[Archived] Man City Preview

[S15]

Spencey, you're boring as f**k, and I'm sick of hearing you go on about the same stuff. Everyone knows your opinion, so why not try talking about other aspects of the club/team.

[spencey7]

Spencey, you're boring as f**k, and I'm sick of hearing you go on about the same stuff. Everyone knows your opinion, so why not try talking about other aspects of the club/team.

Don't read it then. I was clarifying a statement for Miker in the post above.

[thenodrog]

You will notice over the course of the season that if we get a free kick on halfway, play will be stopped and bodies will pour into the opposition box. I'm not saying that shouldn't be done - but it shouldn't be done all the time. I personally find it insulting to fans, but it is without question one-dimensional and archaic.

Hey good point Spencey! I'll bet the bstards are trying to score goals when they do that! A shameful way to play the game!

Oh and btw. Speaking of one dimensional things..............

[S15]

Don't read it? I usually don't mind topics drifting off, as long as the discussion has eminated from the original subject, but every discussion you enter turns into a 'hoofball' rant.

[Parsonblue]

I personally find it insulting to fans, but it is without question one-dimensional and archaic.

OK so you don't like. On the other hand some of us don't mind it and find it entertaining when done well. I'm certainly not insulted by it. It's just a matter of opinion. There is no right or wrong way to play football. All managers devise a system that they believe in and that they find to be successful. Sam is no different from any other manager. Or should he abandon his beliefs because some supporters find it beneath them to watch it?

[spencey7]

OK so you don't like. On the other hand some of us don't mind it and find it entertaining when done well. I'm certainly not insulted by it. It's just a matter of opinion. There is no right or wrong way to play football. All managers devise a system that they believe in and that they find to be successful. Sam is no different from any other manager. Or should he abandon his beliefs because some supporters find it beneath them to watch it?

I think his beliefs are wrong, and instilling his approach to our club is causing possibly irreparable harm for the future. For all of you who claim to find the Allardyce style "entertaining" - did you often make a point of watching Bolton games during his tenure? Were they a chance to see some really good football?

Professional football is supposed to be entertainment, a crowd-pleasing spectacle. It's not just the brazen lack of culture to Allardyce's tactics, but the fact he doesn't even attempt to have his teams play football. And - again - we have good players. Players who are much, much better than having to resort to Primary School tactics. I can only imagine what they're thinking during team talks (recall the stories which came out of the Newcastle dressing room during his ill-fated reign).

[S15]

I think his beliefs are wrong, and instilling his approach to our club is causing possibly irreparable harm for the future. For all of you who claim to find the Allardyce style "entertaining" - did you often make a point of watching Bolton games during his tenure? Were they a chance to see some really good football?

Professional football is supposed to be entertainment, a crowd-pleasing spectacle. It's not just the brazen lack of culture to Allardyce's tactics, but the fact he doesn't even attempt to have his teams play football. And - again - we have good players. Players who are much, much better than having to resort to Primary School tactics. I can only imagine what they're thinking during team talks (recall the stories which came out of the Newcastle dressing room during his ill-fated reign).

Why do so many high calibre players join him. If we were such hoofers, why on earth would someone like Salgardo seem so eager to sign for him? Same with Okokta (sp?), Hierro, Djorkaeff etc etc.

Everything points to you being wrong. Hundreds of people WHO ACTUALLY GO TO THE GAMES disagree with you. What does that tell you?

[mellison24]

Spencey, I would just like to add my tuppence. From a while back on another thread, you (and waggy) repeatedly said that Sam's method is 'outdated'. If that's the case, why does it work so well? Didn't we dominate a City side costing almost 15 times the value of our squad? You may not like 'hoofball' but it WORKS. And most fans do not give a monkeys HOW we play as long as we GET RESULTS. Sam's is the most logical way of getting results, so let's go with it and hope it works!!

Even so, I thought we played a healthy mix of footy on saturday against a talented, pacey City side. Obv, u chose to block out Diouf turning Bridge inside out on the byline. You evidently missed the neat little one-twos between Peders, Benni and Warnock on the wing. You chose simply to watch the crosses (which are technically not long-ball) and the clearances/hoofs/long passes.

It was the most entertaining game I have seen all Summer!! (hopefully you will understand that joke). If that is how Rovers are to play for the rest of eternity (never mind just Sam's reign) then you'll have no complaints from me! As I said rather aggressively in the Sam Allardyce thread, if you are not content to watch your team get results regardless of how they play, then go and support Le Arse and Barca etc like all the other gloryhunters!

Also, I did NOT make a point of watching Bolton games, because I don't like the team any more than I like Burnley or ManUre.

Also, 'long-ball' is a redundant phrase in your context as it is 'a ball played from the defensive half to the offensive half'....which means it can be a 1foot pass over the halfway line

[spencey7]

Why do so many high calibre players join him.

Very large wages. That's how things were done at Bolton - free transfers, huge wages. I expect Salgado's wages to be on the big side, although if his quotes are accurate he also seems delighted with the prospect of getting to play in the English top flight before he retires. Fair play to Allardyce, some great signings. Didn't help the style of football though.

Everything points to you being wrong.

Everything? Even his proven track record of anti-football at every club he's managed? His standing as a national joke in the world of British football? Why didn't he get the England job?

Hundreds of people WHO ACTUALLY GO TO THE GAMES disagree with you. What does that tell you?

It suggests to me that they love their club, and are fortunate enough to still live within a realistic distance of Ewood whereby they can attend games. We all deserve better than Allardyce's approach to management.

Didn't we dominate a City side costing almost 15 times the value of our squad?

No, we didn't.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Interesting debate about Sam's style of football.

I would argue one thing - it may not be for the purest - but it is entertaining. Even if the ball is launched into the penalty area - it ends up in the penalty area - giving possible goal scoring opportunities and - excitement ! There has been some debate about how many chances we actually had against City - with some of the people that attended supposedly over estimating. Could it be that all the half chances that Sam's style of play generated entertained those at the ground enough to beleive we had more clear cut chances than we did ?

I think that BFS got undue criticism of Boltons style because they kept beating teams that the press didn't want them to.

Don't get me wrong - I love watching teams like Arsenal, Barcelona etc. - but at the end of the day you can pass it around all day - the idea of the game is to put the ball in the back of the net more than the opposition. Sam plays the %'s - not always pretty - but effective, and entertaining in its own way.

[roversmum]

It used to bug me no end when we got a free kick and Tugay used to quickly knock it sideways usually for someone to lose it on the next pass. I'd much rather someone belt it into the box and create a chance. Maybe I'm not a purist but I don't care a jot.

[riverside returns]

Some nice passing on Saturday against the billionaires. Good excitement when chances came. Nice to watch teams like Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid but we cannot afford those players. Cloth and suit cut according to' spring to mind. I will be happy for our club to stay in the Prem until there is a massive crash and it once again becomes a level playing field.

[broadsword]

I just wanna win.

I'd rather win ugly than get a patronising pat on the back. "Unlucky pal, your team just got rogered 4-1, but you were a delight to watch." Sod that.

We got into the top six playing good football just after we were promoted, but the gap between the top six and the rest has got wider since then.

If you can win and entertain, great, but whatever you do, win! (Within the rules, natch.)

[jim mk2]

Everything? Even his proven track record of anti-football at every club he's managed? His standing as a national joke in the world of British football? Why didn't he get the England job? WHO SAYS HE'S ONLY A JOKE ? ONLY YOU APPARENTLY. ALLARDYCE IS ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED MANAGERS IN THE ENGLISH FOOTBALL.

It suggests to me that they love their club, and are fortunate enough to still live within a realistic distance of Ewood whereby they can attend games. We all deserve better than Allardyce's approach to management. ALLARDYCE'S 'APPROACH' IS PROVEN, SUCCESSFUL AND PERFECT FOR ROVERS AT THE PRESENT TIME. ACCEPT IT.

No, we didn't. ROVERS DOMINATED CITY FOR LONG PERIODS. DID YOU ACTUALLY WATCH THE GAME?

Your obsession with Allardyce is unhealthy. You are also making a fool if yourself.

Have you considered seeing a psychiatrist ?

[thenodrog]

His standing as a national joke in the world of British football? Why didn't he get the England job?

I've really no idea. Apparently he interviewed by far the best. Adverse influence from the press and media is my guess....... which reminds me of the last England manager that the press and media dogs hated, the one who played boring football without wingers BUT the one who won the bloody World Cup! Alf Ramsey.

btw...... quite prophetic even if I say so myself.

http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=404993

[RovertheHill]

I've really no idea. Apparently he interviewed by far the best. Adverse influence from the press and media is my guess....... which reminds me of the last England manager that the press and media dogs hated, the one who played boring football without wingers BUT the one who won the bloody World Cup! Alf Ramsey.

btw...... quite prophetic even if I say so myself.

http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php?s=&amp...st&p=404993

Yes, to be fair you were right about pretty much everything - other than the Boro thing. Didn't quite go to plan for them really...

As for being a national joke? It all depends on your viewpoint really. Sounds to me too much peer pressure from opposing fans. I'm sure there's plenty at Bolton and now Newcastle, with hindsight, that would disagree. I'm sure there's many outside Newcastle that would consider Keegan a bit of a joke. I'm sure there's many outside of Milton Keynes (or Wimbledon or wherever it is) that consider Paul Ince a national joke - I know that's true round these parts Point is that one man's messiah is another man's looney...

[Jan]

Can we PLEASE stop quoting Spencey or Waggy? It's really SO much nicer reading the messageboard when you have their drivel on ignore.

[Stuart]

Martinez got a lot of praise on MOTD for the way his team played at the weekend.

Wigan are a team that sold most of it's best players but still managed to play good football.

A lot of people equate good football to relegation, I don't believe that is true for a second. Just because it happened with Ince does not mean it will happen everytime.

Only one game gone! Better to judge after a few more games. Remember, our first game last season and we beat Everton away - don't read too much into it.

Nice bit of insight there John, given how their result went this evening. One swallow does not make a summer and one result does not make a season.

For everyone else...is there no way we can all just agree:

1) to trust Sam's experience as a top flight manager

2) to accept that he is the right man at the right time for Rovers

3) to get behind the team rather than getting at them

Those people who find the current matches 'boring' clearly haven't been to many Rovers games during 2009. Watching on TV or PC doesn't come close to actually being at the game.

Go and buy yourselves (and your family/mates) a 3 for £30 ticket and try it. You might just like it (Spencey et al).

[mellison24]

Nice bit of insight there John, given how their result went this evening. One swallow does not make a summer and one result does not make a season.

For everyone else...is there no way we can all just agree:

1) to trust Sam's experience as a top flight manager

2) to accept that he is the right man at the right time for Rovers

3) to get behind the team rather than getting at them

Those people who find the current matches 'boring' clearly haven't been to many Rovers games during 2009. Watching on TV or PC doesn't come close to actually being at the game.

Go and buy yourselves (and your family/mates) a 3 for £30 ticket and try it. You might just like it (Spencey et al).

To follow on from this EXCELLENT post: Isn't part of football getting down there for the atmosphere?? It was my original reason for attending. I just happened to catch a glimpse of sum nice chaps kicking a ball into a net, but ending up crying. When I found out this was relegation to Div1, I thought:

"Oh what a shame!! Well, I'll support them! One more fan might make the difference!!"

I've been a fan ever since and LOVE my club as well as it's atmosphere.

[LDRover]

Don't know if this has been posted earlier but apparently Noel Gallagher was in the Britannia in Darwen after the game.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

[roversmum]

Can we PLEASE stop quoting Spencey or Waggy? It's really SO much nicer reading the messageboard when you have their drivel on ignore.

I don't think some have worked out that there is another reply button below the post that doesn't include the post when you use it, Jan...

[alexanders]

I think Rovers is exciting to watch even on PC or Tv. It makes my nerves go crazy and my blood boil. Even if we where almost relegated last season was exciting as hell. Have you forgotten the away goals against Fulham ? I think I almost died of screaming.

[OJRovers]

Don't know if this has been posted earlier but apparently Noel Gallagher was in the Britannia in Darwen after the game.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

I saw him at Ewood with his mates so it sounds plausible.

[riverside returns]

it is true that Gallagher was in the Brit after the game.

[thenodrog]

Don't know if this has been posted earlier but apparently Noel Gallagher was in the Britannia in Darwen after the game.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Who? Is that some relation to the world famous and massively talented Kevin Gallagher?