v Rotherham Utd (h) - 1/1/24

[had.e.nuff]

very poor today I lost count of the times midfielders got the ball and looked round and nobody was making a move all in front of them seemed to be hiding behind defenders so the inevitable safe ball was tried.

[Miller11]

The JDT era was supposed to be the start of something better, with a new “model”.

The old model was rubbish and poorly executed. “Polish them up and sell for a profit” fell at the first hurdle due to a nonsensical and arbitrary wage structure that meant players walked away for nothing.

The new model seems to only expand on and double down on the old one, and while better use of the academy and a better approach to contracts should lead to improvements it’s still doomed to failure.

Our coaches aren’t good enough. Let’s take Ben Benson as the most obvious example - without even going into his lack of experience, he is in charge of goalkeepers and set pieces. We are terrible at defending set pieces, particularly our goalkeeper, and the only time we score from a set piece is when Adam Wharton puts a corner on his brother’s head. Our entire coaching set up is cobbled together, inherited and no doubt cheap. Questions have to be asked about our injury problems too.

Our signings have been mixed. Tronstad is clearly a well thought out addition, Sigurdsson a good addition, and Hyam is good championship centre back. Brittain is nowhere near Rankin-Costello - the only fullback fit for JDT’s purpose - who was on the verge of being shipped out. We’ve wasted money on Markanday (who’d have been released by Spurs by now and playing non/lower league), Wahlstedt (plenty of reliable keepers available on frees), Telalovic (no need to relitigate), Ennis looking disastrous. Our loans are invariably more young players when we are bereft of any nouse and experience. And most of the young lads coming through aren’t trusted to get a kick even when we are stretched to the limit.

Perhaps it would’ve been different if we hadn’t had the budget debacle this summer, but I’m not sure. The deeper this model is embedded the worse things are getting. The squad gets less experienced every window, we are shifting players in the cheap to keep the lights on, we are wedded to a style of play that is completely reliant on and only suited to a few players (take Adam Wharton out of this side and we are completely useless). How aligned JDT and Broughton are is questionable. Looks like Travis is off, didn’t bother warming up today, which in theory would be fine. However when he’s replaced with teenage loanees it weakens us.

[arbitro]

Disappointment is the overriding emotion this afternoon when, not for the first time we didn't convert enough of the good chances and our current Achilles heel of weak defending hit us hard. The big lump of Eaves up front for them was a real handful and his aerial prowess was supplemented by Hugill later on as Rotherham's only real threat earned them a draw. I was happy with our overall play and the pace at which we played and we were well on top for long periods but at the back of my mind was the fact that Rotherham had clearly seen our main weakness and looked to exploit it. Their first goal is once again down to the ineptitude of our keeper which is now getting beyond a joke. It's at least a goal a game he is giving away and it's really hurting us. Their second came from Pickering and Sigurdsson simply not doing enough to stop the cross particularly as Rotherham had their two lumps on by this time. So, so disappointing. There were several good performances though and our play sometimes is so easy on the eye but until we really address our glaring deficiencies we will continue to shop cheap goals.

[Ianrally]

1 hour ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24021197.tomasson-sends-january-transfer-plea-blackburn-rovers/

That is a cry for help from JDT, it’s as though he’s juggling soot and worse still he knows it. 

[Penwortham Blue]

1 hour ago, Roboftherovers82 said:

would anyone take JDT gone tonight and Tony back till end of the season?

we are looking utter utter trash and nailed on for going down the way we are playing 

Not in a hundred years. I don’t blame JDT, he has been hung out to dry by the owners and Swag the Incompetent.

[dallydally]

We look good on the eye but the bottom line is hit the net. End of. If you don't then you'll be in trouble sooner than later

 We are mid table at best. Smell the coffee all you supporters 

[simongarnerisgod]

we have become easy to play against because other teams have sussed us out,jdt needs to adjust tactics and team shape accordingly

as for wahlstedt,he`s clearly a dud,ditch him quickly and move on

we need to stop overplaying and losing the ball in daft areas,the worst team in the league were walking through us at times today because we fannied around with to many passes which went astray

[wilsdenrover]

41 minutes ago, NeilInBristol said:

fair play got to say a big Thank You to the BRFCs forum moderators! you have dealt with an abusive 'fan' very quickly! 

its hard enough being a rovers fan, we dont need unnecessary abuse from trolls as well!

 

 

What did I miss??

[Dolly blue]

42 minutes ago, M_B said:

How many on here go to Ewood?

Me !

[martonrover]

5 minutes ago, Penwortham Blue said:

Not in a hundred years. I don’t blame JDT, he has been hung out to dry by the owners and Swag the Incompetent.

He clearly has no time for Waggott, (rightly so).

I don’t see any other head coach doing any better.

We really need an experienced, seasoned director of football to make this model work, under the circumstances.

Either that or jettison the DOF and hire a decent manager, with good contacts.

Neither of the above will transpire, so JDT has the tricky task of keeping our heads above water.

The squad is weak, and adding a few more youngsters, either permanently or on loan, will not help, (but that is what will happen).

[tomphil]

Whatever happens here it is always the Venky model implemented by gravy train riders and half interested grifters so it will NEVER work.

Remember all the talk of various models by Mowbray and of course the Brentford model being the one to follow.  Also remember plenty of us saying we never never follow that model under this ownership because what we actually do is opposite to that.

It's all window dressing thrown out to cover for the absolute fact we have owners who don't give a toss but are willing to keep the club going because it suits (or at least did) their company accounting system. Now though they want that reducing greatly so they can leave the club in a corner of the portfolio soaking up a manageable amount of profit less than 20 mill per year.

So the model is and always a lower wage lower cost virtually zero transfer budgets where any player income is mostly to help cover costs.

That's it in black and white, no building a strong squad on the cheap to add bits , player trade and go for promotion, no it's just a case of low cot survival as long as we can string it out.

Ultimately it'll end up as a league 1 project.

[JHRover]

3 minutes ago, tomphil said:

 

Ultimately it'll end up as a league 1 project.

It already did end up there after they tried it the last time around.

For some reason it was delayed by a few years at that point - I strongly believe that this was purely down to Mowbray going to India in the summer of 2017, talking them round and persuading them to 'back him' which to be fair they did to a degree for 2-3 years until they either gave up, ran out of cash or realised he wasn't good enough to finish the job.

Since then it's been back to shadow man playing the project on a vastly reduced budget.

He's behind it all, it's a bit more structured and thought out than last time around with the academy and D of F running it but fundamentally it is the same purpose - cut, cut, cut, reduce, reduce, reduce and unless you are very, very good, which our lot are not, it usually takes you one way and one way only.

It is possible to be successful on a limited budget - Luton, Coventry, Brentford, Huddersfield - though they'll have us believe it isn't possible - but I don't think any of that lot prioritised cost cutting and individual development. It was all about making the team better and making shrewd additions where needed.

[rigger]

12 minutes ago, Dolly blue said:

Me !

And me, I go away as well.

[roverblue]

Another dour result and performance but at least we didn’t lose. There was only one team going to win that match if it carried on and it wasn’t rovers. The defending is Sunday league standard and without a different approach we will be in a relegation spot by Feb.

First time I’ve heard boos at ewood for a long while and deservedly so. 
 

[rigger]

At least we are unbeaten this year. And a possible cup run.

Edited January 1, 2024 by rigger

[Waggy76]

20 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Whatever happens here it is always the Venky model implemented by gravy train riders and half interested grifters so it will NEVER work.

Remember all the talk of various models by Mowbray and of course the Brentford model being the one to follow.  Also remember plenty of us saying we never never follow that model under this ownership because what we actually do is opposite to that.

It's all window dressing thrown out to cover for the absolute fact we have owners who don't give a toss but are willing to keep the club going because it suits (or at least did) their company accounting system. Now though they want that reducing greatly so they can leave the club in a corner of the portfolio soaking up a manageable amount of profit less than 20 mill per year.

So the model is and always a lower wage lower cost virtually zero transfer budgets where any player income is mostly to help cover costs.

That's it in black and white, no building a strong squad on the cheap to add bits , player trade and go for promotion, no it's just a case of low cot survival as long as we can string it out.

Ultimately it'll end up as a league 1 project.

When League 1 project is achieved it will become League 2 project !

This is the worst Blackburn Rovers team since the last throws of Saxton's reign in 1986....

We went down with 52 points last time , let us hope it is not that high in 2024 .

[K-Hod]

"We shouldn't forget what our CEO Steve Waggott was saying from the beginning of the season, he was very realistic," Tomasson said on the poor form.

"First of all, it is about staying in the league and then developing players. The cutting of the budget would have an impact on the squad and it has.

Imagine hearing that second part as a manager that just narrowly just missed out on the top 6.

Then him having to carry the can for players that have been thrust upon him (I accept he could have said no to these targets). I will accept that JDT is not perfect and in part responsible for some of the decisions made, but it all has to be caveated with the above and also Venky’s being useless, distant and disinterested.

As ever, whenever people suggesting changing the manager- who replaces him?

’Hi new man, come in and do a job with this shower of shite’.

‘Nice one’. 
🥴.

[arbitro]

34 minutes ago, dallydally said:

We look good on the eye but the bottom line is hit the net. End of. If you don't then you'll be in trouble sooner than later

 We are mid table at best. Smell the coffee all you supporters 

We have scored twice in each of our last two games but won neither. In both games that should be enough to win when you consider the opposition but it's our defending that is really costing us right now.

[Mattyblue]

Missed out on the play offs to the Premier League on goal difference. 

What’s the response?

Normal club? One more heave!

Here? Slash the budget and tell the media that the club is happy to just stay out of the third division.

 

What’s the point of any of this?

[rigger]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

Missed out on the play offs to the Premier League on goal difference. 

What’s the response?

Normal club? One more heave!

Here? Slash the budget and tell the media that the club is happy to just stay out of the third division.

 

What’s the point of any of this?

To sell 8000 season tickets and hit budgetary targets

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Missed out on the play offs to the Premier League on goal difference. 

What’s the response?

Normal club? One more heave!

Here? Slash the budget and tell the media that the club is happy to just stay out of the third division.

 

What’s the point of any of this?

It’s a Zombie club. Zombie Rovers.

[LDRover]

3 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Missed out on the play offs to the Premier League on goal difference. 

What’s the response?

Normal club? One more heave!

Here? Slash the budget and tell the media that the club is happy to just stay out of the third division.

 

What’s the point of any of this?

In the 40+ years I have been watching us there has always been some ambition, even when we literally didn't have a pot to piss in. Now, not only is there the intimation we cannot compete but our CEO is actively telling us what the 'height' of our ambitions are - survival with billionaire owners.

Your last sentence stands tall, what is the point?

[BlackburnEnd75]

2 hours ago, LDRover said:

How many of our cash buys could we actually sell now at a profit? 

Szmodics - possibly

Hyam - maybe

Markanday, Pears, Wahlstedt, Brittain, Pickering, Gallagher, Telalovic? Not a chance. And before these we had jokers like Edun and Davenport who made no impact and disappeared out of the club.

It's piss poor recruitment and it's been going on for years. When you're checking the back of the sofa for loose change you can't afford this many mistakes.

Szmodics - 100% absolutely, even at 28. He's the top scorer in the league for f sake. We could get more than couple of mil we payed for him, undoubtedly.

i Get your point though.

[booth]

13 minutes ago, arbitro said:

We have scored twice in each of our last two games but won neither. In both games that should be enough to win when you consider the opposition but it's our defending that is really costing us right now.

Whilst I agree the defending should be better we should have been out of sight by the time they scored. And it's not the first game we would have benefitted from a striker being on the pitch.

Also an older player, like a Danny Graham type holding up the ball would take a lot of pressure off the defence and make a big difference.

Going back to the defending, I've never been convinced by Pickering and I don't think Brittain is a very good full back. Add to that the inexperience of Hill and Carter and a goalie that throws one in at least one per game and conceding two isn't surprising.

[tomphil]

8 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Missed out on the play offs to the Premier League on goal difference. 

What’s the response?

Normal club? One more heave!

Here? Slash the budget and tell the media that the club is happy to just stay out of the third division.

 

What’s the point of any of this?

Look at Hull one good season and they are looking at a couple of quality loans that helped get Bumley over the line.

Last season in a better position than them we got a player who couldn't make a poor Huddersfield team. Season before Mowbray brought in 2 duds - one being Markanday - and 2 ok players who didn't make the mark, he should have been backed better but he himself should've looked for a quality player or two instead of 4 squaddies with the wages he was allowed to spend.

Constant muddled thinking here, no action, wrong action.