Tony Mowbray Discussion

[oldjamfan1]

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I disagree, I would look at our squad and for me, 2 wingers and a left back are the 3 imminent and pressing priorities, if we are assuming that Armstrong is now solely a striker and Downing is a central player. If we look at depth in areas we are lacking in all areas really, but if we are focusing on improving the first 11 they are the 3 for me.

Dont overly rate Walton, but equally I dont think hes the primary weak point in the team. Lenihan and Adarabioyo are 2 of our better players, as is Nyambe. Left back we are totally lacking, Bell seems to have fooled some into thinking that he is competent, he isnt. Downing and Travis with Johnson as an alternative, we will miss Evans but not top priority.

Armstrong and Holtby are 2 good players, that being said, will they match the Dack and Graham goal tallies? Dont think they will. Also still have Graham and Gallagher as alternatives there. Plus we are also missing Armstrongs relatively modest goal contributions from out wide. Gallagher cant play wide, Rothwell offers nothing in terms of end product, I'd like to see JRC get some game time but we cant bank on him at this stage, Chapman again a risk, the reason that the likes of Maddison and Curtis seem so attractive is that they get plenty of goals and can play in wide roles.

We could do with players pretty much all over. Goalkeeper we have one who is not great and one who is embarrassingly poor, right back we have no back up at all, centre back we dont want to rely on Williams at any point, central midfield we have the void of Evans to fill, and up front no one screams of being prolific. But its all about prioritising.

Good post

[chaddyrovers]

49 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Surely you wouldnt consider Gallagher there though?

And if you are serious about top 6, is having Rothwell, JRC and Chapman not a gigantic risk?

I suspect Gallagher will play there tbh. Especially since he has been working hard on that position in training and working with Johnson in the video analysis room. 

We don't play with wingers in our system we played cos Rothwell drifts inside and Gallagher move inside so our full backs provided the width in our system. 

Would I like to see a winger sign? most likely but I wouldn't be over spending on Maddison or Curtis tho. Both only 6 months left on their contracts I wouldn't be spending 2 mil plus on either. Maybe look at Derby County's winger Florian Jozefzoon, or Niclas Eliasson from Bristol City(who is out of contract this summer I believe). 

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

I suspect Gallagher will play there tbh. Especially since he has been working hard on that position in training and working with Johnson in the video analysis room. 

We don't play with wingers in our system we played cos Rothwell drifts inside and Gallagher move inside so our full backs provided the width in our system. 

Would I like to see a winger sign? most likely but I wouldn't be over spending on Maddison or Curtis tho. Both only 6 months left on their contracts I wouldn't be spending 2 mil plus on either. Maybe look at Derby County's winger Florian Jozefzoon, or Niclas Eliasson from Bristol City(who is out of contract this summer I believe). 

We know he will play him wide but do you think he should? In your opinion, yes or no? He can watch all the video analysis he wants, he is not a winger! He is a pretty poor striker, but hes a fish up a tree out wide. Everyone can see that, it never works, and its frustrating to see every game, hence why the crowd have started to be vocal with their dissent.

Curtis has essentially 18 months with the contract option. We wont get him because we cant afford him, no other reason.

Bell and Nyambe have 0 assists between them this season. Do you not agree that under Mowbray the way that we have used our wide men, especially this wide forward rubbish has almost exclusively been dysfunctional throughout his time, save for a clutch of games that Antonsson had and one that Armstrong had from that position in League 1, the goals and assists coming from our wide men have been minimal. 

Jozefzoon is woeful, Eliasson is quality.

[JacknOry]

3 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

I suspect Gallagher will play there tbh. Especially since he has been working hard on that position in training and working with Johnson in the video analysis room. 

We don't play with wingers in our system we played cos Rothwell drifts inside and Gallagher move inside so our full backs provided the width in our system. 

Would I like to see a winger sign? most likely but I wouldn't be over spending on Maddison or Curtis tho. Both only 6 months left on their contracts I wouldn't be spending 2 mil plus on either. Maybe look at Derby County's winger Florian Jozefzoon, or Niclas Eliasson from Bristol City(who is out of contract this summer I believe). 

No, Maddison maybe but Pompey have a clause giving them the ability to instantly extend the contract of Curtis for another year. 

[Stuart]

Amazing how a freak 5-0 can suddenly change our recruitment priorities!

Nothing has changed in our defensive unit, we are just as weak as ever, with one injury away from meltdown. Meanwhile we have plenty of players - including the youth ranks (JRC, Mols) - who haven’t yet been given a chance at right wing before being automatically dismissed in favour of a punt in the transfer market.

Why exactly is Mowbray so reluctant to buy defenders, despite his previous pronouncements?

[tomphil]

I just don't see the logic in spending 5 million quid on 6' 3" striker then sitting in a video room all week trying to make him into a right sided midfielder !!!

How about finding a supply line for him and looking to get the best out of his athletic ability instead of playing on the fact he'll gallop up and down the wing willingly ?

Edited January 22, 2020 by tomphil

[chaddyrovers]

12 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

We know he will play him wide but do you think he should? In your opinion, yes or no? He can watch all the video analysis he wants, he is not a winger! He is a pretty poor striker, but hes a fish up a tree out wide. Everyone can see that, it never works, and its frustrating to see every game, hence why the crowd have started to be vocal with their dissent.

Curtis has essentially 18 months with the contract option. We wont get him because we cant afford him, no other reason.

Bell and Nyambe have 0 assists between them this season. Do you not agree that under Mowbray the way that we have used our wide men, especially this wide forward rubbish has almost exclusively been dysfunctional throughout his time, save for a clutch of games that Antonsson had and one that Armstrong had from that position in League 1, the goals and assists coming from our wide men have been minimal. 

Jozefzoon is woeful, Eliasson is quality.

I wouldn't like to see him play there. Not his natural position which is up front but I prefer playing Armstrong up front and I would be using Rankin Costello wide. We have academy that is producing good prospects so likes start using then as well as buying players.

Yes it a contract option but not yet taken up by his club. Wonder why? I don't agree we cant afford but is worth the money Portsmouth want? I'm unsure. Look at Lowe at Wigan who people said he would be good signing here before he signed there. He hasn't set the world on fire has he?

Well if you look at the stats Bennett and Downing who have played a full backs areas this seasons and have 4 and 5 assists. Armstrong has 5 assists and 7 goals. championship stats only. Dack only has 1 assist but 9 goals. Travis and Holtby has 3 assists each. So the wide forward seem to be worked at times. I like to see a Rankin Costello or wide player signing playing right with Rothwell playing from the left but cutting in. 

 

[JacknOry]

1 minute ago, chaddyrovers said:

I wouldn't like to see him play there. Not his natural position which is up front but I prefer playing Armstrong up front and I would be using Rankin Costello wide. We have academy that is producing good prospects so likes start using then as well as buying players.

Yes it a contract option but not yet taken up by his club. Wonder why? I don't agree we cant afford but is worth the money Portsmouth want? I'm unsure. Look at Lowe at Wigan who people said he would be good signing here before he signed there. He hasn't set the world on fire has he?

Well if you look at the stats Bennett and Downing who have played a full backs areas this seasons and have 4 and 5 assists. Armstrong has 5 assists and 7 goals. championship stats only. Dack only has 1 assist but 9 goals. Travis and Holtby has 3 assists each. So the wide forward seem to be worked at times. I like to see a Rankin Costello or wide player signing playing right with Rothwell playing from the left but cutting in. 

 

Because they don't need to yet. Why start paying the player improved terms when it is already set in his contract that the team can automatically extend him for a year? This contract clause is well known and that is why they are asking what they are asking. Whether we think he is worth it is another discussion as that is what they want for him.

[47er]

Rankin-Costello only got to give a little cameo last Saturday but he wasn't exactly out of his depth was he?

It was so refreshing to see a player looking to go forward and find openings rather than playing the crab football we are so used to.

Logically his first start is not far away but will that prove to be the case?

Will we chase a winger we maybe do not need?

Over to you TM!

[Moptop1]

I think Tony will walk in the summer, leaving all the crap/team building for someone to deal with.

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

“I know the results, everyone wants to win, but you draw a few and then you get stats thrown at you and you become a bad manager

When you win a few, and then don’t win for a few, it’s as though you must have done something different, what turned from being a good manager to being a bad manager?"

 

This from TM after the Wednesday game was such a massive red flag for me. We've just had our biggest away victory in 19 years and our manager has pretty much admitted he doesn't know how it happened as he hasn't done anything different. 

[DE.]

When we went on our winning run we generally stuck to the same team, Bristol City aside, which was a big difference to TM's usual rotation policy. Doesn't sound like he's learned from that though unfortunately.

TM is talking extremes there but it's not that he's a good or a bad manager necessarily, he's just an average one, hence the fluctuating results and inconsistent form. 

[tomphil]

I think everyone should give him a months amnesty now and see how it goes because nothing is changing.  I'm still in the want change in the summer camp but its up to him to prove me wrong which he has a great knack of doing.

This month will shape things to come and whilst it appears he's tied his own hands somewhat in terms of money to spend we don't usually do much in Jan anyway.  I think the funds they get have to last until the end of the season and cover everything so there's never much room. Blame is firmly shared for that.

So a dry Feb from the constant on his back from me...or a least a good effort at it. Better managers than him have done a lot worse so it's sit back and see time.  As a er, wise old woman from a far off land once said 'My father told me if you keep trying and end up getting more right than you get wrong you'll do ok'.... or something like that.

That's the Rovers policy so we'd better roll with it for now ?

[Husky]

Is anyone able to confirm the rumour that Richard Smallwood has spent the last few months in the video analysis room with Ben Benson.

[Wood26]

Top of form table over the last 12 games, 3rd most clean sheets in league, yet Mowbray doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He has said all along he needs time for team to gel, get used to new system, which they are and results are proving it.

It’s a tough league, he’s doing a good job.

[arbitro]

29 minutes ago, Wood26 said:

Top of form table over the last 12 games, 3rd most clean sheets in league, yet Mowbray doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He has said all along he needs time for team to gel, get used to new system, which they are and results are proving it.

It’s a tough league, he’s doing a good job.

And for the last 10 games we are 6th, the last 8 games we are 9th and the last 6 games we are 10th. 

[JacknOry]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

And for the last 10 games we are 6th, the last 8 games we are 9th and the last 6 games we are 10th. 

Exactly - not sure why people pick and choose certain numbers. Keep it to the basic last 6 games as that is 'current' form.

[Blue blood]

6 hours ago, Wood26 said:

Top of form table over the last 12 games, 3rd most clean sheets in league, yet Mowbray doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He has said all along he needs time for team to gel, get used to new system, which they are and results are proving it.

It’s a tough league, he’s doing a good job.

If we want to talk about 10-12 games there's a little run of games in the second half of last season I'd like to mention. You'd probably accuse me of cherry picking but am not sure it's different to what you are doing. 

Needs time... Apart from half the team won't be here next year through age or loan returns. Doesn't seem a long term gelling to me. Also 3+ years to get a team going seems a somewhat lengthy lead time in any line of work. Hughes and Big Sam had us firing within/after one season or closer to home comparisons see Rowett at Millwall and O Neil at Stoke not taking 3+ seasons. 

Results are proving? We're marginally better off than last season - not huge improvement at all. Especially compared to the above managers. 

A good job?? Transfer wise has seen more flops then successes, we had a run that was the worst in living memory for me, every positive change is spotted months in advance by the fans before he makes it. Don't get me wrong he has done a decent job or we wouldn't be where we are but good imo is laughable and missing out a whole load of info and the situation. 

[Amo]

7 hours ago, Wood26 said:

Top of form table over the last 12 games, 3rd most clean sheets in league, yet Mowbray doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He has said all along he needs time for team to gel, get used to new system, which they are and results are proving it.

It’s a tough league, he’s doing a good job.

Well, we've found the flag-waver!

[Pedro]

11 hours ago, Wood26 said:

Top of form table over the last 12 games, 3rd most clean sheets in league, yet Mowbray doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He has said all along he needs time for team to gel, get used to new system, which they are and results are proving it.

It’s a tough league, he’s doing a good job.

But only 1.8 points per game and still not even been in the playoffs.  

It tells me the opposite and what I've always said - that it isn't a tough league.  There are some terrible sides with shocking defending (count us part of that most weeks).  It'll be a real opportunity missed if we don't take advantage.

[Wood26]

4 hours ago, Amo said:

Well, we've found the flag-waver!

I’ll take the digs.

I said after first couple games watching us against Charlton, Fulham, WBA that I had faith in this team once we got up and running. I still stand by it, I’m confident we have the team and manager to make play offs, I’m not deluded enough to guarantee it cos it’s a crazy league, but we will be there or there abouts, if not, feel free to bash me.

One thing I’ll never entertain is attacks on Mowbrays transfers. 1. I think he’s done well with Armstrong, Dack, Tosin, Cunningham, Johnson, Downing. 2. I think he’s doing a good job bringing through Travis, RC, Buckley. 3. I commend him for being able to keep Graham, Mulgrew etc when we went down when previously Venkys would of got rid, 4. I think Brereton was a disaster, and I hoped Gallagher would do better, but I also don’t lay the blame on the manager when they were clearly only given that money to buy those players on hope that we could sell them on.

So yeah, I’m waving the flag, Mowbray got us up, he stabilised us, and has us in a good position under awful ownership, the previous 5 managers were garbage, so I’m happy to continue this ride.

Happy to put hands up if goes tits up.

[Husky]

4 hours ago, Amo said:

Well, we've found the flag-waver!

?

The unspent transfer money should be spent on a trumpet.

[47er]

47 minutes ago, Wood26 said:

One thing I’ll never entertain is attacks on Mowbrays transfers.

Then you are in denial.

[roversfan99]

50 minutes ago, Wood26 said:

I’ll take the digs.

I said after first couple games watching us against Charlton, Fulham, WBA that I had faith in this team once we got up and running. I still stand by it, I’m confident we have the team and manager to make play offs, I’m not deluded enough to guarantee it cos it’s a crazy league, but we will be there or there abouts, if not, feel free to bash me.

One thing I’ll never entertain is attacks on Mowbrays transfers. 1. I think he’s done well with Armstrong, Dack, Tosin, Cunningham, Johnson, Downing. 2. I think he’s doing a good job bringing through Travis, RC, Buckley. 3. I commend him for being able to keep Graham, Mulgrew etc when we went down when previously Venkys would of got rid, 4. I think Brereton was a disaster, and I hoped Gallagher would do better, but I also don’t lay the blame on the manager when they were clearly only given that money to buy those players on hope that we could sell them on.

So yeah, I’m waving the flag, Mowbray got us up, he stabilised us, and has us in a good position under awful ownership, the previous 5 managers were garbage, so I’m happy to continue this ride.

Happy to put hands up if goes tits up.

He cant take credit for successes and be absolved of blame for the expensive failures because the idea was right. Johnson cant be argued as a success either, hes had a couple of good games but in the main hes been a massive dissapointment hence the reason that he has played so infrequently in the last 2 or 3 months. Cunningham I think would have been a success but unfortunately the injury came before he was able to have enough of a meaningful impact to be considered one. Armstrong last season was pretty dissapointing but hes doing enough now to be filed as a success, next step is to start scoring more scruffy goals go boost his numbers. Dack, Tosin, Downing all certain successes too.

Regarding the youngsters hes done a good job bringing through, he deserves loads of credit for the unequivocial success that is Lewis Travis, but Rankin Costello has only ever had 2 cameos and Buckley has not impressed at all so lets not prematurely put them into the successes just yet.

Its a really weird one, its just as easy to point to some of his successes on the back of the promotion and argue that he has not done enough to warrant his job being strongly under threat, equally you could suggest that he has had 2 big chances of speeding up progression and wasted them, that we arent progressing quickly enough, we are inconsistent, weve never actually broke into the top 6, and theres a whiff of stagnation and a change would be the best way forwsrd.

[DeeCee]

22 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

He cant take credit for successes and be absolved of blame for the expensive failures because the idea was right. Johnson cant be argued as a success either, hes had a couple of good games but in the main hes been a massive dissapointment hence the reason that he has played so infrequently in the last 2 or 3 months. Cunningham I think would have been a success but unfortunately the injury came before he was able to have enough of a meaningful impact to be considered one. Armstrong last season was pretty dissapointing but hes doing enough now to be filed as a success, next step is to start scoring more scruffy goals go boost his numbers. Dack, Tosin, Downing all certain successes too.

Regarding the youngsters hes done a good job bringing through, he deserves loads of credit for the unequivocial success that is Lewis Travis, but Rankin Costello has only ever had 2 cameos and Buckley has not impressed at all so lets not prematurely put them into the successes just yet.

Its a really weird one, its just as easy to point to some of his successes on the back of the promotion and argue that he has not done enough to warrant his job being strongly under threat, equally you could suggest that he has had 2 big chances of speeding up progression and wasted them, that we arent progressing quickly enough, we are inconsistent, weve never actually broke into the top 6, and theres a whiff of stagnation and a change would be the best way forwsrd.

Great post, frustration is my take on it