Tony Mowbray Discussion

[roverandout]

40 minutes ago, JHRover said:

So plans afoot for the annal trip to Pune to speak to the owners after the season has finished. His first trip since 2019.

Positives to this - I think this is the best and probably only way Venkys are going to sanction any serious funds be that for new players or new contracts. Without that meeting with the top owners we will once again be relying on the loan market and selling players.

Negatives - it basically means Mowbray is here next season as long as he wants to be. There's an argument that he has earned that this season but I'd rather wait and see how things pan out before then. There's no way Venkys are going to take him and Waggott out to India to tell them they aren't needed. I'd rather there was more to the process than 'cart on Tony' but doubt it with Venkys.

 

Are they planning an orgy

[Exiled_Rover]

2 hours ago, JoeH said:

 

 

I thought you were all joking about the lemon drizzle.

Bloody hell. 

[Mattyblue]

2 hours ago, Mellor Rover said:

Depending how we finish the season (if we make top 6) I wouldn't be against a one year rolling deal. However, I do feel like this is the end of the Mowbray era,

You could well be right and for me sums these owners up to a tee. 

We were utter crap last season, but there was not a chance he’d be replaced as he was under contract. 

Now as he comes out of contract, even a damn good season could well see him depart.

Not one iota of forward planning or rational thinking, just ‘well he’s in the building, he’s got a contract, crack on’.

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Mattyblue

[rog of the rovers]

Congratulations on 5 years Mr Mowbray.

There's certainly been times during the five years (namely this time last season) that I felt he'd taken the club as far as he could, but you can definitely see that pride and passion is back in him this campaign.

History will judge his reign, like it does for every manager, time and distance the true yardstick against which to judge any manager...good or bad.

What I think has been blatantly obvious and what I personally will be forever grateful for is the steadying influence he's managed to bring.

Back on 22/2/17 we were in free fall to League One, with Mowbray himself becoming Rovers' fourth manager in two seasons, following on from Bowyer, Lambert and Coyle...not to mention the debacle of earlier in the decade with Kean, Black, Berg, Bowyer as temporary, Appleton and finally back to ''give it a good go'' Gary himself.

Its perhaps easy to take the period of stability as a sign of stagnation, but I'd argue getting the club back on an even standing, reigning in some expectations, whilst promoting the youth of the club has been exactly what was needed from his appointment and for that he's deservedly earned my respect.

Should he take us up this season, or next, or in the future, that legacy will only be enhanced.

Edited February 22, 2022 by rog of the rovers

[matt83]

Listening to moggadon for 5 bloody years. Jesus wept. 

[Mercer]

8 hours ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Today is the 5th anniversary of TM's appointment as manager. The club is in a much better place now than then.

After 5 years, we have only just broken through to the top six.

5 years is an eternity in football and I think Mowbray's tenure on the whole has been uninspiring.  For me, too many 'death spirals', turgid football, indifferent signings (yes there have been good ones but also number wise, far more dross).  I think Mowbray's body language at times in the second half of last season left much to be desired and came across to me as 'couldn't care less'. 

In my book, would be a huge mistake to keep him on whether we finish below sixth, in the top six or achieve automatic promotion. 

In my opinion. a very average manager who was rescued from football's managerial scrap heap and has been amply rewarded.

Time to move on if we want to REALLY move forward.

Edited February 22, 2022 by Mercer

[chaddyrovers]

5 hours ago, roverandout said:

Long term future? He should be binned in the summer 

Lets see how the rest of the season goes first and where we finish should decide his future, If we finish top 2 and get promotion then of course he should get a new contract. Same if we top 6 with or without Promotion. What type of contract should he get I would say either 12 months rolling contract or 2 years contract

5 hours ago, roverandout said:

Massively? Total overstatement 

Just look how much of mess the club was in when Mowbray took over from Coyle. Just got to listen to Elliott Bennett and Danny Graham interviews on Rovers chat to realise this. 

Also look at how He has build a proper recruitement and scouting department now something we haven't had properly since Allardyce was here, 

5 hours ago, Nuttall is lost said:

Couldn;t do it over Zoom no?  Gretta Thunberg will not be happy.

Venkys like a face to face meeting with managers

[chaddyrovers]

2 hours ago, Mellor Rover said:

question is whether V's would get it right and go for someone like Bilic/Hughton/Jokanovic, or whether they do the classic and give it Mark Venus.

Hughton is yesterday man with out of date tactics and ideas. Just look at the improvement under Cooper with the roughly the same squad. 

Jokanovic sacked at Sheffield United and couldn't get the players playing for him. 

I would rather go for manager/head coach who has new modern ideas, training ground coach and some sort of promotion success. 

[TimmyJimmy]

We can question his team selections, tactics and the rest but IMO Mowbray has saved this vlub. He brought integrity and values  picked the tight kind of people, didn't go shit or bust.

We were in a right state when he came in and whilst we can never know what might have been under different management for my money the reason Rovers is still here is because of him

We're 3rd by the way 🙂

 

[roverandout]

19 minutes ago, TimmyJimmy said:

We can question his team selections, tactics and the rest but IMO Mowbray has saved this vlub. He brought integrity and values  picked the tight kind of people, didn't go shit or bust.

We were in a right state when he came in and whilst we can never know what might have been under different management for my money the reason Rovers is still here is because of him

We're 3rd by the way 🙂

 

I wouldn’t say integrity.  He has turned fan on fan at times. Milked the club for all its worth when managers with 'integrity' would have walked after terrible runs. Thrown players under the bus.  That's not integrity 

[rog of the rovers]

I've been on the forums long enough to remember a time where

''Sparky won't kick us on to that next level, we'll forever be missing out on the European places because of his style and tactics. 7th in the Premier League, we're going nowhere.''

or words to that effect.

This season may well be as good as it gets for Mowbray, we are massively overachieving, maybe TM is just getting lucky, but to say we should ''move on'' even if we get promoted? Fans turning against each other? Mowbray 'milking' the club and saved from the scrap heap? 

 

I do feel as though the tone of this messageboard these days is in almost complete contrast to 99.9999 percent of fans I talk to.

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by rog of the rovers

[matt83]

Yeah I wouldn’t say integrity is a word I’d use to describe him. He’s done very well for himself out of rovers last season particularly he used every trick in the book to cling on when he’s sensed the gravy train was ending.

Im sure when things get tough again he be back lecturing the fans about how it’s not 1995 and encourage a few altercations.

[Mattyblue]

Hmm not sure on that Hughes line, rog. From what I remember this place was far more fecked off with the Walker Trust for not giving him the backing to push us on to the next level.

On your last paragraph, without doubt, apart from a slight wobble back end of last season, I’ve never known a manager get such steadfast support, apart from maybe Kenny. This place doesn’t like hearing it, but he is extremely popular out there and largely always has been…

Edited February 22, 2022 by Mattyblue

[rigger]

8 minutes ago, rog of the rovers said:

I've been on the forums long enough to remember a time where

''Sparky won't kick us on to that next level, we'll forever be missing out on the European places because of his style and tactics. 7th in the Premier League, we're going nowhere.''

or words to that effect.

This season may well be as good as it gets for Mowbray, we are massively overachieving, maybe TM is just getting lucky, but to say we should ''move on'' even if we get promoted? Fans turning against each other? Mowbray 'milking' the club and saved from the scrap heap? 

 

I do feel as though the tone of this messageboard these days is in almost complete contrast to 99.9999 percent of fans I talk to.

 

Isn't talking to yourself a sign of madness.

[JHRover]

Undoubtedly he's brought a measure of calm, stability and sense back to the club from the chaos of Coyle.

But I think that is more an ownership flaw than it is a Mowbray asset.

He's clearly a decent bloke and a steady manager who most players are happy playing under. But those aren't particularly unique or rare traits in management. It's just we've been lumbered with 2-3 absolute jokers and frauds under these owners that steady away and a dose of integrity are welcomed.

I don't think he's done a bad job. Decent even. Particularly in those first couple of years and this season. But at any other club I think we would have been sacked or parted by mutual consent quite a while ago. 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Hughton is yesterday man with out of date tactics and ideas. Just look at the improvement under Cooper with the roughly the same squad. 

Jokanovic sacked at Sheffield United and couldn't get the players playing for him. 

I would rather go for manager/head coach who has new modern ideas, training ground coach and some sort of promotion success. 

How I read that chaddy is you’d rather sign a manager with no promotion experience, than one with. 
 

Both Hughton and Jokanovic are streets ahead of Mowbray, using their only example of past ‘failures’ is easy to do. 

[simongarnerisgod]

very frustrating manager who`s got a very high opinion of his own ability as a coach,by all accounts a decent bloke which does come across in his manor and dealings with the media,was lucky the ground was closed last season imo,the fans would have snapped,this year got a right tune out of a new formation but as always,he goes back to his old ways and the "false nine" has reapeared,with buckley the focal point in role thats completely unsuitable for him,not sure i can take any 3 years of him tbh,it`s been a long,trying reign for me,even in division one,with by far the best squad in the division he was always fiddling around with the team shape

[Oldgregg86]

I quite liked the video. Especially when dack stands up at the end and goes for his food like a school boy whose not been listening and thinking about his dinner the whole time 😂

[roversfan99]

43 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

very frustrating manager who`s got a very high opinion of his own ability as a coach,by all accounts a decent bloke which does come across in his manor and dealings with the media,was lucky the ground was closed last season imo,the fans would have snapped,this year got a right tune out of a new formation but as always,he goes back to his old ways and the "false nine" has reapeared,with buckley the focal point in role thats completely unsuitable for him,not sure i can take any 3 years of him tbh,it`s been a long,trying reign for me,even in division one,with by far the best squad in the division he was always fiddling around with the team shape

It hasnt reappeared. Buckley was the false 9 throughout our winning run, his lack of form at the moment cant be put down to Mowbray meddling with a successful formula, his position hasnt changed.

[tomphil]

Yep if Bucko was a proper false 9 instead of a midfielder being played there we probably wouldn't need these debates. 

[simongarnerisgod]

11 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Yep if Bucko was a proper false 9 instead of a midfielder being played there we probably wouldn't need these debates. 

i hate the whole false nine b*****s,but at least if you are going to use it,put someone there who can utilise the position,id`e have rothwell there and drop buckley back into midfield,poor john can`t hold the ball up,finish or shoot,he`s much better in the middle where he can use his passing ability and vision

 

[tomphil]

1 minute ago, simongarnerisgod said:

i hate the whole false nine b*****s,but at least if you are going to use it,put someone there who can utilise the position,id`e have rothwell there and drop buckley back into midfield,poor john can`t hold the ball up,finish or shoot,he`s much better in the middle where he can use his passing ability and vision

 

He has looked good when hes dropped back a bit in games hes spread some nice passes around. 

[roversfan99]

He utilised the position to great effect throughout our excellent run. Lets not pretend it is manager meddling or indeed an experiment that has been a complete failure fron start to finish.

He has always really played from higher positions whether that is from a number 10 role or now the false 9. He is very good at pinching the ball high up and also at playing players through, both of which were key to aforementioned run. His main weakness is obviously his shooting which has let us down recently but its not this bizarre experiment that people are painting out.

[tomphil]

That doesn't mean we shouldn't try and improve on it or him because recently hes been ineffective there.

Not just the odd game either its been going on quite a while.

Edited February 22, 2022 by tomphil

[JHRover]

5 hours ago, TimmyJimmy said:

We can question his team selections, tactics and the rest but IMO Mowbray has saved this vlub. He brought integrity and values  picked the tight kind of people, didn't go shit or bust.

We were in a right state when he came in and whilst we can never know what might have been under different management for my money the reason Rovers is still here is because of him

We're 3rd by the way 🙂

 

I think that's an exaggeration. 

To my mind he has done a very similar job to Gary Bowyer - brought stability, honesty, decency and a focus on the football along with mid-table finishes after taking over a mess.

Up until this season he had done the same as Bowyer - got us to the cusp of the play-offs before sliding away quickly again. 

This season we've been better - but nothing won yet and if we slide back out of it we end up no better off than we started.