Season finale: Rovers vs Birmingham City

[JHRover]

Think this one could end up any score. We could hammer them - pressure is off, back to back home wins, smashed Huddersfield last time out, Mowbray loves these sort of low-pressure dead rubbers to send everyone on their way for the summer pressure off.

I expect his strategy for the game will be to throw in 4-5 youngsters thus winning plaudits and respect from all sides for trusting the youth and ushering in a bright new future.

It is nonsense but that's exactly the type of message he will be trying to get out there - that only he could integrate younger players into his squad and he deserves more time to deliver it.

He's still relying on Bennett, Evans, Johnson etc.

Saw someone earlier refer to Davenport as one of the youngsters who might get a chance. For heaven's sake. The guy is 23 this year and has been here for 3 years now, yet there's still this myth that he's a bright young prospect set to make the grade.

He should be at the peak of his career now and a central part of the team a la Travis who is similar age.

Keeps Mowbray in work though.

 

[roversfan99]

37 minutes ago, Lucimo said:

Apparently they are playing the kids again. 

Yeah plus sounds like we are mixing things up too.

[davulsukur]

Ayala is in the squad for this.

😂

Couldn't make it up.

Plays when he wants.

[WacoRover]

39 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Ayala is in the squad for this.

😂

Couldn't make it up.

Plays when he wants.

I saw that. Ugh 

He needs to play... so he shows up the last game of the season. I bet if he starts, he limps off before HT. 

[davulsukur]

1 hour ago, WacoRover said:

I saw that. Ugh 

He needs to play... so he shows up the last game of the season. I bet if he starts, he limps off before HT. 

He'll probably get 20mins, break down and miss pre season. Which would mean he would be totally useless for next season as well.

[Exiled in Toronto]

On 05/05/2021 at 11:43, SuperBrfc said:

Yeah, we won 2-0. Bent got the opener, but the game is mostly remembered for a brilliant solo goal from Duffer. Duff's goal is at 21:51 on the vid below:

 

I remember being gutted about the result that night. That was our game in hand which we needed to win to close the gap on 4th place. We had a genuine chance of nabbing a top 4 spot ahead of Arsenal towards the end of that season! It feels surreal even typing that out right now.

I miss the days when I was excited about our matches. I feel nothing in relation to Saturday's game. There have been many moments like that not just this season, but over the last 10 years. Bloody awful feeling it is. The pillocks in Pune have no idea how much damage they have caused.

To those that say "we could be Bolton or Wigan" we could also be Leicester if this lot employed the right people at the club and let them get on with it. They have the funds to do it, but sadly there isn't a football brain amongst any of them.

Great watch that Souness team - I wouldn’t put any of the current squad ahead of any of them. 

[SuperBrfc]

38 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Great watch that Souness team - I wouldn’t put any of the current squad ahead of any of them. 

It was exciting to watch. We had the perfect mix of experience and youth and we had good finishers in Jansen and Bent. Most importantly, we had a winner as manager.

So many good memories from that time. Thrashing Premier League Derby 5-2 in the FA Cup was a personal favourite. The 4-1 drubbing we handed out at the Reebok, the 5-0 win against that lot, the 1-0 promotion sealing win at Deepdale. Couldn't hope for a better season than that.

The current squad is miles away from that. I'd love to talk about the current squad and the football as it is. However, the entire setup, the manager situation, the lack of hope, the lack of direction and ambition...it all leaves me with no good feeling about present day Rovers.

It isn't due to us not being in the Premier League. It's the fact that the club is being allowed to flounder by the owners, leaving us with chumps at the helm who talk utter drivel as we head towards League One again.

There is no plan, no progress being made, yet we are supposed to be grateful to Venky's and Mowbray is the best we can hope for. I despair.

[Ossydave]

Well as he's alluded to playing a few youngsters that's probably the only reason I'll watch the game. Its probably going to give an idea as to how the team may look next season given the departures......

[Stuart]

9 hours ago, WacoRover said:

I saw that. Ugh 

He needs to play... so he shows up the last game of the season. I bet if he starts, he limps off before HT. 

Playing Ayala would be the stupidest decision ever taken by Mowbray, which takes some doing.

Even having him in the squad takes an opportunity away from a youngster.

There should be a bench spot, or two, for an U23 player - and even an U18 one - as a reward for their season. Pick the PotS from each and get them in the dressing room.

If we can’t take a look at them in a dead rubber then when can we?

It’s almost as though it’s important that the Academy is not seen as being a success so that it can be quietly binned. Let’s face it, if I recall correctly, the person making the decisions about them openly said he didn’t see the point of an academy, sees Brentford as the best model and coincidentally there have been plans to downsize it anyway. He must be gutted the U23s have done so well this season.

The future of this club requires Mowbray be urgently replaced - and by someone who can work with an academy structure instead of gambling money we don’t have on ‘potential’.

[Gone to seed]

23 hours ago, tomphil said:

Groundhog summer.

Yup., complete with Gurnsutony Phil....

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by WIR Second Coming
Venky's - the death of a proud club, by a thousand uncaring cuts..

[Gone to seed]

A proper game of football from 20 years back

Andy Todd at 8.40 🙂 lol !!

Oh for such passion, excitement, commitment and (dare I say it..) ENTERTAINMENT tomorrow.. NOT holding out much hope!

Edited May 7, 2021 by WIR Second Coming
He's made of glass, Todd kicked him up the arse, Dugarry! Dugarry!

[davulsukur]

“If we win then that’s fine, it doesn’t really matter.”

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19285004.rovers-selection-clues-come-chelsea-tonight/

 

Don't bother turning up lads, doesn't matter either way.

No point in tuning in either, the manager doesn't even give a toss.

[tomphil]

7 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

“If we win then that’s fine, it doesn’t really matter.”

 

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19285004.rovers-selection-clues-come-chelsea-tonight/

 

Don't bother turning up lads, doesn't matter either way.

No point in tuning in either, the manager doesn't even give a toss.

A great philosophy to take into next season right there.

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, WIR Second Coming said:

Yup., complete with Gurnsutony Phil....

 

I'd much prefer Phil in charge he gets straight to the point.

[arbitro]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

Playing Ayala would be the stupidest decision ever taken by Mowbray, which takes some doing.

Even having him in the squad takes an opportunity away from a youngster.

There should be a bench spot, or two, for an U23 player - and even an U18 one - as a reward for their season. Pick the PotS from each and get them in the dressing room.

If we can’t take a look at them in a dead rubber then when can we?

It’s almost as though it’s important that the Academy is not seen as being a success so that it can be quietly binned. Let’s face it, if I recall correctly, the person making the decisions about them openly said he didn’t see the point of an academy, sees Brentford as the best model and coincidentally there have been plans to downsize it anyway. He must be gutted the U23s have done so well this season.

The future of this club requires Mowbray be urgently replaced - and by someone who can work with an academy structure instead of gambling money we don’t have on ‘potential’.

He is desperately trying to prove a point to justify the money he has wasted on Ayala. He has lots of previous in this regard and he will sell it to the gullable set who hang on his every word as a huge positive for next season.

His shame has no bounds.

[DuffsLeftPeg]

On 05/05/2021 at 15:21, WacoRover said:

Frankly, with all the fan unrest, I’m surprised it has not already happened. even 100 fans, organized correctly, should send a message. 1,000 would be a real statement. There’s got to be 1,000 unhappy, rabid Rovers fans in Lancashire, & thereabout. 

“Mowbray told us to expect playoffs- can’t get there from 15th place”, etc.

For fans to let mgmt/owners know their discontent, this is what needs to happen. Peaceful! No drunken mob storming Ewood. 

As above - meet at corner of Jack Walker Stand & Darwen End at 10AM if you would like to join a protest against Mowbray, the Coventrio and the clear mis-management at our club this season 👍🏼

[tomphil]

7 minutes ago, arbitro said:

He is desperately trying to prove a point to justify the money he has wasted on Ayala. He has lots of previous in this regard and he will sell it to the gullable set who hang on his every word as a huge positive for next season.

His shame has no bounds.

Would we be entirely shocked if it was a shop window job and somebody takes Ayala. After he's spent a season here getting fit again in the shadows after his last move to somewhere warm fell through ?

Iv'e lost all trust in this lot over the last 6 months they are just another bunch of self servers.  The veils have well and truly slipped i think we are in for a very strange summer.

[arbitro]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

Would we be entirely shocked if it was a shop window job and somebody takes Ayala. After he's spent a season here getting fit again in the shadows after his last move to somewhere warm fell through ?

Iv'e lost all trust in this lot over the last 6 months they are just another bunch of self servers.  The veils have well and truly slipped i think we are in for a very strange summer.

You could well be right but who would pay his rumoured £15k each week? He is a crock and I don't think a very good player neither. One of two things will happen I believe. He will be here for the remainder of his contract and play a nominal number of matches in between injuries or we will pay him off.

My money is on the latter.

[Gone to seed]

1 hour ago, DuffsLeftPeg said:

As above - meet at corner of Jack Walker Stand & Darwen End at 10AM if you would like to join a protest against Mowbray, the Coventrio and the clear mis-management at our club this season 👍🏼

Bring your brolly and wet weather gear though - there will be rain on the parade 😞

[DuffsLeftPeg]

2 minutes ago, WIR Second Coming said:

Bring your brolly and wet weather gear though - there will be rain on the parade 😞

Yeah it’s not looking good ☔️ 🤔

[bluebruce]

Another Tony u-turn.

A week ago it was all about how he didn't need to play the kids. He already knows absolutely everything about them and they're not ready.

Now he is probably going to play a bunch of them.

I'd have preferred they played last week. This game is the definition of a dead rubber, both sides having nothing to play for. They'll play a lot of kids and fringe players too and the game will probably have the mentality of a friendly.

Last week was an opportunity to blood them against a team of professionals actually fighting for something.

[roversfan99]

5 hours ago, Stuart said:

Playing Ayala would be the stupidest decision ever taken by Mowbray, which takes some doing.

Even having him in the squad takes an opportunity away from a youngster.

There should be a bench spot, or two, for an U23 player - and even an U18 one - as a reward for their season. Pick the PotS from each and get them in the dressing room.

If we can’t take a look at them in a dead rubber then when can we?

It’s almost as though it’s important that the Academy is not seen as being a success so that it can be quietly binned. Let’s face it, if I recall correctly, the person making the decisions about them openly said he didn’t see the point of an academy, sees Brentford as the best model and coincidentally there have been plans to downsize it anyway. He must be gutted the U23s have done so well this season.

The future of this club requires Mowbray be urgently replaced - and by someone who can work with an academy structure instead of gambling money we don’t have on ‘potential’.

I dont have a problem with Ayala being above kids in that Ayala will be closer to the first 11 (if he could ever stay fit) than the kids will and is contracted for another 2 years, so it makes sense looking forward to next year.

In regards to tomorrow though, the illogical aspect of it would be that giving him half an hour is neither here nor there, and of course I would ask if there is a risk of a recurrence.

My issue lies more with some of the other players that have played in the last few weeks, Holtby and Evans have both had game time recently despite being about to leave, Trybull, Johnson, Downing and Bennett have all played too.

I dont agree with dishing out appearances as rewards necessarily, but moreso to see if the one or two best under 23s can play within an otherwise strong side and not look out of place. The most obvious example in recent weeks of when that should have been used is when Nyambe was injured at Sheffield Wednesday, Pike should have started over Bennett. Another would be Davenport surely warranting a few games over Trybull, Evans and Johnson to see if he can compete for that role into next season.

In Mowbrays tenure, he has brought through Travis, Rankin Costello and Buckley, I dont think youth development overall has been one of his major and obvious weaknesses, but in the last few weeks, there has been a glaring lack of forward planning as I touched on in my previous paragraph. There are occasions (Harwood Bellis and LB) in which its unavoidable to avoid playing a player who wont be here next season, but in the main, players contracted into next season should have been prioritised and havent been.

[speeeeeeedie]

1 hour ago, bluebruce said:

Another Tony u-turn.

A week ago it was all about how he didn't need to play the kids. He already knows absolutely everything about them and they're not ready.

Now he is probably going to play a bunch of them.

I'd have preferred they played last week. This game is the definition of a dead rubber, both sides having nothing to play for. They'll play a lot of kids and fringe players too and the game will probably have the mentality of a friendly.

Last week was an opportunity to blood them against a team of professionals actually fighting for something.

Absolutely right. Aside from blind loyalty why would anyone pay to watch this game online?

I can understand why people would go if Ewood allowed supporters but I have no idea why someone would sit at home and watch what will be a glorified park friendly.

[bazza]

Well I'll be watching it because I've already paid for it with a season pass.

12.30 KO don't forget.

[rigger]

25 minutes ago, bazza said:

Well I'll be watching it because I've already paid for it with a season pass.

12.30 KO don't forget.

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.