[Archived] Verdict On Souness

[CAPT KAYOS]

I'm not so sure that we should be praising Souness for his half time tactical genius when it's plain to see it was borne out of sheer desperation. To me it was more of a s**t or bust scenario as opposed to a tactical masterplan.

And if we were so good in the second half how is it that I can't remember Hoult having to make a save apart from the goal? Compare that to Brad who still had to make a couple of interventions and the defence who had to make at least one last ditch block to prevent a certain winner.

Granted , it is only the first game of the season but I'm sure posters on here would be a lot more tolerant if this performance was a one off. As it is, it's like we never had a summer break and we're picking up where we left off last season.

As far as I'm concerned, we have every right to be worried.

Spot on. People seem to equate having lots of possession as playing well. To me, playing well is determined by how many chances we create and, ultimately, how many of them we take. Possession's nice but it doesn't win you games - goals do.

On Saturday we didn't create a single chance in the first half and only created two or three in the second. It was exactly the same as most of our homes games last season - lots of huff and puff but no end product. The fact that some people seem to be happy with that just amazes me.

Couldn't have said it better myself Scotty

DB - its your posts that are unbelievable - see what you see but don't hide away from the obvious - your as bad as Manchester Blue.

There is a defining factor with our team and that is Souness - the fact that people are moaning after one game - is that yet again the same cock ups are made and an unbelievable line up was selected - this to me smacks as panic. These are Sounes's players yet he doesn't have a clue how to gel them into a team.

Our deficiencies are glaringly obvious - yet the only people that can't see them are Souness and his backroom plebs - oh and nearly forgot you and Manchester Blue.

Look nobody wants to come on here whingeing and moaning - we all wish everything was rosey in our garden - the big FAT thing is though is that it isn't.

We have the players - do we have the manager??

Yeah, be positive but don't dis others who are genuinely concerned about what is happening time and time again to the detriment of our team - and club for that matter.

[benhben]

Just wondered, who played where in midfield. I heard Matteo and Gresko both played midfield, but i also heard Gresko was in the centre! Did this mean matteo or ferguson was on a wing?

Also, i think souness is generally good in the transfer market, apart from he seems to like the older player opposed to youth, although we have some good youngsters. I dont think Souness should be sacked..yet, but mabye a change of management, tactics, training regiemes etc which come from a new management team would freshen things up, and possibly what is needed. Gordon Strachan would be a great manager i think as he is a fighter like souness, which is needed, but can also get the best out of players, eg at southampton. But it is unlikely he would even think about us.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Whats so unbelievable about my post Mr Birch?

I comment on matters as I see them in the cold light of day as do many other board members who dont have their head up their arse and are not ignorant of the situation.After Saturdays performance we look to have started were we left off last season

Everybody is entitled to their views and opinion Dave but 'unbelievable'

is not a word I'd use to sum up the present situation,far from it...its quite believable that we are in for a struggle again.

NOBODY is saying sack Souness yet and that would be sheer stupidity but it appears that major team issues and concerns have not been properly addressed close season....I personally find that so disappointing along with the lack of activity in the transfer market to strengthen the side

Edited August 16, 2004 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Manchester Blue]

NOBODY is saying sack Souness yet and that would be sheer stupidity but it appears that major team issues and concerns have not been properly addressed close season....I personally find that so disappointing along with the lack of activity in the transfer market to strengthen the side

On the contrary that is what a good number of posters are saying. The same ones that insist on posting negative crap after one game and then try and twist what anyone who disagrees is saying.

No sensible person is suggesting a point against West Brom is good but the 2nd half was positive and unfirtunately if you don't go home in a stinking mood followed up with a Souness out tirade then you are accused of wearing blinkers.

It's getting beyond belief now and yet whenever anyone asks the whingers to come up with an alternative they just roll-out the blinkers jibes instead. It's got to the point where I'd rather stop posting anymore because you can't have opinions. Despite posting that the tactics were wrong and that it was not at all great you still get accused of posting blinkered rubbish simply because i'm not ready to end it all.

Well let's hope we can get no points for the next 10 games and Souness gets sacked. Then i'll come back and post how right you were and we'll all be happy won't we.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

NOBODY is saying sack Souness yet and that would be sheer stupidity but it appears that major team issues and concerns have not been properly addressed close season....I personally find that so disappointing along with the lack of activity in the transfer market to strengthen the side

On the contrary that is what a good number of posters are saying. The same ones that insist on posting negative crap after one game and then try and twist what anyone who disagrees is saying.

No sensible person is suggesting a point against West Brom is good but the 2nd half was positive and unfirtunately if you don't go home in a stinking mood followed up with a Souness out tirade then you are accused of wearing blinkers.

It's getting beyond belief now and yet whenever anyone asks the whingers to come up with an alternative they just roll-out the blinkers jibes instead. It's got to the point where I'd rather stop posting anymore because you can't have opinions. Despite posting that the tactics were wrong and that it was not at all great you still get accused of posting blinkered rubbish simply because i'm not ready to end it all.

Well let's hope we can get no points for the next 10 games and Souness gets sacked. Then i'll come back and post how right you were and we'll all be happy won't we.

Works both ways MB,post any critisism of the team or Souness and in the eyes of some posters you not supporting the club,your a miserable so and so who's ready to end it all,blah,blah

''Well let's hope we can get no points for the next 10 games and Souness gets sacked. Then i'll come back and post how right you were and we'll all be happy won't we.''

NO, lets hope thats not the case and that many peoples concerns dont materalise but who'll be to blame if that scenario does happen....... the folk on here who had the balls to tell it like it was.?

I DONT THINK ANYONE WOULD REJOICE IN THAT(except maybe Jan!! )

Edited August 16, 2004 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Scotty]

On the contrary that is what a good number of posters are saying. The same ones that insist on posting negative crap after one game and then try and twist what anyone who disagrees is saying.

No sensible person is suggesting a point against West Brom is good but the 2nd half was positive and unfirtunately if you don't go home in a stinking mood followed up with a Souness out tirade then you are accused of wearing blinkers.

It's getting beyond belief now and yet whenever anyone asks the whingers to come up with an alternative they just roll-out the blinkers jibes instead. It's got to the point where I'd rather stop posting anymore because you can't have opinions. Despite posting that the tactics were wrong and that it was not at all great you still get accused of posting blinkered rubbish simply because i'm not ready to end it all.

Well let's hope we can get no points for the next 10 games and Souness gets sacked. Then i'll come back and post how right you were and we'll all be happy won't we.

Ah diddums. Someone has the nerve to criticise something you posted and you spit your dummy out and threaten not to post again! Poor thing.

The irony is though that last night and early this morning you completely jumped down someone else's throat for daring to have a different opinion to yourself. Get a grip.

[Jan]

Would I rejoice if we went 10 games with no points and then he was sacked, NO. If it went past 4 I think the board should do something. Would I rejoice if he was sacked- of course, but it MUST come early enough for us to get out of the mess he has created

[bob]

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.

Reid!!!! Will people stop thinking he is the answer to all our problems he is a nightmare.

... because my post really implies that.

I'm saying that with a second right-sided player, the squad would not have its off-kilter and unbalanced look that it had on Saturday.

And he's proven on the right is he??? First he could play on the left then at the back now right back/right wing well I have yet to see him in any position that he looks anywhere near Premiership class, he looks out of place everywhere...sell him ASAP!

[SouthAussieRover]

I'm the eternal optimist.

It's a point towards safety.

Last year we started with a 5-0 win and everyone seemed to be wetting themselves as to how good the season promised to be.

This time we opened up with a 1-1 result vs WBA...well knowing Rovers we'll have a real shait start to the season and then go on a long unbeaten run pre Christmas.

[mjs]

The same ones that insist on posting negative crap after one game

But it isn't just after one game, because that one game is just a continuation of the rubbish that we saw last season.

There is absolutely no evidence that there is going to be any improvement this time round.

What we lacked most last season was pace and creativity, but the sad fact is that this summers transfer dealings have done nothing to address that problem.

Whilst not being a Souness- Out supporter jusy yet, I feel that if we are in a similar situation to last year in a few weeks time then his future as manager has to be looked at by the board.

[JonnyH]

Would I rejoice if he was sacked- of course, but it MUST come early enough for us to get out of the mess he has created

Oh good God, how I fear for our club.

[American]

DB - its your posts that are unbelievable - see what you see but don't hide away from the obvious - your as bad as Manchester Blue.

And you're getting as bad as Jan, Jim and Mr. 6...

Hey, he put out the wrong squad in the first half. He had his reasons for doing it (W. Brom weak in the attack down the left), and it didn't work. The only harm done wasn't because of the formation, it was because of a dodgy wall.

At the half, he realized the formation wasn't giving us the offensive results we wanted, so he was smart enough to admit he had been wrong and changed it. It worked.

Just remember, if not for such a dodgy wall, more people would be praising how he made the right changes at the half. Of course others would be moaning no matter what, even had we won 3-0, including all those listed above.

[Manchester Blue]

On the contrary that is what a good number of posters are saying.  The same ones that insist on posting negative crap after one game and then try and twist what anyone who disagrees is saying.

No sensible person is suggesting a point against West Brom is good but the 2nd half was positive and unfirtunately if you don't go home in a stinking mood followed up with a Souness out tirade then you are accused of wearing blinkers.

It's getting beyond belief now and yet whenever anyone asks the whingers to come up with an alternative they just roll-out the blinkers jibes instead.  It's got to the point where I'd rather stop posting anymore because you can't have opinions.  Despite posting that the tactics were wrong and that it was not at all great you still get accused of posting blinkered rubbish simply because i'm not ready to end it all.

Well let's hope we can get no points for the next 10 games and Souness gets sacked.  Then i'll come back and post how right you were and we'll all be happy won't we.

Ah diddums. Someone has the nerve to criticise something you posted and you spit your dummy out and threaten not to post again! Poor thing.

The irony is though that last night and early this morning you completely jumped down someone else's throat for daring to have a different opinion to yourself. Get a grip.

Who the f**k threatened not to post again. I said I'd rather stop posting than go through these endless slanging matches as they are tiresome quite frankly. It was not as well you chuffing well know intended as anything other than to state my intention to avoid that situation which you seem to so enjoy.

I have only ever had a go at posters who I feel allow their arguments to be clouded by an agenda which masks what are at times decent posts. One of the most knoweldgable posters on here is Jan but I can't read one of her posts because I know what it's going to say and that's the pity.

If someone wants to moan about Saturday then fine I have no problem and jumped down anyone for that alone or i'd have been posting non-stop for 24 hours.

We all want the same things but I personally get tired of the negativity but rather than rant on i'd rather leave it. If you think that's a threat then that's up to you but you're wrong. And now you've made me post again.

[BuckyRover]

I like that, "the mess he has created"

I seem to remember when he took over we were spiralling towards Division 2.

There is no way we will go down this season, we will beat Southampton and Man Utd. No worries.

[CAPT KAYOS]

DB - its your posts that are unbelievable - see what you see but don't hide away from the obvious - your as bad as Manchester Blue.

And you're getting as bad as Jan, Jim and Mr. 6...

Hey, he put out the wrong squad in the first half. He had his reasons for doing it (W. Brom weak in the attack down the left), and it didn't work. The only harm done wasn't because of the formation, it was because of a dodgy wall.

At the half, he realized the formation wasn't giving us the offensive results we wanted, so he was smart enough to admit he had been wrong and changed it. It worked.

Just remember, if not for such a dodgy wall, more people would be praising how he made the right changes at the half. Of course others would be moaning no matter what, even had we won 3-0, including all those listed above.

Not quite American, you'll probably find I am worse.

Yes he did put out the wrong squad in the first half - and it wasn't because he was smart enough to change it as it was glaringly obvious what needed doing.

If you had been there you would understand the angst at which myself and others are showing with this regard - but it wasn't the first time was it - how long do we let this continue and just accept it.

Fair enough if it had been the first time - but it wasn't and its no wonder the players look 'clueless' as to where/ what they should be doing.

We can all accept mistakes - what we can't accept is the same mistakes time and time again and no improvement as to what is happening.

How many more excuses do we want to hear - dodgy wall (Man city last year anybody), lady luck and her sister (pick any game last year)/referees (pick any game last year) injuries (no other team has them don't you know)

And as for the changes - no it didn't work - we should have won the game -all he did was stop the debacle of the first half which was his own doing. If it hadn't been for the determination of Short and the nous of Stead to get the ball in the box we would have been on the end of a defeat - as up to that point we did not look like we where going to score.

I'll leave it on this point -Souness in his own words has said (again) survival is priority - well to me looking at Saturday if we don't start to win our home games , especially against the teams that we will more than likely fighting it out with - it won't be a priority as we will be relegated before we know what has happened.

[92er]

We beat Wolves 5-1.

Home results and performances are important, not just because poor ones create tensions on here, but also because we have to improve the gates. We're not going to do it after saturday(OK,I'm sure the next gate will be up) and the management team have to take on board the connection between the product and cash generated through the gates.

By the way, on the way out on Saturday, we were walking behind a woman and her son, who had on an England away shirt. Nothing unusual in that. However, they were talking Dutch or a Scandinavian language!!

[BuckyRover]

I regularly wear Italian and Dutch shirts, its not that unusual, I imagine many nations respect the quality of our players.

Or they like how the shirts look (thats why I buy my non-blackburn shirts)

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

''Home results and performances are important, not just because poor ones create tensions on here, but also because we have to improve the gates.''

Quite right too 92er,under 20k Rovers fans I do believe on Saturday.

[SouthAussieRover]

''Home results and performances are important, not just because poor ones create tensions on here, but also because we have to improve the gates.''

Quite right too 92er,under 20k Rovers fans I do believe on Saturday.

I guess the bubble has burst at certain venues.

Such is the cost of entrance fees now people are beginning to choose to stay away because of the poor quality of football on offer.

[den]

The most worrying thing for me, was that after all last seasons disappointments and a summer to get things back on track, we couldn't put out a side to play 4-4-2, that was able to cope with West Brom.

[American]

Not quite American, you'll probably find I am worse.

Yes he did put out the wrong squad in the first half - and it wasn't because he was smart enough to change it as it was glaringly obvious what needed doing.

If you had been there you would understand the angst at which myself and others are showing with this regard - but it wasn't the first time was it - how long do we let this continue and just accept it.

Fair enough if it had been the first time - but it wasn't and its no wonder the players look 'clueless' as to where/ what they should be doing.

We can all accept mistakes - what we can't accept is the same mistakes time and time again and no improvement as to what is happening.

How many more excuses do we want to hear - dodgy wall (Man city last year anybody), lady luck and her sister (pick any game last year)/referees (pick any game last year) injuries (no other team has them don't you know)

And as for the changes - no it didn't work - we should have won the game -all he did was stop the debacle of the first half which was his own doing. If it hadn't been for the determination of Short and the nous of Stead to get the ball in the box we would have been on the end of a defeat - as up to that point we did not look like we where going to score.

I'll leave it on this point -Souness in his own words has said (again) survival is priority - well to me looking at Saturday if we don't start to win our home games , especially against the teams that we will more than likely fighting it out with - it won't be a priority as we will be relegated before we know what has happened.

Never said it was an excuse, but it was the reason we didn't win, not the tactics. Yes, our defending of free kicks is terrible, but it has nothing to do with the tactics deployed in the first half. We could have had the perfect formation out there, but still have been down 0-1.

Hey, we got a draw with a club who could be this year's Portsmouth.

Bet you were also complaining after we drew with Sunderland opening day 2 seasons ago. That season didn't end up too bad....

How long do we let what continue? A sixth place finish preceeded by a 10th place and a cup win? Wow, one bad season last season and all of the sudden its gloom and doom. Hey, a draw with relegation fodder, oh no, we're doomed it's like 2002/03 all over again!!!!

And Souness also said that survival is a priority he wants to be past by midseason.

Edited August 16, 2004 by American

[BuckyRover]

Reason to be positive and stop whining:

Last season we would have lost that game, not looked like we were going to win it

[chris]

Reason to be positive and stop whining:

Last season we would have lost that game, not looked like we were going to win it

last season we would have won that game 5-1

[CAPT KAYOS]

We could have had the perfect formation out there, but still have been down 0-1.

Hey, we got a draw with a club who could be this year's Portsmouth.

Bet you were also complaining after we drew with Sunderland opening day 2 seasons ago. That season didn't end up too bad....

How long do we let what continue? A sixth place finish preceeded by a 10th place and a cup win? Wow, one bad season last season and all of the sudden its gloom and doom. Hey, a draw with relegation fodder, oh no, we're doomed it's like 2002/03 all over again!!!!

And Souness also said that survival is a priority he wants to be past by midseason.

Nope -can't dispute that - but continue with that formation and we will be 1 nil down in every game we play.

Yep - we got a draw and all in all we have to be happy we got a point (at home)

Yep - I was complaining because that's another we should have won- always do when we don't win - especially when we know we should have - happens far too many times - you can accept the odd game - but not over 10 a season.

How long do we let what continue? ..... Obviously not seen us for a while - its not that we drew that's the problem - its the way we ended up drawing against what I consider poor opposition that played like a First Division team - exception being the best player on the pitch Kanu. You complain about us being negative - try having a word with Mr Souness.

And Souness also said that survival is a priority he wants to be past by midseason. ....... - then why the cock does he keep conjuring up formations that would perform better in an assembled room of comatised monkeys?

[krislu]

The most worrying thing for me, was that after all last seasons disappointments and a summer to get things back on track, we couldn't put out a side to play 4-4-2, that was able to cope with West Brom.

Agree! I just cant understand why Souness would choose such a defensive/strange starting line-up against WBA at HOME! If this is the type of football we are going to play, then oh dear me its going to be a very long and depressing season...