[Archived] Hull Preview

[47er]

You're certainly wrong on that point, support for his appointment as a man who could do a job and keep us up last season was virtually unanimous.

No it wasn't, a lot of fans didn't want him at any price.

[Miker]

Completely irrelevant.

By December 2008 even the vast majority of those who didn't want Sam appointed at the time Ince was, accepted he was the right man for a short term firefighting job last season.

It's completely relevant, don't play dumb. I said I respect Sam for taking this job even though the fans didn't want him back when Ince was appointed. I respect that because he wanted to do the job WHETHER OR NOT HE DID IT OUT OF DESPERATION OR DETERMINATION.

You're trying to reject my view by saying the fans did want him, which is completely false, as they didn't want him and had a petition going to keep him away, whether it was in December 2008, June 2008 or January 2004 is completely irrelevant.

Anyway, I'm out.

[47er]

Never looked like scoring from open play. Hull were always in a game that they should have been buried in when they went down to 10 men. That's all down to the manager and his poor team selection and substitutions (Roberts ffs!).

I'm not anti-Allardyce, but I'll call a spade a spade and he got lucky tonight.

Ther's a pattern here-everytime we win he's lucky. Everytime we lose he's useless.He should clear off for his own good if he thinks he can manage financially (and I imagine he can).

[Seedstral]

Allardyce is really starting to irritate me. He got the tactics all wrong again and was lucky Hull were reduced to 10 men. We created two clear cut chances and scored from a half chance (not even that really), yet he bleats on about creating all these chances and not finishing them. He must be watching a different game to me. Seeing Kalinic get mugged for 80 mins as the ball is hoofed up to him is not what I pay my money to see.

It's a big 3 points and we're probably safe, but nobody can honestly say they're happy with the performances this season.

He can irritate all he wants its a results business nowadays and another 3 points on the board, 11th in the league but i suppose you'll never be happy unless we have another European trip. Be realistic we are punching way above our weight and 3rd bottom have now to win 3 more games than us to overtake us plus 4 other teams who are a point better off. Maybe for you money 1 day you'll see that attractive football against those Premier League drop outs like Charlton, Norwich and the like but for now be grateful of Premier League football. ps who would you rather be now Rovers or Portsmouth i know where i'd rather be!!

[Seedstral]

It's not an anti-Sam bias, it's an anti-negative, percentage based, dull, devoid of flair or creativity football bias. Unfortunately Sam is it's, ahem, 'finest' proponent, and even more unfortunately, it's our club he's practicing it at.

If you're happy with it then fine, but don't criticise others just because they don't share your opinion.

Ok sack him pay him and his backroom staff and who in your opinion do we replace him with (and no Hughes isn't an option) Jewell,Megson,Reid etc no i doubt you'll want them either but they'd be the 1s linked with our job but no doubt Laudrup will fulfill your fantasies and he'll drop his wage demands and transfer budget!! I think not like it or not we are 11th in the Premier League with no money!! Fantasy Island no doubt is great but wey hey get back to the real world!!

[jim mk2]

Miner, I don't mind that much that Sam the manager pisses me off or some other fans, or even some players. My discomfort increases when I consider that Sam has rightly or wrongly driven three of my favourite players of the past decade out of the club and get seriously narked when I hear that there is serious doubt about Sam being voiced by a majority of the first team squad.

Sam either has to get his act together or go.

Poor post Philip that makes you look silly quite frankly. You have no evidence to back up any of your statements.

Also, what does "get his act together or go" mean ? Do you consider he is not doing his job properly because most sensible folk would say he is doing an excellent job in difficult circumstances.

I also asked you to name a better manager who 1) is available 2) would be willing to come to Rovers. I'm still awaiting an answer.

[philipl]

Whether you consider it a poor post or not is irrelevent. It is the situation we are facing sadly.

[yoda]

Poor post Philip that makes you look silly quite frankly. You have no evidence to back up any of your statements.

Also, what does "get his act together or go" mean ? Do you consider he is not doing his job properly because most sensible folk would say he is doing an excellent job in difficult circumstances.

I also asked you to name a better manager who 1) is available 2) would be willing to come to Rovers. I'm still awaiting an answer.

Whether you consider it a poor post or not is irrelevent. It is the situation we are facing sadly.

I think Jim has a point, the points you made and try to put forward as facts need some meat on the bone.

[philipl]

I did do and have done.

I am a Rovers supporter so am not going to repeatedly drag up past incidents or go beyond the stuff that went into the public do win but the Man City rows did happen and Sam has stated his job was on the line.

Since then we have won 3 home games which were desperately needed but did so at a cost of turgid football and possibly falling support. Stoke away was as bad as it gets.

Sure the players are ridiculously well rewarded but I don't get the impression they are totally comfortable with what they are being asked to do.

There were other reasons for the departures of Tugay, Warnock and Mccarthy but they also notably had their says in the dressi g room about Sam's tactics. Sam might have bought himself quiet by moving the vocal critics out but has he won hearts and minds?

These very welcome three home wins have gained a great opportunity for the club to move on. Let's see if Sam uses it constructively.

[alexanders]

If Givet and Emerton had scored we would've praised sam and the team.

We are a bunch of experts ourselves.

[Paul Mellelieu]

I am still to be convinced that, even with the difficult financial circumstanced we are in, we can't play some better football.

I'm sure fans will vote with their season tickets this summer.

[Bobby G]

And then it will be a bigger hole to come out of!

[alexanders]

Ok sack him pay him and his backroom staff and who in your opinion do we replace him with (and no Hughes isn't an option) Jewell,Megson,Reid etc no i doubt you'll want them either but they'd be the 1s linked with our job but no doubt Laudrup will fulfill your fantasies and he'll drop his wage demands and transfer budget!! I think not like it or not we are 11th in the Premier League with no money!! Fantasy Island no doubt is great but wey hey get back to the real world!!

Actually the commentators in the game yesterday said that Rovers and Sam were portrayed as a real hoofball team, but that couldn't be backed up by statistics. Actually it was Wigan, Liverpool and one other team who played most + 30yrd passes.

The worst thing is that we dont have CB's who are good enough to distribute the ball or bring it forward. They only hoof whether they are told to or not, but distribution is poor!

[Iceman]

I think Andrews will drift out of the team soon. Basturk, Grella and Dunny will hopefully return, and remain fit for the last 12 games. Good solid performance, nothing spectacular, but it was a hard working team effort to get the 3 points. I still maintain, that its about surviving this season, and then Sam will have to rectify the mistakes he has made

[S15]

Sam either has to get his act together or go.

10 points out of 15, three clean sheets out of five, and three consecutive home wins and Allardyce has to 'get his act together?'

Brilliant.

How many of your belters have I missed over the past couple of weeks Phil?

[daveoftherovers]

I actually disagree with Phil this time, however, I tend to agree with most of his posts, let's face it, he's not the only on with a chin on about the style of play, it is total dog pooh, some of the distribution was Sunday stuff, however, we got 3 points and we survive for another day. Bolton is our next "Must win" game, and is hardly likely to be a spectacle, the former dingle has changed nothing apart from their players being motivated.

Bottom line is that it's about survival this year, luckily, there are at least 6/7 clubs who are actually worse than us, I thought Hull looked a very poor side, with an unconditioned playing staff, poor tactics and a very quiet away following, none of them are good signs are they?

In their favour, add the fact that Pompey are down, maybe even out of existance, then...

Add Wigan, Bolton, The Dingles, West Spam, Wolves, Sunderland (Especially!) maybe Stoke (Probably not) and possibly Fulham (who are not out of the woods and as flaky as us away)and you have a real full on gang event with some poor sides, who play to a very poor standard overall (I think it is markedly worse overall this season BTW)

We don't have a great squad, but it is improving, the ones off loaded in the window will not be missed (I note Benni is injured!) and perhaps if we get Dunny, Grella and hopefully Basturk in the squad, we'll look better and perhaps be braver.

I don't like what I'm watching, however, the players are fighting and some noteable's are showing up, I though The Admiral, Givet, Olsson, Pederson & Nico got stuck in last night, N Zonzi puts in a lot of graft and the usual supects frustrate me, however, it's our team, our club and our manager, so I'm staying behind us!

p.s. Just re read this and don't want to give the impression that you guys aren't behind the team, I know you all care, because if you didn't, you wouldn't come on.

p.p.s. Keep the faith, At least we're not owing The Revenue! :-)

[Parsonblue]

There were other reasons for the departures of Tugay, Warnock and Mccarthy but they also notably had their says in the dressi g room about Sam's tactics. Sam might have bought himself quiet by moving the vocal critics out but has he won hearts and minds?

In my 50 years of supporting the Rovers, Tugay remains one of my all time favourites. However, he was not getting any younger. Yes, I would have loved him to have another season but at his age it is a call that many managers would have made not just Sam. Warnock could have stayed if the Trust had stumped up the cash to cover the shortfall in the wage bill. They didn't and, as John Williams explained, someone had to go to bring in the revenue. Certainly, the money from the transfer didn't find it's way to the manager. As for Benni - it was time to go. He was overweight, unfit and only played when in the mood. On his day he could be brilliant but, sadly, all too often he opted not to perform.

The manager was given the task of firstly, keeping the club in the Premier League and secondly, trying to get to as near halfway as possible. He was asked to do this on very limited finances with the Trust opting to not invest in the club, indeed, I am led to believe that the Rovers still have to pay back the £3million that was loaned to them last season. In the circumstances, and I speak as someone who has seen every game so far this season, I think the manager has done a decent job. The football is not brilliant but the objectives he was set are being achieved.

Sam is never going to win the hearts and minds of a significant number of the Rovers' fans. However, I really don't see any reason to replace him. Particularly as there is going to be no futher investment from the Trust to support a new manager. John Williams is having to run the club using television money and in those circumstances he needs a "safe" pair of hands to ensure Premier League survival. At the end of the day the manager has to be allowed to manage in the way in which he wants. Results will dicatate his future and if we remain in the Premier League I suspect that Sam will be at the helm next season. Personally, I wouldn't be too sorry to see that. He grinds out results when they are needed - like the last three home games - and for a club in our financial position that has to be an essential quality in any manager.

[philipl]

I am there to be won over.

Whereas Ince was a totally hopeless case, Sam can do a lot better for us.

[alexanders]

Did anyone see Sam almost collapsing on the sideline in the dying minutes? He truly has passion for winning and our club by the looks of it.

[S15]

A lot better than 11th and 8 points clear of relegation in mid February despite the lowest budget in the league?

[jim mk2]

I am there to be won over.

Whereas Ince was a totally hopeless case, Sam can do a lot better for us.

No you're not. You've made up your mind about Allardyce and attack him at every opportunity.

I don't have the statistics but Rovers must have one of the best home records in the league.

The only ways Allardyce could "do alot better for us" is improve our away form.

If our away form were as good as our home form, we'd be in the top six.

Is that what you're expecting of Allardyce ?

[CrazyIvan]

I am there to be won over.

Whereas Ince was a totally hopeless case, Sam can do a lot better for us.

I don't think you are. You've set your opinon in stone so many times it's unreal.

Anyway... Last nights game. No, the last 20 minutes weren't the best but up to that point we played pretty well and dominated the game. Diouf was excellent and I've really slated him recently. Not last night, Diouf was like the player we know he can be but haven't seen up until last night . Pedersen's pass to Olsson was sublime and the take and finish by him was magical. Overall though, we should have buried Hull, we had the chances and didn't take them.

I thought our midfield coped extremely well with a Hull side who have beaten Man City and drawn with Chelsea recently. Nzonzi played much better than he did at Stoke and Andrews did his job very well. Criticism about these players is regular and repetitive and I rarely see those same people ever praise these two. In fact some people on here NEVER give credit where credit is due.

I am happy with three points and reasonably happy with the way we played. Contrary to some on here, I thought some of our passing and movement was excellent. Certainly better than in recent games. This was a must win game and we won it comfortably in the end. We should have been much more comfortable and well out of site by the last 20 minutes though. That IS something to be concerned about but it has been like that all season.

[alexanders]

We are 8th at points picked on home turf.

Home form

[47er]

In my 50 years of supporting the Rovers, Tugay remains one of my all time favourites. However, he was not getting any younger. Yes, I would have loved him to have another season but at his age it is a call that many managers would have made not just Sam. Warnock could have stayed if the Trust had stumped up the cash to cover the shortfall in the wage bill. They didn't and, as John Williams explained, someone had to go to bring in the revenue. Certainly, the money from the transfer didn't find it's way to the manager. As for Benni - it was time to go. He was overweight, unfit and only played when in the mood. On his day he could be brilliant but, sadly, all too often he opted not to perform.

The manager was given the task of firstly, keeping the club in the Premier League and secondly, trying to get to as near halfway as possible. He was asked to do this on very limited finances with the Trust opting to not invest in the club, indeed, I am led to believe that the Rovers still have to pay back the £3million that was loaned to them last season. In the circumstances, and I speak as someone who has seen every game so far this season, I think the manager has done a decent job. The football is not brilliant but the objectives he was set are being achieved.

Sam is never going to win the hearts and minds of a significant number of the Rovers' fans. However, I really don't see any reason to replace him. Particularly as there is going to be no futher investment from the Trust to support a new manager. John Williams is having to run the club using television money and in those circumstances he needs a "safe" pair of hands to ensure Premier League survival. At the end of the day the manager has to be allowed to manage in the way in which he wants. Results will dicatate his future and if we remain in the Premier League I suspect that Sam will be at the helm next season. Personally, I wouldn't be too sorry to see that. He grinds out results when they are needed - like the last three home games - and for a club in our financial position that has to be an essential quality in any manager.

Good post. I love the double standards that apply on here! For example, when I said the other day that Man City laboured to a win over lowly Bolton and were not a Top 4 team, I was told I'd got it wrong , that Top 4 teams win like this. Its a measure of their greatness apparently that they can grind out results even when they are not playing well. However if we grind out a result,its further evidence that the manager hasn't a clue, has lost the dressing room and should resign etc etc!

On this reckoning we've now taken 9 "lucky" points from the last 3 home games! I'll bet Napoleon wished he'd had generals this lucky!

Actually the commentators in the game yesterday said that Rovers and Sam were portrayed as a real hoofball team, but that couldn't be backed up by statistics. Actually it was Wigan, Liverpool and one other team who played most + 30yrd passes.

The worst thing is that we dont have CB's who are good enough to distribute the ball or bring it forward. They only hoof whether they are told to or not, but distribution is poor!

That's not true of Samba.

[Saltysellars]

The match report on the BBc website refers to Ewood as a "Pennine Stronghold"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8502171.stm

Les Roopanarine obviously wasn't listening in Geography

Muppet