[Archived] Nicko

[CrazyIvan]

Big game, big result. The person who won that game, for me, was Robinson. He pulled off some blinding saves in the first half. Robbo might well have saved Big Sam's job today.

[Stuart]

Then let's look at the foriegn national team managers:

Bilic, 41 years old, on $340k/year. Would doubtless work very well with Kalinic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slaven_Bili%C4%87

Morten Olsen. Denmark's coach. Out of contract in 2010, with a decade in the no. 1 seat. Has expressed an interest in returning to club management. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morten_Olsen

Stuart Baxter. While he's English/Scottish, he's Finland's national coach and has done a decent job. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Baxter

Bert van Marwijk. Dutch national coach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_van_Marwijk

Vladimir Weiss. Slovak national coach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladim%C3%ADr_Weiss_(footballer_born_1964)

John Toshack. Wales national coach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Toshack

Personally, I'd prefer Bilic or Toshack. Emphasis on Bilic. He'd be inexpensive to sign, is skilled in his job and would have an eye for Eastern European talent. He's still young enough that he will think he can take on the world. And he might be right.

I'm not convinced that National team coaches make club team managers and vice versa (although hopefully Capello will prove to be the exception). It's a skill to be able to get the best out of players whom you only see every 3 months.

Also, good post Joey Big Nose - very well sums up how I feel too. If we did replace Sam it'd have to be for a good medium term replacement (i.e the next 3-4 years). There'd be no point in replacing him with another mid-table or relegation-battling specialist. We already have one of those! The board do need to have plans for Sam's successor though. As Zulu pointed out yesterday, he could well retire at, or before, the end of this contract - which has about 18 months left on it.

[Tris]

Back on topic ... in Blues Bar after the game, we watched the manager having a lengthy interview with Wendy Howard on Radio / TV Rovers.

He referred with some hostility to a journalist who had published a completely unfounded article about his job being at risk.

I think he actually used the words "silly little man" - certainly something along those lines.

I wonder who he was referring to?

[Stuart]

Back on topic ... in Blues Bar after the game, we watched the manager having a lengthy interview with Wendy Howard on Radio / TV Rovers.

He referred with some hostility to a journalist who had published a completely unfounded article about his job being at risk.

I think he actually used the words "silly little man" - certainly something along those lines.

I wonder who he was referring to?

Interesting read in the match programme too. Both Sam's comments but also Paul Agnew's column inside the back page is very much aimed at a certain Daily Mirror story...

[jonv]

his comments after the game on radio rovers also quoted "a little man who writes stories..." i forget the rest but it made my ears prick.

[S15]

Very interesting, and will be even more interesting when the response comes in.

[cletus]

"a little man who writes stories"

......so the board didn`t meet this week? I think Sam is rightly pee`d off about the story, but has he proof these things didn`t happen??

[Stuart]

Allardyce also played down the reported scrutiny on his position at Ewood Park, with some reports suggesting Sunday's clash with Fulham could mark his farewell."You can't laugh off something like that because it creates a perception in people's minds that it's true," he said."(But) I've spoken to the board and they've said there's nothing in it so we move on."

[DeadlyDirk]

Allardyce also played down the reported scrutiny on his position at Ewood Park, with some reports suggesting Sunday's clash with Fulham could mark his farewell."You can't laugh off something like that because it creates a perception in people's minds that it's true," he said."(But) I've spoken to the board and they've said there's nothing in it so we move on."

I guess we'll never know now after today's result.

[nicko]

Little?

[EwoodGlory]

[yoda]

Little?

Looks like Sam has taken up fishing as a side line

[nicko]

So there wasn't a board meeting...so there wasn't a run of six defeats and six draws in the previous 12 games...so there wasn't fan unrest...so players weren't having a moan about the Man City game...

Good win today, but didn;t realise it was that good.

A few media people who get regularly duffed up on transfer stories and the like seem to be rallying round the flag.

All the best.

[broadsword]

Paul Lambert - could be an interesting option.

seems to have something about him, unlike a certain clapped-out Mr Allardyce.

[S15]

So there wasn't a board meeting...so there wasn't a run of six defeats and six draws in the previous 12 games...so there wasn't fan unrest...so players weren't having a moan about the Man City game...

Good win today, but didn;t realise it was that good.

A few media people who get regularly duffed up on transfer stories and the like seem to be rallying round the flag.

All the best.

With all due respect do you not expect to upset certain people when you write such stories?. However, when people bite back you have a tendency to get all defensive and run off for a week or so, as opposed to defending yourself and stating why you are right.

[nicko]

With all due respect do you not expect to upset certain people when you write such stories?. However, when people bite back you have a tendency to get all defensive and run off for a week or so, as opposed to defending yourself and stating why you are right.

Who said anything about running away?

The gloves are off.

[DeadlyDirk]

So there wasn't a board meeting...so there wasn't a run of six defeats and six draws in the previous 12 games...so there wasn't fan unrest...so players weren't having a moan about the Man City game...

Good win today, but didn;t realise it was that good.

A few media people who get regularly duffed up on transfer stories and the like seem to be rallying round the flag.

All the best.

It wasn't but I guess a victory and the fact were still in the cup tie will be enough to keep his job. I think it's pretty obvious there were problems, Sam just wants everyone to see him in a positive light, you can't criticise him nicko, he's the expert.

At the end of the day your both doing your job, you report the news and Sam tries to keep everything together by painting the picture that everything is fine and there is no cause for concern. He's hardly going to publicly admit to a bustup or that he fears for his job and even if he's not my favourite person I can't really blame him for that. I'm sure there are a lot of things that happen behind closed doors that managers and chairmen would rather the fans don't find out about. We'd all be naive to think any different.

[Kelbo]

How would you reply if you were asked the question?

Yes, if we dont win today I am sacked??

Never ever heard a manager ever say that.

I will say this, if one of the money men appeared, he appeared for a reason, if there was a board meeting (and there was) was it scheduled? or was it a special meeting? now that should be easy for some of you lads to find out!!

Both those would give you a pretty good clue as to what happened.

Finally, as Chairman/Director etc of BRFCS, would you be pretty concerned at the recent run of results up to today??

If you answer those questions honestly, then I think you will know who was correct!!

[RevidgeBlue]

Finally, as Chairman/Director etc of BRFCS, would you be pretty concerned at the recent run of results up to today??

If you answer those questions honestly, then I think you will know who was correct!!

I'd be amazed and alarmed in equal measure if the Board weren't concerned by recent form and results.

It's still quite a quantum leap from there to boldly state that the manager has 2 games to save his skin.

[cletus]

With all due respect do you not expect to upset certain people when you write such stories?. However, when people bite back you have a tendency to get all defensive and run off for a week or so, as opposed to defending yourself and stating why you are right.

examples please?

[deftangel]

With all due respect do you not expect to upset certain people when you write such stories?. However, when people bite back you have a tendency to get all defensive and run off for a week or so, as opposed to defending yourself and stating why you are right.

I think Nicko was referring to Allardyce rather than any posters on here. On the other hand, what's the manager supposed to say? "Well Wendy, I'm mightily relieved to have saved my ass this week"

Having won the game, Sam is afforded an opportunity to downplay the media speculation. Of course he's going to take it, regardless of what has actually been going on.

[Majiball]

I'd be amazed and alarmed in equal measure if the Board weren't concerned by recent form and results.

It's still quite a quantum leap from there to boldly state that the manager has 2 games to save his skin.

Sacking a manager in the premiership for going 12-14 games without a win sounds pretty much par for the course to me.

[John]

Don't think anything too sensational was reported, apart from the 2 games to save his job line perhaps. It is a journo's job to overexaggerate.

Our run of results recently, plus some performances, have been utterly dreadful. Of course the Board are going to be concerned (you would hope so!).

Additonally, it would not surprise me if Sam has requested more money for signings this week (which has been reported). Sam kind of hinted that he has asked for extra finance in his Fulham pre-match comments.

Also, as reported, some fans are not happy understandably with some of the recenty displays/results, and the fact we are not hitting it around on the deck like Brazil.

[PAFELL]

So there wasn't a board meeting...so there wasn't a run of six defeats and six draws in the previous 12 games...so there wasn't fan unrest...so players weren't having a moan about the Man City game... IF THERE WASN'T A BOARD MEETING AFTER THE RUN OF RESULTS, TACTICS AND FAN UNREST - THEN I WOULD BE EVEN MORE SHOCKED.

Good win today, but didn;t realise it was that good.

A few media people who get regularly duffed up on transfer stories and the like seem to be rallying round the flag.

All the best.

[Steve Moss]

Has somebody really suggested John Toshack? Paul Lambert? I think some people want change for the sake of change. Those two men alone ring cries of desperation. We are not desperate.

I actually want to keep Sam. At least until the summer and perhaps the balance of his contract. But since that ends in 18 months, the search for a replacement should be kicking off soon enough.