Buckle seen in Bristol

[gullsflyinghigh]

Lets all put this rumour to one side for a moment as we go into one of the biggest games in Paul Buckles managerial tenure yet, shall we? It can all start again once our fate is decided, but until then, it's only going to cause distractions, which isn't what we need right now.

Agreed.

[Trojan 67]

I'm sure you've heard this before, but size isn't everything..

Is that so ?

It is said, faint heart never won fair lady. When fair lady has a choice between Don K. Dick, Hugh Jardon and Ivor Biggun, which suitor wins lady fair and square ?

It's not the one with the cocktail sausage in his hand.

I'm not suggesting for one moment that Bristol Rovers and Plymouth Argyle are little sausages, but when the performances were required, they proved themselves to be limp dicks.

Whether both sleeping giants are aroused enough next season to get up is another matter.

[basil75]

You only have to look at the premiership to see the big club / clubs find their natural levels in the long run argument collapse.

Fulham / Wigan - probably L1 standard size, if that - a lot of league 2 clubs take more away fans than these sometimes do and nearly all clubs in the league could get fairly regular 15,000+ attendances in the premiership (particularly when you account for away support).

Wigan is a rugby town - barely 100k population with no catchment area beyond the town given the close proximity of Manchester, Liverpool and the bigger Lancashire clubs - if they can do it, pretty much anyone can.

Then you look at Blackburn and Bolton - in the premiership more than not - regarded by everyone as established Premiership sides - Blackburn even winning the thing in 1995. By no means large places - no bigger than Torbay even- and in a rather overcrowded North West. You'd easily find 20+ clubs that are "bigger" than these.

When talking sleeping giants - you could argue all of the SW teams could potentially be - any club that reaches the Premiership will sweep up a lot of latent, red supporting glory hunter fans - as no team in the South West has ever been home to Premiership support and it will be a big deal for whoever. Although personally I think this is a long way off, unless Bristol City really step it up a gear. Eventually, a big committed investor (probably what's needed) will come in and take someone there - who is anyone's guess (could even be Bath City) - we'd be the least favourites (yes, I'm not delusional - 0.00001% chance at best) bar perhaps Yeovil - but big investors can do strange things and can often be ruled by rather unpredictable sentiment.

You also have to remember the power of debt in today's game. Big attendances don't equal big budgets (although there is distortion - but as financial fair play rules come in and are adapted over time, this is likely to lessen) - no point having crowds of 10,000, if you need 8,000 through the gate to simply service your debt and nothing else.

Club's are finding their level more by spending power and financial management (incorporating debt levels)than fan base size or how big the club is - something that is often perceived to be the same, but in reality is very very different and something fans of big clubs like to ignore.

[Fletch]

Hahahahaha! What utter nonsense this thread is! Maybe from a Shrewsbury fan? Who knows? Whatever the ulterior motive is here it's laughable! I'm sure Buckle has been concentrating on the boys this week and getting them focused and ready for Saturday. And when the playoffs are over, success or failure, only then can we begin to speculate about Buckle moving elsewhere.

Frank Prince seen in Bristol! Spread the word!

He must have a transporter then, cos I said hello to him in town today =D =D

[basil75]

Oh, and if you still want to know about Buckle's tactical nous (with the hope you leave us be - and appears to be your original question amongst the ill advised comments about us). It's his long term teambuilding skills that I find particulalry impressive, as well as player development - as opposed to his tactics. Others may disagree.

He can sometimes be very good tactically, but have also been times where his tactics have been ineffective, or worse needless and destructive. Most notable example that comes to mind is our game against Southend - we'd won our first 4 games in the season - but for some unknown reason Buckle decided to change the winning formula that got us into pole position and record just under 1000 minutes without conceding a goal. He then persisted with these new tactics (his biggest tactical crime), despite them not working, and see us in our worst season form in September. I'd also criticise the lone striker tactics that could be prominent before Benyon left us - it just didn't work and didn't help get the best out of Benyon IMO.

Ultimately, I feel that Buckle has got us here by putting a very good solid squad together (I don't think we've punched above our weight based on the ability of the squad) and it's the squad's ability and motivation from Buckle that have earnt us a place in the play offs. In match tactics however, have probably lost us as many points as we've gained.

[Plymouth Gull]

Two excellent posts, Basil. I fully agree.

[Trojan 67]

Poking fun at someone/something.

Ponder a moment.

Now consider how often, how quick and how deep.

Pondered long enough ?

I've not posted anything serious on this thread . . . yet.

It is noted that under Paul Buckle there are long unbeaten runs followed by long winless runs. Why is this ?

Then there's the 5 year plan.

An old fashioned construction industry craft apprenticeship would be time served after 5/6 years.

Paul Buckle is near to completion of his managerial apprenticeship.

See it out with us buhy, get "apprentice of the year 2011" and then view your options.

[Mav]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 487061.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That reads like a manager who is on the move, but not on the move to a team a division below him already. my take on that would be if we go up, then the Rovers job would not be of interest

[Mav]

According to todays HE he is also now being linked with Swindon, for me the post at Swindon may well be more likely option if he decides to up and leave

[Southampton Gull]

Give it a few days and you'll see Brentford and Bradford mentioned, give it a few days more and anyone else sacking their manager will be added

[Wembley Gull]

I've worked in Bristol for years and the problem with Rovers isn't money because their owners have spent plenty and up till now they have had quite good crowds. The whole club has just been left behind and everything about it reeks of failure. The facilities at the stadium are dirty and neglected, their public image is amateurish and they keep begging in the local paper for fans to please please support them which makes them sound like a charity. To anyone other than a diehard gashead they are a joke. If Paul wants to progress in the game he can do a lot better than go to the Gas.

[BritishGAS]

Wembley Gull

That is a very good reason for Paul Buckle to come here.

He will have finances given to him by the board, and a huge increase going into his own persoanl bank account, something which wont happen at Torquay, even if you do get promotion.

You are right the stadium is sh*t, In fact it is not a stadium it is a Rugby Ground, but the facilities are not dirty and neglected in the slightest. Its only downfall is its 12k capacity and lack of seats.

The "ground" will be developed into a 20k all seater in the near future, and it is an attractive proposition for both players and managers alike.

I dont know why you are making up a bunch of story's. When have Rovers ever begged in the local rag for fans to support them? Despite us being sh*t and a pathetic excuse for a football team last year, and playing in a rugby ground our attendances were about 5th highest in the division.

When the ground gets developed, the attendances will improve by 50% at least.

It really grates me when Gulls fans start slagging of Rovers!!!...I got lambasted on here by Gulls fans saying I was taking the p*ss and being derogatory to Torquay, when I wasn't in the slightest. Yet on the other hand all Gulls fans have been slagging of The Gas.

Paul Buckle seems a good up and coming manager, and Rovers have made mistakes in appointing managers in the past, but if the right man is put in place, then Bristol Rovers have the infustructure that should see them back to where they should be at the top end of League One fighting to get in The Championship.

No disrespect to Torquay but you are not going to do that.

What clubs would be better for Paul Buckle? Why would Swindon be better? Or Brentford? They are smaller clubs than Rovers.

I am 95% confident that Paul Buckle will be appointed Bristol Rovers manager, all the signs are there. Neither Buckle or Torquay's heirarchy have quashed or dismissed the rumours. Normally when there is no truth in rumours either the manager or chairman will come out and state that it is nonsense. That has not been done. Also the fact that Rovers have not appointed anyone yet is a big sign, when the other main candidates are all out of work and could come straight in.

If Torquay lose to Shrewsbury and get knocked out, then I feel he will be named by Friday. If he takes you to the final, then he will be manager at the beginning of June.

Anyway good luck, I hope you beat Shrewsbury.

[Fletch]

I dont know why you are making up a bunch of story's. When have Rovers ever begged in the local rag for fans to support them? Despite us being sh*t and a pathetic excuse for a football team last year, and playing in a rugby ground our attendances were about 5th highest in the division.

Gas, at least check your facts before posting something like this. You had the 12th highest attendance (out of 24) in L1 this season with 6253. More than Brentford but over 2k less than Swindon. That would indicate Swindon to be a much bigger club by your method of judgement.

You can find the figures on the Football League web site without having to look too hard....

Given the choice of clubs you suggest, Brentford would be the obvious one as they're in L1!! Probably followed by Swindon as they appear to have a bigger following...

Just as a matter of interest, where do you think all this cash that you have to chuck around on big wages for the manager and new players is coming from?

You didn't exactly have much to throw around in the January window and that was on L1 crowds...

edit: Oh and I think you will find "stories" is the correct spelling

[BritishGAS]

Fletch

Fair play for doing some research. I was going by 2009 when we had the 8th largest average. I apologise for the mistake.

Anyway the point is still valid, Bristol Rovers play in an old rugby stadium which only holds 12k and it is a pretty poor ground, plus the dull football played under Paul Trollope effected season ticket sales and punters going through the turnstiles. Swindon on the other hand had a brilliant season the year before under Danny Wilson missing out on promotion when they lost to Millwall in the play off final and obviously Swindon fans bought season tickets believing they would have a similar season just gone, that is why crowds were higher. Swindon do not have a larger fan base than Bristol Rovers and are certainly not a bigger club.

Rovers fans are pretty fickle, and dont like to see players not trying and over recent seasons this has been the case and fans have stayed away, myself included. Just look at our attendances when we were last in League 2, 12k againt yourselves, 11k against Kidderminster, 10k against Boston and Darlington and look at our attendances now!! Our average was bigger when we were a sh*t team at the bottom of League 2 than it was when we were a mid table league 1 side. To outsiders it doesn't make sense, but that is what Rovers fans are like, even though the team was absolutely sh*te, they saw that the players were trying and came through the turnstiles.

Like I have stated previously in the thread, How many other lower league teams take 45k to paint pot trophy finals or League 2 play off finals? Or take 9k away fans and outnumber a Premier League team on their own patch? If Rovers have a team that plays good attacking football and is succesful then the crowds will come back. Just like last time we had a quality team with Roberts, Cureton and Ellington, we were arguably the best supported team in the division then with 95% of the grounds capacity filled and every away match sold out.

The Rovers board have money, we have players on 4k a week, and even though they are overpaid muppets, Rovers can afford to pay that sort of money. Also we will probably sell Will Hoskins for 1M which will go straight back into the squad, and we can afford to pay fees. That is why we can pay compensation for managers too.

We did spend quite a bit in January, ok not on transfer fees, but in terms of wages we spent reasonably big. Logan was on 4k a week from Leicester and Williams was on 3k from C*ty.

Thanks Sir, Do feel free to spot any other spelling misdemeanors and mark me accordingly!!!

[Mav]

I wouldn't pay to much heed to the guy who calls himself Wembley Gull, his only two posts on this site are about how crap Rovers are. I suggest more than likely not a Gull and from the south of bristol