[Archived] Michael Appleton - New Rovers Manager

[OJRovers]

I think we are a central midfielder short of a decent team in this league, when everyone is fit:

----Kean-

Henley-Hanley-Dann-MartinO

Bentley-Jones--XXXX-King

------Rhodes-Best---

On paper that is as good as anyone in this league, however the motivation has to be there.

Appleton has been unlucky with injuries but he hasn't got them motivated.

Big culture change required, and I don't think Appleton's defend and nick a goal is the way to do it.

[PAFELL]

It's an odd one comparing Freedman's influence with his Bolton team, to Appletons influence with Rovers. Two points on this one. Firstly, Freedman wasn't faced with the debris of the Kean era - and secondly Bolton last night were no better than us, and in all probability don't have the long term injuries that Rovers have.

Totally agree with this.

[onlyoneDuff]

I was talking about the dozen or so Portugese no marks and a few others who patently weren't good enough.

One thing I don't understand is how you know they weren't good enough? Gomes did a job early and played better with Rhodes than Richards or cambell...Nunes looked good in his cameos and seems to be excelling with the reserves...the forward I will admit looked bad but Rosado looked decent....can't be worse than continuing to play Lowe and Murphy....understand they were Shebby signings but so was Rhodes and he's turned out well

[Parsonblue]

I can understand the reluctance to remove him based on the fact he's our fifth manager this season, but that for me isn't a good enough reason to persist with him. He must be judged on his own merits, not given leniency simply because there's been a high turnover immediately before his arrival. To turn it around should we persist indefinitely with Jim Iley or Steve Kean because there'd been a high turn over before they arrived? And I really would place MA in that sort of bracket.

With all due respect rev, if we had followed this rule then Ken Furphy would have been sacked with months having lost 10 and only won 4 of his first 17 games. Gordon Lee won just one of the last eleven games of 1973-74 so clearly we should have chopped him before he won us the Third Division Championship. Jim Smith won only 2 of the last 14 games of 1977-78 and Howard Kendall's one win in ten at the start of the 1979-80 promotion season would surely have led to the axe if we are using the same standards that some would judge Appleton on. Let's be honest Hughes only won 2 of his first 14 games but did an excellent job for us.

[yoda]

This article is only from 'Shoot' - http://www.shoot.co.uk/news/latest_article/C49/championship/rovers_relegation_fight/ - but it raises an interesting question: are Rovers now in a relegation fight?

I would tentatively say 'yes'. I don't think for a second we will get relegated (we only need one win and a couple of draws) but with us not playing in the league now until a week sunday it means the teams below us will have played two games before we have even kicked a league ball.

We could be as low as 18th or 19th and only 1/2 points off. That would certainly get the nerves jangling. For the 1st time this season I will be looking out for the bottom 4 or 5 clubs results this weekend and hoping they lose!

I posted this in reply to Jim

jim mk2, on 02 Mar 2013 - 17:22, said:

Putting aside the fluke cup win at Arsenal, the past few weeks have seen dreadful league performances at Hull and Leicester, a limp home draw with Leeds and now today's debacle.

There's no point calling for Appleton to depart because the idiots in the boardroom will only appoint another non-entity.

However unless he can show some hitherto unrevealed managerial genius it's as plain as the nose on his ugly face that we have another lemon in the dugout.

As things stand, and assuming he continues to bring in more cheap unwanted cast-offs from other clubs in the summer we will have a relegation battle on our hands next season.

we have one this season

Looks more likely by the hour

[G Somerset Rover]

Hard to argue with anything in that Shoot article. Which is astounding given its that rabble.

We are in a right 'mess'. Losses to Millwall and Burnley would finish us off.

[DE.]

Amazing that even with Kean gone we can only string a maximum of two wins together. And by amazing I mean pathetic.

[jim mk2]

More amazing is that owners / board can make the same mistake three times by appointing three rookie managers in a row. A case of if you don't succeed the first time........

[Rover_Shaun]

5 out of 6 if you include Ince and Hughes

[JAL]

More amazing is that owners / board can make the same mistake three times by appointing three rookie managers in a row. A case of if you don't succeed the first time........

Poor managers allows for plenty of players coming in and going out.

[JAL]

Only TWO goals scored in the last seven and a half hours of football.

Who's DJ Campbell ?

[G Somerset Rover]

Only TWO goals scored in the last seven and a half hours of football.

Who's DJ Campbell ?

Don't be negative Jal. We're keeping it tight at the back which is the main thing....

As I said earlier, Appleton's league record from points accumulated through to goals scored is beyond terrible. He needs to get a win from somewhere shortly or the fans will turn. Obviously it's pointless canning him even if he doesn't though as we'd only appoint Judan Ali.

[JAL]

Don't be negative Jal. We're keeping it tight at the back which is the main thing....

As I said earlier, Appleton's league record from points accumulated through to goals scored is beyond terrible. He needs to get a win from somewhere shortly or the fans will turn. Obviously it's pointless canning him even if he doesn't though as we'd only appoint Judan Ali.

NINE goals conceded over the last five games, thats nearly two a game. This manager seems to be good at talking though.

If we put the Arsenal game in, its still ony THREE goals scored in six games that aint anywhere near good enough.

[G Somerset Rover]

NINE goals conceded over the last five games, thats nearly two a game. This manager seems to be good at talking though.

Talks a VERY good game you're right. Yet to follow it up with points though which is all we care about.

[JAL]

Talks a VERY good game you're right. Yet to follow it up with points though which is all we care about.

Score more concede less and the probability of points increases. Right now under Appleton you can sell Rovers by saying for every two games you go to, you might just see A goal from Rovers, how goods that.

[Rover_Shaun]

Berg P9 W1 D3 L5 F10 A16 Pts6 GD-6

Appleton P9 W2 D3 L4 F5 A11 Pts9 GD-6

EDIT

Kean P7 W4 D2 L1 F15 A11 Pts14 GD+4

Black P7 W2 D3 L2 F4 A5 Pts9 GD-1
Bowyer P4 W2 D1 L1 F8 A4 Pts7 GD+4

[yoda]

Berg P9 W1 D3 L5 F10 A16 Pts6 GD-6

Appleton P9 W2 D3 L4 F5 A11 Pts9 GD-6

Thats a 33.33% points improvement

Statistics eh

[Guest Norbert]

Phew. I was beginning to worry about Blue and White Army after reading his messages yesterday. I almost asked people who knew him here to check on him and remove anything that can be used as rope and any sharp objects!

[Rover_Shaun]

Thats a 33.33% points improvement

Statistics eh

Equates to 46 points a season. Amazing

[riverside returns]

Not sure about your maths Yoda but in my book that equates to a 50% increase.

[yoda]

Not sure about your maths Yoda but in my book that equates to a 50% increase.

are you a taxman, a business man or was your school approved?

what are schools teaching these days

I can assure you that 9 is approx' 33.33% greater in value to 6, do try to keep up

[LeChuck]

and why would that be? Because he can't cut it any more! Took sam three weeks at WHU to weigh that up

I must admit I'm beginning to think the same.

Maybe he could do a job in the middle. He doesn't seem to have the legs for right wing anymore. He was never the quickest but he covered a lot of ground.

[Blue n White Rover]

and why would that be? Because he can't cut it any more! Took sam three weeks at WHU to weigh that up

No - it was a knee injury that ruled him out for 6 months that meant his loan spell at West Ham was cut short. Nothing to do with him not 'cutting it'.

[Glosrover]

are you a taxman, a business man or was your school approved?

what are schools teaching these days

I can assure you that 9 is approx' 33.33% greater in value to 6, do try to keep up

actually your both right (and both wrong)

6 to 9 is a 50% increase (as was pointed out to you), but 9 is 33% bigger than 6,

but to relate back to this being about football rather than semantics, either way, neither 6 nor 9 are enough points from the team given who we've played against.

[yoda]

actually your both right (and both wrong)

6 to 9 is a 50% increase (as was pointed out to you), but 9 is 33% bigger than 6,

but to relate back to this being about football rather than semantics, either way, neither 6 nor 9 are enough points from the team given who we've played against.

did you 2 go to the same school?

I posted

"Thats a 33.33% points improvement"

only one correct answer, you always use the product when working with %'s

glad you're not my accountant