Championship 23/24

[wilsdenrover]

10 hours ago, Upside Down said:

Unfortunately we had a good squad with a shit manager and a shit squad with a good manager.

If you'd have given JDT the resources that were afforded to moggasaurus we'd be in the top six easy, if not promoted already.

We’ve had the shit squad with a shit manager combination as well.

[Torgeir]

Thank you Stoke

[Blow-in]

Was watching Sunderland till I die last night, and it occured to me that there is an opportunity for us.

They can call it "Blackburn, I wish I was dead"

[Upside Down]

2 hours ago, Blow-in said:

Was watching Sunderland till I die last night, and it occured to me that there is an opportunity for us.

They can call it "Blackburn, I wish I was dead"

More like Blackburn Rovers - The Undead Club.

[JHRover]

Bad news at West Brom. Their loathed Chinese owner has just agreed to sell them to an American group.

Bad news because there goes another Championship club to a change of ownership despite the usual negative fans on social media claiming there's no alternative to the current lot and nobody in the world buys loss making debt ridden Championship clubs. Strange isn't it.

Edited February 15 by JHRover

[Oldgregg86]

15 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Bad news at West Brom. Their loathed Chinese owner has just agreed to sell them to an American group.

Bad news because there goes another Championship club to a change of ownership despite the usual negative fans on social media claiming there's no alternative to the current lot and nobody in the world buys loss making debt ridden Championship clubs. Strange isn't it.

I know whoever did take over (providing they did the basics right) would automatically get hero status and worshipped like a god . With expectations so low it wouldn’t take much to give there name or brand excellent exposure 

[riverholmes]

Southampton bringing on Edozie, Brooks and Rothwell (presumably, no longer anything like the one that used to come on for us) as subs is frightening for the rest of the league. Moreover, with last season's relegated three sitting at the top, and last year's promoted three languishing in the Prem, a reverse swap is still on the cards. It is suggestive, to me, of a Super League being created by default, where finishing spots are more-or-less dictated by wealth and the range of clubs that get promoted ever narrows.

The spanner in the works might be if more clubs collapse financially and the overall standard outside the top tier deteriorates and this enables more surprise rises. I think we are seeing a degradation in quality in the Championship, reflected by the fact that Szmodics, as good as he is for us, is joint top scorer. Not scientific to compare against a single other season, but I will - Louis Saha, Matt Jansen and Lee Hughes top scorers in the new century, when Rovers got promoted.

 

Edited February 16 by riverholmes

[Mattyblue]

Not sure, these three are of a different level than what normally comes down. 

Watford and Norwich haven’t pulled up any trees since coming back down in 2022.

If it’s say, Luton, Sheff Utd and the Dingles next season are they going to walk it with squads packed full of quality like the current 3? I doubt it.

Edited February 16 by Mattyblue

[Darrenbot]

Leeds have a 12.30ko at Plymouth,the TV companies thinking of the fans travelling again i see.

[Gav]

Just looking at Leeds recent record, which is pretty impressive, they take on Plymouth at Home Park today and look almost a certainty for promotion 

But the reason for the post is manager Daniel Farke, who was apparently sounded out for our job before JDT, but like several others declined the offer due to lack of funds/ambition. 

He was right.

 

[martonrover]

55 minutes ago, Gav said:

Just looking at Leeds recent record, which is pretty impressive, they take on Plymouth at Home Park today and look almost a certainty for promotion 

But the reason for the post is manager Daniel Farke, who was apparently sounded out for our job before JDT, but like several others declined the offer due to lack of funds/ambition. 

He was right.

 

Just mentioned on comms that he insisted on being known as the manager and bringing his own back room team with him.

Enough said.

[roversfan99]

Hopefully he makes a quick recovery.

[davulsukur]

6 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Hopefully he makes a quick recovery.

6-8 weeks out.

Hopefully it's nothing serious.

Speedy recovery Mogga.

[Upside Down]

Hopefully he'll be fine. 

Put yer feet up mogs and get on the lemon drizzle. 

[Exiled_Rover]

On 16/02/2024 at 21:58, riverholmes said:

Southampton bringing on Edozie, Brooks and Rothwell (presumably, no longer anything like the one that used to come on for us) as subs is frightening for the rest of the league. Moreover, with last season's relegated three sitting at the top, and last year's promoted three languishing in the Prem, a reverse swap is still on the cards. It is suggestive, to me, of a Super League being created by default, where finishing spots are more-or-less dictated by wealth and the range of clubs that get promoted ever narrows.

The spanner in the works might be if more clubs collapse financially and the overall standard outside the top tier deteriorates and this enables more surprise rises. I think we are seeing a degradation in quality in the Championship, reflected by the fact that Szmodics, as good as he is for us, is joint top scorer. Not scientific to compare against a single other season, but I will - Louis Saha, Matt Jansen and Lee Hughes top scorers in the new century, when Rovers got promoted.

 

If the relegated teams manage themselves competently then they go straight back up. Leicester, Southampton and Leeds all had their prized possessions pinched, but retained enough of their PL squads (with additions) to walk the league.

The year prior, Burnley simply spent £40m on a brand new squad. For a parachute payment team that's peanuts, especially if you get promoted and start the cycle again.

It's becoming a closed shop I'm afraid - albeit there's still a little time to kick in the front door, but I fear we've missed that opportunity.

[rigger]

On 11/02/2024 at 11:31, wilsdenrover said:

We’ve had the shit squad with a shit manager combination as well.

And shit owners and CEO throughout.

[NeilInBristol]

Goodbye Beale! Sunderland onto another manager

[chaddyrovers]

Crazy decision again by Sunderland 

[davulsukur]

Only managed 4 wins in 12, 6 losses as well. 

He's not been that good for them and they clearly have loftier ambitions than plodding around midtable.

Only 4 points off the top 6, a new manager might be able to make that final push.

Wonder if it will be JDT??

[JHRover]

Bloody hell, 4 wins in 12 is hardly crisis time, we'd have sacked Kean, Mowbray and JDT about 25 times between them if that was the case.

It seems to me that Beale is quite an unlikeable character. He's had 3 jobs in just over 18 months and all have ended quite quickly with the fans at QPR, Rangers and Sunderland not keen at all.

They're giving the job to Mike Dodds until the summer, be interesting if JDT does rock up there or elsewhere in the Championship after I was assured he was lined up for the Sweden job and maneouvured his way out of Ewood to get that job.

[DE.]

Replacing TM with Beale was so obviously a stupid move that it makes you wonder how Sunderland are 10th with decisions like that being made.

Then you remember we've been just outside the playoffs a few times under Venky's, and realise the majority of the league has incompetents at the helm. 

[Blue blood]

18 hours ago, JHRover said:

Bloody hell, 4 wins in 12 is hardly crisis time, we'd have sacked Kean, Mowbray and JDT about 25 times between them if that was the case.

It seems to me that Beale is quite an unlikeable character. He's had 3 jobs in just over 18 months and all have ended quite quickly with the fans at QPR, Rangers and Sunderland not keen at all.

They're giving the job to Mike Dodds until the summer, be interesting if JDT does rock up there or elsewhere in the Championship after I was assured he was lined up for the Sweden job and maneouvured his way out of Ewood to get that job.

Definitely the case. Was reading about this and Beale said the criticism from Sunderland fans was because of his accent! He also bangs on a lot about his 16 years experience at top clubs (Liverpool and Chelsea) implying (to virtually stating) he's an expert which I doubt endears him to fans either. 

[Tricky]

22 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Crazy decision again by Sunderland 

He should never have got the job in the first place, plus it was coming.

Verdict - The correct decision.

[KentExile]

2 hours ago, Tricky said:

He should never have got the job in the first place, plus it was coming.

Verdict - The correct decision.

Apparently Beale had sock puppet twitter account that he used to big himself up and have a go at Sunderland fans.  

I can imagine Steve Kean may have done similar if twitter was as popular then as it is now

 

[chaddyrovers]

7 hours ago, Tricky said:

He should never have got the job in the first place, plus it was coming.

Verdict - The correct decision.

Correct. 

My post was aiming at the decision making in appointing him and then sacking him so early. 

They clearly didn't get who they wanted to replace Mowbray