Tony Mowbray Discussion

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Don't change a winning formula Mowbray....it appears you may be learning and the penny's dropped?

Edited December 7, 2019 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Exiled in Toronto]

Swapping Tosin for Charlie is beginning to look like a master stroke. He plays the ball out of defence better than Charlie and defends a hell of a lot better, and much higher up the pitch. Downing has also proved an excellent acquisition.

[47er]

2 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Swapping Tosin for Charlie is beginning to look like a master stroke. He plays the ball out of defence better than Charlie and defends a hell of a lot better, and much higher up the pitch. Downing has also proved an excellent acquisition.

That's true but it doesn't excuse the persistent refusal/inability to to build a defence long-term. Tosin/Lenihan key to our success----one is injury-prone, the other won't be here next season. Downing is 35.

[tomphil]

Keeping the side more settled and more comfortable in their roles and tactics is allowing some to settle down now and a few partnerships to gel.

He's now acting like a manager who wants the best 11 to fit a set of tactics and get points to drive us up the league. Not someone just going through the motions hoping to keep his squad happy and hoping to drop on a formula that works then altering it and hoping it works again.

Penny dropped or has someone had a word ?   Amazing what a bit of potential fan unrest can provoke iv'e always said a little bit of pressure does no harm at times. Seems at Rovers it's only the fans who'll do that.

Stay off easy street boys and keep up the good work !

[Ossydave]

Whilst he does deserve some credit, hes literally only done what we as fans have been crying out for to be fair! Alas we were right.  The main reason for people wanting him out was his needless tinkering and playing players out of position. Alright some people may also question his transfer activities but he's also signed a few belters along the way.

Edited December 8, 2019 by Ossydave

[Mattyblue]

Careful now you lot, the screen grabber is prolific at the minute...

[MarkBRFC]

13 hours ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

The worst thing he can do now is start over thinking how our best players can't cope with 3 games in a week and start shuffling the team about. Light training and recovery. Same team. That is all he should have in his mind.

Exactly.

Yes we have three games in a week but after that we have a nice 10 day break until the next game.

Keep the same side, they are winning and we are starting to see some nice partnerships building over the pitch.

[Rogerb]

Personally think he's stumbled across his best starting eleven and formation but still can't resist tinkering with it with the substitutions. Why move Downing further forward when playing so we'll to accommodate Bennett at left back. Why insist on shunting Gallagher to the right side and play Armstrong in the centre when having such a good game still not got it that Gallagher is totally ineffective on the right. Why bring Buckley on at all. These made closing the game out far more difficult than it needed to be

[Amo]

This purple patch won’t last forever. It’s what the manager learns from it that will be key. I suspect at the moment he’s fighting every urge to tinker, but he knows a good thing when he sees it. Let’s hope it lasts and he doesn’t revert to type as soon as we lose.

[OldEwoodBlue]

1 hour ago, Rogerb said:

Personally think he's stumbled across his best starting eleven and formation but still can't resist tinkering with it with the substitutions. Why move Downing further forward when playing so we'll to accommodate Bennett at left back. Why insist on shunting Gallagher to the right side and play Armstrong in the centre when having such a good game still not got it that Gallagher is totally ineffective on the right. Why bring Buckley on at all. These made closing the game out far more difficult than it needed to be

Totally agree. He just needs to keep in simple and consistent. It was like he was trying to keep people (Armstrong) happy instead of what was right for the team.

If he wants to put Bennett on he needs to take Arma off. Straight swap.

If he wants to bring Rothwell off he should just put Holtby on.

He took a huge unnecessary risk with it only 1-0. If we had conceded he would be fair and square to blame.

[OldEwoodBlue]

2 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

Exactly.

Yes we have three games in a week but after that we have a nice 10 day break until the next game.

Keep the same side, they are winning and we are starting to see some nice partnerships building over the pitch.

Swansea playing today so in theory we will have a day's advantage.

How do we stop Tony spending that day thinking ?

[chaddyrovers]

Armstrong went up front to use his pace against Curtis Davies

[Stuart]

2 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Careful now you lot, the screen grabber is prolific at the minute...

Posting screenshots other people’s opinions on Twitter just to try to get likes/comments from 1 or 2 of your “followers”.

It’s the internet equivalent of running off to lunchtime dungeons and dragons club to tell your posse what you just heard in the playground!

He’s not even a young lad, this is a 60yo man!

[arbitro]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

Armstrong went up front to use his pace against Curtis Davies

But his pace is more effective coming in from wide as his goal demonstrated. Swapping players around after making substitutions has in the past unbalanced us and yesterday it did again as Derby almost capitalised on it. When we are in control of a game his changes should be like for like in my opinion.

[OldEwoodBlue]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

Armstrong went up front to use his pace against Curtis Davies

Who told you that nonsense ?

[chaddyrovers]

Just now, arbitro said:

But his pace is more effective coming in from wide as his goal demonstrated. Swapping players around after making substitutions has in the past unbalanced us and yesterday it did again as Derby almost capitalised on it. When we are in control of a game his changes should be like for like in my opinion.

I agree with your view. 

Just now, OldEwoodBlue said:

Who told you that nonsense ?

Well you can see that by the balls we played to him

[sabino]

2 hours ago, Rogerb said:

Why move Downing further forward when playing so we'll to accommodate Bennett at left back. 

He didn't. He took off Joe who was struggling and decided it was better to move Downing into that position with fans favourite Elliott Bennett filling in behind.

[Amo]

Holtby is a bit of a wanderer, so I can kinda understand bringing on Bennett to keep our shape. Although we'd be singing a different tune if Derby snatched that equaliser. Small margins.

Edited December 8, 2019 by Amo

[JHRover]

Credit to Mowbray where it is due. Whether by accident or design we have ended up with a side that looks balanced, organised and effective and the performances and results are significantly better than they were.

I do laugh at the 'holier than thou' people out there who now we've won a few are taking great enjoyment in the 'I told you so' game. Portraying those who questioned Mowbray's position as fools, idiots etc.

Let's get to the point. Anyone watching us play up to and including the Barnsley game this season quite rightly had serious concerns about what we were doing. Results were mediocre, the bottom 3 was in sight and we had the look of a disorganised rabble. As manager Mowbray quite rightly got stick for that and had his position questioned. Because it wasnt good enough. It goes to show now that this team is and was capable of much better than what we saw earlier this season. 

Our good form has repaired the damage of our nosedive culminating in the Preston defeat and we are back in the 'comfort' of midtable. A few good results from here before Xmas and the play-offs will be reachable. A couple of poor results and we could well be back down in 16th.

[roversfan99]

Its definitely a little remiss to refrain from giving Mowbray the credit he deserves. I still dont think our squad is good enough to challenge the top 6 to be honest but I have to give a manager I had written off regarding the last 4 wins, and its not just through decisions made that people were calling for, not many if any people were suggesting Downing to be given a run at left back, and the introduction of Evans has been as critical as any and no one wanted that.

49 minutes ago, Amo said:

Holtby is a bit of a wanderer, so I can kinda understand bringing on Bennett to keep our shape. Although we'd be singing a different tune if Derby snatched that equaliser. Small margins.

I actually thought that Bennetts introduction didnt keep our shape at all. I totally understood his introduction but felt that the natural thing to do was to play him wide as a more sensible and conservative choice. Moving him to left back, a position where he cannot play, disturbing a back 4 that had done very well and moving our man of the match who had defended very well was a move that caused more problems that it needed to. Downing is a picture of composure at left back, reading danger before it happens to avoid being exposes, Bennett is all action, hurling himself into every sliding challenge, and is a penalty in the making.

[Stuart]

12 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Credit to Mowbray where it is due. Whether by accident or design we have ended up with a side that looks balanced, organised and effective and the performances and results are significantly better than they were.

I do laugh at the 'holier than thou' people out there who now we've won a few are taking great enjoyment in the 'I told you so' game. Portraying those who questioned Mowbray's position as fools, idiots etc.

Let's get to the point. Anyone watching us play up to and including the Barnsley game this season quite rightly had serious concerns about what we were doing. Results were mediocre, the bottom 3 was in sight and we had the look of a disorganised rabble. As manager Mowbray quite rightly got stick for that and had his position questioned. Because it wasnt good enough. It goes to show now that this team is and was capable of much better than what we saw earlier this season. 

Our good form has repaired the damage of our nosedive culminating in the Preston defeat and we are back in the 'comfort' of midtable. A few good results from here before Xmas and the play-offs will be reachable. A couple of poor results and we could well be back down in 16th.

This is the thing with this league. It’s not a slog, it’s about momentum. Things are so tightly packed points-wise for so long that a few wins take you high in the rankings and a few defeats see you plummet towards the danger area. Consistency is key and if we can keep key players fit we could be in the hunt come January.

It will be then that Venkys and Mowbray’s ambitions will be found out. Last season we ducked it, this season we could be in a similar position and we need to spend what money we have wisely and may need to do some wheeling and dealing. As much as it pains me, we might have to sell one of our decent midfielders - where we are well stocked to make room. Something we wouldn’t have needed to have we not wasted £12m.

Let’s hope that we aren’t just seeing players putting themselves in the shop window ahead of the January sales (e.g. Evans and Dack) and there is some belief in this side. If we could get a couple or three million for Evans though, I’d take it. He’s only 29 but doesn’t have too many purple patches like he is having now.

[JacknOry]

The first line in one of the LT articles today sums it up for me.

"Tony Mowbray named the same side for the third game in a row for this victory – the first time he’s done that since January."

January was also the last time we had a really good run of results - this is not a coincidence. 

Also, that article highlights that we have now won 10, lost 2, and drawn 1 match when Travis and Evans have been our midfield partnership.

Edited December 8, 2019 by JacknOry

[tomphil]

It's there in a nutshell.

Also imo if he had strengthened the defence last Jan instead of allowing adequate back up to leave the bad run wouldn't have been so long. Might not have happened at all but we'll never know now.

There's a lesson in there as well though seeing as we are thankfully now celebrating others appearing to be learned.

[Pedro]

3 hours ago, JacknOry said:

The first line in one of the LT articles today sums it up for me.

"Tony Mowbray named the same side for the third game in a row for this victory – the first time he’s done that since January."

January was also the last time we had a really good run of results - this is not a coincidence. 

Also, that article highlights that we have now won 10, lost 2, and drawn 1 match when Travis and Evans have been our midfield partnership.

It's just common sense. If bog standard supporters can see what needs doing, then we don't have a very good manager in place.  I want him to wake up and keep doing the obvious but my brain tells me he will be itching to tinker about and it'll cost us again.

[TBTF]

3 hours ago, Pedro said:

It's just common sense. If bog standard supporters can see what needs doing, then we don't have a very good manager in place.  I want him to wake up and keep doing the obvious but my brain tells me he will be itching to tinker about and it'll cost us again.

I think the tinkering comes about through his obsession with the opposition . He always wants to talk about them like they’re some super elite outfit. “We needed an athletic team because they like to play forward “!! Wtf does that even mean?? Not come across many that play backwards !!

He just overthinks it’s and ouththinks himself half the time . For god sake man pick your best team ( as you have now started to do ) and let them worry about us . We are the form team in the division - as has been said earlier , it’s no coincidence that a settled eleven , our best eleven is good enough to be at the top end of this league despite Mowbray.