Mowbray: Stay or go?

[blueboy3333]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17559577.mowbary-admits-surprise-at-rovers-post-january-dip-in-form/

Has he mentioned 'fine margins'? The new narrative is in full swing. 

We've got the worst away defence in English professional football. Fine margins. 

Yet he admits our good start had everything to do with momentum from last season. What will happen at the beginning of next season when there isn't any momentum? With Mowbray in charge I think we can all guess. Lets be honest, his work in the transfer market won't save him and he's a tactical amoeba. 

Tony 'I like 2 and a half attackers' Mowbray. Who the F@*k says that? 

 

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17559577.mowbary-admits-surprise-at-rovers-post-january-dip-in-form/

Has he mentioned 'fine margins'? The new narrative is in full swing. 

We've got the worst away defence in English professional football. Fine margins. 

Yet he admits our good start had everything to do with momentum from last season. What will happen at the beginning of next season when there isn't any momentum? With Mowbray in charge I think we can all guess. Lets be honest, his work in the transfer market won't save him and he's a tactical amoeba. 

Tony 'I like 2 and a half attackers' Mowbray. Who the F@*k says that? 

 

He's cracked. Peddling the line that we are just out of L1 like we'd been there for years and some swallow this garbage. The fine lines crap, oh dear God he's headed too many heavy wet balls.

[JHRover]

'Mowbray had hoped to have been experimenting with formations and personnel as their season drifts towards its conclusion'

Forgive me, I was under the impression that was what Mowbray had been doing all season long. The amount of unforced changes to tactics and personnel has been astonishing and in my humble opinion just one of the many reasons we appear to have no defined style or identity and often the players look baffled in games.

I find this comment to be something of an insult to my intelligence. Mowbray's obsession with trying his 5 at the back even though it has rarely worked has seen it regularly deployed and then changed during games. He has introduced an alternating LB system with Bell and Williams, he has signed players (Rodwell) with a view to using the season to convert them into different positions. He has spent the last 2 seasons playing players in wide positions who aren't used to playing there or don't really like playing there - Reed, Payne, Armstrong, Antonsson, Brereton.

I dread to think what 'experiments' he had planned had we been 5-10 points better off and safe already. He's shown no serious desire to use the younger players - Travis only got an opportunity in the team due to Smallwood's suspension, Magloire only because there was nobody else left and Buckley a brief cameo.

 

[tomphil]

Christ he was doing that from the word go last season and the formation that he had in mind and had maybe influenced his recruitment went tits up in the first few games.

Having a strong strike force and being able to get away with strikers on the wings and the signing of Dack is ultimately what got us out of league 1 along with Mulgrews class left peg and head.  All that put together meant we were stronger than everyone else bar Wigan, not always necessarily better just bigger and stronger options wise.

Almost to a man we said that won't be enough to prosper in this league although we still should be good enough to get something from half the teams in here, which at times we have. He's also just more or less admitted it was the promotion (and new contracts) bounce that played a big part in giving us a good start and decent overall first half season.  Sadly as soon as that faded and it came back down to the basics again we resemble to team that went down and he resembles the guy managing it, honest, hard working but toothless front and back and pretty clueless as to actually how to go about it.

We'll need a damn good start next season again that's for sure and personally i'd like to see it built from the back on a solid defence and system and let youth give it some verve further up the field.  I think though with his current favs likely to be first choices again he'll have to come up with a hard to beat ugly football system instead because his usual mish mash approach will see us in the mire that much is obvious now.

[BlackburnEnd75]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

Christ he was doing that from the word go last season and the formation that he had in mind and had maybe influenced his recruitment went tits up in the first few games.

Having a strong strike force and being able to get away with strikers on the wings and the signing of Dack is ultimately what got us out of league 1 along with Mulgrews class left peg and head.  All that put together meant we were stronger than everyone else bar Wigan, not always necessarily better just bigger and stronger options wise.

Almost to a man we said that won't be enough to prosper in this league although we still should be good enough to get something from half the teams in here, which at times we have. He's also just more or less admitted it was the promotion (and new contracts) bounce that played a big part in giving us a good start and decent overall first half season.  Sadly as soon as that faded and it came back down to the basics again we resemble to team that went down and he resembles the guy managing it, honest, hard working but toothless front and back and pretty clueless as to actually how to go about it.

We'll need a damn good start next season again that's for sure and personally i'd like to see it built from the back on a solid defence and system and let youth give it some verve further up the field.  I think though with his current favs likely to be first choices again he'll have to come up with a hard to beat ugly football system instead because his usual mish mash approach will see us in the mire that much is obvious now.

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

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Mowbray:

"We are trying really hard and I hope the supporters can see that"

 

[BankEnd Rover]

The more & more i read comments on this thread the more i hope we have a new manager in place come the summer. We need a Fresh start with fresh ideas. Will it happen? Not a chance!

Mowbray is a good man but he is steering us in the wrong direction.

[JacknOry]

Just now, BankEnd Rover said:

The more & more i read comments on this thread the more i hope we have a new manager in place come the summer. We need a Fresh start with fresh ideas. Will it happen? Not a chance!

Mowbray is a good man but he is steering us in the wrong direction.

If it was going to happen, the sooner the better just to give the new guy more time to look at the squad, see whats needed, and to start laying his own groundwork. We're not going down unless a miracle set of results come from those below - so the rest of the seasons is essentially a dead rubber.  

[tomphil]

1 hour 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

That's the one that always springs to mind and I think he was misguidedly assuming that lot would steam roll the division in the home games at least.  Disaster on the day .

[Tom]

28 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Mowbray:

"We are trying really hard and I hope the supporters can see that"

 

I hate quotes like this, trying hard isn’t an achievement it’s the bare minimum you expect for people being paid thousands a week to do a job they are naturally gifted to do and in a position that millions would love to be in.

[DE.]

34 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Mowbray:

"We are trying really hard and I hope the supporters can see that"

 

He and the players genuinely seem to think that they are working at optimum level, which suggests there is an incredibly low bar at the club. 

[Don Said]

35 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Mowbray:

"We are trying really hard and I hope the supporters can see that"

 

Steve McClaren. Tried really hard. SACKED.

Gary Rowett. Tried really hard. SACKED.

And so on... doesn't save any man.

Welcome to the results business.

[Bigdoggsteel]

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 

[roversfan99]

6 hours ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

I said at the time we won promotion despite Mowbray but not because of him!

I still cannot forget that performance at Oldham last season where the week before we hammered Pompey 3-0 at Ewood then Mowbray changed the team because he was afraid of Oldham's right back and centre forward. It showed all we need to know!

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.

[lraC]

After the first 6 games in league one, last year, I think people thought it would take a miracle to get us promoted. Mowbray achieved that miracle and I would say he deserved credit for that, after the torrid time we have had. He is obviously hanging on by his finger nails now, given the current run, but I would imagine he will be given the summer to reassess and 10 games next season, before his position is really under threat. 

[Don Said]

Just now, lraC said:

After the first 6 games in league one, last year, I think people thought it would take a miracle to get us promoted. Mowbray achieved that miracle and I would say he deserved credit for that, after the torrid time we have had. He is obviously hanging on by his finger nails now, given the current run, but I would imagine he will be given the summer to reassess and 10 games next season, before his position is really under threat. 

Not sure chasing down the likes of Shrewsbury by 9 points or so with 40 games to play with a squad full of players that had played Premier League and Championship was anywhere near a miracle!

For what it's worth, I think we could lose every game for the rest of the season and the only way he'd depart would be through resignation.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour 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

No wonder we lost, what a shambles !

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

38 minutes ago, DE. said:

 He and the players genuinely seem to think that they are working at optimum level, which suggests there is an incredibly low bar at the club. 

What ever other criticisms of the team you can make rightly or wrongly do not let him try to tell me they are working hard. I know when a team is hard working and we aren't that team.  A hard working team covers more yards, wins more tackles, wins more second balls, win more contested headers etc than their opponent . You don't need too much skill to do those things well . You just need fitness, desire and a will to win. When was the last time we had a real " hard working team " ?

Edited April 9, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[oldjamfan1]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

No wonder we lost, what a shambles !

And that is exactly what it was TS, the first half especially. I wanted Mowbray sacked right there and then if I'm being honest, and I almost came to blows with a bloke on the Darwen End after I'd made my feelings clear and he didn't agree. 

[Vinjay]

1 hour ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Mowbray:

"We are trying really hard and I hope the supporters can see that"

 

What more and more supporters are seeing is everything Mowbray Magoo can't see. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by Vinjay17

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, oldjamfan1 said:

And that is exactly what it was TS, the first half especially. I wanted Mowbray sacked right there and then if I'm being honest, and I almost came to blows with a bloke on the Darwen End after I'd made my feelings clear and he didn't agree. 

Imagine Caddis and Williams as wing backs, Jesus Christ ! That doesn't bear thinking about. Evans and Smallwood in midfield , Bennett and Whittingham attacking midfield with Dack on the bench. I wasn't at that game, did we actually have a shot on goal ? Like you say, reason to sack the guy on the spot !

[Bigdoggsteel]

8 minutes ago, Don Said said:

Not sure chasing down the likes of Shrewsbury by 9 points or so with 40 games to play with a squad full of players that had played Premier League and Championship was anywhere near a miracle!

For what it's worth, I think we could lose every game for the rest of the season and the only way he'd depart would be through resignation.

It doesn't matter what we were doing with 40 games played, all that matters was where we were after 46.  Job done , comfortably for a finish. I am critical of Mowbray now too, but lets not downplay what he achieved last season. It's pointless, disingenuous and takes focus off the real issues which are happening right now. 

[Don Said]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

It doesn't matter what we were doing with 40 games played, all that matters was where we were after 46.  Job done , comfortably for a finish. I am critical of Mowbray now too, but lets not downplay what he achieved last season. It's pointless, disingenuous and takes focus off the real issues which are happening right now. 

Think you misinterpreted my reply to the original point BDS!

But I would be inclined to disagree with that notion.

Lets say we finish 16th this season after 46 games.

Without context we might see that as a decent job.

With the context of knowing that we were touching the play offs in Jan, followed by a run of 4 points from 33 I think it's much worse of a job, especially taking in to consideration aspects such as the very same manager's history at Coventry and Boro, and the fact that we need to give ourselves the best chance of a strong start to next season.

Taking things as they actually are with full context is really important. And as in any line of work, decisions made with context should be backed up by dynamic data over time as opposed to taking a purely static view.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Don Said said:

Think you misinterpreted my reply to the original point BDS!

But I would be inclined to disagree with that notion.

Lets say we finish 16th this season after 46 games.

Without context we might see that as a decent job.

With the context of knowing that we were touching the play offs in Jan, followed by a run of 4 points from 33 I think it's much worse of a job, especially taking in to consideration aspects such as the very same manager's history at Coventry and Boro, and the fact that we need to give ourselves the best chance of a strong start to next season.

Taking things as they actually are with full context is really important. And as in any line of work, decisions made with context should be backed up by dynamic data over time as opposed to taking a purely static view.

Indeed and you make a valid point about this season. However our aim last season was promotion at all costs and that was achieved. This season it was to consolidate, which we have, but as you say, how we have gotten to this point is concerning and can't just be passed off because we consolidated. The run we are on isn't just a blip, it's borderline catastrophic. 

[Don Said]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

Indeed and you make a valid point about this season. However our aim last season was promotion at all costs and that was achieved. This season it was to consolidate, which we have, but as you say, how we have gotten to this point is concerning and can't just be passed off because we consolidated. The run we are on isn't just a blip, it's borderline catastrophic. 

 

Yeah you're right in saying we can't overly criticise it; was just pointing out it wasn't a miracle as such. We'll always remember it for the great year any promotion year is, and the Mulgrew header at Doncaster will be thought about like Jansen's goal at Preston, Speedie's dive at Wembley and such.

There were areas for TM to improve on from the league one season going in to the championship that were not addressed as they could've been, but again I suppose it's much easier said with hindsight.

The next month will be telling, as it always is when talk from the manager goes from performances to the need to just get the points.