[Archived] Verdict On Souness

[philipl]

It seems that the players were as confused as the fans (judging by the posts on this MB) by yesterday's first half line up.

So two points thrown away by a Souness tactical mess and not appreciating how far away from Prem fitness de Pedro is.

However, last season, we would have lost that fixture at Ewood. So one point gained through Souness seeing it wasn't working and changing things around at half time- particularly for spotting the Baggies were lying far enough off our midfielders that Tugay would have time and space to work some magic.

[adopted scouser]

I know we've only played one game, and that this thread could turn into a Souness out/in whatever, but

Sat round a barbeque last night necking Carlsberg and talking about the footie. One or two of the neighbours started to pour scorn on Souey's management skills, and the way in which he took Liverpool backwards, getting rid of the boot room etc etc. In the past I've fought his corner, "we won the worthy cup" "we finished 6th" etc, but for the first time last night I started to agree with them.

Sorry lads but West Brom at home should have been a stroll. It took old war horse Shorty to pull us out of the sh1t.

I've often admired Souness' honesty, chuckling at his 'tell it like it is' approach, but that went into the bin after Dwight Yorke. "I want men not babies" and all that, then singing his praises and "we need players like Dwight" eh ?

-----------------------------------------------

Fans are notoriously fickle, and if we stuff Southampton I'll probably change my tune, but shouldn't we be optimistic with all our players back from injury ?

I'm not, not at all, sorry.

[accyrover]

I was as confused as everyone else. In the 1st half I was desperately trying to figure out what the heck was happening in midfield. At one stage we seemed to be playing a wing back system on the right, and a standard 4-4-2 on the left, in that Emerton was going forward from right back with the right sided midfielder tucked in, yet we were playing a conventional left back in Gray and left midfielder in De Pedro. What the hell Gresko was doing in midfield I'll never know and Matteo....well, I'm open to suggestions on why Souness has decided to play him in midfield in the first place. The problem was were were being horribly exposed on our right flank.

I spent most of the 2nd half with my head in my hands. I didn't start doing that last season until mid October. Its going to be a long hard road again.

At least Yorke seems to have been unshackled now his sulky mate has gone and I thought Dickov was awesome second half.

Accyrover

[Drakefyre]

With all of our players healthy, we would have seen a different starting lineup and formation to begin the game - with any one of Neill, Thompson, or Reid healthy we would have been able to put forward a right back and a right midfielder. Unfortunately, we could only manage one right-sided player, Emerton, who took on the right back role.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Confused, maybe; but surprised - no.

There can't be another manager in the league who gets it so wrong so often with his starting line up and tactics. Great that he is flexible enough to change it around (usually to a risky 3 at the back), but how many games last season did the same kind of thing happen.? At least 10. Whatever Souness has learned over the summer, it certainly wasn't team selection.

The only real mystery is who came up with the status-saving tactics unveiled at Fulham.

[Eddie]

Hasnt the Souness out topic been flogged to death until there is some real evidence to support it from this season?

Just keep it quiet, support the team, and if you can complain after 6 or 7 games then go ahead, but for now, what's the point? Are you going to judge this season based on the opening game?

Lets see if he continues to put out sides like that, or if it wasn't just for a specific tactic that obviously didn't work, or as a result of a few injuries.

Can we just keep complaints about the last match to the topic concerning the last match? Not start up the knocking Souness until we see if he's really messing things up.

[Kiwiwannabe]

Confused, maybe; but surprised - no.

There can't be another manager in the league who gets it so wrong so often with his starting line up and tactics. Great that he is flexible enough to change it around (usually to a risky 3 at the back), but how many games last season did the same kind of thing happen.? At least 10. Whatever Souness has learned over the summer, it certainly wasn't team selection.

The only real mystery is who came up with the status-saving tactics unveiled at Fulham.

Spot on Exiled - totally agree. As far as I am concerned Souness has had chances and time. Things are going to have to improve majorly, I have very little patience left for him.

[super_neill]

At the back end of last season when everything was against us and relegation looked certain i jumped on the band waggon and said i wanted Souness sacked. But when we got that 4-5 game good run together certain people started to change their opinion and decided souness should stay, but my opinion never changed ever since it all went pair shaped last season i have wanted him sacked and yesterday proved what an idiot he is. Gresko is never a centre-midfielder in a million years but at least he tried, Emerton is no way a right wing back even though i fail to see what position he can actually play- he's crap! The only good thing that came out of yesterday's performance was that Yorke seems to have realised he can play well and be a class act and Dickov who played like he was a local lad and had supported the team since he was little. Cmon Souness stop thinking you're the tinker man and sort it out!

[Kennysuperbuyer]

No reason to change my opinion of the arrogant self centred man with no man management or tactical awareness.

Rovers going nowhere with this man.

[Eddie]

rovers going nowhere with supporters like you

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I'm afraid one thing IS for sure Eddie chap and that is that Rovers fans WILL NOT tolerate another season of sh1te like the one just gone.

That feeling already seems to come across quite clear and strong to me and many others...lets hope Souness gets the message early too.

Simple as.

Edited August 15, 2004 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[LDRover]

If these are the best players Souness has had since he came to the club why does he not show the same confidence in them when he picks the team?

I'm noticing a huge change in attitudes towards the manager both at the ground and on this MB. I've stuck up for him in the past but my patience is wearing thin. The next 6 games will shape, not only our season, but I believe the fate of the manager.

The players are good enough, is he?

[chris]

I'm afraid one thing IS for sure Eddie chap and that is that Rovers fans WILL NOT tolerate another season of sh1te like the one just gone.

That feeling already seems to come across quite clear and strong to me and many others...lets hope Souness gets the message early too.

Simple as.

exactly, the one thing I expected in the first game was not to continue to go through the same sh1te as last season with players out of position and Souness still not settling on tactics, but basically it best to wait until a few game to judge, its a bit too early but sort it out Souness

Really we needed another month pre-season for players to get fit like Thompson and De pedro

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Dont forget Souness's old friend 'lady luck' too chris,wonder how many times she'll give us a loving embrace this season!

Same old,same old.

[92er]

Last season really did result in many non-sceptics start to question Souness's tactics/transfer policy/ability to improve players etc.I'm not a fan of Souness but I hope he will be able to bring about the necessary changes in himself to answer these questions.

[Manchester Blue]

The only real mystery is who came up with the status-saving tactics unveiled at Fulham.

That's the kind of rollocks often spouted by the so called souness-out brigade which stops me from giving them credence. Only Rover6 actually comes up with any tactical nous, the rest just winge and gripe and basically display no knowledege at all.

I was upset with the tactics in the 1st half but happy in the 2nd. I don't simply accuse the manager of being f***wit and then getting lucky because I know better. Sadly some of our wannabe Champ Manger fans on here seem to only want to see the bad in our manager whic is why I have little time for them.

Not sure if it's been mentioned but did anyone see the formation for Chelsea today. 4-4-2 with 4 tackling midfielders and the fullbacks to give the width. For what it's worth I thought they lacked width and struggled but it's interesting to see someone else play this formation. Fair enough though i'd understand against Manure but maybe not the tactical f***wit some of our more awesome tactical genuises on here would have us believe.

[Kennysuperbuyer]

rovers going nowhere with supporters like you

So everythings rosy Eddie. Wake up and smell the roses. Rovers are crap to watch under the present regime and we are ending up with a squad of mediocre workers with no class through the team. Its crap - crap football and crap management and anyone who pretends its anything different must be watching through your rose coloured spectacles.

WAKE UP - WE SHOULD BE BETTER BUT ALL THE CROWN JEWELS HAVE BEEN PAWNED AND WE ARE LEFT WITH CHEAP IMITATIONS.

[Manchester Blue]

So Souness decided to sell Duff did he?

Souness decided to spend less than half of the money we got for him did he?

Wake up yourself and stop living in the past.

Eddie's right we'll go nowhere with fans like you.

[Kennysuperbuyer]

He had already spent the money on Grabbi, Yorke and Cole. The board had to take the money for Duffer to balance the books after the crap deals Souness took us into.

The board then unfortuntely gave him more money to squander in the transfer market, Stead the exception.

[RoverDrake]

I'll support Rovers to the end but I still have to admit Souey messed-up a bit in the market this summer and with his tactics/selection against WBA. I will stand by my decision that Dominic Matteo was a poor signing. I think maybe some people assume he is some defensive dynamo after that one fairly solid game he had against us at Ewood last season. Gresko playing centre-midfield is just a joke and I must also say, do we really have much promising YOUNG players in defence? McEveley doesn't really seem in the picture, and Short, Amo and Matteo aren't exactly spring chickens.

[Morph]

I'll support Rovers to the end but I still have to admit Souey messed-up a bit in the market this summer...

What evidence do you base this genius bit of punditry on? One match in which De Pedro was still patently lacking in match fitness but showed signs that he may have a sweet left foot when fully fit and properly deployed, Matteo performed adequately if not spectacularly (the free kick from which West Brom scored aside, and that wouldn't have been an issue if the wall had done it's job properly), and Dickov did very well when he came on, as even his critics on the board have conceded. Yes, first half our tactics were all over the place - Souness obviously had an idea which didn't work, so changed things round at half time and got us back into the match. With a bit of luck we might even have had a late winner, but don't let these facts get in the way of a perfectly good delusion will you?

[JonnyH]

Excellent attitude to the first game of the season guys. Hopefully we can lose a few games early on and Souness will get sacked. I for one can't wait to slag the team off home and away this year. Afterall, Souness has gone and made decisions that haven't had the full backing of the entire fan base and that's just not on. From now on I don't think any transfers in and out of the club should be made without unconditional support of selected brfcs members and Souness should be flogged in the street if we don't match the the quality of Arsenal and Real Madrid week in and week out.

Just my opinion. I'm in it for the aggro!!

[RoverDrake]

I'll support Rovers to the end but I still have to admit Souey messed-up a bit in the market this summer...

What evidence do you base this genius bit of punditry on? One match in which De Pedro was still patently lacking in match fitness but showed signs that he may have a sweet left foot when fully fit and properly deployed, Matteo performed adequately if not spectacularly (the free kick from which West Brom scored aside, and that wouldn't have been an issue if the wall had done it's job properly), and Dickov did very well when he came on, as even his critics on the board have conceded. Yes, first half our tactics were all over the place - Souness obviously had an idea which didn't work, so changed things round at half time and got us back into the match. With a bit of luck we might even have had a late winner, but don't let these facts get in the way of a perfectly good delusion will you?

I said Souey messed up 'a bit'. I think Dickov was a good signing as I love players who at least give 100% in every game but you will see Matteo will be a very dissapointing signing. Why we never pursued our interest in Van Buyten baffles me. I mean we're a established Premiership club, surely £2m COULD HAVE (like you could have paid more attention in school) been spent on a Amo/Short successor.

I mean even my hometown Pompey are willing to dish out £2m for Carrick.

[RoverDrake]

Damn editor

[Morph]

Sounds like you have already made your mind up long since Roverdrake, so I won't try and argue you round. Personally I will always give any Rovers player a chance to prove themselves (with the proviso that we never sign Craig Bellamy or Lee Bowyer), so will reserve judgement on the new lads for a few games yet. On the subject of money spent compared with our rivals, two points; firstly, we ain't got millions to spend anymore, so every penny has to count. If this means looking for cheaper players in certain positions so that such funds as we do have can be best utilised then so be it, that's just the reality of BRFC post Jack, and in that regard I think Souey has done pretty well over the summer. Secondly, Souness and JW have both indicated that there may be at least one more player to come before the transfer window slams shut, who is to say it won't prove to be our "big" signing of the year?

Edited August 16, 2004 by Morph