[Archived] Sam Allardyce

[Hughesy]

As for Sam.

Prior to todays game - going off form under sam, we would be 8th if we had started the season with him. 7th after todays result.

You have to hand it to him - 3 of the best performers in the last 3 months have been Givet, Diouf and Samba. He signed 2 of them and revitalised the 3rd.

[Amo]

Where we be under Ince's form? Rock-bottom?

[Hughesy]

It didnt say - but im pretty sure we would be yes.

[beerwins]

As for Sam.

Prior to todays game - going off form under sam, we would be 8th if we had started the season with him. 7th after todays result.

You have to hand it to him - 3 of the best performers in the last 3 months have been Givet, Diouf and Samba. He signed 2 of them and revitalised the 3rd.

Apart from the fact that samba is huge he was also shifted up front becasue his work ethic is second to none, he chased everything down and really made a nuisance of himself, he played like a centre back who got a chance to go up front, really good decision by sam as i would have brought of jase replaced him with carlos give him a free role and played 4,5,1, bet your glad im not manager

[Hughesy]

Samba did used to be a striker though + like you said his height and strength is a problem too. He also has decent quick feet for a big lad.

[Amo]

Correct me if I'm wrong:

PAUL INCE WON 13/51pts

BIG SAM WON 21/42pts

[Exiled_Rover]

I much prefer Samba at the back, but with Roque and Roberts out for the season he can do a job upfront. It's not pretty, but it's effective. Ooijer is more than capable of filling in for him and maybe we'll see Zurab!

[47er]

Ince suffered from underperforming individuals just as much as Allardyce and stupid errors cost us just the same. I'm not "waiting to slag him off", I simply don't think a manager who takes charge of a side about halfway through the season with a decent squad a good run-in and an entirely salvageable position should be devoid of criticism should the side then go down. There have certainly been improvements under Allardyce and had the side been performing like this for the entire season it is unlikely that we would be in the position that we now are in,but that doesn't mean that he has performed some miracle and took charge of a team that was already relegated and our simply being contenders for survival is an achievement in itself. I think we'll stay up and that means that Allardyce did his job for this season, if we are relegated then he didn't and he will have to carry some of the blame. I'd put most of the blame on Williams for having made a moronic decision, then Ince for making a mess of our summer signings and not getting the side properly organised and then finally a smaller portion of the blame, but still sizeable, on Allardyce for not getting this team to get enough points when it really is capable of doing it.

I don't see why anyone would think that Allardyce shouldn't be at least somewhat responsible should the side be relegated, he had more than enough time to turn things around. If Shearer doesn't turn things around at Newcastle he can't be blamed, their run and the short amount of time he has means that really anything he does is very impressive, but Allardyce wasn't put in that sort of position.

Absolute rubbish. Allardyce had only the January transfer window to improve the squad and 2M to spend. He didn't have the summer to prepare and he's taken 21 points from 14 games which is definate top half or even top six. Moreover Ince didn't take over a demoralised squad in a relegation position, 2 points from safety with the worst goal difference in the League. If we are relegated 13 points from 17 games is what would have done it.

[tonyoz]

Samba did used to be a striker though + like you said his height and strength is a problem too. He also has decent quick feet for a big lad.

Like Peter Crouch with muscles?

He won all the long ball hoofs too. Roberts and McCarthy rarely bother to even challenge for them - makes the hoof tactic pretty ineffective for the most part when they are the 2 attackers.

Samba has been my favourite player for some time now.

[philipl]

I really do not understand why so many people are so sour. Anyone would think Eddie had been born in Blackburn the way he has turned into a old grump!

There is no doubt that Ince's record of P17 W3 D4 L10 was bottom of the league form (extrapolate that and we'd be with the Baggies now with 23.7 points and a worse goal difference)

...and Sam's current record of P14 W5 D6 L3 is Europa League qualifying form (extrapolate that to 31 games and we'd have 46.5 points now)

Regardless of what the football is like, how rubbish our midfield is, how many open goals Jason missed, the record is there for all to see.

It looks like we are going to have to battle through to the end of the season with no Roque, no Roberts, no Emerton, no Reid and huge question marks over the fitness of Dunn and Grella and Tugay playing on his pensioner's bus pass every now and then.

If as now seems likely, Sam not only keeps us up but also secures a fairly decent league position and grabs a few more £750Ks place prize money, nobody could possibly argue that Sam has done anything but a truly remarkable job and pulled off a major achievement.

[yoda]

I really do not understand why so many people are so sour. Anyone would think Eddie had been born in Blackburn the way he has turned into a old grump!

There is no doubt that Ince's record of P17 W3 D4 L10 was bottom of the league form (extrapolate that and we'd be with the Baggies now with 23.7 points and a worse goal difference)

...and Sam's current record of P14 W5 D6 L3 is Europa League qualifying form (extrapolate that to 31 games and we'd have 46.5 points now)

Regardless of what the football is like, how rubbish our midfield is, how many open goals Jason missed, the record is there for all to see.

It looks like we are going to have to battle through to the end of the season with no Roque, no Roberts, no Emerton, no Reid and huge question marks over the fitness of Dunn and Grella and Tugay playing on his pensioner's bus pass every now and then.

If as now seems likely, Sam not only keeps us up but also secures a fairly decent league position and grabs a few more £750Ks place prize money, nobody could possibly argue that Sam has done anything but a truly remarkable job and pulled off a major achievement.

Absolutely right Philipl, it won't please the whingers though

[dingles staying down 4ever]

I really do not understand why so many people are so sour. Anyone would think Eddie had been born in Blackburn the way he has turned into a old grump!

There is no doubt that Ince's record of P17 W3 D4 L10 was bottom of the league form (extrapolate that and we'd be with the Baggies now with 23.7 points and a worse goal difference)

...and Sam's current record of P14 W5 D6 L3 is Europa League qualifying form (extrapolate that to 31 games and we'd have 46.5 points now)

Regardless of what the football is like, how rubbish our midfield is, how many open goals Jason missed, the record is there for all to see.

It looks like we are going to have to battle through to the end of the season with no Roque, no Roberts, no Emerton, no Reid and huge question marks over the fitness of Dunn and Grella and Tugay playing on his pensioner's bus pass every now and then.

If as now seems likely, Sam not only keeps us up but also secures a fairly decent league position and grabs a few more £750Ks place prize money, nobody could possibly argue that Sam has done anything but a truly remarkable job and pulled off a major achievement.

Considering where we were when he took over, then Sam has done a great job. At the beginning of Christmas we were as good as down.

The football has been awful but it was for the majority of the Hughes reign as well. It is percentage, negative football but it was what was needed with the position we are still in. Not many complained with that when we were challenging for Europe.

[No Nay Never]

If it hadn't of worked then we would be slating him, but i thought he used what he had to the very maximum today by throwing Samba up front. Roberts getting injured was probably a blessing in disguise. No centre half in the world could be comfortable against the sheer physical presence of Samba.

[emerton]

on a completely unrelated note really loved the grey suit!

[imy9]

I really do not understand why so many people are so sour. Anyone would think Eddie had been born in Blackburn the way he has turned into a old grump!

There is no doubt that Ince's record of P17 W3 D4 L10 was bottom of the league form (extrapolate that and we'd be with the Baggies now with 23.7 points and a worse goal difference)

...and Sam's current record of P14 W5 D6 L3 is Europa League qualifying form (extrapolate that to 31 games and we'd have 46.5 points now)

Regardless of what the football is like, how rubbish our midfield is, how many open goals Jason missed, the record is there for all to see.

It looks like we are going to have to battle through to the end of the season with no Roque, no Roberts, no Emerton, no Reid and huge question marks over the fitness of Dunn and Grella and Tugay playing on his pensioner's bus pass every now and then.

If as now seems likely, Sam not only keeps us up but also secures a fairly decent league position and grabs a few more £750Ks place prize money, nobody could possibly argue that Sam has done anything but a truly remarkable job and pulled off a major achievement.

Agreed 100%, I was not a Big Sam fan but he is doing the business for us, the 3 losses have been against top 5 sides, Ince also sold our two best players, Givet looks class as does Diouf, both Sam signings.

[Eddie]

on a completely unrelated note really loved the grey suit!

He certainly looked better in it than Ince who always looked as if he'd been forced into it for school photo day.

[thenodrog]

if we do go down..........all the blame is totally on ince and how stupidly long the length of rope was he was given to hang himself. Sam has done nothing but improve every aspect of a completely dire situation to walk into since day 1, what exactly has sam done that has you readying yourself to slag him off.........answer absolutely nothing, really not his fault strikers can't finish gift wrapped chances.

Wrong BRFC! Ince did not appoint himself. Once it was realised what a dud he was he was given too long in the job. The buck stops at the desk of JW. The decision to appoint Ince was one huge abberation and was as stupid an appointment as I can recall at BRFC in the past 50 years. It was an appointment to rival Martin Buchan and later John Bond at Burnley. God only knows what thought processes John Williams employed.

btw That is not to say JW is stupid! I don't for one minute think he is a stupid man which makes the appointment of Ince even more baffling.

[thenodrog]

I really do not understand why so many people are so sour. Anyone would think Eddie had been born in Blackburn the way he has turned into a old grump!

There is no doubt that Ince's record of P17 W3 D4 L10 was bottom of the league form (extrapolate that and we'd be with the Baggies now with 23.7 points and a worse goal difference)

...and Sam's current record of P14 W5 D6 L3 is Europa League qualifying form (extrapolate that to 31 games and we'd have 46.5 points now)

Regardless of what the football is like, how rubbish our midfield is, how many open goals Jason missed, the record is there for all to see.

It looks like we are going to have to battle through to the end of the season with no Roque, no Roberts, no Emerton, no Reid and huge question marks over the fitness of Dunn and Grella and Tugay playing on his pensioner's bus pass every now and then.

If as now seems likely, Sam not only keeps us up but also secures a fairly decent league position and grabs a few more £750Ks place prize money, nobody could possibly argue that Sam has done anything but a truly remarkable job and pulled off a major achievement.

Correct. But after yeterdays performance I will wait until we are mathematically safe before I second your final paragraph. There will likely be many twists and turns yet.

[Darwen Rover]

Think we have to take some responsibility for JW not chosing BS first time round, when I say 'we' I mean the facebook crew!?

My understanding is the fans opinions / backlash was a mojor influencing deciding factor when the obvious choice (BS) was not made... Now I know some of you will say JW should have done what is right in his view rather than be influenced by the fans... However that would be contradictory of the 'football is for fans' slogan... so really damned if you do, damned if you dont...

Sam is a fantastic premier league manager and we are lucky to have him, just ask any Bolton fan...

Hs football is 'fit for purpose' dependant on the opposition and the resources he has available...

Right now we have a good defence... shyte midfield... and an OK front line... so playing a passing fluid style through OUR current availbale midfield (Mokeona / Warnock / unfit Dunn / 20 mins Tugay) is not exactly the solution...

[thenodrog]

Apart from the fact that samba is huge he was also shifted up front becasue his work ethic is second to none, he chased everything down and really made a nuisance of himself, he played like a centre back who got a chance to go up front, really good decision by sam as i would have brought of jase replaced him with carlos give him a free role and played 4,5,1, bet your glad im not manager

There's every chance we could have won the World Cup if the Swedish goon SGE had employed the same tactics v Brazil after Ronaldo had gone of and Ronaldinho had been sent off! Once that happened and their back 4 virtually rooted themselves to the edge of the penalty box we had no need for 4 at the back and should have shoved Sol Campbell up front, delivered balls that came down with snow on em for him to knock down and Wimbledon'd em out of the WC. No matter what eddie or waggy say SGE lost any claim to tactical nous from that day forth.

[SoccerHQ]

Keeping you up so job done.

Over the summer he can rebuild the side and squad so would expect you to be back in the top half next season.

[gumboots]

Keeping you up so job done.

Over the summer he can rebuild the side and squad so would expect you to be back in the top half next season.

He might be able to if there was any cash but unfortunately it's going to be rabbits out of hats and bargain basement shopping again for us. Even if we got decent money for Santa Cruz we'd not get much for it as everyone would know we had it and try to screw us for every last penny we had. A rebuild is not on the cards. a patch up and buy players on the cheap to fill the gaps left by those departing is about the best we can hope for. It makes it all the sweeter when, like yesterday, we should have been hammered and came away with the points.

[JAL]

I really do not understand why so many people are so sour. Anyone would think Eddie had been born in Blackburn the way he has turned into a old grump!

There is no doubt that Ince's record of P17 W3 D4 L10 was bottom of the league form (extrapolate that and we'd be with the Baggies now with 23.7 points and a worse goal difference)

...and Sam's current record of P14 W5 D6 L3 is Europa League qualifying form (extrapolate that to 31 games and we'd have 46.5 points now)

Regardless of what the football is like, how rubbish our midfield is, how many open goals Jason missed, the record is there for all to see.

It looks like we are going to have to battle through to the end of the season with no Roque, no Roberts, no Emerton, no Reid and huge question marks over the fitness of Dunn and Grella and Tugay playing on his pensioner's bus pass every now and then.

If as now seems likely, Sam not only keeps us up but also secures a fairly decent league position and grabs a few more £750Ks place prize money, nobody could possibly argue that Sam has done anything but a truly remarkable job and pulled off a major achievement.

Well said Philipl,

Rovers are in good hands under Big Sam, another eventful couple of years lie ahead inside the gates of Ewood Park, rest assured all ye doubters.

[Exiled_Rover]

on a completely unrelated note really loved the grey suit!

It's the team suit, all the players are required to wear it to and from Ewood on matchdays. I prefer the manger to wear his own suit to be honest.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

It's the team suit, all the players are required to wear it to and from Ewood on matchdays. I prefer the manger to wear his own suit to be honest.

To be frank, he can stand on the touchline in a mankini if it keeps us up.