[Archived] Sam Allardyce

[Miker]

Rovers have in recent times been respected for being a well-run club on a limited budget prepared to give young inexperienced managers a chance (well Ince and Hughes anyway), but this joker is putting all that at risk with his idiotic comments in the press and his tactics with his partner in crime EHD.

We are at the moment a well-run club giving promising young players a chance and challenging all the teams in the league despite having a considerably weaker squad.

He is not putting anything at risk and he has every right to talk about himself to the press if the press asks him a question about his managerial career. I don't believe in modesty, if a person is told he can only do well in teams working on small budgets and with average squads then I would expect them to disagree and say they can work with the best squads if given the chance. It is insanity to expect any less from a manager.

I want our players to believe that they can make the best teams in the world and work towards that and I want our manager to do likewise.

[Commondore]

I would argue that his record with Newcastle was far from poor as well. Never understood why his time at Newcastle has always been pointed out as a "failure". After he left they went on to suffer some horrific losses, culminating in relegation the following season. While he was there, they only had a few poor results, the worst probably being the loss to Derby and he left them in 11th place.

The results may have been OK with hindsight, but he wrecked that squad with catastrophic signings on huge wages that Newcastle are still suffering from today.

[Guest bluerovers]

I don't believe in modesty

Do you walk around in your birthday suit then?

[RibbleValleyRover]

Claims he doesn't comprehend why the team drop back when leading, complains Schwarzer should have been sent off while having clearly sent one of his players on to the pitch with direct instructions to foul the same player. If EHD takes note of those instructions, which the nation saw on TV, why does Sam believe the team collectively decide to defend deep when leading unless they have specifically been told to do so?

That very point has really had me scratching my head wondering what exactly is going on. I've lost count the number of times I have seen Rovers take the lead but then sit back and stand off until an inevitable equaliser. It has happened so many times I had to assume that it was part of some tactical gameplan or instructions from Sam.

But then this weekend Sam goes ballistic in the media saying he doesn't understand why we always seem to stand off and sit back when we get a lead and that he gave no instructions to the players to do so. Who is telling the truth here?

[sweet]

A good indicator of who is telling the truth I suppose, is when bolton or newcastle took a lead early on in a game - how did the team react? Did they sit on it and try to contain their lead, or did they carry on playing the way they had been doing from the get go?

[DE.]

Regardless of whether it is Sam's instructions or the players choice - the buck still stops with Allardyce. If he's instructing them to do it then he's at fault, if the players are doing it themselves he's still at fault because it's his job to ensure they don't!

It needs to stop against teams like Fulham, that's for sure. I could understand it against City, and if we took a 1-0 lead against Utd, Chelsea, or Arsenal then I'd expect the same. However, at home to Fulham sitting back after taking a one goal lead is pathetic and cowardly play - especially as time and time again the team has shown they cannot cope with pressure and inevitably concede.

[roversmum]

The situation with Fulham was a fair copy of what happened at The Cottage last season. First half - "We're gonna win this ..." - second half - punt (hoof, whatever) the ball forward, notwithstanding the fact that Fulham's defenders were MORE than able to cope with this tactic.

Two points. 1) Why continue for the whole half with a tactic that was clearly not working. 2) why did nobody attempt to go for the second ball as it was patently obvious what was going to happen.

I was fed up after the game at The Cottage, but it's no way in comparison to the way I feel now ...

[sweet]

The results may have been OK with hindsight, but he wrecked that squad with catastrophic signings on huge wages that Newcastle are still suffering from today.

Castrophic signings? What absolute rubbish, another misconception about Sams time at newcastle. Two of his signings (Barton & Smith) are still two integral parts of the team today. Viduka in his first season did better than average scoring 7 in 28 - not a bad return. Geremi was signed from League winners chelsea, who had also previusly played for real madrid, whilst still being under 30. Habib Beye must of been pretty decent at newcastle as he recently signed for Villa. The only flop he really signed was Capaca and that was on a free!

[dunc]

Duncy dingle ....smoss rattled a few lower league triumphs off and he's all hail hail...so what ffs ..we are rovers - europe we have been there ...champions league been there too when it was champs only ( I think) zzzzzzam show me your cl medal ooops thought not...I have more medals than the fat Bolton slug..GB champ..represented GB and England ..zzzzams won nowt but lower league crap..hoof negative loud mouthed bull wins exactly what he has won has a player and manager...ZERO

KING KENNY AND SOUEY did.

If that first couple of words is supposed to be directed at me for my comments yesterday then I'm afraid you'll have to translate your post into English. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I've read it three times and I'm still stumped. Perhaps you were drunk when you wrote it?

PS. If you support Allardyce you're a Burnley fan? Is that the puerile level you're working on?

[ABBEY]

Drunk..guilty..doesn't alter the fact he's ruining good players by playing Sunday pub football. He thinks he's better than us and best suited for barca..that just shows him up.

He won nowt as a player and nowt as a manager..and as for all those saying king kenny and soey only brought us silverware with money ,you sound like the media you all slag off.

If you think sats hoof and snoozefest is anything worthy of top flight football then the loons have escaped

[S15]

the loons have escaped

Long ago apparently.

[ABBEY]

Shill do me a favour just do one ..stop fekkin stalking me..your obsessed ..if you need counselling let me know .mates rates.

[S15]

Shill do me a favour just do one ..stop fekkin stalking me..your obsessed ..if you need counselling let me know .mates rates.

You spout complete crap in an aggressive and completely illiterate way with absolutely no cohesion yet get unbelievable defensive when anyone dares quote you and disagree.

But it would be me who needs the counselling?

[Commondore]

Castrophic signings? What absolute rubbish, another misconception about Sams time at newcastle. Two of his signings (Barton & Smith) are still two integral parts of the team today. Viduka in his first season did better than average scoring 7 in 28 - not a bad return. Geremi was signed from League winners chelsea, who had also previusly played for real madrid, whilst still being under 30. Habib Beye must of been pretty decent at newcastle as he recently signed for Villa. The only flop he really signed was Capaca and that was on a free!

That's twisting the facts so hard it's almost laughable.

Viduka - A wreck after that first (passable) season.

Geremi - Useless

Cacapa - Useless

Rozenhal - Useless

Smith - Useless

Barton - 52 games in 3 years.

Beye - Good buy.

Enrique - Good (but expensive) buy.

[Steve Moss]

That very point has really had me scratching my head wondering what exactly is going on. I've lost count the number of times I have seen Rovers take the lead but then sit back and stand off until an inevitable equaliser. It has happened so many times I had to assume that it was part of some tactical gameplan or instructions from Sam.

He probably got if from the old days of the NFL. The "prevent" defense. Of course it never works.

I'm not saying that Sam is adopting that tactic. Sometimes, I'm not enough of a footballer to figure out the formation which is being run let alone divine the tactical plan. But IMO inexpert opinion, "hoofball" or long passes would be an excellent defensive strategy so long as you keep the opposition pinned down in their half, even if the other side has the ball. We're not quite there yet and will need funds to invest in the midfield if we are going to make those improvements. I think Sam is trying to do that, hence the conversion of Jones to midfielder, but he has to work with what he has and cash does not number amongst the assets available to him.

[philipl]

Certainly Sam has found exactly the right words to turn the fans against him!

Bad time to find himself comprehensively out-smarted in the half time team talk two home games running and be too slow to do anything about it.

[broadsword]

Somebody make him stop.

He's doing a good job at keeping us in this division with no money (albeit with cr*p football and gamesmanship), so I tolerate him and his clownish ego. But his recent gobbing off smacks to em of someone who would rather be somewhere else and is looking for a job. Can't take much more of his unjustified hubristic ravings.

[BuckyRover]

I don't think it's going increase the likelihood of him being offered another job.

Unfortunately.

[thenodrog]

... however I firmly believe that the lack of away support can be linked directly to the style of play (ultra defensive and hoof at every chance - at Man City you can understand it, but at home to Fulham?????)

Really? I link it more to internet streaming and the recession.

[rebelmswar]

Really? I link it more to internet streaming and the recession.

No, no, no, neither of those things are directly Sam's fault.

Its crap football, pure and simple. And our impending relegation.

[JAL]

Certainly Sam has found exactly the right words to turn the fans against him!

Bad time to find himself comprehensively out-smarted in the half time team talk two home games running and be too slow to do anything about it.

Stop you there philipl if I may, he took a defensive midfielder off for an attacking one inside twelve minutes of the second half against Arsenal. Ok it didnt do much good but for me that wasnt being too slow.

[thenodrog]

That very point has really had me scratching my head wondering what exactly is going on. I've lost count the number of times I have seen Rovers take the lead but then sit back and stand off until an inevitable equaliser. It has happened so many times I had to assume that it was part of some tactical gameplan or instructions from Sam.

But then this weekend Sam goes ballistic in the media saying he doesn't understand why we always seem to stand off and sit back when we get a lead and that he gave no instructions to the players to do so. Who is telling the truth here?

The answer is obvious. It's the standard away tactics of all opposition bar the top 6. Fulham were content to sit back and play deep for a 0-0 situation after 75 minutes before going for a late winner. Once we scored that tactic was pointless and they had to be more adventurous and come at us more. It's not that hard to understand surely RVR?

Castrophic signings? What absolute rubbish, another misconception about Sams time at newcastle. Two of his signings (Barton & Smith) are still two integral parts of the team today. Viduka in his first season did better than average scoring 7 in 28 - not a bad return. Geremi was signed from League winners chelsea, who had also previusly played for real madrid, whilst still being under 30. Habib Beye must of been pretty decent at newcastle as he recently signed for Villa. The only flop he really signed was Capaca and that was on a free!

Sorry sweet has no one told you ....... We don't do let the facts get in the way of a good irrational rant on here.

[thenodrog]

Somebody make him stop.

He's doing a good job at keeping us in this division with no money (albeit with cr*p football and gamesmanship), so I tolerate him and his clownish ego. But his recent gobbing off smacks to em of someone who would rather be somewhere else and is looking for a job. Can't take much more of his unjustified hubristic ravings.

No change there then from decades of previous managers since Jack Marshall.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Over the last few days things have occurred which I feel deserve a different slant or view point. Initially I wasn't going to post these thoughts because I know the reaction and where it will come from. Anyway lets examine a few things.

Me too.

If we consider his last 9 or 10 days contribution to increasing the league position and profile of his employer, Blackburn Rovers Football Club:

- There was the usual trumpet-blowing in the LT about how what he had achieved here had been a miracle. A miracle? We were 2 wins adrift with 20 games to go; definitely a very good achievement to keep us up but a miracle? Harry Bassett with Sheff Utd and Roy Hodgson at Fulham achieved much greater comebacks with far fewer games left to stay up, so how would he classify their achievements?

- After his miracle speech, he then denigrated the only genuine miracle in my 45 years following the club: winning the Premiership. Kenny bought the league, Sam performed a miraculous 5 point in 60 turnaround.

- The City game was a good defensive display, more because of superb individual efforts by Samba, Robbo and others than any tactical masterstroke. But if he wants credit for this result, he has to take the blame for Fulham. Also in this game, I have never in 45 years seen the Rovers, or anyone else for that matter, deliberately knock a free kick that was in a great position into touch. That's rugby, not football.

- Then of course we had the 'I don't belong here, I belong at Real Madrid where I would win trophies every year speech'. I'm glad the press are having a field day with this even though it's partly at our expense, because it highlights what a knob he is.

- Against Fulham at home - surely a win target - we start with 4 centre halves on the pitch, our player of the year sat on the bench, and the first choice striker from the end of last season - when we had a great run - sat in the stands.

- I agree with Paul, that EHD premeditated foul came straight from the training ground. We now have to celebrate the most despicable player in the league following orders to deliberately take out the keeper and hope the ref doesn't spot it.

- Halftime speech made us worse (again); subs made no difference (again)

- After the game he publicly accuses his players of being unprofessional

Excellent 10 days. But hey, he kept us up so he can do what he likes. Maybe if and when he p!sses on the club crest before kick-off his fan club might wake up to how we are losing our soul as a club to this man.

[thenodrog]

- I agree with Paul, that EHD premeditated foul came straight from the training ground. We now have to celebrate the most despicable player in the league following orders to deliberately take out the keeper and hope the ref doesn't spot it.

Stop being so holier than thou eit. Don't worry you wont have to watch it again. Next week the ref will be distracted watching EHD jumping about but staying at least 3 yards away from the keeper and completely out of the action whilst Corporal Jones levels the bbugger from the blind side!

Nothing sinister or worthy of comment about it at all cos we were doing the same thing 30 years ago.