[Archived] Michael Appleton - New Rovers Manager

[jim mk2]

That would mean admitting that they were wrong and that they know less than the square root of @#/? all about all things football..... and that doesn't sit well with their generation Den.

For above, see below.

It was an aimless punt when it was from open play. It wasn't a long pass, that's for sure.

That to me is hoofball.

As I have said, however, I've nothing against set pieces which are targeted to the big men. It's a very good tactic to go from defence to attack with some amount of control. In open play, however, it just gets tedious playing the percentages game.

[Plastics]

Hur hur hur.

Let's move on.

[den]

I would replace him with a manager.

We are currently in a position where we would have to take the medicine to stabalise the club, except it isn't even like medicine, because Appleton shows you can be organised AND not resort to hoofball. What we hopefully have here, is a good manager who we won't outgrow.

So, you're agreeing with me. If somehow during the next thirty or forty years we get back into the Premier League and have a manager who looks like he can get us into the top half, season upon season, you would sack him if you didn't like the style of football. There's one simple question here - why?

Personally I couldn't give a stuff as long as we are consistently winning games.

[imy9]

So, you're agreeing with me. If somehow during the next thirty or forty years we get back into the Premier League and have a manager who looks like he can get us into the top half, season upon season, you would sack him if you didn't like the style of football. There's one simple question here - why?

Personally I couldn't give a stuff as long as we are consistently winning games.

100% agree, can't really see any logical argument countering this- unless you get a manager who can play attractive football and keep us in the top 10- odds of that? Virtually nil.

[jim mk2]

100% agree, can't really see any logical argument countering this- unless you get a manager who can play attractive football and keep us in the top 10- odds of that? Virtually nil.

Hallelujah,a Damascene conversion.

[Philly13]

To counter the experience point, experience doesn't organize a defense or win you games. It just merely helps you learn how to do the job. It can also get you into bad habits, like maybe you try to run your new team the same way you ran the old one without adjusting. There are other ways to learn how to manage.

[Tom]

If results stay the same or especially if Boro pick up a winner then the play off pipe dream would be dead, In a way I feel the sooner the pressure is off and the manager is allowed to build a proper team for a real push next season the better

It was a massive task when he came in thanks to Berg and its only looked possible again due to good form under him and Bowyer but even then only ever a slight chance of it

[DE.]

We're not going up this season. Am as sure of that as I was that Kean would relegate us last year.

We'll see in the summer how serious Venky's are about taking us back up. Splashing stupid wage money on useless premiership has-beens is not enough.

[hesfromburn]

Appleton got it wrong today, I think playing the standard formation with Martin Olsson and kazim on the wings with dj or nuno and rekik at left back would have been much stronger!

But roll on Saturday Hull are up there for a reason getting something away there was always a big ask.

[thenodrog]

Hallelujah,a Damascene conversion.

Unless somebody with a bit of footballing nous has access to his password on here.

[47er]

Just as Appleton was not the Messiah before the Hull game, he isn't hopeless now. However , if the task given him was to get promotion this season, its beyond him or anyone else I'm afraid.

That time wasted between Kean leaving and Appleton being appointed has done for us.

[Stuart]

Just as Appleton was not the Messiah before the Hull game, he isn't hopeless now. However , if the task given him was to get promotion this season, its beyond him or anyone else I'm afraid.

That time wasted between on Kean leaving and Appleton being appointed has done for us.

Corrected it for you.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Just as Appleton was not the Messiah before the Hull game, he isn't hopeless now. However , if the task given him was to get promotion this season, its beyond him or anyone else I'm afraid.

That time wasted between Kean leaving and Appleton being appointed has done for us.

The worry for me - we have yet to actually play a decent match. His tactics are more about stopping the opposition - can he progress from sorting out the defence to putting out a team that concentrates more on what it can do than worry about the opposition. Having said all that - most of our decent managers have built first from defence - and MA hasn't had a pre-season. Still think play offs are possible but he can't get his tactics wrong in many more matches.

[imy9]

Hallelujah,a Damascene conversion.

Go back and find the post where I wanted Sam gone... I do know someone who wanted him gone and said so quite clearly...over to you Jim, October 2010, your u turns are legendary

Unless somebody with a bit of footballing nous has access to his password on here.

Lol. Love it when people jump on the bandwagon. We all make mistakes but I never wanted Sam gone nor was I 'anti hoofball' if anything these last two years have highlighted more what a great job Sam did.

[G Somerset Rover]

The worry for me - we have yet to actually play a decent match. His tactics are more about stopping the opposition - can he progress from sorting out the defence to putting out a team that concentrates more on what it can do than worry about the opposition. Having said all that - most of our decent managers have built first from defence - and MA hasn't had a pre-season. Still think play offs are possible but he can't get his tactics wrong in many more matches.

Agreed. As Parson pointed out in the match thread, if we go one goal behind given the way we're currently set up then it's more or less game set and match.

Hopefully last night will be a good learning experience for Appleton.

[Plastics]

So, you're agreeing with me. If somehow during the next thirty or forty years we get back into the Premier League and have a manager who looks like he can get us into the top half, season upon season, you would sack him if you didn't like the style of football. There's one simple question here - why?

Personally I couldn't give a stuff as long as we are consistently winning games.

You guys are confusing me with someone who demands that we play like Barcelona. The football Allardyce (and a couple of others) play is quite unique. It is not simply a case of saying yes, we are doing well, but why are we not dominating possession as well. All I would want (if I was paying for a season ticket) is to watch a team that doesn't ONLY hoof the ball up at every opportunity. There is only so long you can watch it. It is certainly acceptable if you are struggling and desperate to stop up, but the aftermath of Allardyce shows it wasn't his way or the highway. We weren't far off staying up with a dreadful manager who decimated the team. I understand if others are satisfied with watching something without any entertainment value passed a pinball machine every single game but it isn't for me. I would much rather appoint another manager (which we didn't do) when in that situation (as secure as we could be). We should have waited for one to become available. Allardyce has become a martyr because of the timing of his sacking and the two years that have followed, but there weren't many who truly enjoyed the tripe being served.

If results stay the same or especially if Boro pick up a winner then the play off pipe dream would be dead, In a way I feel the sooner the pressure is off and the manager is allowed to build a proper team for a real push next season the better

It was a massive task when he came in thanks to Berg and its only looked possible again due to good form under him and Bowyer but even then only ever a slight chance of it

Long way to go yet. Even if that had played out we wouldn't have been out of the running.

[LeChuck]

First real mistake as Rovers boss last night. 5-3-2 is a vulnerable formation and we should have looked to exploit that, not deploy the same formation ourselves in an effort to cancel it out.

Hopefully Appleton learns quickly from last night.

[rovers11]

This season is starting to resemble the first season we had back in division 1 when we were relegated last time. Kidd did terribly, close to the relegation places. Souness came in, turned it around, looked like an outside bet for the play offs. We ultimately came up short that season but you could see that we'd be strong the following season.

Berg did terrbly, close to relegation places, Appleton comes in, turns it around, outside bet for the playoffs, will probably just miss out but will be strong next season.

[bypass06]

Arsenal win affected performance, admits Blackburn Rovers boss

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn_rovers/

[rovers11]

Arsenal win affected performance, admits Blackburn Rovers boss

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn_rovers/

The good thing about Appleton is that when he says certain things need changing then he will make those changes. When he first came in, he said we needed to tighten up and we did indeed tighten up. He's said we needed to be better in possession so brings in a technically gifted player in Bentley and is looking for a couple more midfielders.

Still a work in progress. He has said numerous times that he won't be happy with the squad until after the summer transfer window. He knows some are just not up to it.

I think we can most certainly reduce the wage bill in the summer without being weakened. Etuhu, Robbo, Givet, Dunn, Gomes, Formica, Rosado, other portugese players, Goodwillie will all go which will save a lot of money.

[T4E]

100% agree, can't really see any logical argument countering this- unless you get a manager who can play attractive football and keep us in the top 10- odds of that? Virtually nil.

.....obviously forgetting the fact that we interviewed Michael Laudrup for the job in 2008?

[Parsonblue]

You guys are confusing me with someone who demands that we play like Barcelona. The football Allardyce (and a couple of others) play is quite unique. It is not simply a case of saying yes, we are doing well, but why are we not dominating possession as well. All I would want (if I was paying for a season ticket) is to watch a team that doesn't ONLY hoof the ball up at every opportunity. There is only so long you can watch it. It is certainly acceptable if you are struggling and desperate to stop up, but the aftermath of Allardyce shows it wasn't his way or the highway. We weren't far off staying up with a dreadful manager who decimated the team. I understand if others are satisfied with watching something without any entertainment value passed a pinball machine every single game but it isn't for me. I would much rather appoint another manager (which we didn't do) when in that situation (as secure as we could be). We should have waited for one to become available. Allardyce has become a martyr because of the timing of his sacking and the two years that have followed, but there weren't many who truly enjoyed the tripe being served.

Long way to go yet. Even if that had played out we wouldn't have been out of the running.

I think you are going to be in for a disappointing time Plastics because Appleton, I'm pleased to say, strikes me as a manager who is straight out of the Allardyce mould. He brings a pragmatic approach to the game and clearly the result, as it should be in professional sport, is far more important to him than entertainment. If you can win and be entertaining all well and good but above all you have to win. The majority of us who follow the team up and down the country want to see the team get results irrespective of the entertainment value.

[Plastics]

I think you are going to be in for a disappointing time Plastics because Appleton, I'm pleased to say, strikes me as a manager who is straight out of the Allardyce mould. He brings a pragmatic approach to the game and clearly the result, as it should be in professional sport, is far more important to him than entertainment. If you can win and be entertaining all well and good but above all you have to win. The majority of us who follow the team up and down the country want to see the team get results irrespective of the entertainment value.

Looks straight up Hughes to me. It is not hoofball at every opportunity. It's grinding out results with a solid defence (like Allardyce and Hughes) but with a mixture of attacking threats. Like I said, I'm not asking to play like Barcelona. I'm simply saying that there is no entertainment at all in the Allardyce model (that's for me personally, as I said, others found entertainment in the result - I can take this entertainment but only when it's necessary, when you are battling relegation and stabalising yourself). What we have seen under Appleton has not been Allardyce tactics. There has been a few hoofs, and this is fine, as long as it isn't your main aim.

[Parsonblue]

Looks straight up Hughes to me. It is not hoofball at every opportunity. It's grinding out results with a solid defence (like Allardyce and Hughes) but with a mixture of attacking threats. Like I said, I'm not asking to play like Barcelona. I'm simply saying that there is no entertainment at all in the Allardyce model (that's for me personally, as I said, others found entertainment in the result - I can take this entertainment but only when it's necessary, when you are battling relegation and stabalising yourself). What we have seen under Appleton has not been Allardyce tactics. There has been a few hoofs, and this is fine, as long as it isn't your main aim.

If you look at how we played at both Brighton and Hull it was very much defend in depth and then try to hit the front man with a long ball. The only problem with this is that Rhodes cannot play the role he is being asked to play as a traditional centre-forward. Hopefully, when Best is fully fit he can be the target man with Rhodes playing off him.

[47er]

I think we can most certainly reduce the wage bill in the summer without being weakened. Etuhu, Robbo, Givet, Dunn, Gomes, Formica, Rosado, other portugese players, Goodwillie will all go which will save a lot of money.

Givet is not a waste of money, rather its a waste of a very good player.