Mark Robins

Dint he have a seventeen point deduction every season he was at Rotherham? Bit of a hindrance if you're trying to get promoted.

17th in the Championship? About fourteen points clear of relegation? I'd take that now. Or last year. Or next.

 

Based on absolutely nothing.

 

Took over in March of 2007, and couldn't save them from relegation. They'd started that second season in L1 with another 10 point deduction, but Alan Knill had masterminded a great run at the end of that year and got them well clear of trouble, before a run of one win in three months saw him sacked and replaced by Robins, who couldn't pull off the miracle of survival.

The next season, they were in the auto spots for most of the season before an alarming slump in March (lost a lot of games by big scorelines) was soon followed by the club again entering admin and thus getting another 10 point deduction. They finished 9th.

Season after, they wiped out another deduction of points (17 pts) and were in the playoff hunt until April where it fizzled out. They started the following season well before Robins joined us early September.

Fair to say he did a fine job at Rovrum in testing circumstances. But then, Keith Hill's won promotion from that division twice, automatically, with little old Rochdale, and made it close in two playoffs. Even shitty Danny Wilson got a L2 promotion...




I take your point about Robins' final season with us. 56 points is nowt to shout about, but that season it saw us 14 points clear of relegation, aye. 19 off the playoffs, mind. We won just 6 games in the second half of the season (from 24 played). From Feb 1st to May 7th, we won 3 games. The highest position that season was 7th, after beating Leeds 5-2 in mid September. This forum was full of folk whingeing about how negative the football was, Colace and Arismendi were said to be the worst midfielders ever, Nouble, McShane, O'Connor, Mellis and Harewood were all brought in to varying degrees of success. It was proper dull.

Safe, but dull.

I'm not knocking him really. I'm just not buying into this idea all of a sudden that his departure is why we're where we are now. Would he have done a better job than Hill did, with that reduced budget etc and no Shackell? We'll never know, because he didn't fancy it. Can't blame him, it means he's not got a relegation or owt on his CV. Neither has Keith either, but you'd be the first to tell me he's responsible for our downfall.


It's obvious where our issues are - boardroom level.

They've made some ***** decisions over the years, backed the wrong men, not backed the right men, allowed ourselves to be raped in the transfer market, ran the club at times like something akin to Open All Hours.

I'm of the opinion now that they're implementing an agreed strategy for the medium to long term future/benefit of BFC, with Danny at the helm, the clubs greatest ever manager. Not saying it's working, or going to work at all. But I'm seeing it as such, and if I'm wrong then so be it.


I just hope that we go on a good run of form/results in the next few weeks that gives us a bit of momentum and good feeling going into next season.

 

One more thing.

If folk who support Danny as our manager shouldn't be referring to his past etc, why is it that we now read folk yearning for Robins and his 18th and 17th placed finishes? I yearn for Danny's 2nd placed finish.

 

If we are ****ing on about managers we miss mad Mel Machin. Worked proper miracles on no money attracted sone great footballers. Signed Brendan O'Connell and Redders what more do you want. Bring back Mel.

 

**** me he went bonkers with the Tiler money! £180k on John ****ing Pearson!

 

I know but I still love him. He went bonkers when his missis got ill as I understand it. Still signed Redders, O'Connell, Taggart and Fleming. Any of them would get in our current side today despite being in their 40s.

 

Legend.

 

Oh I agree. It just shows how times have changed. Today, a youngster like Taggart would be stockpiled at Man City and loaned to us

 

Yep.

Look at Chalobah/McEachran at Chelsea. Two highly talented English midfielders, forever loaned out to various clubs. Waste of talent.

 

Top and bottom of it is we are ****ed

 

Completely. We will just have to build our own youngsters then loan them to ourselves instead of selling them for a 10 pence mix up and some nails.

 

I had a text from Bren the other day having not spoken to him in ages. When I reply I will tell him about the man love he still gets on here.

 

What does he do now?

 

He's been in America doing some sport related job not sure if the text meant meant he's back now or not.

 

Agree with Robins clearly rating him but the problem in my opinion was Butterfield's fitness. He was carrying a bit too much weight (Jennings like) and was regularly out on the piss.

Hill often gets credited with Butterfield's development but the big change was Butterfield himself who came back for the following season looking at least a stone lighter & a lot fitter.

 

Think the quality of football under Robins gets spoke about very harshly.

He came in & took over a poor team that was leaking goals. He had to bring in Doyle, Shotton & Dickinson to help make us more solid at the back & we had to scrap our way to survival with a grafter like Jon Macken up front. The football wasn't great but it was effective.

At the start of his second season he built an exciting team, the football was good up to Christmas & it was only after Hammill was sold that we struggled & performances went downhill.

The fact is that after his only summer in charge he built an exciting team, I think it's harsh to slate him for losing the most exciting player through no fault of his own. I get the sense he just wanted to get to the summer & rebuild

 

I was led to believe that he'd agreed deals with Trippier and Le Fondre but obviously needed to fund them. He wanted to retain Shackell. The Board wouldn't agree to any of those. It's easy to play 'what if' but it is tempting to think Trippier and Shackell might be playing Premier Division football with Barnsley right now.