[Archived] Michael Appleton - New Rovers Manager

[Amo]

Short answer is, unfortunately, yes. And some (Murphy, Lowe) still aren't even doing that.

Murphy's just phoning in these performances. Tugay was still running midfields ragged at 38, and he wasn't the fittest specimen. There shouldn't be any excuse for Murphy letting the side down.

[Roverall]

Murphy shirked out of every 50/50 that came about yesterday. A journeyman on his last payday.

[T.J.Newton]

I genuinely believe Morten offers more in the centre of midfield than Murphy(and that's really saying something!!!), at least Pedersen can hold his own physically(and is a lot more aggressive than he's perceived too be)

I think letting Rochina go so easily(and formica to a lesser extent) has been proving very costly, yes they are both inconsistant at times, but they do offer something differant and can both turn nothing into something with one touch.

[DE.]

Murphy's just phoning in these performances. Tugay was still running midfields ragged at 38, and he wasn't the fittest specimen. There shouldn't be any excuse for Murphy letting the side down.

Agreed, he's a total joke and deserves the derision he gets. At least with Lowe you can say he tries his hardest, even if he isn't really good enough. Murphy's proven in the past that he has good enough talent for the Championship. His fitness doesn't seem to be the problem, he just isn't putting the effort in. Wayward passing, shirking challenges, etc. He's been a huge letdown.

[chaddyrovers]

Thomas would be a good addition, but if we're allowed any more loans, we absolutely have to beef up our central midfield ASAP, especially considering the recent injury to Williamson, given the existing injuries to our other central midfielders.

I would expect 2 loans this week. Appleton was hinting at this after the game yesterday.

Appleton also said we are nowhere near he would like us to be attacking wise last week. he is doing the right making us solid at the back first then will improve us attacking wise. but think we need a preseason implement those changes due to the amount of games we got to play each week so very little training can be done just like Souness and Hughes when they came in.

I personally think we are builting for next season. going up this season is still possible but will need teams to start dropping points and rovers to go on 7 or 8 games winning run which is unlikely in this league.

[Stuart]

The problem Appleton will have is that, as we start to "seem" more like a normal football club, expectations will start to rise.

He's taken a basket case of a club by the scruff of its neck and started to make us look solid again. Once we get a bit of consistency at the back frustrations will return if we stop creating chances.

We need to be mindful of the fact that we are still owned by Venkys and maintain a sense of perspective.

[OJRovers]

Agreed, he's a total joke and deserves the derision he gets. At least with Lowe you can say he tries his hardest, even if he isn't really good enough. Murphy's proven in the past that he has good enough talent for the Championship. His fitness doesn't seem to be the problem, he just isn't putting the effort in. Wayward passing, shirking challenges, etc. He's been a huge letdown.

Totally agree, he doesn't deserve to be anywhere near the team. I'd rather play Bentley in central midfield, or try one of the youngsters. Rekik looks to have a lot of composure about him, possibly try him there.

The thing with murphy too is he hasn't once come out and held his hands up to his incompetence this season.

[LDRover]

The thing with murphy too is he hasn't once come out and held his hands up to his incompetence this season.

That's why Kean signed him, birds of a feather and all that.

[47er]

The problem Appleton will have is that, as we start to "seem" more like a normal football club, expectations will start to rise.

He's taken a basket case of a club by the scruff of its neck and started to make us look solid again. Once we get a bit of consistency at the back frustrations will return if we stop creating chances.

We need to be mindful of the fact that we are still owned by Venkys and maintain a sense of perspective.

My worry is that keeping us steady at the back is all he knows. Time will tell.

[bypass06]

Appleton: Rovers can still make play-offs

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn_rovers/news/10249261.Appleton__Rovers_can_still_make_play_offs/

[rovers11]

Kaz is out for 2 months. Olsson and Williamson out for 4-6 weeks. Etuhu out for the rest of the season. King out for a while longer.

That's a significant number of key players out which is incredibly unlucky. We now have no cover in central midfield. That's a massive problem considering Murphy's age.

Nuno Gomes, who I think is quality, must surely come into the team now. Not quite sure why he has been frozen out.

[windymiller7]

Kaz is out for 2 months. Olsson and Williamson out for 4-6 weeks. Etuhu out for the rest of the season. King out for a while longer.

That's a significant number of key players out which is incredibly unlucky. We now have no cover in central midfield. That's a massive problem considering Murphy's age.

Nuno Gomes, who I think is quality, must surely come into the team now. Not quite sure why he has been frozen out.

Agree. Was really impressed with him earlier in the season. Surely he's the type of player who can come on, steady the younger lads, show a bit of quality & composure in the final third. It baffles me how the likes of Campbel can be ahead of him in the pecking order!

[G Somerset Rover]

Agree. Was really impressed with him earlier in the season. Surely he's the type of player who can come on, steady the younger lads, show a bit of quality & composure in the final third. It baffles me how the likes of Campbel can be ahead of him in the pecking order!

The thing with Campbell is he has always scored goals at this level, and was on fire at Ipswich barely over a month ago. Without being too critical, the way the team is set up is not helping any of our strikers at present, while even Shearer in his pomp would struggle to bang in many with our midfield supplying the ammo.

I said it the other day, I struggle to see even Rhodes getting another 5 before the end of the season!

[LeChuck]

Nuno Gomes, who I think is quality, must surely come into the team now. Not quite sure why he has been frozen out.

The problem is that his legs can go and any time, perhaps it's already happened. When it does happen players decline very quickly. He could be worth a try though if Campbell was as bad as everyone suggests, and Best is still a few games away yet.

Kean

Orr Dann Hanley Rekik

Bentley Lowe Pedersen Markus

Gomes Rhodes

I'd probably go with that. We definitely need to replace Murphy with Pedersen anyway, and Markus has done a reasonable job on the left with Appleton in charge.

[den]

The thing with Campbell is he has always scored goals at this level, and was on fire at Ipswich barely over a month ago. Without being too critical, the way the team is set up is not helping any of our strikers at present, while even Shearer in his pomp would struggle to bang in many with our midfield supplying the ammo.

I said it the other day, I struggle to see even Rhodes getting another 5 before the end of the season!

How is the team "set up"? What else can Appleton do with a midfield of no quality whatsoever and strikers who can't hold the ball up?

[G Somerset Rover]

How is the team "set up"? What else can Appleton do with a midfield of no quality whatsoever and strikers who can't hold the ball up?

The team is set up to try to nullify the opposition and grab a goal should we get a chance. Appleton's more or less admitted that himself hasn't he? I did say I didn't want to be too critical, and that our midfield is embarrassing. No harm in pointing out that DJ and Rhodes would score more in a team with ambitions to get at the oppsition from the off.

[Parsonblue]

The thing with Campbell is he has always scored goals at this level, and was on fire at Ipswich barely over a month ago. Without being too critical, the way the team is set up is not helping any of our strikers at present, while even Shearer in his pomp would struggle to bang in many with our midfield supplying the ammo.

I said it the other day, I struggle to see even Rhodes getting another 5 before the end of the season!

Whilst I totally agree about our midfield, part of the problem is that our strikers, with the exception of Kazim-Richards, are very limited in the way in which they can play. Once you cut out the service to them in the area they offer very little. Campbell lacks the physique to battle for high balls and Rhodes lacks pace so that balls over the top are not an option for him to chase. Once the opposition know that your strikers have to be set up in a particular way it becomes easier to keep them quiet. Brighton, Hull and Leeds have done it fairly well in the last three League games. Hopefully, the return of Best will give us a different type of option because we have been crying out for a traditional type of centre-forward all season.

[DE.]

To be fair Rhodes has done an absolutely fantastic job of scoring goals out of nothing. Campbell will struggle if that's what he's being asked to do. When you look at our team and the wages being paid out we shouldn't really be expecting our strikers to create something out of nothing. They should have service.

[G Somerset Rover]

Whilst I totally agree about our midfield, part of the problem is that our strikers, with the exception of Kazim-Richards, are very limited in the way in which they can play. Once you cut out the service to them in the area they offer very little. Campbell lacks the physique to battle for high balls and Rhodes lacks pace so that balls over the top are not an option for him to chase. Once the opposition know that your strikers have to be set up in a particular way it becomes easier to keep them quiet. Brighton, Hull and Leeds have done it fairly well in the last three League games. Hopefully, the return of Best will give us a different type of option because we have been crying out for a traditional type of centre-forward all season.

Agreed Parson, which is why I'm a little bit surprised that Nuno Gomes hasn't been given more game time as he's a different style of striker from Rhodes and Campbell. I've read that Best may be in the squad for Saturday, here's hoping. The occasional punt from Dann and Hanley may actually hit one of our players if somebody with some presence is up there!

[RibbleValleyRover]

Rhodes has to play, not only because of the money we paid for him but also he is our only real goal threat. If we change tactics to let's say just the one up front and that would be Best because he can hold up the ball better, then who is going to score the goals? None of our midfielders are serious goal threats and Best has never been a prolific scorer.

[den]

The team is set up to try to nullify the opposition and grab a goal should we get a chance. Appleton's more or less admitted that himself hasn't he? I did say I didn't want to be too critical, and that our midfield is embarrassing. No harm in pointing out that DJ and Rhodes would score more in a team with ambitions to get at the oppsition from the off.

I don't think so. He might have said something along the lines of wanting more clean sheets, which is totally different.

The bottom line to all this talk about Appleton's negative tactics is that we haven't [contrary to what some people are suggesting] got the better of any team, performance wise, for nigh on two years now. Yes, we've had a win here and there under all of the managers including Appleton, but we've never been a team that's created anything in any kind of regular manner since relegation. To listen to some, we've gone from being a team that's created lots of chances in all our games, to a team that's now creating nothing. While the second point there is correct - we create hardly anything at all - the first point is also correct - we've not been creative at all this season.

Doesn't it actually look that way to yourself, because you didn't come with any suggestions as to how he can get this current squad dominating and scoring goals far more frequently than it currently does? I'm sure Appleton would welcome any ideas as to how he can get improved performances.

And no, this doesn't mean I think Appleton is going to be the man for rovers. There's only so much anyone can do with the present squad.

[jim mk2]

I don't think so. He might have said something along the lines of wanting more clean sheets, which is totally different.

The bottom line to all this talk about Appleton's negative tactics is that we haven't [contrary to what some people are suggesting] got the better of any team, performance wise, for nigh on two years now. Yes, we've had a win here and there under all of the managers including Appleton, but we've never been a team that's created anything in any kind of regular manner since relegation. To listen to some, we've gone from being a team that's created lots of chances in all our games, to a team that's now creating nothing. While the second point there is correct - we create hardly anything at all - the first point is also correct - we've not been creative at all this season.

Doesn't it actually look that way to yourself, because you didn't come with any suggestions as to how he can get this current squad dominating and scoring goals far more frequently than it currently does? I'm sure Appleton would welcome any ideas as to how he can get improved performances.

And no, this doesn't mean I think Appleton is going to be the man for rovers. There's only so much anyone can do with the present squad.

Don't agree with much of this. Kean's teams usually created plenty of chances in alot of games (the problems were at the other end as we all know) and in some matches we played very well, especially away from home. One that sticks in the mind is the Norwich match last season when we were the better team by far and were leading 3-1 with 8 minutes left only to draw 3-3. I enjoyed the home win over Swansea last year too. This season Berg's team was all over an admittedly poor Peterborough side.

Appleton as a player was hard-tackling midfielder / defender (a bit of a thug according to my West Brom-supporting pal) and he obviously knows how to set up a team to defend. If he really is a one-trick pony however he won't last long as a manager.

[den]

Don't agree with much of this. Kean's teams usually created plenty of chances in alot of games (the problems were at the other end as we all know) and in some matches we played very well, especially away from home. One that sticks in the mind is the Norwich match last season when we were the better team by far and were leading 3-1 with 8 minutes left only to draw 3-3. I enjoyed the home win over Swansea last year too. This season Berg's team was all over an admittedly poor Peterborough side.

Appleton as a player was hard-tackling midfielder / defender (a bit of a thug according to my West Brom-supporting pal) and he obviously knows how to set up a team to defend. If he really is a one-trick pony however he won't last long as a manager.

I can't accept that Kean's teams were anything other than dire Jim, but my main point was how we've been since relegation. We don't have Yakubu and other players now that Kean had at his disposal. Which games, this season under any of our managers, have we created a lot of chances?

[G Somerset Rover]

The bottom line to all this talk about Appleton's negative tactics is that we haven't [contrary to what some people are suggesting] got the better of any team, performance wise, for nigh on two years now. Yes, we've had a win here and there under all of the managers including Appleton, but we've never been a team that's created anything in any kind of regular manner since relegation. To listen to some, we've gone from being a team that's created lots of chances in all our games, to a team that's now creating nothing. While the second point there is correct - we create hardly anything at all - the first point is also correct - we've not been creative at all this season.

Doesn't it actually look that way to yourself, because you didn't come with any suggestions as to how he can get this current squad dominating and scoring goals far more frequently than it currently does? I'm sure Appleton would welcome any ideas as to how he can get improved performances.

Where did I say I would come with suggestions on how to get this squad dominating matches? I think we're both in agreement that we've been poor all season barring the odd game (Peterborough, Bristol City, Notts Forest, Barnsley). Bowyer did however manage to get us creating more than we are at present, whilst keeping us relatively tight if we're being really picky, but Berg and Kean had us all over the place.

Next season as the majority of us are saying, is the acid test for Appleton.

[den]

Where did I say I would come with suggestions on how to get this squad dominating matches? I think we're both in agreement that we've been poor all season barring the odd game (Peterborough, Bristol City, Notts Forest, Barnsley). Bowyer did however manage to get us creating more whilst keeping us relatively tight if we're being really picky, but Berg and Kean had us all over the place.

Next season as the majority of us are saying, is the acid test for Appleton.

You said he set the team up negatively, so I assumed you had ideas how he could improve our attacking qualities. No, I don't remember Bowyers saide being more creative. Many said he sorted the defence out, but not so much the offensive side.

Sorry if it comes over as a personal dig, it was intended more as a general point to those who say he's deliberately negative.