Mowbray: Stay or go?

[roversfan99]

Our 11 game run is far more than a blip in form, we had a very good run of form in January which was only 4 games. This has been approximately a quarter of a season. The trajectory of our season alone means the manager has to be under pressure. I think throughout the season those who have defended Mowbray have done so from the position of claiming that safety alone proves progress is being made. If you want to look at it as black and white as that, we are currently on 47 points and are apparently progressing within the parameters of a plan as we should be having invested well over 10m since Mowbray took over. In a season when Coyle managed more than half and we were coming off the back of 2 summers of having our best players sold, and spending 250k on Derrick Williams one year and being under embargo the year before, we got 51 points. I understand position is more important than points but thats based on every other team, and it would be pretty galling if Mowbray was unable to surpass that previous points total that saw us go down.

[DE.]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

I think you have your dates mixed up, following the win v Pompey we played Wigan away and drew nil nil, followed by a dissapointing draw v Fleetwood and 6 wins on the bounce.

I think Mowbrays time is up like you but its totally unfair to suggest we went up "despite" Mowbray you have to be prepared to give him credit even if it was a minimum requirement you have to still do it. And its not lucky either as others have suggested.

It probably is a bit harsh to say we went up despite Mowbray, however I don't think the job was that difficult either. We had a squad that pretty much every other manager in that division would have given their right arm for. We retained all of our best players whilst also bringing in a player in Dack who was considered one of if not the best player in the division. I think most competent managers would have gotten us up from that position and likely won the league as well. There are plenty of less competent managers who would have made a mess of it, but if Paul Hurst could get Shrewsbury to 3rd then there was no excuse not to finish second at the very least. 

We're in a position now where we need to say thank you for getting us back into the Championship, Tony, but to stay here we need much better than this. Unfortunately I see this as very unlikely, and in a few months we could easily be staring at the abyss once again and relying on our clueless owners to spin the wheel and get lucky again. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Our 11 game run is far more than a blip in form, we had a very good run of form in January which was only 4 games. This has been approximately a quarter of a season. The trajectory of our season alone means the manager has to be under pressure. I think throughout the season those who have defended Mowbray have done so from the position of claiming that safety alone proves progress is being made. If you want to look at it as black and white as that, we are currently on 47 points and are apparently progressing within the parameters of a plan as we should be having invested well over 10m since Mowbray took over. In a season when Coyle managed more than half and we were coming off the back of 2 summers of having our best players sold, and spending 250k on Derrick Williams one year and being under embargo the year before, we got 51 points. I understand position is more important than points but thats based on every other team, and it would be pretty galling if Mowbray was unable to surpass that previous points total that saw us go down.

The thing is though we were doing well up until Feb, not just keeping our heads above water. We were a win off the play-off places. I don't think anyone predicted we would go on such an awful run and it def can't just be ignored, swept under the carpet under the umbrella that "safety was the aim" 

[frosty]

3 hours ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

Remember the second game of the season, home to Doncaster. The team he played that day:

                                    Raya

             Nyambe       Ward        Mulgrew

Caddis          Smallwood     Evans           Williams

                   Whittingham     Bennett

                                Graham

Dreadful! We were indeed all over the place that game. Things got better after this so it tends to be forgotten about, but at the time it was one of the lowest points of the previous 7 years, as it was then. And the lowest in the sense that it left us in the relegation zone of League One.

Speaking of poor line ups, a couple of weeks after Doncaster we tried to beat Burnley with this team:

Raya, Caddis, Ward, Mulgrew, Williams, Feeney, Smallwood, Whittingham, Chapman, Gladwin, Antonsson

[JHRover]

What happened last season isn't really relevant in terms of whether we were any good or how we went about it.

End result was promotion. Job done. Pats on the back all round. Corrected the calamity of 2016-17. Mowbray has been praised for that, well paid for that and presumably had some sort of bonus for achieving that.

Now we're in April 2019 and in freefall. I don't see why what happened more than a year ago has anything to do with where we are today. Since then we've dished out new contracts, spent £10 million on players and not had to sell anyone, so circumstances have been as good as anyone could really have expected.

At the time of writing we are in a right old mess however people want to try and dress it up. Some have faith Mowbray can and will turn it around, others don't have that faith. I'm somewhere in the middle- I'm not particularly confident he can or will do but I'm not clambering for his sacking, though admittedly if I had any confidence in the club to conduct a thorough and coherent search for a better manager then I probably would be, and if this continues much longer then I probably will be.

I like Mowbray and appreciate the job he has done overall but no manager anywhere should be immune for criticism or the sack especially as the club is plummeting and performances are dismal. The club comes first and individuals come second. Or at least it should do.

[SBlue]

I watch every iFollow interview and normally find TM's longer interviews informative and interesting, and it stops some of the misunderstanding that can come from LET reporting...

But in today's pre-match preview he spent 5 out of 12 minutes talking about VAR.

 

?

Seems he's feeling the pressure.

[roversfan99]

3 hours ago, DE. said:

It probably is a bit harsh to say we went up despite Mowbray, however I don't think the job was that difficult either. We had a squad that pretty much every other manager in that division would have given their right arm for. We retained all of our best players whilst also bringing in a player in Dack who was considered one of if not the best player in the division. I think most competent managers would have gotten us up from that position and likely won the league as well. There are plenty of less competent managers who would have made a mess of it, but if Paul Hurst could get Shrewsbury to 3rd then there was no excuse not to finish second at the very least. 

We're in a position now where we need to say thank you for getting us back into the Championship, Tony, but to stay here we need much better than this. Unfortunately I see this as very unlikely, and in a few months we could easily be staring at the abyss once again and relying on our clueless owners to spin the wheel and get lucky again. 

Would certainly agree that it was not the hardest job, but he deserves credit for doing it still. Signing Dack was a catalyst and even though its fair to suggest that the vast majority if not every other team wouldnt be able to have afforded him, it was still a superb signing. He also clearly harnessed the team spirit last season, and made a couple of other signings that really helped notably Armstrong on loan and Downing too. To say we did it despite him is totally unfair, he played as big a part as any in not the greatest achievement in sporting history or anything remarkable, but still a successful season and good achievement. Also, getting 96 points over a season, thats not luck!

Totally agree with your analysis on where we are now, its become stagnant.

[Oldgregg86]

6 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Well he did acknowledge after the last game that it's a results business. Personally I can't listen to anymore of the following 

• We worked hard
• We played well
• We weren't good enough defensively
• We weren't good enough in the final third/with the final ball

The last 2 in particular have been repeated game after bloody game. Just sort it out or at least take steps to try and do it 

You forgot fine margins

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Oldgregg86 said:

You forgot fine margins

That one annoys me so much I have blocked it out. Keep it for the rugby 

[Amo]

A little candour can go a long way but few managers will ever come out and admit they've screwed up. Doesn't inspire much confidence from your players, and more importantly, your bosses.

Of course, the scarier notion is that Mowbray genuinely believes he hasn't put a foot wrong, and circumstances are to blame.

[SBlue]

FOUR MORE YEARS

FOUR MORE YEARS

[Husky]

The start of another false end of season dawn (like what happened with Groundhog Gaz)?

Or was tonight just a blip?

Edited April 9, 2019 by Husky

[Swanson]

Nothing changed for me.

IF he keeps picking our better players and playing them in the right position, then maybe...

But we will see on saturday... If he goes back to the same old stuff again.

 

[matt83]

Easily to hammer a bloke after a defeat so I think I’ll say after one of the best performances of the season I don’t think he’s the man to carry us forward.

Crippling lack of sensible investment in the summer/January is one thing but why it took them so long to basically do what fans have been saying they should do is worrying. We could all see it for months so why they couldn’t worries me.

Eternally grateful to Tony but with the massive job in the summer I dont think he’s the man for the job.  

[blueboy3333]

Even a man as seemingly clueless as Mowbray must now be able to work out which players are on the pitch when Rovers get their best results...and which players aren't. If Rothwell is as good as people say tonight then he has been criminally underused. Likewise, Mulgrew not playing always seems to coincide with our best defensive displays. Travis always seems to play when we play at our best. So do Dack and Graham. Reed hasn't been given enough games in his favoured position to tell one way or another. 

There's the nucleus of a decent outfit there for a good manager to work with. Hopefully we'll get one soon. 

[Parsonblue]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

Even a man as seemingly clueless as Mowbray must now be able to work out which players are on the pitch when Rovers get their best results...and which players aren't. If Rothwell is as good as people say tonight then he has been criminally underused. Likewise, Mulgrew not playing always seems to coincide with our best defensive displays. Travis always seems to play when we play at our best. So do Dack and Graham. Reed hasn't been given enough games in his favoured position to tell one way or another. 

There's the nucleus of a decent outfit there for a good manager to work with. Hopefully we'll get one soon. 

Fortunately we don't need to wait - we already have a good manager.

[Stuart]

Tonight was a watershed moment for Mowbray.

He absolutely must see that Reed and Travis are 1000 times what Smallwood and Evans are. They should absolutely only be used when we are well in front and want to rest players and kill off a game. And even then sparingly.

Rovers are, and have for some time, been at their best when they are on the front foot and not trying to neutralise the opposition.

Mowbray simply has to learn tonight and take this learning into the end of season games if he wants to be trusted to rebuild over the Summer. A return to Smallwood and Evans means he still doesn’t get it.

Over to you Tony.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Parsonblue said:

Fortunately we don't need to wait - we already have a good manager.

Haha, you're back after a rare win. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by blueboy3333

[Parsonblue]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

Haha, you're back after a rare win. 

It must have really ruined your night not having something to moan about?

[Paul Mani]

Some Rovers fans genuinely gutted that we’ve just played fantastically well and won. jeez ???

[Ewood Ace]

 

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

Likewise, Mulgrew not playing always seems to coincide with our best defensive displays.  

When Mulgrew hasn't played this season we have 24 points from 12 games keeping 7 clean sheets. In the 29 games Mulgrew has played we have 26 points, we have only kept 4 clean sheets 3 of which came in August the last coming on 6th October.

[Mercer]

13 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Fortunately we don't need to wait - we already have a good manager.

You must have got pi$$ed after a rare Rovers' win and decent performance.

One swallow does not make a summer.

Tonight, in the main, he picked his best players (Reed, Travis & Rothwell) instead of his 'favourites' (Evans, Smallwood) and played Reed in his best position.  Rothwell was a revelation.  Why has it taken so, so long for Mowbray to see sense?

The contrast between Rothwell and Brereton is so stark.  One has so much potential and ability (and has been held back) whilst the other, IMO, is one expensive dud (who has contributed virtually zilch to the cause) and Mowbray has spunked £7million+ away on him.

Dropping Nyamble to shoehorn Bennett into the team is indefensible and further evidence that Mowbray is, IMO, not up to it. 

IMO, Mowbray still has to go and go quickly.  We even won games under Kean and C o y l e !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited April 9, 2019 by Mercer

[Paul Mani]

10 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Fortunately we don't need to wait - we already have a good manager.

Correct. Anyone who knows anything about football can see that pal. ??

[AAK]

12 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Fortunately we don't need to wait - we already have a good manager.

Glad youve put our minds at rest, the 10 defeats in 12 i now know were all a bit of a laugh. We were just messing about. Cheers pal

Edited April 9, 2019 by AAK

[AAK]

Just now, Paul Mani said:

Correct. Anyone who knows anything about football can see that pal. ??

Thankfully we all know you have your tongue wagging at every training session, desperate to predict the starting line up and hey, 1 in every 10 youre right. Then there are your transfer preditctions, which despite your self inducing tongue wagging are always wide of the mark.