Which utterly brilliant manager will we be delighted to welcome next?

[Torgeir]

I’d take Mowbray over Ainsworth. Quite enjoyed the way we played this season and although our form was atrocious for large parts, Tony knows the group and the club. 
 

Farke would be my first choice from the ones I’ve seen linked with the job. 
 

The club has to act swiftly here so the new (or old) man in charge can convince Lenihan and Nyambe to extend. Give them higher wages and £1,5m release fee clauses. 

[booth]

1 hour ago, martonrover said:

He’s reminding me of a singer at a concert who thanks the audience, tells them the show’s over and leaves the stage , but you know full well they will come back on to do another three songs.

He's like an unwelcome Ken Dodd, but without the jokes.

[CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber]

13 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

It’s interesting to see every article from Sharpe saying he’s done, was his last game at Brum, TM confirmed his exit etc. 

But for me his statements have all (purposely) left a bit of ambiguity in them from what I’ve read. Still a fair chance he’s staying…

Not for me. When the bloke with the tits gets around to hearing about Tony's quotes in the media there's no way he's getting a new contract. The serfs do not get to talk about their masters this way and survive. 

[booth]

23 minutes ago, dallydally said:

See Tony is touting for a new Contract saying he would have definitely signed if one had been offered in January. This isn't over yet!!!!

I bet that gave a self esteem boost to his 13 year old son. Blimey, honourable?

[booth]

6 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Ainsworth has overachieved on a shoestring at Wycombe. Knows how to set his team up to defend.

Mowbray had done just OK in my view. Doesn't tally with where we want to go.

Also Ainsworth isn't on the scrapheap, TM was when he became Rovers manager. Rovers have rejuvenated his career. Perhaps we can help Ainsworth get to the next level of his managerial career?

[Torgeir]

6 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Ainsworth has overachieved on a shoestring at Wycombe. Knows how to set his team up to defend.

Mowbray had done just OK in my view. Doesn't tally with where we want to go.

Just being a football romantic and taking this season into consideration only. Last season our style of football made me drowsy. 

[Mattyblue]

24 minutes ago, CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber said:

Not for me. When the bloke with the tits gets around to hearing about Tony's quotes in the media there's no way he's getting a new contract. The serfs do not get to talk about their masters this way and survive. 

Oh I am leaning that way, but the fact both him and the club haven’t categorically confirmed it with the season now finished says you can’t be certain. Amazing that we are even having to have this conversation, what a farcical set up.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Mattyblue

[AllRoverAsia]

6 minutes ago, CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber said:

Not for me. When the bloke with the tits gets around to hearing about Tony's quotes in the media there's no way he's getting a new contract. The serfs do not get to talk about their masters this way and survive. 

If we had a real CEO he would have had Mowbray, at a minimum, sat at home on gardening leave for his anti club comments over the past week.

 

[Gav]

2 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I wouldn’t want Cocu to get the job but if he did there’s an outside chance he might be successful. There’s no chance of that with Mowbray. As we’ve just found out.

I’ve got a mate who has a season ticket at Derby, she stopped going after 5 games under Cocu because he was bonkers, didn’t know the name of the ground and didn’t know Clough had managed Derby.

Agent driven garbage TS.

[EgyptianPete]

3 hours ago, Wheelton Blue said:

If the owners are due to speak with Mowbray this week - as he himself implied - then I wouldn't expect an announcement until afterwards.

What the announcement will be, is anyone's guess. I fear the worst.

Ill sit on my season ticket renewal until its definite hes gone. (Mowbray that is)

[Guest]

1 minute ago, AllRoverAsia said:

If we had a real CEO he would have had Mowbray, at a minimum, sat at home on gardening leave for his anti club comments over the past week.

 

Mark, if we'd had a real set up (including CEO) the gurning chump would have had his P45 a long time back.

None of what is going on at the club fills me with any confidence things are about to get any better.

 

[SuperBrfc]

I'm reading his comments differently. To me it sounds like his pride was hurt by there not being an offer on the table around January time and that he made up his then that he would be off no matter what. That may explain the sulking, shoulder shrugging and the lack of enthusiasm that followed from January onwards.

He seems miffed at the idea that they may have been waiting to see how the season pans out. "Am I a bad manager if we fail to make the play offs, am I a good one if we do?". It reads like it was a case of "stuff that, I'm off". We know how stubborn and petulant he can be. He's gone, IMO, no matter what is said during the phone call. The digs that he is now getting in at the owners also suggests he doesn't want to stay. They aren't going to put up with one of their employees saying these things.

Would he have signed a new deal if offered in January? Probably. There might be some truth behind that, but I think it's also another sympathy vote being played to his supporters right now. I would have stayed had the owners not messed me about, lads. This is all just adding to the "poor Mowbray, he's not to blame" narrative. Both parties are to blame. There aren't half going to be some tears shed among some of the fans when it is confirmed that he is leaving. The narrative is building up to that.

[EgyptianPete]

54 minutes ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

Liverpool fans I believe. 

Venkys had talks with them about 3/4 yrs ago not interested.

[Wheelton Blue]

11 minutes ago, Gav said:

I’ve got a mate who has a season ticket at Derby, she stopped going after 5 games under Cocu because he was bonkers, didn’t know the name of the ground and didn’t know Clough had managed Derby.

Agent driven garbage TS.

I wonder if Mogga knows that Kendall once managed us?

Either way, it's totally irrelevant when judging his ability as a manager.

The same goes for for Cocu's knowledge of Clough; it's irrelevant when judging him.

[islander200]

12 minutes ago, Gav said:

I’ve got a mate who has a season ticket at Derby, she stopped going after 5 games under Cocu because he was bonkers, didn’t know the name of the ground and didn’t know Clough had managed Derby.

Agent driven garbage TS.

I wouldn't want Cocu here but at the time he joined Derby it was a coup for them.

He had been a player who had been involved at a high level.Been involved coaching with the Dutch national team.Managed Psv to two Dutch titles when Ajax had won the previous 4.

He was being linked to take over at bigger clubs than Derby.

It didn't work out for him in England and since PSV he has struggled but at the time Derby couldn't be unhappy with his appointment, in fact at the time he was appointed Derby fans were delighted with it going off their reaction on social media.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Radio silence..Big gaps in infrastructure...New season starts earlier on 30 July.

Maybe, they have been working behind the scenes to ensure we are actually ready by the time the players report back at the end of June....Imagine Bancroft, Keighley, Fox and co behaving like that..

FOV!!!

[Gav]

17 minutes ago, goozburger said:

She stopped going after W2 D1 L2? Bit extreme. Derby finished 10th that season. Hardly a disaster.

Cocu was fired in November with Derby 6 points adrift at the bottom of the league, he was a disaster.

On the flip side she went to Ewood this season for the night match and thought we were the best side she’s seen all season for 45minutes, ironic!

Football fans eh 

[sw0808]

6 minutes ago, Gav said:

Cocu was fired in November with Derby 6 points adrift at the bottom of the league, he was a disaster.

On the flip side she went to Ewood this season for the night match and thought we were the best side she’s seen all season for 45minutes, ironic!

Football fans eh 

Bet it wasn't the first 45mins

[RoverCanada]

Lengthy article in The Athletic today on our oncoming 'talent drain': https://theathletic.com/3286731/2022/05/09/blackburn-rovers-talent-drain-from-mowbray-and-recruitment-team-to-brereton-diaz-and-captain-lenihan/ (paywall warning!).

No doubt a lot of this being fed to the journo by Mowbray's reps/friends, but always interesting when an 'outsider' journalist at The Athletic takes a deep dive on Rovers.

Given the paywall (and I'm never sure how easy it is to get around their paywall!), some summary notes, much of which not news around here, but thought I'd share. Don't shoot the messenger 🙂:

- In general, the piece seems to imply Waggott has emerged as the key decision-maker at Rovers...

- Mentions Rothwell was going to Bournemouth for £4.5m (not the £3.5m often mentioned). Seems to lay the decision not to sell on Waggott, who wanted to prioritise the chance of PL football over the £4.5m. Mowbray thought he could net improve the squad with the two signings he had lined up as replacements, and Mowbray has suggested this could've corrected our lack of goals/depth down the stretch (Suggests Waggott again tried signing Rothwell to a new contract after, but no dice)

- Mowbray had nothing to do with Waggott's hiring, who was brought in by headhunters Nolan Partners. Confirms that Waggott and Mowbray's relations have been strained for a while. Mowbray's agent informally asked about his contract situation in January, but Waggott's excuse was he hadn't been able to see the owners in India (Mowbray calling BS on that, but from what we know of Venky's, that may actually be 'true'... but a clear example to Mowbray of why this club isn't run right...)

- Mowbray frustrated by high-quality personnel leaving with inexperienced replacements. Name checks Stuart Harvey, Andrew Mitchell, and Liam Mason. A concern that Harvey could raid our scouting staff. Venus and Park set to leave too, adding to the 'brain drain' (the definition of a 'brain' being stretched at times)

- Waggott described by agents/outsiders as 'present' and 'professional', but often late getting back to them, probably due to rarely knowing his true budget. Some confusion if Venus or Waggott was the main point of contact. Suggests making Venus the 'sporting director' was considered at one point (essentially formalising some of his backoffice responsibilities). Venus still taking calls on player contract extensions, suggesting he and Mowbray still had some hope of sticking around.

- Mowbray still likes Venky's, considers them 'decent' people, but the geographic isolation and a 4-man board of directors that can't actually make decisions is an ongoing problem.

- Mowbray apparently gets on with Suhail fine, although the piece also mentions Suhail's never claimed any football background around Mowbray yet gets 'too involved' in contract negotiations, 'hindering' Waggott, with two agents saying they've stopped taking calls from Suhail, preferring to deal with Waggott.

- Financials: likely would've breached FFP without training ground sale. Venky's pumping in an average of £15m/year since they took over. Venky's have been converting loans into shares of late (essentially writing it off), but are still owed £130m, with a shareholder deficit of £111m. Hence, Venky's are keen on promotion, which is worth £135m-£265m these days (depending on surviving relegation in the first year). Venky's don't want to pull the plug on their investment given the resulting 'stain' on their reputation within India's business community.

- Mentions BBD valued at £15m, but only a small portion of that would be added to a limited transfer budget. Players don't feel too strongly about Mowbray leaving given pending contract expiries. More focused on their own careers/finances at the moment.

- A positive: the junior system is 'healthy' with a 'thriving' recruitment network. Stuart Jones gets specific praise.

Edited May 9, 2022 by RoverCanada

[RoversClitheroe]

3 minutes ago, RoverCanada said:

Lengthy article in The Athletic today on our oncoming 'talent drain': https://theathletic.com/3286731/2022/05/09/blackburn-rovers-talent-drain-from-mowbray-and-recruitment-team-to-brereton-diaz-and-captain-lenihan/ (paywall warning!).

No doubt a lot of this being fed to the journo by Mowbray's reps/friends, but always interesting when an 'outsider' journalist at The Athletic takes a deep dive on Rovers.

Given the paywall (and I'm never sure how easy it is to get around their paywall!), some summary notes, much of which not news around here, but thought I'd share. Don't shoot the messenger 🙂:

- In general, the piece seems to imply Waggott has emerged as the key decision-maker at Rovers...

- Mentions Rothwell was going to Bournemouth for £4.5m, not the £3.5m often mentioned here. Seems to lay the decision not to sell on Waggott, who wanted to prioritise the chance of PL football over the £4.5m. Mowbray thought he could net improve the squad with the two signings he had lined up as replacements, and Mowbray has suggested this could've corrected our lack of goals/depth down the stretch (Suggests Waggott again tried signing Rothwell to a new contract after, but no dice)

- Mowbray had nothing to do with Waggott's hiring, who was brought in by headhunters Nolan Partners. Confirms that Waggott and Mowbray's relations have been strained for a while. Mowbray's agent informally asked about his contract situation in January, but Waggott's excuse was he hadn't been able to see the owners in India (Mowbray calling BS on that, but from what we know of Venky's, that may actually be 'true'... but a clear example to Mowbray of why this club isn't run right...)

- Mowbray frustrated by high-quality personnel leaving with inexperienced replacements. Name checks Stuart Harvey, Andrew Mitchell, and Liam Mason. A concern that Harvey could raid our scouting staff. Venus and Park set to leave too, adding to the 'brain drain' (your definition of a brain being stretched at times)

- Waggott described by agents/outsiders as 'present' and 'professional', but often late getting back to them, probably due to rarely knowing his true budget. Some confusion if Venus or Waggott was the main point of contact. Suggests making Venus the 'sporting director' was considered at one point (probably formalising some of his backoffice responsibilities. Venus still taking calls on player contract extensions...

- Mowbray still likes Venky's, considers them 'decent' people, but the geographic isolation and a 4-man board of directors that can't actually make decisions is an ongoing problem.

- Mowbray apparently gets on with Suhail fine, although the piece also mentions Suhail's never claimed any football background around Mowbray yet gets 'too involved' in contract negotiations, 'hindering' Waggott, with two agents saying they've stopped taking calls from Suhail, preferring to deal with Waggott.

- Financials: likely would've breached FFP without training ground sale. Venky's pumping in an average of £15m/year since they took over. Venky's have been converting loans into shares of late (essentially writing it off), but are still owed £130m, with a shareholder deficit of £111m. Hence, Venky's are keen on promotion, which is worth £135m-£265m these days (depending on surviving relegation in the first year). Venky's don't want to pull the plug on their investment given the resulting 'stain' on their reputation within India's business community.

- Mentions BBD valued at £15m, but only a small portion of that would be added to a limited transfer budget. Players don't feel too strongly about Mowbray leaving given pending contract expiries. More focused on their own careers/finances at the moment.

- A positive: the junior system is 'healthy' with a 'thriving' recruitment network. Stuart Jones gets specific praise.

God I hope Waggot isn't involved.

 

[JHRover]

Mowbray's latest comments seem to be at odds with those previously where he said he was calm and relaxed about his contractual situation, that it didn't make any difference to him and his approach and that the time for discussing it was at the end of the season when he'd get on a plane to India.

Now its a case that he wanted an offer in January and is seemingly hurt by the failure of the owners to make him an offer and that now the season is over he's off because of this?

Typical Mowbray ambiguity and mixed messages.

Of course there's a small chance that he's got the message through that he isn't getting an offer having previously held hopes and an expectation this would come. That is what would normally be expected and maybe now he's throwing his toys out of his pram whilst he still has a platform and some relevance to command an audience.

Then again maybe the opposite is true and the silence continues from India and even he's had enough of waiting.

The lack of communication from the club only points to one thing. Uncertainty and no authority. It is the easiest thing in the world to release a short website statement as they did yesterday with Rothwell and Johnson. Their failure to even do that tells me they haven't a clue what is going on and dare not announce his departure because as far as they know he might yet stay, which would be the ultimate embarrassment.

I still maintain my belief that once the penny drops with the clowns in India that he's off not only will they be astonished at this (I think they just assume staff will sit around and wait for them indefinitely) that they will then come with some sort of increased offer and budget to keep Mowbray here and he won't be able to say no.

In the meantime they are going to squander any window of opportunity for us to recruit a decent manager, and then when we are faced with pre-season and a huge amount of recruitment at short notice and are churning through the names on the managerial scrapheap the Tony fan club will be explaining how we can't ever expect for better than him and how we should have kept him for the rest of his days.

[davulsukur]

13 minutes ago, RoverCanada said:

Lengthy article in The Athletic today on our oncoming 'talent drain': https://theathletic.com/3286731/2022/05/09/blackburn-rovers-talent-drain-from-mowbray-and-recruitment-team-to-brereton-diaz-and-captain-lenihan/ (paywall warning!).

No doubt a lot of this being fed to the journo by Mowbray's reps/friends, but always interesting when an 'outsider' journalist at The Athletic takes a deep dive on Rovers.

Given the paywall (and I'm never sure how easy it is to get around their paywall!), some summary notes, much of which not news around here, but thought I'd share. Don't shoot the messenger 🙂:

- In general, the piece seems to imply Waggott has emerged as the key decision-maker at Rovers...

- Mentions Rothwell was going to Bournemouth for £4.5m (not the £3.5m often mentioned). Seems to lay the decision not to sell on Waggott, who wanted to prioritise the chance of PL football over the £4.5m. Mowbray thought he could net improve the squad with the two signings he had lined up as replacements, and Mowbray has suggested this could've corrected our lack of goals/depth down the stretch (Suggests Waggott again tried signing Rothwell to a new contract after, but no dice)

- Mowbray had nothing to do with Waggott's hiring, who was brought in by headhunters Nolan Partners. Confirms that Waggott and Mowbray's relations have been strained for a while. Mowbray's agent informally asked about his contract situation in January, but Waggott's excuse was he hadn't been able to see the owners in India (Mowbray calling BS on that, but from what we know of Venky's, that may actually be 'true'... but a clear example to Mowbray of why this club isn't run right...)

- Mowbray frustrated by high-quality personnel leaving with inexperienced replacements. Name checks Stuart Harvey, Andrew Mitchell, and Liam Mason. A concern that Harvey could raid our scouting staff. Venus and Park set to leave too, adding to the 'brain drain' (the definition of a 'brain' being stretched at times)

- Waggott described by agents/outsiders as 'present' and 'professional', but often late getting back to them, probably due to rarely knowing his true budget. Some confusion if Venus or Waggott was the main point of contact. Suggests making Venus the 'sporting director' was considered at one point (essentially formalising some of his backoffice responsibilities). Venus still taking calls on player contract extensions, suggesting he and Mowbray still had some hope of sticking around.

- Mowbray still likes Venky's, considers them 'decent' people, but the geographic isolation and a 4-man board of directors that can't actually make decisions is an ongoing problem.

- Mowbray apparently gets on with Suhail fine, although the piece also mentions Suhail's never claimed any football background around Mowbray yet gets 'too involved' in contract negotiations, 'hindering' Waggott, with two agents saying they've stopped taking calls from Suhail, preferring to deal with Waggott.

- Financials: likely would've breached FFP without training ground sale. Venky's pumping in an average of £15m/year since they took over. Venky's have been converting loans into shares of late (essentially writing it off), but are still owed £130m, with a shareholder deficit of £111m. Hence, Venky's are keen on promotion, which is worth £135m-£265m these days (depending on surviving relegation in the first year). Venky's don't want to pull the plug on their investment given the resulting 'stain' on their reputation within India's business community.

- Mentions BBD valued at £15m, but only a small portion of that would be added to a limited transfer budget. Players don't feel too strongly about Mowbray leaving given pending contract expiries. More focused on their own careers/finances at the moment.

- A positive: the junior system is 'healthy' with a 'thriving' recruitment network. Stuart Jones gets specific praise.

Cheers for the summary, appreciate that.

Time will tell soon enough if Venkys really want promotion. 

Obviously a few concerns in there but it just reaffirms the shambolic nature of how the club is run.

[tomphil]

40 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

I'm reading his comments differently. To me it sounds like his pride was hurt by there not being an offer on the table around January time and that he made up his then that he would be off no matter what. That may explain the sulking, shoulder shrugging and the lack of enthusiasm that followed from January onwards.

He seems miffed at the idea that they may have been waiting to see how the season pans out. "Am I a bad manager if we fail to make the play offs, am I a good one if we do?". It reads like it was a case of "stuff that, I'm off". We know how stubborn and petulant he can be. He's gone, IMO, no matter what is said during the phone call. The digs that he is now getting in at the owners also suggests he doesn't want to stay. They aren't going to put up with one of their employees saying these things.

Would he have signed a new deal if offered in January? Probably. There might be some truth behind that, but I think it's also another sympathy vote being played to his supporters right now. I would have stayed had the owners not messed me about, lads. This is all just adding to the "poor Mowbray, he's not to blame" narrative. Both parties are to blame. There aren't half going to be some tears shed among some of the fans when it is confirmed that he is leaving. The narrative is building up to that.

He would have made his case better had he altered 3 months of relegation form and finished in the top 6.

Maybe instead of shoulder shrugging 'we finish were we finish' or sulking and doing stupid things with team selection. He would have been better off getting his head down and going for broke.

If they'd said top 6 or no contract yes he'd have known but would that have altered anything he's saying now.  He'd still be moaning it was unfair and the pressure was un called for etc to gain a swathe of sympathy.  The biggest narrative alterer in Rovers history this fella is.

And as i keep saying it is ALL about him, has been for two years now and the sooner this sorry mess is brought to an end the better.  Keep giving him airtime and he'll keep stealthily angling for them to come beg him to stay.

More the propaganda rag gives him headlines and other media outlets follow suite the more groundswell of faux anger builds, the more the fanbase gets divided.

He gets a new long contract he'll be sneering at fans again whilst reeling off every excuse in the book by November.

Edited May 9, 2022 by tomphil

[Guest]

Why does the club edit out every part of every interview that addresses Mowbray’s future and his contract? 🤔 

[chaddyrovers]

36 minutes ago, RoverCanada said:

Lengthy article in The Athletic today on our oncoming 'talent drain': https://theathletic.com/3286731/2022/05/09/blackburn-rovers-talent-drain-from-mowbray-and-recruitment-team-to-brereton-diaz-and-captain-lenihan/ (paywall warning!).

 

thanks for the link. very interesting read

After reading it appears that Mark Venus will leave.