[Archived] Bowyer

[arbitro]

You know that FG .... I know that, anybody with any sense knows that but the massed ranks of our 4-4-2 brigade are still not sure.

It's horses for courses surely. Strangely 4-4-2 worked perfectly well away at Bournemouth and at Wigan until Hanleys lunacy. I think at home Gary Bowyer has to be smarter sometimes and prepare to be slightly more adventurous and tactically aware of how the opposition are playing and pick a team or change our system accordingly.

[rovers11]

Rhodes is a one trick Pony - but luckily for us that one trick is amazing!

I have to agree with the points about Rhodes. He is a world class finisher but the rest of his game is very poor. However, putting the ball in the back of the net is the most important and hardest part of football which is why he is so important to us. He can score at any time regardless of whether he's having a good game or not so you simply can't sub him.

Rhodes needs a rochina or Dunn type up there to create chances for him. Really miss those two players as they can unlock a defence. Best is a useful plan B but Dunn/Rochina should always been plan A.

Taylor and Judge seem to have fallen out of favour. Marshall hasn't impressed me so far, very poor. A lot more to come from him though and I just expect it to click as some point with him just as it has with King. King is a different player now, absolute key for us.

[rovers11]

It's horses for courses surely. Strangely 4-4-2 worked perfectly well away at Bournemouth and at Wigan until Hanleys lunacy. I think at home Gary Bowyer has to be smarter sometimes and prepare to be slightly more adventurous and tactically aware of how the opposition are playing and pick a team or change our system accordingly.

That is also down to the players available. I'm sure he would have loved to have started with a man in the hole (I.e. Dunn or Rochina) with Best in reserve as plan B. He's tried cairney in the hole previously but it didn't work. He tried Marshall in the whole for a while when he brought Williamson on for Best. It worked to a certain extent. You could try Judge there but Bowyer seems to have lost faith in him.

All in all, I disagree that Bowyer hasn't tried to try different things tactically. His hands are tied a little by injuries to key players. If Evans and rochina had been fit, with Dunn, best and DJ as options on the bench, then we would have beaten Charlton. You can blame the manager all you want but sometimes it's simply down to the personnel available.

[martonrover]

For all the excuses in the World we are a very average Championship side.

Dunn will always miss lots of games in a season and Rochina has yet to convert undoubted raw skill into being a footballer.

For me under the circumstances Bowyer is doing okay but, given that we badly need to go up this season, it isn't good enough, ( just to clarify I want him to stay and succeed ).

[arbitro]

That is also down to the players available. I'm sure he would have loved to have started with a man in the hole (I.e. Dunn or Rochina) with Best in reserve as plan B. He's tried cairney in the hole previously but it didn't work. He tried Marshall in the whole for a while when he brought Williamson on for Best. It worked to a certain extent. You could try Judge there but Bowyer seems to have lost faith in him.

All in all, I disagree that Bowyer hasn't tried to try different things tactically. His hands are tied a little by injuries to key players. If Evans and rochina had been fit, with Dunn, best and DJ as options on the bench, then we would have beaten Charlton. You can blame the manager all you want but sometimes it's simply down to the personnel available.

I thought Cairney did fine when he played in the hole and Judge can also play there. Gary is still learning but on occasion his naivete shows. Saturday will be a big test of his tactical nous on the back of two defeats.

[Amo]

With a poor home defeat to Charlton and Rovers not really getting into gear do you think our owners would try and ask Holloway to come in to give ourselves a chance of promotion?

I wasn't expecting promotion this season and Bowyer seems to be doing OK but, if our financial situation is anything to go by, I wonder if the owners will try and make a ruthless decision.

Doubt it. I honestly dread to think who'd replace Bowyer.

Holloway's overrated, anyway (as I said when we were linked to him last year). Palace wouldn't have gone up had it not been for Freedman's early work.

[Jimmy612]

Doubt it. I honestly dread to think who'd replace Bowyer.

Holloway's overrated, anyway (as I said when we were linked to him last year). Palace wouldn't have gone up had it not been for Freedman's early work.

45 points from 32 games is not promotion material - They were seriously luck to have 27 points on the board before Holloway took over.

Then to @#/? £25m into the wind this summer on complete dross to form a shocking Premier League side. No thanks.

[tomphil]

Holloway falls into the category of a few mangers like Warnock / McCarthy etc. They're good at Championship level and more than capable of taking a decent team up but just haven't got what it takes to establish or survive at top level. They also seem to have a short shelf life at whatever club they are at and are somewhat merceneries themselves.

[sausagemandog]

Holloway has an excellent record in the Championship, but not in the PL, but we are not in the PL and in my opinion he is the best we could ever attract. His interviews are brilliant and its is no doubt that the players would respond to him. I think he would put the enjoyment factor back into the club, he sure would have some choice words forthe Indian mob, thats the reason why i dont think we would get him, they want a yes man who is not going to ask questions. Sam would have asked them and given them grief thats one of the reasons he was given his orders.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22707916

[Guest Norbert]

If we could somehow showhorn Holloway and Bowyer+McPhillips into one set up, it might be an improvement. Bowyer and McPhillips can sort out the coaching side, and Holloway can be the motivator and manager.

Then again, that may all go very wrong too!

[arbitro]

Holloway has an excellent record in the Championship, but not in the PL, but we are not in the PL and in my opinion he is the best we could ever attract. His interviews are brilliant and its is no doubt that the players would respond to him. I think he would put the enjoyment factor back into the club, he sure would have some choice words forthe Indian mob, thats the reason why i dont think we would get him, they want a yes man who is not going to ask questions. Sam would have asked them and given them grief thats one of the reasons he was given his orders.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22707916

He made his name by doing daft interviews and drawing ridiculous analogies when he was at QPR. He was seen as a 'character' and we keep getting told there is a dearth of them. He has been found out now and in terms of shape, tactics and organisation he just isn't up to it. He will only stay a short while at a club and then move on. I wouldn't like him managing Rovers.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

We don't need any more upheaval at present, and little point in bringing in a manager who can't buy his own players.

Holloway isn't the answer full stop.

Dark lords will do their worst at the wrong time and balls it up as usual....PL is a fading memory.

[T.J.Newton]

Lately I've been thinking that If the clubs finances are as bad as being rumoured and ffp hitting us hard next season, then we are not in any position to be thinking long term, we need to do all we can to get out of this league this season and our best chance of that would be getting in Holloway(if he gets the sack).

It wasn't just the changes of manager that upset things last year, the power struggles and disruptive players played just a big a part in our failure, I think if a good respected new manager came in this season(around xmas time, if things don't pick up) it wouldn't cause as big of a stink as when new managers came in last season.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Lately I've been thinking that If the clubs finances are as bad as being rumoured and ffp hitting us hard next season, then we are not in any position to be thinking long term, we need to do all we can to get out of this league this season and our best chance of that would be getting in Holloway(if he gets the sack).

It wasn't just the changes of manager that upset things last year, the power struggles and disruptive players played just a big a part in our failure, I think if a good respected new manager came in this season(around xmas time, if things don't pick up) it wouldn't cause as big of a stink as when new managers came in last season.

But we aren't dealing with logical thinkers, so anything could happen, especially when we don't expect it!

[T.J.Newton]

am I right in thinking that the main reason talks with Holloway didn't advance last year was mainly because he wasn't impressed with Shabby?(nor where we!)

p.s. your right though, venkys are seriously more likely to sack Bowyer and make Craig Short manager before even considering a proven, respectedand experienced manager.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

am I right in thinking that the main reason talks with Holloway didn't advance last year was mainly because he wasn't impressed with Shabby?(nor where we!)

p.s. your right though, venkys are seriously more likely to sack Bowyer and make Craig Short manager before even considering a proven, respectedand experienced manager.

And that is/was & will always be our problem under the idiots, they have no concept of sense, as they don't understand English football!

[ratters]

Lately I've been thinking that If the clubs finances are as bad as being rumoured and ffp hitting us hard next season, then we are not in any position to be thinking long term, we need to do all we can to get out of this league this season and our best chance of that would be getting in Holloway(if he gets the sack).

It wasn't just the changes of manager that upset things last year, the power struggles and disruptive players played just a big a part in our failure, I think if a good respected new manager came in this season(around xmas time, if things don't pick up) it wouldn't cause as big of a stink as when new managers came in last season.

Absolutely zero chance of promotion. Before a ball was kicked that was the case. As sad as it is realistically a mid table finish is good. It is going to be a long time before we can even think about promotion. I think we will be more concerned about relegation for the foreseeable and that is not Bowyers fault.

[Waggy76]

Absolutely zero chance of promotion. Before a ball was kicked that was the case. As sad as it is realistically a mid table finish is good. It is going to be a long time before we can even think about promotion. I think we will be more concerned about relegation for the foreseeable and that is not Bowyers fault.

Very true , in every aspect , unfortunately !

[LDRover]

How we are accepting mid table in the Championship with an 11.5 million pound strike force is beyond me.

[Mafioso]

And that is/was & will always be our problem under the idiots, they have no concept of sense, as they don't understand English football!

[ratters]

How we are accepting mid table in the Championship with an 11.5 million pound strike force is beyond me.

What we paid is one thing, true value another. If we can't keep clean sheets then always going to struggle. JR will always bag goals if given the chances. One goal should be enough but never the case with Rovers now. Just have to look at the dongles to see that formula working.

[Andy]

Hardly a 'zero chance'.

Unlikely, yes, but as has been proven in almost every Championship season to date, somebody puts together a late run and goes up via the playoffs.

I don't think we will do it, but there is every chance that we could.

[joey_big_nose]

How we are accepting mid table in the Championship with an 11.5 million pound strike force is beyond me.

True. If you look across the division we have a very good squad, probably in the top six or eight.

We should be looking to hit the playoffs. However the problem has been upheaval and instability, so to change things again to try and pick up performances seems wrongheaded to me. I don't see us having much option apart from persevering for a while and coming up with a better more nuanced solution.

[Rover_Shaun]

How we are accepting mid table in the Championship with an 11.5 million pound strike force is beyond me.

Not accepting, but it's all we seem likely to get.

[T.J.Newton]

Palace and Hull looked like mid table teams at best at the start of last season, until they hired good proven managers and went on to get promoted with squads of mostly average players, I thought Burnley would be struggling in the bottom halve this year because of their small, weak(on paper) squad of players, but look at where them effers are!