[Archived] The Gary Bowyer Thread

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Not at all. It's the duplicity that I don't like. The fact is that we have run out of time to get promoted back to the top flight. It's gone. It will in all likelihood never happen again. That time was whilst Bowyer was in charge and he has signed, what, 25-30 players of successively worsening levels of mediocrity, reflected on the field, yet we ended up not even better off off the field but worse. During that period, you, and a couple of others, insisted that he needed more time. That's well documented. Now that it is too late, there are those who still believe that Bowyer is the right man to take us forward. It's all been about keeping Bowyer in the role and not about success for BRFC.

Abso-bloody-lutely. And same for the other posts regarding the urgency of our return to the PL.

It should have been a case of flying out of the traps from August 2012. Modern success in football is largely about money and our monetary advantage over the rest of the Championship existed in the first season we arrived in it. Every season after that our financial, and therefore footballing, advantage has been on an inevitable decline.

The disastrous Berg/Appleton combo blew our best chance. Bowyer blew our 2nd and 3rd best chances. We're now onto our 4th best chance and if Rhodes and Gestede go then its time to face the crushing fact that the PL is as far, if not further, away as division 1 was in the 70s/80s.

We never had time to bed Bowyer in. We never had time to stabilise the club. We never had time to replace Kean's apparently rotten squad. Like it or not it was a case of get on with it or miss our chance, something most fans somehow never recognised. Well now we've missed our chance.

[roverandout]

I enjoyed reading that post. All bunk-a-dowahdiddydiddydumdiddydoo but fun nonetheless.

I particularly liked "the overhaul of the squad was necessary".

Brilliant.

Never mind Stuart let the Rovers Fans have their time in the sun, we will be getting monsoons in the near future

[Stuart]

Never mind Stuart let the Rovers Fans have their time in the sun, we will be getting monsoons in the near future

As sad as that is, I think you're right.

[Parsonblue]

Yet they still persevered by attracting the right manager, with the necessary experience, not coaches. A look through the history books will show that there are by far more examples of coaches being appointed as manager and bring a complete flop. It's funny you mention Wolves. They appointed a rookie and got relegated as well.

That's a given, GAV. They are the root of everything that's wrong with the club. But if their influence is meant to be a conversation killer then we may as well close the mb down right now.

They were also heading for relegation with Mick McCarthy in charge - hardly a rookie. We'll never agree Stuart so I'll leave it at that and move on.

[K-Hod]

A lot of prediction. All extremely negative! Now it's too late? To ever go up again? I don't understand how you could perceive this opinion as fact.

I'm sure dingles scoffed at the cheap season ticket for promotion deal in the season Dyche got them up. If it was so easy to predict everything, Mercerman wouldn't need bacon to go with the egg on his face.

The overhaul of squad was necessary, regardless of a random inconsistent number touted around. Sure, there's been a few instances where players haven't been up to it, and some have been good. Suggesting this signing spree was "a free reign" goes directly in the face of my recollection. The big wages, bests, agent picks, bad cocks, portugeezers etc that left in that time!

It's all about keeping GB in the role? I don't know what the point you are making is.. Do you mean that fans care less about the club than defending GB?

Maybe it's just my sense of humour but the last sentence after that post nearly killed me;

"I don't think the world of Rovers begins and ends with Gary Bowyer"...

Maybe not begins, but you certainly seem to think the world of rovers ends with Gary Bowyer

Stop waffling Joe, you're repeating yourself again :-)

[imy9]

I enjoyed reading that post. All bunk-a-dowahdiddydiddydumdiddydoo but fun nonetheless.

I particularly liked "the overhaul of the squad was necessary".

Brilliant.

The overhaul of the squad was necessary. We were always going to be in an embargo when Bowyer arrived but compare the squad then with the squad now. Most championship managers would envy the players we have got and we are on the cusp of coming out of the embargo too.

Finally I don't believe Bowyer is the right man to take us forward. Reason being, it has been shown over many years that the way out of this division is being solid defensively. Losing a 20 goal a season striker won't harm our promotion bid, cutting 20 goals from our defense WILL get us into the top 6. Bowyer has shown that he can't set us up to do that so we are staying right here.

[DE.]

They were also heading for relegation with Mick McCarthy in charge - hardly a rookie.

In the Premier League, yes. Kind of an important detail to leave out there.

[47er]

I don't know anyone who does believe that the "world of the Rovers beings and end with Gary Bowyer." Managers do need time Stuart and no matter who the owners brought in there was no guarantee of success. When Jack Hayward, a lifelong Wolves supporter, tried to replicate what Jack did, it took him several years to get Wolves in the Premier League. Both men appointed experienced managers. Kenny and Ray succeeded in getting the Rovers up at the first attempt. Hayward had several experienced managers- Graham Turner, Graham Taylor, Mark Magee, Colin Lee and finally Dave Jones - before Jones delivered promotion via the play-offs. The point being that no manager could guarantee success. When the owners did chop and change managers we almost ended up relegated until Bowyer stepped in and guided us to safety. I have never made any secret that I believe that whoever the manager is they should be given time unless there is the immediate threat of relegation. As for promotion never happening again nobody can predict the future. Let's be honest there was a point in 1971 - when we were skint, in a crumbling relic of a stadium with small gates and the bottom of Division Three, that we could only dream of being where we are today, let alone being Champions of England and in the European Cup.

We could only dream about those things in 1971 PB but then Jack came along. This shouldn't have resulted in just another phase, we should have been in the top sphere for decades ahead. Indeed, with all that TV money flowing in, its self-sustaining unless the owners are total idiots. Oh wait....

[matt83]

Every manager deserves time and in an ideal world they'd get it but the fact is we never had time to give. We never had the luxury of giving a coach time to learn painfully slowly on the job. Our only window of opportunity to get back into the prem was while the money was coming in and some really don't seem to understand that.

That's why bowyer was the wrong man when he was appointed full time and it was wrong to persevere with him for 2 full seasons. He did well steadying the ship but after that first half a season he should have been moved back down and appointed a manager.

Now though who cares it's over time has run out and doesn't really matter who's in charge. Ironically may as well be bowyer. But it's of no comfort to me while we should have been maximising our chances for a Prem return we allowed our likeable cone man the opportunity to cut his teeth in football management for a mythical long term building project on time we never had

[roverandout]

I have no likes left but I fully agree

[chris_h]

Every manager deserves time and in an ideal world they'd get it but the fact is we never had time to give. We never had the luxury of giving a coach time to learn painfully slowly on the job. Our only window of opportunity to get back into the prem was while the money was coming in and some really don't seem to understand that.

That's why bowyer was the wrong man when he was appointed full time and it was wrong to persevere with him for 2 full seasons. He did well steadying the ship but after that first half a season he should have been moved back down and appointed a manager.

Now though who cares it's over time has run out and doesn't really matter who's in charge. Ironically may as well be bowyer. But it's of no comfort to me while we should have been maximising our chances for a Prem return we allowed our likeable cone man the opportunity to cut his teeth in football management for a mythical long term building project on time we never had

I don't think that most people don't understand that. That's a very reasonable post, not much to take exception to in it.

What some of us don't get is what some people think is being achieved by constantly slagging Bowyer off.

[K-Hod]

I have no likes left but I fully agree

No likes left already? Don't be so easy

;-)

[Amo]

Decent job is the description, he's not the Messiah that some on here proclaim him to be

He's a very naughty boy?

[Guest]

I have no likes left but I fully agree

40 likes a day allowed. You're outliking Al!

[Waggy76]

I don't think that most people don't understand that. That's a very reasonable post, not much to take exception to in it.

What some of us don't get is what some people think is being achieved by constantly slagging Bowyer off.

Nothing will be achieved if we continue to employ Bowyer, by that I mean promotion or the teamm improving .....

If you were the owner would you employ him has manager ?

[onlyonejackwalker]

I don't think that most people don't understand that. That's a very reasonable post, not much to take exception to in it.

What some of us don't get is what some people think is being achieved by constantly slagging Bowyer off.

He doesn't get much stick at matches.

Messages on a forum won't upset him, or lose him any sleep, nor affect his ability to function, nor prevent him improving.

What do you think gets achieved by being positive on a forum about him?

[mhead]

If Gary B can get Adam Le Fondre to Ewood,whatever happens in the next month it will have been a good Summer,under the circumstances.

The real issues lie in Pune. Gary's only real fault lies in the Defence and the link with midfield -and I ask where is the evidence of Craig Short's astute coaching. No-one complained about Howard '1-0' Kendall and that period was very boring!

[Waggy76]

Very few complain about a winning team , Bowyer had Rhodes and Gestede to get him out of jail ,scoring goals out of the blue ....

If Rhodes goes and seeing Bowyers lack of tactical awareness no real patttern of play except the hoof up...Relegation will follow , you have to score more goals than the opposition !

We leak goals and without JR and RG who is going to score ?

[Roverthechimp]

Nothing will be achieved if we continue to employ Bowyer, by that I mean promotion or the teamm improving .....

If you were the owner would you employ him has manager ?

The team has improved since he took over hence the frustration that the improvement stagnated last season. Needs at least playoff place this year...

[ABBEY]

Improved ? It's dire nearly every week .

[arbitro]

If Gary B can get Adam Le Fondre to Ewood,whatever happens in the next month it will have been a good Summer,under the circumstances.

The real issues lie in Pune. Gary's only real fault lies in the Defence and the link with midfield -and I ask where is the evidence of Craig Short's astute coaching. No-one complained about Howard '1-0' Kendall and that period was very boring!

Nobody complained about the Kendall period because we were winning. That is the name of the game and the vast majority will accept substance over style any time.

I honestly can't get excited about Le Fondre who I always considered to be a lower league jobber who punched above his weight.

[Amo]

Bowyer shouldn't bear the brunt for our current position. Most of the damage was done in our first season in the Championship, when Kean & Shebby blew the parachute money on a load of overpaid dross. Saying that, we were 3rd in the league when Kean left, so it's arguable that if a schmuck like him could have us that high in the league, a more experienced manager could've got more out of that side without having to make a complete squad overhaul, which has no doubt impacted on the FFP ruling.

[47er]

Bowyer shouldn't bear the brunt for our current position. Most of the damage was done in our first season in the Championship, when Kean & Shebby blew the parachute money on a load of overpaid dross. Saying that, we were 3rd in the left when Kean left, so it's arguable that if a schmuck like him could have us that high in the league, a more experienced manager could've got more out of that side without having to make a complete squad overhaul, which has no doubt impacted on the FFP ruling.

You remember that game v Boro on a Friday night? Was it Kean's last as manager? We had to beat them to go top.

We were abysmal. The wheels started to fall off at that point and boos of derision descended on Ewood as per usual with Coco.

So, he fluked a few results eg Bristol City away, but reality returned that night. No way would that team ever have been promoted.

Kean, of course, has been living off that ever since but Like THAT result against Arsenal or THAT result against Manu or THAT tackle there was no substance to it.

[ABBEY]

Bowyer shouldn't bear the brunt for our current position. Most of the damage was done in our first season in the Championship, when Kean & Shebby blew the parachute money on a load of overpaid dross. Saying that, we were 3rd in the league when Kean left, so it's arguable that if a schmuck like him could have us that high in the league, a more experienced manager could've got more out of that side without having to make a complete squad overhaul, which has no doubt impacted on the FFP ruling.

Correction ; venkys and venkys only are to blame the buck stops with them

[LDRover]

Nobody complained about the Kendall period because we were winning. That is the name of the game and the vast majority will accept substance over style any time.

I honestly can't get excited about Le Fondre who I always considered to be a lower league jobber who punched above his weight.

Totally agree about Le Fondre, just a chubby tart liner.