He’s just turned 20 pal. ??

I’ve seen a player in BB tonight. Could come back to bite a few on the arse...

Couldn’t have worded it any better... https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17595532.simon-smith-reaction-to-ben-brereton-goal-was-heartening/

No problems. I do think our budgets are similar. Agree to disagree ?

Regardless of the money, as this wasn’t my point. Are you suggesting that you expected us to finish above / the same as Preston this year? I think most Rovers fans wouldn’t have expected us to. Which takes me back to my initial point around perception.

And your bleating about us spending £10m is equally pedantic as a good £7m of that committed spend hasn’t even affected our performances this season. The hope is that it will effect next seasons and beyond. The point I was making was that in spite of the squads being very similar in terms of ability and capability one has been lauded in the media and the other castigated purely because of when they had their good runs. The two managers have basically achieved the same result but the perceptions swayed.

I’m not going to argue over this. I’m not saying they’ve had a great season. I’m saying that many many media outlets have portrayed them as having a great season based purely on perception. And having been in the Championship for a few years now I’d hazard a guess that their budget is similar to ours. Furthermore we didn’t SPEND £10m. We may have committed to it but we didn’t spend it.

Yes!! Sorry, he played for Barry Town!

All about perception. They had a dodgy start but came on strong = a great season. We started well and faded away = fail In actual fact we’ve done well. As have Preston on a very similar budget.

Brereton has been treated well by Rovers fans in spite of his poor form. Most have understood that at 19 (now 20 years old) he was bought for the future.

Mate, Sunderland are 4th!! That’s nothing to do with Luton! ? It’s just proof that it’s not bloody easy!

Yup, nothing at all to do with the return of Lenihan to full fitness ?

The guy has now given 13 youth players their debuts in two years. We regularly have 4 homegrown players in the first 11 and 5/6 in the squad. Magloire did ok. Just ok and now we have Lenihan and Williams playing out of their skin. Travis was given his debut BY MOWBRAY. How this came about is irrelevant. In any case, most young players get their chance because of injuries to first teamers anyway! Imagine if he’d piled them all in and carried on losing the last four. You blame the manager for every action he takes which results in a negative outcome but distance him from every positive outcome. The screenshots of your posts on social media are poor from whoever is doing it but you don’t half provide some ammo at times pal.

Fantastic lad and very very talented. Does lots for my company now from a motivational stand point. I wasn’t sure if he went to Ireland?

Agree with everything other than Nyambe. I think there’s a real player in there. Additionally he has all of the physical characteristics. Bell is a League 1 defender imo. I’m not even sure I’d keep him as back up. Try and move him, Smallwood and Samuel on. Maybe Mulgrew too who is on good money and looks like he’s run his race? Let Leutwiler, Gladwin and Downing run their contracts out. Maybe give Conway a year to support Rothwell, Dack, Arma, Butterworth and Chapman?

I don’t get the point about our negativity either tbh. Every game I’ve watched we’ve created chances and been ‘in’ the game. I can’t think of a single one where we’ve parked the bus? In fact, one of my biggest criticisms of Mowbray is that at times we’ve capitulated away from home because we’ve been chasing teams instead of keeping it tight and waiting for that one chance. We’ve lacked quality in the final third and Mowbray went on record to say he was looking to integrate more technical players so that we no longer had to rely on direct balls into Graham. I think Rothwell, Dack, Armstrong, Chapman and Butterworth will cause any teams problems. I also think that B.B. will benefit from a more fluid style of play. Travis, Rodwell, Davenport (supposed to be class) and Evans can cover off CM with Buckley pushing them. Still a GK, CB, LB and Striker for me. I believe the manager will sort this.

I think the fans have been fantastic with Brereton. Anyone else see a marked difference with our patterns of play yesterday? Very few direct balls. But the most interesting one was when in possession, Bell and Nyambe pushing on and staying wide allowing Rothwell and Armstrong the chance to drift inside into the pockets and in behind. Bolton were poor but worked hard tbf.

It’s brave to put yourself up as a target when you know there will be at least 10 teams with better budgets than you next season. But for injuries to key players we prob would’ve finished just outside of the playoffs this season. So regardless of you, me or anyone else saying he should’ve played this person or that person, we’ve done well. Either way, we are always going to be shopping for the Dacks and Rothwells of this world. If we wanted to buy a Dack this summer we wouldn’t be able to afford him. So, on the back foot, Mowbray is being brave. Because in spite all of this if he doesn’t get us into that position then you, me and everyone else will be unhappy!

Sunderland and Barnsley have the biggest budget in League 1 too...they’re not top of the league. Sunderland are not even top 2. I’m not saying we weren’t expecting to get out but promotions involve a lot more than cash. He was fortunate that the club backed him with the wages of some key Championship players. But that’s only half the job. You’ve then got to persuade those players to stay in League 1 when they have other options.. You’re right about creating the right environment though. The same environment which helps them to dig in and finish strongly.

Mowbray has done a great job (so far). It’s not easy to come into a crack pot club, revitalise it, steer it away from certain doom and towards success. Those who insist that going up last season was a nothing achievement are wrong. Especially for a club with our problems. Look at Sunderland? Money is not the only factor. I don’t call 59 points with two games to go in our first season back in the Championship ‘plodding’. Preston are a seasoned Championship team now and are perceived to have had an amazing season. They’re currently 1pt above us on 60. The key here is that we must continue to progress on this upwards curve. It is true that things will get harder now because we don’t have the funds to compete with the top teams in this league. Add the three who will drop down from the Prem and this gets even harder. Add to that the points you made about Venkys speed of work which are further barriers. BUT the manager has been brave enough to stick his neck out and say he wants to challenge at the top of the Championship next season. In truth, regardless of the circus around him and funding restrictions he will carry the can of we’re not in and around the playoffs.

When Souness was approached by Newcastle, Rovers couldn’t believe their luck. He’d completely run out of ideas and had been flirting with the likes of Spurs for 6 months before he went. They practically drove him up there...

Amazing how people simply remember what they like to...?? Bowyer did a VERY good job for us BUT he blew his moment. That season was the one he had to achieve his goal. When he failed, I wanted him gone too. The club is always my priority. I just refuse to act like a spoilt child every time there’s a few bad results. ?

This is one of the best posts I have ever read on here. Thanks for sharing mate. For the record, I don’t think TM is perfect either. He frustrates me at times and I still maintain that this summer is the defining one of his term. BUT, bloody hell he’s done a great job. We’re in so much better nick on and off the pitch now.

Wrong about your emotionally charged ramblings towards our manager? A guy who has done his job very well overall and deserved your loyalty? Just that for now ?