[Archived] Bowyer

[Leonard Venkhater]

There are an increasing number of positives at the club - bowyer being one of them (his fondness for 2 defensive midfielders aside.)

Those who can't forgive Venky's could just focus their efforts on being positive about bowyer or the young and improving team, rather than repeatedly whining about how bad Venky's were and how they can never forgive them.

I think you miss the point there. There has been no attempt at resolution from the authors of the damage. For that reason I wouldn't dream of pointing the finger at anyone for continuing to resent them....At the same time, today is another day to be really proud of Bowyer and the team.

[Doug]

Hope this result stops some of the calls to have bowyer replaced. He is just what the doctor ordered after the last few years. Well done Gary,I for one feel better about our club now than at any point since Sam was chopped.

[tomphil]

Got his tactics spot on again today. He gets it wrong now and again and rightly gets some constructive questioning but he always seems to turn it around again quickly. His selections have been immense the last 2 games, don't know if someones had a word but he must keep his more positive attacking tactics from now on. No excuse to revert back, yes we'll get a tubbing now and again but we should win more than we lose and it's better win one, lose one than trying to draw all the time points wise.

[Neal]

I'm a Bowyer fan but I don't think we should speak too soon. Great result today but it also further highlights the fact we should be miles further up the league than where we currently are. Time to kick on, mid table is not good enough.

[Riverside67]

We are mid table because the tactics have been too unambitous.

Bowyer is learning his trade though and he needed a boost to his and the teams confidence to believe in a change. I think he has got that from the last two matches and I think he has learnt something as well particularly after Birmingham.

Time to be brave and and go for the play offs at least.

Gestede has brought more to the link up play in the final third than seen for ages.

Time to start letting the opposition worry about us now and stop this fear factor that has made us look too nervous. I am sure the rest of the league will be worried if we start sorting things out because on paper this squad is as good as any.

[Gally]

Having seen the last couple of games, I don't it's credible to call Bowyer tactically naive anymore. Maybe conservative at times, but definitely not naive.

[OJRovers]

I think we've suffered earlier in the season for not having another option of playing without Rhodes. Dunn/Rochina/Campbell have been injured, and the signing of Gestede has given us that option.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Not sure that much has changed with Bowyer in the past 2 games. The critics of him have rarely made out he's a bad manager, just that he's inconsistent. Well to me nothing is more inconsistent than picking up 1 point from 2 easy home games, beating a play-off challenging team away and then drawing with one of the best teams in the country. Inconsistency produces some brilliant highs but it doesn't translate to getting the job done over a season. Beating Doncaster is more important than beating City, just as getting 6 points from Sheff Wednesday and Birmingham was more important than beating Leeds.

[DE.]

I'm a Bowyer fan but I don't think we should speak too soon. Great result today but it also further highlights the fact we should be miles further up the league than where we currently are. Time to kick on, mid table is not good enough.

I wouldn't necessarily go along with that. Teams at our level and lower always raise their games against huge teams like City. It's like a cup final where your team is 100% the underdog, the extra 10% for players is easy to come by because there is no pressure. The league is a different kettle of fish entirely, where the team are faced with pressure and a very different style of play. There are numerous smaller teams who have performed admirably against bigger teams in past years but not achieved much league-wise. I think we are where we deserve to be at the moment, and it's about right for the quality of squad and manager.

[imy9]

From that I infer they you didn't see the incident. This wasn't an 'argument', it was bullying by a bigger, stronger kid on a smaller, weaker one.

I saw the incident and clearly you inferred too as I saw Taylor standing his ground and giving it back to Hanley. Also think he said sorry mate to Taylor when they came out... Not really what a bully would do imo.

[RevidgeBlue]

I'm a Bowyer fan but I do think he has set the team up far too cautiously for the majority of this season and as such we have underperformed imo.

Today should have been a real eye opener for GB and the players. If we can dominate the majority of the game against the best team in the country, we certainly should be capable of dishing it out with both barrels to the majority of Champioinship sides.

Especially at home.

[Gav]

Not wanting to hammer Bowyer, but he new exacly what to expect today from City, most of us on here could have set the team up wth appropritae tactics!

When we needed a bit more adventure and tactical nouse, against Wednesday, he was found wanting.

That said we're miles better now than under the previous managers venkys have appointed, I sometimes forget how far we've progressed since Kean and Anderson set about destroying the playing side of the club.

[onlyonejackwalker]

Not sure that much has changed with Bowyer in the past 2 games. The critics of him have rarely made out he's a bad manager, just that he's inconsistent. Well to me nothing is more inconsistent than picking up 1 point from 2 easy home games, beating a play-off challenging team away and then drawing with one of the best teams in the country. Inconsistency produces some brilliant highs but it doesn't translate to getting the job done over a season. Beating Doncaster is more important than beating City, just as getting 6 points from Sheff Wednesday and Birmingham was more important than beating Leeds.

Well said, although the double over Leeds was very sweet!

[John]

Is it that easy to get consistency? Do we genuinely think the players are good enough too?

Too often fans want more attacking/expansive football however it isn't always the answer to getting better results in my view.

Btw, anyone know what this relates to?

@SweMeatballs78: @DuckerTheTimes You do realise Gary will be reading the Times after your question at the presser. He asked who was that afterwards

[Stuart]

I saw the incident and clearly you inferred too as I saw Taylor standing his ground and giving it back to Hanley. Also think he said sorry mate to Taylor when they came out... Not really what a bully would do imo.

Of course bullies say sorry. They do it all the time once the teacher has told them to.

No defence for what Hanley did today. Very poor from our centre backs in the last couple of weeks. Not sure if they think they are showing 'passion' but there is a way to handle issues and shoving your own players in front of thousands of people is not the way to do it.

Hope no-one comes up to you at work and gives you a push around and a rollicking in front of your peers and/or customers.

[Riverside67]

Agree about tightening up at the back and the emphasis had to be to stop leaking goals. Main thing now is to cut out the stupid errors and I see Spurr adopted the line of if in doubt put it out today.

It is bit by bit and yard by yard but things are starting to head off in the right direction.

Balance moved too much to the over cautious this season as were not asking questions of our opponenet particularly at home.

To be fair Best should have given Bowyer another outlet but got into a strop and failed the cause.

Gestede now gives him that option and we look better for it.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Of course bullies say sorry. They do it all the time once the teacher has told them to.

No defence for what Hanley did today. Very poor from our centre backs in the last couple of weeks. Not sure if they think they are showing 'passion' but there is a way to handle issues and shoving your own players in front of thousands of people is not the way to do it.

Hope no-one comes up to you at work and gives you a push around and a rollicking in front of your peers and/or customers.

What was it all about that? Cause if it happened because of their goal then Hanley was picking on entirely the wrong man. Its the initial flick that is the big defensive error and that was Dann's man, Dann seeming to get caught off balance and then standing there making no effort to put Dzeko off.

I'm sure Taylor can look after himself, likes to put himself about as is of the Millwall stock. Big fan of the guy personally.

[patrickvalery]

What was it all about that? Cause if it happened because of their goal then Hanley was picking on entirely the wrong man. Its the initial flick that is the big defensive error and that was Dann's man, Dann seeming to get caught off balance and then standing there making no effort to put Dzeko off.

I'm sure Taylor can look after himself, likes to put himself about as is of the Millwall stock. Big fan of the guy personally.

Agree SKH. Taylor is a tenacious little so n so. Might not have outstanding quality but i love to see a player snapping at his opponent for 90 minutes.

[imy9]

Of course bullies say sorry. They do it all the time once the teacher has told them to.

No defence for what Hanley did today. Very poor from our centre backs in the last couple of weeks. Not sure if they think they are showing 'passion' but there is a way to handle issues and shoving your own players in front of thousands of people is not the way to do it.

Hope no-one comes up to you at work and gives you a push around and a rollicking in front of your peers and/or customers.

To call someone a bully because of a one off incident that lasted for less than a minute, he then apologies but only did it because someone told him to?? Have I missed some ITK info here? I have had someone shout at me at my workplace, he then apologised and it was dealt with. Looks like that happened here, end of issue. To be classed as a bully, he needs to consistently repeat the behaviour over a length of time, in my experience.

[RevidgeBlue]

I actually think people are underestimating Taylor's abilities because of his style. He's a very intelligent player with excellent awareness of what is happening around him imo.

[Bucksrover]

I think you miss the point there. There has been no attempt at resolution from the authors of the damage. For that reason I wouldn't dream of pointing the finger at anyone for continuing to resent them....At the same time, today is another day to be really proud of Bowyer and the team.

To me the change in how the club is being run - by which I mean the owners staying quiet and supporting Bowyer, constitutes a step towards the positive.

Venky's messed up, and it may still send us under, but we are where we are and the only helpful thing supporters can do is rally around the club and support. If Venky's decide to pull out now we will go into administration and Cairney, Rhodes etc will be sold off.

Some fans seem to be clinging on to the bad things that happened, using childish language about being 'hurt' and 'never forgiving'. I think it's time to get over it and for every fan to do what they can to help Rovers.

[rovers11]

Bowyer seems to have changed his defensive philosophy recently and gone very attacking. I was shocked today when he brought on King for Williamson and then brought on both DJ and Rhodes. He clearly wanted to go and win the game despite a draw being an excellent result. It was the same with the Leeds match where he went with 3 strikers from the outset. This is such a change from previous games, such as the Sheff W home game where he took off an attacking player to bring on Williamson.

On a separate issue, Cairney played wide right 1st half and was the best player on the pitch. Although better in the centre, that first half showed that he can also do a very good job out wide.

The recent performances of Marshall and Gestede also show that we shouldn't write off our new players so early on in their Rovers career. Gestede was dismissed as useless after his first appearance but has been excellent the last two and a half games. Marshall had a slow start to his Rovers career and, again, many wrote him off but he's been a revelation the last few week with a couple of MOTM performances.

[arbitro]

To me the change in how the club is being run - by which I mean the owners staying quiet and supporting Bowyer, constitutes a step towards the positive.

Venky's messed up, and it may still send us under, but we are where we are and the only helpful thing supporters can do is rally around the club and support. If Venky's decide to pull out now we will go into administration and Cairney, Rhodes etc will be sold off.

Some fans seem to be clinging on to the bad things that happened, using childish language about being 'hurt' and 'never forgiving'. I think it's time to get over it and for every fan to do what they can to help Rovers.

There are lots of fans who rarely miss and give the team their full support. But 'get over it', never in a million years.

You can accept all the damage these people have done, that's your prerogative but don't pontificate at supporters who might not be as forgiving as you.

[broadsword]

To me the change in how the club is being run - by which I mean the owners staying quiet and supporting Bowyer, constitutes a step towards the positive.

Venky's messed up, and it may still send us under, but we are where we are and the only helpful thing supporters can do is rally around the club and support. If Venky's decide to pull out now we will go into administration and Cairney, Rhodes etc will be sold off.

Some fans seem to be clinging on to the bad things that happened, using childish language about being 'hurt' and 'never forgiving'. I think it's time to get over it and for every fan to do what they can to help Rovers.

This crap's been propagated on here for years.

Can be characterised by the phrase: "Get behind 'em FFS".

Pathetic.

[rovers11]

If it was the league against the same quality of opponent then, yes, it would have been a shock, but a draw in any cup match with the clock ticking down means a replay is imminent. Particularly with us having to go to City's ground, throwing on attackers is surely a logical thing to do as it's the best chance you've got to knock the opponent out without having to go to a replay.

It's great that we're still in it and have a chance to progress, no matter how slim. Football can rear its head and favour the bold, particularly in the cup. At the very least we should get a little more revenue from replay gates.

This wasn't a normal cup game though. We were playing the best team in the country live on tv. A positive result would be a morale boost, give us some positive press coverage for a change, send out a message that ewood is becoming a difficult place to go again, and the chance to earn £500k from the replay. With these factors in mind, it was a brave move to risk us losing the match. Just think, the 500k we'll now make has paid for Cairney`s transfer fee!