[Archived] Michael Appleton - New Rovers Manager

[alexanders]

Can see Kazim fall out with him.

[pontyrover]

He spoke very well.

[Rover_Shaun]

"After having a conversation with the owners they made it very clear that they have a burning desire and ambition to get back up to the Premier League as quickly as they possibly could,

WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP-IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN WHY DID THEY TAKE EVERY POSSIBLE DECISION THEY COULD THAT WOULD ENSURE WE WOULD BE RELEGATED IN THE FIRST PLACE YOU DOZY B@@@@@@@

a

And if they did have that ambition Appleton wouldn't be anywhere near Ewood

[jim mk2]

1 SOCCER Blackburn Nightlead

APPLETON PAINTS A POSITIVE PICTURE

By Simon Stone, Press Association Sport Chief Football Writer

Michael Appleton has become the latest act to check in at the Blackburn circus - and insisted it is nowhere near as bad as where he began the season.

Appleton has become the fifth Rovers manager this season, succeeding Gary Bowyer, who stood in on a temporary basis following the termination of Henning Berg's ill-fated 10-game stint in charge.

The feeling of instability is only increased by the knowledge he spent just 65 days at Blackpool before being lured to Ewood Park by Rovers' Premier League potential.

That was enough for Appleton to dismiss two chaotic years under the stewardship of the Venky family, which has led to open mutiny in the stands and the loss of Blackburn's top flight status.

Yet, no matter how bad things are, so the saying goes, there is always someone worse off.

And for Blackburn, that someone is Portsmouth.

``The lifespan of a manager is about 11 months in the Championship,'' said Appleton.

``It brings pressure. But it is nothing compared to the pressure I had for 12 months as manager of Portsmouth, dealing with redundancies and people losing their jobs and players and members of staff not being able to pay mortgages and having cars repossessed.

``We had a 10-point deduction and then lost four of our best players.

``There was a threat of liquidation every time we played. We were not able to train properly because the people who owned the training ground had put the locks on the gates. That is pressure.''

Yet Blackburn has almost appeared unmanageable, so bizarre have been the goings-on of the last two years.

Even Appleton's appointment came as a contradiction as some, supposedly senior, spokespeople within the club were claiming no interest in the former Manchester United trainee and that Bowyer, who has now gone back to Under-21 duties after winning three and drawing one of his four-game stint, would stay in post until the end of January.

``A lot of things have been said about the circus that revolves around Blackburn,'' said Appleton.

``There is a perception of the owners

.

``But they have put a hell of a lot of money into the football club and haven't had much reward for it.

``I have spoken to them at length. They sound very ambitious. Maybe I can give them something back.''

It does seem the rather talkative Shebby Singh will be quietened on the basis ``less is more'', according to Appleton's theory of speaking to the media.

``Ultimately we are a football club not a movie production,'' he said.

``In the past maybe it has been too media orientated and people have had too much to say.''

However, that does not get away from the fact virtually every major decision the Venky's have made, starting with the dismissal of Sam Allardyce and appointment of Steve Kean, has been a disaster.

Who is to say how long Appleton, whose managerial career is still in its infancy, will get?

``It was not about Henning Berg getting 10 games so I'm going to get 11 or 12,'' said Appleton.

``I had a conversation with the owners and know how ambitious they are.

``The thing that stood out to me was that they needed someone to steady the ship.

``If I hadn't taken this job, someone else would have done.

``Then I might have kicked myself because I might not have got that opportunity again.''

So, what Appleton intends to do is focus on a stadium that remains perfectly respectable by Premier League standards and a training facility that remains one of the best in the country.

``This is a Premier League football club,'' said Appleton. ``There is a demand to get back there.

``If I can do that within the first six months of a two-and-a-half year contract, brilliant. If not we have to make sure the future of the club is brighter than it has been for the first part of this season.

``I have never shirked a challenge and the challenges I have faced at the other clubs I have been at so far have been of the highest order. This is no different.''

[bluefred]

good thing about MA is he from our part of the country-salford-makes a change to

be able to understand every word he says .

[The Rover of Finland]

No problem with him saying whatever he wants as long as he gets results

Well said.

[Guest Norbert]

Well he has to say......umm......positive things about his new employers as it would be bad form to just say "I've seen what the Raos have done, they're imbecicles of the highest order, and I'm just here because Oyston was a git and I have got a huge pay rise."

However, if he really, genuinely believed that the Raos had a plan, ambition, intelligence and all the rest of it that he'll be in for a shock.

[Roverthechimp]

It could be argued that signing a new central midfield pairing on top wages, keeping the majority of the high earners and recruiting two new strikers in the summer were signs of ambition

Not saying their decisions have been correct and our highly paid players have not really delivered but compared to the majority of our peers in the 2nd division (calling it the championship is just b0llox) it did signal ambition. Unfortunately the decision to appoint Henning has shafted us totally.

(yes i am aware that we sold/released highly paid experienced players and that this contributed to our relegation from the top flight)

[DE.]

Impossible to judge him based on this press conference. He was always going to say the owners were ambitious, etc. Berg said the exact same things and Kean repeated it over and over for the 2 years he was here. All I care about is how we perform on the pitch, if he wants to give the owners verbal fellatio it's irrelevant to me.

[Andy]

good thing about MA is he from our part of the country-salford-makes a change to

be able to understand every word he says .

I definitely agree that it's nice to have a north-west lad as manager.

Can't remember the last time that happened?

Maybe Kidd?

[Guest Norbert]

As someone who is a southerner, I couldn't care less where Mr. Appleton is from, as long as he does the business.

[chaddyrovers]

Appleton sounds a tough man who wont put up with any crap from anyone n will install discipline into the squad. which the squad needs.

He needs a good start to his rovers manager career.

[BPF]

no but that doesn't mean we can't be underwhelmed. doesn't mean we won't be hoping that he succeeds; doesn't mean we won't be delighted if he turns out to be a success. Just means that we hoped for someone different with perhaps a bit more pulling power, a bit more experience, a bit more of an obviously attractive personality. The guy might be wonderful but at the moment there is nothing to suggest he will be so for the moment we are underwhelmed.

I didn't think they could make a more underwhelming appointment than Berg...but here we are. I wonder how half season ticket sales are going?

[Muddboy]

Hopefully one of his first jobs will be to recruit a proper strength and conditioning coach to replace Mark Howard.

That's desperately needed.

[gilly1]

just listened to micheal appleton presser well impressed with what he had to say lets all get behind him and the players on sat v charlton weather permitting up the blues

[chaddyrovers]

Hopefully one of his first jobs will be to recruit a proper strength and conditioning coach to replace Mark Howard.

That's desperately needed.

He bought in A GK coach John Keeley from Pompey.

he did say they are a couple of areas of coaching staff he wants people in for. think one is first team coach and probably fitness coach

[the original david brent]

Any tv links to the press conference?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Heard enough of the expected plaudits and arse-licking talk for your new pay masters Mr Appleton....show us your real worth as an honest and successful MANAGER of this club.

God only knows the fans deserve and crave it!

[chaddyrovers]

Any tv links to the press conference?

rovers player

[Bluemonday BRFC]

He spoke very well.

Michael Appleton: “I spoke to the owners and they convinced me about their ambition.”

Oh no, we've heard that before...

Berg hails ambition of Blackburn's owners

Steve Kean says Blackburn's Ronaldinho move demonstrates ambition

Whenever Manager's start praising Venky's ambition I start to worry - the free-fall of the past 2 years is well documented.

Paul Agnew needs to at least start earning some of his money and get thinking up some new tag-lines for incoming managers.

[Stuart]

Ironically, Appleton's claims about the owners' ambitions are completely contradicted by the fact that he's our new manager.

[DE.]

It's almost like our new puppets - er, managers - are given a script to read, isn't it?

[Rover_Shaun]

Any tv links to the press conference?

Any FREE links

[chaddyrovers]

It's almost like our new puppets - er, managers - are given a script to read, isn't it?

already ppl being negative.

Any FREE links

dont know. just pay the monthly fee for rovers player

[Rover_Shaun]

ha ha good one