[Archived] Michael Appleton - New Rovers Manager

[Mike E]

Agreed there LeChuck. That balance just isn't there. A midfield of Stewart, Dunn, Jones and Pedersen at the weekend may help that massively, though. I do genuinely think most of Appleton's problems have been down to injuries and not being able to deal with them.

Surely a midfield of Stewart, Jones, Dunn and King would look better? I'd be hoping to play CKR behind the lone striker too. (Atmo, I see very little difference between Rhodes and Best tbh. And I feel like picking Best).

[EgyptianPete]

Why should he? We're solid in defence and battle well there, that's not in the issue with the team. Defensively (45 mins against Peterborough aside), Appleton doesn't have anything to answer for in that department.

It's what we do with the ball that needs to change drastically. Gael Givet isn't going to fix that problem.

Then play him in midfield he could NOT be any worse

[Gav]

Givet wasn't and hasn't been injured for ages yet can't get a game, much better than some who played last night, c'mon Appleton give us a reason you won't play him.

Appleton did give a reason, Givet isn't fit, if he gets fit he'll play.

[EgyptianPete]

Appleton did give a reason, Givet isn't fit, if he gets fit he'll play.

Yeah okay, hes been on the bench has he not, is dunny, king, Olson (the good one) 100% fit, it dosent look like it, anyway we have the loan players to come back for Sunday so fingers crossed eh.

[Gav]

Yeah okay, hes been on the bench has he not, is dunny, king, Olson (the good one) 100% fit, it dosent look like it, anyway we have the loan players to come back for Sunday so fingers crossed eh.

Appleton must have thought he was really unfit then Pete!

[rovers11]

I'd urge patience with Appleton. Give him the summer to sort things out. He'll make big, big changes. The side will be unrecognisable in terms of personnel. Hoofball tactics are not the way Appleton wants to play. He does want to get the ball down and pass it and have pacy wingers supplying the strikers. He's shown that by bringing in a technically gifted player in Jones and wide players Bentley and Stewart (obviously wanted Thomas).

It's undespituable that performances and results have been terrible over the past few weeks. The injury list is horrific and we are playing with a patched up side every week it seems. Even so, it's been terrible.

Massive overhaul in the summer, just hope the fans don't turn on him before then. Let's be positive, we're due a win and there's no better time than Burnley on sunday.

[EgyptianPete]

Appleton must have thought he was really unfit then Pete!

Yep he must have, says with tongue in cheek --- only a bit of banter my friend

[Andy]

I'd urge patience with Appleton. Give him the summer to sort things out. He'll make big, big changes. The side will be unrecognisable in terms of personnel. Hoofball tactics are not the way Appleton wants to play. He does want to get the ball down and pass it and have pacy wingers supplying the strikers. He's shown that by bringing in a technically gifted player in Jones and wide players Bentley and Stewart (obviously wanted Thomas).

It's undespituable that performances and results have been terrible over the past few weeks. The injury list is horrific and we are playing with a patched up side every week it seems. Even so, it's been terrible.

Massive overhaul in the summer, just hope the fans don't turn on him before then. Let's be positive, we're due a win and there's no better time than Burnley on sunday.

+1

I genuinely think that MA has what it takes to turn around the downward spiral that Kean sent us into.

However he is having to work with a squad full of players who don't care.

Give him the summer and 5-10 games into the new season before we start looking at whether he's the right man or not.

[Lathund]

I still believe he will turn things around given time. As dreadful as the last few games have been, I'm not going to put too much stock into that. Players missing both games against Millwall; Robinson, Etuhu, Jones, Stewart, Campbell, CKR, Nunes. King and Bentley missed one and were unfit for the other. Henley and Orr went off injured in the first game and missed the other. Leon Best and Martin Olsson (who missed one game) weren't match fit.

You can still say that we were dire, and that the tactics weren't right, and you could very well be right. I just don't think you can read too much into the Millwall games when half the squad is missing. With Jones in midfield we already looked better. I want to see if we're still as dire with a mostly fit squad as well. If we are, then I think questions could be asked, but at this point we can't just make yet another managerial change this soon.

[watford-rover]

I still believe he will turn things around given time. As dreadful as the last few games have been, I'm not going to put too much stock into that. Players missing both games against Millwall; Robinson, Etuhu, Jones, Stewart, Campbell, CKR, Nunes. King and Bentley missed one and were unfit for the other. Henley and Orr went off injured in the first game and missed the other. Leon Best and Martin Olsson (who missed one game) weren't match fit.

You can still say that we were dire, and that the tactics weren't right, and you could very well be right. I just don't think you can read too much into the Millwall games when half the squad is missing. With Jones in midfield we already looked better. I want to see if we're still as dire with a mostly fit squad as well. If we are, then I think questions could be asked, but at this point we can't just make yet another managerial change this soon.

It's refreshing reading some sense for once, top post!

[onlyonejackwalker]

+1

I genuinely think that MA has what it takes to turn around the downward spiral that Kean sent us into.

However he is having to work with a squad full of players who don't care.

Give him the summer and 5-10 games into the new season before we start looking at whether he's the right man or not.

We should already be convinced he is the right man, otherwise there is absolutely no point at all in giving him pre-season and the chance to wax available budgets. Why should we further his learning curve in the hope he comes good? We don't owe him anything and the way Berg was treated with similar results has set the bar. MA is not qualified for a position of this size and a job of this magnitude and slowly but surely this is becoming evident to one and all.

I am convinced a proven, quality manager would sift through the chaff quickly and make an immediate positive impact. Lose the next two and then what? Simply hope for the best?

Against teams at our level we have now lost to Hull, Leicester, Bolton, Peterborough and Millwall in the last 7 matches. Drawing with Millwall and Leeds in the others. Scoring two goals along the way with 6 blank scorelines. 0.0.0.2.0.0.0. It is simply not acceptable, whichever way you look at it, however many injuries or other excuses we mention. (I am pretty sure others have injury worries as well, without the benefit of the largest, most expensively compiled squad in the division). If I was in charge I would be very twitchy indeed regarding our current form and falling league position.

Lose to Burnley and that will be 0 points from 12, or 1 point from the last 18, or 2 from the last 21. We won't stay up losing every week, thats for sure.

[Rover_Shaun]

It's refreshing reading some sense for once, top post!

I think you need your sense refreshing

[Stuart]

I'll preface this post by saying, I like Appleton. He seems to want to sort things out off the field and turn us back into a proper football club. Albeit probably on League One.

But...

From what I've seen, the players are playing to orders and the tactics aren't working. He'd probably make a good foil for a decent tactician, on fact, but he doesn't look to have the ideas.

I'm really not convinced about the idea that he wants to play the ball on the deck, and that it's down to lack of personnel. He's shipped out all of the team's remaining decent ball players and not really replaced them.

His players are breaking down with what seem like fitness related injuries and he's blaming the pitch. Like he did at Blackpool.

Form has nose-dived and his response is to write-off the squad as having a "losing mentality" (way to go with the relegation battle motivation, Mick).

If he loses to Bumley, in the same half-hearted, tactically-devoid fashion as last night, he will lose what little supporter faith he has left.

It's make or break time.

[imy9]

Faith is a strong word. I think Appleton should be given a pre season BUT there needs to be some sign of improvement in the way we play and results.

Injuries have been horrendous, however again is that because we are not doing things properly in training? I really hope we get a good performance and 3 points vs out six fingered friends, only thing to look forward to this season

[Ferrit]

I'm not getting into a petty argument over a messageboard, when your response has nothing to do with football. His record? 2 losses in 12? Getting a team together two days before kick off and making it competitive?

I appreciate this is an old post, but in response to it....

Stats are what you make of them, was his record 2 losses in 12, or 2 wins in 12? The competitive statement is certainly up for debate.

My original point still stands, and is more clear now than it ever was. Absolutely disastrous appointment.

[roverandout]

i really wanted appleton to succeed, i really did but these last few performances have been diabolical, i just cant see how all of a sudden we will go on a run of good performances/results and his exuces last night were kean-esque, i mean blaming the referee, who had a good game

[DE.]

One thing that's for sure is that there's no way any squad, at any level, should play football as we have been in the last few matches. It's ridiculous regardless of the players you have at your disposal. It worries me that Appleton either can't see this or can't stop the players doing it.

[chaddyrovers]

Balaji personally appointed Appleton didn't he?

Is there a repeating pattern of looking safe then getting relegated after a bunch of inexplicably rank performances?

Philipl with more rumours thats is totally B#####KS!!!

[broadsword]

Injuries have been horrendous, however again is that because we are not doing things properly in training?

Well indeed. Hamstrings being the latest problems.

He does sometimes judge his post-match remarks well, revealing that he has made a good assessment of just what's wrong at this club.

But although he might know what's wrong, it's an altogether different thing to put it right. And I don't think he can.

At the moment I can only see defeat to Burnley and that could set us off on a nightmare run resulting in relegation. I see nothing to suggest that he has the nous to prevent such a situation developing.

Makes me feel sick, we're sitting ducks.

[John]

Throwing it out there to those who've watched more of Appleton's games than me - what makes you think either now, or even at his previous clubs, he knows how to get his teams winning matches?

Some have clearly been turned by his straightforward talking and that he has highlighting most of our problems.

Aside from following the results, and seeing 3 games, I've not seen enough to give an accurate view.

[chaddyrovers]

The latest podcast makes some great comments about Appleton and how he is going about it.

we dont have a god given right to be in the Premier League and fans need to be patience and give Appleton the time to built his squad and needs to be give next season pre-season and judge him from next season.

Appleton is trying to put back the Scouting, sports science and other departments back to where they should be. Kean got rid of most of this.

Appleton has a 4 or 5 years plan to get us back to where ALL Rovers fans want to be in the Premier League.

[Stuart]

Philipl with more rumours thats is totally B#####KS!!!

Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?

[DE.]

Chaddy has become a very angry young man as of late, needs to calm himself down.

There's no way Venky's are funding a 4/5 year plan to get us back to the PL if they're still here they'll expect it next season, and if Appleton fails it wouldn't surprise me if he's given the boot.

[Mike E]

I get the feeling he knows what to do but not how to do it.

The fitness injuries: are they down to bad training? Or a reaction to pisspoor fitness for nigh on 2 years?

The injuries to our attacking players are (imo) what's killing us. Appleton having to cobble together a side seems to make him panic tactically, which in turn makes the players panic.

I really do think a cm of Jones and Dunn will see an upturn in more fluid attacks. I hope and pray. But even then I'd rather see either a 5 man midfield or see one of dunn, ckr or best play behind Rhodes. Or maybe take Rhodes out and play the more rounded Best?

There's something about Appleton I like and it isn't PR bs or owt like that. It's just a gut feeling (but I've been unwell today, so maybe it was last night's salmon steak).

[bluefred]

The latest podcast makes some great comments about Appleton and how he is going about it.

we dont have a god given right to be in the Premier League and fans need to be patience and give Appleton the time to built his squad and needs to be give next season pre-season and judge him from next season.

Appleton is trying to put back the Scouting, sports science and other departments back to where they should be. Kean got rid of most of this.

Appleton has a 4 or 5 years plan to get us back to where ALL Rovers fans want to be in the Premier League.

trouble is chaddy,we are getting worse game by game,he is not looking like he has a clue of how to stop the rot.