2 hours ago, Mercer said:

I think Mowbray is morphing into Kean and C o y l e.

The man has no credibility left in my view.

IMO, sheer madness to keep him as manager.  No, ifs and buts, I think he's clearly demonstrated he's unfit for purpose.

No room for sentiment in football.

Not saying that I've agreed with every decision he's made by any stretch, but to compare him to either of those charlatans, even pure;y on ability and not character, is absolutely ludicrous. 

Fair enough there's no room for sentiment, but it's literally just over 2 months since we were the form team in the division, he was manager of the month and we were hoping for a play offs. All this from a team which had just been promoted. He's not above criticism, and the last 2 months have been dreadful until the Derby game, but some of the hyperbole here is way over the top. 

Comparing him with Coyle & Kean is like comparing night and day.

21 minutes ago, Tom Stinny said:

I think it's more along the lines of being weak willed against the senior players. You've got Evans, Smallwood, Bennet, Mulgrew and Conway who shouldn't start regular games yet can be guaranteed to be playing.

 

It's already been demonstrated that he'll dig Raya and Rothwell out. He doesn't dig Brereton because of his price but if he cost a low amount he'd be on the hit list as well.

 

It's cowardly, piss poor management. It isn't being to afraid of other teams it's simply keeping the right players happy. Everyone else can do one mentality. 

Not sure that's the full story. I don't agree with Tony when he has dug out Raya and Rothwell, but to be fair it's usually just been with the one aspect of their game when saying that they can do other stuff well. He's done the same with Mulgrew and how well he can be dodgy in the air, and he's called Smallwood a limited player basically since he came through the door. Said that he wasn't picking Evans for a lot of last season beacuse he wasn't playing well enough.

On Rothwell in particular, I would've played him more and I think Mowbray has been a bit too harsh on him, but I aso think this is probably a case where the manager can't do right for doing wrong. We've been letting in far too many goals this season, but in my view we can't complain about that whilst at the same time dig the manager out for expecting his midfielders to be able to defend.

6 hours ago, Swanson said:

New contract for Rankin-Costello.

Happy with this. Really bad time to get a injury like he did, but looks like he is impressing in the U23s.

4 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Hardly a stellar list of Championship players there. I would take Hanley and O'Connell (mostly due to their potions and the fact we are awful at the back), but Mahoney and Morris are hardly improvements on what we have. 

Perhaps not, they fill the gaps in the Rovers academy XI though. Not saying I'd have them all back either, not sure how long it took for Middlesbrough to get relegated after they played a full team from their academy, but I guess it was pretty soon. 

Still pretty prolific given the number of clubs we're competing with though!

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

@rog of the rovers    - Not sure on what age they have to come to Rovers to be classed as 'home grown' but a team comprising of graduates from the Development squad might not be far away:-

                          Fisher/Raya

Nyambe     Lenihan/Wharton    Magloire/Grayson    LB??? (there's apparently a 16yo LB 'wonderkid' called Jake Garrett in the youths)

Rankin-Costello        Buckley            Travis              LM????

                             Lyons

                         Butterworth

 

An exciting crop based on reports and the snippets I've seen. For the regular U23 watchers who are the likeliest to make it at Championship level?

It at least shows the value in retaining our Cat 1 status. That should be maintained at all costs, as should the policy of taking young lads from the big Manc and Liverpool clubs when they get released. 

 

 

If we're looking at the best it could've been, had we retained all of our youth team products even since we got relegated, we could be including O'Connell, Mahoney, Hanley & Josh Morris to that list, and that's just in the last 3 or so seasons. 

16 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Butterworth has signed a new long term deal

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/march/dans-new-deal-delight2/

Looks a talent in the snippets I've seen. Hopefully can get on the pitch some more before the season draws to a close. 

There aren't that many that I'm too eager to see the back of if we don't have to. We need a few key additions to progress, certainly, but there are plenty that have shown themselves to be good squad players, capable of playing in a team that can get results. Trouble is, we have too many, and now it seems to have caught up with us.

We definitely need to bring in another centre half and centre forward imo, so I'd let Downing get first team football elsewhere, only take Rodwell on a modest wage and, whilst I really feel for the lad, don't think Samuel will do himself any favours fighting for a spot on the bench. Nuttall I'd look to loan to a L1 club, but don't see any urgency to get rid. Conway has just about been worth his low-risk extension this year, but I'd be concerned if we were looking to him to play a significant role next year, so should probably go as much as he's been a great servant. Hasn't worked out for Gladwin, and another keeper to compete with Raya instead of Luetwiler seems sensible. 

Other than that, I'd be more than happy to keep anyone who wants to fight for their place.

Little snippet in today's LT: looks like Rankin-Costello is likely to sign new terms in the coming days. Seems like he has impressed since coming back from injury

14 minutes ago, MCMC1875 said:

There was a supporters branch in Standish (Boar's Head?) for many years that organised travel to Ewood.

Without exaggerating, there is still a healthy number of at least nominal Rovers fans in that part of the world. Think the supporters club moved to the Dog & Partridge down the road  (which has since closed & reopened as a gun shop - the Dog & Cartridge!). 

You probably need to get as far as Chorley before you would class it as proper Rovers territory though. Can get to Ewood in 30 minutes, but then again you can say the same for the Manchester & Liverpool clubs, and even Bolton. Also goes to show why it's not surprising that even after their relative glory years, Latics have never been able to get much support. 

3 hours ago, JHRover said:

I often hear people bemoan our location in a 'small' town like Blackburn with its relatively low incomes and large ethnic minorities who traditionally haven't gone to football matches.

But that neglects the 'greater' Blackburn area with the same population again - Chorley, Leyland, Bamber Bridge, Clitheroe, Whalley, Haslingden, Accy, Ossy, Rishton, Harwood, even Lancaster - all areas with traditionally large numbers of Rovers supporters living in them, all within 20-30 minutes drive of Ewood. People who have either never lived in Blackburn or haven't for many years and almost certainly wouldn't return given the way Blackburn has gone in recent years. Suicide to ignore these areas.

As before it is either bone idleness or some strange 'agreement' they have with rival clubs to not encroach on 'their' territory. Mental.

I remember getting free tickets to watch low-demand Rovers games from school in the early 2000s, and that was in Wigan!

No reason at all why we shouldn't target basically everywhere in Lancashire north of Bolton imo. 

Needed a fixture like that to get us out of the bad run of form, but with a patched up team, we really did play some good stuff. Credit to all involved, especially Magloire.

Our form this season shows that, even though we have a team capable of causing anyone in the division issues on our day, we're probably about 3 additions from realistically being able to compete in the top 6. Plenty of these players should be hungry until the end of the season to show that they are not the ones that need replacing. Big summer ahead.

Also, Wigan are absolutely awful

As others on the first thread have said, think we should be restricting future entrants to no more than 3/4 a year.

This being the case, Tugay, Parkes & Berg are, for different reasons, the standouts for me. 

19 hours ago, JeffRover said:

As I said in an earlier thread, Palmer will probably bag an injury time goal. The one thing I don’t want is that arrogant tw@t Lee Johnson celebrating on that touchline. Hate his guts, always blaming the refs instead of his own shortcomings. In our own camp, looks like we are ravaged by injuries with Mulgrew, Lenihan, Evans, Dack and Graham which is a massive blow. Very reminiscent of the Brentford home game back in August when we managed to nick a narrow 1 - 0 win. I’d try to replicate something similar to what we did that day and try Bennett in the number 10 role and shift Nyambe to right back. I’d go with the following:

 

                          Raya

Nyambe     Rodwell       Mulgrew (if fit)    Bell

               Reed          Travis (if fit)

Armstrong       Bennett            Rothwell

                         Brereton 

 

Subs: Leutwiler, Williams, Magloire, Smallwood, Conway, Nuttall, Butterworth 

That makes us look really thin on the ground. Typical as it’s just after January.....

Let’s hope for a gritty performance and get back to the more stable January performances. Won’t be easy but we’re a decent home side. I’ll go for a 1 - 1 draw. COYB!

p.s   I think I might bring my boots down to Ewood, just in case they don’t have enough subs.

Bennett at 10 is a great shout. Think there might be a case of having Reed in front of Rothwell with Smallwood/Evans if fit coming in CM, but otherwise that's the team which makes the best out of our predicament imo. 

Unfortunately for Tony Parkes, it's probably in-keeping with his association with Rovers that was overlooked for this first time round!

As and when the group gets bigger, him & Tugay should be the absolute shoe ins. Beyond that it's difficult to get the balance if you want to keep the group exclusive, but I think Berg, Sherwood, Kenny & Dunn are the modern day players with the best cases, for varying reasons. I suppose Hendry too, but I know some might have their own views on that. 

21 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I just hope that Johnson gets the top job here some day, as opposed to being poached by another club. I presume he is on the radar of many bigger clubs as an under 23 coach 

Possibly. I wonder what the attraction (beyond salary) there would be for a youth team manager to go to another club though. The youth set up at Rovers appears to be as good as (almost) anywhere, with an excellent record of getting our youngsters into the first team. He seems to have a pretty genuine emotional attachment to the club too.

Obviously being made head of youth development at United/Liverpool/Man City would be one thing, but where else? Don't think we need to worry about the Newcastles of this world poaching him in a way that we might have done with a manger or player.

17 minutes ago, CP Company Lad said:

Dan James in at Leeds. £1.5m loan deal rising to around £10m if promoted. Smart bit of business. James on the left and Jack Clarke on the right gives massive options. Rip some full backs another ring piece.

Jack Clarke as good as some have been making out? Seems very decent, but I haven't really seen enough to work out if he's worth the hype or not.

4 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Cracking signing id we can pull it off. I wouldn't be surprised if this time next year we are getting bids close to £10 million 

Think his rehab in the eyes of the rest of the game may take some time longer than that, even if he keeps up his current form.

12 minutes ago, Tormund said:

Britt Assombalonga going to Villa according to my Villa mate at work.

Assombalonga and Abraham in the same side. Not sure exactly how that works, but that's one lethal partnership at this level

Just now, tomphil said:

I'd definitely be very wary on the BA noise the club put a few smokescreens out last time allegedly chasing a few names whilst really they seemed to be working quietly on some other bits like getting AA permanent and a few nailed down to better contracts.

 

I do like the way that we've being doing our business in recent windows. Much cannier than we have been.

Not quite the "we've just signed Craig Bellamy. Surprise!", approach of Williams et al, but still impressive in this day and age. 

30 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

A goal goes in, the crowd go wild, players are jubilant and then 2 minutes later as the game is restarted the goal is ruled out ....that just ruins everything that this game is about.  That adrenaline that we all turn up for....

VAR has to go.

Don't think I've ever agreed with a statement on this forum more than this one. Would like it 100 times if I could. 

Another instance of football being changed by people who either don't like or don't understand football as match-attending fans do.

Last couple of minutes showing why VAR can both lead to more correct decisions, and at the same time be a backward step for the game.

Chelsea fans singing 'VAR, VAR, VAR'. Abysmal.

4 hours ago, OnePhilT said:

Word for word, from Mowbray:

"He's a Southampton player - he wants to play in the Premier League. He's got a new manager who hasn't really seen him yet, so... them sort of decisions will get made in summer-time, I think. We will be an option for Reedy, but at the same time he's a young guy who wants to play in the Premier League, and he's out getting experience and, so, I think it's really difficult for him and his family or his advisers to commit to Blackburn Rovers when they don't need to. He should just enjoy his football, try to help us have a successful season, and then we all assess - after he's spoken to his club manager and sees where he's going to be through pre-season - and then those sort of decisions can be made, I think."

There was also a post-match interview with Reed whereby he mentioned "not being able to get home much". In his world, it sounds like darn sarf is where he wants to be, and although he's been superb for us on the pitch, it sounds as though the sacrifices of not being home are more difficult for him than most other players.

The impression given by Mowbray is that it's financially on the cards from our point of view ("Rovers are an option for him"), but persuading Reed on a personal level might be a high hurdle.

If we're assuming that down south is somewhere in the Southampton, Hampshire area, then his options for commuting might be limited. London clubs, Reading and probably Bristol City in the championship. Maybe pompey too, but can't see that happening!

If the lad gets his chance at the Saints, then fair play, but if he gets the green light to leave, I can see us being at the front of the queue of any second tier clubs that are in for him.

12 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

He'd surely cost at least £15m, there's no way we'd be spending that. Certainly after we already chucked £7m to Forest for BB.

He would cost a few quid, no doubt, but there's no way they'd expect to get their 15 million back. Square peg in a round hole, and they're looking to offload. Would be surprised if his price tag was 8 figures, although agree that it'd be expensive for us.

Away from Assombalonga chat, Brad Lyons has just played for St Mirren against Hibs. Faded with the team in the second half, but played well in the first, good run and cross to set uo their goal. Good showing for (I think) his first league game at professional level.

Just had a quick scout on Boro forums.

Sounds as though they'd be surprisingly alright with him leaving the club, although that seems mainly due to him being one of several players unable to get anywhere near their best under Pulis. Played on the wing quite a lot,

Have to admit, beyond his being a proven goalscorer, I'm not that aware what his all round game is like. I know he's an absolute unit, so presumably can hold it up, but how well can he fit into our system? He's someone Tony will know well, especially being a Boro fan, but it's a surprising one in a number of ways.