Mowbray, the summer and beyond

[G Somerset Rover]

We’re screwed irrespective of Mowbray thanks to our owners. The club is a shambles off the pitch and it’s showing zero signs of improving a decade on. It’ll catch up with us big time soon - unless by a miracle we go up this season - and my bet is on next year.

Crap pitch, half the squad off in the summer, our two bob recruitment team, lack of investment. Could easily go on.

I want Mowbray long gone if we don’t go up, but until we have new owners who actually care and can organise us off the pitch, we’ll never be remotely successful. 

Edited March 10, 2022 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[lraC]

42 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

Ostentatious enough to gold plate the taps in a multi million pound house they never use, but can’t be arsed with the most basic of upkeep for the ground. Venky’s all over. And Waggott and co are desperate for the Riverside to be condemned.

Yet some people still think we should be grateful to them.

[Admiral Nelsen]

If we finish outside of the top 6 from the position that we were in (which I don't think we will) then I've got no issue at all with not extending Mowbray's contract. I'd be highly sceptical that we'd bring in a better option, but that's a separate argument.

 

I can't agree with those saying he should be kept on if we win the play offs but sacked if not, we can't be making decisions as big as that based on the randomness that could happen in 90 minutes of football. 

Edited March 10, 2022 by Admiral Nelsen

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, Miller11 said:

Ostentatious enough to gold plate the taps in a multi million pound house they never use, but can’t be arsed with the most basic of upkeep for the ground. Venky’s all over. And Waggott and co are desperate for the Riverside to be condemned.

Gold plate ? The cheapskates. What’s wrong with solid gold taps ?

[tomphil]

'We shouldn't have been in the top positions anyway, nobody expected it'

That's the get out of jail free card getting regularly aired on twitter and faceache and whilst it might be true it doesn't give him a free pass to blow it.  If we do end up in the top 6 it's a fantastic effort we have to give him that but finishing 8th or 9th rather than hailing it an improvement on last season really it would be another clusterfuck.

All eyes will turn to the January recruitment and what most could see coming with the reliance on BBD and the fact the lad was out on his feet. Many will then turn to blame the owners instead of those whose everyday job is to manage and recruit and had done well enough to get us there in the first place. 

I have no doubts Mowbray and co would have been delighted to have been given 5 or 10 million to go for it. Also i have no doubts that knowing that was never the case they've told the owners they can do it for shirt buttons on players coming in from their pals. All eyes on not putting themselves under anymore pressure and getting those new deals in summer. 

Back to the comfort zone of being development squad again rather than serious promotion chasers.

[47er]

49 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

If we finish outside of the top 6 from the position that we were in (which I don't think we will) then I've got no issue at all with not extending Mowbray's contract. I'd be highly sceptical that we'd bring in a better option, but that's a separate argument.

 

I can't agree with those saying he should be kept on if we win the play offs but sacked if not, we can't be making decisions as big as that based on the randomness that could happen in 90 minutes of football. 

Agree--sack him!

[USABlue]

9 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Its incredible after the last 11 years that anyone defends the owners based on the assumption that FFP is hindering them and a genuine want to invest more.

The pitch is the perfect example that such a theory is untrue.

Another Venkyism.  Allegedly offer a 10 Million pound promotion bonus then do what you can to make sure promotion does not happen.  If they understood one jot about fiotball they would realise a new manager is mandatory fir this team to go anywhere.  We've seen enough, endured enough if this fella he just beggars belief sometimes, a lot of times.  If his crap worked great but time and time again it does not.

[USABlue]

7 hours ago, lraC said:

How we ended up getting into the position we did under him, baffles me, but the dramatic fall away and inability to score, makes it all pointless.

Ten more games under his management is plenty and as we stumble to around tenth, anything other than the end to his tenure, will sicken me.

We did it in spite of him.  The olayers upoed their game in reaction to the mauling by Fulham.  The postponement at Hull, as many of us feared it would be, was the needle that popped the bubble.

[speedies gonna get ya.]

Posted this in other TM thread.

 

Look at TMs record after Xmas at all the clubs he has managed. It's is shocking and it is not a coincidence. He never adapts or contemplates a plan B. By Jan, Feb if a team is going well they tend to have a set formation and style of play. This season ours has been to have less of ball and break at pace. Opposition managers have clearly worked us out. If they sit deep we have no space to utilise pace in behind. So wheres the plan B? We are predictable. He has consistently failed after Xmas. He is either blind to it, unable to solve the problem or too stubborn to consider finding another way. Probably a combination of the 3.

Regarding Gallagher I feel for the lad. He's been working on protecting the full/wing back for 2 years instead of getting in the box. 10 mins up front here and there is not going to help him. 

Ps TM appears so stubborn and obviously is far wiser than us fans that I fear if we chant Dacks name when he warms up on touchline TM will probably leave him on bench just to show us who's the boss and keep us in our place.

[Bbrovers2288]

Mowbray be gone, please for the love of god. I can’t stand him 

[roversfan99]

Can't stand him! I just can't get my head around such hatred.

[Gav]

25 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Can't stand him! I just can't get my head around such hatred.

Its a social media thing roversfan99.

Most of the fans that walk through the gates are behind him and behind the team and why wouldn't they be, after a season that has so far gone beyond anyone's wildest expectations and its not over yet.

[WacoRover]

1994, very thoughtful post. This one comment you made got me laughing:

“Mowbray’s stubborn and bizarre ways…” 🤣

That is one of the nicest ways I’ve heard TM’s erratic managerial style referred to on this site. 

Getting back to the meat of your post, promotion would obviously win him another year… if he wants it. He might feel getting us up is good enough, and the prospect of staying up, another matter entirely. 

If we fall out of top 7, I believe his fate is obvious. 

Amongst candidates, from lower leagues, I would say Ainsworth would have been an excellent target last year, so he’s still on my short list. Liam Manning is another. Here’s my surprise candidate: Karl Robinson. Former Rover who’s done an admirable job at Oxford. I would not have expected them to remain on League 1, Robinson has something to do with that. Y’all have already mentioned other possibilities amongst the recycled managers.

[JHRover]

Mowbray and Waggott's summit meeting in India:
Mrs Desai: "so Tony how have things been in the 3 years since we last met?"

Tony: "oh great, thanks so much for your continued support, you are wonderful people"

Mrs Desai: "how has the team done? I haven't been checking"

Tony: "oh wonderful, you see despite cutting the wage bill and bringing in big money from Adam Armstrong we have managed to continue our improvement and have gone close to promotion. We've all worked very hard and the fans are very happy"

Mrs Desai: "sounds good. So what do you want us to do next?"

Tony: "well we can sell Ben Brereton, another signing of mine, and get another £15 million for him so you don't need to spend again this year. All I need is a new contract to continue and ability to sign some free agents/loans to replace departures"

Waggott; "I've slashed the wage bill and we've expertly managed FFP and kept a competitive team despite these cuts. I've grown attendances over the season from less than 10,000 to now 13,000+. Covid, bad weather, etc. I've done all I can - i even opened the Darwen End for home fans because they wanted it but then they wouldnt buy tickets there. I'm going to put prices up again on season tickets because after such a good season they will pay more"

Mrs Desai: "great, see you both next year"

 

[tomphil]

6 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Mowbray and Waggott's summit meeting in India:
Mrs Desai: "so Tony how have things been in the 3 years since we last met?"

Tony: "oh great, thanks so much for your continued support, you are wonderful people"

Mrs Desai: "how has the team done? I haven't been checking"

Tony: "oh wonderful, you see despite cutting the wage bill and bringing in big money from Adam Armstrong we have managed to continue our improvement and have gone close to promotion. We've all worked very hard and the fans are very happy"

Mrs Desai: "sounds good. So what do you want us to do next?"

Tony: "well we can sell Ben Brereton, another signing of mine, and get another £15 million for him so you don't need to spend again this year. All I need is a new contract to continue and ability to sign some free agents/loans to replace departures"

Waggott; "I've slashed the wage bill and we've expertly managed FFP and kept a competitive team despite these cuts. I've grown attendances over the season from less than 10,000 to now 13,000+. Covid, bad weather, etc. I've done all I can - i even opened the Darwen End for home fans because they wanted it but then they wouldnt buy tickets there. I'm going to put prices up again on season tickets because after such a good season they will pay more"

Mrs Desai: "great, see you both next year"

 

As long as Suhail backs up Stevie and Tony's words then that summary i can see being terrifyingly close to the scenario.

[Miller11]

1 hour ago, Gav said:

Its a social media thing roversfan99.

Most of the fans that walk through the gates are behind him and behind the team and why wouldn't they be, after a season that has so far gone beyond anyone's wildest expectations and its not over yet.

Don’t disagree with any of this, but it just goes to show how far our expectations have been dumbed down under these dreadful owners.

Seeing being the 26th best team in the country as a major achievement for Blackburn Rovers is pathetic really. So much for respecting Jack’s legacy.

[FortressEwood]

No doubt at all, promotion or not, he should be offered another contract to carry on the good work.

 

[jim mk2]

What has been clearly an aberration this season is the good run that got us into 2nd place - the fans couldn't believe it and I don't think Mowbray could either

The rest has been classic Mowbray, bumbling along with confused tactics, players in the wrong positions and poor transfer dealings. 

So much for Mowbray being "excellent" - he's been his usual average self

I don't want him here next season. 

[Armchair supporter supremo]

18 hours ago, Gav said:

Them leaving is all that matters Tyrone, everything else is incidental. 

And who is it again that you want to buy the club that would do any better now? 

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, Miller11 said:

Don’t disagree with any of this, but it just goes to show how far our expectations have been dumbed down under these dreadful owners.

Seeing being the 26th best team in the country as a major achievement for Blackburn Rovers is pathetic really. So much for respecting Jack’s legacy.

When you consider we are the 10th most successful club in the country and probably one of if not The most successful town club.

 

[tomphil]

44 minutes ago, FortressEwood said:

No doubt at all, promotion or not, he should be offered another contract to carry on 'the good work'.

                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                           -    'one good season in four'  -

[rigger]

2 minutes ago, tomphil said:

                                                                                                                                                           -    'one good season in four'  -

It's not even one good season. It is one average season in four, in which we have had two good months.

[roverandout]

1 hour ago, FortressEwood said:

No doubt at all, promotion or not, he should be offered another contract to carry on the good work.

 

What good work? Midtable mediocrity with one rather fortuitous promotion push? Some managers achieve that within 2 years. Some within a year

[jim mk2]

1 hour ago, FortressEwood said:

No doubt at all, promotion or not, he should be offered another contract to carry on the good work.

If he gets us in the play-offs and keeps the out-of-contract players, that would be possibly "good work" 

If he doesn't, he should be on his bike

[chaddyrovers]

Here is post from a Rovers scout John Brown on LinkedIn