[Archived] Official: Paul Lambert Appointed Blackburn Rovers Manager

[Gav]

I don't think we've improved in terms of product yet. Looking at the way we are scoring and defending, I'd say he's started off doing basics.

According to one I know who went yesterday, and the other two games I've seen- we are defending much better. Back four as a group.

Still some individual errors but it's certainly improvement. We've also scored 6 goals in 3 games from set pieces which is something I've wanted us to improve on in this league for some time!

The football at Preston was woeful at times, i believe it was similar yesterday until they went down to 10, but we're getting results and thats the difference, under Bowyer we'd probably have 2/3 points from 9.

We need 2 good quality additions at least to have any chance of going up in my opinion, we also need to stay injury free, so it'll be a real struggle this season but next season could be different.

[AllRoverAsia]

Just noticed that not only have we got Lambert, Irvine and Rob Kelly...Malkie McKay is also training Rovers (voluntarily )

Even managers want to learn of the best!

Maybe another ex manager should have done a voluntary shift at Brockhall too - he might have learnt something.

[Swanson]

Just noticed that not only have we got Lambert, Irvine and Rob Kelly...Malkie McKay is also training Rovers (voluntarily )

Where did you see that ?

[Pedro]

If you go to the link on the Championship page (about Bowyer) scroll right down and it's there. I think it has snuck under the radar.

Here's the link in the Sun:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/6786218/The-Boss-of-goss-David-Moyes-cool-over-return-to-Premier-League-management.html

[Neal]

People talking about the football not being great need to give their head a wobble. Unbelievable.

[K-Hod]

It's a results business, simple as that. Performances will come with time. New manager bounce or not, it's a better points tally from 3 games than I believe GB would have achieved.

[AllRoverAsia]

In 3 games under PL we have 2 wins and 1 draw, 7 points out of 9 with 6 goals for and 3 against and with the goals being shared around with Rhodes yet to get back to scoring as we all know he can.

These are all good signs of an upturn and really good to see our CBs getting top reviews.

All of this is down to PL.

I know the weather is bloody miserable back home but please don't pliss on the parade - enjoy the moment we've all waited a long time for something to cheer about.

Must say it's good to be getting the penalty decisions in our favour

[oldjamfan1]

Just noticed that not only have we got Lambert, Irvine and Rob Kelly...Malkie McKay is also training Rovers (voluntarily )

Its his community service reparation work for being racist - voluntary work for an Asian company.

[patrickvalery]

Its his community service reparation work for being racist - voluntary work for an Asian company.

The last time someone volunteered to work for them they ended up with their own office at Brockhall, working 24hrs a day and raking in more cash than he could spend on brylcreem. We ended up with the new Chris Smalling (but what a tackle), less money than a one legged hooker, and a buck tooth Argentinian with a hill-billy haircut.

We really need to improve the vetting on these work experience boys we bring in.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

People talking about the football not being great need to give their head a wobble. Unbelievable.

Couldn't agree more. I think it comes across as quite spoilt and entitled when Man U fans do it whilst being well in the title race.

Hearing our fans do it when everything about the club except Rhodes and the manager is bottom half/mid table is laughable. We've watched us consistently slide down the tables for 4 years and the demand is STILL not only to win but to win with style? I can guarantee those fans will never be happy. Lambert is simply a good manager, hes not blummin Ferguson or Shankly.

[yoda]

Couldn't agree more. I think it comes across as quite spoilt and entitled when Man U fans do it whilst being well in the title race.

Hearing our fans do it when everything about the club except Rhodes and the manager is bottom half/mid table is laughable. We've watched us consistently slide down the tables for 4 years and the demand is STILL not only to win but to win with style? I can guarantee those fans will never be happy. Lambert is simply a good manager, hes not blummin Ferguson or Shankly.

Yet

[Neal]

Couldn't agree more. I think it comes across as quite spoilt and entitled when Man U fans do it whilst being well in the title race.

Hearing our fans do it when everything about the club except Rhodes and the manager is bottom half/mid table is laughable. We've watched us consistently slide down the tables for 4 years and the demand is STILL not only to win but to win with style? I can guarantee those fans will never be happy. Lambert is simply a good manager, hes not blummin Ferguson or Shankly.

It's not just the fact that he's only been here a matter of weeks but it's the fact that he's inherited a squad thats not his own... At this point the players he's put out there could hardly have performed better. A couple of additions might improve existing player performances but we'll have to wait till January to see if that's the case.

On top of that, the performance in the first half against Wednesday was excellent, we made them look very poor and by some accounts we played some decent stuff yesterday too.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Couldn't agree more. I think it comes across as quite spoilt and entitled when Man U fans do it whilst being well in the title race.

Hearing our fans do it when everything about the club except Rhodes and the manager is bottom half/mid table is laughable. We've watched us consistently slide down the tables for 4 years and the demand is STILL not only to win but to win with style? I can guarantee those fans will never be happy. Lambert is simply a good manager, hes not blummin Ferguson or Shankly.

So I presume you were happy when we were top of the Championship under Kean but playing rubbish ?

Sorry - a low blow I realise - but at some point performances have to improve or the results won't continue.

The hope is that results breed confidence - and as PL's style of play is better adopted - we start to match improved performances to continued good results.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

So I presume you were happy when we were top of the Championship under Kean but playing rubbish ?

Sorry - a low blow I realise - but at some point performances have to improve or the results won't continue.

The hope is that results breed confidence - and as PL's style of play is better adopted - we start to match improved performances to continued good results.

I agree, we've had a bit of luck recently. Sooner or later that will run out. We need to be playing better by then.

[Pedro]

I agree, we've had a bit of luck recently. Sooner or later that will run out. We need to be playing better by then.

People overlook that we have had bad luck too. We've hit the woodwork a couple of times and it's gone away from goal. Hanley hurt himself trying to score and wasn't there ten seconds later to deal with Sheffield's equaliser. Also, their first goal I seem to remember their man stupidly hitting the post and it going to their other man to tap in.

I'm going to be optimistic and greedy and say, I can't wait for ALL of the luck to come our way AND Rhodes to start firing ☺

[tonyoz]

When's Duffy going to stop costing the first team points chaddy and start earning the team points ?

Some interesting facts (data from whoscored.com):

• Duffy is our most highly rated player and 8th overall in the full Championship list (7.44).
• He is the only Rover to make the November Championship Team of the Month.
• He has won more aerial balls than any other player in the division (Joe Garner is 2nd).
• He has made more clearances than any other player in the division.
• He has more Man of the Match awards (3) than any other Rover.
• Our 2 central defenders were the most highly rated players on the pitch yesterday.

[DE.]

Some interesting facts (data from whoscored.com):

• Duffy is our most highly rated player and 8th overall in the full Championship list (7.44).
• He is the only Rover to make the November Championship Team of the Month.
• He has won more aerial balls than any other player in the division (Joe Garner is 2nd).
• He has made more clearances than any other player in the division.
• He has more Man of the Match awards (3) than any other Rover.
• Our 2 central defenders were the most highly rated players on the pitch yesterday.

That's certainly interesting. If he can learn to direct his attacking headers at goal we'll be sorted.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrsc7/episodes/downloads

Good BBC Scotland interview with PL 35 minutes in.

[JAL]

<p>

Some interesting facts (data from whoscored.com):

• Duffy is our most highly rated player and 8th overall in the full Championship list (7.44).
• He is the only Rover to make the November Championship Team of the Month.
• He has won more aerial balls than any other player in the division (Joe Garner is 2nd).
• He has made more clearances than any other player in the division.
• He has more Man of the Match awards (3) than any other Rover.
• Our 2 central defenders were the most highly rated players on the pitch yesterday.

He was reasonable yesterday Tony though he did put the team under pressure first half from a poor cross field pass out but Bristol lacked the class to punish Rovers and then missed a one on one with Frankie Bristol City's goalkeeper.

First time I've seen him play but was impressed with Hope Akpan thought he had a good game yesterday.

[Mani]

Really really impressed so far.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I'm not expecting massive overnight improvement , that's not going to happen. We've been disorganised for too long. It'll take time and maybe a change of personnel to get us playing the way Lambert wants us to play.

[Mattyblue]

As others have said, I'm reminded of Hughes' early days, his first season was all about organisation and increasing the fitness of a demotviated bunch of players.

He built his team aroud the likes of Andy Todd, BullyBoy/Blackeye Rovers and all that. With the basics covered, performances gradually improved.

[K-Hod]

After the 5 and a half years we've had under this lot, I don't blame anyone celebrating a semblance of normality over-zealously!

[arbitro]

The 'euphoria' I am feeling is nothing like I have felt in the past when we were a 'normal' club but everything is relative so I guess for many it is euphoria tempered with a big dose of relief, relief that after half a decade of shambles there is at last something to be optimistic about.

As I have said many times at professional level it is ALL about winning football matches and Lambert has made a good fist of this thus far.

[RevidgeBlue]

People talking about the football not being great need to give their head a wobble. Unbelievable.

That has to be about right. PL came in with one task for me To try and get 60 points from 30 games which should secure a play off spot. With seven points from the first 3 games we're slightly ahead of the 8 ball already and would move even further ahead if we could somehow win the next two home games by hook or by crook. PL's biggest challenge will be removing the players' prevailing mentality that it doesn't really matter if we don't follow up last week's excellent win with a back to back victory. You can accommodate the odd draw and hail it as a decent result in certain circumstances if you''ve won the previous two or three. But not if you've also drawn four out of the last five etc.

If there was no question at all of winning or achieving anything this season ( i.e. making the play offs) then I'd want to see some entertaining football or a significant improvement in our style of play. You've got to have something to keep you going. That's my reservation about big Sam really if there's no question whatsoever of winning anything and you're only going to finish mid table at best, then given a choice I'd rather finish mid table and be entertained than be bored witless by the style of football.

That's a completely separate argument though. For now the results take precedence.