Tony Mowbray Discussion

[Stuart]

Just now, Leonard Venkhater said:

Yes, Mick's "cauldron of hate" was more like a bowl of lukewarm cabbage water.

But cauldrons are coming... 

 

[Blue blood]

Just now, Stuart said:

Yeah. They only gave me £14m - what did they expect?

Well, Champions League football for £5m a window for one. So should have known what he was getting into before he joined.

It’s really sad that it seems to be coming down to this but he only has himself to blame. Same mistakes week in week out, same glaring issues not addressed window after window.

”Tony, Tony, Sort it out” is very very tame. Yet someone called you a snowflake! (Got 4 likes on that there Twitter though so fair’s fair).

To me when you turn on the fans it's time to go. Especially when it's not warranted - sort it out is hardly a criticism of you, much less personal or asking for the sack. 

I wonder if being in control of the entire club - from his bosses to the local paper - has given him a bit of a god complex whereby any negative comment or criticism, no matter how justified, is considered offensive and a personal attack? 

Given he has spunked £15 million, sidelined popular players, taken us down and put us on our worse run in recent memory I'd say he is very fortunate not to get more criticism than he has. 

[PeteJD13]

26 minutes ago, Blue blood said:

To me when you turn on the fans it's time to go. Especially when it's not warranted - sort it out is hardly a criticism of you, much less personal or asking for the sack. 

I wonder if being in control of the entire club - from his bosses to the local paper - has given him a bit of a god complex whereby any negative comment or criticism, no matter how justified, is considered offensive and a personal attack? 

Given he has spunked £15 million, sidelined popular players, taken us down and put us on our worse run in recent memory I'd say he is very fortunate not to get more criticism than he has. 

He's laying the ground work, fans unrealistic owners backed me then he can play the nice guy card. To me if he walks fair enough but ultimately its his fault he's not done the required work on the squad in terms of balance. I'd like us to win Wednesday and go on a run but to me it sounds like he's already conceded defeat that's his undoing. After Saturday he could have used it as a rallying cry instead it was an oh woe is me working class etc.  

[tomphil]

He's made a pigs ear of it and he knows it so he's just firing off all the various usual bullets. Except lack of backing and budget can't be used this time and there is no actual injury crisis so he's stealthily turning it on the fans by the looks of it.

Fair enough asking for backing but wrong way to go about it when things are so fragile, he ain't that daft he's spent almost his entire time here buttering everything up.

Edited November 25, 2019 by tomphil

[K-Hod]

Fans are anxious because we are shite at defending. In no small part because Mowbray didn’t sign enough of them. 
Despite assuring us that they were coming.

[47er]

A lot of money spent for a Championship club and we're pretty much where we were when he joined us.

That sums him up for me. Continuous drift.

Never at any point have we seemed likely to even threaten Top 6.

 

Edited November 25, 2019 by 47er

[Leonard Venkhater]

 

 

 

 

Just now, K-Hod said:

Fans are anxious because we are shite at defending. In no small part because Mowbray didn’t sign enough of them. 
Despite assuring us that they were coming.

Less is more lol

[tonygreenbank]

7 hours ago, Bbrovers2288 said:

Only way to get him out is to show fan displeasure. I’m sorry it had to come to this but he won’t be sacked and fans need to show that they don’t want him. I’m surprised it hasn’t long before now. Please any fans go to Brentford, show displeasure at direction out ship is sailing. It’s time for a new captain of this vessel 

I can’t believe any genuine supporter would go to a game at Ewood and actively want the opposition to win. 

If you had heard his interview he didn’t want the fans to turn on the players. At the current time the players need 100% support.

In any case I’m not quite sure that the majority of fans want him out as you seem to suggest. Clearly there were rumblings of discontent on Saturday but the team won and deserve every credit for that.

It will be a difficult game on Wednesday and I would love to be there cheering on the team but will have to take my usual seat in front of the TV watching Sky Sports.

I would hate to think that the lads in blue and white would not get the crowds support.

[RevidgeBlue]

13 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

He won’t simply walk. Only way he’d leave off his own accord is if he strikes a nice pay off with Barry and Madame. He won’t kiss goodbye to that golden egg just like that.

Exactly, if he does go (and I'd wager we're still some way away from that unfortunately) there's absolutely no way he's just walking away of his own accord from a massive pay off.

His advisors will probably negotiate a suitable pay off and the deal will be deemed to be by "mutual consent".

Nice work if you can get it. Helps if you've craftily installed your mate as your boss and persuaded him to  give you a lengthy new deal in the meantime mind.

Working class bloke from the North East indeed.

[JHRover]

I feel that January was the turning point for Mowbray and the club. In late January we were on a good run, reasonably well placed just outside the play-offs, well positioned to kick on, still with a winning habit in mind. The first half of the season had been pretty decent with solid home form and we'd got through a tough December run of games.

Then in January we did nothing to strengthen and build. We barely stood still and weakened our thin defence.

Where the blame lies for that isnt clear. Did Mowbray decide to not act or was he prevented from doing so?

Either way, momentum was lost, poor form set in and other than a short run at the end of the season in dead rubbers it has been pretty woeful since then.

[DE.]

Just now, JHRover said:

I feel that January was the turning point for Mowbray and the club. In late January we were on a good run, reasonably well placed just outside the play-offs, well positioned to kick on, still with a winning habit in mind. The first half of the season had been pretty decent with solid home form and we'd got through a tough December run of games.

Then in January we did nothing to strengthen and build. We barely stood still and weakened our thin defence.

Where the blame lies for that isnt clear. Did Mowbray decide to not act or was he prevented from doing so?

Either way, momentum was lost, poor form set in and other than a short run at the end of the season in dead rubbers it has been pretty woeful since then.

The wheels had already started falling off in November 2018 when we got thrashed 4-1 by Preston and beaten 3-1 by Wigan. We also had the Birmingham and Leeds games where we threw away points at the death and we were also beaten by Norwich and Sheff Utd during that period - tough games granted but another late goal conceded against a Norwich team who didn't play well and three goals conceded after the 70th minute against Sheff Utd.

January provided some respite with four wins on the spin, but we then went right back into another downward spiral which didn't lift until April when most of the teams we played had nothing left to play for.

IMV our poor form has pretty much been going on for a full year now with brief spells of decent results in between. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by DE.

[rog of the rovers]

Mowbray isn’t without his faults, but his latest comments go worry me.

I still think he’s got the backing of the players and is involved with the club for the right reasons, even if we’re going through an up and down patch at the moment (2019 has been very mixed).

I really do fear we’re still a club built on poor foundations. Mowbrays honesty and pragmatism shouldn’t be taken for granted.

I don’t think it would take much for us to slide back into League One. 

[JHRover]

Just now, DE. said:

The wheels had already started falling off in November 2018 when we got thrashed 4-1 by Preston and beaten 3-1 by Wigan. We also had the Birmingham and Leeds games where we threw away points at the death and we were also beaten by Norwich and Sheff Utd during that period - tough games granted by another late goal conceded against a Norwich team who didn't play well and three goals conceded after the 70th minute against Sheff Utd.

January provided some respite with four wins on the spin, but we then went right back into another downward spiral which didn't lift until April when most of the teams we played had nothing left to play for.

IMV our poor form has pretty much been going on for a full year now with brief spells of decent results in between. 

True, the issue with conceding too many goals was going on way back to early last season. Remembering Bristol and Swansea away. But despite those issues we were in a decent position to strike and kick on and address those issues from a healthy place in late January. To fail to do so was a massive error and insane when looking at the Brereton and Gallagher fees in the summers. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by JHRover

[DE.]

Just now, JHRover said:

True, the issue with conceding too many goals was going on way back to last season. But despite those issues we were in a decent position to strike and kick on and address those issues from a healthy place in late January. To fail to do so was a massive error and insane when looking at the Brereton and Gallagher fees in the summers. 

We had a really solid start to the 18-19 season which provided a good platform, so even our poor results in Nov/Dec didn't do too much damage and those four wins in January had us right back up there again. 

Unfortunately as you say we didn't look to solve any of our issues in January, and I'm sure I can remember Mowbray saying he didn't think we had any major issues to address at the time. The warning signs had been there in the previous two months but the manager ignored them and it came back to bite him hard in February/March which were even worse than Nov/Dec. 

He has absolutely no excuse for failing to strengthen the defence in the summer. He even admitted at the end of last season "I don't have a defence". He threw every defender at the club under the bus and then started them all in the first game of the next season. Total madness. Until the last day of the window we had done nothing more than loan in Tosin and swap Raya for Walton. The last minute emergency signing of Cunningham (with Mulgrew being pushed out) was a good piece of business but it was noted at the time we were screwed if he got injured, and so it has unfortunately come to pass as our backup options are simply nowhere near good enough. 

Edited November 25, 2019 by DE.

[Bbrovers2288]

1 minute ago, tonygreenbank said:

I can’t believe any genuine supporter would go to a game at Ewood and actively want the opposition to win. 

If you had heard his interview he didn’t want the fans to turn on the players. At the current time the players need 100% support.

In any case I’m not quite sure that the majority of fans want him out as you seem to suggest. Clearly there were rumblings of discontent on Saturday but the team won and deserve every credit for that.

It will be a difficult game on Wednesday and I would love to be there cheering on the team but will have to take my usual seat in front of the TV watching Sky Sports.

I would hate to think that the lads in blue and white would not get the crowds support.

Don’t think you read my post properly, where did I say go wanting the opposition to win, can let feelings know without losing. Think you read it how you wanted to react to be honest 

[Pedro]

Anyone who doesn't build a team upon a solid defence and consistent selections isn't a good manager and won't achieve anything.  3 years in, you would've thought we'd be able to turn up on a Saturday and have a good idea what the team would be and what positions players will be in.  It's a sick fucking joke that we don't have at least that.

[Crimpshrine]

I wonder what would happen to Waggott and Venus if Mowbray did walk.

If Mowbray really is the good egg many people think he is, he may have concerns that his actions may affect the careers of his mates who followed him to the club. Did they all leave Coventry en masse ?

[JHRover]

Just now, Crimpshrine said:

I wonder what would happen to Waggott and Venus if Mowbray did walk.

If Mowbray really is the good egg many people think he is, he may have concerns that his actions may affect the careers of his mates who followed him to the club. Did they all leave Coventry en masse ?

I think Waggott left Coventry some time before Mowbray. In fact there was only a relatively short overlap when they were there together but clearly enough to strike up a decent working relationship. Mowbray walked away in late 2016 then Venus stepped into the breach as caretaker manager but their fans didn't want him and Russell Slade took over.

I suspect if Mowbray went then Waggott would cart on doing what he does in his limited capacity as CEO until such a stage as he didn't fancy doing it anymore. 

As for Venus i suspect he'd carry on as long as he was given the chance to but if the new manager was allowed to appoint his own staff, like any manager should be allowed to do, then he would have to make way, as would Lowe and Benson. Its all part of the job.

[Crimpshrine]

I would hate to think that Waggott would have the responsibility of appointing the next manager.

He doesn't seem to have much clout and he is a business man not a football man.

[JHRover]

I just don't think we look like a team. We look about as far away from being a well drilled, coherent outfit as you can imagine.

People have been singing Barnsley's praises since Saturday for how decent they appeared despite being bottom of the league, but I think that is because whilst they are young, inexperienced and short on quality in some areas they are a team. Their signings have a role to play and know their jobs and they are used to playing with each other. That's why they looked alright. They might not be strong but they have been brought there with a job in mind.

That's why we are such a mess from back to front, because our side appears to have no coherency, no organisation, no structure. Our transfers appear to have no specific role to play or if they do don't get enough opportunity to do it, others are shoehorned into various positions, we assemble our defence on who is fit and available and who can play there when needed.

A complete mess.

People moan about Allardyce but his teams knew their jobs inside out back to front and there was a plan behind everything. We are a million miles off and I think the manager is to blame and knows it. He did the same at Celtic and Middlesbrough by the sounds of things.

Edited November 25, 2019 by JHRover

[Mercer]

6 minutes ago, Crimpshrine said:

I would hate to think that Waggott would have the responsibility of appointing the next manager.

He doesn't seem to have much clout and he is a business man not a football man.

IMO, his track record with Rovers does not support your assertion.

Can you please share with us what he has achieved with Rovers? 

[cesus]

2 hours ago, K-Hod said:

Fans are anxious because we are shite at defending. In no small part because Mowbray didn’t sign enough of them. 
Despite assuring us that they were coming.

This is the huge failing for me, we could all see it and he could see it yet didn't act after saying he would. We have to watch that, and now weekly watch strikers playing on the wing and listen to him saying we can't carry our aging striker (the only one that can score) as he isn't mobile enough for our new system ... the system Mowbray chose to implement. Oh and we don't appear to be very good at carrying out said new system of play with or without Danny Graham.

[chaddyrovers]

9 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

I wouldn’t say whispers as such. I’m very sure he won’t be sacked. But I’m also fairly sure that he won’t hang in there if it’s going wrong with the fans etc...he’s a really top guy. High morals and principles. Enough to walk away from his contract if necessary.

I felt like he was ready to walk on Saturday until we won the game. 

 

6 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

It’s more difficult a decision for the owners and their advisors. Undoubtedly things haven’t been great for 12 months. But, overall TM has had a hugely positive effect on the club both on and off the pitch. They see a man of real substance who cares deeply about the club, supporters, players and staff. He’s so hard working and genuine. All those around him want him to succeed.

Im pretty sure he won’t be sacked. But he will walk as and when the tide turns on him...

I agree that Mowbray has had huge positive effect on our club and bought the fans back to the club. 

Mowbray really does care about the fans, players and staff here

10 hours ago, JHRover said:

Davies' agent went public that he wanted the job before Coyle got it. So I'm not sure he'd be against the idea although not sure if he's bothered about management now or what his situation is. As I say strange that a manager with his record has been unemployed for 5 years.

Why would you be against Di Matteo? Ex promotion and Champions League/FA Cup winner.

Think Karanka is less likely than most. He fell out with people at Middlesbrough and has always spent heavily. 

Can't see us paying compo for anyone so forget luring Malmo's manager here.

Di Matteo was useless at Villa. His champions league win and promotion were years ago. 

7 hours ago, JHRover said:

 

The issue comes back to the inadequate structure at the club and its ability to deal with adverse situations. Venkys are used to their managers being grateful and hanging on for dear life/big payoff. If Mowbray walks that will take them by surprise.

The obvious, easy, cheap route will be to ask Venus or Johnson to take the reigns whilst confusion and inertia sets in. Hope they do a steady job and then their permanent appointments can  be rubber stamped with minimal outrage from the terraces.

 

 

I think Johnson would take over as head coach with Venus as sporting Director. Venus has been kind of job for the past few months anyway. 

22 minutes ago, Crimpshrine said:

I wonder what would happen to Waggott and Venus if Mowbray did walk.

If Mowbray really is the good egg many people think he is, he may have concerns that his actions may affect the careers of his mates who followed him to the club. Did they all leave Coventry en masse ?

He would say in his post and carry on the job he does

[Crimpshrine]

Just now, Mercer said:

IMO, his track record with Rovers does not support your assertion.

Can you please share with us what he has achieved with Rovers? 

I didn't say he was a good businessman!

My point was he doesn't seem know much about the football side of things. Wouldn't want him leading the search for a new manager

[Stuart]

8 hours ago, tonygreenbank said:

I can’t believe any genuine supporter would go to a game at Ewood and actively want the opposition to win. 

If you had heard his interview he didn’t want the fans to turn on the players. At the current time the players need 100% support.

In any case I’m not quite sure that the majority of fans want him out as you seem to suggest. Clearly there were rumblings of discontent on Saturday but the team won and deserve every credit for that.

It will be a difficult game on Wednesday and I would love to be there cheering on the team but will have to take my usual seat in front of the TV watching Sky Sports.

I would hate to think that the lads in blue and white would not get the crowds support.

The fans aren’t turning on the players though.

This was actually very shrewd from Mowbray. If he deflects into the players (that he selects and plays out of position) then it plays into the ‘get behind the lads mentality’. He is seemingly defending his players yet regularly hangs them out to dry.

I didn’t see anything in BB’s post saying he actively wants us to lose, only that fans should express their displeasure if they want change.

You really need to get down and support the team at Ewood if you really want to pontificate to others. “Genuine supporters” indeed.