Post by Lazza on Jun 2, 2014 11:41:48 GMT
Wayne Brown claims manager changes at heart of Bristol Rovers' drop
IT's not hard for former Pirates' midfielder Wayne Brown to empathise with Bristol Rovers' plight as he sits on a bench next to the stadium of TPS in Finland, and reflects on the relegation of his former club from the Football League.
"It's really sad to see them go down and it must be really hard on everyone associated with the club. They have a big fan base over there, so it can't be easy for anyone at the moment," said the 25-year-old in his second spell in the land of the midnight sun.
"It was crazy because Rovers won a massive game against Wycombe the week before they were relegated. I don't know whether they thought they were safe after that win, but it's really devastating for the club and its supporters."
Brown experienced relegation himself in his first full season at the Memorial Stadium when Rovers dropped from League One in 2011. He feels the constant managerial changes have had a lot to do with the club's decline in recent years.
He said: "It was happening when I was there. They've had six or seven different managers and caretaker managers since dropping from League One, so something's been going wrong for four or five years.
"Hopefully, they can put it right and get back into the Football League quickly. It was definitely a surprise to see them go down because it's such a big club, but this was obviously the worst thing that could happen for them right now.
"The Conference is such a hard league to get out of so it will be a tough ask. Even Luton Town were down there for a good few years. They were always close to promotion, but never achieved it until this season."
Brown previously played for TPS in 2009, on loan from Fulham, and was voted Veikkausliiga player of the year. The Fulham/Finland link also includes Roy Hodgson, who was in charge of the Finland national team from 2006 to 2007.
"I'm enjoying it here," said Brown. "I'm enjoying my time at the club and in Turku. My family – I now have an eight-month-old son – is also happy here and we are settled. I'm also happy with my performances and think I'm getting back to the way I played when I was first here, scoring some goals and making them as well. But now it's all about getting some points on the board and moving up the table."
Much will depend on TPS's position in the middle of August when Brown's contract expires. He is keen on new challenges, but unsure of where his future lies.
He said: "I have two to three months left here now, so I just need to keep my head down and see what options I have. Maybe I'll push on to somewhere else in Scandinavia or maybe stay here, depending on my options.
"I still want to challenge myself and think the best thing for me is to play abroad, I think this suits my game a lot. I'd like to play in a few of the other Scandinavian leagues and challenge myself in Denmark, Sweden or Norway to see what the standards are like there.
"TPS's financial situation is not as good as it has been in the last few years so I'm not sure they can keep some players or me so we'll just have to see how it goes in the next few months.
The style of football in Finland certainly suits the diminutive midfielder. "In the lower leagues of England there's not really too much football," he said. "It's a physical, long-ball game, but here in Scandinavia you have a bit more time on the ball and it's a bit more technical, which was one of the reasons I left England."
Brown hasn't ruled out a return to England, but says it has to be for the right team. "With my size I can't just play in any team that hoofs the ball up the pitch because I'd just get frustrated," he said.
Whatever he decides later this summer, Brown certainly wishes Bristol Rovers all the best from afar. "I still talk to a few of the players like Lee Brown, Eliot Richards – who went on loan to Exeter – and Michael Smith. I've only spoken to them briefly but the boys were very disappointed."
Read more at www.bristolpost.co.uk/Wayne-Brown-claims-manager-changes-heart-Bristol/story-21174777-detail/story.html#FLUv63LlLrQIKiaH.99
IT's not hard for former Pirates' midfielder Wayne Brown to empathise with Bristol Rovers' plight as he sits on a bench next to the stadium of TPS in Finland, and reflects on the relegation of his former club from the Football League.
"It's really sad to see them go down and it must be really hard on everyone associated with the club. They have a big fan base over there, so it can't be easy for anyone at the moment," said the 25-year-old in his second spell in the land of the midnight sun.
"It was crazy because Rovers won a massive game against Wycombe the week before they were relegated. I don't know whether they thought they were safe after that win, but it's really devastating for the club and its supporters."
Brown experienced relegation himself in his first full season at the Memorial Stadium when Rovers dropped from League One in 2011. He feels the constant managerial changes have had a lot to do with the club's decline in recent years.
He said: "It was happening when I was there. They've had six or seven different managers and caretaker managers since dropping from League One, so something's been going wrong for four or five years.
"Hopefully, they can put it right and get back into the Football League quickly. It was definitely a surprise to see them go down because it's such a big club, but this was obviously the worst thing that could happen for them right now.
"The Conference is such a hard league to get out of so it will be a tough ask. Even Luton Town were down there for a good few years. They were always close to promotion, but never achieved it until this season."
Brown previously played for TPS in 2009, on loan from Fulham, and was voted Veikkausliiga player of the year. The Fulham/Finland link also includes Roy Hodgson, who was in charge of the Finland national team from 2006 to 2007.
"I'm enjoying it here," said Brown. "I'm enjoying my time at the club and in Turku. My family – I now have an eight-month-old son – is also happy here and we are settled. I'm also happy with my performances and think I'm getting back to the way I played when I was first here, scoring some goals and making them as well. But now it's all about getting some points on the board and moving up the table."
Much will depend on TPS's position in the middle of August when Brown's contract expires. He is keen on new challenges, but unsure of where his future lies.
He said: "I have two to three months left here now, so I just need to keep my head down and see what options I have. Maybe I'll push on to somewhere else in Scandinavia or maybe stay here, depending on my options.
"I still want to challenge myself and think the best thing for me is to play abroad, I think this suits my game a lot. I'd like to play in a few of the other Scandinavian leagues and challenge myself in Denmark, Sweden or Norway to see what the standards are like there.
"TPS's financial situation is not as good as it has been in the last few years so I'm not sure they can keep some players or me so we'll just have to see how it goes in the next few months.
The style of football in Finland certainly suits the diminutive midfielder. "In the lower leagues of England there's not really too much football," he said. "It's a physical, long-ball game, but here in Scandinavia you have a bit more time on the ball and it's a bit more technical, which was one of the reasons I left England."
Brown hasn't ruled out a return to England, but says it has to be for the right team. "With my size I can't just play in any team that hoofs the ball up the pitch because I'd just get frustrated," he said.
Whatever he decides later this summer, Brown certainly wishes Bristol Rovers all the best from afar. "I still talk to a few of the players like Lee Brown, Eliot Richards – who went on loan to Exeter – and Michael Smith. I've only spoken to them briefly but the boys were very disappointed."
Read more at www.bristolpost.co.uk/Wayne-Brown-claims-manager-changes-heart-Bristol/story-21174777-detail/story.html#FLUv63LlLrQIKiaH.99
