John Eustace - our head coach

[tomphil]

I've defended him and stand by that because he was just brought in to fight fires, use what he has and came into a bit of a hopeless situation at a hopelessly run club.

However that tonight was as bad as it gets in all areas including subs and tactics.

Still think he'll do enough to grind us to safety but i'll confidently predict we'll be howling for his head by next Oct.

[Sparks Rover]

The guy has been dealt the shittest of hands, we all have mortgages to pay.....ah, except for the majority of our squad....🤦‍♂️

[Upside Down]

According to useless the squad is fantastic and he has more than what he needs to get the job done.

No excuses.

[lraC]

4 hours ago, Upside Down said:

According to useless the squad is fantastic and he has more than what he needs to get the job done.

No excuses.

That’s exactly why I haven’t been able to listen to a single interview so far.

If the squad is fantastic and he is the man for the job, why have we won 1 in 13. The squad is anything but fantastic, he is a nodding dog and he must think the fans are idiots. If he had anything about him, he would look in the mirror and accept this is beyond him and step down. 

His appointment was yet another pathetic mistake by the club and the no excuses narrative, current being peddled is as insulting as it gets.

Our season rests on him winning his first home game, next time we play at Ewood and I for one have no faith in that happening. 

[Bronzed A Donis]

He was brought in with 2 remits. To keep us up and distract us from the off field nonsense.

For all the talk of being harder to beat etc, we are closer to the bottom 3 than when he took over and this is with players back from injury .

We look less likely to win games and a few exceptions aside where I have to give credit, we've looked a different type of bad, let's get it right,  if Plymouth or Millwall had taken their chances he would be firmly in the dud category. All from a bloke who actually has the players on his side.

We set up like a league 2 team away to a prem team hoping for a replay and I don't think this is horses for courses. I think this is 46 games next year with him if we stay up.

 

Edited April 11, 2024 by Bronzed A Donis

[ABBEY]

he managed last nights game like a spotty teenager drinking mad dog at 3 o clock in the morning playing footy manager. 

OI KNOBNOSE THERES NO CHEAT CODES AND NO LOAD LAST SAVE ( MIND YOU SHOULDNT MENTION ROVERS AND SAVE AS OUR GOALIES COULDNT SAVE A SLOTH CROSSING AN EMPTY ROAD) . PUT UPOR FECK OFF I FOR ONE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SUB STANDARD SHITE.

 

Edited April 11, 2024 by ABBEY

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, Bronzed A Donis said:

He was brought in with 2 remits. To keep us up and distract us from the off field nonsense.

For all the talk of being harder to beat etc, we are closer to the bottom 3 than when he took over and this is with players back from injury .

We look less likely to win games and a few exceptions aside where I have to give credit, we've looked a different type of bad, let's get it right,  if Plymouth or Millwall had taken their chances he would be firmly in the dud category. All from a bloke who actually has the players on his side.

We set up like a league 2 team away to a prem team hoping for a replay and I don't think this is horses for courses. I think this is 46 games next year with him if we stay up.

 

He went into games against Plymouth and Millwall looking for a draw. That says it all really. 

[ABBEY]

@chaddyrovers where does the chadometre stand on this mon.

1 win 12 and says weve been fantastic.

[Upside Down]

Just now, ABBEY said:

@chaddyrovers where does the chadometre stand on this mon.

1 win 12 and says weve been fantastic.

He is currently Rovers head coach so it's 10/10 until he isn't. 

[Blue blood]

My big issue is him saying we have been fantastic. After sitting through a number of managers spouting utter lies as the club is neglected and abused I have no stomach for another. Also its so far from reality ita has to see him as anything but a puppet. 

Fantastic? Harder to beat, upturn in form the last few weeks maybe but clearly anything but fantastic. 

He'll keep us up by virtue of other teams being rubbish and think he's great, but in fact he is the luckiest Rovers manager I know to have such a low bar for "success"

[alex l]

1 hour ago, Blue blood said:

 

He'll keep us up by virtue of other teams being rubbish and think he's great, but in fact he is the luckiest Rovers manager I know to have such a low bar for "success"

Didn't Kean get a bonus for us being relegated? 

Back to Eustace. Up until last night, we've looked tighter at the back, but we also didnt look like winning many games. I don't find him particularly endearing - his talk of focusing on the pitch is understandable to a degree but disregards fans who care for the overall state of the club. It'd have been a token gesture but I didn't hear any apology for last night's display, particularly to those who attended - I thought that would be almost standard when you've been absolutely smashed and the team showed no fight or threat to goal. Even if we stay up he's got a long way to go to win me and I suspect others over. 

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, Upside Down said:

He went into games against Plymouth and Millwall looking for a draw. That says it all really. 

I said right at the time those games would haunt us, if we'd gone for it even if we'd won one lost one we are a point better off now.

People will say 'hindsight' but no the questions were raised at the time pre match they should have been viewed as must win, we've seen what we can do when that is the mentality.

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

I said right at the time those games would haunt us, if we'd gone for it even if we'd won one lost one we are a point better off now.

People will say 'hindsight' but no the questions were raised at the time pre match they should have been viewed as must win, we've seen what we can do when that is the mentality.

I called it out at the time as complete bollocks and a losers approach.

There's nothing pragmatic about getting smashed 5-0 by a bang average side and going into games against shit teams looking to get a point.

[Polky]

Would Eustace be the first person to manage two clubs that are relegated in the same season?

[oldjamfan1]

29 minutes ago, Polky said:

Would Eustace be the first person to manage two clubs that are relegated in the same season?

No. I'm pretty sure Dave Bassett did it in the 80s or 90s with Watford and Sheff Wed, and I have a lingering memory of Billy McNeill either doing it or being close to doing it in the same sort of era with City and Villa.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

It’s OK slagging the manager off but I doubt very much that he’s telling Hyam - “ The next time you’re chasing a long ball out of defence with a striker breathing down your neck don’t put it row Z, try and get the ball under control and beat the guy “ is he ?

Ditto Brittain -  “ Don’t volley the ball back up the pitch, miss your kick completely so their guy has a run in on goal “.

Making the correct decisions, at speed, under pressure is what separates the good players from the also rans. It’s hard to coach. 
 

In rugby league, were you have more opportunity to sub players,  anybody making mistakes like that would be subbed off right away. You don’t get the chance to make any more mistakes or play like you’ve just walked from Blackburn to Bristol like some of ours did last.

Edited April 11, 2024 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Ewood Ace]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

It’s OK slagging the manager off but I doubt very much that he’s telling Hyam - “ The next time you’re chasing a long ball out of defence with a striker breathing down your neck don’t put it row Z, try and get the ball under control and beat the guy “ is he ?

Ditto Brittain -  “ Don’t volley the ball back up the pitch, miss your kick completely so their guy has a run in on goal “.

Making the correct decisions, at speed, under pressure is what separates the good players from the also rans. It’s hard to coach. 

You can make excuses like that for a one off game but the bloke has 1 win in 13 games. To coach the top players you need to show yourself to be a top coach at this point Eustace doesn't even look like an also ran.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

You can make excuses like that for a one off game but the bloke has 1 win in 13 games. To coach the top players you need to show yourself to be a top coach at this point Eustace doesn't even look like an also ran.

Who are the top players ? The best one just left the building recently. How many have we got ? I’d class top players as ones capable of getting us out of this league.  I don’t see many of them, unless you count getting out through the back door.

Edited April 11, 2024 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Ewood Ace]

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Who are the top players ? The best one just left the building recently.

I never said we did have top players.

[Eddie]

 

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Who are the top players ? The best one just left the building recently. How many have we got ? I’d class top players as ones capable of getting us out of this league.  I don’t see many of them, unless you count getting out through the back door.

We can be hard on our squad, but we've got more quality than they are currently showing. Over 50% of our starting 11 would be in the running to start for most sides and a couple would be definite starters for virtually every side in the league.

What more do you need in order to be competitive?

With 1 win in 13 you'd think that he was managing a newly promoted side. And not a side promoted from League 1, but a side promoted straight from League 2 or below.

That type of form is unacceptable for ANY SIDE in this league. We can't drop our standards this low.

[Feed the Yak]

On 15/02/2024 at 16:31, Feed the Yak said:

I wish him all the best and I very much hope I am wrong but I'm really not feeling this appointment. Proof will be on the pitch and what happens behind the scenes but he doesn't give me anything to feel excited about, confident about or even interested in. Early days and hopefully I look silly down the line...

Well I don't look silly and tbh, shameful to say I haven't watched a game since the Birmingham draw. The bloke hasn't got what it takes and reading comments on here confirms that. For me, his appointment has been the final nail in the coffin for my commitment to the club...looks like this is also the case for the players based on the results. There is only so much shite you can take before you say fuck it, I'm done. Of course, Venkys is where the ultimate blame lies...I hope things turn around one day for those of you who have more stamina than I do, big respect to all of you but I refuse to be hurt and angry anymore.

[oldjamfan1]

6 minutes ago, Feed the Yak said:

Well I don't look silly and tbh, shameful to say I haven't watched a game since the Birmingham draw. 

You should have watched to the end mate, we lost that one as well 😂😂

[arbitro]

2 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

No. I'm pretty sure Dave Bassett did it in the 80s or 90s with Watford and Sheff Wed, and I have a lingering memory of Billy McNeill either doing it or being close to doing it in the same sort of era with City and Villa.

Steven Schumacher at Stoke could be another after having managed Plymouth for half a season. Do you mean Bassett at Sheffield United Andy?

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

2 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Who are the top players ? The best one just left the building recently. How many have we got ? I’d class top players as ones capable of getting us out of this league.  I don’t see many of them, unless you count getting out through the back door.

I think what he was saying is the sign of a good manager is getting results with a bang average/poor squad - through sheer organisation/personality/man-management. 

 

That's what gets you noticed and a chance to manage at a higher level with top players.

 

This guy, with his 1 win in 12, hasn't shown any of the above.  He appears to be, as we feared, rather crap. 

 

*Although that might just be my take on what he was meaning 😂.

[Andy]

13 hours ago, Blue blood said:

My big issue is him saying we have been fantastic. After sitting through a number of managers spouting utter lies as the club is neglected and abused I have no stomach for another. Also its so far from reality ita has to see him as anything but a puppet. 

Fantastic? Harder to beat, upturn in form the last few weeks maybe but clearly anything but fantastic. 

He'll keep us up by virtue of other teams being rubbish and think he's great, but in fact he is the luckiest Rovers manager I know to have such a low bar for "success"

Agreed.

He's either intentionally spouting bollocks, or he genuinely believes that those 13 matches he's been in charge for have been 'fantastic'.

And I'm not sure which one worries me the most.