Here we go... There’s nothing poor about my post. The guy took a best guess at what might happen and it came true. It’s just like studying the form for a horse race and backing the winner and then giving the win anymore credibility than it being a bloody good guess. True. Great point. They do get sacked all the time. Sometimes we understand it, lots of times it’s incomprehensible...and that is because there is soooo much going on behind closed doors which effect the situation. Extra marital affairs, drugs, financial strategies, political aims. It’s so complex. We don’t know anything about the context of that deal. BB is very highly rated by lots of people I know. I would have to agree that my opinion of him is closer to yours at the moment. But what I am sure of is that if BB does fulfill the potential that professional coaches see in him, we won’t see your predictions of his failure for dust! ?

That’s fair enough. I understand your opinion on that. I just don’t agree. ??

I wish I had the money to plough £100m into something I wasn’t interested in! ??

And if you can see it then why couldn’t he, right? ? Mate, this isn’t Fifa. These are real people with real problems. We don’t know what finances were actually available. We don’t know if the owners rhetoric is to buy young English players, develop them and sell them for a profit. We don’t know anything really other than what we see in football matches and what we read in the media. It’s like someone looking at your life through Facebook and deciding what you should and should not do. It’s not real.

And if we finish between 10th - 15th and he makes the summer changes then he’s done his job, right?

There’s a few with contracts up at the end of the season. I see the young lads slotting into those. The desired signings as quoted by Rich Sharpe are as follows: Priority - CB’s (plural) and at least one striker. TM refuses to rule out GK, FB and CM. I personally think these will be brought in based on if we can shift players in their positions. Tony is openly talking about the plan. This needs to be executed or he’s history imo.

100%

There are a million different angles painted on these forums. Some come true, others do not. I’m not sure what your opinions were back in the summer but up until Christmas you pretty much had egg on your face and you were unlikely to be bouncing around reminding everyone of it. It’s easy to start crowing once your particular opinion comes true. In actual fact, none of us have the football knowledge or first hand experience with those players to have made the right decision. So you guessed what might happen and it seems to have come true! Well done ??

Agree to disagree

It’s not that simple. There’s an endless amount of teams who are relegated and don’t ever get back up in spite of having ‘better’ players and bigger budgets. Managers don’t just get sacked because of the teams form. There’s a whole host of reasons why. Not meeting the season goal, falling out of favour with the directors, losing the fans etc are just some. Imo Tony hasn’t ticked any of those boxes yet. Its a sad indictment on football that some fans are so blood thirsty.

Yes of course. This is all about opinions. The rate of decline has been alarming, I would agree. I would also be critical of some of his signings and in hindsight, his decision to remain loyal to that league 1 team. BUT I disagree with the idea that people are swallowing his narrative, essentially being duped by him. Everyone I have spoken to has unanimously confirmed his decent nature and integrity. He’s also widely regarded as a very good coach as is Venus. Moreover, people are very quick to forget the positive impact that Tony has had on our club following Coyle, Lambert, Kean etc. For me there is one massive decision which is haunting him now and that was to stick with the lads he had. It shaped his summer business last year when we bought almost entirely for the future. With hindsight, had the reported £10m been spent on maybe three championship class players (CB, CM, CF) I do not think we would’ve had the decline we’ve seen...but hindsight is a fine thing. Ive seen a lot of people on here dismissing the notion that he’ll make changes this summer. I understand that because history tells us that Tony hasn’t done that at Rovers. But, I do not see what he has to gain by staying loyal to them this summer. He’s been loyal and the players have been found out. He’s admitted that publicly. So to mindlessly plough on then he’s risking his own job and reputation for players who he owes absolutely nothing to. To stick with the same team and start next season would be managerial suicide. For all of the above, he has my backing this summer to rectify the problems he himself has publicly highlighted. I don’t think we’re a million miles away from a team that could compete at the top end of the table. Most games we have been well in only to be let down by soft defending or a lack of cutting edge. Those games (like the last four 1-0 defeats at home) are won or lost in those moments. With the right quality at both ends you often win those games. Added to that another year of development in the likes of Lenihan, Nyambe, Travis, Armstrong and Brereton etc, I just want some consistency.

Nothing has changed for me. He’s been loyal to the team who got us promoted. This seasons target was to get to safety as quickly as possible and then see how far we can go. The back end of the season has been disappointing but I fully expected us to finish between 10th - 15th before the season started and we’ll finish there or thereabouts. For half of the season his decision was very much vindicated. The second half of the season has shown to Tony and the world that In order to consolidate and move forwards we need to address that our defenders are not tough enough, our midfielders not creative enough and our forwards not clinical enough. He HAS to be prepared to upset and ultimately replace the Mulgrews, Bennets, Graham’s, Smallwoods and even Dacks of this group. So he has the summer to bring in first team regulars and if not then he is not the man for the job. The Stoke game basically encapsulated our current position in 90 mins. The team worked hard and had long periods of possession. But ultimately we were let down by an inability to defend properly at one end and a lack of quality in the final third where we are not clinical enough. The summer is key. Mowbray deserves the summer to get this right. Do or die..

TM was questioned yesterday by Rich Sharpe about positions he’s looking to fill and he confirmed priority as Cb’s (Plural) and a front line striker to challenge DG. He wouldn’t rule out a GK, fullbacks and a Cm either. My feeling is that these positions will look to be filled based on what’s available, who leaves and what’s left in the budget after they’ve filled those priority positions.

I’d go with that. Can see Rodwell in that role with Evans as back up? But we’d need a good number 8 buying to compliment Travis, Davenport (who he said earlier this week would be better in a three) and Bennett (who I think could play that high energy role. Reed on a permenant might work? The priority for me is still at CB and CF. Ready to step straight into the first 11. But I don’t see how Dack fits into a 433. Front three will consist of Rothwell, Breo, Graham, Chapman and Armstrong surely? Maybe Nuttall.

I don’t see how Dack could ever be seen as an 8. So maybe the plan is to sell and boost this summers kitty?

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/ Anyone else thinking we’ve just accepted a bid for Dack?

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/ Anyone else thinking we’ve probably just accepted a bid for Dack? ? * wrong thread

Feeling far from positive and calling for the head of the manager are two different things though. I’m feeling pretty far from positive. But I believe that after bringing a positive, honest and hardworking mentality to my club. Gaining promotion and doing fantastically well for half this season, I can forgive Tony the last few weeks as long as he puts it right in the summer.

My apologies ??

After the first 20 games we were on course for the playoffs mate. So what’s your point?

I can see what you mean but I don’t think this site represents all Rovers fans. I enjoy some of the topics on here but like it or loathe it this place has never been known for its upbeat positivity! I think I recall several posters peddling negative rhetoric on here right after we were promoted! Ha ha Im genuinely not spoiling for a fight and I’ve learned to embrace it but bloody hell we can’t half moan! ??

I just get the feeling that’s the formation he’d play if he had the players. He’s talked a few times about Sheff Utd. You can play wide forwards if you play 343.

I’ll be honest the Rothwell thing is just bizarre. I think he’s a fantastic player and impacts the game every time he plays. Can’t get my head around why he doesn’t start.

And if he cannot do that then he will fall on his own sword. He knows what he needs to do.

I respect that you disagree. But I think it’s odd to suggest he ‘carried on’ picking awful players when those exact players were the ones who’d got us to within touching distance of the playoffs. Had he changed the side and the results gone down hill he would be being castigated for fixing something that was not broken. You make decisions and sometimes you get them right, other times you get them wrong. Q - Had he started the season poorly and picked up after the first 10 games to come roaring back in the second half of the season do you think there’d be the same clamour for his head? Football is fickle and fans forget easily. Iv given my opinion. I respect yours. Agree to disagree?