Haha - so let me ask you this. If 70% in here think the managers shit and needs replacing and the keeper is shit, then how on Earth have we achieved our record of clean sheets when Walton’s played every game and TM picks the team? Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds? Is there not just the slightest of chances that having dreamt of a play off promotion fairytale ending, that the last three Games (upto Cardiff) have left many upset and emotional. Take the emotion out of it and it’s very clear. In order to progress you must amass more points than the season before. Sure there are other metrics but assuming we finish higher than last season then we’ve progressed, right. You can argue this or that and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Well considering we’ve had a record amount of clean sheets but our keeper is shite, then how else are we getting them? Overall, our defending has been better than last year right? Statistically?

Why can’t he keep it up? We’ll likely get more points this season than we did last season and his job is to do the same again next season. So long as he does that then what’s the problem? But seriously, why so bitter? Amazing how many grown men feel the need to get personal because someone doesn’t agree with what they say.

As I said mate. It’s just about opinions. We don’t have to agree. imo Steele didn’t make unforced errors. He was just simply crap. Which has been proven everywhere he’s been since. He’s poor physically, technically, positionally...the full shebang. Walton is not poor in any of those departments. He’s just inconsistent. That’s why Brighton believe he will be their number 1 once he’s spent enough time getting in the Championship getting experience. So yeah, in my opinion it was a lazy comparison.

Whilst I respect your opinion I disagree with your point and I believe that you are reacting emotively to the poor performances since his return from COVid. Im not saying Walton is brilliant but there’s a difference between that and ‘unmitigated disaster’. Sure, he cannot be solely responsible for the most clean sheets, most away wins, etc stats but he is certainly a big part of that progress and a ‘hinderance’ could never have been involved in a process which yielded those results. As a side issue, some those now pointing to our wonderful defence and ‘defending from the front’ are also the guys saying Mowbray is tactically clueless and made a shit load of bad signings last summer. Let. That. Sink. In. ?

Just my opinion. No need to suggest that I’m pertaining to know more than you. I thought this board was for us to debate. I have watched both keepers and I do not see the link. Steele was consistently poor in every facet of his game. Walton has a lot of quality but lacks consistency. imo the comparison was lazy.

In my opinion we need a first choice Lb, CB and keeper. Keep Bell as cover, Promote Butterworth, One of Wharton/Magloire/Grayson/Carter as direct CB cover and look to integrate Buckley, JRC, Butterworth and potentially Vale into regular players.

If the people who said Graham and Downing are going also told you that Jonty is in line for the Rovers job then I can pretty much confirm that they’re barking up the wrong tree. He doesn’t want a managers job (Too unstable and cannot effect a club over the long term) and is looking at the DOF role for the future. So the club would have to be looking at a DOF-head coach scenario to make this work.

I think the issue really is based on lack of experience. Young keepers make mistakes. Well most do... If you want a consistent keeper then the chances are much higher if you go for them in their 30’s. I don’t think there are any comparisons with Walton and Steele. Imo Walton has lots of good attributes and the potential to be a very good keeper in the Premier League. You can see his quality in those purple patches where he’s a formidable presence, makes great saves Is sound technically and dominates. It’s the consistency he’s lacking. Plus when he’s bad, he’s BAD. I never ever saw any quality in Steele and I can’t remember him having a purple patch. Walton has overseen our highest number of clean sheets since we dropped out of the PL. Just saying..

Agreed. This definitely is a big problem but feels more like a symptom of various things. We’re not resolute enough at times and seem to go into our shell, we don’t kill teams off with the goals our £11m strikers should be scoring but also, that stat is probably skewed by a huge positive which is that we lose so many leads because we start games so positively and often lead within the first 10 minutes against teams who then settle into the game and beat us simply because they are better.

Just opinions Stuart. Above I’ve put potential counter arguments to all your points. There are lots of positives and negatives that can be talked about and debated. The ones I mentioned are the ones I feel are most relevant. Life would be dull if we all felt the same.

It’s thought provoking... Main positive... He’s done a good job overall in reversing our ‘basket case club’ image with a steady hand. We’ll likely finish on more points this season than last. An accumulation of more points this season, in context with losing Dack at Christmas would without doubt show that the team has made positive progress. I also like the way our young players are being integrated into the team. Main negative... The £11m spent on Brereton and Gally hangs heavily around Mowbrays neck. If those two were chipping in with 10 goals each this season we’d be sat comfortably in the top 6 now (even without Dack). Mowbray must know that. Imo those goals (or lack of) are the main reason we can’t put sides away who are compact and happy to defend for their lives. Like Barnsley and Wigan. My feeling is that he has three games to improve on last seasons points tally. If he can’t do that then he should face the reality of being replaced. I fully expect TM to be in place next season when I think will be his biggest ever challenge at Rovers. By definition of the word ‘progress’ Rovers must basically spend next season in the top 6. That’s going to be a big ask on our budget but imo the manager lives and dies by it.

It’s pretty simple to me. I’d try to keep most of the squad together (bearing in mind we’ve had a good season and are fighting for a playoff spot). Mowbray said that the club would trigger the 12 month option on Bell at the fans forum in Feb and I’d offer Samuel, Downing and Graham another year. Aside from that, Lenihan, Nyambe, Travis and Armstrong will be a year on and the like of Bucko, Butterworth and JRC are headed for big break through seasons too. A keeper (maybe two), left back and cb needed. Plenty of great loan options and out of contract players. Could see us going back for Cunningham for a nominal fee. Then we go again!

It’s not an overreaction mate. The countries who have been affected least by the virus are ones who acted quickest.

He’s 19! It was exuberant and immature at most. Part of a young mans learning journey. Let it go.

No, I think we’ll fall short.

In the literal sense, no. But we do need a win to get us going again and lift the team. A minimum of 5 wins needed out of 9 games just to be in with a shout.

Poor poor performance. The manager was too slow in changing the personnel and far too many players had an off day. Massive game week coming up. Anymore performances like Sunday and we’re done!

Crikey! So we’ve scored more goals than Fulham with those players and probably 5 x the budget!?

The post wasn’t about the manager. It was about not needing to spend £20m on 8 players. The manager and In particular his ability to improve the squad last summer on £2m net spend is relevant to that point. As was the development of young players mentioned... If the only thing you could see from that whole post was a ‘Mowbray love in’ I would suggest that you need to cool the Mowbray hate-in... PS - For what it’s worth, your point about the two cash signings not being automatic picks is actually relevant when discussing Mowbrays overall business in the transfer market....but we weren’t discussing that.

This is the first thing I ever ordered for my daughter! ??

Brought a bloody tear to my eye that Stu! COYR!!!

We don’t need 8 players and we don’t need to spend £20m. Most on here derided the summer Transfer business and predicted failure. Many were ready to hang the manager because of how poor it was perceived to have been. We spent net £2m on fees in the summer and improved the squad significantly. The points, goals for, against, clean sheets and they way in which we’ve coped without Dack in particular are clear indicators of that. Walton, Tosin, Cunningham (although cut short), Johnson, Downing and Gallagher have played a pivotal part (some more than others). The truth of the matter is that the manager has shown he can improve us markedly without spending top money. IF he can get anywhere close to replicating last summer and improve us by the same margin with cheaper European buys, loans and frees then we will be in the top 6 and chasing promotion next season. (Assuming we don’t get a miracle this season) Im not saying it’s that easy. I’m just saying you don’t need to spend £20m to do it. Plus, you have to factor the likes of Nyambe, Travis, Buckley, JRC and Brereton who will be a year on in their development. If any two of the last three begin to effect our team like Nyambe and Travis then we will have improved significantly. The biggest issue, if we chase the playoffs down hard and either just miss out or lose in the final is that FINALLY the football world will take us seriously and I’d expect big bids for the likes of Lenihan, Travis and Nyambe in the summer!

Congratulations @Ossydave hope you’ve had a bit of sleep ready for the big game pal! First time I’ve felt nervous today. As I’ve said before, my gut has been telling me that we’d prob just miss out by a point or two. But I’m just getting a feeling that things are aligning with the poor form of others and the games we have left to play which I think are right in our slot. We want to play high up and beat people on the transition. We don’t like it when people sit in on us and I can’t see any of the top teams coming to Ewood doing that because they’ll all want to win. An added bonus to the away fixtures is that most are played against weak teams who have something to play for (avoiding relegation etc) so they will come at us and the transition will come into play...I might be mad but I think only Reading at home has even the slightest possibility of someone sitting deep against us. Everyone else will have a go, and that’s where we’re most dangerous. I’ve had this overwhelming feeling that we’re going to win all three games in the next gameweek (Bristol, Wigan, Barnsley) for a while. I’m not sure why but it’s really strong so I’m going with it. But with that in mind I’m thinking if we can nick it today and then win those games then we’re well in with a chance. 12 points from 4 games would make US that team who’d gone on a last minute dash and made it...Which makes this real to me for the first time!

I agree, but I think people could do with getting over the word ‘Agenda’ ultimately we all have them. The common one in here is that we ALL want Rovers to succeed. Which was my initial point. But there are also negative agendas that people have against the manager and certain players so why not just own them?