[Archived] The nPower Championship 12/13

[DE.]

It took Freedman a long time to get that improvement. He took over before Berg remember. Prior to that his record was very similar to Appleton's.

Forest is a totally different kettle of fish. They're an established Championship club and generally pretty settled. They didn't need a rebuilding job they just needed tweaking.

Yes, but in both cases you surely have to acknowledge the manager is a big part of the reason both are flying right now?

[Tom]

Having looked at the table it's a lot closer than I thought

I didn't realise it was all the teams at the bottom within 6 or 7 points of us I just thought it was one or two

Still it's firmly in our hands - not sure if that makes me more concerned mind you

[LeChuck]

Yes, but in both cases you surely have to acknowledge the manager is a big part of the reason both are flying right now?

Yeah of course. Hard to argue any other way really.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Like I said earlier, we've got the smell of a relegated team about us. Are there 3 teams playing worse than Rovers at the moments?

[Clitherover]

The fact that we are bottom of the league in terms of form says it all, we should be very worried indeed.

Will Venkys finally fook off and sell up if we are in League One next season?, it would be worth relegation if so.

[LeChuck]

Like I said earlier, we've got the smell of a relegated team about us. Are there 3 teams playing worse than Rovers at the moments?

See my post in the Millwall topic. There is absolutely no chance of us going down this year.

[den]

Yes, but in both cases you surely have to acknowledge the manager is a big part of the reason both are flying right now?

No-one is saying a manager has no influence at all - that would be just plain daft. The squad we started the season with would have struggled under anyone. It needed fresh faces and still does - if we are to become a force in this league. Now I can understand anyone thinking that our problems have been mainly down to the manager, if their starting position was that we had the strongest squad in the league. However, to believe that we had a poor squad and yet believe that a new manager can make us into promotion candidates is a bit - odd. Our biggest problem at the moment is the quality of the squad, rather than the manager.

[Clitherover]

See my post in the Millwall topic. There is absolutely no chance of us going down this year.

Bold statement mate, those words could yet come back to haunt you.

[LeChuck]

Bold statement mate, those words could yet come back to haunt you.

Honestly I think there is close to zero chance of it happening. I don't think this year's Championship will buck the trend in terms of what it takes to stay up, nothing to suggest this season is a special case.

I'm surprised so many people think it's a realstic possibility given the stats on previous seasons. 6 points is misleading when there are 6 teams required to overtake us to put us down there.

[DE.]

No-one is saying a manager has no influence at all - that would be just plain daft. The squad we started the season with would have struggled under anyone. It needed fresh faces and still does - if we are to become a force in this league. Now I can understand anyone thinking that our problems have been mainly down to the manager, if their starting position was that we had the strongest squad in the league. However, to believe that we had a poor squad and yet believe that a new manager can make us into promotion candidates is a bit - odd. Our biggest problem at the moment is the quality of the squad, rather than the manager.

I don't disagree Den, I think the squad is the biggest part of the problem. They're nowhere near good or motivated enough. Appleton has said as much many times, and hopefully he'll address this problem in the summer.

[den]

I don't disagree Den, I think the squad is the biggest part of the problem. They're nowhere near good or motivated enough. Appleton has said as much many times, and hopefully he'll address this problem in the summer.

I'll tell you what DE. I reckon if you, me and Jim sat down in a pub together, we'd all have pretty much the same points of view. That's messageboards for you. Sometimes it's impossible to understand and be understood.

[martonrover]

Honestly I think there is close to zero chance of it happening. I don't think this year's Championship will buck the trend in terms of what it takes to stay up, nothing to suggest this season is a special case.

I'm surprised so many people think it's a realstic possibility given the stats on previous seasons. 6 points is misleading when there are 6 teams required to overtake us to put us down there.

Andy Bayes ( Radio Lancs ) has tweeted that he doesn't think 50 points will be enough.

[LeChuck]

Andy Bayes ( Radio Lancs ) has tweeted that he doesn't think 50 points will be enough.

I'll be surprised. Even if it's over 50 we won't lose 10 games in a row. Win a couple of a nick a draw somewhere and that'll be enough.

If anyone really thinks we're going down then stick money on it, the odds will be excellent.

[DE.]

I'll tell you what DE. I reckon if you, me and Jim sat down in a pub together, we'd all have pretty much the same points of view. That's messageboards for you. Sometimes it's impossible to understand and be understood.

No doubt about it Den. The problem with text is that it's easy to over-analyse what somebody says and pinpoint words/phrases that in speech would have a different meaning. Text also has quite an impersonal feel to it, so it's easy for things to feel personal, even when they aren't.

[broadsword]

I'll be surprised. Even if it's over 50 we won't lose 10 games in a row. Win a couple of a nick a draw somewhere and that'll be enough.

If anyone really thinks we're going down then stick money on it, the odds will be excellent.

Strewth, how complacent do you want to get?

We can't score and if you don't score you don't win. Yes, we could scab a couple of lucky wins and nick a draw or two, but don't you think we're cutting things a bit fine? We're in appalling form, and the squad is @#/?.

We're currently 16th, we've not been in the bottom 3 all season, so it's not all doom and gloom. But we're on a trajectory of pure turd, we're really going to cut it fine unless Captain Appleton can grab hold of the controls and pull us clear of disaster.

[LeChuck]

Strewth, how complacent do you want to get?

We can't score and if you don't score you don't win. Yes, we could scab a couple of lucky wins and nick a draw or two, but don't you think we're cutting things a bit fine? We're in appalling form, and the squad is @#/?.

I don't disagree with your assessment of the squad, but even under Appleton we've shown roughly a point a game is a reasonable expectation over 10 games.

I don't even think we'll cut it fine. As I posted in another topic 41, 43, 48 and 47 points meant safety in the last four seasons. We've got 10 games to go and we're on 45. I think we'll finish somewhere between 52-57 points and probably around the same league position. Yes we're poor, but so are a lot of the teams below us, that's why they are there. I can't see six suddenly picking up the pace and overhauling us. One or two maybe, but not six altogether.

I can understand why people are tetchy given the last few years. Happy to put my money where my mouth is on this one if anyone totally disagrees!

[DE.]

You're probably right LeChuck, but with our luck over the last few years I really wouldn't be surprised if the unlikely happened and we ended up going down again!

[Stuart]

I wish you'd stop it, LeChuck.

I wasn't that worried but your confident talk is making me nervous!

[Waggy76]

The fact that we are bottom of the league in terms of form says it all, we should be very worried indeed.

Will Venkys finally fook off and sell up if we are in League One next season?, it would be worth relegation if so.

I am 100% in agreement with you, Citheroe Rover ...

Why are they keeping us ?

[rovers11]

Some interesting results today in the championship. Blackpool and sheff w winning was surprising. We are now 6 points off relegation (essentially 7 points with our better goal difference).

Bit of a gap now between the bottom 4 and the rest. Just cant see beyond those 4 for relegation. Hudds and Sheff W could perhaps get sucked into it but think they'll have enough. Bristol City`s home form will probably see them survive. Peterborough have a tough fixture list and concede too many goals. Barnsley also have a tough fixture list and dont score many so they'll go. Wolves are just hopeless so they'll go imo. We realistically only need about 6 points from 10 games.Even under Berg we got that amount of points so shouldnt be a problem. Plus key players Best, King, Olsson and Dunn will be back very shortly

Play off-wise, we obviously have no chance, but Forest and Bolton look strong. Leicester are struggling and Brighton have had a bit of a blip.Personally, id like to see Bolton, Cardiff and Hull go up as I think those teams would be strong next season if they didnt go up. Teams like Watford and Palace certainly wouldnt be as good next season. Palace are losing Zaha and probably Murray. Watford will basically lose their whole team.

My predicted finish for rovers this season is 13th plus an fa cup semi final.

[LDRover]

It took Freedman a long time to get that improvement. He took over before Berg remember. Prior to that his record was very similar to Appleton's.

Forest is a totally different kettle of fish. They're an established Championship club and generally pretty settled. They didn't need a rebuilding job they just needed tweaking.

Freedman had 14 points to Appleton's 9 after 10 games, and he took over a team in the lower reaches of the league.

The comparison with Freedman is not one that shows Appleton in a favourable light.

[Mercer]

Freedman is, or certainly will be, top drawer.

i was advocating his appointment before he joined Bolton.

I understand that he was on on the Rovers' list but clearly some thought they knew better !!!

The guy has something about him, an edge that makes him a winner. Friend of mine knows him quite well and describes him as "one smart cookie".

Have been saying for the last couple of weeks that Bolton are the dark horses.

[John]

Freedman is, or certainly will be, top drawer.

i was advocating his appointment before he joined Bolton.

I understand that he was on on the Rovers' list but clearly some thought they knew better !!!

The guy has something about him, an edge that makes him a winner. Friend of mine knows him quite well and describes him as "one smart cookie".

Have been saying for the last couple of weeks that Bolton are the dark horses.

Plus before joining Bolton, Freedman did a pretty decent job at Palace too.

[Mercer]

Plus before joining Bolton, Freedman did a pretty decent job at Palace too.

Spot on - what he did inside 2 years for a club that was a basket case, prior to his appointment, is quite remarkable.

[Ricky]

People saying that forest just needed tweaking should remember that they were close to going down last season. They were in a relegation battle up until the last month of the season.

We were 3 points ahead of them when Davies took over, we're now 12 points behind them.

More upsettingly for me I have a bet with a friend who is a forest fan. It looks like my FB profile pick and wallpaper is going to be me in a forest shirt come the end of the season