[Archived] Sam Allardyce

[Eddie]

To many teams are playing survival football, and unfortunately to many fans accept negative football as the norm, just so long as their club is still in the top flight.

100% agree.

[tonygreenbank]

It is interesting what a footballer like James Milner has to say about BFS. These are the people I listen to who are involved in the day to day running of a club.Tony Cascarino said much the same in the Times some weeks ago when he said which manager would supporters want to get their club out of a crisis Southgate,Mowbray,Hughton,Brown,Sbragia,Hart or Allardyce? His answer was Big Sam as he has the personality and the experience to see it through. So far so good.

As for the future I can recall that Bolton blossomed under him and were more than a hoof it up team. I hope for the same for us but there will have to be a huge turn around in personnel. I have confidence that he will get the right players that he wants to play his way next season.

[brightonrover]

Successful survival football is always better to watch than failing flowing football though. I'd much rather watch our team play hoofball and create chances/score goals than pass the ball around West Brom style and keep losing games.

Put it this way - I think we know which style out of Ince and Allardyce we prefer watching.

Well, I don't mind putting up with hoofball for the moment, to get us out of the relegation mire but I don't want to be watching this kind of rubbish for any longer than is necessary.

If i have to, I'll be turning up to next seasons games with a bloody book to read because I can't get any satisfaction or enjoyment from seeing the game played this way.

[Amo]

Did we even play good stuff with Ince's surrender football? I remember a few bright sparks, but we were all over the place and lacked any real organisation or discipline. Some people imply he was taking us down Galactico-style.

[gillibrand]

It is all about horses for courses, just look at City a hearty farty continental manager would work wonders there with a open sack of cash, but here it's about wheeling and dealing and knowing the British leagues inside out with plenty of contacts, Simples.

[imy9]

If he makes us a top 10 side every season than I won't, but I haven't seen anything from him in his last two jobs to suggest that he is capable of doing that (albeit two rather small sample sizes). Here's to him proving me wrong.

Bolton were a top EIGHT side for the time Sam was there having left them in 5th place late in the season when he left, that suggests that he can do it at Rovers as the budget will be similar.

Sam took over a side conceding nearly two goals a game and getting beaten consistantly, he has done a remarkable job, Spurs and West Ham despite their positions in the league still spent millions of pounds on new players, Sam purchased Diouf and Givet (who has been immense), having also sent Derbyshire on loan to pay for them.

[Eddie]

It is all about horses for courses, just look at City a hearty farty continental manager would work wonders there with a open sack of cash, but here it's about wheeling and dealing and knowing the British leagues inside out with plenty of contacts, Simples.

That's my problem; everyone seems to think that a European manager requires millions and has no idea how to get a side organised and playing something similar to "British" football. Such a stupid belief. I suppose it was Allardyce's contacts in the British game that allowed him to bring in Givet?

[Amo]

Why are we even debating this? I'd understand if we were still rooted in the relegation zone, but Sam is very close to achieving the job he was hired to do.

[SoccerHQ]

Did we even play good stuff with Ince's surrender football? I remember a few bright sparks, but we were all over the place and lacked any real organisation or discipline. Some people imply he was taking us down Galactico-style.

I thought you tried to play good football under Ince, there was the game at Villa Park in October when you passed us off the pitch for most of the game but as ever under Ince defensive ineptitude let you down and gave us a win.

Still quite surprised a lot want him out as I think with a bit of an overhaul, he'll get you top 10 next season and the football will be better.

[daveoftherovers]

Sam will keep us up and we'll love him for it, end of.

p.s. If he brings in more Givet's then of course there is hope next year, and you can plainly Joofy is apparently the one beating the drum in the dressing room, the guys at the back are starting to look more stable, Robinson is improving and the atmosphere at the ground has. So, in summary, it's not half as bad as it appears...

[gillibrand]

That's my problem; everyone seems to think that a European manager requires millions and has no idea how to get a side organised and playing something similar to "British" football. Such a stupid belief. I suppose it was Allardyce's contacts in the British game that allowed him to bring in Givet?

You have a very high opinion of yourself, when you were last down at Ewood Park did it never occur to you that it would be hard for a Continental manager to fit in down here and also if a manager came to Blackburn from anther country he would probably want to bring in players that he had previous experience with, what amount of money would it take and would foreign players settle in the Blackburn area?

[bob fleming]

Why are we even debating this?

The mnd boggles doesn't it? Sure it's not pretty but we've half a bloody squad missing. Santa Cruz, Roberts, Derbyshire, Gallagher, leaving us with one "fit" striker in McCarthy.

Then there's Dunny, injured for most of the season - same with Reid and Emerton. You could quite easily start with those three in midfield (when fit. OK, if ever again fit) and it's a massive improvement on what we have now.

We've no right back, one of our first choice centre halves playing up front, a 38 year old (albeit a legend) in midfield who's unfortunately on his last legs, a player who was plying his trade in League 2 last season, our "star" signing from last summer has started just 10 league games and Morten Gamst Pedersen who may score again in 2011.

It'll be fantastic if we stop up but we'll limp over the line. The fact that Sam hasn't got this lot playing like Brazil 1970 really shoudn't come as much of a surprise to our fans.

Let's see what Sam can do in the summer, he'll have about thirty quid to wheel and deal with (before outgoings), perhaps then if we're not playing Total Football in September we should burn him at the stake?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I didn't want Sam in the Summer but I would have preferring him to Ince, In fact I'd have rather had Keith Hill from Rochdale or Grayson from Blackpool than Ince ! Any of Ten Cate or Mancini Or Laudrup would have suited me then but it wasn't to be. We had our little gamble and we got it as far wrong as we could have. When we finally sacked Ince the time for gambling had gone, Sam was the only realistic choice with the survival of the club at stake.

Given the players he's had to work with he's done well in my book. I know the football at present is turgid but needs must at the moment. If we survive he'll have a chance to bring his own players in and play a more progressive style of football.

I remember watching Bolton when Djorkaeff and Okacha were running the show and they played good stuff. Trouble was when they left they weren't replaced and Bolton reverted to the long ball percentage football that got them promoted in the first place.

[gillibrand]

Big Sam was my first choice in the summer and I was surprised and disgusted at the Face Book scenario, if he had come then we would have been in the top half of the table now.

[yoda]

Just on Mancini...

He applied and was interviewed.

The board chose Sam Allardyce.

I don't really think there is any doubt that was a sound choice.

But once the job of staying up is done there should be a time for reflection - and figuring out where you go from here.

Is it survival football or good football?

Serious question. Serious issue.

are you refering to Mancini applying when Ince was sacked or in the summer. The board chose Ince in the summer

[Eddie]

Seeing as he put "they chose Allardyce" and quoted someone talking about December I would guess that he means December. Just a guess though...

[Exiled in Toronto]

Allardyce has done a good job - much better than the last bloke - but it is looking much better than it could have done because 3 of the 4 clubs we have leapfrogged have collapsed since he was appointed. The form of Hull, Newcastle and Middlesbrough since Allardyce was appointed have all been much worse than Ince's totally inept reign, winning 7, 9 and 11 points respectively from 18 games. Sunderland are doing about the same as vefore.

If Hull, Spurs Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough had maintained their points/games ratio of their first 17 games up until now - surely only an unreasonable assumption in Hull's case - the league table would currently look like this:

Team Played Points

Hull 34 54

......

Newcastle 35 45

Middlesbrough 35 41

Spurs 35 39

Rovers 35 37

Sunderland 35 33

West Brom 35 23

i.e. we'd still be in the bottom 3, 2 points adrift with 3 to play, one of which being vs Chelsea. So, as well as Allardyce, perhaps Southgate, Brown and the assorted numpties at Newcastle deserve some of the credit for our leaping up the table, which is a relative measure.

I think we will limp over the line, but only through a combination of a better manager than Ince and a large slice of luck that so many teams totally collapsed.

I'll eat my hat if we are top 10 next year

[gumboots]

I think we will limp over the line, but only through a combination of a better manager than Ince and a large slice of luck that so many teams totally collapsed.

and a large slice of bad luck that so many players got injured in the latter part of the season to add to those who were already out long term?

[Stuart]

Allardyce has done a good job - much better than the last bloke - but it is looking much better than it could have done because 3 of the 4 clubs we have leapfrogged have collapsed since he was appointed. The form of Hull, Newcastle and Middlesbrough since Allardyce was appointed have all been much worse than Ince's totally inept reign, winning 7, 9 and 11 points respectively from 18 games. Sunderland are doing about the same as vefore.

If Hull, Spurs Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough had maintained their points/games ratio of their first 17 games up until now - surely only an unreasonable assumption in Hull's case - the league table would currently look like this:

Team Played Points

Hull 34 54

......

Newcastle 35 45

Middlesbrough 35 41

Spurs 35 39

Rovers 35 37

Sunderland 35 33

West Brom 35 23

i.e. we'd still be in the bottom 3, 2 points adrift with 3 to play, one of which being vs Chelsea. So, as well as Allardyce, perhaps Southgate, Brown and the assorted numpties at Newcastle deserve some of the credit for our leaping up the table, which is a relative measure.

I think we will limp over the line, but only through a combination of a better manager than Ince and a large slice of luck that so many teams totally collapsed.

I'll eat my hat if we are top 10 next year

Nice stat. How would that table look if Allardyce's points-to-games ratio was applied from the start of the season? (I.e. removing our handicap).

Neither stat is fair though since each team plays their opponents in a different order so variations in 'form' are inevitable.

[American]

The mnd boggles doesn't it? Sure it's not pretty but we've half a bloody squad missing. Santa Cruz, Roberts, Derbyshire, Gallagher, leaving us with one "fit" striker in McCarthy.

We'd have 2 if he hadn't flogged Derbs....

[nicko]

Seeing as he put "they chose Allardyce" and quoted someone talking about December I would guess that he means December. Just a guess though...

December. He was in for his chat a few hours before Sam got the nod.

[Guest Vinjay606]

Why did they interview him if they just intended to hire BFS in the first place? It sounds like they did it more out of courtesy to me.

Didn't you say BFS was upset about something recently with the board? Any more updates on that? Something about his future and that "the manager may not be the answer."

[RovertheHill]

Some of the thoughts on here are just plain barmy and just go to prove that there's no pleasing some folk.

I'd like to pose a question. When Ince was sacked who on here had any other goal for the new manager, for this season, than to keep Rovers in the premiership? Not many I'd be willing to bet, although there will be some who don't admit.

As for luck, Brian Clough used to say that luck didn't count over 42 games (or 38 for that matter). It's true. To those who say that we are unlucky with injuries - no we aren't, that's why you have a squad, and everyone gets injuries. To those who say we are lucky that other teams have collapsed -nonsense, for each team that does badly another team does well - for each Hull there is a Spurs, for each Newcastle there is a Wigan, for each Boro there is a Fulham or a Stoke.

So my suggestion is that IF we survive then we all rally round and give Allardyce the credit he deserves for achieving the only goal he has been set and then have the conversations over the summer about how he develops the squad, and over the start of next season about how we play.

[1864roverite]

At the moment SURVIVAL is al that matters.

Sam has got us nearly safe - commendable imo, even if the football hasnt been pretty, its been effective as one can see from our current points total.

So everyone, on this typically blank wet and windy bank holiday, be fortunate that we are not 9 points adrift from safety. that we dont have a do or die derby game coming up neither do we face quality opposition on the final days play in the Premiership.

Rovers are 6 points from the drop zone, thats a priceless amount of points, we are only a matter of 2 wins from the top 10 !

Thats how freaky this season has been.

[bigbrandjohn]

Nice stat. How would that table look if Allardyce's points-to-games ratio was applied from the start of the season? (I.e. removing our handicap).

Neither stat is fair though since each team plays their opponents in a different order so variations in 'form' are inevitable.

And if my Grandma had B*** she'd be my Grandpa. History is not destiny. Lets get 3 points Saturday especially with all the injuries Pompey have, celebrate a seson saved and respect the guy who made it happen.

Remember when Hughes took over, we were the dirtiest and most negative team in the League,but we survived and built a platform. Here we go again. Lets just ensure Everton or anyone else does not get Givet.