[Archived] Millwall [H]; 13/3/2013. F.A. Cup Quarter-Final Replay

[thenodrog]

I said months ago I had the feeling matters were going to get a damn sight worse!!..this club is in one huge flurkin tailspin to the ground.

Not that it helps but a good number said it 2 years and 4 months ago SG.

[Rover_Shaun]

Sadly the owners are here to stay so after Sundays loss the plan should be to sack Appleton and put Bowyer in charge until summer then the club needs absolutely gutting from top to bottom. Hollowing out is what it needs then start again.

First thing is to appoint a REAL and experienced football administrative team, give them an all empowering remit and then let them recruit a REAL manager who can cull the dross from the squad.

[Mercer]

Sadly the owners are here to stay so after Sundays loss the plan should be to sack Appleton and put Bowyer in charge until summer then the club needs absolutely gutting from top to bottom. Hollowing out is what it needs then start again.

First thing is to appoint a REAL and experienced football administrative team, give them an all empowering remit and then let them recruit a REAL manager who can cull the dross from the squad.

The problem is that I very much doubt the we can afford to sack 'team Appleton'.

As I have been saying for some time now, I think the Raos will cut their losses and run now that the play-offs are beyond us and Wembley has passed. The whispers are getting louder and some were evidenced on this MB last night.

[Amo]

Sadly the owners are here to stay so after Sundays loss the plan should be to sack Appleton and put Bowyer in charge until summer then the club needs absolutely gutting from top to bottom. Hollowing out is what it needs then start again.

First thing is to appoint a REAL and experienced football administrative team, give them an all empowering remit and then let them recruit a REAL manager who can cull the dross from the squad.

How long have people been saying this? Venky's aren't in the business of hiring experience administrative teams or successful football managers. We can all keep stating the obvious, it won't make a blind bit of difference. We've known for two years what's required at the club but Venky's have and will continue to make a comedy of errors. Kean, Berg, Appleton... None of them had a CV fit to manage this club... Agnew, Shaw, Singh... None of them could run a p!ss up in a brewery let alone replace someone of John Williams' stature. The only way we'll see any light at the end of tunnel is if Venky's either a. sell up or b. have some kind of Damascene conversion (and they're Hindus, so fat chance of that).

[davulsukur]

The problem is that I very much doubt the we can afford to sack 'team Appleton'.

As I have been saying for some time now, I think the Raos will cut their losses and run now that the play-offs are beyond us and Wembley has passed. The whispers are getting louder and some were evidenced on this MB last night.

Who's going to buy us tho?

[thenodrog]

If I could have gone I would have, circumstance prevents that, anyone who says the same is fine by me, but what is going to change at a club where 10k show up for a quarterfinal? You think someone will invest 30m in that sinkhole, or that new players will be tempted? We have been ravaged by mismanagement, but if we make this year zero we should consider ourselves fortunate to have someone paying 35k a week to players, even if they are crap.

All I want is for this club to exist in the future, with support like that...it won't.

How long do you think we've got eddie? Personally I cant see us being in existence in 5 years time..... 2 years could easily be pushing it. I fear that as soon as the parachute payments end then we are history and the increasing possibility of relegation this season could shorten that too. The owners will have to cut their (considerable) losses and I can't see anybody buying a load of unrecoverable debt cos the crowds aren't enough and certainly not when they are only willing to buy ST's at pound shop prices and whilst the players and their agents demand stratospheric wages and long contracts (informed again yesterday from a reasonably reliable source that Murphy was on over 60k pw.). Murphys pay-off will surely gobble up all this seasons revenue from ST sales.

Jack Walker always said BRFC had to be run as a business but todays model is just a financial black hole. I've supported BRFC for over 50 years but even I were guaranteed to win the lottery every year I certainly wouldn't go within a country mile of the boardroom at Ewood Park.

[47er]

Who's going to buy us tho?

Have a look at Swansea as Wayne Wild keeps saying. Purchase price isn't going to be a problem the way we are going.

[Stuart]

It's the hope that kill's you.

After we beat Arsenal, I was starting to think that at least on the field we had turned the corner and that we could drive forward with a little bit of positivity.

How wrong was I! Over the last 2 years we have seen some abject performances, but last night was the worst. Here we were in a Quarter Final, playing at home with a golden chance to progress to the semi's and maybe even the final itself and the team let the fans down again with a woeful display.

I won't go into the game but will say that this defeat is totally on Appleton. In my opinion a good manager is one that can adapt his tactics if Plan A is not working. Appleton's gameplan failed on Sunday but we got away, but he emplyed the exact same tactics last night. Shittu is a very limited defender, however is major strength is physicality and arieal ability, therefore hoofing the ball forward almost all of the time is going to maike him look like a world beater. The biggest disappointment/concern is that despite Plan A not working, Appleton did not change the gameplan, even with change of formation we were hoofing the ball long during the second half.

Bitterly disappointed.

From what I've seen, I can't help but think that Appleton actually has several plans...

At 0-0: keep things tight and if possible nick a winner.

At 0-1: keep things tight and try to nick an equaliser.

At 0-2: keep things tight and try to avoid a cricket score.

At 0-3: get on the blower to your PR firm to discuss manly excuses and ways to keep the fans on side.

[thenodrog]

That was beyond depressing.

We once had the real Sam Allardyce.

We now have a pale cheap failure masquerading as his replacement.

And for the legions of Allardyce haters who called long and hard for him to be sacked I'd like to point out that the football is far far worse .... in fact immeasurably worse. You all know who you are so would any of you knowledgeable football purists care to stick your neck out and argue that point?

Have a look at Swansea as Wayne Wild keeps saying. Purchase price isn't going to be a problem the way we are going.

How about running costs 47er?

[OJRovers]

Dunn was our best player by a mile over the 2 games - fact is he wouldn't have been on the pitch if it wasn't for injuries to Henley/Orr.

Appleton is criminally out of his depth.

If you listen to his interviews last night he is a broken man, there is nothing in his voice that suggests he is going to be able to lift the team for Sunday, he said it himself that we are 'sitting ducks' for Burnely.

I don't know what it is but there is more to the Murphy decision. I feel it is falling under the Robinson and Givet bucket of cost savings.

Talk of administrators being sounded out at Manchester legal firms may be a sign of things to come.

Right now anything to get rid of Venkys is looking like a better option.

[DE.]

Dunn was our best player by a mile over the 2 games

Which makes it even worse that our tactics were apparently designed to completely bypass him for 98% of the match.

[thenodrog]

Watching the game thought that Dunny and Peds where a breath of fresh air compared to the lower league Jason Lowe and has been Murphy.

Dunny and MGP though outnumbered in midfield and fighting against age and infirmity (Appletons 4-2-4 formation is beyond belief!) strove manfully to combat Millwalls strength in numbers and inject intelligence into our play. Unfortunately they were doomed to failure by their inept teammates.

Just two years ago we would have passed Millwall off the park with triangles all over the pitch but last night 9 of our team couldn't have passed wind. Rhodes desperately want's dropping, I honestly can't tell which Olsson is a Swedish international and which one should be playing park football, the two centre backs are playing at least a division higher than their ability, Lowe has descended into being dreadful and the keeper is bog standard at best.

Never mind..... Burnley next up!

[Amo]

How long do you think we've got eddie? Personally I cant see us being in existence in 5 years time..... 2 years could easily be pushing it. I fear that as soon as the parachute payments end then we are history and the increasing possibility of relegation this season could shorten that too. The owners will have to cut their (considerable) losses and I can't see anybody buying a load of unrecoverable debt cos the crowds aren't enough and certainly not when they are only willing to buy ST's at pound shop prices and whilst the players and their agents demand stratospheric wages and long contracts (informed again yesterday from a reasonably reliable source that Murphy was on over 60k pw.). Murphys pay-off will surely gobble up all this seasons revenue from ST sales.

Jack Walker always said BRFC had to be run as a business but todays model is just a financial black hole. I've supported BRFC for over 50 years but even I were guaranteed to win the lottery every year I certainly wouldn't go within a country mile of the boardroom at Ewood Park.

The most tragic element in al of this is how easily it could have been avoided. To think of the money that Venky's have splooged away on fat cat agents, overpaid mercenaries, NDAs, compo packages, etc. is downright shocking and testament to their own rank stupidity. Unfortunately, it's Joe Public who will be the only ones to truly suffer out of all this, when more & more local businesses are hit by the club's decline and the supporters watch their beloved institution that many fought so hard to maintain go up in smoke.

[thenodrog]

He was only on for 15 minutes and played on the far side of the park to me. But he seemed OK. He got stuck in. He looks like he can play a bit and I'd like to see more of him.

You Sir are definitely a glass half full man.

[CapeTownRover]

We can have the trust buy the club, then sell to a worthy candidate or group, without selling a majority to them. In that way, there will be less risk of this happening again, i think.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Not that it helps but a good number said it 2 years and 4 months ago SG.

Yes your right Theno I had the same fears when they took over too,what has materalised though is far,far worse than I could have ever imagined!

[thenodrog]

All I have to add to RB's comments is this; with the exception of Rhodes not one player on the pitch is good enough for us to have a hope of promotion next season. I exclude Dunn but we have to accept he's probably a bit part player now.

Might sound daft but take away his goals and Rhodes isn't good enough either. Any hope of promotion next season will not include promotion from the Championship.

[forumquizmaster]

Who said this:
“Our lads gave everything tonight, I couldn’t ask any more for effort or desire but it just wasn’t to be."
Arsene Wenger after last night's efforts in Munich?
Bradford's manager after their heroic League Cup campaign ended in a heavy defeat in the final?
Nope. This was what Michael Appleton said after the game last night!!!
... If the players did indeed give everything then they are playing at least two divisions (and tens of thousands of pounds) above their actual abilities, and if they were following instructions you can only scratch your head in slack-jawed horror at the tactic of constantly hoofing the ball up to a giant of a centre half (who wouldn't look out of place in non league football incidentally - yet won man of the match in both quarter final matches!).
Nope, I haven't calmed down any from last night and I've seen enough of this latest manager's so-called tactics to seriously doubt whether he was a wise choice.
Rant over.

[thenodrog]

i will take administration right now, ill drop down to league 1 right now, if it meant the V's @#/? off into the distance and never to be seen again. Im so angry right now

The Blackburn public is unable / unwilling to financially support a team in any of the four divisions imo. Dropping down to the third will not be the end of it I fear.

[CapeTownRover]

8000 in attendance, was that about right?

[Mercer]

A very good point.

Fred Cumpstey‏@fredcumpstey

Shades of McNamee in the two performances from Danny Shittu over the two games. It might not be pretty but it's inspirational and effective.

Understand that he was on one of Rovers' lists in the summer !

[LDRover]

Might sound daft but take away his goals and Rhodes isn't good enough either. Any hope of promotion next season will not include promotion from the Championship.

Been saying this for months drog but apparently he's going to a Premiership club for 20 million next year so what do we know??

[thenodrog]

Behave yourself, Pedersen was awful.

On the ball Pederson didn't have the best game (but how can you pass when no one makes themselves available?) but off it I thought he worked his bollocsk off for the cause. He was alone in midfield with MoM David (the flesh is weak but the spirits willing) Dunn against the full weight of Millwalls dogs of war and he was tackling and closing down all night.

If you want convenient scapegoats look elsewhere than central midfield.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The Blackburn public is unable / unwilling to financially support a team in any of the four divisions imo. Dropping down to the third will not be the end of it I fear.

I dont think the Blackburn public is willing to support the complete b'stards who are ruining our club,lets have it right Theno!

[thenodrog]

Been saying this for months drog but apparently he's going to a Premiership club for 20 million next year so what do we know??

If I were BRFC I'd be looking for a sizeable deposit pdq!