[Archived] New Manager? What would you do?

[Jimmy612]

Why are there so many players injured ?

Marshall got injured in a collision on the pitch if you recall, Cairney the same. Evans picked up an injury on international duty. Kilgallon is a groin strain I believe? Hanley dropped out of the Scotland squad after picking up a niggling injury (I believe with them?), King is a problem, he can't seem to stay fit. Any others? I'm sure you are now trying to target Bowyers inability to get the players fit. Bit harsh considering the injuries have either been impact or have been picked up away on international duty. We've undoubtedly been quite unlucky with injuries this season.

Out of interest Jal, what was your expectation of this season given the woeful effort of last season, and the huge turnaround of playing staff?

[only2garners]

I'm with Pasonblue.

As far as I recall most people at the beginning of the season were predicting a safe mid-table finish and were regarding that as a sign of decent progress after the shambles of the previous few years. What's changed? I have no reason to believe that we won't achieve that. There's still an outside chance of a play-off place but I doubt that will happen and anyway if it does I expect Wigan to win and I think I'd prefer staying out of the play-offs to going in and losing.

If when Easter comes we have barely more points than now then maybe thoughts of a change might be appropriate. No one on here really thinks that this year we will not finish in a much more comfortable place than last year do they?

This time last year Burnley under Dyche were 11th and that's where they finished. Whilst I doubt Bowyer is likely to deliver the storming season they have had this season I think there's every chance of some more progression, unless we enter financial armageddon before then. Anyway if that happens, who are we going to get to manage us better than Bowyer anyway?

[roverandout]

so fans are happy to accept Blackburn rovers as a midtable championship side now? wheres the ambition in that? so basically supporters have given up trying to rid the club of venkys because this is what we are prepared to accept? this is a @#/? league with a lot of poor teams, a good manager would have rovers, with some decent players, in a play-off postion.

[martonrover]

so fans are happy to accept Blackburn rovers as a midtable championship side now? wheres the ambition in that? so basically supporters have given up trying to rid the club of venkys because this is what we are prepared to accept? this is a kean league with a lot of poor teams, a good manager would have rovers, with some decent players, in a play-off postion.

If I believed he will have us performing significantly better next season I would be happy to accept this as a transitional season.

Unfortunately I do not believe he will.

[roverandout]

nor do i

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Me neither.

[yoda]

ditto

[Proudtobeblue&white]

More of the same, bad decision making becomes a habit, because you dare not try anything different. I would love to be proved wrong.

[yoda]

More of the same, bad decision making becomes a habit, because you dare not try anything different. I would love to be proved wrong.

you won't be so don't hold your breath, we need more fans not less

[Mike E]

Tricky situation. As I was walking up Livesey Branch Rd yesterday afternoon (in a fairly 'numb' state of mind) I did say that I thought it might just be time to thank Bowyer and ask that he kindly takes a step into nurturing the youngsters for the future. Would he accept that? Probably not. It would be a shame to lose him completely from BRFC - he's been an excellent servant and is one of the good guys.

Then I started to analyse the situation. Thinking about the job that he has undertaken in the past 12 months. There is no doubt that when he was given the job, Blackburn Rovers was heading one way; a second successive relegation. The atmosphere was poisonous, the squad feeble and riddled with underhand chancers picking up a wage for nothing.

Now I see a squad of young, talented footballers. Cairney, Marshall, Evans, Gestede, Conway, Keane... even Taylor, Kilgallon and Spurr are decent championship players who don't let you down. There is an attitude change and I do honestly believe that the players are enjoying representing Blackburn Rovers. Throughout a season of lousy goalkeeping, individual errors, and yes, the odd poor poor performance, we still find ourselves a good run away from sneaking into the play-offs. Something that in August I would have accepted willingly. Just like the playing staff, Bowyer is raw and yes he does make mistakes, and yes he can be infuriating, but I do believe that those that have been critical to the point of abuse need to take a little perspective and recognise the improvements from last year.

I hear a lot of 'we're two points better off than last season'. Perhaps we are, but the difference now is that GB has built a foundation of very good footballers, with a passion, energy and desire to play for BRFC.... a foundation that I feel can mould into a very capable outfit in this division.

The looming possibility of administration weighs heavy in the back of my mind. Is this season really kean or bust? Or can we look toward next season, once these young players have had a season (or half) together. A full summer and pre-season to prepare and focus as one unit to push on next season.

Yesterday was one of the lowest moments of my time as a Rovers fan. But I do still believe that with two or three further additions (a right back, CB and striker), and a squad that God willing stays fit for a decent length of time, we might just push on next season.

Whether Bowyer can progress within his role... who knows? But personally I am prepared to give him next season too - providing of course that administration or th'Indians doing a runner doesn't interrupt our progress.

I agree with this post almost 100%. Almost. Imo, we'll know over the final furlong whether Bowyer is the man to spearhead this team into the playoffs (by luck this season or by merit next season).

After 2 devastating losses to local rivals in a row, it's very hard to feel positive and every fibre in me is calling for his head. But my own head is telling me to sit it out til the season's end and see how we get on.

If we finish within, say, 4pts of the playoffs, then I'd keep Bowyer on. That'd be 2 wins 'progress' on last season, which I feel would be a sensible and achievable threshold.

[K-Hod]

If he wants to talk about promotion pushes, he should expect to be criticised if he fails to achieve his objectives, it's that simple.

[only2garners]

so fans are happy to accept Blackburn rovers as a midtable championship side now? wheres the ambition in that? so basically supporters have given up trying to rid the club of venkys because this is what we are prepared to accept? this is a kean league with a lot of poor teams, a good manager would have rovers, with some decent players, in a play-off postion.

I think that's where the likes of Parsonblue and I differ to those who see salvation in another change of manager. We both see that it will take some years to build Rovers up, if it happens at all. It may not be exciting and it may look like a lack of ambition but I'm just trying to be realistic. Or perhaps you all have lots of examples of where a club has had 5 managers in two seasons and it's worked?

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Ideally we could bring in a manager with experience. The one caveat is that GB stays on, non-negotiable. New manager can bring in his own, but told to work within current means. Tough call, would anybody come in on those terms? Continuity & experience.......no chance

[USABlue]

Only one for me Malky Mackay. Most of the others are also rans for one reason or another. Even Souness had lost the plot tiwards the end and lets mot forget he had a very good group of platers at his disposal.

[yoda]

Only one for me Malky Mackay. Most of the others are also rans for one reason or another. Even Souness had lost the plot tiwards the end and lets mot forget he had a very good group of platers at his disposal.

think you might get arrested for that on a football pitch

[den]

I think that's where the likes of Parsonblue and I differ to those who see salvation in another change of manager. We both see that it will take some years to build Rovers up, if it happens at all. It may not be exciting and it may look like a lack of ambition but I'm just trying to be realistic. Or perhaps you all have lots of examples of where a club has had 5 managers in two seasons and it's worked?

I would argue with most of that O2G's.

There is no reason why it would take "some years" to get a team at least into the play-offs in this league. There are numerous examples of that.

Because we've had 5 managers in the last 5 years, it means that we should stick with this one? The previous managers were sacked because they weren't good enough. Are you saying that we should stick with Bowyer regardless of whether he's good enough or not?

Sorry O2G's, that post really doesn't make much sense. If Bowyer is good enough, we should stick with him. If he's not good enough, he'll have to follow the others out. By your argument, if our sixth manager had been Paul Ince, we would have stuck with him as well.

What the club needs is a complete reassessment at the end of the season. Unfortunately we won't get it.

[Mike E]

Only one for me Malky Mackay. Most of the others are also rans for one reason or another.

Most people's attitude to the likes of Dyche, Davies, Pearson, Bruce, McClaren in the last 2 seasons too.

[47er]

Also to be fair to him, he said just last year, that he regretted leaving and that if he had of stayed he might still be managing today.

You do recall that he was taking us down when Newcastle saved us?

[Riverside67]

47er spot on he had fallen out with all his players................not least Dunny who went to Birmingham

[Stuart]

You do recall that he was taking us down when Newcastle saved us?

We don't have anywhere near the egos we had during Souness' late tenure. I reckon he (or someone in that mould) would be great with this squad.

Someone with gravitas, ideally who has played the game to a decent level. Shearer and Roeder maybe, or Hoddle and Wilkins. Although, perhaps Moyes will be looking for a new challenge soon.

Daft ideas aside, for all his Man Utd contacts, Bowyer could do worse than trying to tempt Mike Phelan to come and work with him.

[A cup of beans]

Daft ideas aside, for all his Man Utd contacts, Bowyer could do worse than trying to tempt Mike Phelan to come and work with him.

Have you forgotten the town where Mike Phelan comes from ? Haha

[Stuart]

That only makes it less unrealistic.

[thenodrog]

Marshall got injured in a collision on the pitch if you recall, Cairney the same. Evans picked up an injury on international duty. Kilgallon is a groin strain I believe? Hanley dropped out of the Scotland squad after picking up a niggling injury (I believe with them?), King is a problem, he can't seem to stay fit. Any others? I'm sure you are now trying to target Bowyers inability to get the players fit. Bit harsh considering the injuries have either been impact or have been picked up away on international duty. We've undoubtedly been quite unlucky with injuries this season.

Out of interest Jal, what was your expectation of this season given the woeful effort of last season, and the huge turnaround of playing staff?

Biggest problem with Bowyer is his failure to even try to replace our most influential attacking playmaker David Dunn. We've simply replaced our bog standard dodgy Portugese players with equal numbers of bog standard wing men! Absolutely baffles me I can tell you.

[thenodrog]

If I believed he will have us performing significantly better next season I would be happy to accept this as a transitional season.

Unfortunately I do not believe he will.

nor do i

Me neither.

ditto

I'm reluctantly with you.

Bowyer was doing OK imo in getting shot of waistrals and dollopers and freshening the squad and improving the squad attitude. The signings of Varney, Conway, Dabo and Feeney have changed all that (although tbf I have seen little of Feeney and none of Dabo so I stand to have my words thrown back at me). It reminds me of the signings we were forced to make when we were a 2nd / 3rd Div yo yo club 30 years ago.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Biggest problem with Bowyer is his failure to even try to replace our most influential attacking playmaker David Dunn. We've simply replaced our bog standard dodgy Portugese players with equal numbers of bog standard wing men! Absolutely baffles me I can tell you.

I'm reluctantly with you.

Bowyer was doing OK imo in getting shot of waistrals and dollopers and freshening the squad and improving the squad attitude. The signings of Varney, Conway, Dabo and Feeney have changed all that (although tbf I have seen little of Feeney and none of Dabo so I stand to have my words thrown back at me). It reminds me of the signings we were forced to make when we were a 2nd / 3rd Div yo yo club 30 years ago.

Thats the thing though Theno - are Bowyers hands still tied - who is actually doing the advising / scouting / signing of players?

The four signings you mention above would on the face of it to be strange signings for all four but why change your opinion/viewpoint without seeing much of the players - Dabo aside as nobody seems to know anything about him but Conway I feel has shown he could be a great asset for us especially in this Division, Varney did ok on Sunday IMO and has shown he can play at this level, Feeney - not quite sure or this is reflective in the 'wingers' signings but again thrown into the hotbed on Sunday bar his first attempt at the ball with the stoods - again looked to still have a bit about him - only time will tell

Nobody from the outside has any idea of what is going on behind the scnes and its pretty near impossible to 2nd guess whilst the idiots from Pune are in charge and Shaw.

They need to disappear - any connection with them and what happened during their tenure needs wiping out - if that means dropping a Division then so be it - we cannot move on whilst they are in the background.