult.

Just glanced at it and it was stated going from 19th to 17th isn't a revolution. That's true it isn't. Any manager of a reasonable competence would be expected to achieve at least that.

[DE.]

You're trying too hard, tone it down.

[sambo]

Vinjay, you're boring.

[gumboots]

If someone thinks BRFC should be challenging for Europe it's not an insult.

Just glanced at it and it was stated going from 19th to 17th isn't a revolution. That's true it isn't. Any manager of a reasonable competence would be expected to achieve at least that.

However, going from a team that was accelerating towards the Championship to a team that has it in their own hands to stay in the premier League is quite a revolution. We may not like how it's happening and we may think it's too close for comfort but the fact remains that quite frrankly if you'd offered me this position after the last time we played Wigan I'd have bitten your hand off for it.

[Eddie]

I honestly wouldn't have.

[DE.]

Is it you who believes Ince would have turned it around?

[Eddie]

If you'd forced me to stick all of my possessions on us staying up or going down at the time of Ince's sacking I would have gone for staying up. Having said that, I was totally in agreement with the decision to let him go, but I am yet to be convinced that Allardyce is any more suited to the job. We're better than we were, no doubt about it, but I think almost any new manager would have managed to do what Allardyce has done and there are probably dozens who would be doing a better job.

[DE.]

If you'd forced me to stick all of my possessions on us staying up or going down at the time of Ince's sacking I would have gone for staying up. Having said that, I was totally in agreement with the decision to let him go, but I am yet to be convinced that Allardyce is any more suited to the job. We're better than we were, no doubt about it, but I think almost any new manager would have managed to do what Allardyce has done and there are probably dozens who would be doing a better job.

Hmmm... I disagree. The players were clearly not playing for Ince by the end. The Wigan game was a joke, and a clear message from the players that they wanted Ince out. I still remember Valencia running through our team like they weren't even there. It wasn't right for the players to do that and I still harbour ill-will towards them over it, but I think they would have carried on that way until Ince was sacked or we were relegated.

Whilst there may be managers out there who could have done the same or better job than Sam, I'd be surprised if you could name half a dozen, let alone a dozen, who were willing to come to our club in December and would have achieved the same results as Sam. He wasn't my first choice in the summer and I don't like his style of play, but I really think he was the best candidate for the job at the time. He's stabilised our weak defence, tightened the team and made us hard to beat. Under Ince we were all over the show and easy to beat... by the time we sacked him the damage was too deep to try and "play" our way out of trouble... we had to do it the dirty way, the Big Sam way, and we probably will.

As for next season... it'll be interesting, regardless of the division we're in, though I imagine whether it be the Championship or the Premiership it'll be under the guidance of Big Sam, so everyone better get used to him. I get the feeling he's here to stay for a while.

[47er]

If you'd forced me to stick all of my possessions on us staying up or going down at the time of Ince's sacking I would have gone for staying up. Having said that, I was totally in agreement with the decision to let him go, but I am yet to be convinced that Allardyce is any more suited to the job. We're better than we were, no doubt about it, but I think almost any new manager would have managed to do what Allardyce has done and there are probably dozens who would be doing a better job.

You've said this more than once before. Its unprovable either way but for the record I think its total @#/?.

[gumboots]

I honestly wouldn't have.

The thing is you weren't there, and whilst i agree that that doesn't make you less of a fan and does not invalidate your point of view about most things Rovers, in this case i think it does. You didn't experience the almost tangible despair we felt as we trailed away from the ground in the dark after the match. we'd gone hoping and with very little effort Wigan trounced us. You could feel the confidence draining from the players and taste the atmosphere of gloom. You don't get that from your tv screen. At that point I think anyone, like them, their style of football, their manner, their team selection, or not, who could have guaranteed we'd still have a chance of premier league survival with 5 matches to go would have been welcome. I don't know who these managers you think could have done a better job are because, like all the players you say would be good for us and would come here you never name them. But we got what was available without needing to pay massive compensation, moving expenses or whatever and he's got us in a position where we can still hope to be in this league next year.

[BRFC1995]

If you'd forced me to stick all of my possessions on us staying up or going down at the time of Ince's sacking I would have gone for staying up. Having said that, I was totally in agreement with the decision to let him go, but I am yet to be convinced that Allardyce is any more suited to the job. We're better than we were, no doubt about it, but I think almost any new manager would have managed to do what Allardyce has done and there are probably dozens who would be doing a better job.

5pts adrift without a clue how to defend and shipping goals for fun, i was certain we'd be relegared after we last played wigan and in frustration at thinking ince still was'nt getting the overdue boot did go to skybet and bet on us getting relegated.

i sincerley don't want to win and if i was told after 7 or 8 straight defeats that in the next 16 games we'd only lose to utd,arsenal,villa,liverpool,and stoke (away) i'd have thought it impossible,

sams record 5W / 6D / 5D.......................El shambleshillbillyfraud of a managers record for his last 12 games 0W / 3D/ 9D

Some industrial strength rose tinted glasses you've got if you did'nt think the only place ince was taking us was relegated before march, its a pretty poor show that 2 defeats in 2 difficult games has you wanting the manager out but after inces last 12 games felt we were in a good place,

wind up merchant much.

[The Prof.]

From the comments section below the article:

The off road driving was won by El Hadji Diouf - he'd had a bit of practice. He put his victory down to hard work, dedication and the 2 bottles of champagne he'd drunk beforehand.

With the shooting, no-one managed to hit the target.

Pedersen did however shoot the instructor... once again struggling to get past the first man. Vince Grella managed to fall over a divot on the green while playing golf, he was doubtful for the pony rides.

Benni McCarthy has not been seen, however the Gleneagles restaraunt has reported an unusual surge in profits.

I heard RSC was claiming he was as good as Tiger Woods to anyone that would listen but was refusing to play and prove it!

BFS was hitting the ball a long way but only up in the air.

What an absolute joke! I have just read Santa Cruz's comments about wanting to leave the club and now I read that they are all off on their jollies, team building with part time mind coaches.

I have wasted so much money on watching this bunch over the season and all we get is the cr@p that got served up at the weekend and comments about useless injury prone money grabbers wanting to go to bigger clubs.

I wish I got sent to Gleneagles for underperforming. Absoutely disgusted with the state of our beloved club!!!

Quality!

He is probably down south to watch one of our rival teams tomorrow - but oh no...lets put him up against a wall and shoot him

Luxury trip - was paid by PLAYER FINES

So the more you behave badly the better your break -mmm.......

[ABBEY]

spank me

[Stuart]

The thing is you weren't there, and whilst i agree that that doesn't make you less of a fan and does not invalidate your point of view about most things Rovers, in this case i think it does. You didn't experience the almost tangible despair we felt as we trailed away from the ground in the dark after the match. we'd gone hoping and with very little effort Wigan trounced us. You could feel the confidence draining from the players and taste the atmosphere of gloom. You don't get that from your tv screen. At that point I think anyone, like them, their style of football, their manner, their team selection, or not, who could have guaranteed we'd still have a chance of premier league survival with 5 matches to go would have been welcome. I don't know who these managers you think could have done a better job are because, like all the players you say would be good for us and would come here you never name them. But we got what was available without needing to pay massive compensation, moving expenses or whatever and he's got us in a position where we can still hope to be in this league next year.

Spot on.

[Blue blood]

In the past few weeks I've been pretty disappointed with the tosh that's been served up at rovers. It's been bad - there's no denying that.

HOWEVER - is it any worse than under Ince? No.

We've picked up points, put in a few good performances, and for every dire performance we've had, we've had one where we've been effective and picked up some points.

Remember it's still the same shower that Ince had to work with. Plus Sam has had far more injury problems then Ince had, and has been unlucky with injuries by anyone's standards. Some were down to the old managers buying/picking crocks, whilst others were downright unlucky. Having emerton and/or roberts would give the team an entirely different feel.

Additionally the players Sam has brought in have made a massive difference to the team. Diouf and Givet have both played well for us, and cost virtually nothing in todays market. I warrent that had Sam more time - to ship people out - or resources - trustees giving money to help our dire situation - just think what even another 1 or 2 players of the quality of Diouf or Givet could do to the side.

I'm not saying he's blameless, and there's a few games and things I think he has to answer for. However in the circumstances compaired to when he joined, and what he has achieved the entire time he's been here (not just the past couple of weeks) I think there are grounds to be encouraged and think that we have got a good manager.

[The Prof.]

I think the mess under Ince will take some time to work out of the system. If he'd said 'the football will be rubbish but we'll stay up' after the last Wigan game you all would

a. Struggled to believe we'd stay up anyway,

b. have snatched his hand off,

As it is barring a miracle in the NE we should stay up. Two more wins and we stay up and have ONLY bought time. The squad still needs serious restructuring and drastic surgery. But Allardyce would have achieved the near impossible by keeping us up. Lets see what happens today!

[tashor]

If you'd forced me to stick all of my possessions on us staying up or going down at the time of Ince's sacking I would have gone for staying up. Having said that, I was totally in agreement with the decision to let him go, but I am yet to be convinced that Allardyce is any more suited to the job. We're better than we were, no doubt about it, but I think almost any new manager would have managed to do what Allardyce has done and there are probably dozens who would be doing a better job.

We had absolutely no chance of staying up under Ince - he himself said he had no intention of changing our style of play. We left huge holes in our half of the pitch that meant we would have to score a hatfull to compensate for the flood of goals conceded. All BSA did initially was to push up the back four and drop the midfield back. The gaps disappeared and we have stopped conceding many goals except when we have conceded games to the top four without trying. Sat behind our goal first half at Wigan any idiot could see the problem. Ince was not that idiot. He HAD to go........the challenge for Sam next season will be to work on a system/players to create more chances while keeping things tight at the back.

[Tom]

For me Sam has done a much much better job than Ince however we csn't fully judge until we know where we're playing next season, if he keeps us up for me he's a legend, if not well not so much.

[Guest Vinjay606]

Legend's going a bit overboard. He's moved some way towards accomplishing something that any reasonably competent manager could do if they inherited a similar position.

If Portsmouth can survive while having Brian Kidd associated with them it's not that major an achievement.

I regard this season as failure whether the club stays in this league or not.

[gumboots]

Legend's going a bit overboard. He's moved some way towards accomplishing something that any reasonably competent manager could do if they inherited a similar position.

If Portsmouth can survive while having Brian Kidd associated with them it's not that major an achievement.

I regard this season as failure whether the club stays in this league or not.

It's not failure. It's just one to forget, or at least not forget as we need to make sure we don't let the same things happen again, but to write off. It will be failure if we don't stay up.

[tony gale's mic]

If Portsmouth can survive while having Brian Kidd associated with them it's not that major an achievement.

Yes, because NO other club has ever attained success with Brian Kidd playing a major role have they?!

Anyway, latest league table since Sam took charge, it's something I have a look at every time we win under Sam these days as I feel it cheers you up a bit more than looking at the actual table, and is a fairer measure too:

[FourLaneBlue]

Ince and Allardyce have both now had 17 league games at Rovers.

Under Ince...Played 17 Points 13

Under Allardyce...Played 17 Points 24

I think that says it all.

[Guest Vinjay606]

It says he's relatively more competent at management than Ince which isn't difficult.