John Oster

[Fur Calf]

Article in the DFP about the "experiment" under Dean Saunders in which John describes the dressing room as toxic with Saunders being culpable. Apparently, Saunders allowed the so called prima donnas et al Bebe, Diouf,  Chimbonda(can someone fasten my bootlaces) Illunga etc. to stroll around while the home grown players were given rollickings. In short the prima donnas were not bothered at all about the club.

[ravenrover]

et al Bebe? was he some Saudi we signed don't recollect him in the team sheets from those dark days

[the vicar]

In fairness to Diouf when he had finished training he went with the young ones and joined in the coaching with them

[drfchound]

During that season the Rovers were helping me out with some treatment on an injury I had.
I was at Cantley Park one morning just as the lads came in from training and it was noticeable that there was very much a division between groups of players.
The "imports" tended to stick together to eat and didn't interact with the Rovers own players.
There seemed to be tension between the groups.

[Superspy]

Some of this rings true with what was said in last weeks Undr The Cosh podcast...mentioning something that sounded like Saunders cared more about what some of the imports thought because they'd done more in the game. Can't remember the exact reference.

[NickDRFC]

During that season the Rovers were helping me out with some treatment on an injury I had.
I was at Cantley Park one morning just as the lads came in from training and it was noticeable that there was very much a division between groups of players.
The "imports" tended to stick together to eat and didn't interact with the Rovers own players.
There seemed to be tension between the groups.

I don't think it's unusual that players have groups within the dressing room, but there were no doubt deeper underlying issues there. Depressing times and hope they will never be repeated...

[boro_rover]

In fairness to diouf, on the field he was an asset for us. He did his best and set a good example. The rest of them were an embarrassment.

[RedJ]

Some of this rings true with what was said in last weeks Undr The Cosh podcast...mentioning something that sounded like Saunders cared more about what some of the imports thought because they'd done more in the game. Can't remember the exact reference.

It was something like "what have you won" or how many caps have you got.

[drfchound]

In fairness to diouf, on the field he was an asset for us. He did his best and set a good example. The rest of them were an embarrassment.

Diouf was brilliant for us.
He did give his all and was the best of our imports.

[Campsall rover]

In fairness to diouf, on the field he was an asset for us. He did his best and set a good example. The rest of them were an embarrassment.

He was the best player ability wise maybe. But he wasn’t respected by the Rovers players imo.
At Watford on 30th Dec 2011 he was finger wagging at all the players before the kick off and all the Rovers players were trying not to look at him. During the game took every free kick we had no matter where on the field it was. Total joke and one of the most embarrassing performances I have ever witnessed from a Rovers team.





Diouf was brilliant for us.
He did give his all and was the best of our imports.

[RoversAlias]

Don't forget him going out clubbing the night before our game away at Southampton along with other members of the "import" crew.

[andysly]

Diouf started off great but turned into that kid in the playground who takes throw ins, corners, free kicks & penalties. Didn’t trust or rate any of his team mates.

[the vicar]

Don't forget him going out clubbing the night before our game away at Southampton along with other members of the "import" crew.

one incident and someone has to hit on it, he as others have said he was brilliant for us and he was imence at Ipswich

[chrisd_123]

Diouf started off great but turned into that kid in the playground who takes throw ins, corners, free kicks & penalties. Didn’t trust or rate any of his team mates.

To be fair, he was about 10 classes above most of the turgid crap in that squad that season that the ‘experiment’ brought in.

He wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea but to see a player of his ability in a Rovers shirt was nice and I wouldn’t have trusted half of that lot either.

[Draytonian III]

Diouf started off great but turned into that kid in the playground who takes throw ins, corners, free kicks & penalties. Didn’t trust or rate any of his team mates.

Gary Beech  ??

[DonnyOsmond]

Some of this rings true with what was said in last weeks Undr The Cosh podcast...mentioning something that sounded like Saunders cared more about what some of the imports thought because they'd done more in the game. Can't remember the exact reference.

Reminds me of John Terry saying he didn't respect someone's opinion because they hadn't done much in the game but he had Mourinho as a manager?

[RoversAlias]

Don't forget him going out clubbing the night before our game away at Southampton along with other members of the "import" crew.

one incident and someone has to hit on it, he as others have said he was brilliant for us and he was imence at Ipswich

If you like Vicar, but writing it off because it was 'just one incident' doesn't cut it for me. Diouf was one of the many symptoms of everything that was wrong with our club that season, his attitude left plenty to be desired and sometimes that included on the pitch, definitely. Just because he was undoubtedly talented doesn't let him off scot free for me. Far from it.

The only good thing I'd like to remember from his time here is his assist for Sharp for *that* wonderful goal against Middlesbrough.

[rich1471]

Why do you look back and moan about the past as if something will change ,you cannot change it look towards the future and see what it brings , if we get promoted in the next 2 year we will all smile if not we will all be here supporting  the rovers good or bad

[RoversAlias]

My apologies for joining in a discussion about someone who played for us in the past in a thread about a past season.

[drfchound]

Diouf started off great but turned into that kid in the playground who takes throw ins, corners, free kicks & penalties. Didn’t trust or rate any of his team mates.

Yes he did take all the free kicks and corners (don’t think he took all the throw ins) and that was because he could put them where they were supposed to be going.
I seem to recall that he had plenty of assists in his short time here as well as his six goals.
Diouf was certainly popular with the South Stand where I sit and IMO it was a pleasure to see him play for us.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Why do you look back and moan about the past as if something will change ,you cannot change it look towards the future and see what it brings , if we get promoted in the next 2 year we will all smile if not we will all be here supporting  the rovers good or bad

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

[GazLaz]

Diouf’s performance away at West Ham was the best performance I’ve ever seen by a Rovers player.

[ravenrover]

 

[ravenrover]

should qualify that by adding "in recent years"

[idler]

The writing was on the wall, in my opinion anyway, before that 2011/12 season had even begun and that was when SO'D was still manager.

There's various reasons as to why I think that way. Key players had left and weren't sufficiently replaced in the long-term (Matt Mills being a prime example), the wage budget had been blown apart and the squad lacked strength in depth; something which was apparent during the second half of the 2010/11 season when injuries took hold and the team nosedived towards the drop zone.

A big squad turnover was needed in Summer 2011 (and it rightly happened under SO'D) but with Coppinger, Stock, Sharp and others all commanding higher wages than players a few years previously, the budget was always only going to go so far for a small fish of a club in a massive pond.

Add to that, the three teams coming up were buzzing with confidence and two (Southampton and Brighton) were bigger clubs with bigger resources anyway - that just made the task of staying up more difficult.

If it hadn't been for three really bad sides in the Championship in 2010/11, relegation would have happened then (from memory, I'm sure Sheff Utd, Scunthorpe and Preston all finished on or around 42 points - under the 1pt per game mark).

The complete farce that was the experiment only served to fast-track the process of relegation. I can see the reasoning why the board got desperate and went that way, but it was flawed for many reasons and it turned probable relegation into almost certain relegation.

One thing that still makes me chuckle about that season is how some folk still hold a grudge against Lewis Dunk for that challenge on Billy Sharp, which crocked him for about 6 or 7 games). I don't think anyone can deny the challenge wasn't great and I doubt a more experienced player would have made such a rash challenge, however that tackle didn't cause relegation - there were a multitude of other reasons which had a far greater contribution.

Again, in my view, Ryan Mason getting injured in the next game against Tranmere in the Carling Cup had as much of an impact as Sharp's injury. By the time he was fit, SO'D had gone, then he played a few more games and he departed as well - it could have worked out quite differently there.

With all due respect we weren't getting hammered in the early season games. We were generally drawing or losing narrowly. Losing our main goal scorer so early meant we were always chasing. We didn't have the money for strength in depth so couldn't be anywhere near as dangerous going forward, especially losing Hayter and Mason so early.
I wonder what Poyet would have said had the Challenge been on Griggs or Lua Lua.

[sheffield exile1]

Diouf’s performance away at West Ham was the best performance I’ve ever seen by a Rovers player.

Especially as Allardyce had obviously told them to go out and blow us off the field hence why we went down 1-0 around the 15 minute mark. However once we we weathered the storm and showed true grit Copps equaliser was  especially sweet. Credit to the Hammers fans we spoke to on the way back to the tube, one of whom commented on our away following saying we took significantly more than Watford had brought down the previous Tuesday night!

[Dare to dream!]

Listen to Chris Brown's new podcast, he talks about it and says it was very toxic

[RedJ]

Diouf’s performance away at West Ham was the best performance I’ve ever seen by a Rovers player.

Especially as Allardyce had obviously told them to go out and blow us off the field hence why we went down 1-0 around the 15 minute mark. However once we we weathered the storm and showed true grit Copps equaliser was  especially sweet. Credit to the Hammers fans we spoke to on the way back to the tube, one of whom commented on our away following saying we took significantly more than Watford had brought down the previous Tuesday night!

I can't remember if it was Diouf himself but I seem to remember we almost got a winner late on too.

[sheffield exile1]

Diouf’s performance away at West Ham was the best performance I’ve ever seen by a Rovers player.

Especially as Allardyce had obviously told them to go out and blow us off the field hence why we went down 1-0 around the 15 minute mark. However once we we weathered the storm and showed true grit Copps equaliser was  especially sweet. Credit to the Hammers fans we spoke to on the way back to the tube, one of whom commented on our away following saying we took significantly more than Watford had brought down the previous Tuesday night!

I can't remember if it was Diouf himself but I seem to remember we almost got a winner late on too.

You are bringing back a memory there and I am now thinking the same...

"Sha la la la la Diouf, Diouf, sha la la la la Diouf Diouf"....

[drfc1951]

Yes it was Diouf who a shot saved on the line,i seem to remember Copps , Diouf and Chimbonda all linking up well down the right hand side that day.