[Archived] Sam Allardyce

[Paul]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sam blaming the pitch last night...........apparently it stopped us from playing our usual game

[CrazyIvan]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sam blaming the pitch last night...........apparently it stopped us from playing our usual game

To be fair to him, the pitch looks awful. The players have been training on it I guess because they can't train at Brockhall. Someone might be able to tell us why...

[philipl]

Since when was Ewood re-seeded with 10 ft high elephant grass?

[CrazyIvan]

Since when was Ewood re-seeded with 10 ft high elephant grass?

What are you saying? Were you there last night? Did you see the pitch?

[John]

Fairly long but interesting interview with Sam after the match last night

[ABBEY]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sam blaming the pitch last night...........apparently it stopped us from playing our usual game

hahaha i heard that on rr ,i nearly crashed laughing...my little un shouted what about when the pitch was good dad lol.

it stopped us playing our flowing football..MY GOD!

[Amo]

Fairly long but interesting interview with Sam after the match last night

Apparently we won 2-0.

[Tris]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sam blaming the pitch last night...........apparently it stopped us from playing our usual game

To be fair to him, the pitch looks awful. The players have been training on it I guess because they can't train at Brockhall. Someone might be able to tell us why...

The last time I can remember Allardyce using the pitch as a pre-match excuse was before we played Blyth Spartans last January. I know there are a couple of bald patches on Ewood, but this smacks of being in the same category as dodgy referees, misfiring strikers and a poor turn out from the locals. Just another excuse to deflect blame. 80% of the teams playing league football in England would love to play on our pitch.

Yesterday the referee Lee Mason was truly abysmal. Luckily Rovers won, so Allardyce didn't have to do the same speech two weeks running, because what he said after the Villa game was embarassing. There were 10 goals in a 6-4, to blame defeat on a single missed call was a poor way to represent the club when every neutral I have spoken to thought we royally entertained the nation but simply gave ourselves too much to claw back, especially after a defeatist approach to the first leg.

I'm no fan of Allardyce ( ) but after a dismal December, the last couple of results can't be ignored, we appear to be heading in the right direction for this season - and let's face it after throwing away points in the league (eg West Ham at home) and forfeiting the FA Cup, the only thing to aim for now is safety and then prize money - which is what many of the apologists on this MB seem to be happy with, however we might get there.

My real fear for Blackburn Rovers though, is that this style of football, coupled with the full range of Allardyce media huffle, has come at a time when the club have worked so SO hard to get home crowd numbers back to 1995/6 levels.

Cheap prices do not compensate for lost leisure time, and the evidence ringing out from the home areas - in the form of "4-4-2, 4-4-2, 4-4-2" and "We're supposed to be at home" - along with decimated support for a cup SEMI FINAL (both legs) and all recent away games - suggests that hundreds if not thousands will be lost in the summer unless the entertainment value makes the leisure time worth spending down at Ewood Park.

The money hardly matters at 10 quid a game, it's one of the cheapest leisure offerings in the North West. What matters is a good use of Saturday afternoon and paid up ST holders are already voting with their feet. Allardyce has put the team on the road to safety, he MUST now take the criticism from the stands on the chin, and use the remaining home games to win points AND to please the fans.

Where we are in the league now has been eeked out, drip by painful drop. Apart from free pies, there has been nothing at all to enjoy at Ewood until the much-maligned Pedersen's wonder strike last night. That was the first "WOW" goal this season at home (and even that was from a free kick and thanks to a shocking goalkeeper).

I'm sure this forum of nearly 5,000 members will be well represented at Ewood whoever the manager and whatever the division - and whatever the style of football. But there are 19,000 season ticket holders, and many are unhappy with what they have paid to watch.

It's fine to slag off the dissent in the stands via this MB (as it is also fine to slag off the manager, or Keith Andrews, or the Trustees via this MB) ... but there were far more people at Ewood Park singing "4-4-2" last night than there are even members of this messageboard, and the club and manager need to retain those fans next season --- so need to listen to them. Because unless Allardyce changes the football, the club will be keeping an unpopular manager at the expense of fans in the stands.

[jim mk2]

Hurrah !

Hands up all those who think we can find a "popular" manager who can provide this mythical "beautiful" football and keep us in the Premier League at the same time while operating at an "unfashionable" club with no money to spend.

He doesn't exist, and if he does I challenge anyone to name him.

Alternatively, let's get rid of Allardyce because although he's doing darn good job on meagre resources he doesn't please a section of supporters who think they know better and let's see how many ST holders will be renewing to watch the team playing pretty football with the cloggers in the championship.

This constant criticism of Allardyce is nonsensical, and idiotic.

Charlton Athletic anyone ?

[braddock]

the obvious choice there would have been newcastle united, but oh well.

anyways, where was i? oh yes. ALLARDARSE OUT!

[Silencio]

Linked to Mehmet Topal as a "Dead Cert" in The Times this morning...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article7007184.ece

I would expect 1 or 2 more will leave if we are moving for Topal, he will cost a bit...

[Mr. E]

Hurrah !

Hands up all those who think we can find a "popular" manager who can provide this mythical "beautiful" football and keep us in the Premier League at the same time while operating at an "unfashionable" club with no money to spend.

He doesn't exist, and if he does I challenge anyone to name him.

Alternatively, let's get rid of Allardyce because although he's doing darn good job on meagre resources he doesn't please a section of supporters who think they know better and let's see how many ST holders will be renewing to watch the team playing pretty football with the cloggers in the championship.

This constant criticism of Allardyce is nonsensical, and idiotic.

Charlton Athletic anyone ?

Graham Souness. He did it for 1-2 seasons. Which proves that it can be done.

Next question.

[47er]

Graham Souness. He did it for 1-2 seasons. Which proves that it can be done.

Next question.

Exactly--1-2 seasons! And when he left e were heading where?

[Jan]

Graham Souness. He did it for 1-2 seasons. Which proves that it can be done.

Next question.

Souness was given a lot of money. Jack was still alive when he was appointed therefore he had limitless funds. After Jack died it was a couple of years before the purse strings tightened. Also 2 of that man's years were in the Championship. With Dunn, Duff and Jansen. And I remember a LOT of abysmal football.

[gumboots]

Graham Souness. He did it for 1-2 seasons. Which proves that it can be done.

Next question.

He also had Dunn, Duff and Jansen, brought in Friedel and Tugay, spent a fortune on Andy Cole when we were struggling. We do not have anywhere near the cash now that we had then or anywhere near the pulling power. I'm not a fan of Allardyce but who could do better? I don't know and I don't think at this stage I want to try to find out. And by the way, although I laughed at his post match comments about the pitch because we play that way all the time, the pitch is in truly awful condition. Went to the youth cup match last night and was right by the pitch and it would seem to be more mud than grass atm.

[BRFC95]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sam blaming the pitch last night...........apparently it stopped us from playing our usual game

So do you think it's wrong of Sam to try and change the media perception that we play 'hoofball'?

We play far more football than we are given credit for, IMO.

[Miker]

So do you think it's wrong of Sam to try and change the media perception that we play 'hoofball'?

We play far more football than we are given credit for, IMO.

We play about as much hoofball as all the other clubs similar to us.

[Mr. E]

He also had Dunn, Duff and Jansen, brought in Friedel and Tugay, spent a fortune on Andy Cole when we were struggling. We do not have anywhere near the cash now that we had then or anywhere near the pulling power. I'm not a fan of Allardyce but who could do better? I don't know and I don't think at this stage I want to try to find out. And by the way, although I laughed at his post match comments about the pitch because we play that way all the time, the pitch is in truly awful condition. Went to the youth cup match last night and was right by the pitch and it would seem to be more mud than grass atm.

Those were all youth players or signed for small fees. And we spent the same "fortune" on Kalinic as we did on Andy Cole.

You can't say there isn't enough talent in the current squad to play great football. But someone needs to get them playing it.

[mellison24]

Those were all youth players or signed for small fees. And we spent the same "fortune" on Kalinic as we did on Andy Cole.

You can't say there isn't enough talent in the current squad to play great football. But someone needs to get them playing it.

Like Sam has done the last few games, you mean?

[Parsonblue]

Hurrah !

Hands up all those who think we can find a "popular" manager who can provide this mythical "beautiful" football and keep us in the Premier League at the same time while operating at an "unfashionable" club with no money to spend.

He doesn't exist, and if he does I challenge anyone to name him.

Alternatively, let's get rid of Allardyce because although he's doing darn good job on meagre resources he doesn't please a section of supporters who think they know better and let's see how many ST holders will be renewing to watch the team playing pretty football with the cloggers in the championship.

This constant criticism of Allardyce is nonsensical, and idiotic.

Charlton Athletic anyone ?

Excellent post. I would have hoped that after our near escape with Ince that supporters would have come to understand that this club is balanced on a knife-edge with regard to Premier League survival. The wrong appointment at the top and the club topples into the Championship and possibly worse. Sam's style may be pragmatic but I'm more than happy to see us midway in the Premier League on a shoestring budget.

[Ninjathunder]

You can't say there isn't enough talent in the current squad to play great football. But someone needs to get them playing it.

Yes the sooner we can start to win a couple of Premier League games the better.

[Kai]

Those were all youth players or signed for small fees. And we spent the same "fortune" on Kalinic as we did on Andy Cole.

You can't say there isn't enough talent in the current squad to play great football. But someone needs to get them playing it.

No way. Jansen cost £4.1m. Cole cost £7m+. Plus that was nearly ten years ago. In today's money, Jansen would be the cost of Kalinic (if not more) and a player of Cole's value would be unattainable for us now.

[47er]

Those were all youth players or signed for small fees. And we spent the same "fortune" on Kalinic as we did on Andy Cole.

And transfer fees for strikers haven't risen since we signed Cole have they? 6M buys you an average striker these days. Sam did very well there.

[Hughesy]

Those were all youth players or signed for small fees. And we spent the same "fortune" on Kalinic as we did on Andy Cole.

You can't say there isn't enough talent in the current squad to play great football. But someone needs to get them playing it.

Jansen cost us £4.1m in 1999. (11 years ago - he would easily cost double now) we lost him for free

Cole £8m - again we lost him for free.

Kalinic cost £6m and will probably go for double bubble if not more!

[Dufflite]

Hurrah !

Hands up all those who think we can find a "popular" manager who can provide this mythical "beautiful" football and keep us in the Premier League at the same time while operating at an "unfashionable" club with no money to spend.

He doesn't exist, and if he does I challenge anyone to name him.

Alternatively, let's get rid of Allardyce because although he's doing darn good job on meagre resources he doesn't please a section of supporters who think they know better and let's see how many ST holders will be renewing to watch the team playing pretty football with the cloggers in the championship.

This constant criticism of Allardyce is nonsensical, and idiotic.

Charlton Athletic anyone ?

This the best post I've read on here in bloody ages. Some folk on here still think we have a few million in the petty cash tin and that top managers would love to come here because we are a 'nice' family club.