[Archived] Henning Berg - Rovers Manager

[LeChuck]

So far Wolves, Boro, Palace and Millwall have shown that they are better sides than Rovers, do you conveniently forget this Plastics.

You mean Wolves that are in 18th and haven't won for 9 games?

Another day, another load of wrinkly scrotum.

[JAL]

Let's throw in the towel now.

Good idea. (Looking forward to tonights game)

[patrickvalery]

Nothing to worry about yet. Keep within a few games away from the play-offs and you're doing fine. Plenty of time left in this season.

I actually admire your positive outlook but i can't agree with it i'm afraid. I do believe this squad has pockets of talent and is showing glimpses of potential. However, i can't see all the loose ends being tied up in time for a serious assult on automatic promotion positions or the play offs. At the very best i could see a safe mid table finish this season and a push next year ala 1999 under Souness. But unlike last time under Uncle Jack, i don't think Venky's have got the means to push on next season. Too much has been pinned on promotion this year and the responsibility seems to be weighing heavy on some young shoulders.

Kean's sacking and Berg's arrival has lifted some of the gloom around the place imo. I feel better about supporting the club nowadays. We have got it within our means to play some half decent football when the mood takes us. I think Best's return will also improve our fortunes a little. But all told, i think we'll fall some way short of promotion this season and sadly i think Venky's might not have the resources, the courage, the wherewithall or the money to build from a solid mid table finish and have a good crack at it next year.

[K-Hod]

Yes, and it wont be via the play offs.

West Ham were up there for most of the season, a late surge from Reading unfortunateley pushed them out. Rovers arent in that position.

So far Wolves, Boro, Palace and Millwall have shown that they are better sides than Rovers, do you conveniently forget this Plastics.

Your argument falls on its sword when you completely ignore the fact that Rovers could have a late surge Jal.

[Mercer]

When Kean went, it took an inordinate amount of time to find a new manager and only then, perhaps, by default.

Every other team - Blackpool, Bolton, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Ipswich - seemed to have a plan and moved decisively and every one of those new managers, other than Appleton, has got off to a much better start results wise than Berg.

Given our run of fixtures, our promotion hopes could be virtually over by the time we've played Forest on New Year's Day

We desperately need two good results from Bolton and Burnley otherwise confidence will ebb away and pressure will mount and to be honest, I wouldn't bet on us getting those results.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Well it's play-offs or nothing.

I'd bet my right kidney on us not going straight up. Nine points away, we'd need some up-turn in form to get up there.

Hmm .. IF we beat Bolton tonight that will be six points, with Palace still to play at home - could then be 3 points - with over half a season to go.

I agree we have to start turning good performances into points - and soon - but I can't believe how negative some people on this forum are at the moment.

[jim mk2]

Hmm .. IF we beat Bolton tonight that will be six points, with Palace still to play at home - could then be 3 points - with over half a season to go.

I agree we have to start turning good performances into points - and soon - but I can't believe how negative some people on this forum are at the moment.

We couldn't beat Birmingham, Boro or Millwall at home so why should we beat Palace ? These discussions are just like last season, people fantasising over unlikely scenarios when the reality of poor form and the league table is staring us in the face.

[LeChuck]

We couldn't beat Birmingham, Boro or Millwall at home so why should we beat Palace ? These discussions are just like last season, people fantasising over unlikely scenarios when the reality of poor form and the league table is staring us in the face.

Prediction for tonight Jim?

[SergioPeter89]

Some of you on this forum is so negative, that you probably will be upset when we go up in may.

[broadsword]

We couldn't beat Birmingham, Boro or Millwall at home so why should we beat Palace ? These discussions are just like last season, people fantasising over unlikely scenarios when the reality of poor form and the league table is staring us in the face.

I believe this is what I have been trying to say.

I don't think we have the squad to go on a sustained run.

[PAFELL]

Palace were already on a good run before Holloway went there. Dropped off recently. Berg went to a club whee the plaers were under performing (that is a nice way of putting it) Where things on and off the pitch were a mess. So in my view, it was likely to take Berg a lot longer to sort things out.

[jim mk2]

Prediction for tonight Jim?

Draw probably. Nine goals in the past nine home matches doesn't augur well.

Palace were already on a good run before Holloway went there. Dropped off recently. Berg went to a club whee the plaers were under performing (that is a nice way of putting it) Where things on and off the pitch were a mess. So in my view, it was likely to take Berg a lot longer to sort things out.

Results have got worse since Berg took over.

[gumboots]

We couldn't beat Birmingham, Boro or Millwall at home so why should we beat Palace ? These discussions are just like last season, people fantasising over unlikely scenarios when the reality of poor form and the league table is staring us in the face.

Thing is everybody in this league seems to be capable of beating anyone else on a given day. Whilst teams like Palace and Millwall are on good runs they are not running away with anything yet, so there's a;ways a chance that we can turn it round. I'll agree we need to turn performances into points and we probably won't, but that doesn't mean we can't. I'm not going tonight - recuperating after op - so we will probablyt win - the games i miss seem to be the ones we win nowadays

[Gav]

Let's throw in the towel now.

I wish you would, its about quality of posts not quantity of posts

We couldn't beat Birmingham, Boro or Millwall at home so why should we beat Palace ? These discussions are just like last season, people fantasising over unlikely scenarios when the reality of poor form and the league table is staring us in the face.

You need to give Berg a chance jimbo, its not going to happen over night.

Results have got worse since Berg took over.

We could bring Kean back?

[Amo]

I wish you would, its about quality of posts not quantity of posts

braddock in disguise?

[Plastics]

It doesn't help when people believe in simplistic formulae which don't take into consideration the possibility of change, never mind that they are far from being rules.

It appears many think that:

No honeymoon period = Imminent failure.

A defeat against particular teams = defeats against other teams

(and likewise)

Victories against particular teams = victories against other teams

It's all too simplistic, things don't work this way, football changes from week to week and from month to month and we are far too early into a season to say that we will get promoted/reach play-offs or we will not get promoted/reach play-offs. We could be around the corner from a month of victories, or we could be around the corner from a month of defeats, but neither of these things will spell certain promotion or certain failure come the end of the season. Every game is different, pretty much everybody agrees that anybody can beat anybody, we are all aware that teams can go on runs of form, we are all aware that big teams can struggle. It is not time to throw the towel in, or have sleepless nights that we aren't going back up. Now is the time to observe, support the lads and hope for improvement. Naturally we will all have inklings on the way it will go, but if people are confident of anything right now then they are far too closed minded in my opinion.

[Gav]

You're quickly becoming a joke, not keeping things on topic often leads to a ban.

Bit of friendly advice

[den]

Nothing to worry about yet. Keep within a few games away from the play-offs and you're doing fine. Plenty of time left in this season.

There's time yes.

Like I said a few weeks back, Berg has got the team realising the importance of posession and control, but the extra 10% needed to start winning games on a regular basis might be far harder to achieve. If I personally could see the wide men who could go past a full back and pick a pass out, or the midfield men who could draw a defender then open up the opposition then there's real hope. I don't see any of that. It also makes this type player all the more important, when you've got a centre forward who can't make goals for himself. He needs quality service into the penalty box - he isn't getting it and I don't see at the moment how he's going to get it.

So while there's time, presently there's no sign of results improving. That's the worry. The only hope to my way of thinking, is that Berg can bring in more quality in January. There are two question marks over that. Can berg find that quality and will the owners back him? Leon Best coming through and hitting a few goals is probably going to be the best hope we've got, but it's a big ask for him to do that.

[ada2020]

Epic fail, not the man for the job.

[Sparky Marky]

Got to go I'm afraid .

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Christ I hate being right.

[Devon Rover]

There's time yes.

Like I said a few weeks back, Berg has got the team realising the importance of posession and control, but the extra 10% needed to start winning games on a regular basis might be far harder to achieve. If I personally could see the wide men who could go past a full back and pick a pass out, or the midfield men who could draw a defender then open up the opposition then there's real hope. I don't see any of that. It also makes this type player all the more important, when you've got a centre forward who can't make goals for himself. He needs quality service into the penalty box - he isn't getting it and I don't see at the moment how he's going to get it.

So while there's time, presently there's no sign of results improving. That's the worry. The only hope to my way of thinking, is that Berg can bring in more quality in January. There are two question marks over that. Can berg find that quality and will the owners back him? Leon Best coming through and hitting a few goals is probably going to be the best hope we've got, but it's a big ask for him to do that.

The third question would be; will January be too late? I think it will because Berg, and the team he has inherited, has not got it in him to get sufficient results.

[Muddboy]

People are pointing the finger in the wrong direction.

Venky's are to blame for the entire situation we find ourselves in.

They employed and stuck by an utterly crap manager for two years. And gave him free reign to assemble a squad that's simply not good enough.

There's only so much that Berg can do with the dross he's been landed with. Too many of them are not up to the job. Simple.

[Amo]

There's only so much that Berg can do with the dross he's been landed with. Too many of them are not up to the job. Simple.

But he doesn't even play the ones who ARE good enough! (or least have yet to prove they aren't!)

[Devon Rover]

Worrying.

I was so unmoved by Berg's appointment that I just couldn't really bring myself to comment. I wasn't excited, encouraged, or particularly disappointed. I just felt 'meh, very uninspiring'.

I wanted to wait for a few matches before making comment about his management. I think he speaks well, seems to have confidence in his own ability, and is more honest about performances than we have been accustomed to. However, it is about results and so far they have been pretty abysmal.

I keep reading about how Berg is dealing with Kean's errors/mess. Rubbish. There are many examples of managers coming in to an apparent disaster zone of a football club and galvanising them quickly. One of the main reasons for changing manager is the 'bounce' that often brings a few wins. This is not happening and that is bearing in mind previous results had put Rovers on a platform to build from- but they are tumbling from it. The results are worse than before Berg arrived.

Looking beyond the results I am confused by the team selections, by comments about Vukcevic being an important player then not playing. It appears from reports that the team is not playing well and that out of form players are being stuck with. Substitutions are not happening quickly enough. This is Berg's remit. He needs to make something happen and it is not acceptable for us to sit back and say 'ahh well, it's Kean's fault' because that is too easy.

The other thing that is getting my goat is this statement 'give him until January and back him in the transfer market'. Do you really think we are going to attract better players than we have now? Surely Venky's are going to be looking at cutting costs? More importantly, saying 'lets wait until January' ignores the fact that current and recent form suggests it won't matter by then anyway.

For me, so far (early days, I know, but very important days): the appointment has been poor. I hope it turns around and fast or we can look forward to at least another year in this league and thats only if we cut enough costs and avoid financial penalty.

But he doesn't even play the ones who ARE good enough! (or least have yet to prove they aren't!)

Agreed. I firmly believe most other teams' managers in this division would love to have our squad. I'm not saying it is brilliant by any stretch of the imagination. But it is better than most. And it was good enough to get the team into the play-off zone and winning matches. So far Berg has failed to even keep progress steady, never mind motivate the players/team to do better.