[Archived] Official: Paul Lambert Appointed Blackburn Rovers Manager

[JHRover]

I'm not understanding the on-going love-in for Sheffield Wednesday.

Granted they have been on a decent run of form (something like 12 unbeaten prior to getting hammered at Charlton last week), a run which contained many draws and their highest position all season has been 8th in the league (similar stuff to what we had under Bowyer a couple of seasons ago).

They comfortably dispatched Arsenal in the League Cup but that is a competition that Arsenal never take seriously.

Then I had a look at their squad and again I wonder where this quality is that everyone seems to be in awe of at the moment. Forestieri is a quality player at this level, and Joao seems to be scoring a lot, but their starting eleven still contains average plodders like Ross Wallace, Loovens and Nuhiu.

I think they are like Forest - the neutral's favourites. Everyone seems quick to jump on the bandwagon because they've signed a few foreigners and got a fancy new head coach running things.

[had.e.nuff]

Lambert has already said he is willing to risk injuries in order to get the fitness levels he wants.

I doubt when he was watching Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich he was seeing too many players being carried off the training pitch.

I think most of he players for those clubs are good pros and keep their fittness at a good level all year round and there will be no boozy weekends away and years of easy training like our lot

[K-Hod]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/14095972.Paul_Lambert__Fan_and_player_unity_going_to_be_key_for_Blackburn_Rovers/-

“It’s early doors and it’s a group of lads where probably mediocre has been accepted at the football club and, as I said the other day, if you accept mediocre, that’s what you’re going to get'.....

[RevidgeBlue]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/14095972.Paul_Lambert__Fan_and_player_unity_going_to_be_key_for_Blackburn_Rovers/-

“It’s early doors and it’s a group of lads where probably mediocre has been accepted at the football club and, as I said the other day, if you accept mediocre, that’s what you’re going to get'.....

What a refreshing approach. When he took over we had seventeen points from 16 games. I hope he is telling them we are now playing a 30 game season from which we need a minimum of 60 points to get us into the play offs.

Step 1 successfully negotiated. 29 to go.

[J*B]

Four hours on a Sunday in 0.5°, the day after winning a derby. Now we are talking.

[patrickvalery]

Well we heard an awful lot about the squad being comprised of good people. It was high on Bowyer's list of priorities. If they're being called in for training the day after a win then we'll soon see if they are all a good bunch of lads. Any discontent will soon become apparent I imagine.

I also noticed he made a deliberate enforcement of the word 'men'. Well 'proper men' I think he said. Don't think this is a coincidence either. We kept being told how young the squad is in the last few years. If they believed themselves to be boys then they believe they are permitted to make the mistakes boys make. Make them believe they're men and give them the responsibility for their actions. Make them believe they can compete. Quite clever stuff from Lambo really.

[Neal]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/14095972.Paul_Lambert__Fan_and_player_unity_going_to_be_key_for_Blackburn_Rovers/-

“It’s early doors and it’s a group of lads where probably mediocre has been accepted at the football club and, as I said the other day, if you accept mediocre, that’s what you’re going to get'.....

Christ on a bike... He ain't half taken a massive dump on Bowyer in this past week!

[Tony Diamond Inc]

Don't think the subs will be allowed to stroll around at half time chatting to each other and kicking a ball every so often, anyway.

well they did!

[DE.]

well they did!

Good thing we won the match, then.

[Al]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/14095972.Paul_Lambert__Fan_and_player_unity_going_to_be_key_for_Blackburn_Rovers/-

“It’s early doors and it’s a group of lads where probably mediocre has been accepted at the football club and, as I said the other day, if you accept mediocre, that’s what you’re going to get'.....

I know it's an accepted term these days but it was always "early days" which makes a lot more sense than "early doors". I think it was that clown Glenn Hoddle who first changed it.

[Amo]

I know it's an accepted term these days but it was always "early days" which makes a lot more sense than "early doors". I think it was that clown Glenn Hoddle who first changed it.

Actually, that particular malapropism originated from Brian Clough of all people.

[gumboots]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/uptodate/2010/11/101116_kyeutd_early_doors_page.shtml

Origin of phrase

[speeeeeeedie]

Christ on a bike... He ain't half taken a massive dump on Bowyer in this past week!

He really is. The new manager has said at different times over the last week that the players were on easy street. That's all I read about Bowyer on here.

Lambert did come out with this one though;

"If we can get the supporters believing in what we’re trying to do."

It must be a Scottish saying.

[hollowsr]

Just been looking at some of the stats from Saturday and Bowyer's last match in charge at home v Brentford. Before going forward I have to say that I didn't think it was a great performance going forward at PNE but the defence held strong, something we regularly failed to do under Bowyer. And also I realise that stats don't tell the full story by any stretch

Good Points:

• It seemed to me the midfield were a lot more resolute and determined on Saturday compared to recent games, tackles won rising from an awful 9% to 50% is a massive improvement
• Overall interceptions showing that we are getting stuck in and whilst we did sit back more than we would have liked, especially later on in the game it shows that we weren't afraid to get involved earlier on.
• We had more shots compared to Brentford at home.
• Tackles overall also increased

Bad Points:

• Passing, as we could all see there was a lot of long ball, and so passes completed fell 15%, however it could be argued that passes v Brentford could often be short passes with no real product.
• Take ons also fell dramatically
• Steele's passing, 8% is very low indeed and means we give possession away a lot from his goal kicks. This surprised me as in the warms up he was put through an exercise of finding split defenders on either side of the pitch, however when it came to the game he constantly launched them forward.

Random Notes:

• Number of crosses was less than half yet actual shots were up but chances created only slightly less, showing that the crosses v Brentford were generally of poor quality.
• Aerial duels showing as 52% I don't quite get but I can only gather that because PNE weren't jumping they weren't classing it as a duel
• That is also the most interceptions we have made in one game all season

Call me sad but just some interesting points, some things to build on but also some very encouraging early signs, especially without the ball

PNE Brentford

Shots 11 9

Passing 57% 72%

Chances Created 6 8

Crossing 12 26

Take Ons 10 24

Possession 41% 48%

Tackles 50% 35%

Aerial Duels 52% 57%

Interceptions 23 13

Clearances 73 18

Steele’s Passing 8% 38%

Back 4 Passing 46% 70%

Midfield 4 Passing 65% 77%

Back 4 Tackles 46% 58%

Back 4 Aerials 63% 82%

Back 4 Interceptions 16 8

Midfield 4 Tackles 50% 9%

*Can't get it into table format thanks to the messageboard, sorry

[yoda]

Seemed busy enough to me tonight

Thought you had high standards MM, were the groupies in ?

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Being as sad as you hollowsr (and a big fan of the Big Sam school of stats in football), I though that was a great post!

I noticed more long-balls too but unlike most fans I don't have any problem with that at all. Passing the ball out from the back is always more risky and is a tactic that high pressing (e.g. Jurgen Klopp's teams) is specifically designed to exploit. The "arm across the chest" way of tackling and referees' approach of never classing it as a foul or obstruction means its extremely difficult to take someone on in modern football unless a player has blistering pace. So more and more attacks come from intercepting the opposition's passing move rather than from a passing move of your own. Dyche played long-ball constantly to Ings and Vokes when Burnley got promoted, it didn't seem to get highlighted because it seems to depend on who the media decide plays it (or who uses it against the PL top 4 successfully) rather than which teams are actually playing it.

[den]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/14095972.Paul_Lambert__Fan_and_player_unity_going_to_be_key_for_Blackburn_Rovers/-

“It’s early doors and it’s a group of lads where probably mediocre has been accepted at the football club and, as I said the other day, if you accept mediocre, that’s what you’re going to get'.....

Fantastic. Well said Paul Lambert.

Rovers fans - don't ever let people tell you that we can't ever do better. Dont give time to any future manager telling you to settle for mediocrity. We've had too many of those already.

[K-Hod]

Fantastic. Well said Paul Lambert.

Rovers fans - don't ever let people tell you that we can't ever do better. Dont give time to any future manager telling you to settle for mediocrity. We've had too many of those already.

Lambert hit the nail on the head for me. Too many willing to accept mediocrity where Rovers were concerned.

You shouldn't accept that in life, so why expect that from your football club?

[rigger]

Early doors, what a fantastic series. I laugh myself silly watching it.

[Mercer]

Thought you had high standards MM, were the groupies in ?

Ha ha - have a few connections in Whittle-le-Woods and on Buckshaw so there aren't too many pubs/restaurants round that neck of the woods that I haven't been in. There are some decent ones and some average ones! Think the best food offering is at The Dressers.

[yoda]

Ha ha - have a few connections in Whittle-le-Woods and on Buckshaw so there aren't too many pubs/restaurants round that neck of the woods that I haven't been in. There are some decent ones and some average ones! Think the best food offering is at The Dressers.

Not tried the Dressers since the refurb, hope it hasn't turned into a ping restaurant (like the Buckshaw ones)

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The phrase " acceptance of the mediocre " just about sums it up really.

[sambo]

I'm just happy we have a manager who actually talks up the squad and the potential of the club.

Much better than constant hard luck stories and being happy with mediocrity. I'm confident that the more GB repeated they were playing well, the more they started to believe it. If his dressing room talk was anything like in the media, then the constant praise for 'having a right good go' and the way he said we had only played badly 3 times in 2 seasons (at the BRAG event) would have surely ingrained in the player's mindsets. The lauding of poor/average displays was extremely tiresome and only works to lower expectations among players, staff and supporters. Glad Lambert has addressed this.

[Mercer]

Not tried the Dressers since the refurb, hope it hasn't turned into a ping restaurant (like the Buckshaw ones)

Nope - different league. If you try, booking advisable - can be done online. Like the way it's finished inside and always has a 'warm feel' - food is 'step up' from normal pub food.

[chor808]

Nope - different league. If you try, booking advisable - can be done online. Like the way it's finished inside and always has a 'warm feel' - food is 'step up' from normal pub food.

But they got rid of the pool table