Souness must go ?

ROYB · January 11, 2004

Gaining promotion, 2 decent premier division finishes, a cup win, and bringing a few years of stability to Rovers are real achivements that can not be taken away from Souey, they are there, and they will go on his CV.

On the other hand, it could said that, given the quality of the 1st division squad he took over and the generous financial support he has been given, many people might expect any half-decent manager to achieve something similar (OK , perhaps the cup win is a bonus).

I have mixed feelings on Souey, and we haven't really seen yet how he can perform when the going really gets difficult.

Generally I don't like dismissing managers part way through the season. The next few months will be a real test of Souey's managerial credentials - we will be able to make a more rounded judgement on his managerial achivements come the summer.

American · January 11, 2004

this time i had enough. He must go
the money is gone, so now we need a manager who can make people better and can buy cheap.

my suggestions: Bert van Maarwijk from Feyenoord..

excellent coach, knows where to buy bargains, knows the foreign market,

and he has won something: he won the UEFA trophy!!!!!!!

i really think souness has lost it!!!!!

Oh yeah since this guy with the unpronouncable name has won the ever so fantastic UEFA cup he is a truly more suited manager in the english premiership than GS!!!!!

I do not wanna be rude, but I have to ask; Do you know anything about football history?

Do you have the slightest idea of what Souness has won, both as player and manager?

He is probably one of the most trophy winning guys ever to work at Rovers, and you wanna get rid of him because you know about a guy who actually won the uefa cup!! once!

If your logic about him being the right choice because he won a trophy is right, well there can't be anyone better suited for the job than GS can it??

I'm sure even GS himself has lost count of his trophies

why don't you suggest that we resign David May to solve our defensive problems? He won the PL you know......

at least he's putting out a suggestion for a replacement, unlike most...

Paul Mellelieu · January 11, 2004

Sometimes clubs with good teams and good managers get sucked into relegation battles. It's a fact of footballing life. A win yesterday and our position would have tranformed.

The plain facts are that Souness has been a success at the club, and everyone knows that. Jim who basks in the boast that he's been calling for Souness to be sacked, "for months" is a joke. He is unserious and get a kick out of the blue's recent failures. Along with Rover6 and others he clogs up the board with the same negative tripe - day after day after day. There is no balance and no insight into the repetitive half-cocked abuse thrown at Souness, the players, the Board, John Williams and god knows who else. For example Jim rails against the players, when anyone at yesterday's game knows that there a number of excellent performances and that we were let down by some inept defending. Then there's Rover6 who's short time on the Board has been spent making one washed up proposal after another - "Mahon's the answer" when anyone who's watched him play over the last few years know that he isn't good enough, or maybe Danns, Donnely. Douglas. Well they're promising kids, but they won't get us out through a relegation battle.

And then we get the endless attacks on Souness' signings, when the truth -and again everyone know this - is that Souness has brought in some excellent players - Freidal, Berg, Hughes, Neill, Tugay, Ferguson, Cole, Babbel, Bjornybye. And who are the bad buys? Grabbi of course and then to be honest there are a few fringe players that every club brings in. The jury is out on Amo, Yorke, Reid and Emerton, but the later is improving. And who didn't want Gresko at the club at the end of last season? So the jibes at Souness's signings are basically a lie. Under Souness Jansen, Duff and Dunn were transformed as players and again everyone knows this.

So what we're left with is a load of empty abuse, not based on the facts or the club's recent history adn which to be honest I doubt could be sustained by true Rvoers' supporters. The worrying thing is that some of the more rational members of the board are giving succour to the infantile tendency and need to catch themslves on.

S15 · January 11, 2004

Sometimes clubs with good teams and good managers get sucked into relegation battles. It's a fact of footballing life. A win yesterday and our position would have tranformed.
The plain facts are that Souness has been a success at the club, and everyone knows that. Jim who basks in the boast that he's been calling for Souness to be sacked, "for months" is a joke. He is unserious and get a kick out of the blue's recent failures. Along with Rover6 and others he clogs up the board with the same negative tripe - day after day after day. There is no balance and no insight into the repetitive half-cocked abuse thrown at Souness, the players, the Board, John Williams and god knows who else. For example Jim rails against the players, when anyone at yesterday's game knows that there a number of excellent performances and that we were let down by some inept defending. Then there's Rover6 who's short time on the Board has been spent making one washed up proposal after another - "Mahon's the answer" when anyone who's watched him play over the last few years know that he isn't good enough, or maybe Danns, Donnely. Douglas. Well they're promising kids, but they won't get us out through a relegation battle.

And then we get the endless attacks on Souness' signings, when the truth -and again everyone know this - is that Souness has brought in some excellent players - Freidal, Berg, Hughes, Neill, Tugay, Ferguson, Cole, Babbel, Bjornybye. And who are the bad buys? Grabbi of course and then to be honest there are a few fringe players that every club brings in. The jury is out on Amo, Yorke, Reid and Emerton, but the later is improving. And who didn't want Gresko at the club at the end of last season? So the jibes at Souness's signings are basically a lie. Under Souness Jansen, Duff and Dunn were transformed as players and again everyone knows this.

So what we're left with is a load of empty abuse, not based on the facts or the club's recent history adn which to be honest I doubt could be sustained by true Rvoers' supporters. The worrying thing is that some of the more rational members of the board are giving succour to the infantile tendency and need to catch themslves on.

Spot on.

sany · January 11, 2004

Do I need to say more? Get behind them!!!

Uddersfelt Blue · January 11, 2004

Nice one Paul,

Of course we're all naffed off that things aren't going well but if we are to get out of this problem we need to have faith in the players and manager. Yes it was a sacrilege to throw a two goal lead away but that's football.

Even if we sign two new players this month they will take time to settle in with no guarantee they will do so smoothly.

We desperately need a fit Craig Short other than that the team is OK.

Ste B · January 11, 2004

He's never cut it as a top Premiership manager - and he still hasn't. If we survive this year and go on to better things, I'll change my view.

So you would rather replace Souness with the far more experienced and successful Paul Sturrock then

Bobby G · January 11, 2004

Whether we get relegated or not i think Souness should stay till the end.No evidence points to staying up if you sack your manager more than halfway into the season.It would be stupid.

Plus we dont want to look back and say what if Souness stayed,maybe he wouldve turned it around at the next game or the one after.

Lets just hope these so called players perform better!

Shaddy · January 12, 2004

The result of November poll was overwhelmingly in support of Souness. I would be interested to see how much the loss to Bolton would have dented this.

pg · January 12, 2004

I originally posted "Give him 'till Christmas" back in the earlier poll.

Since that poll we've had one decent home result, but two fantastic away wins.

While the defeat against Bolton was heart-breaking considering we were 3-1 up, before the game I thought we would draw 2-2. I can't remember the last time we had an easy win against Bolton... home or away. Over the past few seasons they have always matched up well against us, so losing a tight game to them with several reserve players in the squad doesn't make me want to reach for the razor blades just yet

As long as we put in good away performances (such as Newcastle and Wolves) I think we will be OK.

As Jim pointed out, our home form has been disasterous, and in other years it alone would have been enough to consign us to the relegation scrap heap.

But with Leeds and Wolves faltering, along with our pleasing away form, Souness for me has shown that he can finish the season in a position higher than 18th.