Post by Antonio Fargas on Nov 2, 2018 8:29:25 GMT
From the BP:
Ian Holloway column: 'Why Bristol Rovers must stick with Darrell Clarke and back him in January'
Bristol Live's new columnist on the Gas' January priorities and his hurt at their league position
Bristol Rovers must give Darrell Clarke funds to bring in at least one proven striker during the January transfer window.
In fact, I would like to see the club recruit a recognised scorer from the lower divisions and a younger player from a Premier League or Championship outfit to make up for the goals Darrell Clarke has lost from his team.
I am a great admirer of Darrell, who has put pride back into the badge since the nightmare of relegation out of the Football League in 2014.
He is an excellent modern coach and, from my own experience, I can sympathise with his frustration over the loss off Matty Taylor, Billy Bodin, Rory Gaffney and Ellis Harrison in the last couple of years.
Back in the summer of 2000 when I was Rovers manager we sold Bobby Zamora, Jason Roberts and Jamie Cureton to Brighton, West Bromwich Albion and Reading respectively.
The Board thought the bottom was about to fall out of the transfer market, a view I didn’t agree with, and wanted to cash in while big fees were still being paid.
I have always blamed myself for Zamora leaving because I agreed to loan him to Brighton without first having got him to sign a new contract at Bristol Rovers.
He did so well there that a permanent move was always going to follow and we ended up getting peanuts for him. It was a lesson learned.
'I feel for Darrell'
A harsher one was that you can’t take three quality marksmen out of your squad over a short period and expect to prosper.
I brought in Mickey Evans, who wasn’t perceived as being good enough, even though he later went on to win promotion with Plymouth Argyle, and by the middle of the season Rovers fans were chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
That still irks me to this day because I had no control over Roberts and Cureton leaving. I was sacked, the club were relegated and the perception was that I had taken Rovers as far as I could.
Bristol Rovers legend Ian Holloway explains why Bristol City need the Gas
Since I later took two clubs into the Premier League, that was shown to be total garbage. The truth is that you can only go so far as a manager unless your club are prepared to compete financially in the league they are in.
That is why I feel for Darrell now. When the current owners took over I remember thinking, like most Rovers fans, that at last we would be able to more than hold our own in the transfer market.
For whatever reason, it hasn’t happened. Going back to my time we would have kept Zamora if the board had been prepared to offer him more as a striker than players in other positions were commanding in the wage budget.
The directors took the view that forwards should not be special cases. But the truth is that goals win matches and lads with the ability to get them on a regular basis merit bigger money.
Painful viewing
It hurts me to see where Rovers are in League One at the moment, particularly when clubs like Accrington Stanley are thriving in the same division and pushing hard for the play-offs.
I fear some supporters are starting to say of Darrell what was said of me, that he has taken the team as far as he can.
That is rubbish. I know him well and, given sufficient resources, I am convinced he can build on the progress achieved since the dark days of Conference football.
So I, for one, will be watching closely what signings are made in January. For me, the money has to be found to attract a striker with a proven goals record in Leagues One or Two.
Accrington are where they are largely on the back of Billy Kee’s goals and he is continuing to find the net in League One, having helped achieve promotion last season.
His importance to the team is unbelievable and Rovers need to find someone who can fill a similar role. In addition, I would look for a youngster from a top club aiming to make his way in the game and try to persuade the parent club to share his wages in return for giving him League experience.
I don’t think there is much wrong with the current Rovers squad that the addition of a quality finisher wouldn’t put right.
Leicester tribute
On a sadder note, I want to assure Leicester City fans that the football people of Bristol are behind them over the loss of a wonderful owner in Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, whose helicopter crashed so soon after last Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham at the King Power Stadium.
It was a very bad day for our national game, with news earlier that Glenn Hoddle had suffered a serious heart attack. Glenn has long been my football idol, a genius footballer I always envied for his amazing talent and I send him and his family my best wishes.
Rovers need to decide as a club where they want to be. And it is no good aiming for a level your wage budget makes unrealistic.
So, we are up and running with my new Post column and, as a proud Bristolian, as well as a proud Gashead, I look forward to sharing my often forthright views with readers.
My dad told me many wonderful things and one of them was that, if you have an opinion, don't be afraid to express it.
You can be sure I will be applying that advice to this column. I consider it a privilege and I hope you enjoy it.
Ian Holloway column: 'Why Bristol Rovers must stick with Darrell Clarke and back him in January'
Bristol Live's new columnist on the Gas' January priorities and his hurt at their league position
Bristol Rovers must give Darrell Clarke funds to bring in at least one proven striker during the January transfer window.
In fact, I would like to see the club recruit a recognised scorer from the lower divisions and a younger player from a Premier League or Championship outfit to make up for the goals Darrell Clarke has lost from his team.
I am a great admirer of Darrell, who has put pride back into the badge since the nightmare of relegation out of the Football League in 2014.
He is an excellent modern coach and, from my own experience, I can sympathise with his frustration over the loss off Matty Taylor, Billy Bodin, Rory Gaffney and Ellis Harrison in the last couple of years.
Back in the summer of 2000 when I was Rovers manager we sold Bobby Zamora, Jason Roberts and Jamie Cureton to Brighton, West Bromwich Albion and Reading respectively.
The Board thought the bottom was about to fall out of the transfer market, a view I didn’t agree with, and wanted to cash in while big fees were still being paid.
I have always blamed myself for Zamora leaving because I agreed to loan him to Brighton without first having got him to sign a new contract at Bristol Rovers.
He did so well there that a permanent move was always going to follow and we ended up getting peanuts for him. It was a lesson learned.
'I feel for Darrell'
A harsher one was that you can’t take three quality marksmen out of your squad over a short period and expect to prosper.
I brought in Mickey Evans, who wasn’t perceived as being good enough, even though he later went on to win promotion with Plymouth Argyle, and by the middle of the season Rovers fans were chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
That still irks me to this day because I had no control over Roberts and Cureton leaving. I was sacked, the club were relegated and the perception was that I had taken Rovers as far as I could.
Bristol Rovers legend Ian Holloway explains why Bristol City need the Gas
Since I later took two clubs into the Premier League, that was shown to be total garbage. The truth is that you can only go so far as a manager unless your club are prepared to compete financially in the league they are in.
That is why I feel for Darrell now. When the current owners took over I remember thinking, like most Rovers fans, that at last we would be able to more than hold our own in the transfer market.
For whatever reason, it hasn’t happened. Going back to my time we would have kept Zamora if the board had been prepared to offer him more as a striker than players in other positions were commanding in the wage budget.
The directors took the view that forwards should not be special cases. But the truth is that goals win matches and lads with the ability to get them on a regular basis merit bigger money.
Painful viewing
It hurts me to see where Rovers are in League One at the moment, particularly when clubs like Accrington Stanley are thriving in the same division and pushing hard for the play-offs.
I fear some supporters are starting to say of Darrell what was said of me, that he has taken the team as far as he can.
That is rubbish. I know him well and, given sufficient resources, I am convinced he can build on the progress achieved since the dark days of Conference football.
So I, for one, will be watching closely what signings are made in January. For me, the money has to be found to attract a striker with a proven goals record in Leagues One or Two.
Accrington are where they are largely on the back of Billy Kee’s goals and he is continuing to find the net in League One, having helped achieve promotion last season.
His importance to the team is unbelievable and Rovers need to find someone who can fill a similar role. In addition, I would look for a youngster from a top club aiming to make his way in the game and try to persuade the parent club to share his wages in return for giving him League experience.
I don’t think there is much wrong with the current Rovers squad that the addition of a quality finisher wouldn’t put right.
Leicester tribute
On a sadder note, I want to assure Leicester City fans that the football people of Bristol are behind them over the loss of a wonderful owner in Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, whose helicopter crashed so soon after last Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham at the King Power Stadium.
It was a very bad day for our national game, with news earlier that Glenn Hoddle had suffered a serious heart attack. Glenn has long been my football idol, a genius footballer I always envied for his amazing talent and I send him and his family my best wishes.
Rovers need to decide as a club where they want to be. And it is no good aiming for a level your wage budget makes unrealistic.
So, we are up and running with my new Post column and, as a proud Bristolian, as well as a proud Gashead, I look forward to sharing my often forthright views with readers.
My dad told me many wonderful things and one of them was that, if you have an opinion, don't be afraid to express it.
You can be sure I will be applying that advice to this column. I consider it a privilege and I hope you enjoy it.
