[Archived] Michael Appleton - New Rovers Manager

[JonnyBRFC]

I agree with the above formation, Bentley would worry me though. I recall him not tracking back and being rather selfish, that linked with CKR, who isn't defensive at all I feel we could be exposed.

[LeChuck]

I agree with the above formation, Bentley would worry me though. I recall him not tracking back and being rather selfish, that linked with CKR, who isn't defensive at all I feel we could be exposed.

Yeah, they were the two I had most concerns over as well. Unfortunately I don't think we have another midfielder who could do a job in the middle. I guess Dunny could do it if his legs allow him.

[JAL]

What about before yesterday, would you have had Dunn? I think sometimes a lot of fans come out with statements and opinions without really having solutions. It's easy to say do this and do that. It only works if we have viable and better options. Quite simply we don't have. For example if we were to sack Appleton today who would you get in?

Dann wouldnt be in my team. As for captain, yes, there are very few leaders on that pitch, so Hanley or Jake Kean would be my captain probably Hanley for being an outfield player.

Short term I was always a very big fan Bowyer & McPhilips and still am as for me these guys represented the last remaining parts of the killed off Blackburn Rovers.

[imy9]

I wish I had Appletons big book of excuses at work and just as gullible customers.

So you reckon we have a squad capable of promotion?

Our squad was fit enough?

Our signings were good enough or suitable for the style of football?

The complete destruction of scouting/backroom staff etc was a positive?

I wish this could change with a click of my finger but it can't. Two years cannot be rectified in a few months in the middle of a season.

I am mentally prepared to give Appleton til Christmas, the other option will be placing a plaster over a sinking ship.

[tugayislegend]

Our midfield is SO SO POOR that in the last 2 matches david dunn has been the best player. In fact lets be honest, we have at least 8 midfield players (some injured) not even 1 of them is good enough to get into a top 6 championship side.

When this is the case, we cant really judge the manager.

Give him this summer to see who he brings in.

I honestly cant believe that dunn seems like the best midfield player we have apart from CKR

[Rover_Shaun]

I am mentally prepared to give Appleton til Christmas, the other option will be placing a plaster over a sinking ship.

So we wait until we are off the pace in league one before acting? Madness.

The man is a loser and the sooner he is shipped out the better. Some may wake up too late

[Athlete]

Our midfield is SO SO POOR that in the last 2 matches david dunn has been the best player. In fact lets be honest, we have at least 8 midfield players (some injured) not even 1 of them is good enough to get into a top 6 championship side.

When this is the case, we cant really judge the manager.

Give him this summer to see who he brings in.

I honestly cant believe that dunn seems like the best midfield player we have apart from CKR

well would anyone trust Appleton in the transfer market look what non-entities he's brought in so far on loan

[imy9]

So we wait until we are off the pace in league one before acting? Madness.

The man is a loser and the sooner he is shipped out the better. Some may wake up too late

He is trying to change things, this takes time. How long do you think realistically it would take to sort out the things i outlined in my post?

well would anyone trust Appleton in the transfer market look what non-entities he's brought in so far on loan

Exactly-on loan. Who exactly can you get that is quality at this stage. Even taking that into account Jones looks good as does Williamson.

[Rover_Shaun]

Jones LT mark = 4/10

Amazing :/

[Stuart]

.

[LDRover]

He is trying to change things, this takes time. How long do you think realistically it would take to sort out the things i outlined in my post?

Exactly-on loan. Who exactly can you get that is quality at this stage. Even taking that into account Jones looks good as does Williamson.

Mentioned this elsewhere but Freedman and Davies (especially) walked into clubs in turmoil off and on the pitch and haven't done too badly.

It's time to stop all the assumptions and look at what we can see with our own eyes. Performances are shocking, recruitment is terrible, tactics are non existant and the excuses are coming thick and fast along with delusional analysis of performance (remind you of anyone?)

Be honest, do you see Appleton getting us promoted to the Premiership?

[diziet2]

Our midfield is SO SO POOR that in the last 2 matches david dunn has been the best player. In fact lets be honest, we have at least 8 midfield players (some injured) not even 1 of them is good enough to get into a top 6 championship side.

When this is the case, we cant really judge the manager.

Give him this summer to see who he brings in.

I honestly cant believe that dunn seems like the best midfield player we have apart from CKR

i agree,

This is the point I was making back in September. Ok I was over egging Huddersfield's squad as we got off to a great start. But I was being straight up when I said that I would not swap any Blackburn players for Huddersfield players with the exception of Rhodes.

I think many/most of your fans vastly over-rated most of your squad because the had the tag of having played in the premiership. I don't think many knew either how good some of the players in the lower league could be. I also think most of your players over the last two years showed that they also did not have the heart of the motivation for a sustained 46 game campaign.

It is true that if you had had a decent manger during the season and not the fiasco of the terrible situation of Kean not leaving abd then signing a tv pundit to manage; then you might be a bit higher in the table. But I do not think you ever had the players capable of getting into the top 6.

That is a view from the outside though.

[Amo]

I am still waiting to see what this squad can do under a proven manager.

[diziet2]

I am still waiting to see what this squad can do under a proven manager.

You know you squad better than me but it still seems unbalanced as it did at the beginning of the season. It seems you've got a good goalie at the back. you seem to be missing a decent authoritative centreback. Apart from Dunn, it seems there is nothing in the centre midfield area. As shown all year by the feedback i read.. saying that you get outpassed and lose control in the middle. You are missing a centreforward to compliment Rhodes. Not sure what you have out wide, but you need to either have attacking fullbacks to provide the width or decent wingers to supply. Nothing stands out to me.

so realistically your squad so far this season in my view is mid table at best. What is this Jones you have on loan like?

[thenodrog]

Bentley on the wing if fit ? Stewart on the left ? Jones, Williamson in centre mid to win the battle and spread it wide. Seems the way to go.

Did you go on Sunday? Stewart looked like like an U15 schoolboy on the left wing. People say we only won cos Burnley went down to 10 men.... well we may as well have started with 10!

[thenodrog]

So you reckon we have a squad capable of promotion?

Our squad was fit enough?

Our signings were good enough or suitable for the style of football?

The complete destruction of scouting/backroom staff etc was a positive?

I wish this could change with a click of my finger but it can't. Two years cannot be rectified in a few months in the middle of a season.

I am mentally prepared to give Appleton til Christmas, the other option will be placing a plaster over a sinking ship.

How can you spout all that now? You were one of Steve Keans biggest apologists.

[Athlete]

Jones LT mark = 4/10

Amazing :/

yes on loan from Wigan thats how far we've fallen as for Stewart...lol

[Proudtobeblue&white]

We have massive problems, top to bottom. Sunday was a triumph only because we grabbed a draw at the last grasp. First half we were woeful, Scum should have been three up. How did MA set them up? Personally I felt if Best had to go off (and if he wasn't fit shouldn't have started), then why bring on Morris? A youngster, instead of a seasoned pro like Gomes? Kane was very good, I rate him. I appreciate injuries, but we didn't do what asked and fight. I thought Lowe did ok, but should have shone against inferior opposition. Still very down at how bad we are. Venkys, through and through.

[T4E]

What fans must understand is that Appleton hasn't had a full week with the players. We've had games on Saturday and then Tuesday for nearly the past 2 months. Majority of our training sessions would have been recovery works and very little time focusing on his tactics and what he would like the players to do.

Just need to survive this season. We've preserved our 34 years against the Dingles, in what has been our worst season managerially. You can't expect to challenge for a Sunday League Cup with 5 different managers in charge, let alone the Championship.

Roll on next season.

Hmmm, interesting point of view. To be honest I'm not overly concerned by his record - as stated above its not that different to Hughes and they both had a lot of bad to undo before they could move us forward. What I am desperately concerned about is the "football" he plays and the way he seems to think there's nothing wrong with his tactics.

I guess your post would explain things - he's in survival mode due to a lack of time with the players and the injury list. I really hope that's true - there's absolutely no way we could have any consistent success playing the way we've been doing recently.

[DE.]

This isn't survival mode though, this is relegation mode. His tactics aren't conductive to scoring goals or winning football matches. If he thinks this is the best way to survive it's further evidence he has no idea what he is doing.

[imy9]

How can you spout all that now? You were one of Steve Keans biggest apologists.

Let me guess I wanted Sam gone too right? Lol.

I back all managers until they cross a line of no return, Kean did with me after the Fulham (can't remember what the date was) that may be a few months after some but it's called having an opinion...you know that thing that you force down people's throats

[thenodrog]

Opinion imy? Hindsight surely tells you now that you should have accepted my opinion cos yours has been proved worthless. You are a teacher so you must recognise that you have learned an important lesson there.

[RevidgeBlue]

Yep, sacking managers a matter of months into their tenure is the way forward.

Clearly.

We tried the opposite approach with Kean and that didn't work either. If a guy's the wrong man, leaving him in charge for an indefinite period isn't going to mysteriously change him into the right man, it's going to make things worse.

[imy9]

Opinion imy? Hindsight surely tells you now that you should have accepted my opinion cos yours has been proved worthless. You are a teacher so you must recognise that you have learned an important lesson there.

You said we should not have appointed Hughes...yeah hindsight is a wonderful thing but stating that a manager will fail, when the average lifespan of one is less than two years isn't so much hindsight but stating the bleeding obvious.

The trick is getting the most out of one before he fails.

Your latest intuition is that the Probiz guy is going to be bad...you looked at the face last time and judged, let me guess what's the clue this time, the name?

[RevidgeBlue]

Stone the crows, if you can't get worked into a frenzy when Dunn scored that yesterday I'd be questioning why I bother even turning up Parson. Thankfully you're in a minority, Ewood has rarely seen such scenes of celebration in many a year.

I understand the sentiment, but for goodness sake....

I have to agree with Parson on this particular point GAV. I can't get too excited about the fact we scraped a 96th minute equaliser against a poor Burnley side who'd been reduced to ten men for around 35 mins. It's like watching 2 bald men fight over a comb as the old saying goes.

The big game last week was against Millwall, the game is about glory and winning things but we blew that one thanks to our inept manager and his tactics. That's killed most of my enthusiasm off for this season, the only thing left to hope for now is that things don't deteriorate yet further under Appleton to the point where we are relegated.

Even if we survive, I can't see any hope of improvement under this manager. It's not just the bare results, it's the paucity of the style of play and his seeming idea of the calibre of player that are needed.