What Needs To Change and Where Do We Go From Here?

[Stuart]

This is not a knee-jerk thread. Anyone who posts that is just being plain lazy...

- 1 win in the last 8.

- 6 points from 24.

- A mini crisis mid-season.

- A manager making the same mistakes week in week out and sticking with what has worked in the past. No imagination - even in tough away games.

- Players who are playing way below what we believe they are capable of. Players who should be in League One still. Not looking like a team and in fact starting to look jaded with the same League One set up but without the results in the Championship.

 

We are not yet, in the main, talking about Mowbray being sacked. He has goodwill/loyalty credit from last season that is quickly running out. He has taken down once already on this division - whether his fault or not - and “here we go again” may well be in the minds of the players.

Can he bring in a striker on loan so that the Brereton experiment can be taken right back to basics (while Nuttall is loaned out)? Can he find a way of balancing a midfield pairing which isn’t solely being deployed to protect a poor defence? Is Lenihan up to it?

Is his coaching team running out of new ideas? Is it responding to what is happening on match days and looking at the personnel, formation and attitude/approach to games? Or is it just a case of “working hard in training” and hoping that the results come.

What do people feel should be Mowbray’s target for the next 6 games? 10 games?

Do we need a change in personnel down at Brockhall?

How long does the patience last with Mowbray? Will we accept relegation and give him another go at promotion from League One? (I certainly wouldn’t). When does concern become a need for a change of manager? Rodwell has come in after being made a scapegoat at a freefalling Sunderland? They changed manager and things didn’t change. Do we need to get someone like Coleman in here and bomb Rodwell out of the club before we reach the same stage? (Leopards don’t usually change their spots - although he was harshly treated, his attitude was still very selfish - and non-team focussed. This kind of thing filters between clubs and there will be people wary of him, I’m sure. The team spirit that was such a feature of Mowbray’s team appears to have faded during the time he has been here. Coincidence?)

Anyway, here we are.

What do we change and when?

[G Somerset Rover]

I’d be concerned that it will get worse before it gets better. Sheff Utd away and WBA at home - even the most rose-tinted of Rovers fans would be bold to see us getting a point or more there. 

Say it is indeed then 1 win in 10. You’d have to say that would be huge pressure travelling to ‘the Den’.

Edited December 26, 2018 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[Stuart]

7 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

I’d be concerned that it will get worse before it gets better. Sheff Utd away and WBA at home - even the most rose-tinted of Rovers fans would be bold to see us getting a point or more there. 

Say it is indeed then 1 win in 10. You’d have to say that would be huge pressure travelling to ‘the Den’.

It’s unfortunate that we have a lot of tough games all at once during the busiest time of the football calendar. Normally it’s a good thing to have another game soon after a loss but if that is another loss then it can become a bad habit. Two defeats in the next two and it becomes difficult for TM to immediately turn that around into a necessary run of wins.  Very worrying times.

However our problems could run much deeper than that. Mowbray looks to be trying to protect his players but is not under any pressure as a manager. This is when we remember that we are not a normal club.

We need fresh impetus from somewhere in January (or sooner) or the second half of the season could be very depressing indeed.

[philipl]

We need an animal of a centre half in January.

Won't be surprised if we now go and win at Bramall Lane. 

 

[Husky]

6 minutes ago, philipl said:

 

Won't be surprised if we now go and win at Bramall Lane. 

 

I for one, won't be joining you in your non-surprise.

Besides I've already said we won't get another point till Ipswich at home - so I have to stick with it.

[alcd]

12 minutes ago, philipl said:

We need an animal of a centre half in January.

Won't be surprised if we now go and win at Bramall Lane. 

 

I would be. We had all the luck at Elland Road with a soft penalty, a free kick messed up by a shaky-lookinng keeper, Roofe hitting the angle and a fair numver of missed chances. I can see heads hitting the floor and with a manifest lack of fitness - clearly evident in the last 3 matches- giving the Blades an easy 3 points and probably a goal difference boost as well.

[J*B]

Start a bidding war for Dack then reinvest every single penny, plus a bit more into a centre back, left back, central midfielder, winger and striker.

 

And if they don't trust Mowbray to sign the players get a new manager in while we are at it.

[DE.]

We just have to hope Mowbray figures this out. I can't say I want him to be binned as I seriously doubt we'll get anybody better. Mowbray has some serious flaws as manager, but we're more likely to end up with another Coyle than another... Uh... Bowyer? ?

[Cherry Blue]

27 minutes ago, philipl said:

We need an animal of a centre half in January.

Won't be surprised if we now go and win at Bramall Lane. 

 

Neither be surprised if we are 2 1 up then give it away in last minutes.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Loons, anywhere after that is a bonus.

[Exiled in Toronto]

33 minutes ago, J*B said:

Start a bidding war for Dack then reinvest every single penny, plus a bit more into a centre back, left back, central midfielder, winger and striker.

 

And if they don't trust Mowbray to sign the players get a new manager in while we are at it.

In that order. Today’s back 4 took us down 2 years ago. Nyambe has improved significantly and Charlie's goals keep him in the team, plus his distribution. But can anyone say Lenihan has improved at all in two years? Williams finds ever more creative ways to a) give away goals from nothing, b) miss absolute sitters, c) or both.

If an 8-figure offer comes in for Dack, I’d take it, put Rothwell in his spot and get two proven defenders to rebuild the back 4. Reed/Rodwell may be the answer in central midfield so I wouldn’t spend there.

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

This is not a knee-jerk thread. Anyone who posts that is just being plain lazy...

- 1 win in the last 8.

- 6 points from 24.

- A mini crisis mid-season.

- A manager making the same mistakes week in week out and sticking with what has worked in the past. No imagination - even in tough away games.

- Players who are playing way below what we believe they are capable of. Players who should be in League One still. Not looking like a team and in fact starting to look jaded with the same League One set up but without the results in the Championship.

 

We are not yet, in the main, talking about Mowbray being sacked. He has goodwill/loyalty credit from last season that is quickly running out. He has taken down once already on this division - whether his fault or not - and “here we go again” may well be in the minds of the players.

Can he bring in a striker on loan so that the Brereton experiment can be taken right back to basics (while Nuttall is loaned out)? Can he find a way of balancing a midfield pairing which isn’t solely being deployed to protect a poor defence? Is Lenihan up to it?

Is his coaching team running out of new ideas? Is it responding to what is happening on match days and looking at the personnel, formation and attitude/approach to games? Or is it just a case of “working hard in training” and hoping that the results come.

What do people feel should be Mowbray’s target for the next 6 games? 10 games?

Do we need a change in personnel down at Brockhall?

How long does the patience last with Mowbray? Will we accept relegation and give him another go at promotion from League One? (I certainly wouldn’t). When does concern become a need for a change of manager? Rodwell has come in after being made a scapegoat at a freefalling Sunderland? They changed manager and things didn’t change. Do we need to get someone like Coleman in here and bomb Rodwell out of the club before we reach the same stage? (Leopards don’t usually change their spots - although he was harshly treated, his attitude was still very selfish - and non-team focussed. This kind of thing filters between clubs and there will be people wary of him, I’m sure. The team spirit that was such a feature of Mowbray’s team appears to have faded during the time he has been here. Coincidence?)

Anyway, here we are.

What do we change and when?

Odd that 30% of your post is about Rodwell. I don't really get what that's about. 

Anyway, that aside. We need a good, specialist centre half to play beside Mulgrew. Someone commanding and good in the air. We got away with 2 converted midfielders and a young goalkeeper in League 1. There is something responsible for the nervous panic that takes place when holding a lead. I suspect it is this. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, philipl said:

We need an animal of a centre half in January.

Won't be surprised if we now go and win at Bramall Lane. 

 

We fucking need the 3 points to take the stink off recent results. 

[G Somerset Rover]

2 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

We fucking need the 3 points to take the stink off recent results. 

There was huge stink, we then proceeded to beat Sheff Weds before the stench has returned in a big way!

[Bigdoggsteel]

10 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

There was huge stink, we then proceeded to beat Sheff Weds before the stench has returned in a big way!

Wednesday out stunk us! 

[arbitro]

I remember posting after the first game of last season that we needed a big, uncompromising centre half who could organise and strike the fear of God into opponents and our own players. Although we got promoted our goals against column was embarrassing in an awful league and the fact we could invariably out score teams papered over the cracks. Fast forward to now and the goals we are conceding are poor in the extreme. The three conceded today were all from crosses into our penalty area. It seems that Mowbray isn't as concerned as some of us as he signed a plethora of midfielders, many of whom can't get a game. I really fear a relegation scrap but bringing in a centre half who sees defending as the number one priority and who will rattle a few cages to do so.

[Sparks Rover]

I worry that TM has Williams in the team. In fact, it’s like he’s trying to find a place for him. 

On that basis I call into question his judgment and therefore I think we should replace him. Like someone else said, Williams puts us in trouble with every touch he has. 

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Whilst I can't stand Duffy after his conduct, he is the type of player we need.

[davulsukur]

11 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I remember posting after the first game of last season that we needed a big, uncompromising centre half who could organise and strike the fear of God into opponents and our own players. Although we got promoted our goals against column was embarrassing in an awful league and the fact we could invariably out score teams papered over the cracks. Fast forward to now and the goals we are conceding are poor in the extreme. The three conceded today were all from crosses into our penalty area. It seems that Mowbray isn't as concerned as some of us as he signed a plethora of midfielders, many of whom can't get a game. I really fear a relegation scrap but bringing in a centre half who sees defending as the number one priority and who will rattle a few cages to do so.

I don't think you'll find many Rovers that disagree with you. Question is, does Mowbray think the same?

And even if he does and signs one, would he even play him?

[47er]

3 hours ago, DE. said:

We just have to hope Mowbray figures this out. I can't say I want him to be binned as I seriously doubt we'll get anybody better. Mowbray has some serious flaws as manager, but we're more likely to end up with another Coyle than another... Uh... Bowyer? ?

We will never prosper under Venkys. Having put so much faith in Mowbray and extending his contract, I imagine they will be quite "confused".

No rational decision-making to be expected I'm afraid.

 

[tomphil]

A)  Big commanding centre half to play alongside Mulgrew. Lenihen to be back up or converted to an actual physical presence in the middle. I'd actually say put Charlie at left back and get two centre defenders or go with Downing and a new guy.  Mulgrew is weak at times in the middle and neither of our LBs are worth a regular place at this level. However too many changes is too risky.

B  )  Another bloody striker who can actually pose some kind of threat at the other end and help take pressure off the rest of the team.

C) Waggot to call Mowbray in and say there's a window looming wake up to your teams glaring weaknesses don't waste an opportunity remember what you walked into after this club fooked up in Jan last time in this league.

 

Edited December 26, 2018 by tomphil

[Bigdoggsteel]

2 hours ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Whilst I can't stand Duffy after his conduct, he is the type of player we need.

He would be class with Mulgrew. Twice the player Lenihan is 

[Parsonblue]

7 minutes ago, 47er said:

We will never prosper under Venkys. Having put so much faith in Mowbray and extending his contract, I imagine they will be quite "confused".

No rational decision-making to be expected I'm afraid.

 

At the end of the day they are here for as long as they want to be and at the moment we couldn't cope without their financial support.  I looked at Leeds today with a full-house paying premium prices - and that's what we have to compete with.  The Championship is becoming rather like the Premier League in terms of being an uneven playing field.

[DE.]

13 minutes ago, 47er said:

We will never prosper under Venkys. Having put so much faith in Mowbray and extending his contract, I imagine they will be quite "confused".

No rational decision-making to be expected I'm afraid.

I agree. I don't think the current structure provides the manager anywhere near enough support to ever be successful long term - at least as far as getting us out of this division is concerned. We're currently supported enough financially to keep us in the division (or get us out of a lower division) with a half decent manager - although I do fear what happens when Graham, Mulgrew and Dack inevitably move on, or in the former two's case become ineffectual due to age or retire. It'll take a good eye for talent to replace those lads.

Just now, Parsonblue said:

At the end of the day they are here for as long as they want to be and at the moment we couldn't cope without their financial support.  I looked at Leeds today with a full-house paying premium prices - and that's what we have to compete with.  The Championship is becoming rather like the Premier League in terms of being an uneven playing field.

Our owners are very wealthy Parson. If they genuinely wanted us to compete they could get serious, lay the right foundations, ensure good signings are made without breaking FFP rules and put us right in the hunt - not too dissimilar to how Tan got Cardiff up last season. But we all know this won't happen because they've never been serious about Blackburn Rovers. We're an albatross around their neck which they seem to feel obliged to support at a basic level, but not enough to ever make us successful long term.

And let's not forget the main reason we need such hefty financial support is because of the destruction they themselves have wrought. The supporters don't need to feel thankful towards them for that as it's their own fault the club is in this position. If anything we should all feel extremely angry that they've put this club in such a vulnerable and unenviable position.

[Stuart]

1 minute ago, Parsonblue said:

At the end of the day they are here for as long as they want to be and at the moment we couldn't cope without their financial support.  I looked at Leeds today with a full-house paying premium prices - and that's what we have to compete with.  The Championship is becoming rather like the Premier League in terms of being an uneven playing field.

Leeds have always had a huge fanatical fanbase though.

We are not competing with that, we never have been, we are contending with crap owners and poor management of the club at board level - if you can even call what we have a board!

Investment is required by the lunes to get us into a position where they can sell up and recoup their losses. Any thoughts of them returning us to where we were when they arrived are long gone.

Much like Leeds, the beginning of our salvation lies in ridding the club of cancerous owners. Given that the authorities turned a blind eye that means Venkys have to get what they want first.