[Archived] Michael Appleton - New Rovers Manager

[scotty_beam_me_up]

Its the managers fault because these players just won 3 and drew 1 of the last 4 games under Bowyer. They weren't performing for Berg, they were performing for Bowyer, they didn't perform for Appleton. Whats the difference? Not hard it is it!

And nobody on here knows whether Appleton's tactics were good enough because nobody has the knowledge or experience to judge tactical battles at that level. The only thing that can be accurately judged by the layman is end product. Less possession, less shots on target, less goals, 0 points.

A poor start from a poor manager. But if it takes another 10 games and another wasted season to convince you then suppose we can carry this on then, I'm sure the idiots in charge of this club will make sure he doesn't go anywhere.

Lets not get carried away with Gary Bowyer. We beat a Barnsley who sacked their manager after the game which sums up their form. Beat a Forest team who had just had their manager sacked and beat Bristol City in the cup who are the worst side in our league. We were awful against Wolves and lucky to get a point. I admire the guy for stepping in and heard nothing but good things about him but he seems to be happy in his current role. Lets not start turning him into the Messiah just so you can beat Appleton with his 4 game record.

[davefarnworth]

Lack of appetite to win games equals player power in my humble opinion. MA has his work cut out, He's come here for more money - not what Keano's mercenaries are on. We have to live with the fact we were shafted (and arrogant Ventys too). Hughes is too smart to come back. Not the same regime. Have to hope the new manager has the balls to kick some powder puff fanny in the dressing room and bring in some evil-looking guys like himself. Don't believe for a a second that will be allowed and I for one will not bless Ewood for the coming future

[Paul]

. Why have none of them, Salgado excepted, ever publicly criticised what has been going on at the club.

Simple. Any player with ambitions to work in other areas of the game will never speak out.

Football is a small industry, a few words out of place or criticise the wrong people and you never work again.

Mike Newell

[john.leigh]

Spoilt players should just get on with the job they're told to do, regardless of who their manager is.

Do you get to sulk at your work if you don't like your manager?

If you don't like your manager then there's a simple solution - go and find another job somewhere else, working for a manager you do like.

Until then shut up whining and moaning and get on with the job your paid to do. Players need to get a grip and come to the real would.

[CapeTownRover]

Honestly, @#/? the players. If their attitude is to undermine the new manager, or if they come out and publically voice their disapproval, then Houston we have a problem. This is not a game to see which manager you like. As professional players, they should be playing hard and be committed irrespective of who the manager is. The likes of Murphy and Kazim R should shut the @#/? up and get on with it.

If we the fans continue to show support, or we are in agreement with those players re Appleton, then we need to look at ourselves as well. Everybody liked Bowyer and McPhilips, but that gives nobody the right to make it difficult for Appleton to try and do his job. We have to support the players, but I can't support players who go out there and give only 40% effort to the cause, just because they are upset about Bowyer not continuing.

This is my view, if nobody likes it, then fair enough. However, as I said, its no wonder the team can't get going, because we have players with far too much influence and say, and far too little ability and common sense

[arbitro]

After spending a week with the players and seeing their ineptitude on Saturday it wouldn't surprise me if Appleton is thinking about writing this season off and preparing for next season. His post match comments and impassiveness during the game gave me the impression that he knows who he needs to ship out because of poor attitudes/simply not being good enough. If the alleged meeting is taking place in London today I wonder if this was impromptu and at Appletons behest to give them Indian people an honest appraisal of the situation. If this is the case the realisation of how big the job is has hit home.

I remember well Souness missing several games in the early part of his tenure when he away scouting new players after he realised that the squad he inherited were woefully inadequate..

[bypass06]

Appleton ready for moves in the transfer market

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn_rovers/news/10174134.Appleton_ready_for_moves_in_the_transfer_market/?ref=fbsend

Rovers boss in call to get tough

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/blackburn_rovers/news/10174133.Rovers_boss_in_call_to_get_tough/

[thenodrog]

That's a pretty fair assessment. If given 2 and a half years, Appleton will get us promoted imo. I strongly believe he is the right man for us.

Based on what exactly?

[onlyonejackwalker]

And now Appleton knows the size of the task ahead. Bet he did not sleep well after that showing.

[thenodrog]

Whilst I'm not going to judge him based on one match, I also don't understand how anyone can say or feel he's "the right man for the club". Based on what? His poor record at Portsmouth? His average-to-poor record at his brief stint at Blackpool? The rumour that he's apparently a great coach (where have we heard that before)? The fact he looks well 'ard?

I'm forcing myself to keep an open mind cos we know very little to judge him on either way (although we prob know more about him that the lunes in Pune), but arms full of tatoos is not a good pointer is it? Certainly doesn't suggest to me that he is an ambitious upwardly mobile manager of men thats for sure. Until he proves me wrong I can't help thinking of him as Michael 'bins are round t'back' Appleton.

Truth to date is that he has 'got on' simply by taking jobs most managers of repute would have run a mile from. Pompey is a corpse, Carl Oyston is Owen Oyston's son and the Venky's have just been voted the worst owners in football!

I hope he proves me wrong but I'm not holding my breath.

[Barnesy]

Appleton has inherited a ridiculously imbalanced squad-so would anyone else who could have been appointed. There are essentially, only two centre halves plus a loanee rightback and one left back. There are four possible wide left men (King, Pederson, Olsson, Nunes) but no wide right men. There is one striker (with the other injured) but four possible "hole" supports (Kazim-Richards, Rochina, Formica, Gomes) and only two currently fit central midfield players. IMO success against anyone but the weaker teams in this league is unlikely, whilst you are having to play folks out of position constantly or keep players on the pitch whatever their form or fitness- because there is no alternative in 6 positions. I expect more or less the same team v Brighton on Tuesday.

[thenodrog]

Luckily tuesday cant come soon enough. A good performance and a win should change the mood a little.

And if it's a repeat of Saturdays performance and result?

[thenodrog]

Yes, because he's paid a fortunate to represent BRFC in a positive way. I'm not surprised by player attitude, they are the ones who are in a large part to blame for our current predicament. Why have none of them, Salgado excepted, ever publicly criticised what has been going on at the club. Ex board members are also conspicuous by their lack of criticism, and I include John Williams, Tom Finn etc in that. Oh, forgot, they all sign non-disclosure agreements in return for hefty pay- offs. No one connected to the club in any official capacity of any kind have ever told the fans what is really going on. They all have to carry some responsibility for the mess we are in. So yes, in answer your question, the players, and Murphy can be palmed for the lack of positive attitude.

In fairness if you were a club Chairman looking to employ someone for a senior management position would you employ someone of discretion or someone who blabbed to the medai and revealed confidential, in-house information, warts and all about his previous employers?

what is this obsession with Hughes???

he would never come back. didnt give a monkey about us when he left us and still doesnt

I cant readily think of a manager since maybe Don Mackay who ever did give a hoot for us once they left Ewood Park. Can you?

Davies? He's not worked for years, there will be a reason for that. Little man syndrome he's got..angry little barsteward. I may be contradicting myself slightly but Id have gone for strachan.

Surely Strachans another little man? Anyway he'd never have worked for our lot.

[sharpysharps]

Very unfair situation for MA really, however I am hoping his hard nut appearance reflects his personality. We haven't had a no nonsense manager since Sam and we desperately need one. Berg was clearly a soft touch, and I reckon Bowyer would've been long term as well.

[SydneyRover]

Very unfair situation for MA really, however I am hoping his hard nut appearance reflects his personality. We haven't had a no nonsense manager since Sam and we desperately need one. Berg was clearly a soft touch, and I reckon Bowyer would've been long term as well.

We haven't had a tactically aware manager since Sam either. I suspect we are in need of that even more.

[OJRovers]

And now Appleton knows the size of the task ahead. Bet he did not sleep well after that showing.

He saw us in the Blackpool away game where we were woeful, so I think he would've had a good idea of how bad we are.

I'm trying very hard to judge him on results, not the lack of experience etc. I gave him 10 games, like Berg, so one down one defeat.

[broadsword]

I'm forcing myself to keep an open mind cos we know very little to judge him on either way (although we prob know more about him that the lunes in Pune), but arms full of tatoos is not a good pointer is it? Certainly doesn't suggest to me that he is an ambitious upwardly mobile manager of men thats for sure. Until he proves me wrong I can't help thinking of him as Michael 'bins are round t'back' Appleton.

"Binman Appleton", like it.

[rovers11]

Based on what exactly?

He did a remarkable job at Pompey. They would have finished 18th last season had they not had 10 points deducted. Pompey is the hardest job in football and yet he still managed to amass a team together that would have comfortably survived last season. He also served his apprenticeship as a coach at WBA and has some good contacts in the game which will help in the transfer market.

He is very tactically astute, he gets the best out of players, and is good at bringing through the youth. He sorted out the Blackpool defence in the space of a few weeks (a defence that was widely regarded as one of the worst in the championship).

Before coming to Rovers, Mark Hughes did a great job with Wales by getting the best out of players and being tactically astute, Appleton reminds me a little of that.

Very unfair situation for MA really, however I am hoping his hard nut appearance reflects his personality. We haven't had a no nonsense manager since Sam and we desperately need one. Berg was clearly a soft touch, and I reckon Bowyer would've been long term as well.

People thinking Bowyer was the messiah would have been proved wrong. If he had been appointed full time manager, the players would have reverted back to their lazy, can't be bothered attitude. He was not the long term answer. Yes, I would have preferred an experienced manager like Curbishley or McCarthy but if we are going down the young British manager route then I think Appleton is one of the best out there.

Only time will tell though.

[tomphil]

Ultimately it was most of the players yet again who let themselves and everybody else down on Saturday but i thought his tactics were poor from the start. Hopefully it was a one off and he's learned how lightweight this lot are. No one can expect a 35 year old Murphy to start being an all action ball winnning midfielder which is what's being asked of him. MA needs to be strong enough to demand some cash to change some of these players and make us more robust and boot out/freeze out some of the underperformers no matter who they are. No manager will whip this lot into shape, too many not suited to the battle of this division, changes needed or else nothing will improve. I hope he recognises this an has the minerals to carry it through. They finaly seem to be removing all traces of SK from behind the scenes so the next step is the squad.

[thenodrog]

No manager will whip this lot into shape, too many not suited to the battle of this division, changes needed or else nothing will improve. I hope he recognises this an has the minerals to carry it through. They finaly seem to be removing all traces of SK from behind the scenes so the next step is the squad.

Weird that. Surely everyone must know that this Div is very physical? Thats what disappointed me most with Henning Berg cos he's played in it.

[rovers11]

Ultimately it was most of the players yet again who let themselves and everybody else down on Saturday but i thought his tactics were poor from the start. Hopefully it was a one off and he's learned how lightweight this lot are. No one can expect a 35 year old Murphy to start being an all action ball winnning midfielder which is what's being asked of him. MA needs to be strong enough to demand some cash to change some of these players and make us more robust and boot out/freeze out some of the underperformers no matter who they are. No manager will whip this lot into shape, too many not suited to the battle of this division, changes needed or else nothing will improve. I hope he recognises this an has the minerals to carry it through. They finaly seem to be removing all traces of SK from behind the scenes so the next step is the squad.

The team certainly lacks a physical presence. How many of that team on Saturday can put a tackle in?! Probably Jason Lowe is the only one in the midfield that you could class as a ballwinner. Steve Kean was so concerned about playing pretty football and signed loads of flair players but forgot about what happens when you don't have the ball (which was quite a lot!). In reality, we played long ball under Kean anyway which didn't suit players like Rochina and Murphy which ultimately resulted in us giving away possession. The aquad is so unbalanced and the current crop of players can't rectify that.

[tomphil]

Weird that. Surely everyone must know that this Div is very physical? Thats what disappointed me most with Henning Berg cos he's played in it.

Everybody it would seem except Coco and his cronies who ill prepared the team in the summer and brought in players who don't suit that style in his mind numbing arrogance thinking we could out football most sides in the champ with his genious tactics. Sad to drag it up again but most of whats wrong points directly to him again the @@@@ !

[imy9]

Good to see Appleton is bringing in his own staff.

Assistant manager, fitness and conditioning coach (number 1 priority in my opinion) and a Sports Science specialist.

He is also confident about signing two/three players. I think this season is a right off but hope to see some progress in the upcoming games in our performances and points tally.

Everybody it would seem except Coco and his cronies who ill prepared the team in the summer and brought in players who don't suit that style in his mind numbing arrogance thinking we could out football most sides in the champ with his genious tactics. Sad to drag it up again but most of whats wrong points directly to him again the @@@@ !

Funny thing is that we have gained the most number of points this season UNDER Kean!

[tomphil]

Good to see Appleton is bringing in his own staff.

Assistant manager, fitness and conditioning coach (number 1 priority in my opinion) and a Sports Science specialist.

He is also confident about signing two/three players. I think this season is a right off but hope to see some progress in the upcoming games in our performances and points tally.

Funny thing is that we have gained the most number of points this season UNDER Kean!

Good news about him building his own backroom team. As for the points thing under Kean, i'd stake my house it wouldn't have lasted. Teams were just about sussing us out then, Boro did it then we had Charlton & Forest away which i think nailed on we would have lost. All the old problems synonymus under SK reign were still there, a lot still are but i think finally slowly this will be a new dawn. If it works for MA i don't know but we'll have a good idea after the next 3 home games how it may pan out.

[bypass06]

Blackburn: Derek Shaw coy on Rovers power struggle

http://www.bbc.co.uk...tball/21120563?