[Archived] Official: Paul Lambert Appointed Blackburn Rovers Manager

[Norbert Rassragr]

What sort of hours do most full time clubs put into training?

[JamieUK]

Have I got Lambert-tinted glasses on or was the pre-match warm up more structured and professional? There were at least 5 coaches out before the game - GKs together, both CBs, Forwards and midfield, even the subs had someone with them.

It's been such a long time since I've felt positive about the direction we're going. There's still a long way to go but this renewed optimism is quite refreshing...

[tomphil]

Didn't see them warm up today but I've been in Ewood early and watched every pre match warm up this season and to be fair we didn't seem to do anything different to the way a lot of others warm up. You could maybe point to one or two players being very casual and certainly the subs were but overall as a group it seemed quite normal. The keepers in particular always had a very thorough session.

I suppose the key is bringing something a bit different to it as like I said we seemed to do the basics the same as most visiting teams. That summed up some of the things from the previous regime as everything was just bog standard coaching manual stuff.

[philipl]

It's been interesting. Lambert has come out and praised Bowyer for stabilising the club, but comments about us having a mid table Championship club mentality, low intensity training and overall "negativity" are essentially him saying Bowyer was doing a bad job this season, without outright stating it.

If he did any research prior to getting this gig, none of this will be a surprise to him, and I doubt it is. I imagine he knew exactly what he was dealing with when he arrived, and has quickly taken to fixing the problems he's inherited.

It could be the reason why he chose Rovers over the other offers he received.

Lambert has to make a success of this first job after the Villa sacking so coming into a club where the fundamental problem has been management and coaching and not the players is a more certain route to visibly being a success.

[martonrover]

It could be the reason why he chose Rovers over the other offers he received.

Lambert has to make a success of this first job after the Villa sacking so coming into a club where the fundamental problem has been management and coaching and not the players is a more certain route to visibly being a success.

Plus the fact he's effectively been handed a blank canvas at Rovers and has probably realised the manager here has more scope and power than at most other clubs.

[Speedie Dived]

Have I got Lambert-tinted glasses on or was the pre-match warm up more structured and professional? There were at least 5 coaches out before the game - GKs together, both CBs, Forwards and midfield, even the subs had someone with them.

It's been such a long time since I've felt positive about the direction we're going. There's still a long way to go but this renewed optimism is quite refreshing...

A definite change on the warm up was the timing we came out. Bang on 2:30pm all together, Preston were out a good 10 minutes before us.

Seemed a shorter sharper approach.

[donnermeat]

There was a definite change in the pre match warm up. Rob Kelly was doing some good interesting drills with the forwards and I think it's universally accepted that Alan Irvine is a top coach. The GK coach was doing a few different drills, more or less completely focused on shot stopping.

Lambert came out at one point and had a word with Irvine, they seemed to be watching what PNE were doing. He then went on to do heading and one touch drills with Hanley and Duffy.

[chaddyrovers]

There was a definite change in the pre match warm up. Rob Kelly was doing some good interesting drills with the forwards and I think it's universally accepted that Alan Irvine is a top coach. The GK coach was doing a few different drills, more or less completely focused on shot stopping.

Lambert came out at one point and had a word with Irvine, they seemed to be watching what PNE were doing. He then went on to do heading and one touch drills with Hanley and Duffy.

Correct.

Some very different drills and Irvine was working with the defence and Kelly was the strikers.

Also notice that Lambert keep on passing out instructions to the players. Hanley, Duffy, Marshall and Conway all went to Lambert during the game.

[danger19_80]

“He made the lad commit and go to ground and that’s what Chrissy Taylor can do. He can run with the ball."

Uh oh...

[Stuart]

Some of the comments on here are incredible to read now that we have what many thought was "the impossible". There was so much staunch defence of Lambert's predecessor because he was better than any likely alternative - I've not seen many posts defending him now that the alternative has proven to be credible. Take note, Venkys, make the right decisions for the good of the club and people will respond.

Picking up on DE's point earlier in the thread, I'm glad he has addressed the negative effect of using the embargo as an excuse. Previously allowing Bowyer to be absolved because of FFP was seen as putting a positive spin on things when in reality it was the opposite. Only now that somebody credible is saying it do people actually seem to see it.

In some ways I wanted to see Bowyer stay around by way of reward for what he had done for the club. However, in hindsight if we need to move forward then a different mindset is required - certainly with the first team - and having Irvine there is very reassuring. I guess the way the new team has come in it's all about the first team and nothing has yet been done to change the academy set up. I guess it's a matter of priorities and I suspect that Lambert has been given some short term goals to achieve this season.

Could Bowyer have been moved to the academy director - potentially putting out Kinder? Possibly. The trouble is Bowyer didn't show much faith in the youngsters despite Filan and Johnson having them well in form so maybe he isn't the right person after all. Could one imagine Bowyer recommending youngsters to Lambert when he couldn't recommend them to himself?

Professional football management isn't a position for good guys - they finish last, as the cliché goes. It's is a position for cold-hearted @#/?s.

[Ricky]

At least he's not calling him Tayls which I think was Bowyers preferred nickname.

[Ewooduknow]

He made the lad commit and go to ground and thats what Chrissy Taylor can do. He can run with the ball."

Uh oh...

He's also used his first 'ever so well' too..

[Doug]

“He made the lad commit and go to ground and that’s what Chrissy Taylor can do. He can run with the ball."

Uh oh...

He's also used his first 'ever so well' too..

Don't worry, it will be used against him by the usual suspects if things go t*ts up!!

[Stuart]

Don't worry, it will be used against him by the usual suspects if things go t*ts up!!

Nobody expects contrition from the wound-licking side of the fence but contribution would be a start. It's the start of a new era for Rovers. Let's all try to stay on side for at least the five minutes!

[Ewooduknow]

Don't worry, it will be used against him by the usual suspects if things go t*ts up!!

All a load of Ballcocks. Just typical manager speak. Most of them do it.

[gumboots]

there are only so many ways to say the same thing - as long as results and eventually performances merit the language, I'll forgive him what he says. It was the fact that we on the terraces could see that things weren't going ever so well and yet Bowyer kept saying it that grated, not the use of the phrase per se. Great that we won yesterday. Looking forward to being back at Ewood on Saturday, even though I have to visit Blackburn hospital first. Will tell them I need to be out on time!

[Mercer]

Yesterday was a bit on an eye opener sat amongst the PNE fans. This continued after the match on the way out and on the walk back to the car. Grayson was getting some slating. Terms like 'long ball merchant', 'out of his depth', 'clueless' and these were some of the polite ones ! The guy has just got them promoted and to be honest, I thought they played some pretty good stuff yesterday, especially in the first half and down their left hand side.

Of more interest to Rovers' fans were some of the comments made about Lambert. They think we've got a winner and we will be right up there in the mix come the end of the season. I did sense more than a degree of envy and fear and they still look upon Rovers as a 'bigger' club despite the nonsense that was spouted by some of the PNE lot on here pre match.

[Pedro]

It could be the reason why he chose Rovers over the other offers he received.

Lambert has to make a success of this first job after the Villa sacking so coming into a club where the fundamental problem has been management and coaching and not the players is a more certain route to visibly being a success.

I agree entirely.

Apart from the desire to manage a massive club like Man Utd or Liverpool, Lambert can really set his stall out and achieve what he needs to with us...providing the owners keep their part of the deal and leave him to it.

We have superb training facilities, a decent ground, multi - billionaire owners, a town full of supporters who WANT to be reconnected with the club they once loved and the majority can be enticed back. I think he sees the job like I do, a challenge but one that can be massively rewarding and entirely achievable...some of us actually like to get our teeth into something like that.

Don't underestimate how big a deal that clean sweep was through the coaching setup at Ewood was. It was game changing. It showed that somebody, somewhere knows football and not only that, they are influential to the owners. They have their ear and they have OUR best interests at heart (both as a club and us as supporters). Sure someone will respond to this with the old 'Venkys, Pune-tics' arguement - which is fair enough, they can draw on a lot of evidence (especially up until the Bowyer era)...but something HAS changed and a fair few conspiracy theories have been disproven.

We are a promotion away from seeing something special here. We are a short run of results away from instilling some genuine belief in the fan base. It isn't going to be easy but if the V's butt out, leave him to it and send some transfer cash his way, I honestly can see promotion happening in the next two seasons. Already, the light at the end of the tunnel is increasing in size and I am relieved as much as I am excited.

[roverandout]

If venkys can get rovers back up then they have reset their incompetence level back to 0 from minus 50, any success after that they will be in the plus, they need to spend in Jan though if they can get out of the embargo, I have a feeling Lambert will intice some interesting names, hopefully some exciting times ahead....at last!!

[patrickvalery]

If venkys can get rovers back up then they have reset their incompetence level back to 0 from minus 50, any success after that they will be in the plus, they need to spend in Jan though if they can get out of the embargo, I have a feeling Lambert will intice some interesting names, hopefully some exciting times ahead....at last!!

Not for me. It doesn't get fixed that easily. When Sam left we were a mid table premier league club. That's what they inherited and that's where they need to return us to before I consider the slate wiped clean. However, should they find a way out of the ffp embargo and continue to make sensible decisions like Lambert, then it at least shows they are on the right track.

[arbitro]

Another mention of the the intensity and interestingly he says he is prepared to sacrifice a few injuries to get them to where he wants to be.

http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/tom-lawrence-blackburn-rovers-preston-north-end-paul-lambert-2813312.aspx

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just seen the highlights. It's a good job that pen was right in the corner ! Nice little bit of play that led up to it as well. Their guy that sent himself off must be an idiot. 50 yards to run and a defender coming in from the other side and he pulls our guy back ! Brain dead.

[Steve Moss]

Not for me. It doesn't get fixed that easily. When Sam left we were a mid table premier league club. That's what they inherited and that's where they need to return us to before I consider the slate wiped clean. However, should they find a way out of the ffp embargo and continue to make sensible decisions like Lambert, then it at least shows they are on the right track.

Venkys have made many mistakes, but I don't think they were malicious mistakes. They trusted the wrong people.

I'm not excusing them, but if they have the best interests of the club at heart and work to correct their mistakes, they can redeem themselves.

They've made a good start with the coaching staff. Now let's see if they provide funds to Lambert. And if he can get us promoted in the next season or two, then I for one am more than willing to reset my view on Venkys. They're in a hole but they can, with effort and sensible advice, pull themselves out of it.

[Ewooduknow]

When Grayson got the PNE job they were a bottom half league 1 standard outfit. Amazing how short some peoples memories are.

[Rover_Shaun]

Grayson, like Garner, is a multiple failure at this level. League 1 is his glass ceiling