[Archived] Sam Allardyce

[Bobby G]

The athletes dont mind when they are being paid by the bucket load (especially the other already established athletes from athletics/weight lifting, etc...). In football, those who they naturalized are usually not GOOD ENOUGH to play for their home country's like Brazil, Uruguay, etc...

[sam_rovers]

Qatar's basketball team is nicknamed the United Nations. Don't think there is a single player who was born in Qatar

[Bobby G]

And they still suck.

Got whooped during the Asian Games last month.

[Darwen Rover]

If I compare Mark Hughes last season with us, I dont actually think Sams brand of football was that bad it was actually getting better as the season progressed.. Also it was very difficult for him to play fast flowing football with our midfield??

Granted he has gone and we need to move on, but just wanted to make the point.

[John]

I think if we managed to sign someone like Guti we may not have looked to completely bypass the midfield....

[Majiball]

Sam was on 5 live sports week this morning I believe, did anyone catch the interview?

39:00 minutes in.

[John]

Did not catch it but he can't make any detailed comments on his sacking for contractual reasons.

Former Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce would return to management in England if the right offer came along.

[AndyC]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11676_6638003,00.html?

Sam will be a guest on sky on sunday.

Fans are asked to submit questions to him...

Here's your chance folks...

[broadsword]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11676_6638003,00.html?

Sam will be a guest on sky on sunday.

Fans are asked to submit questions to him...

Here's your chance folks...

"Is that really you on twitter?"

[AndyC]

"Is that really you on twitter?"

:D

[cruz]

Sam has been spooked and has cancelled the appearance

[mhead]

Mr Allardice: "What did you think of your decision to capitulate to Man U and Sir Alex in November? Do you regret the team put out and the lack of ambition?"

(Still upset)

[BuckyRover]

Don't be upset. It cost him his job!

[philipl]

Don't usually look at Tyler's stats but in calendar year 2010 Rovers were 7th best overall in the Premier League.

So that's the benchmark for Kean/Venky's/Kentaro. Beat 7th.

Some great stats lower down that page with Rovers/Shearer dominant.

[47er]

Do be upset-- particularly if the rumours about Maradona come true.

[thenodrog]

Do be upset-- particularly if the rumours about Maradona come true.

Just as an aside do managers ever get tested for illegal substances?

[braddock]

Are people still talking about this guy in relation to us?

[thenodrog]

Are people still talking about this guy in relation to us?

Timely day to revisit your post braddock. History has proved your opinions worthless as most knew it would. Unfortunately for the good of the club you are by no means alone.

How uncannily bittersweet the 3rd week of December has been for BRFC. 3 years ago in Dec 08 and with us in desperate straits at the bottom of the Prem John Williams finally sacked the incompetent Ince and appointed Sam Allardyce to come in and perform the kind of miraculous rescue act which we so desperately need now. Almost exactly three years on and almost exactly 12 months after so stupidly sacking him and appointing Coco we are disjointed, dispirited, in complete dissarray and once again plumbing the depths of the Premier League. With 21 points on the board last Dec and from a comfortable mid table position we ended up narrowly avoiding relegation by a combination of the grace of god and the woodwork. We have lost thousands from the gate that were added in his tenure and today with WHU hitting joint top of the Championship in front of 35000 and all set to swap places with us in a few months I'd imagine Allardyce is in the immortal words of Kevin Keegan just 'luvvin it'. Being knifed in the back is probably the best thing that ever happened to him. I shouldn't be suprised to find he's texting Coco and the goons in Pune on a weekly basis.... I certainly would!

Surely we are in the process of committing the fastest version of soccer suicide in history.

[Audax]

A lot of people hated Sam being fired and wanted the Rovers to suffer from it, I think that feeling was prevalent last year more than now. Time heals wounds kind of thing.

That's a darn exciting league, the Championship: http://www.soccerway.com/national/england/championship/2011-2012/regular-season/ though I'd hate to just make the playoffs and lose, that's a bit hard. West Ham and Southampton are now tied for first.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

What can ya say other than frigging told ya so. Already made a topic about it so should probably give it a rest. Needless to say though this is what happens when our dipstick owners and to an extent fans think mid-table isn't good enough just because we had to play long-ball to get there.

[Tom]

How did you tell us so you only joined in may?

Many did Theno, Jim, matty and countless others and have been persistent in that, I was undecided on it and hoped if we brought the right man in it may not have been a disaster, it could hardly have gone worse.

I don't think anyone could envisage who they'd hire, I'd never even heard of Steve Kean and I wish it stayed that way.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

How did you tell us so you only joined in may?

Many did Theno, Jim, matty and countless others and have been persistent in that, I was undecided on it and hoped if we brought the right man in it may not have been a disaster, it could hardly have gone worse.

I don't think anyone could envisage who they'd hire, I'd never even heard of Steve Kean and I wish it stayed that way.

Hmm good point I suppose. Well I told people I know plenty often. But no, Big Sam football was ****, it was horrible to watch, it was driving fans away, I'd rather watch a sunday league team bla bla ******* bla. Wound me off then and winds me up now, and to be honest I'm sick of pulling the punches on it. Well done everyone who went along those lines. This is what happens when you get your way.

[patrickvalery]

Hmm good point I suppose. Well I told people I know plenty often. But no, Big Sam football was ****, it was horrible to watch, it was driving fans away, I'd rather watch a sunday league team bla bla ******* bla. Wound me off then and winds me up now, and to be honest I'm sick of pulling the punches on it. Well done everyone who went along those lines. This is what happens when you get your way.

Nobody got their way for goodness sake. There weren't people outside Ewood Park demanding Sam's head. Yes some people were extremely vocal when Sam was appointed. That, i'm sure was in part due to his approach to the game and equally his history with a local rival of sorts. Listen, i'm not citicising the man by any means. But i didn't enjoy his football. I make no bones about it and i cannot fathom why anyone else would. It was effective but miserable to watch. There were occassions when going a goal down meant game over. Or atleast it seemed that way. We were devoid of any ideas going forward and heavily reliant on set pieces.

Now before i get the obligatory beating with the 'And it's so much better now' stick, i would like to stress that neither i or any other fan i know, did not wish for this. Much like Tom said above, a decent replacement would have ensured a happy medium. I am sure of that. Sadly it has become a black and white issue to many. You're either a Sam fan who appreciated the pragmatic approach, or a Kean fan who is glad the club is rid of that evil Mr Allardyce. Well thats just bobbins. There are shades of grey.

I am entirely truthful and unashamed when i admit i found the football Sam played dull and thoroughly unentertaining. But i knew why it needed to be done. And i think i am not alone in this view. A morbid analogy here, but i always likened it as a form of chemotherapy to stave off the cancer - being relegation. It was not nice to experience, but it kept us alive. When new ownership rocked up it was like a miracle drug had been offered to the club. Rid us of the lack of investment and perhaps we can bin off that nasty chemotherapy at the same time. As it turns out the break through drug was actually a little dodgy and sadly we ditched the chemo too. Even though we have since started the course of chemo again, it looks like its all too little too late. We're left with the original cancer we fought so bravely against. Except this time we're bloody riddled with it. It runs so deep in every corridor of the club and there is no comeback story anymore. Its all so effin grim.

[Stuart]

Fair play, PV, a very honest post BUT...

The massive factor in all this is the budget constraints we were, and plainly still are, working under.

The is no doubt in my mind that Allardyce was the perfect match for a spendthrift Rovers. The problems arose when Venkys turned up and set different expectations. Their impatience will Allardyce struck a chord and raised expectations for something/someone better. Sadly it now looks like there was a different, more sinister reason for Sam's removal and, looking at it in 20-20 hindsight, my opinion is that there was never any possibility of a more credible manager.

Now that Venkys appear to have lost interest, there seems little chance of that changing.

[Mattyblue]

People can have any opinion they like on Sam, I thought he was excellent, but so did JW and that was all that mattered.

What got my goat is when the rabid anti Sam lot tried to make out that under Kean we have played 'good footy'- when apart from a odd pretty passing spell and a few showings of pace and trickery from Hoilett we have played a less effective version of Allardyce football.