[Archived] Sam Allardyce

[thenodrog]

I'd honestly take back Ince in a shot.

Be careful Tris......... You are quite openly lining up with eddie, and with friends like him around who needs enemies? Eddie must be completely, totally, utterly effin puddled.

[FourLaneBlue]

I think 17 points by the end of October (a quarter of the season) was a realistic target - from a possible 30 - given the tough fixtures in October. We currently have 4 points, and to get to that 17 we will need to beat three of Villa, Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea and Man Utd.

What?!?

17 points over 10 games which include Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U? What are you talking about? That translates to 65-68 points over a season which has been enough for the Champions League a number of times and a points total we have not managed in the Premiership since 1995. Come on...I am disappointed as well with a number of things but let's not set completely unrealistic expectations.

That said...Roberts as a lone striker. Today has got to be the end of that one.

The "expert" will have to change his approach by then, otherwise Ewood Park will murder him, and there will be no going back.

If we are still playing 4-5-1 by then with Roberts and Andrews as the lynchpins then I might murder him myself.

However he will get there I am sure. Less grumbling to the media will help.

[Tris]

Be careful Tris......... You are quite openly lining up with eddie, and with friends like him around who needs enemies? Eddie must be completely, totally, utterly effin puddled.

As you must be, to line up shoulder to shoulder with jim mk2.

Ince was clearly an incompetent idiot. Which is all the more worrying because he took us into November with 12 points and a football team worth watching because it played football ... on grass.

Your mate BFS is going to take us into November with 4 or 5 points, a humiliation in the local derby, a team who think football is played in the sky and a bunch of new players who only understand how to perm their eyebrows and iron their #50K per week.

At least Ince's signings might get us back up from the doldrums.

[FourLaneBlue]

I've always been taught that, in any walk of life or area, someone who lowers expectations is either an idiot or incapable. Allardyce has set his stall out to lower expectations from about April onwards. He's now lowering them very quickly.

Some of your posts over the years have been unbelievable and I try not to respond but this one takes the biscuit.

Take Ince back like a shot? Yeah...who wouldn't? What with his kick-ass 13 points from 17 games with a 12 match winless streak (was it 12???) shoved in I am with you all the way there. That 3-0 at Wigan was just...fuuuuuuun!

As for lowering expections. That was what Ince did THE WHOLE DAMN TIME HE WAS HERE!!! All he ever did was whine on about, like, y'know, the finances, gulp, not being enough. Not to expect top-half finishes. Needs time etc etc...3 years at least no doubt. Not to mention the cringeworthy press conference.

The responses you have towards slating Allardyce are hypocritical as they were at least as bad under Paul "have him back like a shot" Ince and each time you bring up Ince you make yourself look daft.

Ince was clearly an incompetent idiot. Which is all the more worrying because he took us into November with 12 points and a football team worth watching because it played football ... on grass.

Ince had a good start before he was found out. Ultimately though it was 13 points after 17 games.

If we have 13 points after 17 games this season then we will all rightfully be enraged at the present incumbent again.

[Tris]

I think 17 points after 10 games - given the relatively tough fixtures - was a wholly unfair expectation anyway.

What?!?

17 points over 10 games which include Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U? What are you talking about?

So sorry for setting such stretching targets - I mean 1.7 points per game, what a task!

For the record, here's how I thought we'd get 17 points from 10 games -

1 Man City (H) - 3 - (there for the taking, they had a shocking pre-season, we used the wrong tactics - probably the wrong players too but we let it lie at such an early stage)

2 Sunderland (A) - 3 - (the Dingles just rogered Sunderland, are we saying we can't match their performance?)

3 West Ham (H) - 3 - ("I'm the expert" got it wrong and the boos around Ewood proved it)

4 Wolves (H) - 3 - (at last, and no sane person would argue)

5 Everton (A) - 1 - (I thought we'd give them a game today)

6 Aston Villa (H) - 1 - (I think we should be trying to match teams like this, and really beat them at home, but would settle for a point)

7 Arsenal (A) - 0 - (After last seasons embarrasment, I don't expect a BFS team to even try to beat Arsenal at The Emirates)

8 Burnley (H) - 3 - (no other result is acceptable)

9 Chelsea (A) - 0 - (see Arsenal)

10 Man Utd (A) - 0 - (see Arsenal)

There's nothing too demanding in that list is there?

[Steve Moss]

There is obviously issues at BRFC, but I think Sam is the man to sort them out. I agree that we should have done far better than we have. On the other hand, we have 33 more games to go in the season and I'm certain that Sam is the man to steer us clear of relegation to a solid mid-table finish.

As to his "change the players" comments, it is to be expected. He has a squad of 27 or so. Some of the players seem to lack for drive and motivation. Sam is announcing to all and sundry that a spot on the starting 11 is yours for the taking, so get off your A!@. Some of the players will respond with a vengeance. His comments, as always, are used as a motivational tool.

[FourLaneBlue]

There's nothing too demanding in that list is there?

Yes there is.

Starting the season with a six-match unbeaten run. Only losing to the top 4.

We just are not that good or that consistent I am afraid. Regardless of who we have in charge.

[Miker]

Expecting to get 3 points from Man City and Sunderland is a laugh. Man City are challenging for the title this season and Sunderland have spent heavily, and we played them away. I was expecting 10 points from those 10 games, and anything else would be a bonus. I mean, playing 4 of last season's top 5 away is by no means an easy task for any team.

Anyway. Call me when it's week 10.

[FourLaneBlue]

At least Ince's signings might get us back up from the doldrums.

Which ones?

Fowler? Villanueva? Grella? Andrews? Bunn?

I am at a loss to why you have supported every single other manger, including a number totally less worthy than our current one, yet you are so prejudiced - yes PREjudiced, against Allardyce - and do not support him. It is bizarre and totally unlike your many other posts over many years on this messageboard.

Why do you inherently dislike Allardyce? It has been there from the start but why champion the likes of Souness and Ince when all were ranting and raving yet not BFS?

[jim mk2]

At least Ince's signings might get us back up from the doldrums.

And with one sentence all pretence on credibility of this board goes flying out of the window.

Your hatred of Allardyce is nonsensical. Did he refuse to pay for one of your drinks ?

You might think slagging off Allarduce is funny but to be honest you're about as comical as your lookalike and fellow landlord.

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[Hughesy]

So sorry for setting such stretching targets - I mean 1.7 points per game, what a task!

For the record, here's how I thought we'd get 17 points from 10 games -

1 Man City (H) - 3 - (there for the taking, they had a shocking pre-season, we used the wrong tactics - probably the wrong players too but we let it lie at such an early stage)

2 Sunderland (A) - 3 - (the Dingles just rogered Sunderland, are we saying we can't match their performance?)

3 West Ham (H) - 3 - ("I'm the expert" got it wrong and the boos around Ewood proved it)

4 Wolves (H) - 3 - (at last, and no sane person would argue)

5 Everton (A) - 1 - (I thought we'd give them a game today)

6 Aston Villa (H) - 1 - (I think we should be trying to match teams like this, and really beat them at home, but would settle for a point)

7 Arsenal (A) - 0 - (After last seasons embarrasment, I don't expect a BFS team to even try to beat Arsenal at The Emirates)

8 Burnley (H) - 3 - (no other result is acceptable)

9 Chelsea (A) - 0 - (see Arsenal)

10 Man Utd (A) - 0 - (see Arsenal)

There's nothing too demanding in that list is there?

Are you crazy or have you just relapsed or something!?

You expected us to win the first 4 and then draw the next 2.

City - 100% record until yesterday

Sunderland - Only lost to Chelsea at Home

West Ham - When did we last beat them at ewood? Didnt we lose away to them 4-1 early last season?

Wolves - Job Done

Now I agree we should have more points by now (Probably 1 at Sunderland & 1 yesterday) - but you simply are deluded if you expected 14 out of the first 18 available......

[thenodrog]

As you must be, to line up shoulder to shoulder with jim mk2.

Ince was clearly an incompetent idiot. Which is all the more worrying because he took us into November with 12 points and a football team worth watching because it played football ... on grass.

Your mate BFS is going to take us into November with 4 or 5 points, a humiliation in the local derby, a team who think football is played in the sky and a bunch of new players who only understand how to perm their eyebrows and iron their #50K per week.

At least Ince's signings might get us back up from the doldrums.

For a minute I thought you were serious about Ince's signings Tris but now I've can only assume that you are having a laugh! Ince's signings eh! Good one... you nearly had me going there.

I don't think there are many who would disagree that we wouldn't even have 4 points in the Prem if we hadn't swopped Ince for Allardyce. In a nutshell we'd be looking forward to humiliating derby's with PNE and Blackpool and you have to admit to that.

Now to darker matters.............. I find it strange that your intense and simmering dislike of 'the fat slug' Allardyce that bursts through to the surface periodically is as illogical as that of gumboots. Now she's admitted that it's a lot to do with her hormones but what is the source of the problem with you? I've got to say it appears personal. Are you alone in this?

I know that you have your finger on the pulse behind the closed doors of the boardroom so tell me are their some members of board being similarly 'unsupportive' and maybe even providing a maliciously subversive influence to undermine the present manager? I think we all know that there was a very strong anti-Allardyce sentiment from one particular member of the board from the minute Hughes left so if it that is the case lets out the bgugger(s) before the club suffers from any subversive in-fighting. The North East is the palce for disunity in the boardrooms, it's happened for as long as I can rem.......... we do not want it here just cos Jack is not around to bang heads together. C'mon Tris if there are any beans to spill let's be spilling em.

[philipl]

There are very legitimate questions to be asked of Sam's stewardship despite him guiding us to safety with something to spare last season.

But Tris' and Eddie's posts have left me appalled by their naivety.

Tris' list of games producing 17 points is fantasy football stuff. 10 to 12 points was realistic but even that might be missed by a significant margin.

Eddie's comment about taking Ince back is the single most stupid line I think I have ever seen posted on here.

Tris' comment that Ince's signings will get us out of the mire is delusional unless he means Paul Robinson is going to save us single handed.

I do think Sam can and does lose the plot. He completely lost it at the end of the transfer window, he lost it against West Ham but to be fair, he was horribly let down by his players on Sunday.

Didn't Newcastle lose to Derby under Sam? Got a horrible feeling he is going to have the same unenviable record again when we play Pompey...

[RovertheHill]

As someone who advocates support of the manager (including the previous one I will own up to) I am surprised at the level of bile being shown at present. Some of Allardyce's decisions are open to question and review that much is certain. And rational debate never hurt anyone. But we risk the club being torn apart if there is a power struggle or a group of fans who go against the manager publicly, which is a real fear at the moment.

I'd like to see 442 on Saturday and I'd like to see the back of Andrews. I think we have to beat Villa and I think we can if we're positive. If we play on the back foot I think we'll lose.

And as for having ince back. Oh dear. It will never be that bad

[47er]

This is the same Allardyce who told us that he played for a PL draw at home against West Ham because he didn't have the players to choose from? "Leave it to me - I'm the expert" !!!

What a great master plan this is. Put some reserves in for a cup game and promise them a PL start if they do well against a 2nd division side. For someone who is meant to be at the forefront of technical aids for monitoring players performance, this is a bloody joke.

As is his selection of Salgado and Kalinic today in front of Emerton and McCarthy. The evidence was so clear and so obvious at the reserve game on Monday. I challenge anyone who saw that reserve game to actually support Allardyce's promotion of the two poorest reserve team players into the 1st team squad today.

For once and reluctantly I agree with some of this. What on earth did we sign Sagado for? We didn't need him and it looks to me like his legs have gone. As for Kalinic--------very unconvincing. have we wasted our precious dosh?

[T4E]

There seems to be a feeling that if you disliked Ince, you must like Allardyce, and vice versa.

I didn't like Ince, and I'm rapidly going off Allardyce.

[Tris]

But Tris' and Eddie's posts have left me appalled by their naivety.

Tris' list of games producing 17 points is fantasy football stuff. 10 to 12 points was realistic but even that might be missed by a significant margin.

I can't believe I'm getting slagged off for daring to suggest we should be trying to beat Man City, Sunderland, West Ham and Wolves.

You lot have gone soft. You'll be telling us next that it's ok to finish 17th this season - which is clearly Allardyce's only target.

Man City came to Ewood on the back of defeats on pre-season to club sides in South Africa. They may be flying high 6 weeks later, but they were there for the taking on August 15th.

I'm not even going to defend the notion that we should be aiming for 3 points off the other 3. West Ham has drawn more than enough comment on this MB and if we think Sunderland are out of our reach then we're truly bolluxed.

Villa, Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea and Man Utd to come - so there's 15 points to play for. How many do you apologists want to have on the board by the end of October??????

[gumboots]

For a minute I thought you were serious about Ince's signings Tris but now I've can only assume that you are having a laugh! Ince's signings eh! Good one... you nearly had me going there.

I don't think there are many who would disagree that we wouldn't even have 4 points in the Prem if we hadn't swopped Ince for Allardyce. In a nutshell we'd be looking forward to humiliating derby's with PNE and Blackpool and you have to admit to that.

Now to darker matters.............. I find it strange that your intense and simmering dislike of 'the fat slug' Allardyce that bursts through to the surface periodically is as illogical as that of gumboots. Now she's admitted that it's a lot to do with her hormones but what is the source of the problem with you? I've got to say it appears personal. Are you alone in this?

Can I just point out that I have not, despite my personal dislike of the manager, had a go or criticised anything he's done this season. to be honest I haven't seen enough of the games to criticise since we were not there for the City or Sunderland games, saw west Ham (which everyone agrees was awful) Wolves where we remembered how to score for an hour or two, and only saw yesterday's brief bit on MOTD2. I wouldn't go back to Ince (I was at Wigan) and I can't see who we could realistically take as manager in our current financial situation anyway.I don't like playing 4-5-1 especially at home, and i do feel that if we can't work that system away there is perhaps a case for starting an extra striker and losing 3-1 or 3-2, rather than trying to defend and nick a winner. At least goal difference doesn't look so bad. But then that's my preference and I'm sure there are probably good reasons why we don't. I don't have an anti-Allardyce agenda because i agree that the club that turns on its manager does itself no favours and only when the working relationship has become totally untenable should we look to sack a manager. Board room tension and squabbles harm any club and I certainly don't want to see them at Ewood.

[AggyBlue]

I can't believe I'm getting slagged off for daring to suggest we should be trying to beat Man City, Sunderland, West Ham and Wolves.

Do you think we didn't try and win those four games?

[philipl]

Tris you listed what you saw as realistically attainable points- if we bagged those we would be Europa League/borderline Champions League DESPITE having played all 5 clubs currently sitting 1st to 5th, three of them away...

Great target but not something to beat up on the Manager if we miss.

However, not getting to 10 to 12 points after the first 10 games would/ will be a major cause for concern/alarm.

[G Somerset Rover]

Tris you listed what you saw as realistically attainable points- if we bagged those we would be Europa League/borderline Champions League DESPITE having played all 5 clubs currently sitting 1st to 5th, three of them away...

Great target but not something to beat up on the Manager if we miss.

However, not getting to 10 to 12 points after the first 10 games would/ will be a major cause for concern/alarm.

Other than possibly beating Burnley (gets us to 7), how will we get to the 10/12 points mark? I just can't see it.

Even if we'd have been flying after 5 games we'd always have lost against Arsenal, Chelsea & United.

[Inta Beaver]

Villa, Arsenal, Burnley, Chelsea and Man Utd to come - so there's 15 points to play for. How many do you apologists want to have on the board by the end of October??????

6pts is all we can hope for in these games, Villa and Burnley are must win games, 10pts from 10 games and we would have played 3 of the big 4 away from home, we might get another 1pt in the others if we are very lucky!

[LeftWinger]

May have been mentioned, but Sam's quote on the official site.

“There were a lot of players that haven’t lived up to their own reputations and that is a bit disappointing after two good performances against West Ham and Wolves”

He classes the West Ham performance as good? Concerning.

[DE.]

On the contrary, I'd argue the majority unfortunately did live up to their reputations of being largely useless.

[Hughesy]

Man City came to Ewood on the back of defeats on pre-season to club sides in South Africa. They may be flying high 6 weeks later, but they were there for the taking on August 15th.

And we tried - we didnt play bad did we?

Pre-season means fook all - you know that, your just stiring trouble. We won the league, check our pre season record that year....whats your point again?

Pre Everton it was looking OK - 1 bad performance and all the drama queens come out again!