Joe Rothwell Poll

[ben_the_beast]

I'd like to change the way I voted 😄 

[dallydally]

Good riddance I say

[JBiz]

It’s now confirmed that he’s training with the team today.

Now, I believe that he wanted to speak to Bournemouth as TM is probably too honest for his own good at times.

I feel stupid for believing they accepted the fee and he was on the way down though?

Overall, this is another good example of why ITKs like Peter Rourke and other journalists should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Still think the guy is a bellend for wanting to speak to Bournemouth but it’s surely indicative that it was never going to be accepted, or he would’ve been on the south coast hours ago.

 

[damo100]

On 30/01/2022 at 20:13, dallydally said:

Good riddance I say

Is that still your opinion?

[Dreams of 1995]

24 minutes ago, damo100 said:

Is that still your opinion?

He wanted to talk to Bournemouth, our rivals, midway through the season. 
 

He will never be at the level of the other players of the squad for me. Should the unthinkable happen and we go up he will always taint the squad photo. 

[RevidgeBlue]

18 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

He wanted to talk to Bournemouth, our rivals, midway through the season. 
 

He will never be at the level of the other players of the squad for me. Should the unthinkable happen and we go up he will always taint the squad photo. 

Absolute nonsense imo.

If he scores half a dozen goals between now and the end of the season and is instrumental  in us going up who cares?

I was actually thinking the three out of contractors will have to perform out of their skins even more than the others for the rest of the season as if things tail off badly and we don't go up they, unlike the rest, are potentially unemployed.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Fair play for giving an interview and addressing the issue. Can understand that he was looking out for his family but he can’t be surprised by the fan reaction given it was a promotion rival.

Hope he gets a decent reaction at Ewood next time out given some of the online abuse stuff but whatever happens this season, he won’t be held in the same regard as his team mates.

[Dreams of 1995]

3 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Absolute nonsense imo.

If he scores half a dozen goals between now and the end of the season and is instrumental  in us going up who cares?

I was actually thinking the three out of contractors will have to perform out of their skins even more than the others for the rest of the season as if things tail off badly and we don't go up they, unlike the rest, are potentially unemployed.

I don’t care but I don’t like him 

I won’t send him abuse, boo him or talk crap about him constantly but I don’t like him. He was ready to ditch us for our rivals 

He will never be remembered as fondly as the rest of this squad in my mind, not even close 

[JHRover]

Watched his interview. I find it hard to harbour any ill feeling towards the lad - he certainly comes across to me as genuine and honest about the situation.

As before he has a short career and has a young family. If another club are offering him far more money and a much longer contract then it is easy to see why he might be interested, especially when his deal here ends in a few short months and he won't know what comes next.

The bit of his interview that really hurt me was when he admitted that it would have been a big life changing move for him and his family which is why he was interested in it. You might think this is Man City or Real Madrid offering him a deal with that sort of language, or at least a club far above us in the pyramid offering a one in a lifetime move to the PL. But no he is actually referring to Bournemouth.

Makes you realise just how far down the pecking order these clowns have dragged us when our star players are seeing Bournemouth mid-season as a life changing move. Cheers Venkys and Maggott.

I actually feel sorry for him. I think he and many others have been mucked around by Venkys, Mowbray included. Their approach is going to cost this club big time when all these decent players leave because they're refusing to sanction better terms.

 

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

14 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Watched his interview. I find it hard to harbour any ill feeling towards the lad - he certainly comes across to me as genuine and honest about the situation.

As before he has a short career and has a young family. If another club are offering him far more money and a much longer contract then it is easy to see why he might be interested, especially when his deal here ends in a few short months and he won't know what comes next.

The bit of his interview that really hurt me was when he admitted that it would have been a big life changing move for him and his family which is why he was interested in it. You might think this is Man City or Real Madrid offering him a deal with that sort of language, or at least a club far above us in the pyramid offering a one in a lifetime move to the PL. But no he is actually referring to Bournemouth.

Makes you realise just how far down the pecking order these clowns have dragged us when our star players are seeing Bournemouth mid-season as a life changing move. Cheers Venkys and Maggott.

I actually feel sorry for him. I think he and many others have been mucked around by Venkys, Mowbray included. Their approach is going to cost this club big time when all these decent players leave because they're refusing to sanction better terms.

 

To be fair, it’s the fact that Bournemouth are a recently relegated PL team that’s the issue not the size of the club. We’ve not been able to financially compete with clubs who have dropped down from the PL long before Mowbray came along.

[RevidgeBlue]

8 minutes ago, JHRover said:

The bit of his interview that really hurt me was when he admitted that it would have been a big life changing move for him and his family which is why he was interested in it. You might think this is Man City or Real Madrid offering him a deal with that sort of language, or at least a club far above us in the pyramid offering a one in a lifetime move to the PL. But no he is actually referring to Bournemouth.

I particularly agree with this bit. If Venky's are prepared to continue to back us to the hilt by ploughing in the maximum permissible under FFP rules then I can't for the life of me see why we can't offer competitive deals to key players. That input plus our normal revenue must give us more to go at than practically any other Club apart from those with parachute payments.

As I've said countless times previously it's the manager's job to manage  and that includes prioritising which players are key and those who aren't quite as important and looking after the key ones.

Also not running a bloated squad padded out with overpaid squad fillers. We lost eleven players in summer, bought five in and have done far better.

[JBiz]

45 minutes ago, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

To be fair, it’s the fact that Bournemouth are a recently relegated PL team that’s the issue not the size of the club. We’ve not been able to financially compete with clubs who have dropped down from the PL long before Mowbray came along.

You’re wasting your time MMLP

FFP is an excuse. Low turnover is an excuse. The pandemic is an excuse. Parachute payments are an excuse.

If it is any solace, I agree with your view on the inequality caused, due to financial power of relegated teams compared to other championship teams.

That’s not to say, if the owners truly wanted it, they could find a way. I’m sure we all get that. The rules are stupid though, and the last time we fell foul of them they caused untold issues, see “chapter 132, Coyle and Co”

Lumping Mowbray in as a current issue, alongside the long term damage caused by bad decisions in their initial ownership, winds me up though.

Rothwell caused this by asking to join a team we have a chance to usurp, and if his form dips - I won’t be pointing fingers at his salary as an excuse.

Anyone with foresight knows that the club and the players would benefit massively from beating them, yet he still asked the question.

Will take a lot to forget.

[briansol]

52 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I particularly agree with this bit. If Venky's are prepared to continue to back us to the hilt by ploughing in the maximum permissible under FFP rules then I can't for the life of me see why we can't offer competitive deals to key players. That input plus our normal revenue must give us more to go at than practically any other Club apart from those with parachute payments.

As I've said countless times previously it's the manager's job to manage  and that includes prioritising which players are key and those who aren't quite as important and looking after the key ones.

Also not running a bloated squad padded out with overpaid squad fillers. We lost eleven players in summer, bought five in and have done far better.

Very much agree, especially with the bloated squad point.

I think outside the parachut teams, I think the wage level is quite similar. Can't compete with the parachute teams though, who can offer 30-40k wages.

[RoverCanada]

Aside from parachute payments, you also shouldn't overlook that Bournemouth have made some major sales since relegation. Even after their recent splurge, glancing at transfermarkt, they're at net sales of £15+m this year (largely the Danjuma sale) and made £84m net sales last year (Ake, Wilson, Ramsdale, Arter...). Puts our maybe £10+m profit on Armstrong into perspective...

They've also seen a number of their longtime PL squad head out the door (Cook, Fraser, Begovic, Boruc, Daniels, Francis, Surman), so their wage bill may not be as bloated with leftover PL contracts as some relegated clubs. Their accounts for this season and last should prove an interesting read (for me at least 🙂)

Perhaps countering that is they have also built up a sizeable debt load due to heavy losses in their final PL years, albeit apparently with a 'benevolent' owner like us... So, certainly an interesting one to watch if they don't go up this season or next given their longer-term financial picture won't be so bright. Hence, their willingness to spend now while their revenue/transfer income is high isn't surprising (nor irrational!), and probably still well within FFP in the near-term.

Edited February 3, 2022 by RoverCanada

[JHRover]

31 minutes ago, JBiz said:

Rothwell caused this by asking to join a team we have a chance to usurp, and if his form dips - I won’t be pointing fingers at his salary as an excuse.

Anyone with foresight knows that the club and the players would benefit massively from beating them, yet he still asked the question.

Will take a lot to forget.

I'm not sure Rothwell has caused anything here. He can't force Rovers to make a suitable offer, and he can't force Bouremouth to take an interest or approach him in January. He can only respond to events as they unfold. Bournemouth come sniffing - he has to decide whether to hang around here with a club run by clowns or take a 4 year deal and much bigger salary for his family = security for the rest of his career/life.

He will be well off of course but having been at Oxford and Rovers he probably won't be set for life.

He is out of contract at the end of the season. Uncertainty. Footballers particularly with families don't want that. Now you might blame him for not signing whatever joke numbers corner shop manager Waggott has scribbled down for him, but as seen with the Bournemouth interest Rothwell has been entirely vindicated in his position because it is clear he can get better elsewhere.

That's if you believe there has been an offer on the table open for his acceptance, which I have my own doubts about given the lack of one for Mowbray. 

If the owners are so inert that they are happy to allow Mowbray's deal to run down with no discussions about his future then why would they take players' contracts seriously? It would suggest they are 'on the ball' with players who they have never met but aren't 'on the ball' with their manager who they have met, like, trust and have had running their club for the last 5 years.

The Club had the ability to protect its assets by attending to their contracts in a professional and coherent manner and ensuring star players were here for the forseeable, putting the club in the driving seat should any interest come along. The Club has failed to do that using every excuse in the book along the way.

Covid, revenues, uncertainty, wage structure, owners struggling in India, greedy players and agents.

But in the end it doesn't matter what the cause is of it. All that matters is the result of it. Players haven't signed and the result is that it is inevitable that some will have their heads turned by other clubs and other options. It is also inevitable that unless something changes quickly this Rothwell incident will be replicated with several other players.

I have just read Mowbray's comments in the Telegraph and have to say I am baffled.

Mowbray appears to be suggesting that he would have sold Rothwell and used the cash to buy 3 players. He appears to suggest that the only way he can rebuild the squad is by doing this as there will be no money in the summer without sales (if we don't go up). He appears to suggest the owners vetoed this plan and insisted Rothwell would remain.

I have numerous issues with this;

1) If the manager wants a sale why on earth are the owners acting against his wishes? 

2) How does he know there is no money if we don't go up?

3) We've heard this about sell and reinvest several times and it just doesn't happen - they sold Armstrong for far more in the summer with plenty of time to spend some of the money on new players and failed to do so. I have no faith they would have allowed reinvestment of the Rothwell cash.

4) I don't understand how or why the owners would reject millions of pounds for Rothwell when this is probably their last chance to get a fee for him, yet they are unable to offer the wage he wants to keep him here longer term. If they have the capacity to risk millions on turning down a fee for him then why don't they have the capacity to increase the wage bill to pay him?

 

[JBiz]

9 minutes ago, JHRover said:

I'm not sure Rothwell has caused anything here. He can't force Rovers to make a suitable offer, and he can't force Bouremouth to take an interest or approach him in January. He can only respond to events as they unfold. Bournemouth come sniffing - he has to decide whether to hang around here with a club run by clowns or take a 4 year deal and much bigger salary for his family = security for the rest of his career/life.

He will be well off of course but having been at Oxford and Rovers he probably won't be set for life.

He is out of contract at the end of the season. Uncertainty. Footballers particularly with families don't want that. Now you might blame him for not signing whatever joke numbers corner shop manager Waggott has scribbled down for him, but as seen with the Bournemouth interest Rothwell has been entirely vindicated in his position because it is clear he can get better elsewhere.

That's if you believe there has been an offer on the table open for his acceptance, which I have my own doubts about given the lack of one for Mowbray. 
 

Thing is JHR - you must realise the power that agents have, especially when you consider the gulf in revenue between a team recently relegated and one not?

Bournemouth are obviously intent (on what we do, may I add) on maximising the amount they can spend within the rules - but the rules applied to us don’t include 90m over 3 years for parachute payments, not including what their owners can invest + safe losses.

I’m no mathematician or accountant but I know that is a huge advantage. Why is it so easy for you to ignore? 

You can easily assume that Rothwell wasn’t tapped up, or that his demands are reasonable.

 

9 minutes ago, JHRover said:

If the owners are so inert that they are happy to allow Mowbray's deal to run down with no discussions about his future then why would they take players' contracts seriously? It would suggest they are 'on the ball' with players who they have never met but aren't 'on the ball' with their manager who they have met, like, trust and have had running their club for the last 5 years.

The Club had the ability to protect its assets by attending to their contracts in a professional and coherent manner and ensuring star players were here for the forseeable, putting the club in the driving seat should any interest come along. The Club has failed to do that using every excuse in the book along the way.

Covid, revenues, uncertainty, wage structure, owners struggling in India, greedy players and agents.

But in the end it doesn't matter what the cause is of it. All that matters is the result of it. Players haven't signed and the result is that it is inevitable that some will have their heads turned by other clubs and other options. It is also inevitable that unless something changes quickly this Rothwell incident will be replicated with several other players.

I have just read Mowbray's comments in the Telegraph and have to say I am baffled.

Mowbray appears to be suggesting that he would have sold Rothwell and used the cash to buy 3 players. He appears to suggest that the only way he can rebuild the squad is by doing this as there will be no money in the summer without sales (if we don't go up). He appears to suggest the owners vetoed this plan and insisted Rothwell would remain.

If you’ve an agent and player, or 3, asking for top wage when you’re skirting rules, need to regularly sell players and had to pawn the training ground to bring the revenue up to the value that allows us to sign contracts, loan players and / or sign even frees….

Why assume it’s such a simple thing to not “allow players contracts to expire”?

Why is this a prevalent thing across football, if we’re the only teams in this position?

9 minutes ago, JHRover said:

I have numerous issues with this;

1) If the manager wants a sale why on earth are the owners acting against his wishes? 
 

This is a separate issue that’s been prevalent since they took over the club, there’s no autonomy in Ewood, it’s always rubber stamped in India.

9 minutes ago, JHRover said:

2) How does he know there is no money if we don't go up?

Who?

9 minutes ago, JHRover said:

3) We've heard this about sell and reinvest several times and it just doesn't happen - they sold Armstrong for far more in the summer with plenty of time to spend some of the money on new players and failed to do so. I have no faith they would have allowed reinvestment of the Rothwell cash.

 

4) I don't understand how or why the owners would reject millions of pounds for Rothwell when this is probably their last chance to get a fee for him, yet they are unable to offer the wage he wants to keep him here longer term. If they have the capacity to risk millions on turning down a fee for him then why don't they have the capacity to increase the wage bill to pay him?

 

Again this comes back to simply ignoring the different financial scenarios of the two clubs.

Why do you think Fulham look like they do?

[tomphil]

When Rovers threw the brass around everybody wanted to beat us. Lads on a grand a week v lads on 10k a week.

So when it comes to Bournemouth lets use it as a motivational tool i'm sure other teams will.

As for Rothwell ..get behind the lad..ffs !

[RoversTilliDie]

On 29/01/2022 at 18:56, 1864roverite said:

Lost all respect for him sadly

It's comments like this that can derail promotion challenges, he's staying and is an important part of Blackburn Rovers.

[1864roverite]

2 hours ago, Geoff66 said:

It's comments like this that can derail promotion challenges, he's staying and is an important part of Blackburn Rovers.

It’s my view at the timing of his actions if he continues to perform 100% in the shirt he will have my support

[G Somerset Rover]

I’ll obviously be supporting Joe Rothwell in our colours for the rest of the season but I do feel he’s got away with one here. He wasn’t looking to force a move to a PL Club or a team halfway down our division…it was our biggest rivals for promotion. 

As I say, let’s forget about it til May, but the way that Rovers interviewer talked of a heroes reception at Ewood is laughable. 

Edited February 4, 2022 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[booth]

The best thing to do would be to work his socks off to try and get us into the PL. Fans back onside, bonus and PL wage.

[Hasta]

3 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

I’ll obviously be supporting Joe Rothwell in our colours for the rest of the season but I do feel he’s got away with one here. He wasn’t looking to force a move to a PL Club or a team halfway down our division…it was our biggest rivals for promotion. 

As I say, let’s forget about it til May, but the way that Rovers interviewer talked of a heroes reception at Ewood is laughable. 

The heroes reception part is laughable.

 But he’s  27 now and his next contract may well be the peak of his earning potential in his footballing career.  We don’t know what the offer was but it could have made him seriously financially secure for after his career ends. It’s easy to say he could have waited till summer, but this is a potential life-changing move and if for whatever reason an equal financial proposition doesn’t manifest in summer he may regret it forever. Therefore why wouldn’t he consider a move to Bournemouth? Impact potentially the rest of his life for loyalty to a club he works for, doesn’t support and haven’t actually played him as much as he probably thinks he should have been.

And I don’t believe he tried to ‘force a move’. I believe he wanted it and Mowbray wanted the money but either the owners or Bournemouth said no.

[47er]

4 hours ago, Hasta said:

And I don’t believe he tried to ‘force a move’. I believe he wanted it and Mowbray wanted the money but either the owners or Bournemouth said no.

Yep, my take on it too.

[47er]

On 04/02/2022 at 06:28, JHRover said:

1) If the manager wants a sale why on earth are the owners acting against his wishes? 

Who knows? They are totally erratic and unpredictable.

The idea that they would act against the manager's wishes isn't particularly out of left-field for them is it?

Back in the day Balaji was rumoured to be picking Kean's team for him. I seem to remember the famous "Dossier" having something to say

about that.

We've just been unlucky, of all the billionaire families in the world we had to get this one!

[TheRoversReturn]

Man in job tries to get better job with a far better package. It didn't happen, but he's doing nothing wrong as long as he gives his all for the rest of his contract now that it's fallen through.

He helps inspire us to promotion, or even just the play offs, then if he does leave in the summer then he'll leave as having been an excellent signing.