[Archived] Michael Appleton - New Rovers Manager

[Blue blood]

Think a lot of the issue isn't particularly the poor performance yesterday (with the positive being we battled well) - a threadbare squad, a poor run of form and tough conditions all contributed to that. But looking at the bigger picture it's yet another game where we didn't score, it's yet another game where we created little. 6 games like this show a much more accurate picture than taking one game in isolation.

I'm a tad suprised to be honest. The second half vs Ipswich we should've had more than the 1 goal to show for it and showed plenty of attacking verve. Where has that team gone? Surely it can't all be down to missing CKR and Marcus Olsson?

[den]

Quarter final of the FA Cup and the sites full of miserable sods attacking the manager....

He's playing things down in the media after igniting the tie with the 'cheap shot' comments, some of you need to get a keaning grip.

Got to agree with you here Gav.

The truth of the matter is that he's here and he's not going anywhere just yet. The club is on a serious downward spiral and has been for two years now. The first priority is to arrest that decline and that is going to take a little longer than a couple of months. Expecting to see an immediate reverse in the clubs on field fortunes, is more than unrealistic.

Picking up on Appleton's every word isn't helpful.

[Parsonblue]

Got to agree with you here Gav.

The truth of the matter is that he's here and he's not going anywhere just yet. The club is on a serious downward spiral and has been for two years now. The first priority is to arrest that decline and that is going to take a little longer than a couple of months. Expecting to see an immediate reverse in the clubs on field fortunes, is more than unrealistic.

Picking up on Appleton's every word isn't helpful.

Couldn't agree more den. The damage that has been done by Venkys over the past two years will take more than a few months to put right. Appleton needs time and hopefully he will get it.

[John]

Whilst his track record is poor, I am willing to give him a lot more time - got to remember Venkys for whatever reason just don't believe in having anyone experienced as manager. Can't underestimate the importance of stability too and the squad needs more players suited for the Championship.

Sad thing is that under Venkys we have lost so many established players and good professionals too - the damage has been so deep to the playing squad therefore we could be destined for a long stint in the lower divisions. The pressure will surely be on to cash in on Rhodes in the summer too, however not sure what the situation is with the Bank of India -financially our position cannot be sustainable.

[Kelbo]

Well, for what its worth, CKR, Jones, Martin Olsson and a fully fit Best and King, will do wonders for the squad, Best wont be match fit fully until another 4 or 5 games, will make one hell of a difference to a threadbare squad, plus we have the lad on loan from Hull and Campbell !!

[jim mk2]

Silly comments. If Rovers put in another performance with hardly any attacking intent and lose the game it's going to leave him open to criticism.

I'll take a 1-0 win from just one attack.

Can we please just get a proper manager in for the rest of our FA cup run? Is that too much to ask? Anyone that has the slightest credibility behind his managerial career will do at this point. Might not make a big difference but any bit helps. After that Venkys can go back to their Appleton and the rest of their long slate of bold-headed nincompoops they have lined up for us.

Graham Souness where are you?

Are you suggesting Souness is a better manager because he has hair ? It's Graeme by the way.

Quarter final of the FA Cup and the sites full of miserable sods attacking the manager....

He's playing things down in the media after igniting the tie with the 'cheap shot' comments, some of you need to get a keaning grip.

Your support for Appleton is very odd considering his tactics are generally Sam Allardyce par excellence. Explanation required.

[Stuart]

Correct. In other words we need to find another Jack Walker or get lucky with an up-and-coming manager to get back in the Premier League.

This is what Venky's have thrown away.

The rules will prevent another Jack Walker. The nearest would be a massive sponsor.

Any lucky, up-and-coming manager will be snapped up before we can be promoted by them. We now need is several up and coming managers who can build on each others success.

We also need some confidence that Venkys will keep funding the annual losses. It's just possible they are dumb enough.

[RevidgeBlue]

Fully agree with solidifying defensively, but only if that is then used as a platform to get on the ball and try and score goals and win games.

Fully agree with giving a new manager time, but only if he is the right man in the first place. I lost count of those saying give Ince and the last prat more time like it actually meant something. Time to do what exactly? Lose more games, concede more goals and fall further down the league?

Nail hammer head with both those observations. (Apologies to onejackwalker, two excellent comments from him but I cocked up the quote thingy)

Your support for Appleton is very odd considering his tactics are generally Sam Allardyce par excellence. Explanation required.

Appleton's style of play makes Sam's look like Barcelona and Appleton has nothing in his career managerial record to suggest things will improve.

His career record now stands at approximately seventy five points from seventy five games I believe.

[RevidgeBlue]

Picking up on Appleton's every word isn't helpful.

But it was o.k. to do it when Steve Kean was here.

[jim mk2]

Fully agree with solidifying defensively, but only if that is then used as a platform to get on the ball and try and score goals and win games.

Fully agree with giving a new manager time, but only if he is the right man in the first place. I lost count of those saying give Ince and the last prat more time like it actually meant something. Time to do what exactly? Lose more games, concede more goals and fall further down the league?

Nail hammer head with both those observations. (Apologies to onejackwalker, two excellent comments from him but I cocked up the quote thingy)

Appleton's style of play makes Sam's look like Barcelona and Appleton has nothing in his career managerial record to suggest things will improve.

His career record now stands at approximately seventy five points from seventy five games I believe.

Sam's teams did pass the ball around when we were on top but on other occasions were more pragmatic. Still doesn't explain Gav's stance though, unless he just didn't like Sam's face.

[den]

But it was o.k. to do it when Steve Kean was here.

Steve Kean was an evil b'stard who's only interest was for his own well being. I saw that from the off as did many. Pity you didn't.

Rev, your bitching about the club's current situation would hold more weight if you hadn't supported everything that Venky's ever did.

[RevidgeBlue]

Steve Kean was an evil b'stard who's only interest was for his own well being. I saw that from the off as did many. Pity you didn't.

Rev, your bitching about the club's current situation would hold more weight if you hadn't supported everything that Venky's ever did.

1) Steve Kean "evil"? Dear me. Poor manager undoubtedly although having said that his record at the start of this season compares favourably to everyone else that has taken over this squad apart from Bowyer.

2) I call things as I see them on an individual basis rather than slavishly toeing a party line. Always have done. I was shocked by Appleton's appointment as there was nothing whatsoever in his track record to suggest that he'd be a good appointment for us and it's clear to me at this stage he's a poor appointment. If he goes on to prove me wrong, good luck to him.

3) Venky's have invested heavily in the squad this season, 11m on Best and Rhodes alone and we must have brought in about 20 players in total this season including Appleton's latest rag tag collection of loanees. Venky's would appear to have tried to do their best but in common with their running of the Club since they took over they've made a mess of it, by firstly not sacking Kean early enough then not making the right managerial appointment on more than one occasion.

Edit: Bowyer seemed to have clicked with the pool of players we had when available when he was here and he should have been kept in charge whilst he was getting results. .

[Mr. E]

I'll take a 1-0 win from just one attack.

Are you suggesting Souness is a better manager because he has hair ? It's Graeme by the way.

Your support for Appleton is very odd considering his tactics are generally Sam Allardyce par excellence. Explanation required.

He's a better manager because he was the last one to win us a cup. And get us out of this league.

[den]

1) Steve Kean "evil"? Dear me. Poor manager undoubtedly although having said that his record at the start of this season compares favourably to everyone else that has taken over this squad apart from Bowyer.

Dear me?

Evil - "immoral". Absolutely evil Rev. Just about everything he did while he was here was immoral, from his lieing to Allardyce, Williams, the fans, the press - all the way through to his lieing to the judge. You think he was a decent guy with good morals, but was just "a poor manager"?

[DE.]

I'm with Den on this one. Steve Kean was a manipulative, lying, condescending rat. Along with his buddy Jerome he ruined this club and with the help of Venky's burnt the foundations laid by Uncle Jack in two short years to leave nothing but dust. He took the club down knowing he wasn't good enough for the job, knowing his incompetence was going to put good, honest people out of work. Knowing the entire town wanted him out, he clung like a disgusting parasite to the bitter end. Then he pocketed 1.2m for unfair dismissal. Evil as a word is suitable for the likes of him.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Teams score goals in all sorts of ways. Two of the most common ways are A) Wide players getting in up the flanks behind the opposition and setting up shooting/heading chances for the on rushing strikers. Midfield players running beyond the strikers to over load the opposition back four. As far as I can see Rovers haven't the players that can do either of those two things on a regular basis.

[John]

Interesting how the dynamics have apparently changed under Appleton - he speaks with the owners every week. Seems to have a lot of power - presumably, advisers to the owners, not necessarily SEM/Kentaro, were influential in him getting the job.

We are also forgetting that for a manager to be successful they need a good chairman/chief exec, we don't have that.

[Gav]

Your support for Appleton is very odd considering his tactics are generally Sam Allardyce par excellence. Explanation required.

I've supported every Rovers manager, Kean included, until they deserved my support no more, Appleton is no different, hope that clears things up old chap.

[jim mk2]

I've supported every Rovers manager, Kean included, until they deserved my support no more, Appleton is no different, hope that clears things up old chap.

Does that "support" include the manager of whom you said you would never go to Ewood while he remained in charge ? Explantion still required.

[RevidgeBlue]

Dear me?

Evil - "immoral". Absolutely evil Rev. Just about everything he did while he was here was immoral, from his lieing to Allardyce, Williams, the fans, the press - all the way through to his lieing to the judge. You think he was a decent guy with good morals, but was just "a poor manager"?

Fair enough. Personally I'd reserve the use of "evil" to describe people like Hitler.

[Rover_Shaun]

Picking up on Appleton's every word isn't helpful.

His PR team do seem to have gone on holiday recently as prior to the recent diabolical run of results he was spoonfeeding the fed up fanbase cliché after cliché.

If soundbites and telling people what they want to hear was the aim of the game we'd be right up there. Sadly he needs to walk the walk and he is coming up woefully short.

[True Blue & White]

Brian McDermott has just been sacked by Reading, his got the slaphead so getting your bets in now of him becoming our next manager

[den]

Fair enough. Personally I'd reserve the use of "evil" to describe people like Hitler.

I did.

[Torgeir]

His PR team do seem to have gone on holiday recently as prior to the recent diabolical run of results he was spoonfeeding the fed up fanbase cliché after cliché.

If soundbites and telling people what they want to hear was the aim of the game we'd be right up there. Sadly he needs to walk the walk and he is coming up woefully short.

In my view Appleton is slowly but surely figuring out what to do before the next season.

- Fans have been critical of Murphy's performances all season. What does Appleton do? Gives him as many chances as he has to based on his wages and how much it would cost to get rid of him (a lot) before stripping him of his armband and drops him.

- Orr an upopular figure with the fans after some shocking comments last season as well as some mediocre performances during his stint here. What does Appleton do? First he recalls him from loan at Ipswich, gives him a chance, but then realises he is @#/? and drops him for the younger and better Henley.

I say give him time, I think he'll need 15 games of next season before we start calling out for his head. And only after Venky's have given him the same kind of support that they ask from the fans. If they haven't picked up on how to own a football club yet then we are heading down into the abyss - next season is just around the corner.

[chaddyrovers]

I take it you've not been watching Nunes in the Under-21's. He's given some shocking performances of late and it was a relief to see him sent off the other night. I totally agree about Dunny and Gomes who I think can still offer a great deal. I also agree that Vukcevic might well have offered more given the opportunity. However, on Rochina we will have to agree to disagree. Getting rid of that show pony put me firmly in the Appleton camp!

Nunes has been shocking for the Under 21's. his attitude isnt what it should be.

Dunn and Gomes can offer something not playing week in week off but of the bench for 20 mins.

Vukcevic never look the player he was on Sporting or for his country.

Rochina is a show pony and not suited to the championship. that type of player needs the team to be built around him and Appleton was never going to do that when he wants to play 4-4-2 with wingers and 2 proper strikers.

Taraabt was the main reason QPR were promoted and Berkovitz was one of the main reasons that we were promoted and to this day I can't recall Berko putting a decent tackle in. A good manager will set up a team to utilise such talent whilst bad managers frequently appear to resent it.

Taraabt has the entire team built around him. but yet again he is show pony who perform in 1 in 3 or 4 games now.

Couldn't agree more den. The damage that has been done by Venkys over the past two years will take more than a few months to put right. Appleton needs time and hopefully he will get it.

Im very sure Appleton will be given the time to rebuilt the team and buy his players in the summer

He would have been very honest with the owners and told them is a long term project and needs to time.

Appleton has had very little time to put his attacking ideas accross with playing 3 games a weeks and very little time on training ground being done with more rest and fitness wise being done to keep the players fit.