[Archived] The Relegation Battle Aftermath

[jim mk2]

But even you must see that we have been punching above our weight for a long time - we would have eventually slid into the championship. Unfortunately it would appear that our new owners may take us their quicker than if we had been under the trust - but we needed a new approach, especially to increase the clubs revenue.

I don't go along with this "punching above our weight" line. With good management Rovers could stay in the PL for a long time - even with a limited transfer budget. But for that to happen it needs a good football manager and experience and nous in the boardroom - and up to 4 months ago we had both. Rovers have had 2 excellent managers in recent years in Hughes and Allardyce but were given a sharp jolt of what could happen with the wrong appointment when Ince was in charge. Unfortunately the new owners chose to gamble on another inexperienced manager in Keane and the result of that decision is there for all to see. For a club like Rovers the margins are very fine and there is no room for error but with the right men in charge there is no reason for Rovers to "eventually slide into the championship".

[tony gale's mic]

Firstly at no point do I feel I put down our achievements as a club last season - however (as a fan for over 30 years) I feel I have the right to say that it was some of the worst football I have seen at Ewood. There is a common theme with Allardyce - fans appreciate his approach may prove relatively successful (especially for smaller clubs) - but ask any Bolton, Blackpool or Newcastle fan if they enjoyed the football. We were, for a club of our size, moderately successful last season - and yet many talked of not renewing their ST's - do you ever wonder why ? Do you think sponsors would have come flocking to Rovers if we continued on a similar vein ?

Bolton fans talk very highly of Allardyce. They all loved seeing their team in Europe and regularly turning over the top teams. Newcastle fans are braindead morons who would prefer Shearer in charge to Allardyce, and god knows what Blackpool fans think but when he got dismissed he had the highest win % of any manager in their history, he just suffered because they had a mental owner (ring any bells?)

I am a little suprised that you deride our chances of selling Rovers in India - as you profess to be a fan I would have thought that you would have been proud of our club and its proud heritage. However you then go on to say if we were successful we could make a dent in India - which is it - the Rao's are deluded for thinking they can sell Rovers as a brand in India or not ?

I'm proud of our club, but the key difference here is that I don't expect people who've never had any connection with Blackburn to feel any affinity for our club. Why would they? Yes you'll have the odd few who support Rovers, just like we've got some on this board, but en masse people will choose to follow teams with success. The Raos are deluded for thinking they can sell Rovers as a brand in India - unless they somehow magically came up with the hundreds of millions of pounds needed to give us a shot at getting into the CL. Which would never happen. If we had a couple of seasons in the UEFA Cup it might at least win some fans though.

You have your point of view - I have mine - but I must point out that I always said that they were wrong to sack Sam when (and how) they did. Appointing Kean was most likely a mistake - though as an ever optimistic fan I cling to the hope we stay up, he learns from his mistakes and becomes the next Ferguson (though I still cling to the hope that my lottery will come up one day ). But even you must see that we have been punching above our weight for a long time - we would have eventually slid into the championship. Unfortunately it would appear that our new owners may take us their quicker than if we had been under the trust - but we needed a new approach, especially to increase the clubs revenue. You seem to think the India angle misplaced - given the heritage in Blackburn - it seemed a reasonable approach (don't forget it wasn't only the Venky's who believed that this was an untapped market).

Under Sam we wouldnt have slid into the Championship. Apart from after his first couple of seasons after getting Bolton promoted, he doesnt even do relegation fights let alone relegation. But he wouldn't have lasted forever that's true, and manager changes wouldve meant there's always the chance we'd get someone who wouldve taken us down even if they seemed okay on paper. However, the fact remains that we finished top 10 4 out of the last 5 seasons and the only season we didn't was the Ince season. We were well on course for a 5th top 10 finish in 6 seasons.

Although we didn't have much cash provided from the last owners, we did have numerous saleable assets (Jones, Hoilett, Olsson) who could have been shifted for big money when the time was right, and this money reinvested into cheap talent and the cycle restarted again. Sure it's a precarious model and relies on shrewd management but under the last regime that's exactly what we had, both on the pitch and off it - though I was never any great fan of the Walker Trust themselves. And the longer we stayed a Premier League club the more it wouldve strengthened our position relative to the yo yo clubs like Wolves and West Brom.

[John]

I don't go along with this "punching above our weight" line. With good management Rovers could stay in the PL for a long time - even with a limited transfer budget. But for that to happen it needs a good football manager and experience and nous in the boardroom - and up to 4 months ago we had both. Rovers have had 2 excellent managers in recent years in Hughes and Allardyce but were given a sharp jolt of what could happen with the wrong appointment when Ince was in charge. Unfortunately the new owners chose to gamble on another inexperienced manager in Keane and the result of that decision is there for all to see. For a club like Rovers the margins are very fine and there is no room for error but with the right men in charge there is no reason for Rovers to "eventually slide into the championship".

Agreed - excellent management on/off the pitch in recent years has made us more than compete.

[Mercer]

Slowly but surely, I think events are beginning to stack-up against us.

Hoilett's injury is a hammer blow, however, it's interesting how players seem to recover far less quickly in a relegation scrap!

Kean is becoming increasingly, IMO, nervous and defensive.

Robbo has now put a stake in the ground - down and I'm off!

History has a horrible habit of repeating itself. Firstly, every season or so, there's always one team that goes into freefall, unfortunately, that seems to be us this season. Secondly, I just can't get Manure out my mind from that season when we were last relegated (they sent us down). Fergie would see it as justice for firing Big Sam to repeat that in our penultimate match.

[John]

I am trying to remain positive but a large part of me thinks the damage has already been done - we have shown more commitment in most of the recent matches, however there will likely be a game when we will get a good beating.

The spirit of the club has all but gone. I know Junior has been looking good however none of the other players have a bounce or belief that they can win football matches, we looked deflated and are leaderless on/off the pitch.

[47er]

I don't go along with this "punching above our weight" line. With good management Rovers could stay in the PL for a long time - even with a limited transfer budget. But for that to happen it needs a good football manager and experience and nous in the boardroom - and up to 4 months ago we had both. Rovers have had 2 excellent managers in recent years in Hughes and Allardyce but were given a sharp jolt of what could happen with the wrong appointment when Ince was in charge. Unfortunately the new owners chose to gamble on another inexperienced manager in Keane and the result of that decision is there for all to see. For a club like Rovers the margins are very fine and there is no room for error but with the right men in charge there is no reason for Rovers to "eventually slide into the championship".

Yes----we were always a bad manager away from relegation. Vital we always got it right.

[Seggie]

Yes----we were always a bad manager away from relegation. Vital we always got it right.

Argubly any team is a bad manager away from a downward spiral, in fact it doesn't have to be a bad manager it could just be the wrong manager, Liverpool were in big trouble under Roy Hodgson and Benitez was taking them on a slide despite his early success. Doubt either would have taken them down but if either had stayed in charge could have bput them back 5 or 6 seasons away from where they ought to be. There will always be bad appointments but its upto the owners of a club to accept when they have made a mistake and remove a manager before the damage is done, Liverpool did it and John Williams did it with Ince.

[old darwen blue]

Argubly any team is a bad manager away from a downward spiral, in fact it doesn't have to be a bad manager it could just be the wrong manager, Liverpool were in big trouble under Roy Hodgson and Benitez was taking them on a slide despite his early success. Doubt either would have taken them down but if either had stayed in charge could have bput them back 5 or 6 seasons away from where they ought to be. There will always be bad appointments but its upto the owners of a club to accept when they have made a mistake and remove a manager before the damage is done, Liverpool did it and John Williams did it with Ince.

Yes eventually

[Paul]

:lol:

TGM - congratulations. Hopefully that will shut him up once and for all.

[Hughesy]

:lol:

???

So you quoted all my posts pre what happened next?? My last point you quoted is based on a certain poster saying 'they have £100m in a holding account etc'.....so what exactly did you prove??

That I was right saying they couldnt prove the wealth hence why they failed??

To go back and find them posts alone says you have FAR too much time on your hands..

[alexanders]

I wonder why everyone suddenly thinks West Ham are going to pick up 5 points from the last 4 matches. They are doomed!

[92er]

I wonder why everyone suddenly thinks West Ham are going to pick up 5 points from the last 4 matches. They are doomed!

Well they do play us and we always lose at their ground.

[Presty On Tour]

Peter Taylor on ssn has us to go down with 36 points along with Wigan and Blackpool.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Peter Taylor on ssn has us to go down with 36 points along with Wigan and Blackpool.

Same points total I had us going down with.

People say West Ham, Wolves and Blackpool are doomed so we should be safe but look at all three of those sides, they have more match winners and creative spark than anything we have.

Hoping that there are three sides worse than us is looking like the only way we will stay up and even though i am not confident at all this will happen I will be praying that it does.

[ElTwis]

Peter Taylor on ssn has us to go down with 36 points along with Wigan and Blackpool.

The key to that is not losing to West Ham away. If we draw, we stay up on goal difference.

[Stuart]

Bolton - must win

West Ham - must not lose

Man Utd - must not get a hammering

Wolves - must not lose

Having said that, if we go into any of our 4 remaining games aiming for 0-0 draw then we will lose.

We need to threaten our opponents, without being too hung-ho, and settle for a draw if we get one.

It's currently still in our hands - get it wrong again this weekend and it might not be...

[Lytham]

I don't often look to Lawro for wisdom, but he's bang on here, in his preview for the Bolton game :

" The worst thing Rovers ever did was sack Sam Allardyce. Kean is a good coach who may be a good manager one day, but whoever the club's new owners were listening to, they were taking completely the wrong advice. Regardless of the style of play, one thing Sam guarantees you is the August TV payment for staying in the Premier League. It was a compete nonsense getting rid of him, and now they're in this position. "

Yep.

[ada2020]

I don't often look to Lawro for wisdom, but he's bang on here, in his preview for the Bolton game :

" The worst thing Rovers ever did was sack Sam Allardyce. Kean is a good coach who may be a good manager one day, but whoever the club's new owners were listening to, they were taking completely the wrong advice. Regardless of the style of play, one thing Sam guarantees you is the August TV payment for staying in the Premier League. It was a compete nonsense getting rid of him, and now they're in this position. "

Yep.

Yep, I believe despite Lawros words of wisdom, that has already been established 10 times over on this message board in nearly every thread that has been started since he was sacked.......

[Lytham]

So we all agree.

Jolly good.

[Amo]

Yep, I believe despite Lawros words of wisdom, that has already been established 10 times over on this message board in nearly every thread that has been started since he was sacked.......

[Lytham]

Sorry, not looked at the board since the beginning of March. I don't suppose Mark Lawrenson has either. Which is why he made the comments yesterday, I'm guessing.

I'm glad there is now a concensus that sacking Allardyce was ridiculous. There didn't appear to be last time I looked at the board, hard though it may be to believe.

Thanks for the snarky comments, by the way.

[Roost]

Yep, I believe despite Lawros words of wisdom, that has already been established 10 times over on this message board in nearly every thread that has been started since he was sacked.......

Chill out man

[Gav]

I'm glad there is now a concensus that sacking Allardyce was ridiculous. There didn't appear to be last time I looked at the board, hard though it may be to believe.

Don't Gav, don't do it!

[Steve Moss]

Bolton - must win

West Ham - must not lose

Man Utd - must not get a hammering

Wolves - must not lose

Having said that, if we go into any of our 4 remaining games aiming for 0-0 draw then we will lose.

We need to threaten our opponents, without being too hung-ho, and settle for a draw if we get one.

It's currently still in our hands - get it wrong again this weekend and it might not be...

Wisdom. Let's hope we're up for it.

I don't often look to Lawro for wisdom, but he's bang on here, in his preview for the Bolton game :

" The worst thing Rovers ever did was sack Sam Allardyce. Kean is a good coach who may be a good manager one day, but whoever the club's new owners were listening to, they were taking completely the wrong advice. Regardless of the style of play, one thing Sam guarantees you is the August TV payment for staying in the Premier League. It was a compete nonsense getting rid of him, and now they're in this position. "

I hate agreeing with Lawro.

[RevidgeBlue]

Same points total I had us going down with.

People say West Ham, Wolves and Blackpool are doomed so we should be safe but look at all three of those sides, they have more match winners and creative spark than anything we have.

Hoping that there are three sides worse than us is looking like the only way we will stay up and even though i am not confident at all this will happen I will be praying that it does.

I really don't understand this "We'll lose all our games" and "everyone will win all theirs" mentality. As I've said before, the teams at the bottom are all down there for a reason - they're not very good - no matter how they might look on paper. It's quite possible imo that none of the teams in trouble will win the games they need and that three very fortunate teams will somehow limp to safety with little more by way of points than they have now.

Blackpool for example are in even worse form than we are as inpossible as that may be to achieve.

Four, certainly five points will see us safe imo and I believe we'll just about get them. Not that that makes it a satisfactory season by any stretch mind.

The one positive out of the current situation is that our destiny is very much in our own hands