Very intentional words from JDT. He knows what has come before. I've seen a clip of him addressing the whole squad in the canteen too. Again his words seemed intentional and to the point. I actually watched it at lunch and I remember what he said now. The team is the most important thing. We need to have the absolute best team spirit in the league. I don't want to spend too much longer reflecting back to Mowbray. But anytime he was filmed giving a bit of a speech, he'd ramble on for 20 minutes and touch on 20 different subjects. This was reflected in his interviews as well. He'd contradict himself endlessly and you'd come away not having a clue what point he wanted to make. Half of management is being a top communicator and JDT is definitely that!

I find myself really excited for the future after seeing his first interview and the behind the scenes footage. Writing a post as to what he has said to spark that promise there are a couple of things which stood out, but the biggest thing is not what he said. The man has presence and charisma, is animated and walks with confidence. Its the little things. Wearing a sharp suit on his first day, striding around the place, not with aggression but an optimistic, commanding air. Stopping and pointing at Kenny and legends of old. Those things show he not only commands respect, but respects the club. I'm delighted with the appointment. I don't think it's going to be a case of him giving Mowbrays boys a boot into reality but more that they will all be desperate to perform. I'd wager if Lenihan hasn't actually signed a contract and it's only a verbal agreement with Boro he'd be very tempted to commit his future here. Only other thing to hope is that Venkys don't f*** it up and that the commitments we've given him to sign here, are met. Who's got a good song for him?

Southgate being so obsessed with a defensive screen in his midfield is what makes us struggle, coupled with the fact he has those midfielders in very rigid formations. Rice is excellent, Phillips a capable deputy, but together their defensive nature actually makes us more vulnerable as neither of them have the agility to twist and turn in centre mid and dominate the ball. They don't move it quickly enough and struggle to keep possession under real pressure. Southgate also loves Mount but as an attacking midfielder. Play him deeper and he'd solve a lot of our problems. He's good at everything. Excellent on the ball, can run for days etc; but he doesn't contribute enough as an attacking midfielder. We have the combinations for a 3 man midfield with both energy and fluidity. Rice, Bellingham, Mount or Rice, Foden and Mount. Agree with the poster who mentioned Trent. Given our quality right backs he should not be in the squad. Unbelievable going forwards but it strikes me that he believes his own hype and thinks about assists before every game. He needs some Italian blood in him, celebrating clean sheets like goals. We've one of the best squads in my lifetime. There are weaker areas, but I don't think Southgate either covers those areas or creates systems where our best players can shine. He's had success so far with some luck. Personally I think he's been brilliant, but more for his off pitch demeanour. Sometimes it was hard to really love England and what group stood for. Southgate came along and it became a group you could be proud of. Weirdly that's the main reason I'm not calling for a change, but I do think he's lacking tactically.

By the sounds of things he surrounded himself with some excellent staff at Malmo and he's brought a couple of them with him. This in itself is huge. It also gives me a little hope the purse strings may not be quite as tight as first anticipated. With so little coming out of the club the assumption has been the budget will be non-existent. Fingers crossed there's something there.

I think it's important he's coming with a couple of his people as opposed to just an assistant. Sometimes numbers matter and it could have been slightly isolating and divisive had JDT's team been outnumbered by the current bunch. Damien Johnson always strikes me as somebody who is very forward thinking, uses a lot of tech in his role. I always found it strange Ben Benson was out on the touchline far more than DJ. I've felt for a while he's been an underused asset that will hopefully have a boss who is far more aligned to his way of working.

First thing the new DoF should be doing once the new gaffer is announced and we have clarity, is checking to see whether the ink is dry on the contracts Lenihan and Nyambe are supposedly signing elsewhere. Highly unlikely they are staying now, but a new manager is a big change and JDT isn't the same old that we've seen before. Never say never. It could be enough to swing things in our favour.

I don't want a transition season either, but given the amount of time taken to appoint both JDT and Broughton, I think that's going to be the likely outcome. Had they both been appointed a month ago my expectations of them would be higher. They've not been set up for success with a depleted squad needing fairly major forays into the transfer market. Had they been afforded a period of time for planning their jobs would be far easier.

If it is JDT for me this is a transition season. We're all fed up of journies etc but there is going to be a huge amount of work to do with such a depleted squad. I'm not saying we shouldn't be aiming for success as soon as possible, but the delay in bringing a manager in, coupled with expiring contracts in the squad, means he's not been set up for success from the outset. Same with the DoF. He should have been brought in earlier. They will be doing their best but we've essentially removed the opportunity for an analysis and planning stage. Here's hoping they will have a players/tricks up their sleeves as I don't think this season is going to be an easy task. There's an enormous amount of pressure on this transfer window, compounded by the fact these guys will also have to get used to the 'Venkys way of working'. All said, I'm excited about the appointments. They are complete unknowns. Both are making a step up, but both can point to recent success. I'm hoping for a real hunger and desire to improve, as opposed to Mowbray who was happy to top up the pension, and simply do right by the lads and develop them, as opposed to developing Rovers. There's potential for disaster due to the poor way and timing of our recruitment, but there's also plenty of potential. We'll see!

If it is Tomasson then I'm happy given the options we now have. We've seen good options go by, and looking around at those we're now linked with he seems like a decent choice. Playing career wise, he was right at the very top. Given the age and experience of our squad, that will gain some respect. He was always a very intelligent player. He reminded me slightly of Thomas Muller but slightly further forward. No notable stand out attributes, but somebody who interpreted space superbly. Hopefully he has the ability to communicate that skill well and he's adept understanding the defensive side of the game too. Diaz should be ecstatic if JDT does come in. What a player to learn from, though I doubt it'd be enough for him to resign. On the negative side, he has little experience, though is achievements in Malmo shouldn't be dismissed simply because they're a big team in their league. To temper his sacking by Rode he was appointed mid-season and sacked after only 5 months. It's a mark on his record, however that it can be difficult to turn round a club mid-season who are on the slide. It's a step up for him and he has something to prove, which to me is both positive and negative. The alternatives look a bit grim, but I'd be very excited to see what he has to offer.

Then an article on the deafening silence is needed and publicly calling Waggot into question. If I were Sharpe, I'd possibly wait until the new manager is appointed, to precent too much damage. But this is a shambles. We're a laughing stock again!

Whoever we bring in we've royally screwed up the process. It's not to say the new manager will be poor, but any success is going to be through luck, not design. Who would have the authority I don't know, but a thorough review is needed. Were multiple parties interviewing different people? Who sanctioned the idea we'd interview 'in work' candidates in a separate stage to out of work ones? What happened at this 2nd interview stage which brought value? Was a timescale ever placed, if it was missed, why? Did anybody internally ever challenge some of our conditions of employment? Did the owners 'vision' and financial commitment marry up? We're scrabbling around right now because if we don't bring somebody in fast then club directors lose face. More than anything I'd love them to tell my what the f*** they have been up to the last couple of months. To drag your heels and have no f***ing idea who it is you're pursuing. Waggot, Suhail; or whoever is responsible are not fit for our club. I firmly believe I could do a better job with zero experience in the industry.

Surely Rich Sharpe has to be searching for answers and asking Waggot some uncomfortable questions. I can understand his job is difficult. But it's just plain obvious this process has gone wildly wrong

Bradley Orr tells a story where he was unjustly treated by numerous managers, the fans, any executives, everyone. He did very well and made the majority of his earnings as a player out of the club. It doesn't surprise me that he's on a podcast running his mouth as he strikes me as somebody who's just thick. And that's why every manager didn't trust him. He's the type to think he's doing the right thing but in reality he's just reacting and constantly jumping in the deep end, no tact, only sees things from his side of the story. I don't think he's got a lot to say. The stuff on Givet and N'zonzi I do believe. I'm sure if you heard their side they'd probably think very little of him, their main comments would be around the toxicity of the club at that time, and they just wanted out. Bradley Orr would barely be a blip on their radar. It's no excuse for downing tools though.

I'm happy to see the appointment is somebody who has studied and worked for his status in the game, and somebody who has been successful implementing their ideas. My biggest fear was a jobs for the boys situation, or an ex-player, which in my opinion shouldn't give an automatic right, just because they need to do something post playing career. Apart from the earlier link posted I know nothing about the guy. But on paper it is the kind of appointment which ticks the boxes I wanted ticked. My only real question surrounds his remit. He's obviously been heavily involved in academy level in the past. Will that be his entire remit or is it all encompassing, up at senior level too.

There's your interview right there. Let's give him the job !

Tomasson always struck me as an intelligent player. Not blisteringly quick, nor strong. Good technically but not one to stand out. What did stand out was his strikers instincts and reading of the game.

It's no wonder Nicko loves a bit of Rovers gossip. We're so bloody slow making decisions it gives him around 6 weeks' worth of writing in comparison to about 2 weeks worth at any normal club!

Are we sure that the odds on Ferguson / Unsworth shortening are not down to the rumours about Walsh coming in and Farke officially being ruled out? Something doesn't add up. All signs pointed to a DoF not being linked to the manager search, both in club statements and a headhunting agency being used for the DoF. Walsh doesn't automatically suggest Ferguson to me. What it does suggest is that Waggot and Suhail are struggling and have missed out on their top targets. All communications suggested the DoF would come in after a managerial appointment, and now the DoF is starting next week. That seemed down to design and not the availability of candidates. I think they're desperate for some help, and it wouldn't surprise me to see a few new names plucked out the hat as a result now that there could be new input into the managerial search. I'm hoping this 'bank holiday' shut down has been to allow the DoF to get set up, Monday he'll be unveiled and first thing on the agenda is discussing where we're up to in the interview process. We have no idea. Walsh may not be a fan of Ferguson or Unsworth. He's got a good track record in the game, so I'm willing to give Walsh a show of faith rather than assuming it's "jobs for the boys." If Ferguson does come in, my hope would be that our new DoF who's worked his way up in the game is able to give a glowing endorsement, having worked with him first hand. That would make me more comfortable with Ferguson as a manager. The big thing this club has been missing over the years is footballing knowledge at Ewood that isn't strategically placed to strengthen Mowbrays position at the club. That and a quick sign off to Venkys, enabling fast decisions. A good DoF would bring half of that, and Ferguson or not, I hope Walsh is key to the managerial appointment.

I think a managed like Farke would give us a real chance of promotion. Especially if working in tandem with a decent DoF.

Because his teams play simple basic hoof-ball. There's a reason Manning is linked with better jobs after a shorter period. Because it's easier to see his methodologies translating to a higher level. I don't subscribe to there being only one way to play football but the way Ainsworth sets his teams up means that in the eyes of many there is a ceiling to his capabilities.

On field not really. But you can't deny there is a culture there and a plan that is sorely missing here. They have been in recovery for a long time since Tony Fernandes has his pants pulled down when he first bought the club. They were the definition of overpaid mercenaries chasing one last pay day.

Someone needs to get that article in front of the Venkys. Not that it would achieve much. But that demonstrates everything that we are not. Incidentally Qpr are a great point of comparison for us right now. Both of us looked set for at least the playoffs. Both have a good few youth players in the first team. Similar budgets and both in need of a manager this summer to build on managers who had begun to stagnate. It'll be interesting to see the fortunes of us both after this pivotal summer.

This would be amazing!

I really don't understand multiple interviews. A mangers entire cv is so easy for any average Joe to research. Then anybody who works inside football shouldn't find it remotely difficult to ask a few people who have worked with them in the past for references. Then the manager comes in. Its about feel, vision, priorities. I'm certain I'd be able to conduct interviews with managers and make the best pick in a single interview. With zero prep. Let alone the amount of prep which Waggot et al should be doing. The big question for me if I were a manager interviewing for the Rovers job would be; what on earth are they going to ask me second time round, that they couldn't have asked me initially. It's amateur hour. I'm out.

The quotes from Farke and reports from Germany do suggest he has a better offer on the table. I don't think Rich Sharpe really has a clue though. Especially if Farke has come into the frame via a different avenue as Glen suggested. It would be classic Venkys though to have identified their man and not put their full weight behind bringing him in. They do need to realise that a manager is one place you can't scrimp. Vision and budgets are important. But if you're looking to save 500k then the manager isn't the place to do it. It's been mentioned too. Surely DoF should come in first. We will have to hope that whoever does come in as a DoF is completely independent from the manager. Otherwise we'll have another Mowbray - Waggot situation.