[Archived] Did Big Sam ruin Rovers fans?

[Stuart]

Thanks mate for advice cant we have free speak.

Just trying to protect your pocket fella. Free speech only goes so far...

[SD4E]

Big SAMs football was absolutely dire.

Anyone disputing this is looking back on it with Rose tinted specs, or quite simply didn't part with hard earned cash to watch it weekly. His football ensured Mgp had a role in the team for his long throws, and that Robinson became one of most effective creative players due to his huge kick. He even took every free kick in a rovers half, and sometimes in the opposition half.

This will be dressed up by Sam fans as an "irrational hatred of Sam" .

Is Sam a better Manager than kean- absolutely.

Did Sam get results- absolutely., and that's why he is worth his weight in gold to clubs like rovers.

Would most fans swap life under Sam to the current regime? No chance.

Does this mean his football was good? Nope.

Crowds didn't go up because of Sam and his football, it was because of the cheap season ticket deals.

[Mattyblue]

Big SAMs football was absolutely dire.

Anyone disputing this is looking back on it with Rose tinted specs, or quite simply didn't part with hard earned cash to watch it weekly. His football ensured Mgp had a role in the team for his long throws, and that Robinson became one of most effective creative players due to his huge kick. He even took every free kick in a rovers half, and sometimes in the opposition half.

This will be dressed up by Sam fans as an "irrational hatred of Sam" .

Crowds didn't go up because of Sam and his football, it was because of the cheap season ticket deals.

I went home and away and as someone who only puts the health of the club first, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nobody is saying the ST sales were good because of Sam's football, but why if it was so dreadful have they gone down drastically since his departure and we have the privilige of observing the 'good football' of Kean?

Because when said and done, fans want to watch a winning team.

[Majiball]

I went home and away and as someone who only puts the health of the club first, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nobody is saying the ST sales were good because of Sam's football, but why if it was so dreadful have they gone down drastically since his departure and we have the privilige of observing the 'good football' of Kean?

Because when said and done, fans want to watch a winning team.

Kean doesn't play good football it's rubbish a better comparsion would be to look at Hughes and Sam, not Kean.

[Mattyblue]

Mark Hughes was the best thing to happen to this club in a very long time, Allardyce is not Hughes, but after picking us off the floor post Ince and with the budget he had, he did a pretty good job.

However, some fans are far too biased to admit it, even now.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Nobody is saying the ST sales were good because of Sam's football, but why if it was so dreadful have they gone down drastically since his departure and we have the privilige of observing the 'good football' of Kean?

Because when said and done, fans want to watch a winning team.

Exactly. The purists could talk your ear off about good football but people have clearly spoken with their feet and winning comes first. Attractive winning is a luxury and one its always been unreasonable to demand a small, skint club like Rovers to produce. If we get it then great, although when have we ever really had it since Jack's money dried up? There's certainly some rose-tintedness going on if people are gonna claim the football was attractive under Hughes. And if we don't get it then give me just winning and I'm more than happy, give me just attractive and the guy can do one.

[SD4E]

I went home and away and as someone who only puts the health of the club first, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nobody is saying the ST sales were good because of Sam's football, but why if it was so dreadful have they gone down drastically since his departure and we have the privilige of observing the 'good football' of Kean?

Because when said and done, fans want to watch a winning team.

Because fans aren't stupid. Most knew that although it wasn't the greatest football, it was all about results and people want the club to be successful first.

Crowds have gone down because the club has been a pr disaster. We have gone from having local owners, a manager who got results, and cheap tickets which were a novelty, to having owners who have been an embarrassment to the club a manager who is incompetent.

Resultts have been shocking, and so crowds go down. Loads of my mates are not going now as they have rapidly lost connection with the club.

This is nothing to do with Sam, or his style of football.

If you enjoy results firstl them I would say great, so do. And so do most fans.

What that doesn't mean is that SAMs long ball was "good football" . It was generally route one, and horrible on the eye, but got results.

You can say some people's hatred of Sam clouds their vision, but they could say that some people's love of Sam means they have a clouded vision thinking the football wasn't route one and awful to watch.

It was poor. I lost count of the times our goalkeeper got an assist. But it got results, and therefore, job done

[den]

Kean doesn't play good football it's rubbish a better comparsion would be to look at Hughes and Sam, not Kean.

Much of the football under Hughes was terrible as well Maj. Hughes entertained us only when he could persuade the likes of Bellamy, Bentley and RSC to join. You see, it's all about players.

Over the past few seasons we've been selling our best players all too easily. To be frank, plenty of our own fans have been more than happy to see these players leave, with dreams of how we could strengthen with the money generated. The downward slide started to show under Ince who couldn't get a poorish squad organised and disciplined enough to get the results to keep us up. We were rescued by Sam who had the abilities to get results needed, but then another poor manager has simply taken us to where we were heading.

It aint all Kean's fault.

[Mattyblue]

Because fans aren't stupid. Most knew that although it wasn't the greatest football, it was all about results and people want the club to be successful first.

Crowds have gone down because the club has been a pr disaster. We have gone from having local owners, a manager who got results, and cheap tickets which were a novelty, to having owners who have been an embarrassment to the club a manager who is incompetent.

Resultts have been shocking, and so crowds go down. Loads of my mates are not going now as they have rapidly lost connection with the club.

This is nothing to do with Sam, or his style of football.

If you enjoy results firstl them I would say great, so do. And so do most fans.

What that doesn't mean is that SAMs long ball was "good football" . It was generally route one, and horrible on the eye, but got results.

You can say some people's hatred of Sam clouds their vision, but they could say that some people's love of Sam means they have a clouded vision thinking the football wasn't route one and awful to watch.

It was poor. I lost count of the times our goalkeeper got an assist. But it got results, and therefore, job done

I agree with all that... and I still enjoyed it.

[DE.]

Sam's record speaks for itself as far as I'm concerned. Personally I never had a problem with his football but as I don't get to Ewood too often I can't really comment on what it was like on a regular basis. The times I did go under Allardyce I never found the football "unwatchable", though many of those were away matches and I have to admit the way we played away from home always frustrated me.

Many supporters never got over his link with Bolton and had a genuine, personal dislike for the man. There was a large section of the crowd he was never going to win over. Regardless, he was the perfect manager for us at that time (and judging by Venky's "investment" so far probably still is) and even though plenty of people moaned... I genuinely don't believe, if push came to shove, most of them would have agreed that he deserved or should be given the sack. I certainly hope not.

[Majiball]

Mark Hughes was the best thing to happen to this club in a very long time, Allardyce is not Hughes, but after picking us off the floor post Ince and with the budget he had, he did a pretty good job.

However, some fans are far too biased to admit it, even now.

Sam did a decent job but when he had the chance to progress us he mucked it up. I'll always be grateful for him saving our arses after Ince but season 2010/11 he should have moved things forward style wise.

[Mattyblue]

Sam did a decent job but when he had the chance to progress us he mucked it up. I'll always be grateful for him saving our arses after Ince but season 2010/11 he should have moved things forward style wise.

Why?

He then got us 10th and to a cup semi final.

We were then a win at Bolton away from 7th when he was sacked. Things were ticking along nicely.

[thenodrog]

I was the happiest man on the planet when Venkys sacked Allardyce, and a great many other Rovers fans (I would still contend, the majority) celebrated with me. Where our new owners went wrong was to appoint Kean full-time, and talk him up as if he was the new Alex Ferguson. (With hindsight this was clearly a combination of staggering inexperience and being manipulated by the wrong people.)

There are still a huge, huge number of fans simply glad that the Allardyce era is over. That we have skilful players on the pitch at Ewood trying things - Formica, Rochina, Hoilett (who, lets not forget, didn't get a look-in under the previous regime) - as opposed to Diouf, Goulon and van Heerden.

Don't get me wrong - Kean is the wrong man, and did nothing to warrant his promotion other being an SEM client and brown-nosing the right people at the right time, but I completely understand why he retains some sympathy and support amongst Rovers fans.

Pointless reading past the first sentence if you can so readily choose to disregard the opinion polls on here and more pertinently in the LET.

It's cos of the actions of people like you that we are in the desperate situation that we are today. You lot were used by Delboy to poison the Venkeymob against what was a succesful management structure and then cast aside once the job was done with as much regard as whore has for kleenex tissues.

[DE.]

Allardyce would have moved us forward, given more time. Wanting immediate change in the 10/11 season just because we had a decent run towards the end of the 09/10 season was IMO too high of an expectation. Allardyce had no funds in the summer and basically the same squad of decent if not particularly gifted players. As Matty said, we were ticking along nicely. A few bad ones (United, obviously) but I genuinely think we would have finished around the same position if not higher than 09/10 had Allardyce been retained and the Trust stayed on as owners. I have no idea what Venky's ownership would have done to Allardyce's methods, or if it would even had been possible for them to work together.

[Tony Diamond Inc]

For me it's simple.

Mr Vain drained me, and plenty of others of any hope as far as Rovers were concerned. I was reaching the point (the first time in 38 years of watching) of not bothering to attend.

Now the hope has been brought back, I live in hope.

Something tells me that there are some amongst us who believe Mr Kean shouldn't be at the helm. If this is indeed true, they may just be able to understand how I felt after the Old Trafford game last year!

[Jimmy612]

Sam did a decent job but when he had the chance to progress us he mucked it up. I'll always be grateful for him saving our arses after Ince but season 2010/11 he should have moved things forward style wise.

Why don't you bring up his summer signings for the summer of 2010? How can he move things forward style wise if he was given no financial backing?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The only people to hail Sam as "Messiah" were his detractors, and then only in derogatory way. Sensible folk (the majority) saw him as a very good manager who was perfect for running a medium-sized tightly-run ship like Rovers. I've been watching Rovers for 50+ years and the sacking of Sam Allardyce is probably the worst decision the the club has taken in all that time. The repercussions are going to affect Rovers for many. many years.

I agree with that Jim, definitely the worst decision the club has taken in my lifetime.

[rebelmswar]

For me it's simple.

Mr Vain drained me, and plenty of others of any hope as far as Rovers were concerned. I was reaching the point (the first time in 38 years of watching) of not bothering to attend.

Now the hope has been brought back, I live in hope.

Something tells me that there are some amongst us who believe Mr Kean shouldn't be at the helm. If this is indeed true, they may just be able to understand how I felt after the Old Trafford game last year!

Some people like black pudding too, tastes are different.

Kean is so unpalatable to me though that I couldn't stomach him after a week bender during hogmanay.

[John]

A winning team under minimal financial resources, from saving us to relegation on to an excellent top 10 finish along with a cup semi final on the way. IMO, with a bit more cash we would played better football too (for the purists), over time, as was illustrated by Sam wanting to sign Guti/Raul and also his Bolton days when he clearly liked some flair in his teams.

[Majiball]

Why?

He then got us 10th and to a cup semi final.

We were then a win at Bolton away from 7th when he was sacked. Things were ticking along nicely.

Tail end of his one full season in charge we played some great football that all the fans on here were crowing about. Once he got his 40 points he let the shackles off. Next season we were back to 2-3 short passes and a punt forward, it was dire again. We'd proven the season before we could play, but the likes of Olsson were benched again and he went back to tried and trusted.

Yes he got little support that summer but we were neogiating a sale of the club and so it was always going to be that way.

The fans were split way back then and all that happened was people took advantage of it. You can look to blame other fans all people on here want but that split was always going to happen from the second Sam was appointed, it was OBVIOUS.

All this has been discussed over and over on here so I won't be posting again on the subject, it's pointless.

[Jimmy612]

No they didn't! Where does this complete mistruth originate? I imagine it's simply looking back at anything Allardyce has done with rose-tinted spectacles. Allardyce knows how to play one way, and one way only, he has done throughout his career.

Virtually anyone.

What do you think?

This is because the football was completely and utterly unwatchable.

So you're telling me that Stelios, Okocha, Djorkaeff, Campo, Anelka, Hierro and god knows who else all played long ball football Clown

As i said earlier, you play the football that suits the squad! Our squad was pathetic! Did you expect us to pass it round all the PL clubs with Andrews, Dunn, Pedersen and Emerton in the midfield?

There are a few things a club with no money in the PL MUST do

1)make yourself hard to beat

2)Make it horrible for the opposition

3)Play to your strengths

4)Win whichever way you can

I believe entertain the moronic fans whom booed their team for keeping posession when 3-0 up against Wolves is quite a way down that list, obviously it maintains top priority for yourself.

You'l notice that Hughes did exactly the same at Rovers. Mokoena, Nelsen and Savage in the Jan transfer window were hardly fancy dans were they?

The fact that you wouldn't take Allardyce back, knowing what he acheived when he took over just 3 years ago says it all really. Your the one with the tinted glass pal, your hate for Sam clouds your judgement, you listen to the media scum and cannot formulate your own opinions on a man who saved our football club.

Your arguments are weak e.g. the United game (pathetic excuse to sack a manager). Strip it down to the bare facts, where were we when Sam took over, where we when he was unjustly sacked.

If you wanted entertainment you should have taken yourself off to the theatre. Blackburns PL existence wasn't about entertainment, it was about pride. Something which sadly has disintegrated in the past 12 months!

[thenodrog]

Hated ince hated zzzam and hate kean.........

Those three names don't really belong in the same sentence Abbey. One is the fourth most experienced manager in the Premiership and definitely the most successful manager away from the Big City clubs and the other two are just dollopers.

Tell me though given that there is no sign of Kean being potted which of the two would you prefer in charge? Honestly mind.

[thenodrog]

I completely understand why Kean retains some sympathy and support amongst Rovers fans. After what they percieved as intolerable, unwatchable football under Allardyce, they now believe they (and I apologise for the use of this phrase) "have their Rovers back".

Good grief!!!! 'Have their Rovers back?'........ Can't speak for anybody else but as far as I am concerned it is exactly and completely the opposite and has been for 12 months now.

[thenodrog]

Sam showed he could play good football with the run in for the season when we finished 10th. The following season he reverted to type, 2-3 passes and then hit it up-field, it was dire to watch and given he'd shown he could get results both ways why the dramatic switch? Yes Sam got results, he always has but no matter where he has gone the fans have been split over the method. It was always going to be this way under Sam, they knew this when he was appointed.

This has been explained. The orders from the trust were to play safe and avoid relegation at all costs. Take your mind back maj, that season we only 'opened up' and played some excellent attacking football was once 40 points had been reached. I think our opponents were floored by our onus on attack as much as the fact that half of them would be running the season down.

[rebelmswar]

Good grief!!!! 'Have their Rovers back?'........ Can't speak for anybody else but as far as I am concerned it is exactly and completely the opposite and has been for 12 months now.

Yep.

Gone from a well run club with approachable leaders to a shambles run by charlatans.

Fecking sad.