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Post by wiaww on Dec 20, 2016 17:06:32 GMT
I’ve been going over and over things in my head lately. By nature I’m quite a reactive person and sometimes I let that get the better of me especially when Rovers are involved, but I want to take a minute to put some thoughts down about Rovers, DC and past few seasons.
Things are pretty gloomy on here at the minute but is it all really that bad? I mean, yes, we’ve been crap for the last six or seven weeks, at times the football has been like watching paint dry and our defence has been leakier than a broken colander but really sit there for a moment and consider how bad things are. Not terrible.
When we were relegated to the Conference it was bad. It was really bad. For the first time ever I was embarrassed to be a Rovers fan because of the humiliating way we’d engineered our own downfall and the way things at the Club were broken from top to bottom. The tail end of the relegation season were an emotional rollercoaster as the elation of the result against Wycombe gave way to the overwhelming frustration of the Mansfield defeat on the 3rd of May 2014. That date will forever haunt our club - with it’s long history and proud footballing past - and I spent the week after the Mansfield game drowning my sorrows and trying to make sense of how it had happened. How it had happened to a club like Bristol Rovers. Few periods of my life have left me feeling so hopeless and so desperate for some way to reverse the irreversible. It took a long time for the reality of the situation to sink in; that in just a few short months we would be playing Halifax; and Dover; and Braintree; and Dartmouth; and Alfreton; and Telford and, and, and. A league fixture with plucky little Forest Green Rovers - a village side I’d always had a soft spot because of the Rovers connection and now a rival in our forthcoming Conference league campaign - was only weeks away and nothing could be done to change that. Oh, the humanity! It’s easy to look back and forget how dark those days were. How bleak things looked for Bristol Rovers on the pitch and off it. I didn’t venture on to the pitch on that May afternoon but I did voice my… concerns with the shortcomings of the Board from the steps of the Blackthorn End. In the heat of the moment I wanted nothing more than for Higgs & co to cash in their shares and slip away in the night. But in reality, what would have happened should the directors conceded to the fan’s chants of “Board out!”? Who was going to step in to the breach? We were between a rock and a hard place. Things were definitely bad back then.
I remember attending the open day that summer and finding myself stood on the terrace in pretty much the exact spot I had watched Clarkson rattle the woodwork, O’Toole’s header go narrowly past the post, and McChrystal hammer the crossbar. As I stood looking at the pitch, replaying the countless chances we had to equalise, Darrell Clarke arrived from the side door of the Supporters bar and I had an opportunity to talk to him one on one before he was mobbed by autograph hunters. There was probably a six or seven minute period where myself and Darrell stood on the steps and talked and in that time I went from feeling something akin to a resigned apathy for the coming season to a feeling of cautious optimism that this man would be able to drag us back to the Football League at the first time of asking. What struck me most from our conversation was how frank Darrell was in his assessment of our chances. None of the usual bluster and nonsense and football-speak. Nor did he make any excuses. It would have been easy to blame his predecessor and it would have been easy to blame his players. But DC was adamant that it was his responsibility and that he would be the one to put things right.
And that he has done. It hadn’t just been the two seasons previous to the relegation season that had been bad. Arguable as a club we’d been in decline since Lambert left at the beginning of the 2009-10 season and while relegation to the Conference could be considered our ‘rock bottom’ it had something of an inevitability about it given the way we’d been sliding progressively further down the league pyramid. Clarke instilled a fantastic team spirit and togetherness in the core of the squad that not only dragged us kicking and screaming from the Conference but who went on to gain a further promotion a season later. At present we sit in 11th in League One with the majority of that core intact. We are five points off the play-offs. Those are facts and no amount of worrying or catastrophising about the rest of the season will change where we are at present. If we finish this season in 11th it will equal our highest league finishes for the past 16 campaigns. If we finish above 22nd it will be our best league finish since 2009-10. I feel that the current squad and, in particular, Darrell Clarke deserve more time from us. Almost to a man they are playing at the highest level any of them have played at and while it’s been pretty grim since the end of October we have to remember that it could be so, so much worse. We have put up with untold tosh on and off the field for so long but I think that the previous two seasons have spoiled us. Now is time to dig in and grit our teeth, to remember that many of that these players are the same ones that gave us Alfreton at home, Forest Green home and away in the Play Off Semis, Grimsby at Wembley, (Dorchester in the FA Cup anyone?) Crawley, Yeovil and Exeter at home, York away, and the unforgettable Dagenham and Redbridge and all that last day drama and elation, along with countless other fantastic moments and memories. And don’t forget that this season hasn’t been all bad. The late, late drama earlier in the season. A spell of 10 games where we were picking up draws and wins from losing positions. Things are far from perfect right now and I was as frustrated as anyone last Saturday. The performance at Shrewsbury was the worst I’ve seen in a very, very long time, but that in itself is telling of how far we’ve come and how much we have to be grateful for.
Please let’s give Darrell Clarke and the squad the time and support that they need to turn things around because Lord knows that they will want to. It’s a cliché but the modern day football fan is much less patient than he/she used to be and with forums (fora?) and 24-hour news and social media and the constant need for updates and information and “progress” it’s so easy to get swept up in the furore when things aren’t going to plan. DC has just turned 39 and anyone with half a brain can see that he’s got a fantastic future in football management ahead of him however I’m sure that he would be the first to admit that he’s far from the complete package and has lots to learn, but then who doesn’t in any line of work? I firmly believe that if Clarke is our manager in five years time we will be a Championship side but as fans we have to be patient. We have to let him make his mistakes and learn from them and we have to take the rough with the smooth. Do not underestimate the influence you have on the things that happen at our football club and perhaps the next time you think about a moan take a step back and try and put things in to perspective, because where we are isn’t too bad when you look at where we’ve come from.
TL;DR - It could be worse.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 17:12:17 GMT
Cliffs?
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Post by wiaww on Dec 20, 2016 17:26:30 GMT
- Thinking, ouch. - Relegation, bad. Very bad. - DC, good. - Promotion, good. Second promotion, very good. - Lately, bad, but not very bad. - Future, bright. DC, learning. Gasheads, be patient. |
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Post by garystash on Dec 20, 2016 17:38:05 GMT
Great post OP, great post. 👏
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Post by spiess1 on Dec 20, 2016 17:51:13 GMT
Apart from Dartmouth.
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Post by paulpirate on Dec 20, 2016 17:58:28 GMT
I think a lot of us already know all that and I was saying to my mate on the way to Shrewsbury it's good to be back in l1,but having a millionaire owner has raised everybody's expectations and rightly so,we have never had someone like this running the club and I can't imagine he would be happy with the last few months either
The past is the past and football management is a cut throat business,I love DC and I think he's given the players up until xmas to see how they do but now he can see a few creaks but I'm sure he will sort it as soon as has he can
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 18:16:56 GMT
Who is going to be the first to ruin the thread and 'quote' the op
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 18:20:13 GMT
I’ve been going over and over things in my head lately. By nature I’m quite a reactive person and sometimes I let that get the better of me especially when Rovers are involved, but I want to take a minute to put some thoughts down about Rovers, DC and past few seasons. Things are pretty gloomy on here at the minute but is it all really that bad? I mean, yes, we’ve been crap for the last six or seven weeks, at times the football has been like watching paint dry and our defence has been leakier than a broken colander but really sit there for a moment and consider how bad things are. Not terrible. When we were relegated to the Conference it was bad. It was really bad. For the first time ever I was embarrassed to be a Rovers fan because of the humiliating way we’d engineered our own downfall and the way things at the Club were broken from top to bottom. The tail end of the relegation season were an emotional rollercoaster as the elation of the result against Wycombe gave way to the overwhelming frustration of the Mansfield defeat on the 3rd of May 2014. That date will forever haunt our club - with it’s long history and proud footballing past - and I spent the week after the Mansfield game drowning my sorrows and trying to make sense of how it had happened. How it had happened to a club like Bristol Rovers. Few periods of my life have left me feeling so hopeless and so desperate for some way to reverse the irreversible. It took a long time for the reality of the situation to sink in; that in just a few short months we would be playing Halifax; and Dover; and Braintree; and Dartmouth; and Alfreton; and Telford and, and, and. A league fixture with plucky little Forest Green Rovers - a village side I’d always had a soft spot because of the Rovers connection and now a rival in our forthcoming Conference league campaign - was only weeks away and nothing could be done to change that. Oh, the humanity! It’s easy to look back and forget how dark those days were. How bleak things looked for Bristol Rovers on the pitch and off it. I didn’t venture on to the pitch on that May afternoon but I did voice my… concerns with the shortcomings of the Board from the steps of the Blackthorn End. In the heat of the moment I wanted nothing more than for Higgs & co to cash in their shares and slip away in the night. But in reality, what would have happened should the directors conceded to the fan’s chants of “Board out!”? Who was going to step in to the breach? We were between a rock and a hard place. Things were definitely bad back then. I remember attending the open day that summer and finding myself stood on the terrace in pretty much the exact spot I had watched Clarkson rattle the woodwork, O’Toole’s header go narrowly past the post, and McChrystal hammer the crossbar. As I stood looking at the pitch, replaying the countless chances we had to equalise, Darrell Clarke arrived from the side door of the Supporters bar and I had an opportunity to talk to him one on one before he was mobbed by autograph hunters. There was probably a six or seven minute period where myself and Darrell stood on the steps and talked and in that time I went from feeling something akin to a resigned apathy for the coming season to a feeling of cautious optimism that this man would be able to drag us back to the Football League at the first time of asking. What struck me most from our conversation was how frank Darrell was in his assessment of our chances. None of the usual bluster and nonsense and football-speak. Nor did he make any excuses. It would have been easy to blame his predecessor and it would have been easy to blame his players. But DC was adamant that it was his responsibility and that he would be the one to put things right. And that he has done. It hadn’t just been the two seasons previous to the relegation season that had been bad. Arguable as a club we’d been in decline since Lambert left at the beginning of the 2009-10 season and while relegation to the Conference could be considered our ‘rock bottom’ it had something of an inevitability about it given the way we’d been sliding progressively further down the league pyramid. Clarke instilled a fantastic team spirit and togetherness in the core of the squad that not only dragged us kicking and screaming from the Conference but who went on to gain a further promotion a season later. At present we sit in 11th in League One with the majority of that core intact. We are five points off the play-offs. Those are facts and no amount of worrying or catastrophising about the rest of the season will change where we are at present. If we finish this season in 11th it will equal our highest league finishes for the past 16 campaigns. If we finish above 22nd it will be our best league finish since 2009-10. I feel that the current squad and, in particular, Darrell Clarke deserve more time from us. Almost to a man they are playing at the highest level any of them have played at and while it’s been pretty grim since the end of October we have to remember that it could be so, so much worse. We have put up with untold tosh on and off the field for so long but I think that the previous two seasons have spoiled us. Now is time to dig in and grit our teeth, to remember that many of that these players are the same ones that gave us Alfreton at home, Forest Green home and away in the Play Off Semis, Grimsby at Wembley, (Dorchester in the FA Cup anyone?) Crawley, Yeovil and Exeter at home, York away, and the unforgettable Dagenham and Redbridge and all that last day drama and elation, along with countless other fantastic moments and memories. And don’t forget that this season hasn’t been all bad. The late, late drama earlier in the season. A spell of 10 games where we were picking up draws and wins from losing positions. Things are far from perfect right now and I was as frustrated as anyone last Saturday. The performance at Shrewsbury was the worst I’ve seen in a very, very long time, but that in itself is telling of how far we’ve come and how much we have to be grateful for. Please let’s give Darrell Clarke and the squad the time and support that they need to turn things around because Lord knows that they will want to. It’s a cliché but the modern day football fan is much less patient than he/she used to be and with forums (fora?) and 24-hour news and social media and the constant need for updates and information and “progress” it’s so easy to get swept up in the furore when things aren’t going to plan. DC has just turned 39 and anyone with half a brain can see that he’s got a fantastic future in football management ahead of him however I’m sure that he would be the first to admit that he’s far from the complete package and has lots to learn, but then who doesn’t in any line of work? I firmly believe that if Clarke is our manager in five years time we will be a Championship side but as fans we have to be patient. We have to let him make his mistakes and learn from them and we have to take the rough with the smooth. Do not underestimate the influence you have on the things that happen at our football club and perhaps the next time you think about a moan take a step back and try and put things in to perspective, because where we are isn’t too bad when you look at where we’ve come from. TL;DR - It could be worse. Great post. |
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Post by Topper Gas on Dec 20, 2016 18:29:07 GMT
So if we play like we did at Shrewsbury on Boxing Day we all just leave at the end of match with a big smile on our faces, saying to ourselves "never mind saying things could be worse"? How about Wael after he's invested millions in the club should he do the same?
Both DC and his squad are facing a big test and whilst we'll all support them at 3pm on Monday, it's really down to them to prove themselves they've got what it takes, if they haven't there's little we do to turn things around.
As far as DC becoming Championship manager in the future, do when of us really know what it'll become given how many good managers never make it beyond the lower leagues?
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Post by paulpirate on Dec 20, 2016 18:58:36 GMT
So if we play like we did at Shrewsbury on Boxing Day we all just leave at the end of match with a big smile on our faces, saying to ourselves "never mind saying things could be worse"? How about Wael after he's invested millions in the club should he do the same? Both DC and his squad are facing a big test and whilst we'll all support them at 3pm on Monday, it's really down to them to prove themselves they've got what it takes, if they haven't there's little we do to turn things around. As far as DC becoming Championship manager in the future, do when of us really know what it'll become given how many good managers never make it beyond the lower leagues? |
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Post by paulpirate on Dec 20, 2016 19:00:15 GMT
So if we play like we did at Shrewsbury on Boxing Day we all just leave at the end of match with a big smile on our faces, saying to ourselves "never mind saying things could be worse"? How about Wael after he's invested millions in the club should he do the same? Both DC and his squad are facing a big test and whilst we'll all support them at 3pm on Monday, it's really down to them to prove themselves they've got what it takes, if they haven't there's little we do to turn things around. As far as DC becoming Championship manager in the future, do when of us really know what it'll become given how many good managers never make it beyond the lower leagues? if we don't win v Cov were be looking over our shoulders with four tough games coming up after,must win |
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Post by You can call me Al. on Dec 20, 2016 19:07:08 GMT
I think we all know " life could be worse" but there's nothing wrong with questioning, analysing, giving opinions on how it could be better. Otherwise Forums wouldn't exist.
But i do take your point as regards some of the bleedin over reactions from some. No matter how bad your days seems, just remember someone has to clean the soddin bathroom at Casa Mexicana!
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Post by gasincider on Dec 20, 2016 19:33:17 GMT
It's all great and good to say 'remember where we were two years ago' So what? It counts for nothing now. If we go down this season, the last two years won't be flitting before my eyes.
To create a great football club is all about evolution, just as Al Qadi said, and reiterated by Steve Hamer. If you are happy with where we are, bully for you. I'm not. I've seen all this before. We have spent most of our history at this level. Is that what makes you happy?
Well not me. This club has to keep on progressing or it will stagnate and die. I've seen enough crap thank you very much to last a lifetime.
I hear some of you say ' I just want us to beat the sh** in the championship'. Yeah, that would make me happy for a few days, but that's it.
Also, ' I want us to finish above the sh** in the championship'. That would make me happy for a few months.
What the f**k. I want to be happy for years on end. I want the Premier League. If Swansea, Bournemouth, Wigan etc can do it, I'm bloody sure we can.
That's why DC said not so long ago that he wanted the championship in three years. He turned down the chance to manage Leeds. Alright we all know that club is a basket case. But it was still a high profile well paid job. That told me that our owners had the ambition here to make him turn that job down, and it would be great if MT also had the same ambition. If he doesn't so what. There are other strikers out there. The point is that the Premier League has to be the target. Anything less is a total lack of ambition.
It will take time, and we are all getting older, but it has to be the target. It looks like the training ground is settled. Now the UWE has to be assured or it's all for nowt.
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Post by jaunkerr on Dec 20, 2016 19:47:04 GMT
gasincider. I really don't like the thought of us in the prem. soulless and sold itself out. I hate the prem
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Post by garystash on Dec 20, 2016 20:31:01 GMT
gasincider. I really don't like the thought of us in the prem. soulless and sold itself out. I hate the prem Although I admit it has to be the aim, and achieving top flight football for the first time in our history would be massive - I have to say that I don't like the premiership either! I refuse to pay whatever ridiculously priced subscription it takes to watch it. The wages and transfer fees involved have filtered down to unsustainable levels for lower league clubs. The academies sweep up all the best youngsters, yet at the same time creates a graveyard for many of them. And the number of foreign players has ruined our national team such that I can't bare to watch them most of the time, something I used to really enjoy! But yet, for some reason I still want us to get there. |
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Post by Nortongashead on Dec 20, 2016 20:41:47 GMT
Good post but we must strive for continuous improvement. I felt our demise into non-league was partly down to fan apathy and not demanding better. DC has a massive job on his hands now better quality players are required to take us to the next level. Can he do it? time will tell, it wont be for the lack of trying.
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Post by chippenhamgas on Dec 20, 2016 20:53:15 GMT
It's all great and good to say 'remember where we were two years ago' So what? It counts for nothing now. If we go down this season, the last two years won't be flitting before my eyes. To create a great football club is all about evolution, just as Al Qadi said, and reiterated by Steve Hamer. If you are happy with where we are, bully for you. I'm not. I've seen all this before. We have spent most of our history at this level. Is that what makes you happy? Well not me. This club has to keep on progressing or it will stagnate and die. I've seen enough crap thank you very much to last a lifetime. I hear some of you say ' I just want us to beat the sh** in the championship'. Yeah, that would make me happy for a few days, but that's it. Also, ' I want us to finish above the sh** in the championship'. That would make me happy for a few months. What the f**k. I want to be happy for years on end. I want the Premier League. If Swansea, Bournemouth, Wigan etc can do it, I'm bloody sure we can. That's why DC said not so long ago that he wanted the championship in three years. He turned down the chance to manage Leeds. Alright we all know that club is a basket case. But it was still a high profile well paid job. That told me that our owners had the ambition here to make him turn that job down, and it would be great if MT also had the same ambition. If he doesn't so what. There are other strikers out there. The point is that the Premier League has to be the target. Anything less is a total lack of ambition. It will take time, and we are all getting older, but it has to be the target. It looks like the training ground is settled. Now the UWE has to be assured or it's all for nowt. Totally and utterly bang on and well said. Started watching us in 84 at eastville and it felt like a dying club. Then success against the odds at twerton but we knew that was temporary. Every time we've ever had success since i started going it's always felt short lived. This time it has to be different or what's the point. |
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Post by You can call me Al. on Dec 20, 2016 21:22:18 GMT
Bleedin henry! Hold on a god damn minute are some saying they don't wanna get to the top division? Ok, i think we need to quickly make up our mind whether we actually wanna soddin be successful or not. Otherwise we can call Wael and tell him to save his hard earned soddin lolly!
It sounds like some wanna yoyo up and down the bloody lower leagues in some sort of bleedin comfort zone! In which case you should be very happy with our blip at the moment.
I wanna see us go all the way to the top, football is a sport and if you don't wanna win the race i really am strugglin to understand why you follow a football cub.
Onwards AND UPWARDS!!!
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Post by Topper Gas on Dec 20, 2016 21:45:22 GMT
Before we start dreaming of the Championship and beyond we need to stabilize in Div 1 in my view and at the moment I am not sure our squad is anywhere near guaranteeing a place in this division next season, what DC does in January and how Wael backs him will be vital on that score.
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Post by paulpirate on Dec 20, 2016 21:57:52 GMT
It's all great and good to say 'remember where we were two years ago' So what? It counts for nothing now. If we go down this season, the last two years won't be flitting before my eyes. To create a great football club is all about evolution, just as Al Qadi said, and reiterated by Steve Hamer. If you are happy with where we are, bully for you. I'm not. I've seen all this before. We have spent most of our history at this level. Is that what makes you happy? Well not me. This club has to keep on progressing or it will stagnate and die. I've seen enough crap thank you very much to last a lifetime. I hear some of you say ' I just want us to beat the sh** in the championship'. Yeah, that would make me happy for a few days, but that's it. Also, ' I want us to finish above the sh** in the championship'. That would make me happy for a few months. What the f**k. I want to be happy for years on end. I want the Premier League. If Swansea, Bournemouth, Wigan etc can do it, I'm bloody sure we can. That's why DC said not so long ago that he wanted the championship in three years. He turned down the chance to manage Leeds. Alright we all know that club is a basket case. But it was still a high profile well paid job. That told me that our owners had the ambition here to make him turn that job down, and it would be great if MT also had the same ambition. If he doesn't so what. There are other strikers out there. The point is that the Premier League has to be the target. Anything less is a total lack of ambition. It will take time, and we are all getting older, but it has to be the target. It looks like the training ground is settled. Now the UWE has to be assured or it's all for nowt. that is the best post I have ever read on here,it's what I have been dreaming of for years and when wael took over I thought one day I might see our team in the prem If we get the uwe I can see us being like Brighton and challenging for the big time,why not |
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