Needed those 3 points. Lenihan and THB did their jobs very well at centre half. THB is miles better than Branthwaite. Best individual performance for Rovers for a while from Dolan. Terrorized their back line, he was everywhere. He’s taking fewer touches and is being more effective with the ball which he needed to do to develop. Skill, pace and end product. Must keep him in the starting 11, let him develop in to being a big player for us next season.

Miles better so far. Simply a much better side to watch with Dolan in. Need to keep pressing them second half, they will try to sort themselves out at half time.

I think a lot of the clues point towards Pulis. On the books of the agency supplying our previous 4 managers. And I’m sure he himself would chuck his cap straight in for the job. Convenient for both Venkys and Pulis.

1 point from a possible 21. Yet Mowbray is still playing the same system as the start of that run (and way before, when it looked poor). The same weak, wasteful, ineffective football. The same shape, the same ‘patterns’. No visible attempt to improve or change anything. Unacceptable.

So, another change of direction on the clubs targets from the mouth of the manager today. When we first came back up he spoke about needing 2 or 3 windows to consolidate and then have us looking upwards. This summer he spoke as if promotion/top 6 was the target. Two weeks ago it was 'we are only 20 odd games in to our promotion journey. Today it's 'if the club wants to get out of the division it needs a plan'. He must take us for mugs. He is clearly trying to deflect attention away from his own failures and under achievements. SIX (6) transfer windows since promotion in which he has been very well backed financially, and hasn't yet had to sell a Dack or an Armstrong. How long does he want? 20 years? 25? Good money was spread this summer on Kaminski, Ayala, Elliott, Douglas et al (plus the high wage Prem CB loans in january) as the final investments to push us over the line in to being a top 6 side. That is obvious shown by the types of signings made. Yet he is now talking as if that isn't the case, as if they are the types of signings just to keep us bobbing along. Give it up. Another reminder that McCarthy and Ismael have had their sides flying up the table in a matter of weeks and months. Paunovic in his first season at Reading sat in the play off spots after they were relegation fodder last season. None of this journey crap, no crazy building philosophy - just sensibly getting things right on the pitch with the players they have infront of them. Yet we are still listening to Mowbray waffle on about the journey, the journey we went on in summer, the journey that changed a few weeks ago, the journey that now seems to need another phase. Give me a break.

Piss poor. Tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock...

Mentioned he doesn’t want to be a burden on the club in his post match presser. Well Tony, I take no pleasure in saying it, but have I got news for you.

5 great adverts on the spin for why Mowbray should be sacked. Took him 10 losses in a row before walking at Coventry. Maybe we’re 50% of the way there..

Agree. Bad move if done by choice, not out of necessity. And more often than not you will do them more damage than good by chucking them in so early. Particularly with strikers. We will give him a better chance of success if we let him continue to develop at PL2 level for the next few months, then find him a league two (maybe one) loan next season to see how he develops at a proper level.

Permanent downgrade of assets/facilities to make short term cash which in relative terms probably won’t be much at all. Aware there are other threads but this is very relevant. Upgrading the coaching staff (very achievable without increasing expenditure much, or even at all) gives the club a much improved chance of getting back to the Prem in the next few years, eventually rendering any financial saving as part of this scheme totally pointless due to the money that comes with top flight status. Promotion is obviously never guaranteed. But that would be the sensible strategic play by any competent club in our position. It’s a no brainer. This scheme is just another symptom of absent owners, a clueless CEO and the halted progress of the football team. I would ask the club to draw upon whatever brains it has left before committing to this short sighted plan. Don’t believe the spin.

He said midweek there was ‘no reason’ he didn’t play and ‘not everybody can get in to the squad’. Now it’s ‘he had to protect him and he should be allowed to be left to manage as manager’. Poor comments, he’s effectively putting something that is accountable to himself on to the fans. All deflection tactics. Not only are we seeing a lack of attempts to change and improve things on the pitch, we’re seeing a lack of acknowledgment off the pitch. A bad combination, no wonder he is losing respect and credibility. It’s all very sad.

Most frustrating thing is there is nothing being done that I can see to address our issues. Either by the club, or by the manager/coaching staff. Philosophy, tactics, whatever you want to call it. It’s abysmal. Totally impractical. We are not set up to win football games. It’s become a joke. God I hope he walks. Nothing sensible about our set up at the moment. I long for a sensible manager.

Stale.

Regardless of whether this is something positive, something sinister, or whatever it is.. answers need to be given ASAP. As has been said this is a huge, huge asset to the club and any form of change should not be taken lightly.

I expected us to lose at Barnsley, but had that faint gut feeling Mowbray would do the typical 'pull one out of the bag just as things look really bad' as many of you will have had too. That feeling has totally gone for me. We have looked absolutely lost recently. I just can't see that changing in the space of a few days enough for us to put a real performance in. With that said, the only way I see us picking points up in the immediate future is if the opposition turns up and has a bad day, an early red card or some other huge swing(s) of luck. Forest looked unlucky to lose last time out against Swansea, I fear they will take the anger of that loss out on a flaccid Rovers side. 4-1 Forest.

Mowbray confirmed he left Nyambe out as ‘he’s got to select a team, one or two won’t make the match day squad’. He proceeded to play the crocked, long finished Elliott Bennett. Absolute disgrace for me.

Much worse than expected. Disjointed, hopeless rubbish. No reaction, no effort to improve it, just 90 minutes of crap. There are no signs of this getting any better. This is an unacceptable waste. MOWBRAY OUT.

Some posts today around the use of Nyambe, the use of Gallagher, our soft underbelly, Mowbray's demeanour, his use of loans whilst downtalking their concept, his repetitive mistakes etc reminded me of a past post of mine. Saddo I am, just to demonstrate the fact we're still enduring the same shite, I've dug it out - it's from a year and a half ago on this very same thread. He's been doing the same thing for years and years and years. He hasn't learned from the mistakes at previous clubs, he hasn't learned from them in his 4 years at Rovers. We are clearly wasting our time and resources. If we want to tread the mid table championship waters, keep him around. Slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww build. But ultimately, if we have ANY ambition of getting to the Premier League, he clearly needs potting.

Not to mention the Reading manager took over late August and has them almost challenging the automatics, the Barnsley manager took over in November and has transformed them from survivalists to play-off chasers. This mornings article is absolute job saving waffle.

Season feels just about done, well before Easter. We were fairly quick off the grid but now the tyres are balding and the wobbles look like they’re about to turn in to a crash. My interest/passion isn’t anywhere near where it usually is. I can stand being rubbish. I often enjoy watching Rovers through the scrappy periods. But I can’t stand watching this manager waste what should be a top 6 squad. Tactical incompetence, beyond frustrating. Will we see our 6’5 target man out on the right wing? Will we see our 18 goal striker stuck to their right back in an attempt to exploit non existent space? Will we see our star attacking midfielder playing in a totally pointless false 9 role, starving him of being able to do the things he does well? How many goals will we concede from set pieces/crosses? Will our right back be replaced by a central defender whilst chasing the game for no apparent reason? Barnsley look a good side, making the most out of their resources. I really like Mowatt in midfield. He’s out of contract in the summer, if they don’t tie him up I would be all over him to partner Travis. We are still a soft touch defensively and despite outsiders thinking otherwise we are far from clinical in attack. Expecting Barnsley to win by a goal.

No other words worth posting. The justification has been done previously. Don’t waste your time, akin to the waste of a squad going on down at Ewood. MOWBRAY OUT.

Correct

McBride looks promising. People will no doubt compare him to Nuttall but he’s got much more about him. Finishes well, good touch and hold up play, runs the channels well and as you say he’s filling out. Pike can’t be far away from the squad either.

Happy with Pickering. Not too fussed around him being loaned back for the next few months. One less major headache in the summer, good planning.

I kept an eye on this - ended up going for over 450 quid!