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Post by Topper Gas on Nov 30, 2014 14:14:26 GMT
Here's why I always liked DC: - I never blamed him for relegation. He wasn't out of his depth, he took a side that was getting relegated anyway (i posted on the old forum the day JW went that we were going down, regardless of our league position at the time) he took a side with a terrible character and lack of ability. He tried to change it in the ways 99% of us wanted: two upfront, 3 at the back in away games and it didn't work out, but i'm convinced that not many would have kept us up. Didn't help on the last day we lost both full backs. - He always showed a passion and was the only one to stand up to relegation. I didn't even blame the bloke and he was the one person in the club who stood up and took it on the chin. - I always warmed to his philosophy. No more players happy to accept a big wage was the big thing. He's come in and signed the majority on short term contracts. He shopped for high character players, the likes of Sinclair and Mansell, people who would fight for Bristol Rovers. It's took a while, but it does look like after a start where he had to go for what worked, it looks like he's going for two wingers and attacking football. He always for me has been able to speak a good game. - He also wasn't signing players with injury prone records, you can see our record this year compared to the last god knows how long. For people who say that he's just doing what he should be doing, well that's untrue. Two teams have ever bounced directly back into the football league, I was expecting midtable even liking DC as a manager. We have the likes of Mildy, Brown, Parkes, McChrystal, Lockyer, Clarke all on League 2 wages, with the rest of the budget slashed and DC leaving room to maneouvre and not splashing all of the budget at the start of the season, you've got to say he's done ridiculously well bringing in the calibre of players he has. How do we know if DC didn't splash all of his money but the BoD, encourage by attendences staying high, have found some extra funds? As Blisset's transfer fee has been found from somewhere as I doubt that was left in DC's wage budget fund not spent since the summer.
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Post by Gas Go Marching In on Nov 30, 2014 14:15:14 GMT
I would disagree. His budget was slashed in half, and a lot of that was swallowed up by the players remaining from last year who are on league one and league two wages. Mildenhall and Sinclair's wages are in different ballparks. They can't be swallowing up much of our wage bill is when can afford to leave the likes of Harrison & Leadbitter in the stands, I doubt any other Conference club could do that? We really are the Man C/Chelsea of the Conference although that means failure to win promotion could be considered failure by the BoD. We're really not. I would say that allocade has to go to Forest "Veggie" Green Rovers.
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Post by socrates on Nov 30, 2014 14:29:12 GMT
They can't be swallowing up much of our wage bill is when can afford to leave the likes of Harrison & Leadbitter in the stands, I doubt any other Conference club could do that? We really are the Man C/Chelsea of the Conference although that means failure to win promotion could be considered failure by the BoD. We're really not. I would say that allocade has to go to Forest "Veggie" Green Rovers. They're the Forest green Rovers of the conference and we're the Bristol Rovers of the conference.
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Post by pudseygas on Nov 30, 2014 14:53:36 GMT
I think March is going to be the deciding month.
Bristol Rovers v Eastleigh Halifax v Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers v Aldershot Macclesfield v Bristol Rovers
Get a good points haul at these fixtures and we push on from the other play off contenders; hopefully on to the top spot. If not, then it will be about cementing a play off place
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 14:58:25 GMT
We had such a bollocks start I find it hard to imagine that our form won't be better for the second half. We had a "gear-change" remember?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 15:02:46 GMT
A lot of fans (me included) needed a lot of time and evidence to believe in DC. I don't think thats a surprising thing after the last 14 years and after 2 quick relegations. Some of the stuff he said in the press didn't help either. I'm happy for those of you that saw something in him that myself and others didn't to have your moment of recognition and moving forwards I don't think anyone can question the quality of the squad. If I'm honest I retained a lot of doubts about him until the signings of LDV and Blissett but now I see he is getting us somewhere. I still think it will take longer to get others on board and he is in a no win situation as if we go up thats kind of the expectation and I don't think he will get the widespread plaudits until we are competing near the top of league 2. Thats football I guess especially at a club as used to failure as ours. Good post Dins! I backed DC early on, after he did that long interview with Twentyman on Radio Bristol - which probably means that I'm more gullible than most of you! I think that he seems honest - not afraid to admit that he doesn't always get it right, and he didn't pander to the fans demands for quick signings, but waited to get what he wanted, at a price we could afford. I think that DC is the right "fit" for our club, and this could be the start of a new era, with a squad who are prepared to battle until the final whistle.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 15:22:46 GMT
Were you behind him because of his past achievements ? Performence last season or just because you have that ultra loyal and optimistic nature ? Just wondering what I missed. 1. Changing the recruitment strategy that in my opinion brought us down. Getting young hungry players as opposed to league players on the downward curve of their careers. 2. Being realistic, taking every game as it comes and not stroking the egos of billy-big-bollocks fans that think we should walk the league by simply turning up. 3. At least attempting to instil the need to keep the ball on the Dam ground. 4. Saying what needed to be said about the atmosphere some match days.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 15:27:50 GMT
Here's why I always liked DC: - I never blamed him for relegation. He wasn't out of his depth, he took a side that was getting relegated anyway (i posted on the old forum the day JW went that we were going down, regardless of our league position at the time) he took a side with a terrible character and lack of ability. He tried to change it in the ways 99% of us wanted: two upfront, 3 at the back in away games and it didn't work out, but i'm convinced that not many would have kept us up. Didn't help on the last day we lost both full backs. - He always showed a passion and was the only one to stand up to relegation. I didn't even blame the bloke and he was the one person in the club who stood up and took it on the chin. - I always warmed to his philosophy. No more players happy to accept a big wage was the big thing. He's come in and signed the majority on short term contracts. He shopped for high character players, the likes of Sinclair and Mansell, people who would fight for Bristol Rovers. It's took a while, but it does look like after a start where he had to go for what worked, it looks like he's going for two wingers and attacking football. He always for me has been able to speak a good game. - He also wasn't signing players with injury prone records, you can see our record this year compared to the last god knows how long. For people who say that he's just doing what he should be doing, well that's untrue. Two teams have ever bounced directly back into the football league, I was expecting midtable even liking DC as a manager. We have the likes of Mildy, Brown, Parkes, McChrystal, Lockyer, Clarke all on League 2 wages, with the rest of the budget slashed and DC leaving room to maneouvre and not splashing all of the budget at the start of the season, you've got to say he's done ridiculously well bringing in the calibre of players he has. How do we know if DC didn't splash all of his money but the BoD, encourage by attendences staying high, have found some extra funds? As Blisset's transfer fee has been found from somewhere as I doubt that was left in DC's wage budget fund not spent since the summer. Because DC has said multiple time that he left budget. He said at the start of the season he would leave budget And he said during the season he had left budget. Do not forget, we have sold Smith, Santos, and multiple other youth team players recently.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 15:37:54 GMT
I think March is going to be the deciding month. Bristol Rovers v Eastleigh Halifax v Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers v Aldershot Macclesfield v Bristol Rovers Get a good points haul at these fixtures and we push on from the other play off contenders; hopefully on to the top spot. If not, then it will be about cementing a play off place Lots can change between now and then mind you, but I agree IF things stay as they are that month may well decide our fate. I'm looking at the Christmas period, which to me shouts make or break. Gateshead, Torquay (x2) and Macclesfield. Get good results and we're well and truly in the play-off fight (with potential for a title charge, I feel), but get bad results and we may well be pushed out of the play-offs all together.
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Post by Gas Go Marching In on Nov 30, 2014 15:47:53 GMT
I think March is going to be the deciding month. Bristol Rovers v Eastleigh Halifax v Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers v Aldershot Macclesfield v Bristol Rovers Get a good points haul at these fixtures and we push on from the other play off contenders; hopefully on to the top spot. If not, then it will be about cementing a play off place Lots can change between now and then mind you, but I agree IF things stay as they are that month may well decide our fate. I'm looking at the Christmas period, which to me shouts make or break. Gateshead, Torquay (x2) and Macclesfield. Get good results and we're well and truly in the play-off fight (with potential for a title charge, I feel), but get bad results and we may well be pushed out of the play-offs all together. I don't feel this is going to happen at all now. If you had asked me a few weeks ago then I would have thought this was possible but I'll be very surprised if we're not in the playoffs at the end of the season. I really think us and Barnet could pull away.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 15:54:51 GMT
Here's why I always liked DC: - I never blamed him for relegation. He wasn't out of his depth, he took a side that was getting relegated anyway (i posted on the old forum the day JW went that we were going down, regardless of our league position at the time) he took a side with a terrible character and lack of ability. He tried to change it in the ways 99% of us wanted: two upfront, 3 at the back in away games and it didn't work out, but i'm convinced that not many would have kept us up. Didn't help on the last day we lost both full backs. - He always showed a passion and was the only one to stand up to relegation. I didn't even blame the bloke and he was the one person in the club who stood up and took it on the chin. - I always warmed to his philosophy. No more players happy to accept a big wage was the big thing. He's come in and signed the majority on short term contracts. He shopped for high character players, the likes of Sinclair and Mansell, people who would fight for Bristol Rovers. It's took a while, but it does look like after a start where he had to go for what worked, it looks like he's going for two wingers and attacking football. He always for me has been able to speak a good game. - He also wasn't signing players with injury prone records, you can see our record this year compared to the last god knows how long. For people who say that he's just doing what he should be doing, well that's untrue. Two teams have ever bounced directly back into the football league, I was expecting midtable even liking DC as a manager. We have the likes of Mildy, Brown, Parkes, McChrystal, Lockyer, Clarke all on League 2 wages, with the rest of the budget slashed and DC leaving room to maneouvre and not splashing all of the budget at the start of the season, you've got to say he's done ridiculously well bringing in the calibre of players he has. My favourite thing about him is he actually seems to walk the talk. He is also not getting carried away and trying to control the fans expectations which can only be a good thing for us because I know a lot of us are starting to really beliebe we can do it. There is still a long way to go though. I agree with so much on this post. What a turnaround we are witnessing. We now have many fans believing that we might actually do better than play offs. We are Bristol Rovers and we might well do the thing that many other teams have not achieved - namely promotion as champions at first attempt. Calming our expectations. Maybe that's what managers do when they haven't quite got the winning mentality. It's what they do at clubs like Barnet, Grimsby, forest green, etc. well best of luck to them. They look at others. They look around them. They are not clubs that I associate us with. As it happens, I think the team have woken up, smelt the coffee, and realised that they can deliver what we all want. In the dressing room they will know that it's possible to be ground breaking and know that we are in touching distance of being in control. Things are so different these days. It's great not to be the only one believing in better. Bristol Rovers at last aim high with players and fans, feeling, seeing, hearing and believing that we are on the cusp of something we might all remember as the season when we bounced back and bounced all our way to getting out of this league. Happy days. Exciting times! You bet.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 15:55:50 GMT
Lots can change between now and then mind you, but I agree IF things stay as they are that month may well decide our fate. I'm looking at the Christmas period, which to me shouts make or break. Gateshead, Torquay (x2) and Macclesfield. Get good results and we're well and truly in the play-off fight (with potential for a title charge, I feel), but get bad results and we may well be pushed out of the play-offs all together. I don't feel this is going to happen at all now. If you had asked me a few weeks ago then I would have thought this was possible but I'll be very surprised if we're not in the playoffs at the end of the season. I really think us and Barnet could pull away. Barnet. We might just leave them behind!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 16:30:25 GMT
My favourite thing about him is he actually seems to walk the talk. He is also not getting carried away and trying to control the fans expectations which can only be a good thing for us because I know a lot of us are starting to really beliebe we can do it. There is still a long way to go though. I agree with so much on this post. What a turnaround we are witnessing. We now have many fans believing that we might actually do better than play offs. We are Bristol Rovers and we might well do the thing that many other teams have not achieved - namely promotion as champions at first attempt. Calming our expectations. Maybe that's what managers do when they haven't quite got the winning mentality. It's what they do at clubs like Barnet, Grimsby, forest green, etc. well best of luck to them. They look at others. They look around them. They are not clubs that I associate us with. As it happens, I think the team have woken up, smelt the coffee, and realised that they can deliver what we all want. In the dressing room they will know that it's possible to be ground breaking and know that we are in touching distance of being in control. Things are so different these days. It's great not to be the only one believing in better. Bristol Rovers at last aim high with players and fans, feeling, seeing, hearing and believing that we are on the cusp of something we might all remember as the season when we bounced back and count united to bounce all our way to getting out of this league. Happy days. Exciting times! You bet. We needed to go down to come up. We were stagnant, we players with bad attitudes on high wages, we kept getting "big name" managers that didn't understand the situation the club was in, the negativity permeating the club was palpable; from terrace to pitch. Appointing DC could be the thing that finally turns this ship around. Watch this space.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 16:33:33 GMT
If DC turns around the negativity at our club he will be one of the best managers of the last 15 yrs regardless of league position.
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Post by phillistine on Nov 30, 2014 16:37:23 GMT
The reality is that DC is also being hampered in a way that few of us really appreciate.
When PT was here, he had a network of paid scouts that he could rely on both to scout players and to watch future opposition. Those scouts had contacts and used them for our benefit.
When Buckle was appointed he sacked them and the budget was then cut for future managers
DC was criticised for only signing players that he knows and that was because he had no-one to turn to. I am told that we still don't automatically scout the opposition and that we are relying too heavily on what we are told by the parent clubs about people we are taking on loan.
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Post by Gas Go Marching In on Nov 30, 2014 16:39:11 GMT
I agree with so much on this post. What a turnaround we are witnessing. We now have many fans believing that we might actually do better than play offs. We are Bristol Rovers and we might well do the thing that many other teams have not achieved - namely promotion as champions at first attempt. Calming our expectations. Maybe that's what managers do when they haven't quite got the winning mentality. It's what they do at clubs like Barnet, Grimsby, forest green, etc. well best of luck to them. They look at others. They look around them. They are not clubs that I associate us with. As it happens, I think the team have woken up, smelt the coffee, and realised that they can deliver what we all want. In the dressing room they will know that it's possible to be ground breaking and know that we are in touching distance of being in control. Things are so different these days. It's great not to be the only one believing in better. Bristol Rovers at last aim high with players and fans, feeling, seeing, hearing and believing that we are on the cusp of something we might all remember as the season when we bounced back and count united to bounce all our way to getting out of this league. Happy days. Exciting times! You bet. We needed to go down to come up. We were stagnant, we players with bad attitudes on high wages, we kept getting "big name" managers that didn't understand the situation the club was in, the negativity permeating the club was palpable; from terrace to pitch. Appointing DC could be the thing that finally turns this ship around. Watch this space. Wouldn't it be great if we could write our own fairy tale! Swansea had theirs with nearly going out of the football league and now being a prem team. Imagine if we could go up this season, get our new stadium and progress all the way up to the prem. Alright, now I really am dreaming but fairytales can come true!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 16:43:48 GMT
We needed to go down to come up. We were stagnant, we players with bad attitudes on high wages, we kept getting "big name" managers that didn't understand the situation the club was in, the negativity permeating the club was palpable; from terrace to pitch. Appointing DC could be the thing that finally turns this ship around. Watch this space. Wouldn't it be great if we could write our own fairy tale! Swansea had theirs with nearly going out of the football league and now being a prem team. Imagine if we could go up this season, get our new stadium and progress all the way up to the prem. Alright, now I really am dreaming but fairytales can come true! I can't even conceive of Rovers in the PL but if the stadium happens the Championship should be the target really.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 16:44:59 GMT
Love the thought. Write our own fairy tale. Music to my ears.
Watford did it from the old 4th division. They didn't have a new stadium, though.
I feel a ground breaking 5 year plan is needed. Maybe there is one!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 16:48:51 GMT
This thread has gone from it's going to be tight to the premier league in less than 18 hours.
I think we might just have enough positivity around us right now to make our dreams come true on an annual basis!
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Post by Strange Gas on Nov 30, 2014 17:31:21 GMT
This thread has gone from it's going to be tight to the premier league in less than 18 hours. I think we might just have enough positivity around us right now to make our dreams come true on an annual basis! Did you pimp the bus Rich?
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