[Archived] Carling Cup

[HemelRover]

if only all matches were 45 mins long we'd be top of the league

We would be in 4th place. And we havent scored a league goal later than the 54th or 58th(forget which) minute of a game.

[LeChuck]

Has he lost the dressing room?

Prior to the Fulham game we put in one of the most spirited performances you'll see all season.

There really isn't need for this groundless stuff, we have enough real problems as it is. We desperately need Dunn fit, no-one else can link the midfield to the attack through the middle.

[beerwins]

Aside from Sams tactics being predictable and dire as hell, as Mack said our lack of transfer activity is going to make things very difficult for us, we have zero creativity as it shows when you have to bring Samba on to try to get us goals.

The prem has a lot better teams in it this year and it really does make me worry that we didnt strengthen, I read the discription of Ben arfa's debut which stated he was amazingly creative and his goal was a lovely strike outside of the box, we should have been all over a loan deal like that same goes for the Hleb deal.

Regardless of the Guti rumours I really dont think Sam has much time for creative players or surely we could have signed one over the summer.

[hollowsr]

FT ah well, not the end of the world as some would have you believe.

[BRFC1995]

Talk about over the top! One poor performance against Fulham (which we drew not lost) and knocked out of the League Cup. Yes he must've lost the dressing room! Rovers fans couldn't be arsed to attend the semi final last season. Will these same fans be the ones angry about going out tonight?

Unlucky against Birmingham, excellent against Everton, a great point against mega-millions Man City. Rants in the media? Looks like you've read headlines and not the quotes themselves. Anyone with half a brain cell could see he was being tongue in cheek. Then again sensible reactions don't fit some people's agendas.

dire city finishing disguising an absolute battering with more woeful posession stats, a good point BUT EXCEPTIONALLY LUCKY AT THE SAME TIME.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Why does Sam need a creative player? We've got Paul Robinson hoofing the balls into the box.

[1864roverite]

jason Roberts is crippled with a hamstring injury so how can he play ?

I think Rovers have simply to play midfielders in the midfield position its as simple as that.

4-3-3 for saturday

Robinson

Salgado

Samba

Nelsen/Jones

Olsson

Diouf (spit)

NZonzi

Grella

Diouf M

Kalinic

MGP

This team/formation will take the points.

[Mattyblue]

Not sure that the rest of the season has been okay.

Yes we finished 10th last season but the vast majority was absolute garbage that didn't even justify the cheap season ticket.

When I went on the tour, every five minutes there was a comment by the tour guide about the way Sam plays football and how crap Andrews and Grella are, I've never known the club to be such a laughing stock before. It's like supporting Bolton years ago...

So, we should have done better last season?!

The problem is the complete lack of investment in the squad. Sam being the egomaniac he is is an easy target but a net spend of zero and minus for 3 years is hurting us badly.

Put your anti-Sam agendas to one side for a minute and look at the nightmare scenario of no takeover and the slippery slope we would be on.

[Plastic Head]

We rely absolutely on free kicks, corners and throw-ins but we don't have anyone to take them effectively.

Oh for a Robbie Savage.

No width, poor movement, appaling passing, sh!te full-backs and a midfield that would only grace league 2. Add to taht forwards who have ability but have seen the ball so rarely they have forgotten how to score.

We are up against it big time this season. Maybe it's time to bring back Keith.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Not certain which is more pathetic - our apparent second half performance - or the total over reaction on this web site. We were playing a team who previously had all the credentials to be a top 6 side - playing with the added incentive of it being a new managers first game - oh and we were away from home. Yet many on here obviously think we should have easily won the match (such is the reaction).

There is lots of things I don't like about Sam's style of football (though it isn't as bad as some would have you believe) or his constant self promotion. BUT - until we get somebody willing to sink millions into the club - with no return - he is the best manager we could possibly have.

[Baz]

Its the league cup, nowt to worry about.

See North End managed to turn another lead with 5 mins to go into defeat.

More importantly we won the cricket.

[Hughesy]

Love how if the team lets the opposition score then they are not to blame and its all sams fault!

When given the draw I said it was an awful game for us, Villa away is one of the trickiest games (+ a new manager to impress)....I expected us to lose easily, and looking at a team that misses Robinson, Samba & includes Nelsen & Emerton then I expected a 3-0, or worse!

Anyway here goes - this thread & the sam allardyce one should be great fun for the next 48 hrs

[RibbleValleyRover]

Talk about over the top! One poor performance against Fulham (which we drew not lost) and knocked out of the League Cup. Yes he must've lost the dressing room! Rovers fans couldn't be arsed to attend the semi final last season. Will these same fans be the ones angry about going out tonight?

Unlucky against Birmingham, excellent against Everton, a great point against mega-millions Man City.

Rants in the media? Looks like you've read headlines and not the quotes themselves. Anyone with half a brain cell could see he was being tongue in cheek. Then again sensible reactions don't fit some people's agendas.

The only 'decent' performance where we looked comfortable and in form this season was the first half against le arse. Everton to me looked a better side than Rovers and we snatched a lucky win. People on here went over the top with some of the draws this season.

Man city absolutely battered us, without Samba and Robbo putting in great performances we would been hammered.

Fulham in large parts of the game completely outplayed us.

When your manager is ranting about things nothing to do whatsoever with an upcoming game or current event then you know everything isn't rosy. Only recently as well has Sam confirmed there has been something going on with N'Zonzi and he also stressed in an article recently that Jones needs to keep a level head. Seems like strange timing to me on all these recent comments.

I think what I have said is pretty sensible, I am not anti Sam or have an agenda i take the viewpoint that I praise him when he does things right and point out when i believe he has done something wrong.

[brian_gallagher85]

What a load of kneejerk nonsense being written on here.

There's nothing kneejerk about comments like these when you watch the team take the lead, game after game, and continually (Please don't use that word again) it up

I don't know what's going wrong but Sam's getting paid a shed load to manage the team and need to sort it asap.

We look a shambles at times when we take the lead, it's not even that we don't play well, we just don't look interested in the second half at all all season!

[dunc]

dire city finishing disguising an absolute battering with more woeful posession stats, a good point BUT EXCEPTIONALLY LUCKY AT THE SAME TIME.

OK we'll count that as a defeat then. Perhaps you'd rather we lost as it'd suit the anti-Allardyce bandwagon. Posession stats eh. The anti-Sam brigade use his use of stats as a stick to beat him with.Now a member of the Anti-Sam brigade uses a stat as another stick to beat him with. Surreal.

[Dan]

Care to share why you are certain its the manager and not the players? I'm not the one making grand proclamations of which I have no proof and no hope of getting proof.

So you think the players are taking it upon themselves to hoof it aimlessly towards the oppositions box? You think Pedersen decides himself to do those horrible loopy throw-ins that have worked ONCE in the league in 2 years? Do you think the midfield all decide to sit deep and not support the attack? All this against Sam's wishes? You think Grella and Jones put themselves onto the team sheet?

Maybe the players aren;t playing great, but it's Sam's decisions and tactics that are the issue. If it's all down to the players, then the manager has lost the dressing room and that's going to be fatal.

When we try and play football we look pretty good, like in the first half tonight, a bit toothless up front, but good value for the lead. In the second half we were like a completely different team.

[Mr. E]

Pretty much all the good feelings I had about this season have been shot. We have some good individual players, but we are a million miles away from having a reliable team-unit, and our tactics are lacking in every department besides set-pieces.

And as to people acting as if the League Cup is no big deal - it is the competition that has by far brought us the most joy since we've been promoted. And now we're out in September. What next do we look forward to? Surviving until the takeover goes through?

I had high hopes we could at least maintain last season's form, but when our manager is too busy thinking about Inter and Real Madrid instead of focusing on keeping us organized in the 2nd half...

[BPF]

No, we shouldn't have done better but if it wasn't for a late push, we would have done far worse.

There is no excuse for some of the total **** that we play though.

Sam's philosophy is 'The All in'

Keep going all in with whatever you have and you are statistically going to get a win every now and again. The problem is, all the other players get ###### off with you trying to steal the pot every single time. Totally devoid of creativity and skill.

[BRFC1995]

They're winning though

no lost to wba, cheerio pretty soon mr mancini

[Mr. E]

Love how if the team lets the opposition score then they are not to blame and its all sams fault!

When given the draw I said it was an awful game for us, Villa away is one of the trickiest games (+ a new manager to impress)....I expected us to lose easily, and looking at a team that misses Robinson, Samba & includes Nelsen & Emerton then I expected a 3-0, or worse!

Anyway here goes - this thread & the sam allardyce one should be great fun for the next 48 hrs

Well I'm glad you and apparently a number of others find so much enjoyment in Rovers losing and the fans getting angry about it. Really happy for you.

[bazza]

We'll lose 4-1. Mark my words.

Well I got it almost right. Sam is playing absolute crap football week in, week out. I'm fed up with this rubbish because the players themselves can play it well on the ground if they are allowed to do so.

This is not a knee-jerk reaction. I've had enough.

I just hope a wealthy chap whose intentions are honourable takes over our beloved Rovers, and replaces Sam with someone like e.g. Slaven Bilic. Maybe then we will watch the team trying to play proper football.

BTW I forecast the 4-1 defeat in an attempt to put the mokkers on Villa. It didn't work

[G Somerset Rover]

We're boring..as somebody else said just so reliant on hoofs and set pieces. Play it around a bit for feck sake, if you give the opposition as much possession as we are doing this season then your going to eventually get done - which is what's happening.

[Dan]

Love how if the team lets the opposition score then they are not to blame and its all sams fault!

When given the draw I said it was an awful game for us, Villa away is one of the trickiest games (+ a new manager to impress)....I expected us to lose easily, and looking at a team that misses Robinson, Samba & includes Nelsen & Emerton then I expected a 3-0, or worse!

Anyway here goes - this thread & the sam allardyce one should be great fun for the next 48 hrs

Did you see any of the game? No one expected it to be an easy match, but the difference in performance between the first and second half was huge. As has been the case this season. We have 5 points, 4 of them have come from goal keepings errors and a lot of luck. We have not looked completely convincing in a match against Premierleague opposition for a long time.

[Laurence]

Well I got it almost right. Sam is playing absolute crap football week in, week out. I'm fed up with this rubbish because the players themselves can play it well on the ground if they are allowed to do so.

This is not a knee-jerk reaction. I've had enough.

I just hope a wealthy chap whose intentions are honourable takes over our beloved Rovers, and replaces Sam with someone like e.g. Slaven Bilic. Maybe then we will watch the team trying to play proper football.

BTW I forecast the 4-1 defeat in an attempt to put the mokkers on Villa. It didn't work

Sums it up for me.

[brian_gallagher85]

Forget all this ###### about playing percentage football, sitting back when 1-0 up, the squad having no skill or creativity. Why the hell is this Rovers side continually throwing away 1-0 leads when our defence is supposed to be our main strength?

The 2nd half performances this season have to be explained as it's simply not good enough, even West Brom fans would be livid with the shocking displays this season.

WHY THE HELL CAN'T WE TURN UP FOR NINETY MINUTES????