[Archived] THE BATTLE FOR PROMOTION....WON.

[roversfan99]

4 hours ago, had.e.nuff said:

I have been reading a few posts on here and had to look at the league table to check if we had been deducted points and been relegated ,reality check we have lost 6 games this season only Liverpool and man city have lost fewer games, why cant people just enjoy the fact that we have been promoted.

Not one person that I've seen, if they have please point them out as they are a tiny minority, have suggested that this season has been anything but a success, and that Mowbray has done anything but a good job. Some people are literally pointing out an individual complaint of the manager not seeming to be 100% desperate to try our best to win the title, or that our chance to go top ahead of the final day, and then people are seemingly desperate to humiliate them as lunatics for wanting their team to win the League!

4 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

I am still buzzing from getting promotion and looking forward to enjoyable summer and next season. I think we can get Top half finish with the right signings and no key players long term injuries. 

Mowbray, staff and players deserve a proper thankyou from the fans for delivering what they said they would do

which players then? apart from Graham. 

 

I will accept Graham should/could have played from the start. so no argument from me. 

thanks

 

see post below by Biz

Mowbray deliver what he promise didn't he? 

Yes Stuart did. 

don't buy the reasons so basically calling Mowbray a liar then? disguise tbh if you think Mowbray is that after his open and honest comments and views to fans since day 1. 

didn't the have a promotion party last night in London?

Tit for tat? I would say a little side debate as the main debate about whether we would get promotion or whether Mowbray was good enough has been settled. 

I like Travis a lot but his sending off was rash sadly tho I did enjoy Soccer am video of it. 

I gone for Evans as he has been performing well enough for me but Travis would be part of my match day squad next season. IMO, he is ready for the first team

I will be enjoying the game and watching my team for the finally time of this season. 

I wont be checking the Wigan score as we are promoted and that's all that matter. 

Even if you have some sort of blatant disregard for Rovers winning a League title, which I struggle to comprehend, you have to respect that to a lot of people, winning a League title is a big, big deal, and potentially missing out on it hurts them.

Yes everyone knows that promotion is the main thing, but the title would be an incredible boost, a great achievement, to be Champions, and for a massive chunk of the fanbase and seemingly the management to see it as not 100% important will aggravate some fans.

Out of the 3000 fans that went yesterday, the vast majority seemed to care about the league judging by the reaction when Wimbledon scored.

For some people, the thought of Mulgrew lifting a trophy next week in front of a packed Ewood would mean more than testing whether Paul Caddis can perform as a wing back.

But not one person has suggested that they havent enjoyed it, that it isnt a good achievement, that Mowbray isnt doing a good job or if hes good enough. 

4 hours ago, garnersfags said:

You can't have it both ways.

You either care that we win the title, and therefore are understadably disappointed about the Charlton selection, or you agree that the season is over and therefore treat the Oxford game as merely an exhibition match, and care not about the KeepMoat result.

I still see it as a brilliantly successful season and I'll still support Mowbray to guide us through an extremely challenging season, but at the same time I will be disappointed if we lose our last 2 games of the season, and I will respectfully say so on here. 

Sorry.

Absolutely perfectly put. Its not black and white, everyone is happy about promotion, but how anyone can see the potential of winning a league is quite frankly puzzling, as if its an irrelevance to see us win the league!

4 hours ago, Mercer said:

and next season they will be held back from the stress of a relegation battle!!!

Come on Parson.  The bottom line is if players are good enough then they are old enough.  We talk about young players now as lads in their early 20's.  It's feckin ridiculous - have they got the b@lls or not - you find out by playing them.  Remember 17/18 year old Phil Jones against Chelsea in the PREMIER LEAGUE not the god forsaken League 1 - he showed the bottle and got the fans and rest of the team going.

Enough of this namby pamby stuff - IMV, Mowbray simply doesn't like playing the 'kids'.

 

No its not as simple as that, hes kept with the experience who have shown through their results enough to seal promotion with 2 games to go. 

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

It's embarrassing alright. Some of it makes me feel like those fans don't even deserve th success we have had this season. How they now choose to act like sulky brats and are so critical now is astounding to me 

Please can you highlight who you perceive to be sulky brats that dont deserve success, because comments like that can be taken the wrong way.

Ive said personally that I am not happy for what I perceive to be less than 100% focus towards winning what I perceive to be an important potential League title. Went to both Doncaster and Charlton, and both days I enjoyed, although yesterday I did feel a bit annoyed at the same time. I feel that its important and dont get peoples disregard for a League title, albeit totally acknowledge that the priority was promotion, and am certainly happy about the overall season.

1 hour ago, Angry_Pirate said:

Since we seem to be still talking about Charlton in this thread, I figured i'd give my opinion. My only gripe about yesterday was not the "enforced" changes but the appalling formation the manager chose to experiment with for 63 minutes. I actually think the players on the pitch gave 100% effort and wanted to win, but had the huge disadvantage of playing a 5-5-0 formation for an hour.

Yes, Caddis is terrible and shaped like a keg, but we literally played a back 5, two holding midfielders and Armstrong and Samuel glued to each touchline, leaving only 5"4 Payne as our "target man" from a CAM position, no striker. "Park the Bus" springs to mind.

Same fans near me were actually singing "Mulgrew at the back, No-one in attack" 

I honestly cannot think of a worse formation since the fist game of the 2004(?) season at home to WBA, when Souness started with a back three, 3 left backs (Matteo, Gresko and Grey) and Javier De Pedro on the left wing for his only 45 mins for Rovers.

I'm happy to praise the manager but his back 3/5 formation has cost us plenty of points this season.

Still, a lucky deflection for their goal (Mulgrew should have cleared it better), Samuel hitting the bar (easier to score), few good GK saves from Amos and yet another woeful referee. Charlton defended for their lives all 2nd half and time wasted like champs yet our "B" team still almost got a point.

Spot on. The 3 at the back doesnt seem to suit our team and in my opinion should be filed as an experiment failed for the immediate future.

Totally agree on the strange position of Jack Payne.

[Stuart]

1 hour ago, Paul said:

My lads and I felt we had a good day out yesterday. Disappointed to lose but can’t remember the last time we felt that. 

What would have really upset me would be spending well over £300 to watch the U23s. Now that would be taking the mick out of the support. 

You’ve obviously not watched our U23s this season. They have been excellent.

[Oldgregg86]

1 hour ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

I’m not sure a home draw against 19th-placed Wimbledon is compelling evidence of Wigan “going for it”

No it was the line up, formation and comments in the media plus speaking to numerous Wigan fans that shows they want it

[AAK]

Interesting that Charlton fans on their forum said bell was our best player by far. Plymouth fans said same when we were down there, named in pfa team of year also, think he will turn out to be a great signing, unfortunatey for him lost both them games. Should start next game and next season. 

[roversfan99]

Hopefully at left back in a back 4.

[Pedro]

15 minutes ago, AAK said:

Interesting that Charlton fans on their forum said bell was our best player by far. Plymouth fans said same when we were down there, named in pfa team of year also, think he will turn out to be a great signing, unfortunatey for him lost both them games. Should start next game and next season. 

Definitely one for next season. Mowbray went for experience, Bell is at a new club in a high pressure situation and with only a couple of defeats in 30 odd games, it's easy for some to forget that the manager knows much better than us.  

If Bell can replicate his debut performance on a more consistent basis, he'll be money very well spent.

[AllRoverAsia]

59 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

No it was the line up, formation and comments in the media plus speaking to numerous Wigan fans that shows they want it

The Mowbray interview belittling winning L1 plays right into Paul Cook's hands and he will milk it for all it's worth if Wigan succeed.

There was no need for it, unless you think you are not going to win it and just a bit petty.

Wigan want it. We as in TM did not care.

I wanted it, nobody remembers second.

We all wanted promotion.

[Oldgregg86]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

The Mowbray interview belittling winning L1 plays right into Paul Cook's hands and he will milk it for all it's worth if Wigan succeed.

There was no need for it, unless you think you are not going to win it and just a bit petty.

Wigan want it. We as in TM did not care.

I wanted it, nobody remembers second.

We all wanted promotion.

I seriously can't get my head around fans that dont see it as relevant . Even worse your manager. I have nothing left to say on it just absolutely stunned by it all 

[Fraserkirky]

1 hour ago, AAK said:

Interesting that Charlton fans on their forum said bell was our best player by far. Plymouth fans said same when we were down there, named in pfa team of year also, think he will turn out to be a great signing, unfortunatey for him lost both them games. Should start next game and next season. 

Yeah Bell looked good I thought. Both Wing back spots are sorted for next year. Travis and Nyambe can fight it out on the other side.

[Paul]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

You’ve obviously not watched our U23s this season. They have been excellent.

I gather they have but I still would have been unhappy if the first team proved to be made up of U23 players. 

[Stuart]

Just now, Paul said:

I gather they have but I still would have been unhappy if the first team proved to be made up of U23 players. 

Like I said at the time Paul, Mowbray’s selection was neither one thing nor the other and proved to be a meaningless defeat (as I’m being told to accept) from a meaningless patchwork side.

The only logic is that Mowbray was happy to lose to have a point to make with Venkys. If I were them I’d point to the investment in the very successful U23 side and say “first prove none of them are good enough”.

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, Oldgregg86 said:

I seriously can't get my head around fans that dont see it as relevant . Even worse your manager. I have nothing left to say on it just absolutely stunned by it all 

I am the same.

We had a chance at it, Wigan showing signs even before yesterday of bottling it and we seem not to care.

I have been trying to think of any other Club having the same second best mentality.

Contrast that with Pep's comments after thrashing West Ham today. Title won he now wants PL goals scored and highest points records.

The comments from the hivemind Corporate Fan Group, I was going to say Rovers Tory Party as they play in blue, on here are par for the course.

[roversfan99]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

I am the same.

We had a chance at it, Wigan showing signs even before yesterday of bottling it and we seem not to care.

I have been trying to think of any other Club having the same second best mentality.

Contrast that with Pep's comments after thrashing West Ham today. Title won he now wants PL goals scored and highest points records.

The comments from the hivemind Corporate Fan Group, I was going to say Rovers Tory Party as they play in blue, on here are par for the course.

Idiot. Why continue after sealing Champions League qualification?

[Mercer]

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

Definitely one for next season. Mowbray went for experience, Bell is at a new club in a high pressure situation and with only a couple of defeats in 30 odd games, it's easy for some to forget that the manager knows much better than us.  

If Bell can replicate his debut performance on a more consistent basis, he'll be money very well spent.

This sort of b o l l o c k s  does my head in.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is just 19 years of age and thriving in the white hot atmosphere of the Champions League.

Amari Bell is 24 this coming week with 150 league appearances to his name and you are saying he can't handle the pressure of a League 1 promotion battle.

'Young' players are either good enough or they are not - simple as that.  In Bell's case, you could say he's a seasoned pro!

I think Mowbray needs to grow some and show some feckin faith in the young talent at the club.

 

[Mike E]

54 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Idiot. Why continue after sealing Champions League qualification?

If we dropped players for the sake of rotation, you'd have a point.

That we dropped players who have been playing injured (taking the risk until the job is done) makes it no point.

Consensus seems to be we actually did well yesterday and, but for a slice or two of luck (having dined out on it for weeks now), would've still won.

We did not 'give up' the title. We took sensible measures to protect our team and give us the best chance of NOT returning to this league in 12 months. People were so frustrated all the way to October that we weren't good enough, and perhaps ensuring our best players are more likely to be available will give us an edge in the early portion of the next season by not dropping points.

Also WE COULD STILL WIN IT ANYWAY.

I'm going to give up now. Not in a toys out the pram way, but because I think the debate is moot and going in circles with compromise between sides unlikely.

[roversfan99]

Just now, Mike E said:

If we dropped players for the sake of rotation, you'd have a point.

That we dropped players who have been playing injured (taking the risk until the job is done) makes it no point.

Consensus seems to be we actually did well yesterday and, but for a slice or two of luck (having dined out on it for weeks now), would've still won.

We did not 'give up' the title. We took sensible measures to protect our team and give us the best chance of NOT returning to this league in 12 months. People were so frustrated all the way to October that we weren't good enough, and perhaps ensuring our best players are more likely to be available will give us an edge in the early portion of the next season by not dropping points.

Also WE COULD STILL WIN IT ANYWAY.

I'm going to give up now. Not in a toys out the pram way, but because I think the debate is moot and going in circles with compromise between sides unlikely.

That was a tongue in cheek comment regarding Pep.

Main bug bear for me, travelling down, was the inevitability, and Mowbrays comments, as ive quoted. Implying that no one remembers a League title which is total rubbish.

Seems like most of the players were injured to be fair that dropped out, I do have qualms about the team selection, 3 at the back doesnt suit us, Caddis starting, Graham sub, things like that, but it was more the comments that Mowbray made that suggested that these last 2 games are not as important as for me, they should be.

I also find some of the response to mainly valid frustration at missing the chance, for whatever reason, to be bizarre, as if being Champions is neither here nor there.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I remember the Gordon Lee team winning this league.

[AllRoverAsia]

12 minutes ago, Mike E said:

If we dropped players for the sake of rotation, you'd have a point.

That we dropped players who have been playing injured (taking the risk until the job is done) makes it no point.

Consensus seems to be we actually did well yesterday and, but for a slice or two of luck (having dined out on it for weeks now), would've still won.

We did not 'give up' the title. We took sensible measures to protect our team and give us the best chance of NOT returning to this league in 12 months. People were so frustrated all the way to October that we weren't good enough, and perhaps ensuring our best players are more likely to be available will give us an edge in the early portion of the next season by not dropping points.

Also WE COULD STILL WIN IT ANYWAY.

I'm going to give up now. Not in a toys out the pram way, but because I think the debate is moot and going in circles with compromise between sides unlikely.

Entirely possible if a tad unlikely.

If we end up as Champions I intend to hail TM as a tactical genius who knew all along that we would pick up the baubles.

Nobody will remember any different anyway, alledgedly.

[bazza]

5 hours ago, Angry_Pirate said:

I honestly cannot think of a worse formation since the fist game of the 2004(?) season at home to WBA, when Souness started with a back three, 3 left backs (Matteo, Gresko and Grey) and Javier De Pedro on the left wing for his only 45 mins for Rovers.

 

WOW  What a memory!   I haven't a clue about this game, who played where, date and result.

You remind me of my mate who is 82 and remembers who scored a particular goal, against whom, the build up to it, and the season.

I think I'll have another beer.

 

 

[Angry_Pirate]

4 minutes ago, bazza said:

WOW  What a memory!   I haven't a clue about this game, who played where, date and result.

You remind me of my mate who is 82 and remembers who scored a particular goal, against whom, the build up to it, and the season.

I think I'll have another beer.

 

 

My memory is pretty good from throughout the Souness and Hughes era's (teenager enthusiasm and end of season DVD's helped) but I can barely tell you our managers the past 8 years let alone scores etc.

That games sticks in my memory because or was opening day and we had sold Cole that summer and Souness really seemed to have lost the plot. I remember thinking only a few weeks later that Newcastle had saved John Williams sacking him.

Anyway, IMO we are a 4-2-3-1 team. Mowbray needs to get over his obsessions with anything else.

[Oldgregg86]

Just been watching match of the day 2. Pep saying he wants the points and goal record. Sterling saying they want a strong end to the season, if you finish sloppy you start next season sloppy. Mourinho wants to finish second, even though a champions league place is top 4 . No we have qualified for the champions league so let's just relax and celebrate . He wants second , not third. Because he has pride, principals, but more importantly all of the above is the attitude of a winner. The mentality that should be instilled into every professional footballer from a very early age. I hope your watching Tony . That's what a winner sounds like. 

[RevidgeBlue]

10 hours ago, den said:

First game next season in the Championship with hopefully a lot of new additions, will you still be angry about finishing second this season? No, you won’t Stuart. Finishing top or second in this years championship means nothing to our chances next season

If I had gone down to Charlton yesterday, I wouldn’t have expected to see anything different from what was on show. The season finished for rovers after Doncaster. You might not like that, but it was always going to happen.

Nonsense. The season lasts for 46 games not 44 and whilst we achieved our primary aim of promotion on Tuesday night, that has been and gone.  With two games to go the manager had the chance to have a real crack at winning the title but didn't seem interested pre match before the Charlton game and that was reflected in his team selection.

So should teams who qualify for the Champions League then give up and not bother about the Premier League title? Because the principle is exactly the same it's just at a slightly lower level.

My last word on the subject as we're going round in circles repeating the same arguments. We've been promoted and no one has died but nevertheless I think the attitude is really poor.

[JBiz]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

We've been promoted and no one has died but nevertheless I think the attitude is really poor.

I agree, the attitude of some fans is befuddling, and the sheer hypocrisy and desperation to criticise is mind blowing.

[Vinjay]

12 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Just been watching match of the day 2. Pep saying he wants the points and goal record. Sterling saying they want a strong end to the season, if you finish sloppy you start next season sloppy. Mourinho wants to finish second, even though a champions league place is top 4 . No we have qualified for the champions league so let's just relax and celebrate . He wants second , not third. Because he has pride, principals, but more importantly all of the above is the attitude of a winner. The mentality that should be instilled into every professional footballer from a very early age. I hope your watching Tony . That's what a winner sounds like. 

That's the impression I get. It's like there's already a "promotion hangover" which may last well into next season. The fans need to do everything they can to prevent this. Tactics and other management philosophies are important (and Mowbray clearly isn't on the highest level and it's unfair to expect that) but many people (particularly on this forum) simply can't understand how important the right mentality is.

I was right about many things this season. Some of my reservations about Mowbray in the future may be proved right as well. People can say what they like but my projection for the next year at least is putting the right building blocks in place. Can Mowbray do that? I'm not saying the club is going to put up as little fight as Sunderland but it's likely to be midtable mediocrity at best. That might not be a problem initially as it's unfair to expect another promotion immediately but what about year 2, year 3, etc? The owners of course have to play their part somewhat but if Mowbray claims to be happy with his budget he will be judged on that. Sometimes a manager needs to be ruthless with no dithering or showing any sort of weakness when it comes to mentality. I still remember at Gillingham making Dack look like a coward by saying it was "tough" for him returning to his old club. Even if it was there's absolutely no reason to say that.

Will be saying the same things if the club finish 1st.

 

[chaddyrovers]

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

 

Even if you have some sort of blatant disregard for Rovers winning a League title, which I struggle to comprehend, you have to respect that to a lot of people, winning a League title is a big, big deal, and potentially missing out on it hurts them.

Yes everyone knows that promotion is the main thing. 

You have answer your own point. Promotion was objective and it was delivered..im looking to the Oxford game and enjoying the last game..

If we win the league we win the league but promotion is what we all wanted and out of league 1.