[Archived] Sam Allardyce

[John]

Rovers boss Allardyce, who recently recovered from heart surgery, was also in attendance on Thursday afternoon

[FourLaneBlue]

Luddite.

Statistics in isolation are useless.

Skillful interpretation renders them useful.

Exactly...there is nothing wrong or right about statistics. It is just the people using them that can sometimes be the problem!

[Steve Moss]

Confirmation that Sam's model is to score a single goal, then protect the lead. http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~1904765,00.html

I understand the logic, though I don't agree with it.

[LeChuck]

Confirmation that Sam's model is to score a single goal, then protect the lead. http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10303~1904765,00.html

I understand the logic, though I don't agree with it.

That's an awful bit of PR by the club. He doesn't actually say that's what he's been trying to implement, yet that's what is written on the site:

And Sam says that scoring a single goal and then protecting your lead is the precise model he has been trying to implement since his arrival at Rovers.

These are the only two bits that come close:

"It shows you just how important turning those draws into wins and what three points means to you,"

"They are very difficult to break down, they don't concede many goals and that has converted itself into many wins now by just scoring the one goal - apart from their win over Wigan."

Nothing wrong with being hard to break down and hoping to score at the other end, it's precisely the football that Aston Villa and Everton play and they've been the closest to breaking the top four stranglehold out of any teams recently. He doesn't say he wants us to score a goal and protect our lead though, he doesn't even imply it.

[Stuart]

I've been saying for a while what Sam's tactic is. It's something he's done for years. In his defence, we have created the chances to turn draws into wins - we just haven't taken them.

However, whilst Sam can't be blamed for his forwards not doing their job, by lining up to give us minimal chances there is further pressure when those one or two chances come along. The fact that chances are at such a premium means misses like Hoilett, Di Santo and Kalinic are highlighted and it could affect their confidence - or their desire to shoot.

Contrast this with the Chelsea game, in particular, where we really went for it and scored 3 goals. Sadly we also conceded 3, and whilst we could be watching 6-2 and 4-3 thrillers every week, it's likely we would be scoring the fewer and have less points than we have.

It sounds obvious but there needs to be some middle ground where we create enough chances to win but are still keeping that clean sheet. For me that means we need to improve our midfield - both in quality and fitness.

[Hughesy]

The defence is looking better and chances are being carved out against any opposition - the problem is simply finishing the move off. If either Kalinic or Di Santo score soon (preferably both) then they will ease that pressure and the goals should flow.

[waggy]

as soon as i saw the side last night i knew we would get beat,to pick roberts/spit and pedersen was a diasaster.gamst and spit must be the most ineffective wide men in the premier.gamst left the full back for the 2nd goal,and spit did nowt all night.when nicola had the ball in the 2nd half he was waiting for spit to overlap and he just stood still,sort it out lardarse

[DE.]

His post-match comments last night were poor. ""Apart from those errors it is a toss of the coin as to who was the better side but Birmingham were the ones who took advantage of their opportunities."

f### off.

[mellison24]

His post-match comments last night were poor. ""Apart from those errors it is a toss of the coin as to who was the better side but Birmingham were the ones who took advantage of their opportunities."

f### off.

Agreed. I do my best to support Allardyce (and therefore the club), but jesus he needs to pull his finger out. I like him for his usual honesty, but last nights comments were BS.

[ABBEY]

The defence is looking better and chances are being carved out against any opposition - the problem is simply finishing the move off. If either Kalinic or Di Santo score soon (preferably both) then they will ease that pressure and the goals should flow.

they defended worse than a team of 10 year olds last night.

[Gav]

I like him for his usual honesty, but last nights comments were BS.

Same against WestHam, comments after the game complete rubbish.

[Kelbo]

The problem for me is, the long ball game is fine if when we knock it forward we get posession, our front lads are not winning aerial battles at the moment and that is the problem!!

[jw_]

Most of the time it's not "long ball" it's "hoof" ball, long ball is when you pick out one of your own players either precisely or with a decent chance of winning the ball.Hoof ball is just belt it upfield and hope someone gets on the end of it and sadly that seems to be what is happening not all the time but most of it.I've said it before we are too predictable and that makes it easier for the opposition eg what do you think will happen when Pederson takes a throw in, I rest my case.

[allanncd]

Allardyce is "spinning" like a politician with his comments on performances. He must be blind and consider the supporters stupid if he actually believes the rubbish he spouts after matches. Brum were by far the better team and, as the newspapers reported, Rovers were ragged and hopeless before pulling back a goal. Well,as they say, you can fool some of the people....I suspect Fat Sam's credibility will be close to zero before the Xmas decorations come down.

[thenodrog]

Allardyce is "spinning" like a politician with his comments on performances. He must be blind and consider the supporters stupid if he actually believes the rubbish he spouts after matches. Brum were by far the better team and, as the newspapers reported, Rovers were ragged and hopeless before pulling back a goal. Well,as they say, you can fool some of the people....I suspect Fat Sam's credibility will be close to zero before the Xmas decorations come down.

If that is the case we will likely end up relegated and you no doubt will be able to bask in the satisfaction from being proven right......

............. for another 30 years at least in the lower divisions.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

If that is the case we will likely end up relegated and you no doubt will be able to bask in the satisfaction from being proven right......

............. for another 30 years at least in the lower divisions.

You're on dodgy ground there.

[Eddie]

If that is the case we will likely end up relegated and you no doubt will be able to bask in the satisfaction from being proven right......

............. for another 30 years at least in the lower divisions.

if that is what you think us "anti-Allardyce" bunch our hoping for then I think that reveals a lot about what you were thinking this time last year when Ince was stil here.

[broadsword]

I can't believe that Sam Allardyce is the only manager out there who can keep us up, that's just bloody nonsense.

[Eddie]

Shhh. Of course he is! Who else could have done what he did last year? Who else could manage this team to mediocrity so far this season? If we had anyone else in charge, anyone else, we would be playing League Two football right now!

[broadsword]

I think we're playing League 2 football right now mate!

[Hughesy]

Shhh. Of course he is! Who else could have done what he did last year? Who else could manage this team to mediocrity so far this season? If we had anyone else in charge, anyone else, we would be playing League Two football right now!

We already are according to some

[ABBEY]

I think we're playing League 2 football right now mate!

its not that good....tuesday was more like an alky team on a sunday morning.

[Miker]

I think the only way for Sam to retain any sort of credibility is for us to notch up 10 straight wins in a row.

[67splitscreen]

It would be a start, then again so would two.

[broadsword]

Score in two consecutive games - from open play perhaps.