[Archived] Squad still rubbish?

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

So, Kean was doing fine with it, Black did fine with it, Bowyer is doing fine with it, and Berg did terrible with it. Is there still merit in the general opinion of the last 10 games that our squad is bad or even average for this level?

Cause results would distinctly point to it not being, and if it isn't and we get the right man in, then giving up these witch hunts that have dogged the likes of Robinson, Dann, Etuhu and Kazim-Richards during the Berg spell would play a very helpful part in sustaining morale for the rest of the season. Obviously the most important thing is getting the right manager, but if that happens then some faith has to be shown in the players.

Most of these guys have done it at a higher level than this. There's no reason why they can't succeed in the Championship, only confidence and good management. The last 2 games Dann has been totally solid, Lowe a bundle of energy, Rochina's flair has been allowed to blossom again and Kazim-Richards has looked dangerous. Whilst Rhodes continues to be one of the best strikers in the league, Best is on the way back, and Olsson, Pedersen, Murphy, Vukcevic and Gomes have the ability to outclass any team in the league on their day.

This squad has to be good enough to make the play-offs and I suspect most of the criticism levelled at it recently has in fact been a cover for Berg's incompetence. Or am I missing something?

[Hasta]

At the moment we are 5 points off 6th and 9 points off 5th. We need to overturn that deficit on the teams above us before mid-May whilst hoping nobody else outside the play-offs at the moment goes on a similar or better run than we do.

I've said numerous times the central midfield area, the engine room of any team, is not good enough and the fact we are not bringing anyone else in means that we will see if I am correct or not. The fact that the opening posts' plus point on Lowe is 'bundles of energy' sums that up. Put me in a Rovers team at his age and I would have had bundles of energy. Murphy and Etuhu also haven't shown anything so far this season to suggest they could outclass anyone on their day.

I seriously doubt that with no additions we will get in the playoff regardless of who is manager. Even if we did make the play offs I doubt we'd be good enough to get up in there. Don't get me wrong I seriously hope I'm wide of the mark here and this thread is brought back in June to show how wrong I was. The frustrating thing is 1 new singing and 1 loan signing may be enough to change all that but we have neither the manager / board members / owners who can either see that or are willing to try that.

[RoverScot]

The squad is mostly good enough for the play offs but needs a crossing winger and a battling midfielder with cover for central defence.

[joey_big_nose]

Player for player it is one of the best squads in the league. I have never doubted that. Up front and out wide we have a - for the Championship - a really excellent number of options. The issue is weakness in central midfield and central defence, and a lack of leadership, organisation and tactical setup.

On the leadership front it does seem Murphy has stepped up into that role somewhat in the last two games.Also Hanley and Dann have started playing well again. They are really up and down and must find some consistency.

[thenodrog]

Barring injuries all we need is Steven N'Zonzi to mount a strong challenge for the play offs.

........... If anyone wants to include Chris Samba and Brad Friedel then we can go to Wembley pretty damned confident.

Unfortunately the damage that thieving bald @#/? and his odious scheming mentor did to the club is long term!

btw I did not type Kean... I typed '@#/?'!

[LDRover]

We're woefully short in central midfield and have no real leaders, or 'proper footballers' as Souness used to say.

The fact we're apparently not going to strengthen means we'll end up mid table at best.

All it would take for me is signing Frimpong on loan and Caldwell from Wigan (possibly Watson for CM as well) along with the return of Best and I think we'd give it a real go and it wouldn't break the bank.

[AHoyle90]

We have some very decent players for this level, I'm afraid other managers successes have highlighted Bergs incompetence as a manager. I will always have a massive amount of respect for him but he just isn't a manager.

Very strange how he dropped Rochina when n Bergs first few games he always looked our biggest threat.

[Ricky]

Too many of our food players are in similar players. It's a shame we don't have. 11 holes in our lineup we've got loads of players who can supposedly play in it!!!

I'd say our squad is strong up front, as good as anyone in the league on the wings. Happy with the full backs. If argue we could really do with a CB who knows this league inside out and a box to box midfielder. I would have said goal was an issue and I know it's only early days but Jake seems ok between the sticks. Our squad is way to big though. We could do with losing 7 or 8 squad players like Bruno, Anderson, and the likes.

[Baz]

I think the squad is poor.

How many teams have we totally outplayed, in a league we can all say is awful.

[A cup of beans]

It's still rubbish, as is the Championship.

I think the squad is poor.

How many teams have we totally outplayed, in a league we can all say is awful.

Exactly.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Won't argue against it being a shadow of the one Allardyce built, but I'd say a majority of fans were making the claim under Berg that it was poor/average even for this league. Which struck me as being Berg-defending grade-A baloney throughout, as the ability of novice managers either side of the appointment to win matches with it surely highlights. Get an actual good, experienced manager in who knows what to do with it, and we should be a decent force.

[bob fleming]

Too many of our food players are in similar players.

Pardon!? Are you saying some of our heavier players have been eaten by other players Ricky? and that in turn is making other players heavy? Does the PFA know? That must be where Dunny, Robbo and half a dozen Portugeezers have gone then!!

[den]

Have I missed something here? Something happened?

[JAL]

Have I missed something here? Something happened?

Someones put the league table on ignore it would seem.

Interesting that Burnley have scored five goals more than Rovers even though theyve played one game more and that goals of three and above with the exception of Forest have come against the bottom end teams only.

[DE.]

It's going to take more than two wins - one coming against the bottom side in the league no less! - to convince me this squad has what it takes to mount a serious challenge for the playoffs. Though I'm not in the least surprised to see a thread like this pop up the moment the team actually starts looking like they might earn the hefty wages they're being paid.

[seekay]

Bob Fleming is funny

1234

Who do you think we're shouting for

R-O-V-E-R-S

ROVERS. !!!!!

That's all that counts - football matches and results

Th'internets just a glorified tap room

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

It's going to take more than two wins - one coming against the bottom side in the league no less! - to convince me this squad has what it takes to mount a serious challenge for the playoffs. Though I'm not in the least surprised to see a thread like this pop up the moment the team actually starts looking like they might earn the hefty wages they're being paid.

This squad has been managed by 1 joker and 2 novices in Kean/Black/Bowyer, and they've got 29 points from 15 games with it. A rate of accumulation that would see us on 48 points now just outside the automatic promotions slots with a game in hand if not for Berg's impact on proceedings. (Edit: I need to learn how to add up!) If that unlikely trio can mount a more than serious challenge for automatic promotion between them, then any logical reasoning would put our squad as automatic promotion challengers!

And to be honest I've waited as long as I could to lay into the ridiculous logic of the Berg supporters. First praising the appointment of a manager with a poor track record because he's a past hero, then making excuses for his poor management by blaming the players, then negatively chanting throughout games upon his sacking. What a load of utter garbage.

Thank god he's gone and lets get behind the things that have worked this season, like the players.

[Stuart]

Th'internets just a glorified tap room

Brilliant. I'm having that!

[Amo]

Can't argue with you, SKH. I'm under no illusion of this side's flaws but fact of the matter is that Berg was not getting the best out of them. Even under the likes of Kean, Black & Bowyer have managed play-off form between them. So it stands to reason that a proper manager would've had us up challenging for one of the automatic spots. However. too many people were quick to sound off that this is "the worst Rovers side EVER" (which has been said so often it's lost all meaning) and give Berg a ready made excuse for his nonperformance.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

On top of that, I think people were still comparing it to a Premier League squad.

If you're organised, fit and motivated, you're more than half way there in this league.

Add a bit of quality, which I don't see how anyone could deny we have, and we could feasibly go on a run of 6/7/8 wins in a row.

[Parsonblue]

Personally, from what I have seen thus far I think we will struggle to make the final play-off spot. The squad is unbalanced and contains too many players who want to play the same role. Rhodes needs support but the only player we have who is capable of really doing that won't be fit until next month. The midfield has struggled to make much impact and we lack the physical qualities that are required to get out of this League. Never mind comparing it with our Premier League squads, this squad doesn't compare with the one that Souness took us out of this Division with. Indeed, I think Don Mackay's squads that reached the play-offs would give this lot a run for their money. Our last hope was to strengthen in January but now that Shebby has ruled that out I really don't see how this squad improves sufficiently to overcome all the teams between us and sixth place.

[Oklahoma]

I think the team in unballanced, not rubbish.

We lack central backs and central midfielders.

And we have too many players in other positions.

If we managed to sell some and get experienced centre backs and midfielders, the team would be good enough to go to the playoffs.

Oh wait, we have no manager till February. So we probably won't buy or loan either.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

This team won't get us promoted. No chance.

[DE.]

This squad has been managed by 1 joker and 2 novices in Kean/Black/Bowyer, and they've got 29 points from 15 games with it. A rate of accumulation that would see us on 48 points now just outside the automatic promotions slots with a game in hand if not for Berg's impact on proceedings. (Edit: I need to learn how to add up!) If that unlikely trio can mount a more than serious challenge for automatic promotion between them, then any logical reasoning would put our squad as automatic promotion challengers!

And to be honest I've waited as long as I could to lay into the ridiculous logic of the Berg supporters. First praising the appointment of a manager with a poor track record because he's a past hero, then making excuses for his poor management by blaming the players, then negatively chanting throughout games upon his sacking. What a load of utter garbage.

Thank god he's gone and lets get behind the things that have worked this season, like the players.

I do agree that Berg was a mistake and was uneasy from the beginning of his tenure.

However, you should remember that in our earlier games (particularly with Kean) we had an insane amount of luck. Black's reign is also hugely over-exaggerated.

Football doesn't work like a stats board, not unless you're playing FM. Our team lacks a spine, too many players that start browning their underwear when things go wrong. IMO we need, at the very least, a good quality central defender and an energetic, Savage-esque midfielder to seriously challenge for the playoffs. Dann, Hanley, Givet, Murphy, Lowe & Etuhu don't do it for me. Considering the obscene amount of money spunked on these players in terms of wages that's a bitter shame, but it is what it is.

[Mike E]

JAL, when will you (and others with that mindset) realise that only the FINAL table doesn't lie. The table as it stands means we've been naff so far but it doesn't account for future form (such is the nature of time; curse that bloody Einstein).

Or does the 'table never lie' after the first game of the season when teams are up and down and all over the show? The table had Reading in 18th last October, but they won! It isn't inconceivable that we can overturn a 5pt deficit in 20 or so games. Esp' when a side as inconsistent as City can overturn 8 pts in 6 games.

I can understand realism, or even SOME pessimism, but you really do take the Paul Ince 55 at times.