Jon Dahl Tomasson - Officially No Longer Our Head Coach

[Guest]

It's fairly clear to me that something was not right in the dressing room, and that it stemmed from the Head Coach. There are too many indicators to say otherwise.

We can applaud or criticise Tomasson's tactics, but man management looks as though it wasn't his strong point. You could easily argue that the latter is more important than the former.

[frosty]

2 hours ago, arbitro said:

And yet his style and approach was fine when we went on cup runs and were a whisker away from the playoffs. In fact everything seemed good until we went on a horrible run from December onwards. Players look to shift the blame too often for me and that is what Brittain is doing here.

Spot on.

Something else I found interesting is that the only Rovers players to like JDT's Instagram post about leaving Rovers (in which he did thank the players) were Leonard, Gallagher and Szmodics. Though Szmodics is the only Rovers player that follows him (and the only player JDT follows) so most may not have seen it....still though.

[Mattyblue]

End of the day that’s footballers for you. Just like Chaddy, they’ve moved on immediately and the king is dead, long live the king.

If removing a manager is all it’s taken for them to stop sulking, fine, just get some results. It’s why I don’t particularly get attached to them. It’s a transactional relationship both ways. 

[Groundhog]

22 minutes ago, DackDackGoose said:

It is interesting, as we were quite effective, gally won a lot of flick ons and Dolan was there to pick up. 'Releasing the shackles' were they really told not to cross it? Mad. We don't have a plan b target man mind.

I did think we didn't play amazingly also though, and Stoke were awful but had chances. We'd lose against a better team.

Going to be very interesting seeing how we play now, its a great jumping off point for Eustace my opinion. As JDT had some very positive attacking aspects drilled into them.

I suppose we may have an actual plan b now, go more direct, or pass it around and play possession as before, why we couldn't ease the pressure in previous games when we clearly under the cosh, the mind boggles. 

How many times have teams come to Ewood and got it forward with a few passes, played it into the channels, bypassing our entire midfield who are half-way up the pitch. Been frightening to watch.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

48 minutes ago, Groundhog said:

I suppose we may have an actual plan b now, go more direct, or pass it around and play possession as before, why we couldn't ease the pressure in previous games when we clearly under the cosh, the mind boggles. 

How many times have teams come to Ewood and got it forward with a few passes, played it into the channels, bypassing our entire midfield who are half-way up the pitch. Been frightening to watch.

Yeah, I remember than cup game against Big Club last season. For an hour we were having the best of it and should have been out of sight. Then  they brought that big striker on ) Jutkiewicz ? ) launched everything towards him, got players in and around him for the flick ons. By passed midfield completely, and we couldn’t deal with it.

Edited February 12 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

End of the day that’s footballers for you. Just like Chaddy, they’ve moved on immediately and the king is dead, long live the king.

If removing a manager is all it’s taken for them to stop sulking, fine, just get some results. It’s why I don’t particularly get attached to them. It’s a transactional relationship both ways. 

That plus they're all forgettable cloggers. 

[NeilInBristol]

1 hour ago, frosty said:

Spot on.

Something else I found interesting is that the only Rovers players to like JDT's Instagram post about leaving Rovers (in which he did thank the players) were Leonard, Gallagher and Szmodics. Though Szmodics is the only Rovers player that follows him (and the only player JDT follows) so most may not have seen it....still though.

I wouldn't take much notice of social media "likes" follows "etc this is all managed by professional accounts not the actual individual so it's not worth considering to much detail who " likes" what post

[Mattyblue]

4 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

That plus they're all forgettable cloggers. 

No arguments there, how many players have come in and out of this club since 2012? And how many have actually left any kind of positive impression on your memory?

[speedies gonna get ya.]

On 15/01/2024 at 18:11, speedies gonna get ya. said:

I don't claim to be ITK. I'm not regarding transfers etc. However, I do have contacts  around Brockhall.

JDT has totally lost the dressing room. He can only manage kids as the more experienced members of the squad won't listen to him. Travis was causing him issues around the place by questioning his tactics and selection. The squad are on the side of Travis and have downed tools. 

 

I posted this on Jan 15. After seeing the extra effort on sat. The desire to run, tackle and track back etc, I am absolutely certain the info I received was spot on. JDT may have been a refreshing change on media duties and at times the football was excellent  but the players didn't believe in him or the project. I know he was badly let down but you have be be pragmatic at times. You can only wee with the willy you've got. JDT never understood this or refused to so as not to tarnish his brand.

[Exiled_Rover]

29 minutes ago, speedies gonna get ya. said:

I posted this on Jan 15. After seeing the extra effort on sat. The desire to run, tackle and track back etc, I am absolutely certain the info I received was spot on. JDT may have been a refreshing change on media duties and at times the football was excellent  but the players didn't believe in him or the project. I know he was badly let down but you have be be pragmatic at times. You can only wee with the willy you've got. JDT never understood this or refused to so as not to tarnish his brand.

Well I know who will go on to have the most successful career and it's not the cloggers that downed tools. 

[Neal]

I think this speaks volumes about how the players had lost faith in JDT's philosophy. 

[aletheia]

57 minutes ago, speedies gonna get ya. said:

I posted this on Jan 15. After seeing the extra effort on sat. The desire to run, tackle and track back etc, I am absolutely certain the info I received was spot on. JDT may have been a refreshing change on media duties and at times the football was excellent  but the players didn't believe in him or the project. I know he was badly let down but you have be be pragmatic at times. You can only wee with the willy you've got. JDT never understood this or refused to so as not to tarnish his brand.

Sadly, I think you are correct. Such a shame really. But then JDT realised the project he had been sold was a lie, that he was surrounded by shite (I don't mean the players as such) and probably downed tools himself to some extent.

More  'utilitarian' it is then. 🙂

[Mattyblue]

The only manager that has ever used Gallagher properly was Coyle.

Edited February 12 by Mattyblue

[Leonard Venkhater]

30 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

The only manager that has ever used Gallagher properly was Coyle.

And Kean won away at Old Trafford...

[nbdrovers]

5 hours ago, Groundhog said:

Was chatting to my Dad this weekend after the Stoke game, who has witnessed far more football in his 74 years than I have, we're both delighted with the win but almost a deep frustration who it can take a change in manager to totally shift the players as a group. To him, having watched some of the most famous successful sides down the years, he finds it almost unbelievable that a team can be so wedded to a set of tactics even though it clearly ain't working, with players just doing what they are told. 

I'd like to know from people who have played to a decent level, how is t possible for teams to continue with systems that clearly aren't working, following them to the letter. What's it like in the dressing room? Is it just a case of the players with their heads down, shrugging their shoulders, "it's what the gaffer wants"...

Is it case of the game now being so professional that players carry out tactics regardless, or is coupled with the fact that we haven't had any real leaders or experience on the pitch to help manage certain situations - i.e at Turf Moor last season, "put your foot through it Clinton!"

I've been guilty of being jobsworth at times when certain bosses, managers and clients treat you in certain ways or tell you what to do even though you disagree - I suppose you just coast through, get it done and go home. It's so hard to imagine this happens in football, but it must like any job. 

If anything the game on Saturday made me more and more angry at the last 6 months of JDT's reign if I'm honest, that through this blind commitment to this style of play we're risking a dalliance with relegation.

I find Brittain's comments pretty revealing:

"As a group, we have spoken in the last week about using Gally's strengths. Hedgey coming in at the back post, we don't do it enough."

"I think we turn down crosses and we come out too much. We want to put the ball in dangerous areas and we did, it caused problems.

"I think it is a strength for me, crossing. It wasn't something the last gaffer wanted, it was a different style," he explained.

"The manager (Eustace) told us to take the shackles off, I think we did that today. I'm very excited to work under him."

They obviously know what they want, but under the previous regime couldn't do anything about it. I find it really frustrating.
 

great post. i find it fascinating that this outspoken nature of the players likely only exists because of how JDT empowered all of them when he first arrived; asking for presentations, opinions, ideas, thoughts. He opened the whole thing up and gave everybody a voice and it seems to have worked a charm. it's just a shame it came back to bite him a bit, even if it is now to our full advantage as a club with these players.

they're hungry and want to show the best of themselves, which is abundantly clear now. the "remove the shackles" comment, whether it's a direct quote or paraphrasing Eustace, tells it all.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, nbdrovers said:

He opened the whole thing up and gave everybody a voice and it seems to have worked a charm.

Perhaps the constant public irritation from Tomasson with the state of his squad got on their nerves.

Tomasson handled this extremely poorly in my opinion. He should have taken everything up with those above him behind closed doors, and got the players he did have well and truly onboard, up for every game, etc. Take away all of the interview fluff, and he was publicly belittling his own players. I bet some of these players couldn't wait to publicly get their own back a little.

[Mattyblue]

But then he has shone a light on Swag and Suhail, no more submarine management for them.

 

[nbdrovers]

42 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Perhaps the constant public irritation from Tomasson with the state of his squad got on their nerves.

Tomasson handled this extremely poorly in my opinion. He should have taken everything up with those above him behind closed doors, and got the players he did have well and truly onboard, up for every game, etc. Take away all of the interview fluff, and he was publicly belittling his own players. I bet some of these players couldn't wait to publicly get their own back a little.

i should've been clearer – worked a charm in respect of the players having and using their voice.

you're bob on though. it's clear he rubbed them up the wrong way at times and that was clear as day from the very start. i don't think "lost the dressing room" is much of an understatement.

Edited February 12 by nbdrovers

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, nbdrovers said:

i should've been clearer – worked a charm in respect of the players having and using their voice.

you're bob on though. it's clear he rubbed them up the wrong way at times and that was clear as day from the very start. i don't think "lost the dressing room" is much of an understatement.

Eustace said he was asked to come and enjoy working with the players. That, along with many awkward interviews with Tomasson, tells us a lot about what Tomasson thought of the players at his disposal.

OK, recruitment didn't go Tomasson's way, and whatever was thrown his way, he didn't seem to enjoy working with, but for all the talk of "team is number one", he gave up on that very team in my view. That has to be why the players gave up. If your boss can't be arsed, or doesn't think you're up to it, why bother?

Although it's only one game, the fight in the team on Saturday was something I hadn't seen for a long time. It was a joy to watch an imperfect performance where the players looked happy. More of the same, please.

Edited February 12 by goozburger

[speedies gonna get ya.]

It's simple really. Us Rovers fans can forgive a lot if we witness 100% effort and desire for the cause. The old adage that you've got win win the battle before you can play is still  true. On Saturday I saw players giving their all to win their personal battles. 

 

[nbdrovers]

11 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Eustace said he was asked to come and enjoy working with the players. That, along with many awkward interviews with Tomasson, tells us a lot about what Tomasson thought of the players at his disposal.

OK, recruitment didn't go Tomasson's way, and whatever was thrown his way, he didn't seem to enjoy working with, but for all the talk of "team is number one", he gave up on that very team in my view. That has to be why the players gave up. If your boss can't be arsed, or doesn't think you're up to it, why bother?

Although it's only one game, the fight in the team on Saturday was something I hadn't seen for a long time. It was a joy to watch an imperfect performance where the players looked happy. More of the same, please.

absolutely spot on. his bbc lancs interview today bangs this drum. he comes across really well and is quite the startling contrast to what we've had. 

[simongarnerisgod]

8 minutes ago, speedies gonna get ya. said:

It's simple really. Us Rovers fans can forgive a lot if we witness 100% effort and desire for the cause. The old adage that you've got win win the battle before you can play is still  true. On Saturday I saw players giving their all to win their personal battles. 

 

every team gives it their all for a new manager,it`s about impressing him,potentially earning a new deal and not getting dumped in the reserves,we`ll see how it`s going after 5/6 games,thats when you get a proper reading on a new manager,personally i think eustace will get as ****** off as jdt working with the muppets behind the scenes,don`t discount him having a clause in his contract and walking away at the first sign of venky cost cutting and swag/broughton incompetence

[rigger]

4 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yeah, I remember than cup game against Big Club last season. For an hour we were having the best of it and should have been out of sight. Then  they brought that big striker on ) Jutkiewicz ? ) launched everything towards him, got players in and around him for the flick ons. By passed midfield completely, and we couldn’t deal with it.

Stoke away a few seasons ago did exactly the same bringing on Peter Crouch.

[simongarnerisgod]

Just now, rigger said:

Stoke away a few seasons ago did exactly the same bringing on Peter Crouch.

we were winning 0-3 at the time if i remember correctly,they got it back to 2-3 by lumping it up to crouch and raya saved a penalty with a fantastic save,got our first proper look at brereton diaz as well,he was so bad we were all shaking our heads😊

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

personally i think eustace will get as ****** off as jdt working with the muppets behind the scenes

I take it you haven't seen Eustace's interviews with the media today. Very strong words and feelings about not being interested in what is going on above him, a no-excuses culture when it comes to injuries, suspensions, players that the club doesn't sign, etc., but to just get on with it. Those are his words.

Eustace and Tomasson seem polar opposites in their stance on what a Head Coach is to me.

Edited February 12 by goozburger