[Archived] Sam Out...?

[ABBEY]

but ivan what about the "shocking" comments about the fans know nothing and sam the expert? that comment alone meant i lost all respect for him.He cant say things like that about fans and not expect us to keep shtum surely?

[CrazyIvan]

but ivan what about the "shocking" comments about the fans know nothing and sam the expert? that comment alone meant i lost all respect for him.He cant say things like that about fans and not expect us to keep shtum surely?

No, I've commented on that as well. It was ill-advised and arrogant but that is the man. Don't use it to beat him around the head with on here every post because it's like taking a throw-away comment from someone you know and hating them for it forever. Yes, he lost a bit of my respect that day too but I am perfectly willing to see past it because he is still the manager and we keep winning at home.

[Exiled in Toronto]

A lot of teams are finding it hard away from home this season. It seems to be a trend.

I would agree that your away approach lacks adventure, but you have had a murderous run of games. So now is really not the time to judge.

The preferred system of 4-4-1-1 is hard to play against accomplished and attacking sides because the man in the hole gets bypassed by both sides, his own and the opposition. But in most of the more even games - even away - it is actually an attacking line-up.

I don't think Rovers have played what I would describe as their strongest side too often this season, so the results have been mixed. There are reasons for that, but this is why you have to assess over a season not after a rough ride.

If you get your best side on the park and keep it there [until Di Santo's future is sorted] this will be the low point of the season.

If you got tubbed on your own patch against Portsmouth that would be a problem. But you have passed most of your home tests so far.

But Alan, these are the perspectives of a watcher, not those of a fan i.e. short for 'fanatic' It sounds like you are advocating we become dispassionate observers, i.e. Sky watchers.

If we shouldn't have opinions 11 months into a man's reign and wait another 6 months to come to a conclusion, then what's the bloody point of watching at all?

[thenodrog]

but ivan what about the "shocking" comments about the fans know nothing and sam the expert?

Unpalatable, ill advised maybe but after reading this board regularly it's undeniably very true in the majority of cases.

Maybe it's worth pondering that he's earning 40k pw or similar from managing BRFC whilst most are struggling to fund our ST's and pay the council tax in the same month abbey. Williams didn't ring you or I last December did he?

[ABBEY]

no he didnt gord but id put a team out that could muster more than one shot and i wouldnt slag the fans off publically either.

[John]

Taking into account the repetitive rubbish being spouted on here, Sam is most definitely the expert...

[thenodrog]

no he didnt gord but id put a team out that could muster more than one shot and i wouldnt slag the fans off publically either.

With the obvious exception to the rule being Jim mk2.

[ABBEY]

With the obvious exception to the rule being Jim mk2.

all rules are made to be broken lol

[JamieUK]

Sam is his own worst enemy and I half expect him to take on his Rovers fans critics by going for a containing dour 4-5-1 at home to Pompey just for the sheer cussedness of it.

The same dour 4-5-1 that has produced 3 home league wins in a row scoring 8 goals? A win is a win...

[PAFELL]

For crying out loud.

All Jisty has done is start a debate - no harm in that. After that is waht message boards are ofton for. We may not agree with somebody else's opinion, but they should be allowed to post it all the same.

It is my view that Big Sam is the man for the job now. Lets face reality, Rovers defence has been bad - Sam has had to go back to basics after the Arsenal and Chelsea gammes. Get the defence sorted and make them a solid unit then build from there. Not many of us expected a decent result for Rovers against Man U - so I suggest Sam used yesterdays game to - can't think of another word - to train the defence and get this solid base. The idea then was to then defend higher up and hope to pinch the game on a break in the last part of the game. Often you heard Sam shout at the team to come out from their own penalty box and to defend further up - but they didnt do it until a lot later. Against a lower team the tactic would have worked fine for Rovers away from home. At home a different tactic is required.

Any manager can only work with the players he has and the budget available and plan and play accordingly and I suggest that is what Sam is doing. He is also planning the whole season and not just one game. Rovers plan and aim until a level playing field is put together by the powers that be is to stay in the premiership and by whatever means. Rovers are not in the position to do this by pretty football - sadly. But if Rovers get to the end of the season still in the prem even if the football is ugly etc - then it is a successful season. Big Sam is the man - at the moment to do this. Even though I would like rovers to challenge for every competition going and play the best football, that can only be a dream and not reality. But I do believe the times are changing - because we are not the only club sick and tired of the greed and the favours of the top 4 or 5 clubs in this country.

[PAFELL]

A lot of teams are finding it hard away from home this season. It seems to be a trend.

I would agree that your away approach lacks adventure, but you have had a murderous run of games. So now is really not the time to judge.

The preferred system of 4-4-1-1 is hard to play against accomplished and attacking sides because the man in the hole gets bypassed by both sides, his own and the opposition. But in most of the more even games - even away - it is actually an attacking line-up.

I don't think Rovers have played what I would describe as their strongest side too often this season, so the results have been mixed. There are reasons for that, but this is why you have to assess over a season not after a rough ride.

If you get your best side on the park and keep it there [until Di Santo's future is sorted] this will be the low point of the season.

If you got tubbed on your own patch against Portsmouth that would be a problem. But you have passed most of your home tests so far.

Good post Nicko - out of interest do you have any idea who Hull city could be going for if they sack their manager. Do you think they would conside big Sam?

[Paul]

I think you mean you agree with me Al. 90% of Pauls post is having a pop at Allardyce and BRFC in general with real issues of football finances and the structure of the Prem etc as an afterthought.

With respect thenodrog at no point have I had a pop at the manager or the club. My gripe is with the whole structure which has been created in the last 15 or so years. A structure which is dominated by greed and money and which has destroyed the dreams of many fans. I don't want to watch the best players in the world, before someone brings up that old chestnut, I want to watch competitive football. My view of the Rovers is we have a great little club doing it's very best to survive in the modern game. We are well run and cared about by our senior management. Allardyce, who I have never liked, is seen by them as the best manager for the club. Fine he's a necessary evil if we are to survive. The point I am making is that if the powers that be are happy the game is well run when it leaves fans of 40 years plus disillusioned and angry then something is wrong.

Where I will argue is when people insist on telling me how well we are doing etc etc when it is clear we are worse than last season. Ince was sacked for doing better than Allardyce.

I've done my time, I grew up watching second divison Southern League football, which was an hour's bus ride and 20 minutes walk from my home. I know what the game used to be about and how much better it was. For all you youngsters that's like living in Lancaster and travelling to watch Chorley. Yesterday I was reduced to sitting quietly and watching, devoid of emotion, just like 75,000 Utd fans. The truely sad thing is there are fans who come on here and say it's how the game is, fans who will criticise people who don't see it all through blue and white glasses. I posted in this thread not to criticise MY club but to respond to the journalist who says the problem is supporters ranting which is clearly not the case. We don't have to accept it. We need more ABBEY's and waggy's because they have the passion to say it how it is. At the moment it's all f****** up.

I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BLACKBURN ROVERS

[thenodrog]

I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BLACKBURN ROVERS

Quote Paul

"I'm 55 which is hardly X Factor Generation - I don't watch such garbage, read tabloids or the celebrity magazines. Everyone I know, real people not messageboard warriors, who is unhappy with Rovers and Allardyce is over 45, a pretty similar generation to mine.

I used to get really, really angry. Until recently I'd have been steaming mad at some of the stuff I've seen this season. Yesterday my team didn't manage to get me out of my seat or singing once. I have become more and more disillusioned with football in general but until very recently have been able to muster the enthusiasm to go. Since Allardyce arrived I have started missing FA and League Cup games and when given a clash between a home PL game and something else (like next saturday) I don't go to the football. In over 40 years of watching football the ONLY other times I have missed games have been for the kids Christmas party."

Hardly ecstatic about em either.

[nicko]

But Alan, these are the perspectives of a watcher, not those of a fan i.e. short for 'fanatic' It sounds like you are advocating we become dispassionate observers, i.e. Sky watchers.

If we shouldn't have opinions 11 months into a man's reign and wait another 6 months to come to a conclusion, then what's the bloody point of watching at all?

Judge the big picture, not a small segment.

Your home record since Sam took over is excellent, up with most outside the top four.

The away record is poor, but the same is the case for many others.

I just think people are too quick to jump to conclusions here. I can see what he is trying to do, but it takes time.

Once people start getting hysterical it only adds to pressure. The next game is hard enough, don't make it worse.

It's the same everywhere. I heard some nuggets criticising Burnley last week because they didn't win their fifth successive home game.

Sorry, in general, most football fans are now less tolerant and want to be the first to stamp their feet and make a noise.

It's not just a problem with the game and some of the cynics who run it - it's supporters who ought to know better.

[Eddie]

People seem to be mixing things up here; people aren't unhappy because we've lost a few games, because we lost at OT or because we can't realistically compete with the big sides, it is because of the way that we are playing. The gap between us and United is no bigger or smaller than it was three years ago (not taking into consideration whether we have fared well in the transfer market), but up until the Allardyce era we have always had a go at the big sides. Under Souness we were an attractive and attacking side, one with grit, but one with pace and a bit of flair. Sure, we lost most of the games against the big teams, never finished higher than 6th, never looked like making the champions league and had some terrible results, but the football was, for the most part, entertaining and the kind of stuff I, and I think most others, wanted to see. I was proud of our side, proud to call myself a Blackburn fan.

After Hughes first few months when he fought off relegation he started to get us back to playing better football. He bought players who offered us a bit of attacking flair, we still had a bit of pace and we could play. There were times when we played some of the best football around and, yes, we still lost most of the games against the big sides, still had bad runs and still had bad results, but I was proud to call myself a Blackburn fan. Towards the end under Hughes he stopped caring and the rot set in a bit and to be honest Allardyce has simply continued what Hughes started in some respects.

Under Allardyce now we are boring, unadventurous and predictable. We have no pace, no real flair and we are playing a numbers game. There is very little entertainment apart from games when we score a couple against the very poor sides in this league. I am not proud of being a Blackburn fan at the moment.

We are Bolton 2.0. We are boring to watch. I can't honestly tell my friends that they have the wrong impression of Blackburn. That we aren't just an "Allardyce team". I want my pride back. I don't care that we don't beat United, but I want to be proud of how we go about playing. Sometimes that has to be backs to the wall, but it can't always be. Yesterday we could have lost 6-0, anyone who says that we "came close" is ignoring the fact that we only had one shot up until the last couple of minutes. Had United taken any one of the number of chances that Berbatov, Valencia, Obertan and Owen missed we could have been on the end of yet another hammering. Again, that isn't what I care about, I didn't expect us to win.

I just want to be able to lose and walk out with my head held high and Allardyce has taken that away. At the end of the day I watch football because I enjoy watching football. Does anyone really enjoy watching this?

[broadsword]

I have to question whether the players want to play for him.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

People seem to be mixing things up here; people aren't unhappy because we've lost a few games, because we lost at OT or because we can't realistically compete with the big sides, it is because of the way that we are playing. The gap between us and United is no bigger or smaller than it was three years ago (not taking into consideration whether we have fared well in the transfer market), but up until the Allardyce era we have always had a go at the big sides. Under Souness we were an attractive and attacking side, one with grit, but one with pace and a bit of flair. Sure, we lost most of the games against the big teams, never finished higher than 6th, never looked like making the champions league and had some terrible results, but the football was, for the most part, entertaining and the kind of stuff I, and I think most others, wanted to see. I was proud of our side, proud to call myself a Blackburn fan.

After Hughes first few months when he fought off relegation he started to get us back to playing better football. He bought players who offered us a bit of attacking flair, we still had a bit of pace and we could play. There were times when we played some of the best football around and, yes, we still lost most of the games against the big sides, still had bad runs and still had bad results, but I was proud to call myself a Blackburn fan. Towards the end under Hughes he stopped caring and the rot set in a bit and to be honest Allardyce has simply continued what Hughes started in some respects.

Under Allardyce now we are boring, unadventurous and predictable. We have no pace, no real flair and we are playing a numbers game. There is very little entertainment apart from games when we score a couple against the very poor sides in this league. I am not proud of being a Blackburn fan at the moment.

We are Bolton 2.0. We are boring to watch. I can't honestly tell my friends that they have the wrong impression of Blackburn. That we aren't just an "Allardyce team". I want my pride back. I don't care that we don't beat United, but I want to be proud of how we go about playing. Sometimes that has to be backs to the wall, but it can't always be. Yesterday we could have lost 6-0, anyone who says that we "came close" is ignoring the fact that we only had one shot up until the last couple of minutes. Had United taken any one of the number of chances that Berbatov, Valencia, Obertan and Owen missed we could have been on the end of yet another hammering. Again, that isn't what I care about, I didn't expect us to win.

I just want to be able to lose and walk out with my head held high and Allardyce has taken that away. At the end of the day I watch football because I enjoy watching football. Does anyone really enjoy watching this?

To compare Hughes to Sam is comparable but Hughes signed one player which gave his team attacking style and that was Bellamy. Take Bellamy out of the equation then the style of football is actually quite similar to the point that both played boring percentage football like 70% of the Premiership.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Judge the big picture, not a small segment.

We're 10 games into the season and he had 6 months before that to review things.

Your home record since Sam took over is excellent, up with most outside the top four.

No top 4 games at home for him yet and more rub of the green than bad luck, but yes, it has been a good set of results.

The away record is poor, but the same is the case for many others.

Who else has lost 10 in a row? In the last 10 years? Derby maybe.

I just think people are too quick to jump to conclusions here. I can see what he is trying to do, but it takes time.

He's bought 3 right backs when we already had an adequate one. He spent the entire transfer budget on a poacher/striker then changes the system to where we don't need one. Maybe you can understand what he's trying to do, but to me he looks like he's making it up as he goes along. Before he was appointed, you made several veiled references along the lines of 'There's a reason he has been unemployed for a year'; care to elaborate?

Once people start getting hysterical it only adds to pressure. The next game is hard enough, don't make it worse.

Hysterical? Fed up, yes.

It's the same everywhere. I heard some nuggets criticising Burnley last week because they didn't win their fifth successive home game.

We have 3 times their wage budget and are still 5 points behind them having beaten them!

Sorry, in general, most football fans are now less tolerant and want to be the first to stamp their feet and make a noise.

And why is that do you think? Couldn't be anything to do with the hysterical media hype? Anyway, I think we are being a lot more tolerant than fans at his last club.

It's not just a problem with the game and some of the cynics who run it - it's supporters who ought to know better.

Know their place you mean.

[Mozzer]

some people really are ridiculous - this thread is soo pathetic its unreal ..

got beat off arsenal, chelsea and man utd all away from home - sack the manager :/

near enough everyone wil get beat off these teams on there own patch ..october was always going to be a hard month - some fans really need to get real

1 more defeat then liverpool - oo we really need to sack sam allardyce :/ ..

[dillhallblue]

some people really are ridiculous - this thread is soo pathetic its unreal ..

got beat off arsenal, chelsea and man utd all away from home - sack the manager :/

near enough everyone wil get beat off these teams on there own patch ..october was always going to be a hard month - some fans really need to get real

1 more defeat then liverpool - oo we really need to sack sam allardyce :/ ..

At last some sense is being spoken ....

But the Portsmouth game is massive now .... A must win game

But Big Sam always has a knack of winning must win games i.e last season .. Hull (a), Fulham (a), Wigan (h), Portsmouth (h).... and this season... Villa (h) and the dingles

[Al]

Sorry Abbey but it didn't come across as sarcasm. I never said you can't have an opinion but the shocking comments made about Sam and the players, Andrews in particular don't come from supporters.

Rubbish. If I wasn't a supporter I wouldn't care about Julie. It's because I am a supporter that I want him out!

Incidentally I am not in the Sam out camp and reading through I don't think many are.

[John]

Of course we lack flair and also pace - however, the problem is the players we have and the difficulties we face when recruiting.

Can't all of a sudden ask Keith Andrews to perform cruyff turns...

[Stuart]

we really need to sack sam allardyce

So you think we should sack Allardyce? What kind of stupid talk is that??

No, see, I just ignored most of what you wrote and took your post completely out of context...

As some people (those who actually read and considered post 1 before responding) have pointed out, it was probably a poor choice of topic title, and probably bad timing, but it was deliberate. The noises from some people on here following the last couple of league games have been exactly that - Sack the manager - and I was hoping people would see that he IS probably the best person to have at this moment in time.

There are things I don't like about him, such as:

- His rating of Andrews as a first team starter, even when others seem to be available

- His misuse of what money he did have in August, and by default apparent neglect in addressing our midfield

- His attitude towards matches (percentage football) - although I CAN understand this

His arrogance doesn't really bother me, to be honest, I want my manager to believe in himself.

Given the resources he has to work with, as long as he keeps us in this league long enough to tread water whilst we are financially backed or the bubble bursts then that's just fine with me.

Despite this, playing devil's advocate, I've given this further thought since yesterday and I still can't think of anyone better: who could work within our budget; who is available or would leave their club to come here; and could do a better job.

[Gav]

As most will be aware I'm not an Allardyce fan at all but lets face facts here, who could replace him and do a better job?

End of thread.

[MeanGreenMachine]

If you miss what football used to be have a trip to your local lower league/non league side. Ive seen some cracking football at field mill (on the few occasions ive been this season) and saw two sides full of passion and commitment. Some crunching tackles and some really good football at times.

The premiership sadly aint worth half the hype it gets.