An Evening with Tony Mowbray

[Oldgregg86]

43 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

The only time BB has played against a Mowbray team was against us for Forest at the City Ground when we won 1-0 (Hoban header) in the relegation season.

 

 

Speaking of hoban. His name got brought back up on the transfer thread when suggesting defenders. He has done his cruciate again and will miss the season. 

[Stuart]

7 hours ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Glad to know I"m not making it up ?.

I agree Rev, on paper it's been a wasted season.   He even talked about losing a good  signing in summer through his honesty.  TM said the player would have to dislodge the current team member.  He signed for a team where he was told he'd be straight in.  Apparently said player is having a very good season.  Thinking it may be the lad from Hibs who went to Villa. 

That aside, the only logical reason I can see for wasting this season with the same side, is to develop the scouting/player recruitment options.  Gambling  on the current lot not to get us relegated. 

He probably said you have to dislodge Smallwood. Modern players want to be told how great they are, not told they aren’t good enough and despite anything they’ve done so far they need to prove it all over again.

Mowbray seems like an honest man in a dishonest industry. All very noble but unlikely to make us successful.

I’m with Rev. It’s no use saying that the squad needs improving three weeks after you told us all you had money and didn’t need to spend it. Particularly when everyone else could see the opposite. We were crying out for a proper defender. You loaned out the only one we had and didn’t replace him.

[Mattyblue]

If he really told McGinn (who Villa fans rave about) that he would be behind Smallwood in the pecking order, that’s more than just ‘being loyal to the lads that got us up’ but a real flaw in Mowbray’s methods.

You should be constantly looking to improve your side and if that means players that did a job at a lower level are moved aside, then so be it. It’s a ruthless business.

[Stuart]

You only have to look at how Rothwell has been treated. He is a playmaker and real game changer. But even when Dack is injured he still can’t get a look in. Mowbray has favourites and that’s that. Anyone else might get a few minutes on rotation.

[Mercer]

8 minutes ago, Stuart said:

He probably said you have to dislodge Smallwood. Modern players want to be told how great they are, not told they aren’t good enough and despite anything they’ve done so far they need to prove it all over again.

Mowbray seems like an honest man in a dishonest industry. All very noble but unlikely to make us successful.

I’m with Rev. It’s no use saying that the squad needs improving three weeks after you told us all you had money and didn’t need to spend it. Particularly when everyone else could see the opposite. We were crying out for a proper defender. You loaned out the only one we had and didn’t replace him.

Firstly, you have to question how much money was available - maybe diddly-squat.  He did say he'd spoken to M'boro's CEO about a couple of players but inferred way out of range financially.  Can't help think his 'master plan' is to trade Dack in summer for a handful of better players given the number of times he referred to this.

Referred to Downing as his fifth choice central defender and how the lad 'deserved' some game time and therefore allowed him out of loan (think it was Downing who he referred to as a diamond of a lad).  It did come across that he likes to build and maintain good relationships with his players - perhaps herein lies some of Mowbray's flaws, too sentimental and not ruthless enough.

[JHRover]

Perhaps we are approaching the Lambert/Rhodes stage here. Minimal January activity, manager starts looking at cashing in on the star man to raise funds for multiple needed quality players to kick on next season. 

I'm afraid we then get to the problem which is Venkys agreeing to reinvest the money into the squad. Seems Mowbray has more faith in them than I do on that one.

[OJRovers]

Good to hear that he is acknowledging the same weaknesses that we can see:

- Lack of a tough centre back 

- Soft mentally and when under pressure 

- too loyal to the league one team

- BB has been poor

The fact is that that most of us could see this for a while... including the tactics pre-Oldham last season.

I think he’s changed his approach if we are going after 24-28 year olds in summer.

 I wouldn’t sell Dack if at all possible.If we were a top 6 side scoring goals, Dack would be invaluable. You can’t replace him + buy 4 others with £15m.

[MarkBRFC]

Seen it many times over the years, lets sell x player for mega money and reinvest in the squad, it never, ever works.

Shearer, Duff, Bentley, Santa Cruz, Jones, Rhodes, when all these were sold for big money we became a poorer team the year after and struggled.

For the club to progress we must keep Dack.

Edited February 22, 2019 by MarkBRFC

[unsall]

Think Mowbray is one of the best managers we’ve had, lovely guy and very knowledgeable, knows the game inside out, obviously doesn’t always get it right, very loyal this season to the players who got us up but realises we need new blood next season.

A shame a lot of posters on here don’t want to give him time, luckily they don’t make the decisions.

He knows what he wants next season and I hope he gets the backing, and let’s go for it next season with him in charge.

[arbitro]

Some interesting stuffing Mowbray and reassuring to hear that he acknowledges some points that the more grounded, realistic posters on here have been saying. What irks me a little though is why some of the players who he says now aren't good enough got new contracts. Surely they should have proved themselves at Championship level first.

The real stumbling block to a rebuild of the squad could well be our esteemed owners. Now Mowbray has gone public he has done so will the knowledge and confidence of financial backing.

Thanks to those who attended and took the trouble to post updates.

[blueboy3333]

23 minutes ago, unsall said:

Think Mowbray is one of the best managers we’ve had, lovely guy and very knowledgeable, knows the game inside out, obviously doesn’t always get it right, very loyal this season to the players who got us up but realises we need new blood next season.

A shame a lot of posters on here don’t want to give him time, luckily they don’t make the decisions.

He knows what he wants next season and I hope he gets the backing, and let’s go for it next season with him in charge.

A guy reeling off stuff he's got wrong and admitting he spent millions on a bloke who once played well against his team is not someone I'd class as being one of the best managers we've had. It's a shame posters like you are so easily taken in by a nice bloke who talks a lot. 

Edited February 22, 2019 by blueboy3333

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

The only time BB has played against a Mowbray team was against us for Forest at the City Ground when we won 1-0 (Hoban header) in the relegation season.

 

 

That's the one - he said we won 1-0  but the lad gave us the run around playing right wing.

Thinking about that, can we assume that Williams was left back?  May explain BBs performance...

[Stuart]

Just now, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

That's the one - he said we won 1-0  but the lad gave us the run around playing right wing.

Thinking about that, can we assume that Williams was left back?  May explain BBs performance...

Ouch!

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Just now, Stuart said:

Ouch!

Just checked - our left side was Williams at LB and Feeney LM...draw your own conclusions!

[blueboy3333]

9 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Great updates, thanks lads.

I’ve always thought there’s been far to much getting knickers in a twist over what he says immediately post-game - the poor guy’s blood pressure is still probably 200/120 and someone shoves a mic under his nose. 

I suppose we could grouse about giving last year’s team a go, but that’s pretty much over now and it’s not like it’ll have got us relegated.

Roll on this summer, could be transformative.

Seems your theory about BB not being a Mowbray signing but a project from Balaji has proven to be incorrect. What's worse is that Mowbray saw him have one good game and spent £7m on him. 

[DE.]

Overall sensible comments from TM and mostly stuff we would all agree on. You have to find a balance between being loyal and making sure the squad is prepared quality-wise for the next level, and I think Mowbray has erred on the loyalty siide of that equation a little too much. Suggestions of selling Dack concern me hugely as Dack is the only creative player thus far that TM has bought and successfully integrated into the team. If Dack goes we'll have absolutely no creativity unless Rothwell starts, and that's a bit of a gamble to say the least. 

Seems like this season has been effectively written off by the manager, and he also seems to think he's coached this current team as far as he can and will now be relying on money from the owners to improve us - again, concerning to me as relying on these owners for funds and stable support is asking for trouble. I also think we could and should be far better defensively, even with the players we currenty have. I don't accept that we need to buy a bunch of players to be better than fourth worst goals conceded in the division and joint most long balls played.

But anyway, it would appear TM is essentially putting us in a holding pattern until the summer. Hopefully he's taking note of some of the worst offenders on the pitch and planning to cull accordingly. I just hope he'll get the backing he seems to believe he'll get, because if he doesn't and Dack is also sold then we will be looking at a swift return to League 1.  

[K-Hod]

50 minutes ago, unsall said:

Think Mowbray is one of the best managers we’ve had, lovely guy and very knowledgeable, knows the game inside out, obviously doesn’t always get it right, very loyal this season to the players who got us up but realises we need new blood next season.

A shame a lot of posters on here don’t want to give him time, luckily they don’t make the decisions.

He knows what he wants next season and I hope he gets the backing, and let’s go for it next season with him in charge.

I’m sure you’re capable of posting without having a dig at other posters. 

Go on, I dare you....

[blueboy3333]

9 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Have had most of the above confirmed by a friend's son who went.

So the manager, who's been in football all his life and who is paid thousands of pounds a week is only just coming round to realising what was obvious to most fans in the summer and  who could all have told  the owners this six or seven months earlier for nothing.

Marvellous. It's only 3 weeks or so ago he said he wasn't bothered we hadn't added in January because he was happy with the squad. Maybe he can an will revamp the squad in the summer, but at best it's been a wasted season. At worst it will be too difficult to rebuild in one window and next season will be a desperate struggle.

Mowbray's contradictions are becoming legend. He says one thing then says the complete opposite a few weeks later.

Oooh, but what an honest man?

[JHRover]

It seems to me that Mowbray is now, in his own subtle way, sending messages to the owners and their representative, that he clearly feels substantial funds are going to be needed to take us towards promotion contention. It also appears he is coming round to the idea of sacrificing Dack to generate the funding required. Anyone who seriously believes that Venkys will reinvest £20 million from Dack should we get that is extremely optimistic having witnessed what happened to the funds following sales of Rhodes, Hanley, Duffy and Gestede. It will disappear into the ether.

The difference between Mowbray and Paul Lambert is that Mowbray will be more diplomatic with the owners and play the longer game, and won't throw a wobbler if they don't provide the funds he seeks.

I see Mowbray made a reference to a £10 million signing that he hopes they would approve should he find one that would help the team. I don't necessarily think that is required but conservatively we're going to need at least 5 or 6 first team ready players, and I'm afraid unless we strike gold and unearth some serious quality from abroad or lower leagues then that sort of thing is going to cost a lot of money.

[roversfan99]

3 hours ago, CP Company Lad said:

This. Cash in on Dack and rebuild for a push at the top 6. I said he hadn't hit the form of last season and was shot down. Not Premier League quality imo but could be a very good championship player in the right team. 

May I ask how you are in a position to judge his performance levels this season.

He is already a very good Championship player in our team. Hes the key to any top 6 push and he will be incredibly difficult to replace. Id take Dack over 15 million in Mowbrays hands any day. Very rarely does that scenario work as well as youd like it to.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, unsall said:

Think Mowbray is one of the best managers we’ve had, lovely guy and very knowledgeable, knows the game inside out, obviously doesn’t always get it right, very loyal this season to the players who got us up but realises we need new blood next season.

A shame a lot of posters on here don’t want to give him time, luckily they don’t make the decisions.

He knows what he wants next season and I hope he gets the backing, and let’s go for it next season with him in charge.

Is 7 in 182 a lot of posters? No it isnt. And you know it isnt. Still, lets not allow facts to get in the way.

[blueboy3333]

It's heartening that all the things that Mowbray has criticised himself for are all the things the more discerning poster on here has been criticising him for. We won't name names (I'm just too classy) but the non-thinking types that defend everything Mowbray does and says will need to reflect long and hard this morning on the hurt and upset they have caused to quality posters by doing awful things like attaching 'laughing emojis' to quality posts. It  must be very sobering experience for them. They are in my thoughts. 

[DE.]

11 goals and 5 assists from Dack this season, isn't it? Compared with:

Jack Rodwell - 1 goal 0 assists

Charlie Mulgrew - 8 goals 0 assists

Darragh Lenihan - 1 goal 0 assists

Ryan Nyambe - 0 goals 0 assists

Amari Bell - 1 goal 0 assists

Derrick Williams - 0 goals 1 assist

Elliott Bennet - 0 goals 3 assists

Lewis Travis - 0 goals 0 assists

Corry Evans - 0 goals 0 asists

Richie Smallwood - 0 goals 1 assist

Harrison Reed - 3 goals 5 assists

Joe Rothwell - 0 goals 1 assist 

Adam Armstrong - 4 goals 3 assists

Ben Brereton 0 goals 1 assist

Danny Graham - 10 goals 3 assists

Joe Nuttall - 2 goals 0 assists

But yeah, let's get rid of by far our most impressive goalscorer and creator (whilst our joint best creator in Reed goes back to Southampton) and build around players who rarely score or assist, let alone do both at once. What could go wrong? 

[Tom Stinny]

1 hour ago, unsall said:

Think Mowbray is one of the best managers we’ve had, lovely guy and very knowledgeable, knows the game inside out, obviously doesn’t always get it right, very loyal this season to the players who got us up but realises we need new blood next season.

A shame a lot of posters on here don’t want to give him time, luckily they don’t make the decisions.

He knows what he wants next season and I hope he gets the backing, and let’s go for it next season with him in charge.

Wait till next season

[arbitro]

56 minutes ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

That's the one - he said we won 1-0  but the lad gave us the run around playing right wing.

Thinking about that, can we assume that Williams was left back?  May explain BBs performance...

i was at that game and I honestly don't remember Brereton standing out. As I recall Forest were poor on the day and we scraped a 1-0 win.