[Archived] New Manager? What would you do?

[OJRovers]

This is a genuine opportunity for Venkys to show they have changed and are capable of making proper decsions - sack Bowyer and get a real manager in (Mackay) and they will show that maybe they have learnt something from their past mistakes.

[ABBEY]

Last 3 games haven't been good enough, simple as that. Does that mean we sack the manager? Absolutely not. We'll never go anywhere if we sack the manager every time we lose 3 on the trot. I understand the frustration and anger of the last 3 games, particularly losing to Burnley, and GB has made a lot of mistakes this season but, overall, he has done a very good job in the past 12 months. People say we're only 1 point off where we were this stage last season which must mean we've made no progress. That is far too simplistic a view to have. When I look at the core group of players GB has brought in and looking ahead to next season, I see a very promising core group of players:

Hanley, Kilgallon, Spurr, Henley, Evans, Cairney, Taylor, Marshall, Conway, King, Rhodes (?), Gestede.

Compare that to the core group of players we finished last season with: Murphy et al

Tactically, people say GB is not very good. He is a defensive manager for sure and that has worked well for large parts of the season with one of the highest number of clean sheets in the lge. Can he change a game with tactical substitutions? Probably not. Is he too defensive? Yes, at times. Has every signing he's made been a good one? No. These 3 things are what GB has fallen down on this season but with another summer window to shift out more deadwood, free up wages and bring in 2 or 3 first teamers, we will be in a strong position. Add that to the extra year the players will have had to gel and play with each other as well as the younger players having more experience under their belt, we will be a force. Need to add more creativty and pace to the midfield in the summer. We also need a play maker in the David Dunn role.

Last night and against Bolton seemed to be down to a lack of effort which is unusual for a GB team. When we have lost this season it has largely been down to individual mistakes or the other team having more quality.

If we sack the manager, more changes to the playing squad in the summer, players will take time to gel, lose a few matches, sack manager and process starts again. That's not what I want to see. If we can get a Mackay or a Curbishley then by all means change the manager but that won't happen so let's stick with Bowyer.

Sums the happy jellyfish brigade up to a sum.

If Bowyer loves the club like he claims to, then he'd quit, knowing he wasn't up to it. He'd have to have serious levels of delusion like a former manager to believe he was still the right man....

Last nights interview was kean mk2

[roverandout]

lets be honest, it was Rhodes' goals that won rovers games when rovers weren't playing well, now Rhodes is going through a barren spell its shown bowyer for what he is, an unmotivational, tacticless statue, who has no plan B

[AggyBlue]

I think, in all honesty Aggy, his approach his similar to Howard Kendall. Keep it tight at the back and then nick a goal. Unfortunately, Gary doesn't have a keeper like Arnold, nor a defence of Branagan, Keeley, Faz and Rathbone. Gary doesn't have Kendall and Parkes driving the midfield and nor does he have a Duncan McKenzie to create something out of nothing. Although I'll admit that Rhodes is another Andy Crawford but without the ego. There is nothing wrong with the plan it's just that our players don't seem capable of carrying it out. Looking at some of them last night, I'm not sure what plan they would be capable of carrying out.

Duncan Mckenzie, one of my favourite players.

I've wanted to say this for ages but held it back. Rochina reminds me of a young Duncan in so many ways, Even in his later years he very often tried to do too much and lost the ball.

[darrenrover]

Duncan Mckenzie, one of my favourite players.

I've wanted to say this for ages but held it back. Rochina reminds me of a young Duncan in so many ways, Even in his later years he very often tried to do too much and lost the ball.

I know where you coming from Aggy but the big difference is Duncan had plenty between his ears.

[AggyBlue]

I know where you coming from Aggy but the big difference is Duncan had plenty between his ears.

That's unfair on Ruben unless you're a close friend of his and know him well

[joey_big_nose]

if I was the manager to be honest I would look to a much more agressive up tempo game plan. We have young fit players who are more skillful than the average in this league. Let's use it to our advantage. Press high up the pitch. Control the ball.

[Blue blood]

I think most experienced managers would be very happy with the team they were given if they came:

Keep Robbo and we've a good keeper for this level.

Hanley and Kilgallon are both good center halves for this level. Likewise Spurr is solid at left back, whilst Henley, although poor of late, is young enough to improve, and has in the past shown a lot of promise. Certainly with the right coaching he could well become an asset to us and provides cover at both full back positions.

Cairney - midfield play maker/creative influence sorted

Evans - all round midfielder sorted. Good back up for the defensive side with Lowe, when we need two more defensive center mids, or want to play 3 in the middle.

A great selection of wide players - amazing pace, King, a good crosser Conway, and the very skillful Marshall.

Two strikers who are a real asset to any team in this division - the powerful Gestede, and one of the best finishers in this division in Rhodes.

To me that's a right back away from being a strong team for this division, and a strong first 14 or so players. Also if he has Dunn around he has an excellent player from the bench to add more creativity, and/or with the right coaching (has he had one during his time at Ewood?) Rochina for the creative birth. I would be shocked if an experienced manager could not get a team that is dangerous and challenging at the top of the table with this lot, and i doubt it would need many more "pieces of the jigsaw" a mere one or two additions to get a team of any style - direct, short passing etc. - which is capable of competing at this level.

Add in we've some decent back up at this level - I feel the likes of Taylor, Kane and Varney could do a job as squad players - then you really think with the right talent that the team could progress. The talent is there - it just needs to be harnessed.

[Stuart]

So we sack Bowyer and next season we again are in mid-table at this point. Do we sack the new guy? It's time some supporters started to get real. Between 1966 and 1991 we were outside of the top flight. Should we have sacked the manager at the end of every season? Ken Furphy was brought in in 1971 to get us out of the Third Division but nobody demanded his resignation when we were still in that Division in 1973. Indeed, Furphy moved on to higher things before the Rovers finally got out of that Division. Eddie Quigley, Jim Smith, Bob Saxton, etc. all failed to get us instant promotion but were all given several years to try not just twelve months.

Without Jack's money we would never have enjoyed the last twenty odd years. That has now gone and the only way we will get back is back sheer hard work. However, unlike Burnley, we have a huge debt hanging over our head and sacking the manager, bringing in a new guy who wants his own staff and own players simply adds to that debt.

Sadly, there are no quick solutions to our problems. It's going to be a long haul, but sacking the manager every five minutes is no short cut to any form of success.

This is fine.

Provided you said the same about Berg and Appleton.

[Parsonblue]

This is fine.

Provided you said the same about Berg and Appleton.

I did. I firmly believe a manager needs at least a couple of years to put his mark on a club.

[Stuart]

We might not have a club in a couple of years though.

I'm honestly not sure I could stomach watching Bowyer's negative football for another 12 months though, PB. We have a decent squad but it's set up to so negatively, devoid of any flair or excitement. It certainly will not get fans back through the turnstiles.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Hanley, Kilgallon, Spurr, Henley, Evans, Cairney, Taylor, Marshall, Conway, King, Rhodes (?), Gestede.

Compare that to the core group of players we finished last season with: Murphy et al

Ok. The group we finished last season with was better, the group we started last season with was better than them, the group the season before that was better than them, and so on.

Our wage bill has been steadily decreasing for years, stands to reason so has the quality. These players might be younger and hungrier, but they are definitely not better. Talent-wise they'll never achieve anything like what "Murphy et al" achieved. They'll never play in the Premiership, never mind succeed it in. Some of them are lucky not to be playing in League 1.

[booth]

I did. I firmly believe a manager needs at least a couple of years to put his mark on a club.

I remember some saying that about Ince and Kidd.

[chaddyrovers]

would be anybody been happy with Alex McLeish to come to Rovers?

a mate on twitter has suggest him to replace Bowyer

[roverandout]

yes I would, hes a proper manager, didn't do to well at Birmingham in the end but who has?

[booth]

If venkys somehow saw sense and were looking for someone experience, there are better managers than McLeish.

[chaddyrovers]

If venkys somehow saw sense and were looking for someone experience, there are better managers than McLeish.

like who???

Mackay wont come here. in line for Norwich job.shortly imo..

Clarke? not for me. doubt he will work for Venkys tho

[booth]

like who???

Mackay wont come here. in line for Norwich job.shortly imo..

Clarke? not for me. doubt he will work for Venkys tho

Eff me Chaddy, you can't think of a better available manager than McCleish than Mackay or Clarke?!!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

What we need is a manager who is used to winning. The last four Keans we've had were all used to losing. It's become contagious. Even if they are managing at a lower level if they're used to winning they'll bring a winning mentality. We need someone to bring a breath of fresh air to the club. I would have thought it's obvious that the players are no longer playing for Bowyer.

[chaddyrovers]

Eff me Chaddy, you can't think of a better available manager than McCleish than Mackay or Clarke?!!

go on then name some better managers then???

if you are going to sack Bowyer then surely you want manager with experience of getting team promote from this league to premiership.

Grayson or Taylor never had that experience..

people like Mowbray and McLeish have tho. surely they want a manager with this experience.

[Stuart]

go on then name some better managers then???

Have you seen the movie '50 First Dates'? Or 'Groundhog Day'? 'Jaws'?

You're going to need a bigger bowl?

[Majiball]

go on then name some better managers then???

if you are going to sack Bowyer then surely you want manager with experience of getting team promote from this league to premiership.

Grayson or Taylor never had that experience..

people like Mowbray and McLeish have tho. surely they want a manager with this experience.

I've got that experience Chaddy, in fact I've got more than just a promotion. Rovers have won the premier-league 7 times in a row under my stewardship, the european cup 5 times and once a treble. I've lost count of the number of times we've won the poxy cups as my trophy cabinet is rather full with the big ones. Just so you know it wasn't a fluke I was took Oxford United from the conference to the premier league in consecutive seasons before earning the Rovers job.

Can i have a go then Chadders?

Pwetty pwease??

We need quality not experience, Uwe rosler never got anyone promoted, yet.

[booth]

go on then name some better managers then???

if you are going to sack Bowyer then surely you want manager with experience of getting team promote from this league to premiership.

Grayson or Taylor never had that experience..

people like Mowbray and McLeish have tho. surely they want a manager with this experience.

Totally missed the point. I was talking about you acting as if there was only two managers available not particularly the two you mentioned.

If you're going for McLeish then what about Warnock, Jewell, Brown, even Megson? I wouldn't pick any of the above but I put them in the same bracket as McLeish. Experienced but poor in one way or another.

Holloway I'd be happier with if we want experience of promotion. Souness short term appointment if he could be tempted.

[West Yorks Rover]

If you want to see what a decent manager can do, look no further than Derby County, they finished last season

with 3 points more than us, atm they are 16 points ahead and looking pretty good to finish in the top 6 at least.

McClaren has a bit about him, Clough junior is a ' steady Eddie ' who would probably have had Derby mid-table again,

remind you of anyone ?

[chaddyrovers]

Totally missed the point. I was talking about you acting as if there was only two managers available not particularly the two you mentioned.

If you're going for McLeish then what about Warnock, Jewell, Brown, even Megson? I wouldn't pick any of the above but I put them in the same bracket as McLeish. Experienced but poor in one way or another.

Holloway I'd be happier with if we want experience of promotion. Souness short term appointment if he could be tempted.

I suggest those two managers cos they have experience of gaining promotion from this league to PL.

of course they are other managers with this experience.

My question, do fans want a manager with experience of promotion from this league to PL? is this the experience fans want?