Gary Rowett

[Rubbersoul]

46 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

 

 

Sounds promising really

You can tell the players have bought into him. 

[BenTheFox]

He was pretty unlucky to be relegated with Birmingham in 2024 to be fair. He only had 8 games and he picked up 11 points. That's a points per game ratio of 1.375. Emulate that across a season and that's 63 points, which is a comfortable mid-table finish. If he achieves 1.375 ppg over the 14 league games he'd have managed with us this season, it means we'd have finished on 51 points. If we are still relegated on that total, he should not be blamed at all for the relegation. Any sensible person will know where the blame should lie. 

Edited 12 March by BenTheFox

[Collymore]

I like his style and aura so far... 

 

He's more to the point and is calling things out more than any manager in the last few years. 

 

Still a bit party-line for my liking though... He needs to work on calling out players and the board at times but hopefully that will come....

 

Pearson only told fans they've got 'delusions of grandeur' after settling down..

 

Then obviously personally picking fans off to FOAD after bedding himself in to be fair. 

 

 

Edited 12 March by Collymore

[fox_favourite]

9 hours ago, UniFox21 said:

 

 

Sounds promising really

That's what was needed. Marti looked like he over complicated things. Personally I don't think we have the brightest squad, so keeping it simple if the best way. 

 

I bet now they know when they come onto the pitch what their job is, and that'll help. But QPR is another test he needs to pass. 1 win is great, but we need to start to get in a roll. Something we haven't done all season. 

[ClaphamFox]

1 hour ago, fox_favourite said:

That's what was needed. Marti looked like he over complicated things. Personally I don't think we have the brightest squad, so keeping it simple if the best way. 

 

I bet now they know when they come onto the pitch what their job is, and that'll help. But QPR is another test he needs to pass. 1 win is great, but we need to start to get in a roll. Something we haven't done all season. 

Maresca also gave them complicated instructions—the difference was, he was able to coach the players to follow them. Cifuentes’ basic philosophy is probably very similar to Maresca’s, but unlike Enzo he wasn’t able to get his ideas across in training—resulting in confused and chaotic performances on the pitch. You get the impression that Rowett walked into Seagrave and just said to the players, “This is where you’ve been going wrong and this is how we’ll fix it.” It would have been music to their ears. 

Edited 13 March by ClaphamFox

[Guest worth_the_wait]

53 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

Maresca also gave them complicated instructions—the difference was, he was able to coach the players to follow them. Cifuentes’ basic philosophy is probably very similar to Maresca’s, but unlike Enzo he wasn’t able to get his ideas across in training—resulting in confused and chaotic performances on the pitch.

...

Also worth pointing out that Maresca had a squad that had only just been relegated on the final day (and still had a well-known striker who could score goals).   Whilst Cifi inherited a squad that had comfortably been relegated with pretty much no fight at all.    Maresca would've struggled a lot more with this squad.

[Les-TA-Jon]

2 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

Maresca also gave them complicated instructions—the difference was, he was able to coach the players to follow them. Cifuentes’ basic philosophy is probably very similar to Maresca’s, but unlike Enzo he wasn’t able to get his ideas across in training—resulting in confused and chaotic performances on the pitch. You get the impression that Rowett walked into Seagrave and just said to the players, “This is where you’ve been going wrong and this is how we’ll fix it.” It would have been music to their ears. 

 

1 hour ago, worth_the_wait said:

Also worth pointing out that Maresca had a squad that had only just been relegated on the final day (and still had a well-known striker who could score goals).   Whilst Cifi inherited a squad that had comfortably been relegated with pretty much no fight at all.    Maresca would've struggled a lot more with this squad.

Wasn't it Albrighton who also recently said that when we went down in 2023, the following pre-season had a weird buzz of excitement - like the squad was excited to 'put it right' (and sure Enzo's strength of character would have been a big help here), but this time around, it's clear everyone was like "we don't want to be in the Championship again" 

[Finnegan]

10 hours ago, BenTheFox said:

Any sensible person will know where the blame should lie

 

Yeah. 

 

 

Jordan Ayew. 

 

[ClaphamFox]

1 hour ago, worth_the_wait said:

Also worth pointing out that Maresca had a squad that had only just been relegated on the final day (and still had a well-known striker who could score goals).   Whilst Cifi inherited a squad that had comfortably been relegated with pretty much no fight at all.    Maresca would've struggled a lot more with this squad.

Maresca undoubtedly had a better squad in 2023/24, but Cifuentes still had a very good squad to work with at Championship level. The other week Kieran McKenna said our starting 11 was as strong as any club in the division, and while I don't necessarily agree with that I don't think he was a million miles off.

 

5 minutes ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

 

Wasn't it Albrighton who also recently said that when we went down in 2023, the following pre-season had a weird buzz of excitement - like the squad was excited to 'put it right' (and sure Enzo's strength of character would have been a big help here), but this time around, it's clear everyone was like "we don't want to be in the Championship again" 

Yes, I saw that comment from Albrighton. Yes, clearly the novelty of being back in the Championship would have been less the 2nd time around, but I've no doubt Maresca would have had our current squad in a much higher position than Cifuentes. The leadership vacuum at the top of our club has made it a very difficult place for managers to work in recent years—it takes somebody with a lot of confidence and gravitas to create a strong squad culture in a dysfunctional club environment. Maresca had those qualities, Cifuentes didn't. It looks like Rowett might.

[PhillippaT]

11 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Yeah. 

 

The person who signed:

Jordan Ayew. 

 

FIFY.

[South Shire Fox]

16 hours ago, UniFox21 said:

 

 

Sounds promising really

Basically Marti was a clown

[Fox92]

13 hours ago, BenTheFox said:

He was pretty unlucky to be relegated with Birmingham in 2024 to be fair. He only had 8 games and he picked up 11 points. That's a points per game ratio of 1.375. Emulate that across a season and that's 63 points, which is a comfortable mid-table finish. If he achieves 1.375 ppg over the 14 league games he'd have managed with us this season, it means we'd have finished on 51 points. If we are still relegated on that total, he should not be blamed at all for the relegation. Any sensible person will know where the blame should lie. 

I did read on Reddit recently a Birmingham fan say the general thoughts from their fans is that if Rowett was appointed earlier they would have stayed up. He should have been appointed earlier here, instead of messing around with King in charge.

  

34 minutes ago, South Shire Fox said:

Basically Marti was a clown

Knew it. People love it being a foreign name but, as I said back then, he's done nothing aside from keep QPR at mid to lower table. I was never ever convinced by him. And I always said a better manager would/should have our squad higher and I stand by it. Rowett already looks like he's getting more out of the players.

Edited 13 March by Fox92

[CrazyKopCorner]

7 hours ago, fox_favourite said:

That's what was needed. Marti looked like he over complicated things. Personally I don't think we have the brightest squad, so keeping it simple if the best way. 

 

I bet now they know when they come onto the pitch what their job is, and that'll help. But QPR is another test he needs to pass. 1 win is great, but we need to start to get in a roll. Something we haven't done all season. 

Yes I look at our team and I don’t think we have any future managers in it 

[Greg2607]

12 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

Maresca also gave them complicated instructions—the difference was, he was able to coach the players to follow them. Cifuentes’ basic philosophy is probably very similar to Maresca’s, but unlike Enzo he wasn’t able to get his ideas across in training—resulting in confused and chaotic performances on the pitch. You get the impression that Rowett walked into Seagrave and just said to the players, “This is where you’ve been going wrong and this is how we’ll fix it.” It would have been music to their ears. 

But this isn't even close to the same squad.  

[Langston]

Persisting with Ayew will bury us..

[Pita]

1 minute ago, Langston said:

Persisting with Ayew will bury us..

Don’t know what hold he has over the club for different managers to keep playing him 

[EastAnglianFox]

On 10/03/2026 at 21:09, EastAnglianFox said:

Yeah, he’s not the one is he?

 

 

 Anybody fancy disagreeing now??

[Swarles Barkley]

Has had enough games to realise Okoli and Nelson are not good enough. Get Lascelles in this team and hope for the fvcking best

[Claudio Fannieri]

I bet the opinion on keeping him on next season has changed again 

[CrispinLA in Texas]

How come Southampton seem have found a decent up and coming manager and we can't 🤷🏼

[Lionator]

He actually set us up fine (arguably Daka should be starting), the players have crumbled ultimately and yes that’s his responsibility as manager but the capitulation is wayyyyy deeper. 

[Lionator]

Just now, CrispinLA in Texas said:

How come Southampton seem have found a decent up and coming manager and we can't 🤷🏼

Because we have an owner and ‘chief football officer’ who are only second to Adolf’s Mum and Dad when they were feeling a bit kinky in 1888, when it comes to decision making. 

[Joe90]

The players are absolutely horrendous no manger would sort this shit out 

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

Heard him say after the Bristol game he likes to keep players back for the final part of a game and that just sums up everything about the club at the minute, reactionary, with no intention of just getting the job done. 
 

The persistence with Ayew shows he isn’t up to the job. 

[The Doctor]

he's useless. Can't set a team up for shit and reacts far too late. working with crap but he'd be out of his depth in league one