[Archived] Early Season Prospects

[Stuart]

Well, we've finally kicked off the new season and it hasn't really gone all that well. But it's still early days.

I therefore turned to the league fixture list to give me some hope and I'm not sure if I got any - bear with me.

Here are our first 10 games, together with last season's result, manager and scorers.

H - Wolves - W 3-0 - SA - Dunn, Emerton, Nelsen

A - Aston Villa - L 4-1 - SK - Kalinic

H - Everton - W 1-0 - SA - Kalinic

A - Fulham - L 3-2 - SK - Hanley, Hoilett

H - Arsenal - L 2-1 - SA - Mame Diouf

A - Newcastle - W 2-1 - SA - Pedersen, Roberts

H - Man City - L 1-0 - SK - no scorer

A - QPR - N/A

H - Tottenham - L 1-0 - SK - no scorer

A - Norwich - N/A

So using last season as a guide, this set of results netted us 9 points (with all 9 out of a possible 12 coming under Allardyce).

Even assuming there was no difference between SA and SK, this was 9 points out of a possible 36. After the first 10 games (different fixtures obviously) last season we were 17th, 3 points off bottom and level with 18th and 19th. Under Allardyce's watch it has to be said.

If we recover from today and get an additional win (compared to last seasons) games, plus beat Norwich and QPR we would be on a fairly respectable 15 points - which was good enough for 5th place last season.

Now...

- Factoring in the loss of Kalinic, Benjani, Roque Santa Cruz, Mame Biram Diouf, Jermaine Jones, Phil Jones, Keith Andrews, El-Hadji Diouf (not counting several fringe and reserve player who have gone)...

- Factoring in the additions of Myles Anderson, David Goodwillie, Radosav Petrovic...

...there is a distinct probability of us really struggling in the lower league placings.

For me, this suggests that making additions to our squad in terms of keeping Samba and bringing in a defensive midfielder and a proven goalscorer, are make or break. Conversely, to go forward with the squad we have today - minus Samba - would be suicidal.

Is there anyone out there who can put a case together to say that we can do better than last season's points tally over the coming 10 games and give us a fighting chance?

[Tom]

Do we really need another thread that will eventually end up about Allardyce?

We are worse off in my eyes, but what happened last season under Sam is irrelevent to us now and it does no good keep going over it

[Stuart]

Do we really need another thread that will eventually end up about Allardyce?

I really hope it doesn't end up about him. I did put in some balance as it was he who took us to 17th. (Careful, we are into self-fulfilling prophesy territory here).

Let's be clear this thread is about looking forward at the first 10 games. How do we get those 15 points. Or 12. 10. You get the idea...

[Tom]

Here's how I honestly think we will do:

A - Aston Villa - L

H - Everton - D

A - Fulham - D

H - Arsenal - L

A - Newcastle - L

H - Man City - L

A - QPR - W

H - Tottenham - L

A - Norwich - D

That's if the squad isn't improved, this squad has needed an uplift for quite some time, it doesn't help that mot of the last 2 managers signing have turned out to be duds and the current manager still needs to prove himself in the market but we are losing more than we are gaining.

[Stuart]

6 points is really grim. We could possibly take all 3 from Norwich and sneak a draw from Newcastle - traditionally a good hunting ground - which would take us to 9.

Starting to worry the journos and pundits might be on to something here. In the grand scheme of things today was a 6-pointer too.

[HemelRover]

6 points is really grim. We could possibly take all 3 from Norwich and sneak a draw from Newcastle - traditionally a good hunting ground - which would take us to 9.

Starting to worry the journos and pundits might be on to something here. In the grand scheme of things today was a 6-pointer too.

Thats the earliest in a season that I've ever heard/read that used Jisty.

[Dan]

Thats the earliest in a season that I've ever heard/read that used Jisty.

Unfortunately It is probably the case. With Kean in charge and the weak squad we have 40 points is looking a difficult target. We don't look like buying anyone of any proven quality. Venky's look to be selling our assets and then banking it, then hoping that simple Steve will save us with replacements that cost peanuts.

[Stuart]

Thats the earliest in a season that I've ever heard/read that used Jisty.

Probably but don't you think that we are likely to finish in a similar position to Wolves? And could even be relying on them to slip up?

I do.

[PAFELL]

Probably but don't you think that we are likely to finish in a similar position to Wolves? And could even be relying on them to slip up?

I do.

I found the following tonight - marple leaf via twitter. I do not know how to do links - feel sure somebody else will find it and post a link.

Find it hard to argue with it myself.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Chaos behind the scenes at Blackburn Rovers

The customer facing staff are at the frontline of any business. And at Blackburn Rovers today I spoke to enough of them to see that the organisation is utterly dysfunctional. No-one knows what is going on at the club. There is no leadership or sense of common purpose. Who's fault is that?

Customers in the corporate areas have dropped off, the Clayton Douglas lounge - which is for the shirt sponsor and the match sponsor - wasn't open today. Indeed the match sponsor was Sportfive the sales agency tasked with selling such deals. I saw one director there today - Bob Coar. There were the executives, sure, but there is no board to host the visiting directors any more. There was no one present from India. For the opening day of the season that is disgraceful. It is a shameful facet of foreign ownership that certain owners lack sufficient interest in something so special to so many people that they don't even go to games. Who's fault is that?

On the pitch the team lost. That is bad enough, but they lost because they were a weakened team. Who's fault is that?

Kean fielded a young midfield player and a rookie at centre back and no holding midfield player. Jamie O'Hara will not dominate another midfield area as easily as he did today. Yes, injuries had a bearing on the options, but a new centre half should have been a priority since the end of last season. A good squad has players in every position and the bench today showed the weakness in the squad. The worst thing I heard today is that despite all the departures there is no money. None from Jones, none from Kalinic. It is all hand to mouth. Who's fault is that?

The answer to all of the above is "Venky's".

But it is also dawning on everyone at the club, and now amongst the supporters that the owners aren't as resourced or as committed as they claimed when the Walker Trust sold it to them. They just buy time with stunts like free pies at Wolves, charity sponsors and renaming the Blackburn End. And if they have got the club in this kind of chaotic mess so quickly and so recklessly, and are so unable to do anything about it, then the ultimate responsibility also has to be with the Walker Trustees who signed over our club to these people.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Am I being too pessimistic if I think there is a good chance that we might only pick up one point maybe two from those first 10 fixtures?

Considering our away form has been shocking for several years now it's going to take some doing to turn that around. Our home games on paper don't exactly look easy either. Everton, Arsenal, Man City and Spurs will all be favourites to come to Ewood and beat us.

[roverandout]

no ribble, i dont think you are being too pesimistic, i think its a real posiblity, anyone think we will pick up NO points?

[Stuart]

Am I being too pessimistic if I think there is a good chance that we might only pick up one point maybe two from those first 10 fixtures?

Considering our away form has been shocking for several years now it's going to take some doing to turn that around. Our home games on paper don't exactly look easy either. Everton, Arsenal, Man City and Spurs will all be favourites to come to Ewood and beat us.

Newcastle away, QPR and Norwich have to be targeted as wins, surely. A couple of backs-to-the-wall draws too?

[philipl]

The frightening thing is Wolves are not very good. We have just been beaten by one of the weakest sides that will come to Ewood this season.

[John]

It is looking increasingly important that any new signings, including Petrovic, can come in and hit the ground running. I do think central midfield is an important position and can be influential in how we do, Jermain Jones putting in a massive shift helped enormously at the end of last season.

[chaddyrovers]

QUICK FACT.....

Gary Lineker on MotD said it is always better to start with a win than a loss. Actually when it comes to Blackburn since we got promoted in 2001 we have always finish in the top 10 when we have lost the opening fixture and only once have we finished in the top when we won the opening fixture. 2008/09

[BuckyRover]

QUICK FACT.....

Gary Lineker on MotD said it is always better to start with a win than a loss. Actually when it comes to Blackburn since we got promoted in 2001 we have always finish in the top 10 when we have lost the opening fixture and only once have we finished in the top when we won the opening fixture. 2008/09

Thanks for that chaddy.

Cheered me right up

[Majiball]

The frightening thing is Wolves are not very good. We have just been beaten by one of the weakest sides that will come to Ewood this season.

Wolves were the second worst away team last season.

Doesn't bode well and Venky's need to get their cheque book out asap and sign some quality players.

[John]

QUICK FACT.....

Gary Lineker on MotD said it is always better to start with a win than a loss. Actually when it comes to Blackburn since we got promoted in 2001 we have always finish in the top 10 when we have lost the opening fixture and only once have we finished in the top when we won the opening fixture. 2008/09

Nice stat!

Might treat myself to some champagne with my Sunday lunch!

[Stuart]

QUICK FACT.....

Gary Lineker on MotD said it is always better to start with a win than a loss. Actually when it comes to Blackburn since we got promoted in 2001 we have always finish in the top 10 when we have lost the opening fixture and only once have we finished in the top when we won the opening fixture. 2008/09

Love you for that post, Chadders.

[Ossydave]

So all our hopes this season are based on a jug-eared bell end haha, bad times

[Stuart]

Well, we are 6 games into the first 10 and it's not looking great is it? Apart from Fulham and Arsenal, we've really done quite badly compared to previous seasons.

I had a little spare time on my hands so I did a bit of research and checked how this season is looking - and might look - compared to the last 5 seasons. By my fairly pessimistic reckoning, we can get to 43 points - but it relies on 15 points from Norwich, QPR and Swansea.

See what you think...