[Archived] Is Bowyer Right To Have A Go At Fans ?

[Leonard Venkhater]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/11159780._/?ref=mac

I was wondering how soon after the end of the match was Gary's interview? I was just thinking what he could have said.N.B .if and after he had taken time to cool down.

" We apologise to the fans today. That wasn't good enough. The lads know it... I know it. As for the booing, well fans pay their money and they have a right to show their dissatisfaction ( cliche-not original, but that's football!)"

That's 90 minutes of my life I will never get back. Right now, like everyone else I am pretty sick of it...

[roversfan99]

There was a bit of groaning every now and again and a few boos at the end. You see that in all grounds. Bowyer is a bell end who saw that he couldn't motivate or set up a team that has miles more ability than Yeovil who are woeful, saw that there aren't any dodgy referee decisions so has chose to hide behind this again.

[T.J.Newton]

A manager should never criticise his own fans in public, regardless.......(and this has happened a few times now)

just as in life you would never criticise a close family member in public(even if they are twonk!)

also in this instance, I feel we had every right to show our distain in the performance(or lack of) what's that about 18+ draws now, there just isn't a winning mentality at the club, from the youth teams right through to the 1st team and I think this has to be largely because we have a coach running the show(and he was mainly just a youth, reserve coach at that) and not a manager.

[Silas]

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/neil-cameronhatem-ben-arfa-played-7005810

A little comparison of management skill for Mr. Bowyer.

I give you Alan Pardew - and I am no fan of his - but as a manager with some 16 yrs experience perhaps you should follow his lead a little bit Gary.

Now, Pardew was pretty much shunned by the Newcastle fans from day one - "cockney mafia" and all that - he had to fight tooth and nail to get his job done and try and win the respect and support of the fans. It took some doing, but after taking over in Dec 2010 in 12th position and only 4 pts off relegation (they finished comfortably 12th) he went on to earn their support through that amazing 2nd season which saw Newcastle finish 5th and he won both Premier League Manager of the Year and League Manager's Manager of the Year. Stripes earned IMO.

Now, you Mr Bowyer had a much easier ride and were welcomed with open arms by us fans for obvious reasons - mainly the shambles that went before and your long-standing connection to the club. Despite the much lauded myth of you being some kind of saviour though, you took control of the club in March 2013 with Rovers 18th and 4 pts off relegation with a game in hand. 2 and half weeks later we were in the relegation zone. But fair do's you saved us, and we were grateful, and you got our backing. Cos we understood the crap you had took on.

Fast forward as a season or two, and now as the article shows you see AP getting pelters from the Geordies. They are sat in 9th in League, having had an up and down season, but as AP states they have won more games than Southampton this season and we all know how everyone raves about them (surprised me that stat). I was at the match a few months ago when Sunderland beat them and a fan ran across the pitch to throw his season ticket in AP's face. The article details how they are now singing songs mocking him and holding banners etc. How does AP react?!

If it was me, I would tell them all to go @#/? themselves, did they not realise how much good work I had done over the last 3 years or so under a difficult owner with tight budget constraints etc etc. Personally, I think the way they are treating him is a disgrace and he would be well within his rights to have a pop. But no, AP's quotes in the article include:

"The fans are fair. Recently we haven't been fair to them in our performances."

"We have to stand up and be counted and put out a performance that has all the hallmarks of Newcastle United."

"For the fans to have seen the games where we could have been better, we have to put that right."

"We have a stadium which should dictate proceedings for us, but we need to give the supporters something to shout about."

Again, this is a man taking all types of @#/? from his own supporters.

You, Gary, to the best of my knowledge, currently have pretty much the most expensive squad in the league. You have Rovers in 10th in the Championship having won 3 of the last 12 matches. You are a novice who has not earned your stripes yet and despite showing some promise in some areas have done very little to set the world alight despite the huge resources at your disposal for this league.

And yet, you hear a few murmurs of discontent, some boos here and there, and yes, some discontent on the terraces for the way both you and your squad of players have performed recently.

And how do you react to this situation?! Well, today gave us the answer to that. And it was not pretty.

You really don't know your born lad, and if you think under recent circumstances (i.e. last 3 years or so) you don't agree that the support from the Rovers fanbase for you and your team has been nothing short of phenomenal, and they deserve to be credited for that, then you are clearly a simpleton.

And finally, in response to the back or sack thread which I haven't commented on yet = SACK!!!! I'm done with Mr. Nice Guy. Time to get some-one with some nous and a pair of balls in to try and rescue this club. And before today GB I probably wouldn't have said that.

[Shabani]

16 draws in 43 league games is a ridiculous record

Bowyer's headstone will read 'if only'

16 missed opportunities

[dingles staying down 4ever]

We haven't been beaten by bottom of the table.........Look Positive......................You lot are all so negative.

Get a grip..lets be realisitic!

The fans have every right to have a go yesterday......the players and managers didn't

COYB!!!!!

[Kamy100]

The thing is that yesterday there were a few moans and groans during the game but that is the kinda thing that happens across the country, but there was no mass "booing". Then at end of the game there was more booing but again that happens across the country when fans are frustrated, this was not the kinda off booing that we saw when Kean was incharge, that is why I am surprised that he even decided to mention it at the end of the game.

[Riverside67]

Kamy it is the sign if a man feeling the pressure as stated previously.

He underperformed yesterday again at a critical moment. He did not get his men to have the requisite level of desire when there was a chance of the play offs.

That requires leadership qualities and he knows the fans have every right to question that side of his ability now. How many chances have we spurned to rise to the challenge and get in the play offs only to blow it.

We were at home to the bottom team yesterday and again it was a no show, in fact a no show to rank alongside the worst this season.

He demanded a reesponse from his players after the capitulation at Hillsborough. What did he get?

I think we can draw our own conclusions.

[Stuart]

That's an excellent post, Silas. Well done that man.

Wheelock definitely has it in for Rovers fans. People talk about me having an agenda (well, JBizzle does anyway) but he certainly appears to, maybe with good reason. Since Cryer's about-turn (the reaction to which he now seems to be taking to heart), I view the LT coverage of the club as on a par with the writers of the matchday programme.

With Rovers fall from the PL and the town out of the spotlight, the companies advertising in the LT is more and more limited. Wouldn't be surprised if Rovers were the paper's biggest sponsor and I'd be even less surprise if that was used as a threat, post 'Time To Go, Steve'-gate.

Now this may be he case but if so Wheelock needs to try and get out like Cryer did to avoid completely destroying his reputation as a journalist.

I'm less sympathetic to Cryer's comments since he move to the BBC but maybe he's just backing his mate's position.

[Tom]

I agree Kamy I didn't hear any boos as such during the game

Maybe a few shouts of disdain when we went from attack back to our keeper but no real boos until the full time whistle confirmed a totally inept result

[Bucksrover]

For those who didn't go I wanted to add that the booing lasted for just a few seconds at the final whistle. Then the fans quietly left the stadium. It was very much a quick comment from the fans that what we had seen was not good enough in every respect - effort mainly.

When the players have done well they have been cheered at the final whistle and then applauded until every player has left the field.

In short I think the fans at ewood are being very fair to Bowyer and the team.

One annoyance for me is that bowyer doesn't seem to get that he was at fault as well yesterday. He set up exactly the same way against the botyom of the league team at home as he would have done against anyone. Towards the end we could have brought on king for a defender and gone for the win, but he didn't go for it again.

Still think bowyer is the man for next season, but yesterday was a bad day at the office.

[JAL]

I bought my Birmingham ticket before the game. Now I am wondering if I want to spend several hours on the M6 interspersed with a lukewarm wannabe manager trying to inspire some overrated players who could well be playing in their flip-flops.

You can only go and hope that Birmingham are in a similar frame of mind.

End of season it was always like this back in the old days when you had nothing to play for.

[RibbleValleyRover]

Unless the fans for example boo off an injured opposing player or produce racist chanting then the manager has no right to have a go at fans. In other words it would take something clearly not on for a manager to launch an attack on the fanbase, booing after a poor result isn't one of those times.

Bowyer's comments just like Kean's are directed towards the owners in an attempt to keep the heat off himself. Fans were often the scapegoat when Rovers screwed up due to Kean's lack of managerial ability and we have seen it once or twice already during Bowyer's tenure. You can't blame Bowyer for trying to keep his job by any means and because he has a direct line to the owners like Kean he can come out with stuff like that.

[bellamy11]

Seems to be a golden rule in football that you can only speak ill of your own fans from a position of real power. Bowyer certainly doesn't have that, so it appears to have been unwise. As Kamy mentions, it wasn't exactly raucous, so it's surprising he bothered to refer to it.

That said, there seems to be few groups so ironically delicate and precious as football fans. I managed to sleep pretty well last night, despite the savage attack. I'm going to try really hard to not let it ruin my Easter.

In the grand scheme of things, it changes my view of Bowyer both as a manager and as a person exactly 0% (and those who know me know that I hardly have the thickest of skins). I'm surprised at the strength of the effect comments like his have on so many people.

[perthblue02]

Seems to be a golden rule in football that you can only speak ill of your own fans from a position of real power. Bowyer certainly doesn't have that, so it appears to have been unwise. As Kamy mentions, it wasn't exactly raucous, so it's surprising he bothered to refer to it.

That said, there seems to be few groups so ironically delicate and precious as football fans. I managed to sleep pretty well last night, despite the savage attack. I'm going to try really hard to not let it ruin my Easter.

In the grand scheme of things, it changes my view of Bowyer both as a manager and as a person exactly 0% (and those who know me know that I hardly have the thickest of skins). I'm surprised at the strength of the effect comments like his have on so many people.

Could be the fact that we have heard exactly the same thing not too long ago along with sound bites about value of the squad increase etc, A lot of people had faith in Bowyer and he has got a very easy ride from supporters so far because he wasn't Kean, Appleton or Berg, but when he starts coming out with comments (and not just yesterday) akin to the bald special one to cover up his and HIS squad's failings, nerves are going to get touched and the paradise that is stability may not be all it seems on the surface

[RibbleValleyRover]

Could be the fact that we have heard exactly the same thing not too long ago along with sound bites about value of the squad increase etc, A lot of people had faith in Bowyer and he has got a very easy ride from supporters so far because he wasn't Kean, Appleton or Berg, but when he starts coming out with comments (and not just yesterday) akin to the bald special one to cover up his and HIS squad's failings, nerves are going to get touched

The time to worry is if he starts complaining about the lack of dew on the pitch, if he comes out with something absurd as that (easily one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard from a manager) then fans have to be worried.

[perthblue02]

The time to worry is if he starts complaining about the lack of dew on the pitch, if he comes out with something absurd as that (easily one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard from a manager) then fans have to be worried.

Ha ha, true that was a classic,

[tkturner]

I was driving home with radio rovers on and listened to both Bowyer and Robbo.

I have to say, Bowyer definitely seemed @#/? off.

But you know what, so was I, my last game I could attend this season, bank holiday, sunshine and feeling great until that performance!

It was unacceptable in my opinion and as I heard Bowyer have a go at the fans I thought "wow, thats way out of line considering he was in charge of what we just saw"

The lads around me in the Blackburn End were all saying the same things "already on holiday these men" and "wake up" and 'Bowyer said this was our toughest game of the season"

Its poor management to hit out at those around you when your own performance isn't good and Bowyer needs to recognise that.

We will clap, cheer and sing til our throats close up week in week out but won't be made out to look like fools doing so for players and staff who aren't putting a shift in...

[thenodrog]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/11159780._/?ref=mac

Just read it. Booeing at the end imo is perfectly acceptable given the preceding 90 mins. Booing during isn't good. No booing against QPR I bet? The rest of it is fine by me.

Maybe a small wage and a large win bonus system might suit better Gary?

[perthblue02]

Maybe a small wage and a large win bonus system might suit better Gary?

That applied throughout the whole squad would certainly sort the men out from the boys wouldn't it, doubt we would have any players left though.

[Amo]

Well said, Silas. Before yesterday, I was willing to give Bowyer the benefit of the doubt. He's signed some good players and fostered a semblance of unity at the club. But after yesterday's result and post-match fallout, that's no longer the case. By all accounts, it was a travesty from start to finish, a listless performance without drive or urgency from a team supposedly "pushing" for promotion. Yeovil was a must-win match and so it was incredible to hear Robbo's post-match admission that the team had decided to settle for a point. It only served to highlight Bowyer's lack of ambition and inability to instill the winning mentality needed for promotion, because he simply doesn't have it in himself. He's a glorified youth team coach, good at developing players and individual player analysis, but not a leader of men. I thought in time he could learn the ropes but he's repeating the same fundamental mistakes with blind adherence. He had almost a full midfield to pick from yesterday, and Lowe & Williamson were his preferred choice, with Cairney again shunted out-wide to accommodate one of the most harmless midfield duos in the league. What's that all about?

To blame the boo-boys for the team's no-show was a step too far, a page that could've been taken from the Kean/SEM scrapbook. He'll do well to get people back on side after that.

[tomphil]

Unless the fans for example boo off an injured opposing player or produce racist chanting then the manager has no right to have a go at fans. In other words it would take something clearly not on for a manager to launch an attack on the fanbase, booing after a poor result isn't one of those times.

Bowyer's comments just like Kean's are directed towards the owners in an attempt to keep the heat off himself. Fans were often the scapegoat when Rovers screwed up due to Kean's lack of managerial ability and we have seen it once or twice already during Bowyer's tenure. You can't blame Bowyer for trying to keep his job by any means and because he has a direct line to the owners like Kean he can come out with stuff like that.

Spot on. The guy has now gone into the protect my position at all costs mode.

[tomphil]

Just spoken to a mate who is a Liverpool fan but has a soft spot for Rovers. He was watching Sky Sports News yesterday and said the commentator early in the 2nd half was saying the Blackburn fans are aware of results elsewhere and are urging their team forward but it doesn't seem to have dawned on the players as Yeovil are having their best spell. That's pretty much as I saw it yesterday, fans tried to drive the team on but obviously frustrated.

[Stuart]

A pretty fair observation tomphil. The crowd were definitely aware of the other results and what one goal would have meant.

I'm a bit surprised Sky Sports picked up on it.

[perthblue02]

A pretty fair observation tomphil. The crowd were definitely aware of the other results and what one goal would have meant.

I'm a bit surprised Sky Sports picked up on it.

Perhaps somebody has given SSN the nod and there's a client without a job chomping at the bit , Once they start running Stories on how Rovers supporters shouldn't be demonised by the Manager be worried (Joke btw,)