TAYLOR OUT NOW..!

The irony is that the downturn under MT is more serious than the downturn under JB.

Even when things were going downhill under JB, I never thought a serious relegation fight was on the cards. Unfortunately this is where we are now with MT. The team are currently looking and playing like a relegation side. 

The noises coming out of the camp are also far more serious - MT saying the team played like an academy side in the first half against Peterborough was particularly concerning.

There was a downturn in the preceding season under JB, but it wasn't as bad as what we saw last season under MT, with the club breaking its record for games without scoring.  

JB also did not spend 1.5m on players and then not play them. 

Worth remembering however that when MT was appointed, there were very dissenting voices, or even alternatives considered. He hasn't become a terrible manager overnight. 

The whole argument is pretty much moot, the owners have hung themselves by recruiting, probably on the advice of others, a manager with the vision of a myopic bat that had just been sacked. The publicly stated basis on which he was recruited, voiced by the owner in his interview following, used to justify the sacking of Barton, was that the team had been heavily invested in and Taylor provided the best opportunity to produce the top six position that Barton apparently couldn’t. The owners also bought in at a time when optimism was at a high not seen for many years. The South Stand farce notwithstanding expectations had been raised. We were seeing sellouts last Christmas that further encouraged the belief that this football club had crossed a rubicon and was destined for greater things. Behind the scenes carnage was unfolding. The previous seasons player of the year being so desperate to get away from the place refused to play and was subsequently sold for a fee that was at least a million quid short of his valuation six months earlier. As usual we keep the faith and rationalised he was no longer the player he was ignoring the size and expectations of him of the purchasing club. What had been a vibrant team that would make difficult decisions to live away from their families to run through brick walls for Barton became a bunch of useless twats that if it weren’t for ‘Chrissy’ and ‘Anthony’ the latter of which also couldn’t wait to get out of the place and was sold for a pittance, would be languishing in the relegation spots, a bit different from the top six. The majority it seems went along with the idea that once the current lot had been cleared out whose fault for the absolute collapse seen in the second half of last season were responsible and a new young vibrant crew recruited the sunny uplands would once again be very much in view. The issue that has been, not so much ignored but tolerated, was the dull negative demeanour that would have seen any rats and mice throwing themselves into traps to escape of the now exposed and distinctly incapable manager. The new crew are in, a covid stricken Northampton were brutally seen off with a 93rd minute winner, a six nil pasting was narrowly avoided at Rotherham due to the heroics of the goalkeeper and out of the blue an inferior version of Ryan Loft bagged two goals, bringing his total to an immense 14 over the last two and a bit seasons and bugger me Mr Misery almost broke into a smile. Yerwiggo yerwiggo yerwiggo, the place is bouncing 7 fricking points who would have thought it, four distinctly disturbing games later still 7 points and in the bottom four and guess what who’s fault is it?, the players. Well we’re stuck with it folks, for those on here that are desperate for Mr Motivator to succeed he bloody well better had because if he doesn’t this club is going down the pan. Young kids getting booed off the pitch, supporters walking out midway through games and eventually not turning up at all, a far cry from the vibrant packed houses businessmen demand to provide the returns they plan for.

My three daughters, without fail, always ask how the Rovers are doing (or not doing) for decades now the Gas have been serial under achiever’s so my response rarely rates higher than mediocre. ‘ no change there then dad same old Rovers, it’s a pity you don’t support a real team!

They say every dog has its day, but as I sat in the South Stand and watch fellow oldtimers struggling to keep their balance when trying to get to access their seats, I have doubts any of us will see that day.

I reluctantly agree with you and the iceman MT has  to get some points on the table by the end of Oct or the song may go like this ‘ its happened again. It’s happened again we got a s**t manager it’s happened again!

Afraid we had "our day" with Joe Barton tote-end.

Okay,it was to scrape a promotion place back to the 3rd tier,but we did it in amazing style.
That team/squad must of been worth many millions of pounds £.
Joe had seen Argyle get promoted to the 2nd tier with plenty of experienced players in their ranks.He aimed to try and do the same at Rovers.It was'nt working out,injuries being one reason.He knew it and would of put things right.Thing is Al Saeed did'nt like Bartons style and used our 16th position in October as an excuse to sack him.
Then,eventually our non football man owner,in all his wisdom and football nous hired Matt Taylor.
The rest of that season was a waste of time,especially for Gasheads. Sulking disinterested Scousers,fed up at their man Bartons sacking and disliking MTs style made it a bloody awful season

Now we see Matt Taylor look every bit the PE teacher,out of his depth.This with his team.I can't see things improving with MT.

Another waste of time season 2024/25.

Al Saeed is awful.
A rich bloke that does'nt get football,who bought Rovers for his son.

Useless nepotism that has made Rovers look like candidates for next seasons 4th tier.

500,000K Omochere, 400K Forde, 300K Conteh, 200K Hutchinson, Add in 100K for loan signing fees, free signing on etc. = 1.5m

Nobody is extending it. We originally said 10 games at the start of the season. 

Holloway turned a top seven side into a relegation side in one season (actually basically the same team, apart from the front two). He claimed that he wasn't financially backed when he was actually given money to spend, and spent it on Micky Evans, Scott Jones and Mark Foran. 

I don't know why anyone is surprised that Taylor is doing so badly with us. He's never really been a good manager anywhere, all I can think of is that he's was really good at talking himself up when he met our owners. I thought they were looking for someone who had taken a team from league one to the championship. He had a bit of success in league two getting Exeter promoted but he hasn't had any success at a higher level. He isn't really a particularly experienced manager full stop. Maybe it was the new owners not really knowing much about football, but he's rubbish, his style is too defensive but doesn't even seem get to get that right, giving balls away straight to the opposition left right and centre. I think if we lose tomorrow he has to go. I worry we'll salvage a draw though and be stuck with him for a few more games. If we are looking for a new manager later in the week I really hope they take some advice from someone who knows what they're doing before appointing another that's just as bad.

And I thought I was the only one....

.[/quote]Worth remembering that when MT was appointed, there were very few dissenters. He was widely seen by our fanbase as the best candidate for the job. 

Also worth remembering that MT actually made a good start, with wins against Bolton and Charlton. 

Is it actually established that the Scouse contingent were disinterested and sulking? Evans had a very good season. 

We really can't complain about the Al Saeeds. They have given MT unparalleled support. Remember how people used to complain about the Dunfords? 


[/quote]

I don't know about few dissenters, but I do remember two very vocal, aggressive posters (might have been the same person) loudly trumpeting about what a great manager MT was, or was going to be. Any dissent was met by abuse from their posts. I had doubts about MT and was dissappointed someone with a better CV wasn't appointed. But felt it was a done deal and give the guy a chance. His first few games were encouraging - then the rot set in away to Wycombe, on Boxing Day /NYD (I can't remember which). My impression was that the players did not sulk and tried to be professional - they simply became disillusioned with MT. Worth remembering that we effectively stayed up due to Chris Martin's goals. Re the Al Saeeds, yes they've given great support to the manager. But to the wrong one.