Mowbray: Stay or go?

[47er]

58 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya, silly long-term planning- a mugs game really 

You can plan for promotion for as far away as you like.

BUT if there's a chance of success earlier you don't stick to the original plan!

If we'd spent £7m on the defence in the summer and bought a couple in January( like you now recognise Preston did!) then maybe we'd have given that top 6 a shake.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, 47er said:

You can plan for promotion for as far away as you like.

BUT if there's a chance of success earlier you don't stick to the original plan!

If we'd spent £7m on the defence in the summer and bought a couple in January( like you now recognise Preston did!) then maybe we'd have given that top 6 a shake.

The Preston lads were decent signings, but lets not pretend that they set the world alight. I stand by my point that it's very difficult to sign real game changers in January. Should have signed a center half on loan though all the same. 

At the end of the day though, we can still finish ahead of Preston as well. 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Bigdoggsteel

[47er]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

The Preston lads were decent signings, but lets not pretend that they set the world alight. I stand by my point that it's very difficult to sign real game changers in January. Should have signed a center half on loan though all the same. 

At the end of the day though, we can still finish ahead of Preston as well. 

I'm not pretending they "set the world alight" Mr Strawman but Preston's fortunes took a big up-turn partly as a result.

One centre-back would have gone a long way as you admit.

Its therefore not difficult to improve your fortunes by making effective signings in  January is it?

And the relevance of your last sentence is........?

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, 47er said:

I'm not pretending they "set the world alight" Mr Strawman but Preston's fortunes took a big up-turn partly as a result.

One centre-back would have gone a long way as you admit.

Its therefore not difficult to improve your fortunes by making effective signings in  January is it?

And the relevance of your last sentence is........?

I doubt you know much about the players or how they contributed to be fair. 

Admit? You are making it sound like I said that after hours of interrogation. I have been saying it since January. 

If the signings are good of course it is possible. As my point clearly stated, it's difficult to find players who will contribute meaningfully. The vast majority of teams in the championship didn't. 

Preston are being used as an example of a team who did good transfer business in the summer and January, yet we could still finish ahead of them. I am pretty sure every single fan would have taken taken that at the start of the season. 

[Adam C]

2 hours ago, 47er said:

You can plan for promotion for as far away as you like.

BUT if there's a chance of success earlier you don't stick to the original plan!

If we'd spent £7m on the defence in the summer and bought a couple in January( like you now recognise Preston did!) then maybe we'd have given that top 6 a shake.

BUT.... if..... and...... maybe......

A lot of variables there. 

We should be happy with TM’s management as the facts show that we’ve ended the season in a decent position for a promoted team, and could finish above Preston after they splashed the cash.

Next season we can expect more from a seasoned championship side and hopefully some quality additions 

[DE.]

We probably only needed a decent centre back and maybe a left back in January. I don't think it would have been hard to upgrade on Bell or Mulgrew defensively. That said, if we'd known earlier that Williams would be so competent at CB we probably could have gotten away with using him there for an extended period. Unfortunately by the time this became apparent it was too late. 

With the way TM tends to bed in new signings I don't think signings in January would have made much difference. The bigger issue was letting Downing go without having any real replacement ready to step in. 

[tomphil]

Problem there is Bell they've invested a bit of money and time in him now and Mulgrew is obviously an influential senior player and maybe the biggest earner with a new contract.

Casting them aside midseason or indeed finding the money for wages without doing that might have proved difficult there was a bit of a rod for the back created there. Anyway he's got away with it so summer really is the time to take stock of that.

Something will have to give if he's made defence the priority he's hinting at.

[JHRover]

I was quite surprised at the tone of Mowbray's comments last night regarding defenders at the club. Whether he is genuinely at his wits end with them or whether he was playing it up for the audience and cameras I'm not sure.

Once again we hear that he's planning big things for the summer and a high calibre of player being targeted, but we had all that last summer when he rubbished the Armstrong and Chapman rumours because he was after some big hitters and then we signed them anyway.

[47er]

7 hours ago, The Hypnotic said:

BUT.... if..... and...... maybe......

 

You can add 'should have" to that list.

[Husky]

Failed in our bid for The Lancampionship Cup!

He's got to go now!

[philipl]

Got his 60 points so he can stay for me!

[scotchrover]

Are people really looking at Preston as the way forward? They’ve finished 1 point above us. ??

A good first season back for me- there’s work to do across the board, but we’re in a good position for next season. Here’s to hopefully an exciting summer!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Put me firmly in the 'not sure he's the Manager to take us up' camp.

 

[AllRoverAsia]

8 minutes ago, scotchrover said:

Are people really looking at Preston as the way forward? They’ve finished 1 point above us. ??

A good first season back for me- there’s work to do across the board, but we’re in a good position for next season. Here’s to hopefully an exciting summer!

and took 6 off us plus GD

[scotchrover]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

and took 6 off us plus GD

..and still only finished 1 point above us. If we’re looking at a side above us, Norwich is the way forward. Preston fans expected the top 6 this year, and they bottled it yet again. 

Edited May 5, 2019 by scotchrover

[RevidgeBlue]

Definitely "go" for me. Not the man to take us forward.

We've some promising young talent but we've only seen the merest glimpses of ithat even though the season has been a dead rubber since the start of February.

When push comes to shove and it actually matters again they'l be jettisoned once more in favour of inferior older players.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

When push comes to shove and it actually matters again they'l be jettisoned once more in favour of inferior older players.

I think it's the older heads who will be jettisoned this summer - or at least should be. 

Conway, Rodwell, Smallwood and Mulgrew all appear to be out of favour. Rodwell and Conway are out of contract and I'd be surprised if Smallwood and Mulgrew weren't offered around to other clubs.

 I think he'll keep Evans to battle it out with Travis, Davenport and AN Other for the CM roles. 

Graham he'll keep - POTY and with 14 goals he's had a great season. 

[DE.]

We absolutely have to stop with this 45 minute mentality. Failing to start games properly has killed us this season. The amount of 0-0 first half scores at Ewood must be close to if not a record? Hopefully Mowbray will bring in better players over the summer and have the courage to let them play from the first whistle. As it stands we handicap ourselves in many matches with poor first half performances. 

[Stuart]

3 hours ago, philipl said:

Got his 60 points so he can stay for me!

A self-imposed and arbitrary target.

I did wonder during the game today if he would go for the point to be able to say he succeeded or if he would aim for the win and risk defeat.

First half he played very conservative football indeed but to be fair he did go for it in the second half. It was a little sentimental to bring on Conway for (I think) his 200th Rovers appearance and likely his last. Although he might have been better to have started him instead of an out of form Armstrong and then brought on Chapman, if he was aiming for sentiment.

If (1) Preston had won today it would have been moot but - symbolic of our last two seasons under Mowbray - an unplanned opportunity arose and we didn’t take advantage, instead preferring to stick.

If (2) Mowbray had started some youngsters he could have been more than forgiven but it seems he really wanted to get that point. Psychologically it probable feels good to set targets and steadfastly aim to hit them rather than raise the bar and “fail”. Much like last season where promotion was the target and a league title was deemed unnecessary 60 points were the target and finishing above Preston unnecessary.

Unless you are a Rovers fan...

[Exiled in Toronto]

Much if not most of the befuddlement over Mowbray’s decisions to my mind comes from not understanding the man’s core beliefs (or not agreeing with them).

Its clear from multiple comments over the last two years that he strongly believes in treating footballers as living breathing people with short careers and families to care for for a long time after they are finished, rather than as disposable components of a machine.

I believe this explains the contracts handed out to the players who stayed but could’ve been expected to leave after relegation, and also the length of time he gave last years team to prove themselves at this level.

The last few games he has been sending out some clear messages having marked everyone’s report cards. Raya, Nyambe, Mulgrew and Smallwood face a real struggle to get much game time next season, with Evans not far behind. No-one will be sent to train with the kids or hawked around by agents, but I think he’s betting that Mulgrew’s and Evans’ desire to keep playing for their countries  will make them seek moves. Smallwood will be next year’s Downing. Raya and Nyambe will be kept but have to improve substantially to be anything other than injury cover. Williams I think saved himself the last few games and is now a decent option for the 3rd centre back.

All of the above were given every chance and more this year, they can’t complain and the other players will not think their mates have been shafted.

Mowbray still has to buy well, but Rothwell and Davenport look like they can be added to the Dack category of fantastic buys.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Exiled in Toronto

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, Exiled in Toronto said:

All of the above were given every chance and more this year, they can’t complain and the other players will not think their mates have been shafted.

Don't agree Nyambe has had every chance this year, I think he's been very shabbily treated.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Don't agree Nyambe has had every chance this year, I think he's been very shabbily treated.

25 starts was enough to convince me he’ll never offer anything past the halfway line. He ain’t a Lucas Neill, who we bought from this level.

[RevidgeBlue]

4 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

25 starts was enough to convince me he’ll never offer anything past the halfway line. He ain’t a Lucas Neill, who we bought from this level.

Looks to me that Nyambe is more than capable of bursting forward  but was under instruction not to do so.

We'll have to agree to disagree but criticising Nyambe's capabilities at RB when the vastly  inferior Bennett has been in there is somewhat bizarre imo.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Looks to me that Nyambe is more than capable of bursting forward  but was under instruction not to do so.

We'll have to agree to disagree but criticising Nyambe's capabilities at RB when the vastly  inferior Bennett has been in there is somewhat bizarre imo.

I’m not at all advocating Bennett. I just think that no goals and no assists in nearly 100 starts isn’t acceptable these days. As a fellow Hird and Bailey man I’m surprised you are happy with him.

Also think your summary of a disastrous season is OTT. Those are when we get relegated or lose our best players in my book.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Looks to me that Nyambe is more than capable of bursting forward  but was under instruction not to do so.

We'll have to agree to disagree but criticising Nyambe's capabilities at RB when the vastly  inferior Bennett has been in there is somewhat bizarre imo.

Nyambe can burst forward ok but there's been very little end product so far. I speak as a fan of the lad.