[Archived] Burnlee Preview

[mustard]

I still think the worst part about yesterday was the two women sat beside me. At the final whistle I’m stood there, head in hands. Pretty much disconsolate. Their reaction? ‘Spitting his dummy out’, even heard some murmurs about not being a real fan. How do you even react to people like that? Kept a dignified silence. I’m not bothered about what they think of the manager. I want him to go. I can accept people thinking differently, but mocking your fellow fan and laughing as we lose to our biggest rivals? Unforgivable. Some fans deserve a losing team.

I'd have told them where to shove it if I heard them, Sam. These braindead superfans will assist in the demise of BRFC as they clap along to any tune that loser Gaz plays for them.

[Pedro]

Did not see any of that Saturday and when did this being animated on the sidelines become the measure of a manager. Ever see Karanka move on the sidelines?

I though we should have been out of sight by the time that lot scored. Bowyer did mot miss those shots. I am in the Bowyer out camp but ffs come on credit where it's due. The big thing he got wrong was Fonzy playing. Should not have been. No problem with the way he set us up other than that. It hurts to lose but never more so than losing to that lot. We are not playing too poorly, just mot getting results. Confidence must be waning thougg.

Credit where it is due, he mixed it up and had his arms folded when he was staring at the floor. His hands were in his pockets when staring out vacantly whist the world and his wife knew that Marshall had to be moved up the pitch when we went behind. My argument is not that I want a more animated scarecrow, that was Gav's slant on me wanting and rating someone with passion and belief, like Sherwood.

I can take any game in isolation, this wasn't one of his worst games by a country mile and chances were missed. Finally (after 2 years) Performances are more pleasing on the eye. Alas, results are woeful. He has to be accountable because these are his players, his tactics, his coaching etc and he is paid handsomely to get the ultimate objective - results and promotion. We are only going to get out of this league via the trapdoor under him. That, I have absolutely no doubt. I have no doubt that countless others would get better results with these players.

[JHRover]

If we come out of it we can't do much or we'll be straight back in it. Does anyone ever really think they'll genuinely spend any money anyway ? I sure don't.

That's the excuse that Shaw is already laying down - that even when we're out of the embargo we won't be able to spend as we'll go straight back into it.

Yet for some reason 22 other clubs in the Championship all spent varying amounts of money this summer and none have been punished for doing so. Ranging from Middlesbrough (lower revenues than ourselves) spending £15 million+, Leeds spending millions weeks after just coming out of the embargo, Derby finding £20 million under the mattress, QPR sticking 2 fingers up at the rules and spending another hefty amount on top of their existing losses.

The clever clubs and administrators will find ways of spending despite the spectre of an embargo.

Shaw will just use it as an excuse for little/no spending going forward.

[mustard]

If we come out of it we can't do much or we'll be straight back in it. Does anyone ever really think they'll genuinely spend any money anyway ? I sure don't.

The only money they seem happy to part ways with is the hundreds of thousands of pounds that comes out of supporters pockets and pays the salaries of Bowyer, Shaw et al. We have our hearts ripped out, whilst these shysters are made into millionaires; a reward for abject failure.

[tomphil]

That's the excuse that Shaw is already laying down - that even when we're out of the embargo we won't be able to spend as we'll go straight back into it.

Yet for some reason 22 other clubs in the Championship all spent varying amounts of money this summer and none have been punished for doing so. Ranging from Middlesbrough (lower revenues than ourselves) spending £15 million+, Leeds spending millions weeks after just coming out of the embargo, Derby finding £20 million under the mattress, QPR sticking 2 fingers up at the rules and spending another hefty amount on top of their existing losses.

The clever clubs and administrators will find ways of spending despite the spectre of an embargo.

Shaw will just use it as an excuse for little/no spending going forward.

Well as he said at the FF he just does as he's told. Proactive isn't a word Rovers understand anymore and deep thinking doesn't seem Dereks biggest strength either. They're all happy in their own little twilight zone.

[Pedro]

That's the excuse that Shaw is already laying down - that even when we're out of the embargo we won't be able to spend as we'll go straight back into it.

Yet for some reason 22 other clubs in the Championship all spent varying amounts of money this summer and none have been punished for doing so. Ranging from Middlesbrough (lower revenues than ourselves) spending £15 million+, Leeds spending millions weeks after just coming out of the embargo, Derby finding £20 million under the mattress, QPR sticking 2 fingers up at the rules and spending another hefty amount on top of their existing losses.

The clever clubs and administrators will find ways of spending despite the spectre of an embargo.

Shaw will just use it as an excuse for little/no spending going forward.

What they need to do is sell who we need to to get out of it (scary I know), employ a proper manager and give him the funds to build a team to get out of the league within 18 months. We would get put under sanctions at the next set of accounts but until then, all systems go!

[JHRover]

It seems Shaw's remit is to handle the paperwork and try to reduce our eyewatering losses.

If he is being judged on the balance sheet then his sole aim is going to be to bring in as much money as possible and spend as little as possible. He's not too bothered about what happens on the pitch as that isn't his area of responsibility and won't affect his position.

He's hardly going to be banging on Desai's door to sanction a major signing or two when those figures will come up in the end of year accounts and undermine all his cost cutting work.

It's not really a surprise then when we're offloading Gestede and Cairney and seemingly encouraging bids for Rhodes.

Losses reducing, players sold for big profits = good job done for Derek.

Its all well and good from a business point of view, and I'm all for trying to get our house in order after the last few years, but there has to be a middle ground and balance with wanting promotion. Nothing wrong with selling players for profit or trying to reduce costs but to think we can carry on doing it as some sort of plan whilst trying to improve as a club without reinvesting into the squad and expect anything other than decline is madness.

This is where one of the fundamental problems lies - our 'board' is a separate entity to our football operation. Shaw and Myers have no influence or responsibility when it comes to football matches and results, so they are under no pressure to do the best thing from a football perspective. If Shaw was a proper CEO or Chairman with both football and financial targets then he might try to find ways of spending post-embargo to try and assemble as strong a squad as possible. As it happens he has no such concerns. He's happy as he is and complaints about the football are for Bowyer/Venkys to deal with.

[Claytons Left Boot]

I could just about understand it if the money had lifted us immediately from the embargo and enabled expenditure on other players, but it didn't so it made no sense whatsoever.

'.

I was reading the other day, via the LT I think, that Shaw thinks that one more 'decent' sale will lift us out of the embargo.

Thinks?

He should f well know. At his level and with the amount of salary the club are paying him, he should f well know down to the last pound note the amount it will take to get us out of the embargo.

Barely a Plan A and certainly no Plan B from the manager on match day, no planning at all from the buffoons in Pune and f all from the brain dead money grabbing executive team inbetween.

[the original david brent]

Incredibly harsh. For example, that game where he hit the post when he could have made it 2-0, who was it got our goal that day? Okay, he may not quite be in the Simon Garner league when it comes to goals against the Dingles, but I can remember 3 off the top of my head. Wrong target there David, I would suggest. You insinuate that he lacks bottle for the big occasion, yet there is no evidence of that, they just didn't go in for him on Saturday.

However, you're obviously not alone in your thoughts.I was in the Anchor in Darwen after the game listening to a lad crucifying Rhodes, unless that was you as well?

It wasn't me. I was in another public house in Darwen moaning! For the record I like Rhodes a lot. Like I say I just feel let down by management and players, and one of the things to look at are missed chances.

[AllRoverAsia]

I was reading the other day, via the LT I think, that Shaw thinks that one more 'decent' sale will lift us out of the embargo.

Thinks?

He should f well know. At his level and with the amount of salary the club are paying him, he should f well know down to the last pound note the amount it will take to get us out of the embargo.

Barely a Plan A and certainly no Plan B from the manager on match day, no planning at all from the buffoons in Pune and f all from the brain dead money grabbing executive team inbetween.

As someone has already mentioned there has to be a suspicion that Shaw thought that the Cairney sale, apparently against Bowyer's wishes, would do it. Unfortunately Shaw thinks 2+2=5.

If Shaw is using his thought process we have to be afraid.

[oldjamfan1]

It wasn't me. I was in another public house in Darwen moaning! For the record I like Rhodes a lot. Like I say I just feel let down by management and players, and one of the things to look at are missed chances.

I think as a team we are regularly culpable of not taking our chances, but generally that's one thing Rhodes can do (and so he should, given the fee we paid for him!). I didn't feel let down by the players on Saturday, to be absolutely fair. I thought they played quite well under the circs.

[JHRover]

I was reading the other day, via the LT I think, that Shaw thinks that one more 'decent' sale will lift us out of the embargo.

Thinks?

He should f well know. At his level and with the amount of salary the club are paying him, he should f well know down to the last pound note the amount it will take to get us out of the embargo.

Barely a Plan A and certainly no Plan B from the manager on match day, no planning at all from the buffoons in Pune and f all from the brain dead money grabbing executive team inbetween.

It's scary isn't it?

Shaw is, by all accounts, the most senior executive at this football club. A football club with a multi-million pound turnover, hundreds of staff, tens of thousands of supporters, competing in the Championship, and supposedly aiming for the Premier League.

Perhaps the most significant obstacle to our progress at this moment in time, along with some views on the manager, is the transfer embargo, which is affecting 2 out of 24 clubs whilst the other 22 are seemingly free to do as they please.

If there is one thing other than actually getting us out of the embargo that Shaw could have done this summer it would be to have secured some sort of guarantee, promise, arrangement, or precise figure as to how much money we need or what we specifically need to do and when to remove the embargo asap.

And he can't even do that. If the League are unwilling to provide such a figure then Shaw should be banging their door down demanding clarity and threatening all sorts of action to force them to be clear what we need to do.

Its simply inconceivable that a professional club of our size in a division like the Championship seemingly has no real idea how or when the transfer embargo is going to be lifted, despite 2 years of cost cutting and £10 million from player sales.

[AllRoverAsia]

''Its simply inconceivable that a professional club of our size in a division like the Championship seemingly has no real idea how or when the transfer embargo is going to be lifted, despite 2 years of cost cutting and £10 million from player sales.''

Yes it most definitely is. Which means just one thing - they are lying.

[scotty_beam_me_up]

If the mark of a good team is playing badly and winning then surely playing well and losing makes us a bad side. We need a manager not a coach. You only have to look at Sam and Pulis when they take over a club. They sort the basics out and make the team hard to beat. We need a manager with promotions behind him. Not sure Sherwood would be the right option.

[RevidgeBlue]

Incredibly harsh. For example, that game where he hit the post when he could have made it 2-0, who was it got our goal that day? Okay, he may not quite be in the Simon Garner league when it comes to goals against the Dingles, but I can remember 3 off the top of my head. Wrong target there David, I would suggest. You insinuate that he lacks bottle for the big occasion, yet there is no evidence of that, they just didn't go in for him on Saturday.

However, you're obviously not alone in your thoughts.I was in the Anchor in Darwen after the game listening to a lad crucifying Rhodes, unless that was you as well?

Agreed. Rhodes might have done better with the couple of chances that came his way but the real turning point was Lawrence's appalling miss at 0-0 which any professional footballer should be burying without even batting an eyelid. Maybe also harsh to single Lawrence out as well as he's the only player apart from Rhodes who looks like he might have a goal in him.

In general terms any criticism of Rhodes is completely misplaced. This season he's scored twelve goals from thirteen League games which means the rest of the side has only contributed five goals between them in that time. Last season we scored 66 goals 41 of which came from Rhodes and Gestede so the rest of the team only scored 25 all season between them. That's where the problem lies, we need another three or four players pulling their weight and contributing ten ish goals per season but under GB it just doesn't happen they're all on easy street.

What it needs is a proper manager to come in and grab them by the lapels and tell them to bloody well start pulling their weight. And if the problem with missing chances persists have them on non stop finishing practice and/or bring in a striking coach. Don't suppose anything like that would ever happen though as GB will be telling them they did ever so well and were magnificent and gave it a right good go etc.

[toogs]

And if the problem with missing chances persists have them on non stop finishing practice

Could I also suggest Evans does non-stop heading practice this week in training as well.

I'm struggling to think if I've seen a worse clearing header and his headed attempt at the other end was, well.....

I'd be ashamed if I was a pro footballer and couldn't do the basics.

[tomphil]

The only issue I had with Rhodes missed chances on Sat was the one he blazed over from the edge of the area. Should have done better with that and he doesn't get enough goals by those type of strikes really although the way we often play means they don't come along like that very often.

It's simple really, if it was Lawrence squaring it in to Rhodes instead of the other way round that one is in. Thought JR looked really sharp and his movement was good but we just don't have anyone who can plunder the sort of goal they scored.

[oldjamfan1]

Thought JR looked really sharp and his movement was good but we just don't have anyone who can plunder the sort of goal they scored.

Conway and Marshall? Conway was a couple of inches away from scoring an even better goal than theirs.

Although the general point about lack of goals (especially from midfield) from sources other than JR this season is a good one.

[tomphil]

Conway and Marshall? Conway was a couple of inches away from scoring an even better goal than theirs.

Although the general point about lack of goals (especially from midfield) from sources other than JR this season is a good one.

True but we might get one pearler from either of those two in an entire season where as the six fingered ones seem to score goals like that quite often. For the type of player he is and his workrate it's crazy how Conway doesn't get a few goals he certainly deserved that one to fly in on Sat.

[cesus]

You will all be glad to know the lads were putting in the hours on Brockhall today turning things around, I saw most of the players heading down the A59 about 1.30 this afternoon. They work hard for those £80k+ cars.

[joey_big_nose]

Marshall and Cairney had a spell of scoring a year ago then it dried up completely after Christmas. Conway never looks like scoring. Great strike on Saturday but a rare moment for him.

Only thing I can see Gaz can do (except sign players who actually score goals) is tell Akpan to get in the box more and hope he has the engine to get back and defend also on the counter. Hes a big strong lad and will worry defenders if he times his run right.

He will need to finish his headers a bit better than he did Saturday mind.

Other option would be, when Koita comes back, play him up top with Rhodes, Lawrence right mid and Marshall RB. Could be interesting.

Whatever we need to find a way to get people who are not called Jordan on the bloody score sheet. We're absolutely desperate

[AJW]

just out of curiosity .. who do you think is the best manager, currently out of work that , realistically, we could appoint

[windymiller7]

Agreed. Rhodes might have done better with the couple of chances that came his way but the real turning point was Lawrence's appalling miss at 0-0 which any professional footballer should be burying without even batting an eyelid. Maybe also harsh to single Lawrence out as well as he's the only player apart from Rhodes who looks like he might have a goal in him.

In general terms any criticism of Rhodes is completely misplaced. This season he's scored twelve goals from thirteen League games which means the rest of the side has only contributed five goals between them in that time. Last season we scored 66 goals 41 of which came from Rhodes and Gestede so the rest of the team only scored 25 all season between them. That's where the problem lies, we need another three or four players pulling their weight and contributing ten ish goals per season but under GB it just doesn't happen they're all on easy street.

What it needs is a proper manager to come in and grab them by the lapels and tell them to bloody well start pulling their weight. And if the problem with missing chances persists have them on non stop finishing practice and/or bring in a striking coach. Don't suppose anything like that would ever happen though as GB will be telling them they did ever so well and were magnificent and gave it a right good go etc.

Agreed about the criticism of JR. When Burnley scored some stupid woman behind me started having a right pop at JR "See, that's how you score Jordan, bloody useless, can't score in brothel...."

Then she starts again at full time, everything was Rhodes fault. Jesus, the lad's got us out of enough crap in the past to be allowed an off day, unfortunately it was probably the worst possible moment to have it.

I think he must've eaten her dog or something! One thing's for sure he definitely hadn't eaten her...............................

[JHRover]

just out of curiosity .. who do you think is the best manager, currently out of work that , realistically, we could appoint

If looking for a manager I would start with a list of four - Pearson, Lambert, Poyet and Billy Davies and work through them in that order.

I would be very confident that two or three of those would be interested in the job.

Pearson might have his sights higher after last season and being recently linked with Sunderland and Villa.

Poyet, Lambert and Davies all have good records in this league. All need to prove a point before they become forgotten men and none will be getting Premier league offers any time soon.

Of course this is all hypothetical. Bowyer is unlikely to go anywhere anytime soon and even if he did we won't conduct a proper appointment process. These idiots have had 4 cracks at it and have either got it wrong or looked within the club.

[chaddyrovers]

just out of curiosity .. who do you think is the best manager, currently out of work that , realistically, we could appoint

Sherwood, Lambert, Holloway.