[Archived] Alan Myers - director of communications

[arbitro]

I agree with Kamy comments that some fans have high expectations.

Stuart, you have made some very good points.

Conway has always been a left winger as far i know/seen. i dont agree with Cairney wide tho

What is wrong with high expectations? Is it too high an expectation to hold on to a 3-1 winning position or not being able to beat teams in the bottom three?

The Aussies have a great saying. 'Whoever said it's not the winning or the losing, it's the taking part probably came second'.

[Stuart]

Who was feeding these high expectations Chaddy?

Certainly not a large percentage of the support who were happy/resigned with/to mid table mediocrity /stability.

Who mentioned the push for promotion.play offs?

Who has been rattling on about a play off push?

So some supporters have high expectations because of ?

And some of the fans have kept their side of the high expectations guff they were being told to expect and yet who has not kept their side of the bargain?

Who should get the blame ? the supporters again?

Good point. The kicker was that after yesterday's match he was STILL rattling on about being in the Play-Off hunt - as though that point was all part of the plan.

[Stuart]

Double post

[ABBEY]

Good point. The kicker was that after yesterday's match he was STILL rattling on about being in the Play-Off hunt - as though that point was all part of the plan.

We've been fed the promotion bullshit since the end of last season and the gullible on here fell for it hook line n sinker .

[Ricky]

Your comments to him do seem different to the comments you made on here though Kamy. Why not say what you said on here that bowyer was wrong to have a pop at the fans, why not say that to Myers instead of a kind of 'everything's rosy' type of post,

[Tom]

Do we have high expectations or does the manager have low ambition?

Bit of both? But as said above we have expectations when the likes of Lowe say we have 4 cup finals left them they play like a pre season friendly

[Ricky]

I don't think feeling that we should hold onto a 3-1 lead or beat the team bottom of the league is really expecting too much Tom. I don't think any fans expected us to go and win the league but when you find yourself just outside of the play offs with a game at home to Yeovil to come I think it's reasonable to expect to go for it and not try to hold on for a draw. Especially as even the players have said in the press that we have 4 cup finals left.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Expectations are driven a large part due to the financial situation the club is in, it needs promotion and fast. But also how many teams in this league have an £8m striker, or the wage budget that we have? There are teams out there performing better on a shoestring of a budget compared to us.

[Ricky]

Exactly. I also think people should expect us to at least have a go for the playoffs when we were so close.

[Riverside67]

Relentlessly demand of yourself the highest standards in order to achieve a consistent winning mentality.

Bowyer has heard those lines on the local media around here often enough.

Seems to me he has not understood what that means yet. but it does mean the difference between being successful or not.

[OJRovers]

Ironically, Alan must be fully aware of the impact a decent manager can have at his beloved Everton.

[Neal]

High expectations??? Are you joking???

Every fan base has higher expectations of their team, it's the same at every club. Considering Mick McCarthy's Ipswich side cost 400 grand... I'd say that's total boll*cks.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Who was feeding these high expectations Chaddy?

Certainly not a large percentage of the support who were happy/resigned with/to mid table mediocrity /stability.

Who mentioned the push for promotion.play offs?

Who has been rattling on about a play off push?

So some supporters have high expectations because of ?

And some of the fans have kept their side of the high expectations guff they were being told to expect and yet who has not kept their side of the bargain?

Who should get the blame ? the supporters again?

I agree. I am so weary of the locate it all in the fans line.Selective analysis, distorted logic and diversion from the real causes.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Good point. The kicker was that after yesterday's match he was STILL rattling on about being in the Play-Off hunt - as though that point was all part of the plan.

The kicker, eh? Well I just thought play off hunt was cockney rhyming slang!

[RevidgeBlue]

I have to disagree completely with Kamy's comments re: the structure of the Club etc: it's a very convenient excuse. Off the field distractions don't help but John Williams/Alan Myers or whoever the incumbents may be behind the scenes at any one particular time don't put the ball in the net at one end or keep it out at the other.

The one thing that does stop you being able to compete is lack of financial support from the owners such as the situation which prevailed in the latter years of the Walker Trust ownership. I don't think that problem has applied to us since we were relegated, how many players have been brought in over the last two seasons since relegation ? About 35 at a ballpark guess at a cost far outstripping the budget of any of our rivals with the possible exception of QPR.

Imo if I said before the season started I expected to walk this League with the squad we have had at various points this season I would say that was an unrealistically high expectation. If I said that with the players and resources we have had at our disposal again this season we should have been making the play offs I would have said that wasn't an unrealistic expectation at all. More like a minimum requirement with automatic promotion possibly exceeding expectations.

[tomphil]

Unreasonable expectations over a season is arguable. Expectations about having a go in a must win game are not. Let's remember it wasn't a must not lose game for us it was a we might as well have a go game. Did we? No not till it was to late as usual.

[perthblue02]

"If we stay positive, positive things will happen" was tweeted by a- David Brent b-Steve Kean c- Alan Myers or d- David Cameron

Next week - How Feng Shui can help with the play off push

[martonrover]

"If we stay positive, positive things will happen" was tweeted by a- David Brent b-Steve Kean c- Alan Myers or d- David Cameron

Next week - How Feng Shui can help with the play off push

I'll go for 'C', but it will be used be 'A', 'B' and 'D' in the future.

Evidently he's not told Bowyer.

[Kamy100]

Your comments to him do seem different to the comments you made on here though Kamy. Why not say what you said on here that bowyer was wrong to have a pop at the fans, why not say that to Myers instead of a kind of 'everything's rosy' type of post,

If you read my tweet it wasn't even to Alan Myers, it was to Andy Cryer in response to something that he asked me. Alan wasn't even copied into it. I tweeted exactly what I said on here that it was not on Bowyer having a go at fans. Alan read that tweet and we had a conversation which will remain private, other than I explained to him that we as fans are very sensitive to the manager blaming us for poor performances as that was a tactic that Kean used to get the media to paint us as the bad boys.

[Ricky]

Apologies if I took it out of context then Kamy. It's not the easiest to work out who posted what and to who in the tweets that were copied into here. Like I said, sorry that I got the wrong end of the stick.

[Leonard Venkhater]

If you read my tweet it wasn't even to Alan Myers, it was to Andy Cryer in response to something that he asked me. Alan wasn't even copied into it. I tweeted exactly what I said on here that it was not on Bowyer having a go at fans. Alan read that tweet and we had a conversation which will remain private, other than I explained to him that we as fans are very sensitive to the manager blaming us for poor performances as that was a tactic that Kean used to get the media to paint us as the bad boys.

Respect, Kamy.You are right about the history and sensitivity.

I also think that the fan blame is a ready made, available, activated channel for people to plug into, when it suits.

[Kamy100]

Imo if I said before the season started I expected to walk this League with the squad we have had at various points this season I would say that was an unrealistically high expectation. If I said that with the players and resources we have had at our disposal again this season we should have been making the play offs I would have said that wasn't an unrealistic expectation at all. More like a minimum requirement with automatic promotion possibly exceeding expectations.

Respect your viewpoint Rev and I know lots of people who felt the sameway. For me at the start the season I felt that a top 6 finish was unrealistic considering the following:

* Disfunctional squad which had been losing matches on a consistent basis for three years

* Total and utter meltdown behind the scenes throughout 2013/2014 season

* Budget cuts (although this could be achieved by getting rid of the players like Gomes, Murphy the Portugese Contingent)

* An executive structure that wasn't able to effectively run the club

* The completely destroyed scouting network

* A fanbase which was largely disillusioned

The above were major obstacles, and while they don't directly contribute to the on pitch action, it is fair to say that the circus that had gone at Rovers during the 2013-2014 had a major impact on the player performances. So Bowyer walked into all of that, now he took the job knowing all of this so cannot hide behind it but anyone walking into the job last June would have found the most challenging environment you could imagine. Slowly he has reshaped the squad, adhered to the budget cuts and bought a sense of normality down at Brockhall. He has also made big strides into putting the scouting network back together and has worked to ensure that the footballing decision are made by footballing people rather that people with vested interests. So for me I am prepared to give him a chance next season, the clubs such as Leicester, Burnley, Derby and Brighton who are doing well have had the core of their squad together for 18 months, we haven't.

That said, the last 4 weeks have been hugely disappointing that 6th place has been there for the taking and we have not grabbed it. No doubt that in those games Bowyer could/should have made different decisions which may have got us some more positive results. Does that mean we should sack him? My personal opinion is No. Give him the start of next season, let's see if he has learned the lessons from this. If he hasn't and results aren't good then sure make a change but he deserves the chance in my opinion to start next season. The added complication is Venky's, if they sack will we end up with someone better? History suggests that we won't.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

That said, the last 4 weeks have been hugely disappointing that 6th place has been there for the taking and we have not grabbed it. No doubt that in those games Bowyer could/should have made different decisions which may have got us some more positive results. Does that mean we should sack him? My personal opinion is No. Give him the start of next season, let's see if he has learned the lessons from this. If he hasn't and results aren't good then sure make a change but he deserves the chance in my opinion to start next season. The added complication is Venky's, if they sack will we end up with someone better? History suggests that we won't.

Kamy,

So in your opinion the fact that Venky's have got the decision wrong on more than occasion is a good reason to keep a manager who keeps making the same mistakes over and over? Why will the start of next season be any different when he repeatedly has not learnt from mistakes this season?

[Kamy100]

Kamy,

So in your opinion the fact that Venky's have got the decision wrong on more than occasion is a good reason to keep a manager who keeps making the same mistakes over and over? Why will the start of next season be any different when he repeatedly has not learnt from mistakes this season?

No it isn't a good reason and isn't what I am saying. In my opinion he has earned the right to get another go next season through what I outlined in my post. I know that the vast majority will probably disagree and I respect that. The owners ability to appoint a suitable replacement is just a very small reason.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Maybe its just frustration speaking with me and if he brings in better players during the summer to play the system then I'll admit I'm wrong. Still have a nasty feeling that come October we'll have the same midfield and having the same debate.

Still maintain that Venky's past record of selection should not enter into the debate though. This is purely a debate on the manager's ability to manage an under achieving team in what was a golden opportunity.