[Archived] The Relegation Battle Aftermath

[Jimmy612]

I reckon next season, we will be in the top 10 pushing Europe.

With Kean in charge? dreamland pal

[dr_awol]

Blackpool (h) 3-1 w - No DJ?

Birmingham (h) 2-1 W

Everton (a) 1-1 d

Bolton (h) 2-0 w

West Ham (a) 1-1 d

Wolves (a) 0-3 w they will already be down

13 points easy :-) any other optimists out there?

[DE.]

Daily Mail think we will get relegated

Expecting Blackpool to beat us and Fulham away is ridiculous, even in prediction. They'll also apparently draw with Arsenal

Someone actually got paid to write that garbage. Unbelievable.

[booth]

Daily Mail think we will get relegated

If we lose the next three games Kean won't be in a job I wouldn't have thought.

[Iceman]

The next 3 games? Kean should be gone already, but lose the next game against Fulham, and he should really be sacked!

[Tom]

I'm very very scared but I genuinely believe if we beat Blackpool we'll be OK and should have the confidence to go on to get another 6 points.

Fail to win either of the next two games and we will be favourites to go down. The thing is a unexpected win somewhere changes it all again. Even if we got a point on Saturday 2 wins and a draw looks doable even when playing bad.

One thing is for certain we need to get some points onboard ASAP as if we go into the last 3 games needing anything I think we'll go down due to the experience of the managers invovled, Mick McCarthy may save Wolves.

For me it will be Wigan, West Brom and either us, Blackpool or Wolves.

[philipl]

philipl, on 02 March 2011 - 10:43 AM, said:

I believe some people have made discreet enquiries in the event of there being a vacancy but none that anyone on the MB would hope to be front runners.

Philip - in your opinion, are they the type of managers that would get us out of trouble and be able to build from there. Or, would we be yet, again, underwhelmed.

Whenever there is a rumoured vacancy there are chancers who let it be known they feel they are ready or who put their names forward more directly. With us having employed Steve Kean, why shouldn't lower league managers fancy their chances?

The indications are that the football grapevine knows Steve Kean needs a bit of a miracle to stay in post.

Serious candidates are unlikely to make their moves before a candidacy happens although I would not rule out Venky's putting out their own feelers now so there is no hiatus after Kean's demotion. However, I would think one look at the league table would kill any prospect of Maradona arriving for all of Balaji's ardour.

[RibbleValleyRover]

A Rovers win will buy him some more time, a draw will mean he will likely have to win the game after and if we lose the game but its close, for example a 2-1 but the performance was decent then I can see him being given another game (one he must win).

If we see a comprehensive defeat for example a 3-0 loss then he's gone.

[47er]

People are saying "10 games to go and 30 points to play for". 4 games ago we were thinking 14 games to go and 42 points to play for but they don't eventuate. Something has to break the deadlock and imo it should be an exiting Steve Kean.

[John]

Non Rovers fans keep asking me why am I worried as there are worst teams than us in the battle for relegation - I can kind of see where they are coming from given how many games are left - surely we have enough to be more than safe this season!

Already getting edgy, really don't think I could handle it going down to the last few games.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

People are saying "10 games to go and 30 points to play for". 4 games ago we were thinking 14 games to go and 42 points to play for but they don't eventuate. Something has to break the deadlock and imo it should be an exiting Steve Kean.

In my mind - I reckoned he needed 4 points out of Villa / Fulham / Blackpool to save his job. He has had a couple of weeks uninterrupted to sort out the team - if it doesn't happen in those fixtures I doubt it will. So he is already one game down - big defeat at Fulham and maybe it will be time for him to stand down (especially with two weeks to the Blackpool match).

Unlike many on here - for Rovers and him - I hope that Kean does turn it around. I like his apparent attacking approach - and though the tactics are either flawed or the players aren't playing as instructed (which would have been understandable initially) - it would be great for Rovers if he can get it right. Unfortunately my initial optimism is waning - Fulham has to be a better performance.

[Drunx2002]

I have blind optimism today for some reason. Two of Steve Keans wins (WBA away and Liverpool at home) were nailed on Rovers losses and lo and behold we won.

I'm hoping that we spring a surprise at Fulham with three points and follow this up with a home win against Blackpool. Lets face it, if we can't beat Blackpool and Birmingham City at home, we don't deserve to be playing in this division. Kean needs to make it very clear to the players that it's a battle and to fight for each point from now on. Last thing we need is being outscrapped by teams with worse players in the run in.

[moerpho]

How come everyone is 100% dismissing taking points from one of the Big Guns in the run-in? Remember last year? We managed draws against Chelsea and Manchester United and beat Arsenal. Especially this season when everyone bangs on about everyone beating everyone, tighter than ever etc etc, I find the Daily Mail article kinda funny. The beauty of football is that every team goes through good and bad spells over a season and no win is guaranteed before the game is played. Who's to say we won't take points from Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton or Manchester City? For all we know we could easily lose the next two games but then go on to have a brilliant april. If memory serves me right it wouldn't be the first time!

Anyhow I think (and sorta hope (excluding Rovers of course!)) nothing will be decided untill the final day of the campaign. That goes for relegation, champions, Champions League and Europa League places. There are still some big surprises waiting. Here's hoping Rovers will be able to deliver one or two....again!

[steverovers]

How come everyone is 100% dismissing taking points from one of the Big Guns in the run-in? Remember last year? We managed draws against Chelsea and Manchester United and beat Arsenal. Especially this season when everyone bangs on about everyone beating everyone, tighter than ever etc etc, I find the Daily Mail article kinda funny. The beauty of football is that every team goes through good and bad spells over a season and no win is guaranteed before the game is played. Who's to say we won't take points from Arsenal, Manchester United, Everton or Manchester City? For all we know we could easily lose the next two games but then go on to have a brilliant april. If memory serves me right it wouldn't be the first time!

Anyhow I think (and sorta hope (excluding Rovers of course!)) nothing will be decided untill the final day of the campaign. That goes for relegation, champions, Champions League and Europa League places. There are still some big surprises waiting. Here's hoping Rovers will be able to deliver one or two....again!

Optimism....that's what I like!

[CaliRoverNYC]

Our magic number is 27... thats the combined total of points we need to earn + points 17th place needs to drop... and as long as that number continues to get smaller we are good.

Also i think WBA is done, looking at their upcoming schedule I don't see them getting more than 5 points for the rest of the season.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I have blind optimism today for some reason. Two of Steve Keans wins (WBA away and Liverpool at home) were nailed on Rovers losses and lo and behold we won.

I'm hoping that we spring a surprise at Fulham with three points and follow this up with a home win against Blackpool. Lets face it, if we can't beat Blackpool and Birmingham City at home, we don't deserve to be playing in this division. Kean needs to make it very clear to the players that it's a battle and to fight for each point from now on. Last thing we need is being outscrapped by teams with worse players in the run in.

The thing that worries me the most is we seem to have no " scrapping " ability. It's the ability you need most in our position.Need I remind you every time we've fallen behind this season on we've lost the game. That tells me all i need to know.

[John]

I just think we have too many games left (in a positve sense)- the collapse would have to be one of the worst ever and we are not that bad.

[jim mk2]

Optimism....that's what I like!

Blind optimism is nearer the mark. To return to a familiar theme the difference between now and last season is that 12 months ago we had a competant and experienced manager. After the increasingly desperate performances under Kean and particularly after the Villa match I have no faith Rovers will get another win this season never mind the three we probably need to secure survival. This feels like the relegation season in the late 1990s when Rovers got progressively worse towards the end of the season and even managed to lose to Nottingham Forest who had been bottom for most of the season. I hope I'm wrong about this but something's not right at Rovers - I've seen it many times before and I fear the worst.

[Ferrit]

Blackpool (h) 3-1 w - No DJ?

Birmingham (h) 2-1 W

Everton (a) 1-1 d

Bolton (h) 2-0 w

West Ham (a) 1-1 d

Wolves (a) 0-3 w they will already be down

13 points easy :-) any other optimists out there?

Certainly not optimistic of getting anything at West Ham. Complete bogey team.

[CaliRoverNYC]

Certainly not optimistic of getting anything at West Ham. Complete bogey team.

as we tend to be for fulham...

[John]

Certainly not optimistic of getting anything at West Ham. Complete bogey team.

True but they still are not that great a team so chance of picking up a point possibly, especially if it really matters.

Whilst I am worried/concerned, there are too many games left, before going into all out panic mode.

[thenodrog]

imo our squad has been deflated by recent events and has no fight in them, whilst other teams below us appear well 'up for it' and are already fighting like hell. The trend curves must be damning of our chances.

[True Blue & White]

I have blind optimism today for some reason. Two of Steve Keans wins (WBA away and Liverpool at home) were nailed on Rovers losses and lo and behold we won.

They weren't "nailed on" losses at all, not according to the experts (i.e the bookies). Looking back at my odds records, Liverpool had at 50% chance of winning (ergo there was a 50% chance Rovers wouldn't lose) and West Brom were only favourites with a 63% chance (so there was a 36% chance we wouldn't lose). You can't describe either of them as 'nailed on' predicted losses. Especially seeing as west Brom haven'ty beaten us at the Hawthorns since 2006 as we are their bogey team.

I also like the way you say "two of his wins" as if there is a long list of wins you could have chosen from

[True Blue & White]

as we tend to be for fulham...

Although over the years our record isn't bad they did beat us 3-0 at Craven Cottage last year...

[broadsword]

imo our squad has been deflated by recent events and has no fight in them, whilst other teams below us appear well 'up for it' and are already fighting like hell. The trend curves must be damning of our chances.

I think we are second bottom of the form table.