[Archived] The Relegation Battle Aftermath

[jim mk2]

For the first time I really believe that we are going down this season, up until today I thought that would get out of trouble but not sure anymore.

What took you so long ? The writing's been on the wall since Allardyce was sacked - it felt then like a bloody awful decision by the new owners and that's why I started this thread. Rovers might yet surprise us by digging themselves out of this hole but it will have to come from the players and not from the clueless nobody we have a for a manager. Thankfully there were signs of the players taking the matter into their own hands today when they started to hit the ball long and direct in the second half. Sam would have been proud of them.

[Kamy100]

What took you so long ? The writing's been on the wall since Allardyce was sacked - it felt then like a bloody awful decision by the new owners and that's why I started this thread. Rovers might yet surprise us by digging themselves out of this hole but it will have to come from the players and not from the clueless nobody we have a for a manager. Thankfully there were signs of the players taking the matter into their own hands today when they started to hit the ball long and direct in the second half. Sam would have been proud of them.

The sacking Allardyce was a mistake of huge proportions which was compounded by the appointment of Kean, despite the poor run I thought that we could get out of it but it meant winning games like today, that hasn't happened. It was superb the effort and commitment from the players in the second and the more direct approach was very effective but still can't see where the points are going to come from.

[RibbleValleyRover]

If the form table continues as it is then we are going down, there's no doubt in my mind about that.

Can Kean turn it around? I very much doubt it.

Can the players? Shaky defense and lack of goals mean it's a big ask.

[beerwins]

So the guy in South Africa and saw him play on the TV once things he should play, whilst those who see him train with and play against the other current members of the squad every day don't.

Fairly sure I know who's opinion I'll be backing on this one.

After 18 posts you have managed to try to get under the skin of 3 or four members that have been regular posters here for years, do yourself a favour and keep the clever comments to yourself.

There are no points to gained here by adding snide comments to people's misery, you want to fight people's problems, bugger off to Gotham.

To be fair, today was the first day I have worried about our future, we could'nt get a result today or at Villa, do you think we can manage to get something at Arsenal or Spurs like our relegation rivals did?

I said at the start of the season it was going to be hard this year, I was'nt wrong.

[DE.]

The sacking Allardyce was a mistake of huge proportions which was compounded by the appointment of Kean, despite the poor run I thought that we could get out of it but it meant winning games like today, that hasn't happened. It was superb the effort and commitment from the players in the second and the more direct approach was very effective but still can't see where the points are going to come from.

At the end of the day, the players cannot manage themselves. If they could then there would be no 'manager' position.

Right now I feel like we don't really have a manager. We have a ... well, a head coach I suppose, with less authority than that role normally entails, other backroom staff, then the team. The players have said repeatedly that they are behind Kean, and I'm sure they do support him - but more on a personal than professional level. We need to get somebody in who they respect on a professional level, but I now think we've left it too late. We'll just have to hope the players and Kean can work together to scrape together the neccessary points to survive, then reassess the situation as soon as the season ends.

[booth]

After 18 posts you have managed to try to get under the skin of 3 or four members that have been regular posters here for years, do yourself a favour and keep the clever comments to yourself.

There are no points to gained here by adding snide comments to people's misery, you want to fight people's problems, bugger off to Gotham.

To be fair, today was the first day I have worried about our future, we could'nt get a result today or at Villa, do you think we can manage to get something at Arsenal or Spurs like our relegation rivals did?

I said at the start of the season it was going to be hard this year, I was'nt wrong.

Well said!

[tony gale's mic]

I said at the start of the season it was going to be hard this year, I was'nt wrong.

Doesn't really count as a prediction unless you also predicted anything like the things which have happened to us this season.

I thought at the start of the season we'd be safe but unspectacular.

I don't think that was wrong, but then I never would have known anything like this would happen.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

You've only got to look at the programme team listing to see the depth of the problem. How many players are really good enough to play well regularly at this level ? Add to that a nobody of a manager and you got a recipe for relegation. When that happens , and I'm convinced we've had it now - too many of our rivals are up for the fight and apart from the second half yesterday I've seen no signs of it from Rovers. Historically we've gone down without much of a fight and history appears to be repeating itself.

If we are down I expect the chicken chokers to do a runner after selling all of our better players ( Jones , Samba, Hoilett, Ollsen, Robinson ) and leaving us with the dross, some of whom will still be on big contracts ( Salgado, Pedersen , Roberts etc ) . These are the sort of players who won't even shine in the championship.

I'm with Jim on this, it was crazy to sack Sam when we did, when I heard the news he'd been sacked I thought they've obviously got a top class replacement already lined up ! Crazier still not to replace him at all- I don't consider Kean a manager. Well you reap what you sow, I've already seen us go down four times , I'm expecting to see a fifth .

[jim mk2]

Historically we've gone down without much of a fight and history appears to be repeating itself.

.

Interesting point. Happened in 1966 and again under Kidd whereas other clubs such as Fulham and West Ham (with the help of Tevez and the FA) have dug themselves out of big holes in recent years. West Ham pulled off a shock 1-0 win at the Emirates to survive a few seasons ago - can we do the same ?

[thenodrog]

After 18 posts you have managed to try to get under the skin of 3 or four members that have been regular posters here for years, do yourself a favour and keep the clever comments to yourself.

There are no points to gained here by adding snide comments to people's misery, you want to fight people's problems, bugger off to Gotham.

To be fair, today was the first day I have worried about our future, we could'nt get a result today or at Villa, do you think we can manage to get something at Arsenal or Spurs like our relegation rivals did?

I said at the start of the season it was going to be hard this year, I was'nt wrong.

Which highlights our current situation. I believe the players came out and said similar things about Ince when he was here.

I hated to say it by half time but it was the first time I was 100% certain that Kean should go. The second half has saved him by the skin of his teeth and I was elated that Blackpool didn't gain any points on us. But it really should have been a win for us to take the pressure of the Arsenal match.

Still, there remains hope and surely things can only get better?

Interesting point. Happened in 1966 and again under Kidd whereas other clubs such as Fulham and West Ham (with the help of Tevez and the FA) have dug themselves out of big holes in recent years. West Ham pulled off a shock 1-0 win at the Emirates to survive a few seasons ago - can we do the same ?

Old Trafford I think. Last game of the season when MU had just been crowned champs. Might be our best chance this year too..... Up the reds!

[Majiball]

Old Trafford I think. Last game of the season when MU had just been crowned champs. Might be our best chance this year too..... Up the reds!

Can you really see royal red nose playing a weakened team against us? He'll be out for blood for his mate Sam.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Old Trafford I think. Last game of the season when MU had just been crowned champs. Might be our best chance this year too..... Up the reds!

I think they also won at Arsenal a game or two before the Old Trafford game. Incidentally Utd had nothing to play for that day so they rolled over and let their tummies be tickled. Can we get lucky in the same way ?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Interesting point. Happened in 1966 and again under Kidd whereas other clubs such as Fulham and West Ham (with the help of Tevez and the FA) have dug themselves out of big holes in recent years. West Ham pulled off a shock 1-0 win at the Emirates to survive a few seasons ago - can we do the same ?

The other two relegations were pretty miserable as well. 1969-71 and bringing the once great Fred Pickering back when he was a shadow of his former self ( playing form that is, he'd piled on the pounds in the intervening years) . Ring any bells ? 1978-79 when we actually finished bottom after appointed Jim Iley as manager.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Have we ever been involved in a last day relegation drama? I'm thinking the relegations I've seen were all done and dusted by then. But I do seem to remember one year we beat Grimsby 6-2 to stay up - was that when Jack ponied up for Livingstone and Dobson?

[Commondore]

For what it's worth, my predictions for our last eight games:

Arsenal (a) - 0

Birmingham (h)- 3

Everton (a)- 1

Man City (h) - 0

Bolton (h)- 3

West Ham (a) - 0

Man Utd (h) - 1

Wolves (a)- 3

...equals 44 points, which should be enough.

[J*B]

For what it's worth, my predictions for our last eight games:

Arsenal (a) - 0

Birmingham (h)- 1

Everton (a)- 0

Man City (h) - 0

Bolton (h)- 3

West Ham (a) - 0

Man Utd (h) - 0

Wolves (a)- 3

...equals 44 points, which should be enough.

I see 7 points coming up.

[Neil Weaver]

EiT, I remember us beating Grimsby 3-1 on the last day, 86 I think. Sounds about the right era for Livingstone and Dobson.

[Ozz]

Correct Neil-Earlier that season we'd lost 5-2 at Grimsby. Way before Livingstone and Dobbo though-they came 1991.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

For what it's worth, my predictions for our last eight games:

Arsenal (a) - 0

Birmingham (h)- 3

Everton (a)- 1

Man City (h) - 0

Bolton (h)- 3

West Ham (a) - 0

Man Utd (h) - 1

Wolves (a)- 3

...equals 44 points, which should be enough.

The way we're playing I can see us maybe beating Brum at home and maybe getting a draw at Everton. If W'Ham and Wolves are safeish by then ( and the way they're playing they may be ) we may just get a point from each of those games. If Bolton and the Red Rats have a) got the cup final in mind and have already wrapped up the league and are still in Europe we may get a point each from them. City we could win but nothing can be counted on from that game, depends which City team turns up. A really determined display could get us a draw on Saturday, Arsenal are not playing well and seem very vulnerable to a dose of hoofball at present, the defence and goalie look quite shaky. A draw there would be massive but I fear another morale sapping caning. I make that a total of 8 pts we could concievably get.

[Tom]

That's just it with Rovers I've almost conceeded to myself we will go down but you just never know with us we could go and lose at home to Brum then beat City or get what would be a shock result away at Everton or West Ham.

I try and take solace in the fact that we aren't the only bad team around and other teams down there (and theres currently 6 or 7 below us) are going to lose games as well, just hope 3 of them lose enough to keep us above them as I fear if we drop into the bottom 3 we wont come back out.

[Emge]

7 points for me as well. I cant ever imagine that we'll grab more than maximum 7 points. Nothing I have seen the last months indicates to me that we will end up with more than 7 points

[Neil Weaver]

Way before Livingstone and Dobbo though-they came 1991.

Was it 91 Oz? Eeeee, doesn't time fly. Remember seeing Livingstone play when I went to watch us at Barnsley - will have to go and have a look at Soccerbase now...........

Spot on Oz, should never have doubted you!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

That's just it with Rovers I've almost conceeded to myself we will go down but you just never know with us we could go and lose at home to Brum then beat City or get what would be a shock result away at Everton or West Ham.

I try and take solace in the fact that we aren't the only bad team around and other teams down there (and theres currently 6 or 7 below us) are going to lose games as well, just hope 3 of them lose enough to keep us above them as I fear if we drop into the bottom 3 we wont come back out.

Just name the three teams who are consistently playing worse than we are and gaining less points ! It's hard to name one.

[CrazyIvan]

Just name the three teams who are consistently playing worse than we are and gaining less points ! It's hard to name one.

Aston Villa. They are looking really crap.

[broadsword]

the chicken chokers

:lol:

Good job I wasn't drinking coffee when I read that.