[Archived] Official: Paul Lambert Appointed Blackburn Rovers Manager

[JBiz]

The thing I'm finding hard to take with PL is the supposed experience has done little for individual consistency. We almost seemed bereft of ideas before the changes in the line up, but today too many reverted back to type after the boro performance.

Obviously, it's well worth taking the enforced changes into account. That's certainly another example of the bad luck that's plagued the entire season - the handball goal set a tone.

I don't read comments in the press with anything but mild interest - it doesnt mean anything but I was pleased it wasn't trotted out as an excuse.

Pl will get as long as he needs from me because it's the same scenario with the owners. I think he needs the summer badly though, we need investment. If it's a meagre sum, it needs to be wise.

After initial annoyance, I'm more focused on Tuesday now as I expect PL to muster a response. Whilst performances would be nice, we need to win - ugly if necessary.

[JAL]

Come on fellas, no matter how much you rate him Rhodes would've made zero difference in today's game.

The bigger worry is that the reason for the sale was to change the way we play yet I saw none of that today. Let's hope Tuesday is when we see what has been promised by the manager.

Second half I couldn't see a visible left winger in front of Spurr plus young Lenihan in front of Marshall offered absolutely zero to the teams attacking capabilities. TWatts and Jackson looked very poor and the only runner and potentially best player seemed to be stuck at right back instead of playing further upfield and there's the sub at number 9 - can't post what I really feel here unfortunately.

[gumboots]

What you want to say is if brown is the answer we can't even begin to think what the question must have been. A worse performance is difficult to imagine. He could have had a hull shirt on, so adept was he at getting in the way of his teammates who must have been wishing they had gone down to 10 men rather than bring him on

[jw_]

The thing that drives me mad is the inconsistency, quite a few players (even Brown) have had terrific games now and again but never seem to be able to repeat it consistently. The newcomers have all showed flashes of real talent but again it is not evident in subsequent games and it also translates to the team overall being inconsistent. How many times do they raise hopes with a good performance only to disappoint drastically in the following game, I just can't understand it but on the plus side they're just as likely to go out and thrash Fulham, thereby proving how inconsistent they are, well one can hope.

[Neil Weaver]

JW, it's long been my thinking that consistency is the difference between the top players and the also-rans in most sports. I know there are exceptions but it's true for the most part. Most players can have the odd blinder - think Josh King vs Stoke for an example close to home - but maintaining it is what separates King from performers like, say, Defoe. It's a symptom of the place we're in - mid to lower half of the Championship - that we have inconsistent players. Unearthing a 'gem' for the most part is turning a King into a consistent performer. That's the role of management/coaches to my mind.

[jw_]

JW, it's long been my thinking that consistency is the difference between the top players and the also-rans in most sports. I know there are exceptions but it's true for the most part. Most players can have the odd blinder - think Josh King vs Stoke for an example close to home - but maintaining it is what separates King from performers like, say, Defoe. It's a symptom of the place we're in - mid to lower half of the Championship - that we have inconsistent players. Unearthing a 'gem' for the most part is turning a King into a consistent performer. That's the role of management/coaches to my mind.

Agreed and that's the unpleasant truth that I was hoping we wouldn't have to face when PL arrived as I firmly believed in his abilities. However it's obviously not going to happen overnight and is still a work in progress and only time (which he needs) will tell.

[Stuart]

JW, it's long been my thinking that consistency is the difference between the top players and the also-rans in most sports. I know there are exceptions but it's true for the most part. Most players can have the odd blinder - think Josh King vs Stoke for an example close to home - but maintaining it is what separates King from performers like, say, Defoe. It's a symptom of the place we're in - mid to lower half of the Championship - that we have inconsistent players. Unearthing a 'gem' for the most part is turning a King into a consistent performer. That's the role of management/coaches to my mind.

Good post.

[JBiz]

Agreed and that's the unpleasant truth that I was hoping we wouldn't have to face when PL arrived as I firmly believed in his abilities. However it's obviously not going to happen overnight and is still a work in progress and only time (which he needs) will tell.

Exactly- if there's one thing BRFC fans should know about it's having some patience!

We waited 5 years for a manager and two came at once (Irvine!)

[Baz]

Hull are a team full of ex PL players and where far and away better than us, let's also not forget we went into the 90 minutes without 3 late withdrawals in key positions.

Yes we need to get some pace in the side, but we also need to get rid of 'punt it as hard as you can upfield' plodders like Duffy, who is good in the air, but terrible on the floor, and not very mobile.

[tomphil]

One of the things that angered me most yesterday was leaving Marshall at RB whilst we were losing and Henley was on the bench. Yes I know Marshall hasn't really torn any trees up in his natural position this season but on a day when we are struggling to create anything or get past a man surely it was worth trying.

PL keeps harping on that he sees Marshall as playing further forwards but he worryingly put his faith in his own men like Jackson and Bennett first. BM is far more proven than those two and has far more to offer going forwards than them. As someone who has a goal or two in him surely playing one side of the diamond might suit him, get him running in on goal and there's a chance he'll come up with something.

[Doug]

One of the things that angered me most yesterday was leaving Marshall at RB whilst we were losing and Henley was on the bench. Yes I know Marshall hasn't really torn any trees up in his natural position this season but on a day when we are struggling to create anything or get past a man surely it was worth trying.

PL keeps harping on that he sees Marshall as playing further forwards but he worryingly put his faith in his own men like Jackson and Bennett first. BM is far more proven than those two and has far more to offer going forwards than them. As someone who has a goal or two in him surely playing one side of the diamond might suit him, get him running in on goal and there's a chance he'll come up with something.

Marshal hasn't had a decent game playing RM for a long time and he looks and plays like he enjoys RB and does get forward a lot.

Playing attacking FB's gives us a good options going forward (Spurr is not capable by the way) and I wish we had a similar LB.

[tomphil]

Marshal hasn't had a decent game playing RM for a long time and he looks and plays like he enjoys RB and does get forward a lot.

Playing attacking FB's gives us a good options going forward (Spurr is not capable by the way) and I wish we had a similar LB.

Fair enough but he wasn't getting forwards much yesterday and when losing you really need to pull out all the stops. Throwing on Bennett and Brown was like hoisting the white flag

Agree on Spurr but it's a massive error of judgement to ask someone like him to play that way in the first place and it nearly proved costly a few times in the first half.

[G Somerset Rover]

Goals on Sunday: Rovers have picked up 4 points out of the last 27 available. Jesus wept.

[donnermeat]

One of the things that angered me most yesterday was leaving Marshall at RB whilst we were losing and Henley was on the bench. Yes I know Marshall hasn't really torn any trees up in his natural position this season but on a day when we are struggling to create anything or get past a man surely it was worth trying.

PL keeps harping on that he sees Marshall as playing further forwards but he worryingly put his faith in his own men like Jackson and Bennett first. BM is far more proven than those two and has far more to offer going forwards than them. As someone who has a goal or two in him surely playing one side of the diamond might suit him, get him running in on goal and there's a chance he'll come up with something.

I agree tomphil. There's been a number of occasions this season where we needed him further up the pitch more, I know Henley isn't exactly the best replacement at RB but several times we've needed his creativity in the final third. Also as a full back I think he gets beaten on the outside far too many times, can't blame him though as it's not his natural position.

It shows that we are where we are when arguably our best player, Marshall, is the absolute definition of inconsistency. Teams never get anywhere when this is the case.

[Doug]

Fair enough but he wasn't getting forwards much yesterday and when losing you really need to pull out all the stops. Throwing on Bennett and Brown was like hoisting the white flag

Agree on Spurr but it's a massive error of judgement to ask someone like him to play that way in the first place and it nearly proved costly a few times in the first half.

I thought he got forward very well yesterday, mainly in the first half and looked like our most dangerous outlet in the first half.

Bennett wasn't too bad when he came on but I'm not suggesting he's the answer as I've not seen enough of him.

Spurr and Brown are not good enough, I have seen enough of them!

Another concern I keep papping on about is Conway as he is rapidly starting to look like a player out of his depth. .

[tomphil]

Henley is really going to have to be replaced as well I think. Everyone who's in charge of the team at Rovers seems to play him a few games then drop him. There obviously must be something they don't like about his ability or whatever as it's been happening for years now. He's had enough chances to prove himself.

On Marshall I think he might be a decent option at full back in a strong decent team but when your a struggling team it seems a bit of a waste. Unless of course you put the emphasis on him belting forwards at every opportunity but playing good sides that isn't going to be allowed to happen. He's no Bert Emerton

I thought he got forward very well yesterday, mainly in the first half and looked like our most dangerous outlet in the first half.

Bennett wasn't too bad when he came on but I'm not suggesting he's the answer as I've not seen enough of him.

Spurr and Brown are not good enough, I have seen enough of them!

Another concern I keep papping on about is Conway as he is rapidly starting to look like a player out of his depth. .

Conways dip in form is worrying although he had a similar quite long blip last season I think it was before he found his feet again. Another who doesn't seem very comfy under Lambert & co.

[G Somerset Rover]

Conway is a bit of a lost soul without a Gestede to aim for in the box.

[Commondore]

Conway has suffered these slumps in form ever since he came to Ewood, it seems to be a very unfortunate trait in an otherwise good footballer. Still, as he and Marshall are our only non-strikers apart from Gomez likely to chip in with goals and assist, they have to play closer to goal than they're doing now. Get Coway off the bench, elevate Marshall from right back, and have them flanking Watt or Graham in some variation of 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 with Gomez pulling the string behind them.

[VinjayV4]

Exactly- if there's one thing BRFC fans should know about it's having some patience!

We waited 5 years for a manager and two came at once (Irvine!)

Not exactly a resounding success as a no 1 though was he...

[VinjayV4]

Lambert commenting on Grimes...

http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/matt-grimes-paul-lambert-2955049.aspx

[K-Hod]

He's not wrong, we've barely any lefties in the squad.

[Pedro]

It's the same bloke. You can't get much more of a like for like comparison!

Hahaha, quite true!

My point was meant to mean that he hadn't been trying very hard here of late, but off the back of getting the move he'd been trying to get for dome time, he'll up the effort.

[Peteb2014]

Conway has suffered these slumps in form ever since he came to Ewood, it seems to be a very unfortunate trait in an otherwise good footballer. Still, as he and Marshall are our only non-strikers apart from Gomez likely to chip in with goals and assist, they have to play closer to goal than they're doing now. Get Coway off the bench, elevate Marshall from right back, and have them flanking Watt or Graham in some variation of 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 with Gomez pulling the string behind them.

Conway was awful on Saturday he was supposed to have been starting on the bench and started due to illness in the warm up he should have been out to prove a point and show he shouldn't be on the bench. There was one point in the second half we had a break down the right and Bennett looked to switch the play instead Conway was walking up the pitch he should have been busting a gut

[Amo]

Conway was awful on Saturday he was supposed to have been starting on the bench and started due to illness in the warm up he should have been out to prove a point and show he shouldn't be on the bench. There was one point in the second half we had a break down the right and Bennett looked to switch the play instead Conway was walking up the pitch he should have been busting a gut

From the highlights, there was also a moment where Conway was bundled off the ball. Instead of playing to the whistle, he waited for the ref to call a foul (which he didn't) and thus let the Hull player carry on upfield.

[Baggie192]

Not exactly a resounding success as a no 1 though was he...

No but he is a very good coach going forward he'll pay off as a No. 2 for you