Souness must go ?

[bob fleming]

I don't want to tread on anybody's toes but how's about a poll on whether we should have a poll?

[Ste B]

I don't want to tread on anybody's toes but how's about a poll on whether we should have a poll?

We would need 25 people to write a letter demanding a poll first, and then a vote of confidence in the leader could be made.

I'm sure I read that somewhere...  

[Jan]

Im with Souness win or lose...

But, If things dont change by mid-January.....  

Erm??  If you were with him win or lose surely mid-january wouldn't make any difference.  

One good thing that Souness has brought to this club is a period of stability when it most needed it. It would seem that well-earned stability is now in danger of being threatened, and I think part of that must be down to some of Souness' own actions.

I  agree.  I think when he took over we needed a 'hard case' to sort out the 'rubber dinghy men'.  I'm sure everyone was happy when he got rid of some of the dead wood.  However, he has no idea where to stop. (getting rid of dead wood is ok but- to continue the analogy- when you start pulling up the saplings your forestry skills must be questioned)  Basically you can be a hard boss, but if you don't know when to temper that with reason (which Souness patently doesn't) no-one wants to work for you.

If your players don't want to play for you- or the atmosphere isn't good (note Thommo's actions on Saturday- and he's a favoured son!!!) the time has come to let someone come in who has man-management skills as well as a bit of toughness (Kidd and Harford- RIP- had none and Hodgson was undone by evil tactics of one member of his team).  

Of course- someone with tactics which don't involve a huge line of midfielders across the park might help too!! (of course since he's still unable to pass the midfielder shop while out looking for defenders or attackers- much like me with shoes- they're all we have.)

[den]

I reckon the criticism of the 4-5-1  is a little harsh. The way things were going, he had to attempt to change things around a bit, much as tony Parkes used to do.

It was his way of getting all his better players on the field.

OK it didn't come off, hindsight is wonderful. However, it might have done, I don't blame him for trying.

[AussieinUk]

Im with Souness win or lose...

But, If things dont change by mid-January.....  

Erm??  If you were with him win or lose surely mid-january wouldn't make any difference.  

It would, because I am not a supportor of "kicking" a manager when a team starts a poor run, BUT if that turns to half a season of bad results (with a nucleus of good players in the team such as Blackburn) then questions, at some point will be asked. I have always been

I am a suppotor of Souness I must say, but I am a Supportor of Blackburn first, that was merely what i was saying..

C'MON ROVERS

   

[LeChuck]

I don't blame him for trying to change things, but 4-5-1 was all wrong...most people on this board didn't need hindsight because as soon as the Charlton team sheet was handed in people were complaining about it.

Basically we can't defend at the moment, so limiting our attack was just going to make things worse.

[broadsword]

Have we got enough decent strikers to play two up front?

[ROYB]

I will admit that Souness is not my favourite person. I dislike a number of things about the man, but that does not mean that he has not been, and can't continue to be, a good manager for Rovers.

As far as I am concerned, there are a number of things Souness has brought to this club that we should be grateful for. But let's not get carried away. Nobody's argument is helped either by over-inflating or by totally dismissing what he has done, by adopting a blind optimism oblivious to problems or by promoting knee-jerk over-dramatised reactions.

To my mind, Souness' most important achievement is the ongoing stability, including his contribution to financial stabiltiy, that he has enjoyed during his time here. As far as

I am concerned, restoring stability and morale provided the foundation which enabled everything else to develop. In my view, what we have enjoyed over the past 3 years could not have been achieved without this ongoing stability.

If things begin to go wrong, that inherent stability, togetherness and morale is tested, and it needs to be strong in order to see things through. If things happen that upset that stability, then the ship begins to rock, and I believe that has been happening over the past couple of months.

It is up to Souness to take the right decisions and to act in the proper manner to restore internal stability and morale, and I believe on-the-field improvements will then follow on from that. None of us knows of course what exactly goes on behind the scenes, but from the outside it seems that, unfortunately, at the moment he is not doing it. However, as long as he can take an objective look at himself, he should be intelligent and experienced enough to know what needs to be done, and I am confident that he will ultimately do this.

It would be folly to repeat the mistakes of the past to take a knee-jerk reaction to destabilise things and to make the ship rock even more (and even sink) by dismissing him at this time - the best time for any inquest, if any is required, is at the end of the season. As I have said, I ca't see that Blackburn would attract anyone any better at the moment.

[Alan75]

The way things were going, he had to attempt to change things around a bit, much as tony Parkes used to do.

I seem to recall that on one of the occations when Parkes took over, he got the players together and took them down the pub, instead of going to training.

[Blueboy Downunder]

someone said on another post somewhere that sacking souness would be a backward step.....doing this mid-season would be just taking the micky!

ROVERS FOREVER

[NorwegianRover]

I cant understand we even care mention Souness to go. He might be the greatest that have happend to rovers after winning the title. He got passion, knows what to buy (Yes, I think so, Friedel, Cole, Neill, Thommo, Tugay, Babbel, Short, Gresko is quality.... amo, fergy, Reid and Emmo need some time), I think we play nice football, he got us up from 1. div, 6th place in PL, what are we shouting about. We just have not become a complete team with all the new players yet, and a bit unlycky!! I think we have played better and better for each game latly. If you wanna say something negative you could do that in January/Feb. We have to understand we`re not a Man U/Arsenal/Chelsea club, getting 6th place last year was no doubt amazing.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The fickleness,reactionary and apparent sheer stupidity of people never ceases to amaze.

3 seasons of continuous improvement under Souness on and off the field which has seen promotion,a glorious first league cup win,two seasons of European football.

Now,only some 10 games into the 03/04 season and after an indifferent start where new players are still clearly finding their feet and low and behold people are calling for Souness to be sacked....

I just pray and hope the people employed at nuclear missile launch sites have more rational thought processes and are less prone to kneejerk reactions than some of you lot have shown FFS!!!!!!!

(swallows hard).

[AlanK]

The "souness should go thread" has vanished.

I hope this is not a sign.

[USABlue]

Souness took it outside and kicked three shades of caca out of it.

[Paul]

Our database clearly believes he should stay. Afraid we'll have to wait for Ste to appear and look for it.

[Seggie]

Those calling for Souness' head are clowns, without Souness we would have been playing in Division 2 by now not playing in Europe having finished 6th or won a major piece of silverware.  Souness will get it right, we just need to get behind the team.

[Manchester Blue]

Im with Souness win or lose...

But, If things dont change by mid-January.....  

Erm??  If you were with him win or lose surely mid-january wouldn't make any difference.  

One good thing that Souness has brought to this club is a period of stability when it most needed it. It would seem that well-earned stability is now in danger of being threatened, and I think part of that must be down to some of Souness' own actions.

I  agree.  I think when he took over we needed a 'hard case' to sort out the 'rubber dinghy men'.  I'm sure everyone was happy when he got rid of some of the dead wood.  However, he has no idea where to stop. (getting rid of dead wood is ok but- to continue the analogy- when you start pulling up the saplings your forestry skills must be questioned)  Basically you can be a hard boss, but if you don't know when to temper that with reason (which Souness patently doesn't) no-one wants to work for you.

If your players don't want to play for you- or the atmosphere isn't good (note Thommo's actions on Saturday- and he's a favoured son!!!) the time has come to let someone come in who has man-management skills as well as a bit of toughness (Kidd and Harford- RIP- had none and Hodgson was undone by evil tactics of one member of his team).  

Of course- someone with tactics which don't involve a huge line of midfielders across the park might help too!! (of course since he's still unable to pass the midfielder shop while out looking for defenders or attackers- much like me with shoes- they're all we have.)

Just had to say that unfortunately I agree with more or less every word there Jan and it's one of the first times you have explained your case well IMHO.  I've given you enough stick so I thought it only fair to give credit where it's due.

One of my worries this season has been the team spirit or lack of it.  It's always difficult bringing a number of new people in but they really don't all seem to be together at present at that must be a real worry.

I think Souness must be aware of this but whether he is sorting it or just ignoring it will make or break our season.

[Jan]

Thanks

I think it's the worst I've seen team spirit since I started going to matches (95/6).  Certainly on the pitch anyway- I'm not sufficiently close to know at the moment what they're like off the pitch- I hope the team hasn't factionalised like Sherwood did to us.

Do you think one of the fears might be "which one of us is he going to pick on next to fall out with?"  I know that If I'd seen what they'd seen, and we weren't doing too well, I'd be walking on egg-shells- which can't help their morale.

Maybe a couple of wins will change that, but the tactics have to ALLOW for wins, not dour draws which- when the other team score- means that we have problems.  We don't seem as a team to be terribly bright (haven't since 94/5), and changing tactics mid-game has always been a problem.  In this situation I think we're much worse and then add on the fact that people are playing all over the place and five of them are trying to play in two positions, it's been horrible.

[AlanK]

I think the previous post says it all. Too many people were spoilt by the Walker, Shearer, Kenny days.

Welcome to the real world.

Welcome to football as real fans know it, not bleedin fantasy football.

You`ve got to take the rough with the smooth.

Compared to pre Jack Walker days this is still bloody paradise.

[RevidgeBlue]

Compared to pre Jack Walker days this is still bloody paradise.

Yes it is, but let's get it right, we have much better players than we had in the pre uncle jack days and for whatever reason they're simply not performing at the moment.

[USABlue]

I  agree.  I think when he took over we needed a 'hard case' to sort out the 'rubber dinghy men'.  I'm sure everyone was happy when he got rid of some of the dead wood.  However, he has no idea where to stop. (getting rid of dead wood is ok but- to continue the analogy- when you start pulling up the saplings your forestry skills must be questioned)  

Jan, not quite correct.  Living in Arizona and having lived through the worst Forest fires ever here, the main culprit of the fire spreading, apart from dry windy conditions, NOT removing the saplings.  See if you actually understood your analogy you would have realized that thinning is the best way to help prevent the spread off fire.  Its a matter of knowing which saplings to leave and which to get rid of.

 So on your theme, had the wrong saplings been left in place it could have led to the destruction of the entire forest.

Some saplings are removed by the correct people in charge but the best ones are yanked from your Forest by others against your will.

[lino]

Given our current league form, and should we lose on sunday God forbid. That would be 7 defeats in 11. Would anyone out there still stand up for souey. And on what grounds could they possibly defend his position. THIS HOWEVER IS HYPOTHETICAL BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO MURDER THOSE FOXY B*STARDS.

[bellamy11]

I'd defend him because of his record with us. And I'd feel completely justified. Promotion, Worthington Cup. Sixth place and very nearly a second Cardiff visit. And people want to judge him over the first 11 games without Duff? Insane.

[waggy]

I'd defend him because of his record with us. And I'd feel completely justified. Promotion, Worthington Cup. Sixth place and very nearly a second Cardiff visit. And people want to judge him over the first 11 games without Duff? Insane.

well said,but duff aint coming back and we better get used to it.

[ihtd]

I think that it is only a matter of time before the team gets a win, but how long can we wait until we get that win. 3 games time we have to go to Old trafford and i don't fancy our chances there so we need to beat Everton and Leicester City, but if we don't i beleive that as much as i like Graeme Souness i believe we should sack him and bring in someone, but if there is nobody to bring in i say we let him stay. I say this because he is a great manager but i don not want to see us in a relegation battle.

But in the spirit of goodnature who would you like to see come to hte club in january

My money is on Patrick Kliuvert as he has said he wants to come to the premiership and is only valued at #1 million.

I konw that we need a centre half badly so im saying with the money that we have spare we buy someone on the lines of a woodgate like player, or someone like nesta but that ain't gonna happen so maybe we could sign phillip cocu or frank de boer.

I would like to hear what you all have to say on these topics

Thank you Robert Jessop (16) Head of the Blackburn Rovers Supporters Club of Hull