[Archived] Henning Berg - Rovers Manager

[thenodrog]

How much time do we give Berg? I remember the last man wasn't given much time. He was Anderson's stooge, Berg is Singh's stooge. Both Anderson and Singh know bugger all. So what's different?

So far only two conclusions can be drawn and they haven't changed from the start of the season, or last season

Squad - not good enough

Manager - not good enough

Plenty of supporters don't seem good enough either.

So what now B&W? Are you suggesting we sack him? I don't think he was anyone's first choice or even 5th or 6th. Most of us wanted a more seasoned manager. Opinion was very divided on who that would be, but whoever came in was not going to be universally acclaimed judging by the splits in all the polls we saw (I know lots wanted Redknapp when that looked an outside chance, but nobody was really convinced he would come)

Exactly gumboots. Anybody who thought Redknapp would come here must still believe in the tooth fairy.

[thenodrog]

WE have to support Berg. He has inherited a relegated squad put together in an almost incompetant manner. Some players bought by members of the Venky family, Vineeth Rao is supposed to have bought Goodwillie. Anderson is alledged to have been involved in the purchase of Formica, Rochina and of course Anderson. Venkys South American manager is supposed to have brought in Bruno and Kean signed Bradley Orr. No one knows who signed the young Portugese players and Shebby Singh is claiming that he was behind the Jordan Rhodes signing.

Quite simply a mish mash of a squad brought together with no overall strategy with regard to formations or style of play. Some players are Good, Some are Bad, Some are unknown. Putting this squad together as a cohesive unit will take time, which is something we don't have.

We have five players who can play off a main striker, whilst at the same time we do not have a recognised right winger. So Formica plays that role, he works hard but hasn't got the pace or crossing ability. The others can't play elsewhere so I actually think that Formica has done a good job considering it is not his best position. Look at Goodwillie he simply cannot play on the wing. Gomes could play alongside Rhodes but does that mean Rochina should be left out of the team?

Whatever team is selected we can't play the best players in the same team, whilst at the same time haven't got the best players in key positions. This is not a quick fix situation.

Mark Hughes saved the ship in 2004. The first 14 games, a home win followed by 3 defeats of which two were 4-0 and five draws. Rovers then won at Fulham, three more draws. Then the fourteenth match gave only the second home win.

Total 14, Won 3, Drawn 8, Lost 3. Points 17. I know that avoiding relegation is a different situation than trying to gain promotion. But the team still has to be managed, coached and turned into a winning side.

Souness left Hughes in deep sh1t with the squad he left behind with about 4 months to the transfer window. Oddly some on here actually wanted Souness back!

[LeChuck]

I admire Berg's philosophy of trying to keep a settled team as the constant chopping and changing under Kean was a mess, but I think he needs to use this result as a wake up call and change the team as Hanley, Marcus and Formica are weak links at the moment.

Robinson

Henley Dann Givet Olsson

Vukcevic Etuhu Murphy King

Rochina Rhodes

That looks like our strongest team to me, although Rochina is on very thin ice.

[martonrover]

WE have to support Berg. He has inherited a relegated squad put together in an almost incompetant manner. Some players bought by members of the Venky family, Vineeth Rao is supposed to have bought Goodwillie. Anderson is alledged to have been involved in the purchase of Formica, Rochina and of course Anderson. Venkys South American manager is supposed to have brought in Bruno and Kean signed Bradley Orr. No one knows who signed the young Portugese players and Shebby Singh is claiming that he was behind the Jordan Rhodes signing.

Quite simply a mish mash of a squad brought together with no overall strategy with regard to formations or style of play. Some players are Good, Some are Bad, Some are unknown. Putting this squad together as a cohesive unit will take time, which is something we don't have.

We have five players who can play off a main striker, whilst at the same time we do not have a recognised right winger. So Formica plays that role, he works hard but hasn't got the pace or crossing ability. The others can't play elsewhere so I actually think that Formica has done a good job considering it is not his best position. Look at Goodwillie he simply cannot play on the wing. Gomes could play alongside Rhodes but does that mean Rochina should be left out of the team?

Whatever team is selected we can't play the best players in the same team, whilst at the same time haven't got the best players in key positions. This is not a quick fix situation.

Mark Hughes saved the ship in 2004. The first 14 games, a home win followed by 3 defeats of which two were 4-0 and five draws. Rovers then won at Fulham, three more draws. Then the fourteenth match gave only the second home win.

Total 14, Won 3, Drawn 8, Lost 3. Points 17. I know that avoiding relegation is a different situation than trying to gain promotion. But the team still has to be managed, coached and turned into a winning side.

I am not making excuses for Berg just looking at the squad as I see it. I will judge Berg as the season progresses. January and the transfer window will see where Rovers are at on and off the pitch. Berg will have had time to assess the squad. He will have had time to work with players, decide which he can use and who he may have to bin. Then will Venkys allow money to be spent to fill the gaps? Finally has Berg and the backroom staff the nouse to buy the right players?

The end of January will be the key to Rovers future never mind Henning Bergs.

Largely agree but the fact is we can't afford to get too far behind before the end of January.

If the squad was capable of picking up results under the evil one it should still be able to do so now.

[den]

Largely agree but the fact is we can't afford to get too far behind before the end of January.

If the squad was capable of picking up results under the evil one it should still be able to do so now.

Those results were never going to continue though. You can only be outplayed so many times in a season before you start losing games.

This squad is poor.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Those results were never going to continue though. You can only be outplayed so many times in a season before you start losing games.

This squad is poor.

Not certain the squad is poor - it is unbalanced and possibly some players are unsuited for this league. May sound daft - but some players will probably do better in the Premiership where they get more protection.

I admire Berg's philosophy of trying to keep a settled team as the constant chopping and changing under Kean was a mess, but I think he needs to use this result as a wake up call and change the team as Hanley, Marcus and Formica are weak links at the moment.

Robinson

Henley Dann Givet Olsson

Vukcevic Etuhu Murphy King

Rochina Rhodes

That looks like our strongest team to me, although Rochina is on very thin ice.

What about :-

Robbo

Henley Dann Givet OIsson

Lowe Etuhu MGP

Rochina

King Rhodes

[den]

Not certain the squad is poor - it is unbalanced and possibly some players are unsuited for this league.

Unbalanced and some players unsuited to this league. - That's a poor squad isn't it? It is in my book. In fact I would say there are a lot of players "unsuited to this league"*

* another way of saying, kindly, not good enough.

and no, players not good enough for this league aren't going to be good enough for the Premier League. All this talk about the Championship being tougher than the PL is nonsense.

[K-Hod]

I admire Berg's philosophy of trying to keep a settled team as the constant chopping and changing under Kean was a mess, but I think he needs to use this result as a wake up call and change the team as Hanley, Marcus and Formica are weak links at the moment.

Robinson

Henley Dann Givet Olsson

Vukcevic Etuhu Murphy King

Rochina Rhodes

That looks like our strongest team to me, although Rochina is on very thin ice.

+1. Rochina tries to do too much, too often.

[Athlete]

Do you have any reasoning for this, because it seems like blind optimism to me to say that Berg is the right manager for Rovers.

A few years in Norway, where he didn't appear to pull up any trees, and then nothing doing since last year. Not exactly the managerial CV of a man who apparently is already judged the right man to lead Rovers after being here for a month or so. How many other clubs did we have to beat off to secure the signature of this managerial genius?

Henning appears a reasonably erudite chap, he's good for a soundbite and he's already sent Orr packing. Granted, it is hard to untangle the reasons for our results under him, how much of it is down to the manager's decisions, and how much is down to players being unfit, untalented or uncaring. So I would say we don't have enough evidence of his capability as a manager in England to say that he won't succeed. Conversely, unquestioning adulation is just as narrow-minded and premature.

What we do know is that the club's a mess, the squad's a mess, and it wasn't a job for a novice. My intuitive feeling is that he won't get us out of this division this season or next (which isn't just down to him, transfer budgets etc will come into play). This isn't some sort of negative wish fulfillment, but it's more that it's an incredibly difficult situation to deal with, and I just don't see him doing it.

One thing I have noticed is that blind optimism is on the increase, and this is not a good sign. I saw it last year as well, the usual "we're only 6 points off of 10th, get behind them" style nonsense. Well, we all know how last year ended, don't we?

totally agree a lot of people are looking at things through rose tinted glassess but not everyone is fooled just look at an empty Ewood...when have Rovers played well this season ? Under Berg , Black or Coco

against a poor Peterboro side , 25 mins @ leeds and decent performance @ home V Brum...

IMO Berg has a tougth job on , he needs to bring in his own people ...get rid of Hendry cos can anyone tell me what he brings to the table ?...can see a long few months on the horizon whilst on the otherhand still retaining a possibillity of going up IMO it's a poor league

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Unbalanced and some players unsuited to this league. - That's a poor squad isn't it? It is in my book. In fact I would say there are a lot of players "unsuited to this league"*

* another way of saying, kindly, not good enough.

and no, players not good enough for this league aren't going to be good enough for the Premier League. All this talk about the Championship being tougher than the PL is nonsense.

The Championship is tougher because the referees let the opposition get away with more - which means teams with flair players can be bullied out of matches. There were numerous challenges on Saturday - Shittu being the one player that immediately springs to mind - that would have been yellow cards on Saturday.

[Amo]

Can't believe people are having to post reams of text about why we should keep Berg after just FOUR games.

What have we become, people? What have we become?

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

There was a lot of support on here at the time for the changes Kean originally made to the team. The likes of Andrews, Roberts, Salgado, Dunn, Emerton and Nelsen were considered too old/slow. There was a specific thread about how many should be ditched rather than offered new contracts and for a lot of fans it was all of them. Whilst Formica, Rochina, Vuckevic, Petrovic and Goodwillie were hailed as bringing much needed youth, technical ability and making Rovers play the right way. And now they're all **** as well, which they all were from the very start. Its almost funny.

[dr_awol]

now that mark Hughes is free, would anyone here sack berg if MH would com back?

This is not bergs team, he NEEDS to be given time and funds to create his own team, only by march will we know how he will perform

[ABBEY]

How much time do we give Berg?

Kean me , everyone knows my scumkys hate but Christ almighty . Not even 10 games and this question is asked . For Kean sake at least give him a chance . If this is what this board now is I think it's time to go and leave this patheticnress alone. The press wouldn't half lay into us if this sort of kean got out . No wonder they slag is off .

[Plastics]

get rid of Hendry cos can anyone tell me what he brings to the table ?

Could you tell us what he doesn't bring to the table? You seem to know so much.

[ABBEY]

Can't believe people are having to post reams of text about why we should keep Berg after just FOUR games.

What have we become, people? What have we become?

Spoilt keaning brats . Christ I'd love to rewind to the 80's and see what this place would be like.

GET BEHIND BERG and stuff venkys and all things chicken.

[Kelbo]

There was a lot of support on here at the time for the changes Kean originally made to the team. The likes of Andrews, Roberts, Salgado, Dunn, Emerton and Nelsen were considered too old/slow. There was a specific thread about how many should be ditched rather than offered new contracts and for a lot of fans it was all of them. Whilst Formica, Rochina, Vuckevic, Petrovic and Goodwillie were hailed as bringing much needed youth, technical ability and making Rovers play the right way. And now they're all **** as well, which they all were from the very start. Its almost funny.

Salgado, Emerton, Nelsen, etc were too slow in the opinion of people who didnt understand football, one of the slowest players over the last 50 years was Bobby Moore, yet what a good player!!

The problem was Kean couldnt organise and was leaving players exposed all over the place!

[Stuart]

Spoilt keaning brats . Christ I'd love to rewind to the 80's and see what this place would be like.

GET BEHIND BERG and stuff venkys and all things chicken.

[den]

The Championship is tougher because the referees let the opposition get away with more - which means teams with flair players can be bullied out of matches. There were numerous challenges on Saturday - Shittu being the one player that immediately springs to mind - that would have been yellow cards on Saturday.

Why on earth would referees in the championship allow players to get away with more? They wouldn't, would they? Players getting away with bad challenges happens in every league DMTP.

All this talk of a tougher league, with refs that allow more is just nonsensical and a total myth IMO. The PL is every bit as tough as any other league, maybe even more so given the riches up for grabs.

[Dunnfc]

In berg I trust! Highly intelligent, honest and trying to change for the better. You cant polish a turd or eleven.

Get behind him... What happens if we get six points this week? You still going to moan?

Jeez get a grip, back the boys. Sing loud and pround!

[martonrover]

I haven't read one post advocating that Berg be sacked ( & I've read a few as been off since Fri! )

I think the vast majority agree he needs to be given time and backed in the transfer window. It would also be nice to know he can bring in his own backroom staff if desired.

I think the only argument is around how things are shaping up so far.

Some posters ( myself included ) have responded to perceived over positivity , e.g.'s he's a good manager and definitely the right choice, the results will definitely come.

Only time will tell.

[LeChuck]

Not certain the squad is poor - it is unbalanced and possibly some players are unsuited for this league. May sound daft - but some players will probably do better in the Premiership where they get more protection.

What about :-

Robbo

Henley Dann Givet OIsson

Lowe Etuhu MGP

Rochina

King Rhodes

I think width is one of the most important things to a team so wouldn't be keen on that shape, although it could work in a more conventional 4-3-3 with King and Rochina wide of Rhodes. I know Salgado thinks Rochina would make a good wide left striker.

Not sure Lowe and MGP would make us any stronger in central midfield though, I wouldn't drop Murphy after playing well in the games prior to Millwall.

[Amo]

Kean

Henley - Dann - Givet - Mart. Olsson

Lowe - Etuhu - Murphy

Vukcevic - Rhodes - Rochina/King

[Athlete]

Could you tell us what he doesn't bring to the table? You seem to know so much.

Well our defense isn't exactly solid is it...also wot annoys me about Hendry is what a big supporter of coco he was remembering his LT interview......

[Plastics]

Well our defense isn't exactly solid is it...also wot annoys me about Hendry is what a big supporter of coco he was remembering his LT interview......

It's better than it was before he arrived and most people will back their employers.