[Archived] Steve Kean

[cruz]

You are wasting your time stevo. There's only 2 ways of playing....hooooooffff....and tippy tappy.

[BangkokRover]

They were both good examples of how direct football can be effective, when the team is set up with pace and are willing to press for the ball, while also mixing it up with short passing and moving. This tactic meant that the way we played wasn't predictable and Wolves couldn't sit back and just head away random long balls constantly being booted into their half, with one inept striker trying to get on the end of everything, with no support.

Sorry Robbo kicking the ball from the halfway line in to the box is not route one

I did laugh when Roberts claimed the first goal as its obvious the ball hit him and goes in.

[jim mk2]

Are you telling me the first two goals were not good examples of direct football?

Cheers

BKR

Apparently not.

They were not the result of hopeful long balls aimed in the vague direction of the penalty area in the hope of eliciting a mistake from a defender but controlled long passes with SOME essence of directness about them.

Hoofball under Kean does not exist. It is controlled long passes with SOME essence of directness about them.

This is the mantra from now on.

[Stevo]

Sorry Robbo kicking the ball from the halfway line in to the box is not route one

I did laugh when Roberts claimed the first goal as its obvious the ball hit him and goes in.

The point is, the long balls wouldn't have been so effective had that been ALL we were doing that half. We mixed it up really well and this meant that Wolves couldn't predict and plan for what we were going to do. We put them in a mess and went in 3-0 up at half time.

I'm by no means a big Steve Kean fan, but you have to give him credit for that. Have we ever been 3-0 up at half time under Sam (I don't think so)?

Too often under Sam, especially away from home, we would loft hopeless balls up to the one striker and he would have no support. The oppositions defence would push up, deal with it and go straight back to putting pressure on us. For me, the last few games have shown a different performance and a different approach to that under Allardyce.

There is no point trying to play like Arsenal with the players that we have, but if we played like we did in the first half against Wolves next season then we can be a very effective team indeed.

[cruz]

Sorry Robbo kicking the ball from the halfway line in to the box is not route one

That's been the way free kicks have been taken since time memorial. Usually a centre back takes it.

At least these days we try to mix it up and play when we can. No more stratching our heads when the long aimless punt to the isolated striker keeps coming back time and time and time again.

Players: "Plan B Boss??

Manager just Shrugs

Players: "Right Morten hoof it blindly over your left shoulder"

[Kelbo]

The point is, the long balls wouldn't have been so effective had that been ALL we were doing that half. We mixed it up really well and this meant that Wolves couldn't predict and plan for what we were going to do. We put them in a mess and went in 3-0 up at half time.

I'm by no means a big Steve Kean fan, but you have to give him credit for that. Have we ever been 3-0 up at half time under Sam (I don't think so)?Too often under Sam, especially away from home, we would loft hopeless balls up to the one striker and he would have no support. The oppositions defence would push up, deal with it and go straight back to putting pressure on us. For me, the last few games have shown a different performance and a different approach to that under Allardyce.

There is no point trying to play like Arsenal with the players that we have, but if we played like we did in the first half against Wolves next season then we can be a very effective team indeed.

Strangely enough against Wolves at home!!

[roversmum]

The point is, the long balls wouldn't have been so effective had that been ALL we were doing that half. We mixed it up really well and this meant that Wolves couldn't predict and plan for what we were going to do. We put them in a mess and went in 3-0 up at half time.

I'm by no means a big Steve Kean fan, but you have to give him credit for that. Have we ever been 3-0 up at half time under Sam (I don't think so)?

Too often under Sam, especially away from home, we would loft hopeless balls up to the one striker and he would have no support. The oppositions defence would push up, deal with it and go straight back to putting pressure on us. For me, the last few games have shown a different performance and a different approach to that under Allardyce.

There is no point trying to play like Arsenal with the players that we have, but if we played like we did in the first half against Wolves next season then we can be a very effective team indeed.

Exactly. Although it was patently obvious what was happening, the same scenario went on and on through the match giving us no chance at all. No one came for the second ball either. It was very dispiriting stuff especially when you had got up at stupid o'clock on an icy winter morning to travel for several hours in the hope of actually seeing some sort of decent performance. (Gluttons for punishment that we are, though, you'd still find us there at the next match in the hope of something better!)

[Stevo]

Strangely enough against Wolves at home!!

AH! Fair do's!

I am baffled that some people here do not see that we are making at least some positive steps under Kean of late. We showed something similar towards the end of last season under Sam to be fair, but he went straight back to plan A this season, which was disappointing.

[cruz]

Strangely enough against Wolves at home!!

I know Sam's football made a saturday afternoon seem like a week but they didn't extend halves especially for him though

Wolves were exposed again on 55 minutes when Nelsen turned Pedersen's free-kick past Wayne Hennessey.

[Hughesy]

The performances against Blackpool second half (2-2), Arsenal away (0-0), City at home (0-1), United at home (1-1), West Ham away (1-1), Bolton home (1-0) and Wolves away (3-2) showed me signs of improvement…..so for that im happy to see how Kean does in the market, and what sort of players he targets.

Couple more stats

Best Defence @ home – outside of the top 6

Away attack – 3rd best outside top 5

Worst away defence in league

[BangkokRover]

AH! Fair do's!

I am baffled that some people here do not see that we are making at least some positive steps under Kean of late. We showed something similar towards the end of last season under Sam to be fair, but he went straight back to plan A this season, which was disappointing.

IF I remember correctly did the style of football change once we were safe?

[Stevo]

IF I remember correctly did the style of football change once we were safe?

Yes, it did. I think I see the point you're trying to make, but our football once we were safe was a lot more effective under Sam. I'm confident that had we continued to play that way this season under him, we would have picked up more points. Whether he'd have kept his job or not is another question though.

[Gav]

AH! Fair do's!

I am baffled that some people here do not see that we are making at least some positive steps under Kean of late.

Far to many people with agendas I'm afraid.

Wouldn't be right to admit you're wrong, god forbid!

[jim mk2]

IF I remember correctly did the style of football change once we were safe?

It did. Sam's first task as he saw it was to ensure the club's safety and once that was secured, he set up his team differently and there many stirring performances in the latter half of last season. The shame is he wasn't allowed to continue the good work this season and the result was the disaster of Steve Kean that almost resulted in relegation. The euphoria of the win at Wolves has led to a certain amount of revisionism of Kean's tenure as a whole which has been "disappointing" to say the least.

[Gav]

It did. Sam's first task as he saw it was to ensure the club's safety and once that was secured, he set up his team differently and there many stirring performances in the latter half of last season. The shame is he wasn't allowed to continue the good work this season

The mans a dinosaur and we're much better off without him and his prehistoric methods.

[Mattyblue]

The mans a dinosaur and we're much better off without him and his prehistoric methods.

There's your agenda Gav!

Allardyce would get us 40 points from 0, can Kean? That is what we should be focusing on.

[imy9]

Our team under Sam was set up to miss the midfield and hit the front man, MGP and his long throws and Robbos kicks were plan A and plan B.

Under Kean we are set up to keep the ball Jim, play with two pacy wingers in Olsson and Hoilett with Nzonzi now passing the ball forward! It requires a full pre season and new players to fully implement a different style of play. Nothing wrong with playing long ball as a strategy and to be fair to Sam at the end of last season we were mixing it up well- just a shame we went back to long ball at the start of this season.

[den]

P.S. Den, didn't think the "giving him credit" for achieving a win in a "must win" fixture at Wolves would last very long!

The credit is still there Rev.

Unlike your good self, I don't change my mind on a day to day basis. It's obvious there are plenty of better managers out there, so sticking with Kean who, in the opinion of some people, has slightly improved from our worst ever run of form, doesn't change my mind.

He's out of his depth in the Premier League and it's shown.

[Gav]

There's your agenda Gav!

Allardyce would get us 40 points from 0, can Kean? That is what we should be focusing on.

What agendas that? The mans gone? Where he belongs probably in the championship.

As got 40 points, we're going to see if Kean can do it by the looks of things.

[BangkokRover]

There's your agenda Gav!

Allardyce would get us 40 points from 0, can Kean? That is what we should be focusing on.

My main worry is that pre season is critical time, bringing in players in, training, changing the way the team play is possible in pre season not at Chrimbo. If we get off to a bad start we will again have a waisted season.

I understand that people are happy we stayed up but surely as Rovers fans we should be expecting more?

[Mattyblue]

I agree GAV, he will be manager next season, so he will soon sink or swim.

As for Allardyce your massive dislike for the bloke (not just his style of football) means you have as much an agenda as those that have nailed their colours to the anti Kean mast.

[Gav]

I agree GAV, he will be manager next season, so he will soon sink or swim.

As for Allardyce your massive dislike for the bloke (not just his style of football) means you have as much an agenda as those that have nailed their colours to the anti Kean mast.

Allardyce has nothing to do with our club Matty, so any agenda would be pointless. Having an anti Kean agenda could impact going forward, that's the difference.

By the way I voted to get Kean out.

[jim mk2]

What agendas that? The mans gone? Where he belongs probably in the championship.

Surely even you can see the inconsistency in the above.

[Majiball]

The performances against Blackpool second half (2-2), Arsenal away (0-0), City at home (0-1), United at home (1-1), West Ham away (1-1), Bolton home (1-0) and Wolves away (3-2) showed me signs of improvement…..so for that im happy to see how Kean does in the market, and what sort of players he targets.

Couple more stats

Best Defence @ home – outside of the top 6

Away attack – 3rd best outside top 5

Worst away defence in league

So are you saying we should keep him?

You might wanna change your vote

[cruz]

TBH what use is the vote? Venky's are keeping him..........for now.