[Archived] To The Board And Fans Of Rovers.

[den]

I don't think we have a striker problem. We are simply a missing a David Bentley to put it on a plate for them.

We certainly do have a striker problem Topman. Roberts isn't going to score many between now and the end of the season. McCarthy doesn't play long enough, Di Santo doesn't look like he's ever going to score and Kalanic looks like a little boy lost at the moment.

[John]

As we all must know by now cos of players contracts and our lack of funds it takes a long time to change much of the personnel in a squad. I trust you are aware how much Mark Hughes struggled even with all his financial clout.

Sam was saying last week he needs more time to improve the club, as it takes longer with less resources.

Seem to be a lot of threads all around the same topics (lot of repetetion too!), but Hughes said it was not sustainable (in his view) to be successful whilst spending so little.

[thenodrog]

We certainly do have a striker problem Topman. Roberts isn't going to score many between now and the end of the season. McCarthy doesn't play long enough, Di Santo doesn't look like he's ever going to score and Kalanic looks like a little boy lost at the moment.

Correct. I think Roberts is now so poor that he's a write off Den. BM is best by a mile and should / could have notched on Sat. Di Santo looks OK with his back to goal but useless when he turns around (big problem for a striker), he's 6ft 3" and poor in the air imo also he appears to be simply going through the motions. Kalinic looks the most likely of the pair to succeed but he'll prob only come good when he develops an 'older head' on his shoulders.

[broadsword]

So 2 questions for you Bry....

1. How do you think Wenger or Ferguson for example would go on with our squad?

2. How do you think we would have fared this season if Sam had Brad, Bentley, RSC and Warnock all fit and available?

They wouldn't fare much better.

We're clearly missing Bentley. We would obviously have done better if we'd have kept him. But we didn't and the squad now is unbalanced. The goals for column tells its own story.

I would've been there to witness it myself on saturday if I hadn't been stuck in a tunnel for two hours.

[Amo]

We certainly do have a striker problem Topman. Roberts isn't going to score many between now and the end of the season. McCarthy doesn't play long enough, Di Santo doesn't look like he's ever going to score and Kalanic looks like a little boy lost at the moment.

Roberts is no better than a sub, I'll admit. However, the other three are starved of consistent service. That's why we're feeding on scraps, and every half-chance is being extra-scrutinized.

[only2garners]

ok..i go.

comments heard yesterday....

id rather be at b and q

why do i bother

rather watch paint dry

expert? glad we dont have a knob in chrge

what the (Please don't use that word again) have we become

your getting sacked in the morning

allerdyce just (Please don't use that word again) offf back to bolton

never coming again whilst that idiots in charge

bring back ince

Like you Abbey I heard all sorts of rubbish during the second half in the Blackburn End. One bloke behind me could have been responsible for all those and more. He even said that Allerdyce should be sacked because he wasn't on the touchline. I could not believe the change in the crowd's mood over half time, given that we played decently well and at the time certainly did not deserve to be losing. I think when the opposing manager says his team were lucky to be in front at half time you can't be doing too much wrong. Sure, there's plenty of room for improvement and we need to get the ball in the net a few times but the game on Saturday could easily have gone the other way.

[Stuart]

Unfair that. You really need to sit somewhere else Abbey if thats the best you hear.

It was a toothless performance rather than a bad one. Spurs are flying and have lots of money on the pitch but we more than matched them in most areas of the game as the stats will no doubt prove. I cannot rem Robinson having a save to make other than the two goals. In the past year or more Spurs have lost their best player Berbatov but have brought in Defoe, Crouch and Keane, we on the other hand have seen 5 of our very best players depart Brad, Tugay, RSC, Bentley and Warnock and we've had a small fraction to spend. We should be much much weaker than Spurs but it really wasn't all that apparent was it? So why the crappy comments? Tell em to stfu next match and think about things a little more.

The problem is that there are no goals in the team and as a result I did notice a very subdued and quiet crowd walking away to the car. Unfortunately I feel the problem with our supporters is down to expectation. Jacks millions allowed us to reach for the stars but that era's all over now. We are back to where economic reallity constantly kicks in. Speak to a clampett and they are ecstatic about their situation talk to a Rovers fan and it's all doom and gloom. The fact is there is not a cigarette paper between us at the moment and both clubs are nervously looking over their shoulders at the teams beneath them. As I said it's all a question of perspective.

Such a good post, it deserves quoting so it can be read twice.

[sloth_frattelli]

There is certainly no danger of Big Sam getting the boot, the board would be delighted with 13th place at the end of the season. Consolidation in the Premier League seems to be the main aim. Losing, and failing to replace, big names should have hit us a lot harder than it has but we are currently managing to hold our own at the minute with regards to Premier League survival.

I fully agree with the comment that we should rather be beaten due to lack of quality than lack of effort. There are a few players in our squad at the moment who just don't seem interested in giving their all for the shirt and that's something the manager has to address.

[thenodrog]

Such a good post, it deserves quoting so it can be read twice.

btw jisty...... I've quoted yours for the same reason.

[joey_big_nose]

Roberts is no better than a sub, I'll admit. However, the other three are starved of consistent service. That's why we're feeding on scraps, and every half-chance is being extra-scrutinized.

I'm not sure how true that is. The strikers have had some real gilt edged opportunities over the last six or seven games and failed to take advantage (3 at Fulham for example, 2 at Brum, 2 against Spurs, 2 against Liverpool). The opportunities were there. Really around a third at least of them should have been put away.

That said we can't really afford to buy anyone, and what money we do have clearly needs to go on midfielders, so we have what we have upfront. I think it would be unwise to sell McCarthy at the moment as he looks the most dangerous out of anyone and what are we going to get for 2.5m?

[Iceman]

Il be happy playing premiership footy every season. Sam can ensure that, the board needs to back him, and the fans will go home happy. Problem is, our expectations are higher than where we should be realistically. If we end 10th, and make the Carling cup final, then i would be very happy. We just cant live off the past, its time to get real and face the fact that we no longer the team we once were.

[speeeeeeedie]

ok..i go.

comments heard yesterday....

id rather be at b and q

why do i bother

rather watch paint dry

expert? glad we dont have a knob in chrge

what the (Please don't use that word again) have we become

your getting sacked in the morning

allerdyce just (Please don't use that word again) offf back to bolton

never coming again whilst that idiots in charge

bring back ince

Classic. Moan moan moan, it cheers me up no end.

[cletus]

Rovers final position last season was 15th with 41points.

If we finish above that with more points, then Sam will have improved the club`s position & have done his job this term.

Then he has to do it all again season after.

I agree the football isn`t great to watch at times, but you`ve got to look at things realistically. We are years off challenging for european places & we`ve no "GET OUT OF JAIL" card (i.e...bags of money to throw at a problem)

It`s going to be a slow slow process. Blackburn Rovers are paupers in a rich world. Sam has a good reputation for shopping around the bargain basement.....which is where we live these days. He also has a reputation of making steady improvements with his teams. Unfashionable Bolton ended up getting into europe, but it took him a few years to build that team.

As for my hopes for this season? I`d love to finish in the top 10 (everyone would)

but realistically, if we finish 14th & on 42pts, then it is a step in the right direction......& i`d be happy (not ecstatic) with that.

The icing on the cake (for me) would be 6pts off Bumley & seeing them slide to relegation

[Claytons Left Boot]

........ if we finish 14th & on 42pts, then it is a step in the right direction......& i`d be happy (not ecstatic) with that.

The icing on the cake (for me) would be 6pts off Bumley & seeing them slide to relegation

Quite right and there's also the chance of making the League Cup final.

[47er]

I don't think we have a striker problem. We are simply a missing a David Bentley to put it on a plate for them.

That is so true. But our current bad run is down to Dunn missing. He really is the difference.

not friends just overheards

And this is why season ticket sales will hold up next year. Where else could you have a good moan at such bargain prices?

[thenodrog]

They wouldn't fare much better.

We're clearly missing Bentley. We would obviously have done better if we'd have kept him. But we didn't and the squad now is unbalanced. The goals for column tells its own story.

Thank you for that reply. Lots don't bother. Now please bear those two points in mind before passing quick fire condemnations. Like him or loathe him Allardyce does not have an easy job trying to survive / succeed with our squad and our financial limitations and I can think of no others that would do the job any better who are likely to come. Ince spewed it from the start cos a. he had no leadership qualities and b. he was not strong enough to insist that no one left until Christmas at the earliest to give him time to sign replacements as Hughes did with Neill.

btw.... I'll leave c to z for now.