Blackburn Rovers manager eyes a magic 40 safety target (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

...oh yeh, particularly after finishing 15th last year, and with no money to spend.
Its funny, Sam was criticised last week for suggesting (to Diouf) that we could qualify for the Europa League. With no disrespect, some fans will find the negative whatever he says, won't they.

happycyclist wrote:
Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

Couldn't agree more happycyclist.
It makes things worse when you look at the fixture list, take into account our away form and look at who we have to play at home!!
If we don't beat both Hull and Bolton then it is BIG BIG trouble!!
Rovers have taken just 12 points from there last 13 games and with respect they where so called slightly easier games then what are to come!
"There's only one Mark Hughes"

jeppo wrote:
...oh yeh, particularly after finishing 15th last year, and with no money to spend. Its funny, Sam was criticised last week for suggesting (to Diouf) that we could qualify for the Europa League. With no disrespect, some fans will find the negative whatever he says, won't they.

Sam's suggestion of Europe was media spin, to get people off his back, brain washing them into thinging we had a chance of europe!!
Get real!!

jeppo wrote:
...oh yeh, particularly after finishing 15th last year, and with no money to spend. Its funny, Sam was criticised last week for suggesting (to Diouf) that we could qualify for the Europa League. With no disrespect, some fans will find the negative whatever he says, won't they.

one day you might wake up!

Mike Costa says:

Jeppo, have you got a crush on BFS? Nobody, but nobody, can be satisfied with the lack of class and style that the current Hoofball regime is inflicting on the long suffering supporters. The sooner he goes the better. The only entertainment he's provided us with are his ridiculous excuses when we get the inevitable away day pasting.
.
BFS - No passion, no motivation, no interest

BRFCBrabant wrote:

happycyclist wrote: Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

Couldn't agree more happycyclist. It makes things worse when you look at the fixture list, take into account our away form and look at who we have to play at home!! If we don't beat both Hull and Bolton then it is BIG BIG trouble!! Rovers have taken just 12 points from there last 13 games and with respect they where so called slightly easier games then what are to come! "There's only one Mark Hughes"

Yes theirs only one Mark Hughes....the man who left us in the sh1t when he saw what was coming. A squad that peaked at the time Hughes was here that now look like OAP'S and cant pass tackle or run. I dont blame Allardyce. The squad he inherited from Hughes and Ince i dont think Alex Ferguson could do anything with!! People who want Mark Hughes back are deluded! All the Sam haters cant name a decent manager that would REALISTICALLY take over so back him or back off.

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

happycyclist wrote: Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

Couldn't agree more happycyclist. It makes things worse when you look at the fixture list, take into account our away form and look at who we have to play at home!! If we don't beat both Hull and Bolton then it is BIG BIG trouble!! Rovers have taken just 12 points from there last 13 games and with respect they where so called slightly easier games then what are to come! "There's only one Mark Hughes"

Yes theirs only one Mark Hughes....the man who left us in the sh1t when he saw what was coming. A squad that peaked at the time Hughes was here that now look like OAP'S and cant pass tackle or run. I dont blame Allardyce. The squad he inherited from Hughes and Ince i dont think Alex Ferguson could do anything with!! People who want Mark Hughes back are deluded! All the Sam haters cant name a decent manager that would REALISTICALLY take over so back him or back off.

Anybody who criticizes MH is Nuts!!!

Available managers (LMA members):
click on drop down list available mangers
http://www.leagueman
agers.com/index.html


Quite a few names to chose from and that only in this country!!

BRFCBrabant wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

happycyclist wrote: Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

Couldn't agree more happycyclist. It makes things worse when you look at the fixture list, take into account our away form and look at who we have to play at home!! If we don't beat both Hull and Bolton then it is BIG BIG trouble!! Rovers have taken just 12 points from there last 13 games and with respect they where so called slightly easier games then what are to come! "There's only one Mark Hughes"

Yes theirs only one Mark Hughes....the man who left us in the sh1t when he saw what was coming. A squad that peaked at the time Hughes was here that now look like OAP'S and cant pass tackle or run. I dont blame Allardyce. The squad he inherited from Hughes and Ince i dont think Alex Ferguson could do anything with!! People who want Mark Hughes back are deluded! All the Sam haters cant name a decent manager that would REALISTICALLY take over so back him or back off.

Anybody who criticizes MH is Nuts!!! Available managers (LMA members): click on drop down list available mangers http://www.leagueman agers.com/index.html Quite a few names to chose from and that only in this country!!

Just like to note. Mark Hughes did a fantastic job for us. Loved him as our player and manager and im not slagging him off. If anything he knew what he was doing when he left. I think after the final game of the season battering against bham (Hughsies last game) he saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship. Followed by Friedel, Bentley, Warnock, Santa Cruz, Tugay and now Mccarthy. Name me ANY side that could lose their best players and still perform to the high standards that were set. We have lost the spine of this football club in the space of 2-3 years and we are REBUILDING. Its not pretty (Infact its pretty dire) but we must stick together. Not turning up to games, getting on the managers and players back, fighting amongst ourselves (look at the poor chap who has just lost his life) What will it take to get behind our lads and SUPPORT our team. Sorry for the essay!

Can jeppo,Kev and all the other SM fans, please let us have your vision of where you see BRFC are going with this Management and style of play.
You obviously see it as exceptable and that we should not except anything better,and if you think it is exceptable I DREAD to think what you consider is unexceptable.
Sam did get us out of a hole when her came in, but this can happen when a new Managers arrives, because it seems to lift the spirts of everone around.
We have for a long time lost that initial upfit and the real SA has come through, which most of us expected.
I think you are defending SM now because like him, you have dug yourself a hole and are not able to hold your hand up and say that it not good enough and blame everything and body,but the truth is her is a dinosaur in football nowadays
In most of the games this season we have started games with a negative formation and most of the time it has not worked and only then have we gone after teams and looked half decent.
In my opinion we have players capable of playing a more expansive game and going after teams from the start,but after being set up to try and nullify team for so long now all the football has been knock out of them.
I have a feeling that the Chairman and the board are just hoping we stay up this season and then release SA from his contact.

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

happycyclist wrote: Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

Couldn't agree more happycyclist. It makes things worse when you look at the fixture list, take into account our away form and look at who we have to play at home!! If we don't beat both Hull and Bolton then it is BIG BIG trouble!! Rovers have taken just 12 points from there last 13 games and with respect they where so called slightly easier games then what are to come! "There's only one Mark Hughes"

Yes theirs only one Mark Hughes....the man who left us in the sh1t when he saw what was coming. A squad that peaked at the time Hughes was here that now look like OAP'S and cant pass tackle or run. I dont blame Allardyce. The squad he inherited from Hughes and Ince i dont think Alex Ferguson could do anything with!! People who want Mark Hughes back are deluded! All the Sam haters cant name a decent manager that would REALISTICALLY take over so back him or back off.

Anybody who criticizes MH is Nuts!!! Available managers (LMA members): click on drop down list available mangers http://www.leagueman agers.com/index.html Quite a few names to chose from and that only in this country!!

Just like to note. Mark Hughes did a fantastic job for us. Loved him as our player and manager and im not slagging him off. If anything he knew what he was doing when he left. I think after the final game of the season battering against bham (Hughsies last game) he saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship. Followed by Friedel, Bentley, Warnock, Santa Cruz, Tugay and now Mccarthy. Name me ANY side that could lose their best players and still perform to the high standards that were set. We have lost the spine of this football club in the space of 2-3 years and we are REBUILDING. Its not pretty (Infact its pretty dire) but we must stick together. Not turning up to games, getting on the managers and players back, fighting amongst ourselves (look at the poor chap who has just lost his life) What will it take to get behind our lads and SUPPORT our team. Sorry for the essay!

Mark Hughes didn't jump ship he left us at the end of the season after finishing 7th, just missing out on an intertoto cup spot, for a dream job that nobody would turn down.
Just a question, if you was John Williams and you had heard that MH was intrested in coming back to Rovers, would you give him a call or just let sam get on with the job??
I'd call him!!

BRFCBrabant wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

happycyclist wrote: Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

Couldn't agree more happycyclist. It makes things worse when you look at the fixture list, take into account our away form and look at who we have to play at home!! If we don't beat both Hull and Bolton then it is BIG BIG trouble!! Rovers have taken just 12 points from there last 13 games and with respect they where so called slightly easier games then what are to come! "There's only one Mark Hughes"

Yes theirs only one Mark Hughes....the man who left us in the sh1t when he saw what was coming. A squad that peaked at the time Hughes was here that now look like OAP'S and cant pass tackle or run. I dont blame Allardyce. The squad he inherited from Hughes and Ince i dont think Alex Ferguson could do anything with!! People who want Mark Hughes back are deluded! All the Sam haters cant name a decent manager that would REALISTICALLY take over so back him or back off.

Anybody who criticizes MH is Nuts!!! Available managers (LMA members): click on drop down list available mangers http://www.leagueman agers.com/index.html Quite a few names to chose from and that only in this country!!

Just like to note. Mark Hughes did a fantastic job for us. Loved him as our player and manager and im not slagging him off. If anything he knew what he was doing when he left. I think after the final game of the season battering against bham (Hughsies last game) he saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship. Followed by Friedel, Bentley, Warnock, Santa Cruz, Tugay and now Mccarthy. Name me ANY side that could lose their best players and still perform to the high standards that were set. We have lost the spine of this football club in the space of 2-3 years and we are REBUILDING. Its not pretty (Infact its pretty dire) but we must stick together. Not turning up to games, getting on the managers and players back, fighting amongst ourselves (look at the poor chap who has just lost his life) What will it take to get behind our lads and SUPPORT our team. Sorry for the essay!

Mark Hughes didn't jump ship he left us at the end of the season after finishing 7th, just missing out on an intertoto cup spot, for a dream job that nobody would turn down. Just a question, if you was John Williams and you had heard that MH was intrested in coming back to Rovers, would you give him a call or just let sam get on with the job?? I'd call him!!

Didnt Mark Hughes leave because of the lack of investment/ambition the club has? He was ALWAYS going to leave when a "bigger" club came along. Man City didnt have foreign investers when he left us he just got lucky. Its irrelavant whether or not he's available as his next job in managment will be at a club with more money to spend than us. HE IS NOT COMING BACK END OF STORY.

Hughes DID jump ship. He resigned from us in order to go and manage another premier league club.

Why on earth would we want mark hughes back? This is the kind of guy who ditched us as soon as more money came along and he would have done so sooner had newcastle come in for him in january 08. He was using us as a stepping stone, and people with so little loyalty disgust me. Just look, he's a united legend and yet is quite happy to throw that away for the money at man city. What kind of reception would williams get if he sacked allardyce with us in 12th place (a very good position) to bring hughes in and then we either slipped down the league or hughes ditched us a year later? He'd get slaughtered by 99% of people in football.

No matter what happens, even if there was a vacancy hughes doesn't deserve the job back. He made his feelings quite well known when he left that he considers himself to be too big for this club.

What's Williams going to say?
'Sorry sam, i'm afraid you're sacked'

'Why?'

'Because some supporters don't like the football you have us playing'

'But i kept this club up last year when it was seemingly doomed, we've progressed this year and have a younger squad, we reached a cup semi-final and have one of the best home records in the division'

'Yeah sorry I know all that, but we want mark hughes to take us back to the glory days when we used to play like arsenal, when we reached semi-finals, and qualified for the intertoto cup when teams like spurs, city and villa hadn't splashed vast sums of money out'

Call me mad for saying it but i'm happy for us to be 12th and reach cup semi's given our resources.

Well BRFCBrabant, I'd just get on with my job. Returning managers don't work. Hughes left for many reasons, one of which was that we aren't big enough to satisfy his ambitions (seems to forget it was us that enabled him to move to City in the first place). I am ambivolent to Sam at the moment to be honest, but I think any manager at the club at the moment has a tough job, just as John Williams has a tough job, as with our size and financial clout we shouldn't even be in this league.
Too many people are harking back to where we used to be, even two years ago. Look how the financial crisis has hit football, it may sound like a scratched record, but would you swap with Portsmouth? And let's be honest, the first season under Hughes wasn't exactly exciting. The squad Sam inherited wasn't good enough, and he's struggling along trying to make a bunch of players that can't be bothered play better than they do at present. The performances of a number of players on Saturday was appalling - no effort, no imagination. The tactics weren't wrong on Saturday, the players were. Sams tactics don't involve not marking people in the box I'm sure, but that's how they got all three goals. And they also don't include the referee blowing his whistle every time anyone in a blue shirt stood within 200 yards of the goalkeeper either.
Forget tactics, worry about the desire of the team. It cost us that place in the Intertoto Cup 2 years ago (thank goodness!) and it's costing us valuable points again now.
Go to the managers association drop down box if you want, you're forgetting at least 2 things:
- they might not want to come here (and with the 'support' we demonstrate above, who'd blame them)
- they might be extremely expensive

Stop succumbing to the instant gratification society and accept that there's a long job ahead and get behind the whole team.

Onwards & Upwards....

Gents, I've stated my perspective (the realistic one) often enough. Ultimately we are a small club that can only evolve slowly. Losing the players and management that we have over the last 2 years simply cannot be recovered overnight. When we win a few games, I don't come on here crowing about how good our football is or how rosy everything is right now, I keep realistic then as well. "It will be painful"....I'm sure Marghen & Morst remember the line! It embarrasses me that we have a load of fans almost hoping that we lose, so that they can complain again about everything. As I have stated all season, if we can reduce the wage bill, reduce the average age of the squad, and finish 13th or above, that will represent good progress for our great club.
To re-iterate, as crap as Saturday, West Ham at home, Sunderland at home etc have been, there is solid progress going on at the club. If people cannot see that, then I can only think that you do not want to see it.
To re-iterate, the 12th team in the league losing away against the team that is 11th is not exactly terminal (as long as we beat Hull on Wednesday lol!!)

Cheshire Rover wrote:
Well BRFCBrabant, I'd just get on with my job. Returning managers don't work. Hughes left for many reasons, one of which was that we aren't big enough to satisfy his ambitions (seems to forget it was us that enabled him to move to City in the first place). I am ambivolent to Sam at the moment to be honest, but I think any manager at the club at the moment has a tough job, just as John Williams has a tough job, as with our size and financial clout we shouldn't even be in this league. Too many people are harking back to where we used to be, even two years ago. Look how the financial crisis has hit football, it may sound like a scratched record, but would you swap with Portsmouth? And let's be honest, the first season under Hughes wasn't exactly exciting. The squad Sam inherited wasn't good enough, and he's struggling along trying to make a bunch of players that can't be bothered play better than they do at present. The performances of a number of players on Saturday was appalling - no effort, no imagination. The tactics weren't wrong on Saturday, the players were. Sams tactics don't involve not marking people in the box I'm sure, but that's how they got all three goals. And they also don't include the referee blowing his whistle every time anyone in a blue shirt stood within 200 yards of the goalkeeper either. Forget tactics, worry about the desire of the team. It cost us that place in the Intertoto Cup 2 years ago (thank goodness!) and it's costing us valuable points again now. Go to the managers association drop down box if you want, you're forgetting at least 2 things: - they might not want to come here (and with the 'support' we demonstrate above, who'd blame them) - they might be extremely expensive Stop succumbing to the instant gratification society and accept that there's a long job ahead and get behind the whole team. Onwards & Upwards....

Quite possibly the best post i've read on the LET. The fact we are still in the top division, for what i believe is a record for BRFC in terms of longest stretch 9-10 years is remarkable. When we have gone through loosing our best players and best manager in hughes (not to mention all the backroom staff that comes with that). Im proud to just be a part of the premier league. I'm not sure what kind of football deluded fans are expecting to see. We dont have the players to play the arsenal way, we dont have the money to challenge the top 6, or even top 8 for that matter.

Before i get slated for not having ambition or whatever it is that i will get slated for i want to take a moment to break down the team that played against Stoke and hopefully people will see the point im trying to make....

Robinson
Chimbonda
Samba
Nelson
Givet
Emerton
Nzonzi
Pederson
Olsson
Kalinic
Di Santo

Now then. If you were the manager wouldnt that be most peoples starting 11?? So who would you play/drop and how would you change it? Bear in mind a bit of reality is required when making suggestions. Because like it or not THAT is the team Sam has at his disposal. Its a mid table team at best!

MidlandRover85 wrote:

Cheshire Rover wrote: Well BRFCBrabant, I'd just get on with my job. Returning managers don't work. Hughes left for many reasons, one of which was that we aren't big enough to satisfy his ambitions (seems to forget it was us that enabled him to move to City in the first place). I am ambivolent to Sam at the moment to be honest, but I think any manager at the club at the moment has a tough job, just as John Williams has a tough job, as with our size and financial clout we shouldn't even be in this league. Too many people are harking back to where we used to be, even two years ago. Look how the financial crisis has hit football, it may sound like a scratched record, but would you swap with Portsmouth? And let's be honest, the first season under Hughes wasn't exactly exciting. The squad Sam inherited wasn't good enough, and he's struggling along trying to make a bunch of players that can't be bothered play better than they do at present. The performances of a number of players on Saturday was appalling - no effort, no imagination. The tactics weren't wrong on Saturday, the players were. Sams tactics don't involve not marking people in the box I'm sure, but that's how they got all three goals. And they also don't include the referee blowing his whistle every time anyone in a blue shirt stood within 200 yards of the goalkeeper either. Forget tactics, worry about the desire of the team. It cost us that place in the Intertoto Cup 2 years ago (thank goodness!) and it's costing us valuable points again now. Go to the managers association drop down box if you want, you're forgetting at least 2 things: - they might not want to come here (and with the 'support' we demonstrate above, who'd blame them) - they might be extremely expensive Stop succumbing to the instant gratification society and accept that there's a long job ahead and get behind the whole team. Onwards & Upwards....

Quite possibly the best post i've read on the LET. The fact we are still in the top division, for what i believe is a record for BRFC in terms of longest stretch 9-10 years is remarkable. When we have gone through loosing our best players and best manager in hughes (not to mention all the backroom staff that comes with that). Im proud to just be a part of the premier league. I'm not sure what kind of football deluded fans are expecting to see. We dont have the players to play the arsenal way, we dont have the money to challenge the top 6, or even top 8 for that matter.

Time to wake up Jeppo the troops are rallying!

Mike Costa says:

Drop? Well Chimbonda and Di Santo for a start. I'd also be tempted to give N'Zonzi a well deserved rest. Also not sure the centre back pairing is that good, though appreciate that there isn't much in reserve now BFS has got rid of them.

MidlandRover85 wrote:
Before i get slated for not having ambition or whatever it is that i will get slated for i want to take a moment to break down the team that played against Stoke and hopefully people will see the point im trying to make....

Robinson
Chimbonda
Samba
Nelson
Givet
Emerton
Nzonzi
Pederson
Olsson
Kalinic
Di Santo

Now then. If you were the manager wouldnt that be most peoples starting 11?? So who would you play/drop and how would you change it? Bear in mind a bit of reality is required when making suggestions. Because like it or not THAT is the team Sam has at his disposal. Its a mid table team at best!

Well, if I was picking 2 centre forward, I might try the really novel idea of playing them both upfront. I think I might try getting 2 of the wide midfield players I had selected to cross the ball. Maybe I'd get the midfield closing down and looking to pick up passes from the defenders so they could bring the strikers into play.
I might even try a short throw into a team-mate rather than a long one into the opposing keepers arms.
I might have a go at trying to get the defence to hold their line, mark properly and tackle.

MidlandRover85 wrote:
Before i get slated for not having ambition or whatever it is that i will get slated for i want to take a moment to break down the team that played against Stoke and hopefully people will see the point im trying to make.... Robinson Chimbonda Samba Nelson Givet Emerton Nzonzi Pederson Olsson Kalinic Di Santo Now then. If you were the manager wouldnt that be most peoples starting 11?? So who would you play/drop and how would you change it? Bear in mind a bit of reality is required when making suggestions. Because like it or not THAT is the team Sam has at his disposal. Its a mid table team at best!

I agree with you totally here.
Now look at your team again and tell me are they capable of playing football. Yes they are. Do they look like a team who needs to play hooftball, no they are not. Will they win more games if they change the tactics. That is what all us challanging BFS believe. We have a decent team only playing a way that doesn't suit our players and LOSING alot of games.
Since the middle of November we have only won 2 league games!! Relegation form!!!

MidlandRover85 wrote:
Before i get slated for not having ambition or whatever it is that i will get slated for i want to take a moment to break down the team that played against Stoke and hopefully people will see the point im trying to make.... Robinson Chimbonda Samba Nelson Givet Emerton Nzonzi Pederson Olsson Kalinic Di Santo Now then. If you were the manager wouldnt that be most peoples starting 11?? So who would you play/drop and how would you change it? Bear in mind a bit of reality is required when making suggestions. Because like it or not THAT is the team Sam has at his disposal. Its a mid table team at best!

I would start Roberts above Di Santo and play him upfront with Kalinic and not on the wing.

The team should of been:

Robinson

Chimbonda
Samba
Zurab
Givet (even though hes crap, there is not one better)
Hoilett
Andrews
NZonzi
Olsson
Kalinic
Roberts.

Emerton and Pedersen are terrible footballers. They use to be half decent but they are no longer and they wont be again. Nelsen is a joke of a captain, i think he would be a much better player if he didnt have the armband.
Andrews did really well against West ham when he came on, he should have been given the chance from the start.
Di Santo is not good enough for the premiership.
Allardyce is a fantastic manager and he could win trophies every season, unfortunatly we are not an NFL team or a Rugby Union team.

ALLARCYE OUT!!!!
and morst!

Paul Ince's Rovers record (wiki)
P 21, W6, L11, D4

Sam's last 21 games
W6, L9, D6

BRFCBrabant wrote:
Paul Ince's Rovers record (wiki)
P 21, W6, L11, D4

Sam's last 21 games
W6, L9, D6

Maybe this tells you something about the team, rather than the manager?

jack01 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote: Paul Ince's Rovers record (wiki) P 21, W6, L11, D4 Sam's last 21 games W6, L9, D6

Maybe this tells you something about the team, rather than the manager?

It tells me that both managers are useless!!
Sam's record would be slightly worse only I credited him for the 3 games he missed while in hospital.

jack01 wrote:
Hughes DID jump ship. He resigned from us in order to go and manage another premier league club. Why on earth would we want mark hughes back? This is the kind of guy who ditched us as soon as more money came along and he would have done so sooner had newcastle come in for him in january 08. He was using us as a stepping stone, and people with so little loyalty disgust me. Just look, he's a united legend and yet is quite happy to throw that away for the money at man city. What kind of reception would williams get if he sacked allardyce with us in 12th place (a very good position) to bring hughes in and then we either slipped down the league or hughes ditched us a year later? He'd get slaughtered by 99% of people in football. No matter what happens, even if there was a vacancy hughes doesn't deserve the job back. He made his feelings quite well known when he left that he considers himself to be too big for this club. What's Williams going to say? 'Sorry sam, i'm afraid you're sacked' 'Why?' 'Because some supporters don't like the football you have us playing' 'But i kept this club up last year when it was seemingly doomed, we've progressed this year and have a younger squad, we reached a cup semi-final and have one of the best home records in the division' 'Yeah sorry I know all that, but we want mark hughes to take us back to the glory days when we used to play like arsenal, when we reached semi-finals, and qualified for the intertoto cup when teams like spurs, city and villa hadn't splashed vast sums of money out' Call me mad for saying it but i'm happy for us to be 12th and reach cup semi's given our resources.

Do you think Allardyce or any other manager for that matter would turn down the chance to manage a ‘bigger’ club with a much bigger transfer budget plus a salary that would dwarf his present one! To critisze Mark Hughes for leaving is idiotic. No one in their right mind would have declined- Yes, the really big bucks weren’t at City when Hughes took the job, he only had a backer worth 700m at the time, not the 14 billion city’s backers have now. I think you’ll find even the 700m is about 70 times more than anyone is likely to put into Rovers-no wonder he left!
.
Oh, don’t know you personally -you may be a multimillionaire -on the off chance your not… if someone offered you a new job on double/treble your salary would you tell them to do one!
.

I’d have MH & his backroom staff back tomorrow.

jeppo wrote:
...oh yeh, particularly after finishing 15th last year, and with no money to spend. Its funny, Sam was criticised last week for suggesting (to Diouf) that we could qualify for the Europa League. With no disrespect, some fans will find the negative whatever he says, won't they.

Yes Jeppo, And some people will only ever see the gloss that is put on things.
I bet Sam could sell you a polished turd.........

jeppo wrote:
...oh yeh, particularly after finishing 15th last year, and with no money to spend.
Its funny, Sam was criticised last week for suggesting (to Diouf) that we could qualify for the Europa League. With no disrespect, some fans will find the negative whatever he says, won't they.

Jeppo - come out of your bunker - it can't be much fun just you and Kev e down there?
.
Please give us your enlightened view of the dire drivel we are watching this season. Please respond to the comments of Jason Wilcox and 5Live I posted on the Stoke match report page on Saturday as you seems to go awol over the weekend.
.
And stop saying Burnley play football and they will be relegated as your only argument. They spend £15m on wages and we spend £50m - that is the budget to consider nowadays not the transfer kitty. What have Hull, Portsmouth and Wolves got? Also we had an already established squad.
.
Bottom line is we can expect a lot better entertainment than we are getting and even when we win where is the enjoyment when the fayre is so poor?
.
Sam's hoofball "Can't Buy My Love"
.
31st........

jeppo wrote:
Gents, I've stated my perspective (the realistic one) often enough. Ultimately we are a small club that can only evolve slowly. Losing the players and management that we have over the last 2 years simply cannot be recovered overnight. When we win a few games, I don't come on here crowing about how good our football is or how rosy everything is right now, I keep realistic then as well. "It will be painful"....I'm sure Marghen & Morst remember the line! It embarrasses me that we have a load of fans almost hoping that we lose, so that they can complain again about everything. As I have stated all season, if we can reduce the wage bill, reduce the average age of the squad, and finish 13th or above, that will represent good progress for our great club. To re-iterate, as crap as Saturday, West Ham at home, Sunderland at home etc have been, there is solid progress going on at the club. If people cannot see that, then I can only think that you do not want to see it. To re-iterate, the 12th team in the league losing away against the team that is 11th is not exactly terminal (as long as we beat Hull on Wednesday lol!!)

You wouldn’t know a realistic perspective if it bit you on the as s.
.

Have you been on the Joe 90 chair down in ally dice’s office to be indoctrinated- hmmm..sounds painful.
.
I see you left your side kick Kev to take all the flack after the Stoke Result -nice strategy waiting until it cooled down you weakling (whimp) hehe

Welcome to Excuse Bingo

1) The referee was against us
.
2) My defenders didnt stick to the game plan
.
3) The grass wasn't cut right (not that it would make any difference)
.
4) The floodlights got in our eyes
.
5) Everything was going well until we conceded the first goal.
.
6) The wind was swirling round
.
7) Our fans aren't vocal enough
.
8) I've got no money to bring in players (Givet, Diouf, Salgado, Basturk, Jacobsen, Lingazi, N'Zonzi, Kallanic. Chimbonda, Di Santo) or on loan
.
9) We didn't convert our chances
.
10) Lady luck wasn't with us today.
.
Everytime one is mentioned - tick it off on your free card with your dobber and when your card is complete - shout out "Just Kick the bloody thing!"

marghen wrote:

jack01 wrote:
Hughes DID jump ship. He resigned from us in order to go and manage another premier league club. Why on earth would we want mark hughes back? This is the kind of guy who ditched us as soon as more money came along and he would have done so sooner had newcastle come in for him in january 08. He was using us as a stepping stone, and people with so little loyalty disgust me. Just look, he's a united legend and yet is quite happy to throw that away for the money at man city. What kind of reception would williams get if he sacked allardyce with us in 12th place (a very good position) to bring hughes in and then we either slipped down the league or hughes ditched us a year later? He'd get slaughtered by 99% of people in football. No matter what happens, even if there was a vacancy hughes doesn't deserve the job back. He made his feelings quite well known when he left that he considers himself to be too big for this club. What's Williams going to say? 'Sorry sam, i'm afraid you're sacked' 'Why?' 'Because some supporters don't like the football you have us playing' 'But i kept this club up last year when it was seemingly doomed, we've progressed this year and have a younger squad, we reached a cup semi-final and have one of the best home records in the division' 'Yeah sorry I know all that, but we want mark hughes to take us back to the glory days when we used to play like arsenal, when we reached semi-finals, and qualified for the intertoto cup when teams like spurs, city and villa hadn't splashed vast sums of money out' Call me mad for saying it but i'm happy for us to be 12th and reach cup semi's given our resources.

Do you think Allardyce or any other manager for that matter would turn down the chance to manage a ‘bigger’ club with a much bigger transfer budget plus a salary that would dwarf his present one! To critisze Mark Hughes for leaving is idiotic. No one in their right mind would have declined- Yes, the really big bucks weren’t at City when Hughes took the job, he only had a backer worth 700m at the time, not the 14 billion city’s backers have now. I think you’ll find even the 700m is about 70 times more than anyone is likely to put into Rovers-no wonder he left!
.
Oh, don’t know you personally -you may be a multimillionaire -on the off chance your not… if someone offered you a new job on double/treble your salary would you tell them to do one!
.

I’d have MH & his backroom staff back tomorrow.

I'm not blaming hughes as such for leaving for man city, and no doubt sam would do the same, but if allardyce quit to go somewhere else i wouldn't want him back either. I dont agree with welcoming back managers who ditch us at the first opportunity, and won't agree with this false image of utopia which people associate with hughes reign. Would burnley welcome coyle back with open arms in 2 years? I doubt it very much. Yet in many ways coyle and hughes did the same thing. Left to go to apparently better things for more money.
At the end of the day this discussion is quite pointless. Sam's going nowhere anytime soon and hughes made it perfectly clear we couldn't match his lofty ambitions.

The football is dire.

.

the league position is good.

.

the manager is dislikeable but he is going nowhere before the end of the season.

.

Mark Hughes would not touch us with a barge-pole.

.

some fans are happy to see the club suffer as long as their whinges and little ditties can be broadcast.

.

other fans are prepared to get behind the club / manager, until the end of the season at least, in the hope that their support will help to improve matters.

.

Some fans are utterly depressed because we don't play like Arsenal

.

Some fans are utterly depressed at the neagtivity of some of the spectators

.

Some fans are happy just to be in the Premier League.

.

Fair summary?

.

Let's all swap notes in May.

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

happycyclist wrote: Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

Couldn't agree more happycyclist. It makes things worse when you look at the fixture list, take into account our away form and look at who we have to play at home!! If we don't beat both Hull and Bolton then it is BIG BIG trouble!! Rovers have taken just 12 points from there last 13 games and with respect they where so called slightly easier games then what are to come! "There's only one Mark Hughes"

Yes theirs only one Mark Hughes....the man who left us in the sh1t when he saw what was coming. A squad that peaked at the time Hughes was here that now look like OAP'S and cant pass tackle or run. I dont blame Allardyce. The squad he inherited from Hughes and Ince i dont think Alex Ferguson could do anything with!! People who want Mark Hughes back are deluded! All the Sam haters cant name a decent manager that would REALISTICALLY take over so back him or back off.

Anybody who criticizes MH is Nuts!!! Available managers (LMA members): click on drop down list available mangers http://www.leagueman agers.com/index.html Quite a few names to chose from and that only in this country!!

Just like to note. Mark Hughes did a fantastic job for us. Loved him as our player and manager and im not slagging him off. If anything he knew what he was doing when he left. I think after the final game of the season battering against bham (Hughsies last game) he saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship. Followed by Friedel, Bentley, Warnock, Santa Cruz, Tugay and now Mccarthy. Name me ANY side that could lose their best players and still perform to the high standards that were set. We have lost the spine of this football club in the space of 2-3 years and we are REBUILDING. Its not pretty (Infact its pretty dire) but we must stick together. Not turning up to games, getting on the managers and players back, fighting amongst ourselves (look at the poor chap who has just lost his life) What will it take to get behind our lads and SUPPORT our team. Sorry for the essay!

Mark Hughes didn't jump ship he left us at the end of the season after finishing 7th, just missing out on an intertoto cup spot, for a dream job that nobody would turn down. Just a question, if you was John Williams and you had heard that MH was intrested in coming back to Rovers, would you give him a call or just let sam get on with the job?? I'd call him!!

Didnt Mark Hughes leave because of the lack of investment/ambition the club has? He was ALWAYS going to leave when a "bigger" club came along. Man City didnt have foreign investers when he left us he just got lucky. Its irrelavant whether or not he's available as his next job in managment will be at a club with more money to spend than us. HE IS NOT COMING BACK END OF STORY.

so midland rover what you are saying is that man city did'nt have foreign investment at the club when hughes jumped ship and went to citeh.

i seem to remember that it was some dodgy thai who owed millions in his own country. if that is not foreign investment in a club then i'm the pope of scotland if your gonna spout off facts then my advice to you is get the fooker right before you make yourself more stupid than you already are

Marghen please can you stick your balls on the line and tell me where you think we will be at the end of the season?
I would then like to have a little review in May.
Come on, give me your "realistic perspective", seeing that I simply do not have one...

ashowopikin wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

MidlandRover85 wrote:

BRFCBrabant wrote:

happycyclist wrote: Set low standards and you'll achieve them. With no disrespect, 40 points should have been an ambition for Burnley and Wolves, not Rovers.

Couldn't agree more happycyclist. It makes things worse when you look at the fixture list, take into account our away form and look at who we have to play at home!! If we don't beat both Hull and Bolton then it is BIG BIG trouble!! Rovers have taken just 12 points from there last 13 games and with respect they where so called slightly easier games then what are to come! "There's only one Mark Hughes"

Yes theirs only one Mark Hughes....the man who left us in the sh1t when he saw what was coming. A squad that peaked at the time Hughes was here that now look like OAP'S and cant pass tackle or run. I dont blame Allardyce. The squad he inherited from Hughes and Ince i dont think Alex Ferguson could do anything with!! People who want Mark Hughes back are deluded! All the Sam haters cant name a decent manager that would REALISTICALLY take over so back him or back off.

Anybody who criticizes MH is Nuts!!! Available managers (LMA members): click on drop down list available mangers http://www.leagueman agers.com/index.html Quite a few names to chose from and that only in this country!!

Just like to note. Mark Hughes did a fantastic job for us. Loved him as our player and manager and im not slagging him off. If anything he knew what he was doing when he left. I think after the final game of the season battering against bham (Hughsies last game) he saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship. Followed by Friedel, Bentley, Warnock, Santa Cruz, Tugay and now Mccarthy. Name me ANY side that could lose their best players and still perform to the high standards that were set. We have lost the spine of this football club in the space of 2-3 years and we are REBUILDING. Its not pretty (Infact its pretty dire) but we must stick together. Not turning up to games, getting on the managers and players back, fighting amongst ourselves (look at the poor chap who has just lost his life) What will it take to get behind our lads and SUPPORT our team. Sorry for the essay!

Mark Hughes didn't jump ship he left us at the end of the season after finishing 7th, just missing out on an intertoto cup spot, for a dream job that nobody would turn down. Just a question, if you was John Williams and you had heard that MH was intrested in coming back to Rovers, would you give him a call or just let sam get on with the job?? I'd call him!!

Didnt Mark Hughes leave because of the lack of investment/ambition the club has? He was ALWAYS going to leave when a "bigger" club came along. Man City didnt have foreign investers when he left us he just got lucky. Its irrelavant whether or not he's available as his next job in managment will be at a club with more money to spend than us. HE IS NOT COMING BACK END OF STORY.

so midland rover what you are saying is that man city did'nt have foreign investment at the club when hughes jumped ship and went to citeh. i seem to remember that it was some dodgy thai who owed millions in his own country. if that is not foreign investment in a club then i'm the pope of scotland if your gonna spout off facts then my advice to you is get the fooker right before you make yourself more stupid than you already are

Ok ok so im not clued up on who the owners of man city are/where....sorry for that! The point is he was going to leave for ANY team with more money/ambition than us. We were just a stepping stone for him as somebody earlier pointed out. We are going off topic now anyway Hughes is old news who gives a rats about him now??!

kevin e wrote:
The football is dire. . the league position is good. . the manager is dislikeable but he is going nowhere before the end of the season. . Mark Hughes would not touch us with a barge-pole. . some fans are happy to see the club suffer as long as their whinges and little ditties can be broadcast. . other fans are prepared to get behind the club / manager, until the end of the season at least, in the hope that their support will help to improve matters. . Some fans are utterly depressed because we don't play like Arsenal . Some fans are utterly depressed at the neagtivity of some of the spectators . Some fans are happy just to be in the Premier League. . Fair summary? . Let's all swap notes in May.

.The football is dire……absolutely true.


.
the league position is good…..false, lots of teams have played less games than us & have you seen our remaining fixtures, the most difficult of any team down there.

.

the manager is dislikeable but he is going nowhere before the end of the season…..true, just hope he goes at the end.

.

Mark Hughes would not touch us with a barge-pole….. interested to know what else MH said to you in the conversation!

.

some fans are happy to see the club suffer as long as their whinges and little ditties can be broadcast…… I have no problem with you having your say-even though you’ve never seen Rovers live this season!

.

other fans are prepared to get behind the club / manager, until the end of the season at least, in the hope that their support will help to improve matters…..
Correct, the ones that go that is! ’Fans’ that don’t go just criticise fans do!

.

Some fans are utterly depressed because we don't play like Arsenal…..correct I’m on 10 antidepressant a day.

.

Some fans are utterly depressed at the neagtivity of some of the spectators…. How would you know that Kev, you never go!

.

Some fans are happy just to be in the Premier League. Might have a point there Kev but I suppose it don’t matter to you, never going!

.

Fair summary? Absolutely!

.

Let's all swap notes in May. See on the Silver coast in June!

jeppo wrote:
Marghen please can you stick your balls on the line and tell me where you think we will be at the end of the season? I would then like to have a little review in May. Come on, give me your "realistic perspective", seeing that I simply do not have one...

I know my opinion means so much to you but, unlike you I haven’t got a crystal ball which will allow me to see into the future. League position wise is a hard one to forecast, not knowing how other teams will perform. I will “put my balls on the line” just for you sweetie! In predicting, having looked at the remaining fixture how many points I think we’ll end up with…35pts -37pts at the most-not sure were that will leave us in the league!

Kevin e - answer NO - that is the most biased summary I have seen. Never mind Arsenal I would settle for Rovers under Souness, Sparky or even Jim Smith!
.
Please stop this theory that no Big Sam means relegation because its utter drivel. A good maner would keep us up and play football, a bad manager may take us down. But Big Sam could do either and depress us into the bargain!
.
31st.......

Jeppo -what do you make of the recent comments on 5live of the last two away games and our Own Simon Garner and Jason Wilcox's (Radio Lancs) damming of the style and entertainment?
.
31st...........

...its more important that we finish in a decent position (compared to last season) Morst, that I'm afraid, HAS to be number one priority.

jeppo wrote:
...its more important that we finish in a decent position (compared to last season) Morst, that I'm afraid, HAS to be number one priority.

Absolutely right!

.

Is it 250000 pounds for every league position?

.

That pays for a lot of missing fans should that be a consequence of the dire football. The Board will have told Sam that priorities number one, two and three are to keep the club in the Premiership and to achieve as high a position as possible.

.

It easy to defend Sam at the moment because we are 12th.

.

I, for one, would withdraw my support for Sam, such as it is, if we slide down the table and back into a relegation scrap.

.

So far our home record is keeping us towards the top of the bottom group. If we start to slip up at home and our league position suffers badly then Sam will have failed.

.

For the moment - so far so good.

35-37 points. Thanks Marghen I appreciate your gesture, if you know what I mean!
That would put us below last year, 16th or 17th. Last season we got 41 pts.

Can we basically have a 'bet' that Rovers will finish in a better position (or points) than last year? Ultimately, for me, if we do better than last year, we have progressed, which is what I think it's all about at the moment. Basically, I'll commit to us getting more than 41 points, even though you think we will get 37.

Will you admit that you are effectively 'wrong' if we get more than 41 points, then after that, actually take notice of the reality of the situation, or is it all about a general negativity about all things Rovers?

Jeppo, take into account we have 12 points from the last 13 games, with 13 games to go. Our away form is crap.
Take a look at the fixture list and tell us, where are these 13 points minimum that you speak of, going to come from???

MidlandRover85
Ok ok so im not clued up on who the owners of man city are/where....sorry for that! The point is he was going to leave for ANY team with more money/ambition than us. We were just a stepping stone for him as somebody earlier pointed out. We are going off topic now anyway Hughes is old news who gives a rats about him now??!


ashowopikin says

don't worry i agree with u. i for one believe that mark hughes can kiss my hairy sphincter and go i have no affection for anyone who treats this club like pooh.

but we have to admit that it is getting increasingly frustrating when we play at home and and play some semi decent stuff (especially when we concede first) but when we play away the shat that we play is just unforgiveable hopefully that will not happen next month when we play the inbreds(fingers crossed)

sec word: tiny-mind is that made up for big sam and his negative tactics

seen that look before JW,2games 6pts pal or your on your way no excuses happy valantines day sunday on the dole no fooking love lost

Blimey Jep....More than 41 means at least 42 - so are you saying that Rovers will get at least another 14 points this season? I know I’m not the sharpest tool in the box but is that what you are saying? If I was a betting man -which I am, I’d have few of her majesty faces on that with you my dear.
.
Have you seen the remaining fixtures!

Man U H
Arsenal H
Chelsea H
Birmingham H
Everton H
Hull H
Bolton H
.
Wolves A
Burnley A
Portsmouth A
Spurs A
Liverpool A
Villa A
.
Correct me if I’m wrong ..to win games you need to score goals -where exactly are our goals going to come from? The worst goal scoring combined attack in the league bar none, a grand total of seven goals all season, embarrassing, five of those goals being scored by Roberts & Diouf these two seem to be featuring less and less. Okay, midfield will do the business-hmmm… Dunn our leading goal scorer with five goals will be lucky if he plays three more games this season, hmmm… Suppose Nelsen & Samba will pop up every game to convert a set play -I wouldn’t hold my breath on that happening consistently in the run in, I think their priority might be keeping them out at the other end! Pray tell were do you think these 14 points will come from, just as importantly who’s going to score the goals to make it happen?
.
Like always Sweetie you write before actually thinking things through, we’re all guilty of that! you seem to do it more consistently. Oh, before I forget if Rovers don’t get 42 points will you admit you know now’t about football & that Ally dice should be sacked?

Re Mark Hughes. He left, went to a "more Ambitious" club, with lots of money, failed and was sacked. He had is time at Rovers, let's move on.

Marghen...yes, I will - you take your 35 and I'll go with my 42. Bear also in mind that this was triggered by your inevitable doom and gloom predictions re relegation.
Lol, granted, I didn't check every fixture before predicting that we will finish higher than last year and with more points (gulp), but I'm happy to stick to it. We will finish better than 15th and with more points than last year. Can I have a league position from you yet, bearing in mind 35 will have us relegated...

Wrong again Sweet, 35pts could possible keep us up-it did last year! Newcastle had 34 pts -the highest total of the relegated clubs.
.
I see yet again you totally ignore what I write- can’t put it more clearly than between 35 to 37 points, so why go for the lowest figure! If your daft enough to predict 42 pts or more, and higher than 15th position who am I to argue! Okay you win, I’ll do the same…no more than 37 points is that okay? Position wise, you’ve got me there-don’t have a clue-which you think anyways! just call me jibber from now on hehe

37 to 40 collected before our fantastic run in or my heart won't stand it.

Eddie, your heart will be ok, if only cos the teams below us will keep losing, lol!
Right Marghen...I'm the idiot, and I predict 42 points or more. You're the genius, and you predict 37 points, or less. Anything in the middle, and I promise not to mention your;
"that makes me realise that you lot haven't got a clue...Mark Atkins was the best finisher at the club"
...post, ever again.
If we get more than 42, I'll just be happy that you've taken notice x
Thats fair, isn't it??