4 hours ago, TheRovers1994 said:

Great news! Good luck to dunny, hopefully Rovers boss in a couple of years maybe ? Dunn, damien Johnson and Gareth Ainsworth, three managers I would like to potentially take the ewood hotseat in the near future, building strong connections with Barrow they are doing a good job in developing our young and up comers so specially with dunn knowing our academy well we can continue to send players there 

Dunny's was one of my all-time favourite players to watch & I wish him every success, but unless his managerial record ends up being genuinely outstanding I would be dead against him coming back as boss, if only because of what it might do to his legacy.

You see it all the time at other clubs, we even saw it here with Berg although he was sacked before the fans turned on him. Fan favourite players returning as managers almost never works out and usually involves some bitterness at the end on one side or another.

Hopefully he finds the Barrow job less of an ordeal than Oldham was, and if he ever returns to Ewood, that it is in another capacity rather than the gaffer.

Just now, oldjamfan1 said:

Listening to him reminds me of listening to Paul Ince, and we all know how that one turned out.

He comes across like a little boy lost when in front of a camera these days. Obviously not the biggest thing when it comes to his management potential, but an amazing contrast to the arrogance he had as a player, at least in his younger days. 

41 minutes ago, Norbert Rassragr said:

Robbie Fowler, Lee Bowyer and Nigel Clough are the three favourites on Sky Bet with Craig Gardner and Lee Carsley knocking about.

People can surprise you, but I can't see Fowler being anything other than a total disaster for some reason.

33 minutes ago, Hasta said:

My gripe isn't necessarily that he brought in two expensive flops. It's that rather than cut his losses he has persevered with them, often out of position, to the detriment of the team.

Chapman has not performed for the club so has been bombed out of the squad. Other younger players get a little bit of game time, have a poor game, and are bombed out of the squad. Easy to do when they haven't cost the club a lot of money.

As he has spent so much money on these two, he has to persist in weakening us by trying to fit them into a formation somewhere rather than accept what has happened (expensive mistakes) and resort to playing either superior players (Graham) and youth players (JRC). Whatever is the reason why he has kept going with them, it's bad management. 

I'm not one of these people who blame Mowbray for relegation back in 2017. He came in with a job to do and nearly did it. It was almost a freakish points total that saw us relegated, and his haul of 1.47 points per game (over 15 games) was a very good return. The problem was being too slow bulletins Coyle rather than who we brought in that season. However 1.47 points per game would have garnered us 67 points in a season. Over a 15 game stretch in 2017, Mowbray got that squad performing at a higher PPG ratio than we did last season and probably will do this season.

Getting promoted the following season wasn't a gimme, and Mowbray did well to bring in Dack and Armstrong and get us back at the first time of asking. But the side that came back up should have been better than the side that Mowbray unluckily went down with. It was hardly a team of lower league journey-men facing the might of the championship for the first time.  I don't buy the 'but it was our first season back in the Championship" nonsense. Thats why last season I thought we under-performed and this season 60+ points is the absolute minimum I would expect.

I agree with plenty of this, including that we probably could have expected a few more points last time out given how we started.

Having said that, I still think that looking at the big picture, we have improved from this year to last, and that it's really hard to see a good case to get rid of the manager whilst that's true. 

13 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Linear progression doesnt mean too much in terms of jumping up a few mid table positions, its very rare that you keep your team together for long enough to gradually creep up the table year on year to get promotion. But obviously that Cardiff result has changed a fluid situation that will change further in the last 4 games. We are still a point off last seasons tally, before Tuesday night it looked quite likely that we wouldnt beat that 60 point tally, in which case any progression becomes difficult to argue. So it all depends by how many if any we do beat last seasons point tally.

I think the fear is stagnation and following that, regression. It is difficult to consider us a genuine play off contender this season on account of us NEVER having broken that barrier and getting into the top 6 even once. Even now, we are clinging onto the remote hope that we win 4, and numerous other teams drop varying numbers of points. Throw in the mix the aforementioned huge purchases, amounts of money it is impossible not to think what it could have done was it not poured down the drain, and numerous areas of tactical confusion and players out of position and it does make it easy to ask questions. He has been here longer than any other manager in the division, and to get promoted you need a season above expectations. is he capable of that? Unconvinced.

Some who are defensive of Mowbray are keen to make out as if we are a small fish in a massive pond, fighting against the tide with miniscule resources but that isnt true due to the reasons I outlined earlier in the thread. 

That's completely valid and a totally justified fear, but equally I think it's unfair to bin off Mowbray until that actually materialises! Especially when you could easily say the same for virtually every club in the league. 

You're right that promotion, rather than linear progression is the name of the game. Linear progress does however count for 1) an indication of how far away we are from 'actual' success, and TM's record shows that we're probably going to be reasonably closer than last year, and a hell of a lot closer than the previous 2/3/4 years. Because of this, it also matters for 2) how easy it is to attract/keep hold of the right players. Even if this means that you lose players along the way, like you say, a team that finishes just outside the 6 looks a much better proposition than one that finishes 14th.

I'm getting slightly away from my main point here; I accept that there are good reasons why some fans might have issues with Mowbray - but getting rid of a manager is an enormously unsettling thing for a football club, and for me should only happen where there is good evidence that you need to change. At present, when we're making progress, I don't see anywhere near enough evidence that we're in that sort of territory. 

5 minutes ago, 47er said:

Its marginal rather than significant? Could easily be undone by end of season churn, failure of owners to fund transfers, failure of manager to sign right players.

In short any improvement is at glacial speed and we'll all be dead by the time Tony's rebuilding programme has finished.

Hardly glacial. Remains to be seen where we'll end up this year, but promotion from L1, 14th in the Championship, and then lets say we stay where we are in 10th this year? This is more than just trivial levels of year-on-year improvement. 

A horrible transfer window/reduction in budgets could undo everything, like you say, but this is the sea in which almost every club at our level swims. Maybe the level above too. Doesn't seem like a good reason to get rid of the man in charge, especially when he has a record of bringing in players who can improve us, even if there are a couple of expensive mistakes too.

I get that there are gripes with Mowbray, the SG & BB signings being the obvious ones, but I really don't get where the clamour to get rid comes from after looking at his record overall.

Just now, Exiled_Rover said:

They've got a suite named after him, which is just pathetic.

Seriously? Proud Preston indeed. 

33 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Like I said. Opinions...Only Gally has failed for me. Downing, Ada, Cunningham class. Johnson has been exactly what I thought and been useful in some games, not in others and I refuse to say that Walton has been a failure, if nothing because he’s been central to our best defensive showing since we dropped out of the PL.

 

I'm with you with most of that, but I'd still see Walton as being under-par. I think our stronger defence says more about about getting a stronger partner for Darragh (and perhaps Lenihan staying fit for longer). Walton will take some credit too, and I do like some things about him, but he's made one or two too many errors. By no means a disaster, but equally I think we need better. 

Just now, Dreams of 1995 said:

Cunningham is a leap to "class". He only played a quarter of the season.

Mowbray should be given another season. At the end of the day progress has been made, we are a better team now than last, but the only problem lies in the fact that once again we are forced to have a high turnover of players. Now, we can all blame Mowbray, but name me a season under Venkys where we haven't required such a high turnover of players? Some think the blame lies solely at the managers door but surely that pattern points to another influence. The only consistent in all of this is them.

If Tony Mowbray can find a player of Tosin's class, Walton's class, Downing's class and then somehow afford the two wingers + left back we require this summer than fair play. There'll need to be a few loans again, but these loans need to be tied in quickly, and once again we will be late to the party because we can't decide on any budget until we meet the royalty of Pune.

Lastly, Mowbray needs to admit that Elliott Bennett isn't good enough for this squad. It's criminal he is still being shoe horned in to any position going on the pitch. 

 

I'm really surprised that this doesn't seem to be a more common view. Even accepting that it's going to be hard for some to get past the money spent on Gally & Brereton, I can't quite fathom how we can be in sacking territory if we're improving. I also think that the difficulties that all clubs will have this summer makes it a very risky time indeed to be chopping and changing, and will give a very short pre-season for a new man to properly introduce his ideas, even assuming that we don't hire another dud like we have in almost every other appointment post Big Sam.

On Bennett, don't think there's any point trying to hide that he hasn't had a good season, but equally I'm not at all convinced that he plays when we have anything like a fully fit squad. 

1 hour ago, Rogerb said:

I see Junior Hoilett is 30 now. His career never kicked on after he left.

Didn't realise he was quite as old as that until last night. I've been totally perplexed by how ordinary his career has been. He wasn't the complete player at Rovers but he seemed so threatening when on song.

I would have put my house on him being at least a good level premier league player in his late 20s, if not an elite one. Certainly not slumming it at a mid-table second tier team.

2-0 Baggies, the race for seventh is looking wide open!

22 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

I can second that. I lived in Wigan from the estly 90s and the town centre on a sunny day was a sea of cherry and white hoops.....very seldom you saw a football top. Whelan changed that.

To a point, although I think there have always been as many match-attending football fans than rugby fans, it's just that they were all at Old Trafford, Maine Road, Anfield, Goodison or a few (like me) at Ewood instead of at Springfield Park or the god-awful place they play at now. 

You're right that it's much closer now, all because of the investment of a wealthy Blackburn Rovers fan! 

Slightly off-topic for a Rovers forum, but moving away from Central Park to an identikit ground miles away from the town was an absolute sin.

Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere, but Brennan has ended up signing another deal with Rovers

Bennett left back, Evans not in the squad so Rothwell in midfield.

Otherwise, as last week. Arma on the Bench, as is Smallwood

Just now, davulsukur said:

Aye it won't be easy but Wigan have been around the bottom of the table for most of the season.

I'll be honest, didn't realise their form was that good.

Not even conceded in 5, not bad going considering one of those games was West Brom away.

12 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

 

However I've just been reading a very good article in today's " Guardian " regarding Klopp at Liverpool. His strike rate regarding signings is a lot better than 1 out of 3. We all know you live or die by your signings as a manager. I'd expect the average Joe Bloggs to get as many right as they get wrong. The Klopps of this world will be up around 75% if not more. I would suggest that a strike rate of 1 success in 3 signings would get you the sack at most normal clubs.

This is fair, but equally Klopp has an unbelievably well resourced recruitment department, and even putting aside how easily Liverpool can attract players, he's got the depth and richness of scouting data which is well beyond that of most clubs, including ours.

I think Mowbray's transfer record is mixed, but certainly not poor. The big bucks spent on Brereton and Gally will rightly be talked about until they start living up to their price tags, but profits from Dack, Rothwell and Armstrong offset that for me. We won't make any money off the loans or players signed on a free, but there are loads of examples of players signed this season and last which have meant that we're continuing to improve. I think the first team has continued to improve, which is a pretty good measure of success of the manager's performance. 

Last thing I'd say too is that our targets have changed pretty substantially in a short period of time. We're rightly looking to get in the top flight now, but that doesn't mean that the signings we made to get us in the shape we are now like Smallwood, Samuel, P. Downing, Nuttall etc were the wrong calls, just that we've outgrown their usefulness. 

3 minutes ago, JoeH said:

It's not that Downing wouldn't be great at Left-Back. If you take the context of the full team away, sure I'd probably put Downing there, but I firmly believe taking Downing out of our midfield, with no Dack in the side, leaves us with a lack of creativity going forward.

I'm not completely unsympathetic to that - I rate Downing above Holtby as a creator of chances - but it is a way of getting both Holtby in a position where he might be more effective than last week and get Armstrong in the team too. 

5 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

Think some are underestimating just how quick Downing can be. One of my earliest memories of him this season that really stood out was him beating the likes of Nyambe and a few others when sprinting back towards goal. Forgot which match it was though. 

Downing has a football brain which is why he can easily adapt to so many positions. For me it is a no-brainer that he goes to LB on previous showings considering our depth in midfield to replace him and the lack of the same in that position. Bennett already gets targetted when playing on his favoured side and on his weaker side he will get rinsed. A young player making his debut will also struggle in a game we need to win against one of their best players who are fighting to stay up.

Downing all day, every day for me.

I don't quite agree that it's a no-brainer, mainly because I don't think that Bennett at left back is a disaster when we don't have a fit first team left back (accept that I'm probably in the minority on that one) and even though I think Downing is more than capable of doing a good job back there's still an element of risk moving him there.

That said, on balance I agree that it's probably the best move - it's the one I'd make anyway. 

1 minute ago, JoeH said:

I'm sorry but if a youth player who's usually playing in behind the striker, or as a winger, can play full back on his weaker foot and have a commendable game - then surely another youth players who's natural position is left-back, playing on his strong foot, isn't exactly a huge leap. If JRC could cope, out of position and on the wrong side, then Thompson could easily cope. Allowing Downing to play in his much superior position.

Downing will get run ragged by Jamal Lowe, he hasn't got the pace.

Got a hell of a brain on him though. Not saying that Lowe wouldn't give him a hard time, but he's coped excellently with coming up against wingers plenty quicker than him so far.

Maybe by having Downing making overlapping runs Lowe will be spending more time thinking about his defensive duties and less time running at the full back. 

12 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

Definitely Downing at LB for me if BEll, Williams and JRC cannot play. Get Holtby in midfield with Evans and Travis.

Side note - never been Evans biggest fan but kudos for the way he played after such a serious injury. 

Managing the squad will be a real challenge from now til the end of the season. I'm not sure that Evans can put in that sort of performance three games a week without picking up an injury, but if we can get 4-5 games out of him at that level then it could be the difference between getting in the top six and missing out. 

30 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Do we not need Downing's ability on the ball in centre midfield? 

Ideally, but then again this is a way to get Hotlby in the game more whilst getting Arma on the pitch too. I'd be perfectly happy with either scenario to be honest, but I'm thinking that having three left back injuries might be seen as an opportunity to reshuffle to get our best players starting elsewhere on the pitch.

If there's not improvement with the left backs, I'd be happy sticking Downing there, putting Holtby back in the midfield and starting Arma with Brereton and Gally up front.

Suppose Bennett to left back is the least disruptive option with Nyambe being fit.

17 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

Why? He's not premier league standard at the moment. Brighton have a decent goalie who will probably stay with them if they stay up or go down.  For me, better the devil you know.  Walton has time and will improve

Believe Brighton have hinted that he'll be involved in their first team next season, might be wrong though.

I think that Walton is one of those loan signings that would be viewed differently had he been signed on a four year deal, rather than a season long loan. He has probably made one or two mistakes too many, and the PNE one in particular  was hard to take, but he obviously has a lot of the tools needed to develop into a good keeper. We've picked up plenty of clean sheets this season, and whilst that's quite a lot down to our centre back pairing, Walton needs credit too.

38 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

That late run in 13-14 was incredibly frustrating, draws with the likes of Yeovil, and then Sheff Wed after being 3-1 up.

That game at Hillsborough was horrible, genuinely not exaggerating in saying that was one of my worst days watching Rovers. 

Just had a look at their win at the weekend, Huddersfield had 70% of the ball! Hard to say whether that played into Wigan's hands or not, but they'll get a very different sort of game against Rovers. 

Can only see this being tight, with the odd goal probably being enough to decide it. I think we have more quality though, especially in depth. 2-1 Rovers.