Paul Keegan

[DonnyOsmond]

https://m.soundcloud.com/user-914121770/loi-weekly-s02e13

39 mins in. Some bits on the Experiment and Ferguson. Isn't here now but still rates Ferguson as a manager.

[jonnydog]

It’s the opinion of a few players I believe.

Mate of mine is very good mates with Lee Butler and Copps and used to go away with them quite regular. Apparently Copps has said that Fergie is one of the best managers he’s played under, he also didn’t rate Dickov or his approaches very much.

[steve@dcfd]

That’s another player who says Darren Ferguson is a good manager. Even when Darren let him go. That bit about money out of his own pocket?
The experiment experience for the players yet again comes across as mutiny not unity no wonder it failed, whoever was responsible.

[GazLaz]

What bar did he own?

[5minstogo]

What bar did he own?

I think it was the Marketplace Ale and Deli bar

[Jonathan]

What bar did he own?

I think it was the Marketplace Ale and Deli bar

That’s the bar in town (with the deli). Keegan’s was the marketplace bar in Bawtry. Decent little venue located between the Crown and the Dower House.

[firestarter]

He owns one in Ireland too .. or at least did.

[5minstogo]

What bar did he own?

I think it was the Marketplace Ale and Deli bar

That’s the bar in town (with the deli). Keegan’s was the marketplace bar in Bawtry. Decent little venue located between the Crown and the Dower House.

Ah. Put two and two together and came up with 5!

[Draytonian III]

I thought the Bawtry bar was owned by his ex girlfriend’s mother. Didn’t his ex win a beauty competition for over 30’s or milfs or something like

[PDX_Rover]

Dickov was a chancer. End of story.

[scawsby steve]

According to the article in the Star, Keegan stated that Fergie will need a good budget if Rovers are to reach the upper levels of League One. I suppose that takes us back to the question posed in another thread, what constitutes a good budget?

[Jonathan]

I suppose that takes us back to the question posed in another thread, what constitutes a good budget?

One that is based around a robust set of assumptions. It should also be subject to review, approval and regular monitoring. Or were you talking about the specific figures? In which case I have no idea!

[RedJ]

Not necessarily about the size, but how you use it.

Wouldn't know from first hand experience, mind.

[RedJ]

Wolves were in freefall when he took over in fairness, Crawley were in the shit and he almost kept them up - they were in with a great shout on the final day of the season I'm fairly sure, and Chesterfield had sold a lot of their best players and not really given him the resources to replace them, because they were up shit creek financially, as we're now seeing.

[RoversAlias]

Dean Saunders is a dreadful, awful manager and he got found out very quickly once he left us. Not at all surprised he failed miserably everywhere he went after us. He had half a season to keep Wolves up, they should've never gone down. And his Crawley side we faced was one of the worst I've seen at this level.

The one thing I will ever credit him for is the recruitment in the summer of 2012 that set us up for promotion (and I still think Flynn made a big difference to our hopes as well as his additions to just sweeten the quality of the squad) because he brought in some vital players. But he's no football manager.

[selby]

   RA, you my be right about him as a manager, but as a broadcaster on Talksport I  find him and Gordon Strachan  two of the best guests they have.
   He is insightful and as ever entertaining, probably an ex player who struggles to get their ideas across, although I think from his attitude it would be more one of not accepting the lack of effort by modern players that gets peoples backs up.
  The one thing you can say about his time at the Rovers, is that he left us in a better position than where we were when he first came, and probably regrets ever leaving us at the time he did.
   
     

[Campsall rover]

Dean Saunders is a dreadful, awful manager and he got found out very quickly once he left us. Not at all surprised he failed miserably everywhere he went after us. He had half a season to keep Wolves up, they should've never gone down. And his Crawley side we faced was one of the worst I've seen at this level.

The one thing I will ever credit him for is the recruitment in the summer of 2012 that set us up for promotion (and I still think Flynn made a big difference to our hopes as well as his additions to just sweeten the quality of the squad) because he brought in some vital players. But he's no football manager.

Well he turned us into a TEAM didn’t he. Might not have been pretty to watch at times, but mighty effective and the team spirit was brilliant. A proper unit they were. If that makes him a bad manager then he must have been one of the worst ever. 

[phil old leake]

If you listen to Saunders on talk sport I think he comes across well.  Talks some sense and his explanations and thoughts appear well thought out

[RedJ]

Must admit he comes across as a bit of a clown when I hear things about the kind of stuff that was going off during the experiment but I think it's been established that that was a farce and should be written off as such. He obviously did something right to get that team running through brick walls for each other.

[Bentley Bullet]

I wonder if it's only Rovers fans that can treat success with so much apathy yet embrace mediocrity so enthusiastically?

[RoversAlias]

   RA, you my be right about him as a manager, but as a broadcaster on Talksport I  find him and Gordon Strachan  two of the best guests they have.
   He is insightful and as ever entertaining, probably an ex player who struggles to get their ideas across, although I think from his attitude it would be more one of not accepting the lack of effort by modern players that gets peoples backs up.
  The one thing you can say about his time at the Rovers, is that he left us in a better position than where we were when he first came, and probably regrets ever leaving us at the time he did.
   
     

If you class where we were when he arrived as being untouched by "the experiment" then he didn't leave us in any better place than when he arrived, however that certainly isn't his fault and fair play to him for persevering past that period for us and, as I gave him credit for before, building a good squad that went on to win the title after he left.

[Bentley Bullet]

Am I right in saying that Sean O'Driscoll said that he'd taken the club as far as he could, prior to him leaving?

[MachoMadness]

Am I right in saying that Sean O'Driscoll said that he'd taken the club as far as he could, prior to him leaving?

I think so. I think relegation was inevitable that season. Whether SO'D could have taken us straight back up while slashing the wage bill like Saunders and Flynn did I'm not so sure.

[DonnyOsmond]

I think SOD said he'd need to rebuild and going down may have been required to do that but I don't think JR was keen on us going backwards even if it eventually meant going forwards, we did end up going down anyway though.

[craigdrfc]

I think SOD later said he regretted making that comment as it effectively ‘got him the sack’ (his words).

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Just read Keegan's piece. You can understand the disruption 'the experiment' was likely to cause and did cause. From SO'Ds perspective, it would have gone against his principles and, to a point, maybe he had taken us as far as he could. No shame in that at all.

You can also understand JR's desperation to keep us in the Championship. Given where we were, and McKay selling him an escape plan, it was maybe worth a gamble but I think everyone realised it was a short term gamble and normal service needed to be resumed sooner rather than later, as it just wasn't sustainable. Ironically, I would have thought the 'football men' would have advised against the experiment. I reluctantly supported the experiment then and, possibly would now. It could have succeeded.

In Saunders position, he gave it his best shot at managing the situation but, as Keegan said, as soon as the experiment ended, he quickly assembled (with the help of his fellow Welshman) a team with many opposite, and desirable characteristics. Grit and determination. For that, I would have liked to see Saunders finish what he'd started.

Let's hope we don't find ourselves in that same position again. Hindsight tells us it's better to take your medicine, take the relegation and rebuild without the catastrophic consequences of losing Co-owners, dividing fans and taking far too long to repair the damage.

[roversdude]

Back to Keegan - he was a player of limited ability and needed a ‘playmaker’ alongside him. That is not meant as disrespectful to PK as what he did in breaking up play he was bloody good at. We missed a player of his ilk last season.
Unfortunate that injuries took their toll on him and limited his appearances for us. With PK you always got 100% and I wish him well for the future

[Dare to dream!]

How any Rovers fan can call Saunders a dreadful manager is beyond me

[wesisback]

How any Rovers fan can call Saunders a dreadful manager is beyond me

Agreed. Fergies football is just as poor to watch just without the backbone to see out games. The squad Saunders built is one of my favourites of my Rovers supporting lifetime.

[GazLaz]

How any Rovers fan can call Saunders a dreadful manager is beyond me

Saunders is a poor manager. Just ask the players that have played for him.