[Archived] How to turn around a team - what a difference a year makes

[Beta Ray Bill]

Just accidentally clicked on a link to the final table from last year and was surprised to be reminded of this...

15th Rovers

17th Reading

19th Huddersfield

20th Fulham

3 of this year's play off teams actually finished below us last year.   This isn't me pointing out "we've fallen so far" (we haven't really as we were poor last year too) just how far a team can turn around fortunes with the right focus, leadership and strategies.  

And just spotted that in 2014/15 the teams were 16th (Huddersfield), 17th (Fulham) and 19th (Reading).  Well below Rovers  (9th).

[Waggy76]

The others have proper owners, that is the big difference !   

[martonrover]

Just now, Waggy76 said:

The others have proper owners, that is the big difference !   

They also made imaginative managerial appointments.

[AllRoverAsia]

We meanwhile have produced the template for failure.

There is a fortune to be made in selling this template masterclass....its just finding the right market 

If Venkys stay we will be National League North within a decade and not playing at Ewood.

[davulsukur]

It's just a tragic reminder of exactly what Venkys will never give us.

[chaddyrovers]

Very good points by Beta..

Fulham, Huddetsfield and Reading all have a structure in place and spent money last summer. They had a proper transfer plan in place last summer. Under Coyle we didnt. 

Rovers will restructure the squad this summer and sign players to fit into Mowbray's formations and style of play. 

We will be looking at free transfers and loans this summer. Plus promote 3 or 4 academy players into the 1st team squad. Fisher, Tomlinson, Wharton and Doyle. 

 

 

[AllRoverAsia]

Mowbray said on walking out at Coventry: You cannot build a squad on loans frees and youth

Restructure: Ewood definition - cost cutting, dumbing down.

[jim mk2]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Very good points by Beta..

Fulham, Huddetsfield and Reading all have a structure in place and spent money last summer. They had a proper transfer plan in place last summer. Under Coyle we didnt. 

Rovers will restructure the squad this summer and sign players to fit into Mowbray's formations and style of play. 

We will be looking at free transfers and loans this summer. Plus promote 3 or 4 academy players into the 1st team squad. Fisher, Tomlinson, Wharton and Doyle. 

So there's a world of difference between what Fulham, Huddersfield and Reading, have done, and Rovers, and that we will be carrying on with the same broken system.

Is that what you're saying ? 

[McClarky]

I don't think it's the funding that's the problem at Rovers, it's the overall lack of organisation or direction.  There are plenty of good players you can get in on loans and frees nowadays if you have a proper scouting network and an idea of what you're trying to achieve but we don't have that. Fir me, having a go at Venkys for not putting money in is missing the point, our budget has been huge in recent years but all the money has been wasted as there has been no plan or direction and the club has allowed itself to become a vehicle for corruption.

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

So there's a world of difference between what Fulham, Huddersfield and Reading, have done, and Rovers, and that we will be carrying on with the same broken system.

Is that what you're saying ? 

What I was saying that the 3 clubs above have a proper structure in place like I said. We didnt. 

Just now, McClarky said:

I don't think it's the funding that's the problem at Rovers, it's the overall lack of organisation or direction.  There are plenty of good players you can get in on loans and frees nowadays if you have a proper scouting network and an idea of what you're trying to achieve but we don't have that. Fir me, having a go at Venkys for not putting money in is missing the point, our budget has been huge in recent years but all the money has been wasted as there has been no plan or direction and the club has allowed itself to become a vehicle for corruption.

Spot on. 

Now  we have director of football and head coach structure in place and hopefully we have a proper recruitment plan in place. Mowbray and Senior are close so hopefully this can work. 

We have scouts at the club so hopefully they have been scouting in Europe like Germany. 

 

[martonrover]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

What I was saying that the 3 clubs above have a proper structure in place like I said. We didnt. 

Spot on. 

Now  we have director of football and head coach structure in place and hopefully we have a proper recruitment plan in place. Mowbray and Senior are close so hopefully this can work. 

We have scouts at the club so hopefully they have been scouting in Europe like Germany. 

 

Or, more likely, our team will consist of youth players and those dredged from the bottom of Mrs Senior's barrel.

[AllRoverAsia]

A DoF structure in the Third Division? Cost cut Senior FFS.

A hard nosed experienced manager who will kick ass and play at least 2 serious cloggers is what's needed.

The lower you go in the leagues the more it becomes a mans game.

[bellamy11]

26 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

What I was saying that the 3 clubs above have a proper structure in place like I said. We didnt. 

Spot on. 

Now  we have director of football and head coach structure in place and hopefully we have a proper recruitment plan in place. Mowbray and Senior are close so hopefully this can work. 

We have scouts at the club so hopefully they have been scouting in Europe like Germany. 

 

To be safe you might want to get in touch with the club and let them know about this "Germany" place, just in case they weren't aware of it, Chad.

[Stuart]

2 hours ago, Beta Ray Bill said:

Just accidentally clicked on a link to the final table from last year and was surprised to be reminded of this...

15th Rovers

17th Reading

19th Huddersfield

20th Fulham

3 of this year's play off teams actually finished below us last year.   This isn't me pointing out "we've fallen so far" (we haven't really as we were poor last year too) just how far a team can turn around fortunes with the right focus, leadership and strategies.  

And just spotted that in 2014/15 the teams were 16th (Huddersfield), 17th (Fulham) and 19th (Reading).  Well below Rovers  (9th).

Interesting points.

The difference though, as you will be all too well aware, is money. You cannot build a new team capable of competing without any (and I'm not talking about a meagre transfer budget, I'm talking about zero). Certainly not if we are also selling our best players every window to pay the bills rather than reinvest in the first team.

Fulham sold McCormack for £12m and then reinvested. My personal opinion is that Lambert wanted to do the same with the Rhodes money and it was reneged on, with whatever "justification". The fact that he began making his exit from that point makes it very likely. Of course, some fans still like to blame Lambert and some laughable suggestion that they didn't trust him to spend it. (Seriously??)

Over the years we have seen the squad reduce in quality every season. Bowyer had a very decent Championship squad. Lambert wasn't able to bring in the players he wanted to shape his team - although he did sign two of our current best players (Graham and Bennett). Coyle brought in a couple of decent players in Williams and Hoban, to be fair, but was simply a crap manager. Mowbray had/has the job of trying to turn a patchwork of his predecessors part-teams and try to turn them into a team.

What happens this Summer, regardless of division, is vital. We are likely to be sub-10k gates every week and Venkys aren't likely to suddenly put their hands in their pockets so it's not clear how we have any chance of creating a team to reach (or stay in) the Championship, let alone get anywhere near promotion.

The likes of Fulham, Reading and Huddersfield have been busy rebuilding, while Rovers have been busy dismantling. There is no sign that this is likely to change apart from anecdotes about alleged fan conversations with Paul Senior. If these are true accounts then it's likely to be bravado with half an idea that he can use his silver tongue on Venkys to bring in the right players. But even ignoring the gut instinct that we are all being lied to (again) how can he do that if all communications go through Pasha? A bloke who won't even speak to fans.

Yes, what a difference a year makes but I worry greatly about what Rovers will look like in a years' time.

[jim mk2]

 

37 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

What I was saying that the 3 clubs above have a proper structure in place like I said. We didnt. 

Spot on. 

Now  we have director of football and head coach structure in place and hopefully we have a proper recruitment plan in place. Mowbray and Senior are close so hopefully this can work. 

We have scouts at the club so hopefully they have been scouting in Europe like Germany. 

 

The difference is Reading, Huddersfield and Fulham spent money - do you think that's likely, especially if we go down ? 

[McClarky]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

What I was saying that the 3 clubs above have a proper structure in place like I said. We didnt. 

Spot on. 

Now  we have director of football and head coach structure in place and hopefully we have a proper recruitment plan in place. Mowbray and Senior are close so hopefully this can work. 

We have scouts at the club so hopefully they have been scouting in Europe like Germany. 

 

Admire your positivity but can't see any hope of improvement under the current regime.

[roverandout]

4 hours ago, Beta Ray Bill said:

Just accidentally clicked on a link to the final table from last year and was surprised to be reminded of this...

15th Rovers

17th Reading

19th Huddersfield

20th Fulham

3 of this year's play off teams actually finished below us last year.   This isn't me pointing out "we've fallen so far" (we haven't really as we were poor last year too) just how far a team can turn around fortunes with the right focus, leadership and strategies.  

And just spotted that in 2014/15 the teams were 16th (Huddersfield), 17th (Fulham) and 19th (Reading).  Well below Rovers  (9th).

More chance of a comet hurtling towards earth and wiping venkys out than rovers turning it around next season

[roverandout]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Very good points by Beta..

Fulham, Huddetsfield and Reading all have a structure in place and spent money last summer. They had a proper transfer plan in place last summer. Under Coyle we didnt. 

Rovers will restructure the squad this summer and sign players to fit into Mowbray's formations and style of play. 

We will be looking at free transfers and loans this summer. Plus promote 3 or 4 academy players into the 1st team squad. Fisher, Tomlinson, Wharton and Doyle. 

 

 

Are you working for venkys? You seem to have so much knowledge...NOT!!!

[Commondore]

3 hours ago, martonrover said:

They also made imaginative managerial appointments.

...and in the cases o Reading and Hudds, those appointments haven't been able to invest heavily into their squads, who to most eyes would look mediocre (at best) for Championship level. Perhaps that says something about the quality of "shifty foreigners" against the "experienced heads" who keep getting hired in this league? 

[mustard]

3 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

What I was saying that the 3 clubs above have a proper structure in place like I said. We didnt. 

Spot on. 

Now  we have director of football and head coach structure in place and hopefully we have a proper recruitment plan in place. Mowbray and Senior are close so hopefully this can work. 

We have scouts at the club so hopefully they have been scouting in Europe like Germany. 

 

"We didn't"???...  No, we DON'T have a proper structure in place...  and to expect us to have it all sorted for next season is folly.

 

"We have scouts at the club"... We've had scouts at the club for as long as I've supported them...  Your point being?  I don't think the recruitment team has changed much.  In fact, I think it's been largely the same since Bowyer was in charge.

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, mustard said:

"We didn't"???...  No, we DON'T have a proper structure in place...  and to expect us to have it all sorted for next season is folly.

 

 

I am talking about a director of football/head coach structure.

Yes we don't have a proper CEO but Venkys don't wait that way. It isn't right either

[AllRoverAsia]

5 hours ago, bellamy11 said:

To be safe you might want to get in touch with the club and let them know about this "Germany" place, just in case they weren't aware of it, Chad.

That lot dont know where Fleetwood is let alone Wangerland.

[AllRoverAsia]

2 hours ago, mustard said:

"We didn't"???...  No, we DON'T have a proper structure in place...  and to expect us to have it all sorted for next season is folly.

 

"We have scouts at the club"... We've had scouts at the club for as long as I've supported them...  Your point being?  I don't think the recruitment team has changed much.  In fact, I think it's been largely the same since Bowyer was in charge.

The Scouts will be looking at schoolkids and Mrs S at loans and frees.

Mr S will be at his 'beautician'

[davulsukur]

As much as I don't trust senior, it will be interesting to see how he is able to back up his comments he made to a poster on here at the villa game (blueboy, I think it was) that we will have a better squad next season regardless of what league we are in.

With no cash to spend it's a bold claim, he certainly has some self belief.

[TBTF]

7 hours ago, AllRoverAsia said:

Mowbray said on walking out at Coventry: You cannot build a squad on loans frees and youth

Restructure: Ewood definition - cost cutting, dumbing down.

no don't worry folks .We have on record a phone call with Balaji promising Mowbray there would be fortunes to spend on players. We just had a year off this year but next year we will be breaking the bank to get promotion...........back to the championship.!!

With Swiss Tony in charge -don't forget he got Sheff Weds within a whisker of the PL and recruited players in League one who amassed 102 points all on his own.  Just nobody else in the world seems to know about it or where he did it. We are in good hands, Pasha, Senior, Cheston in the Uk and a bunch of useless chicken farmers in India-what could possibly go wrong?/