When is he going to start? Because we are on a downward slide - relegation form - and he is still picking the same L1 team!

Mowbray’s 4 points from 30 (W1D1L8) is the joint worst of any manager since Venkys took over, tied with Steve Kean who managed W0D4L6 from 10 games. Appleton managed W0D3L4 (from 7 games) and Bowyer followed with W0D1L2 from 3, in a combined 10 game stretch - so neither counts as a fair comparison (Bowyer won his 4th and 5th game). If Mowbray doesn’t win his next game that will be our worst ever Venkys run (4 or 5 from 33). If we follow that up with defeat at home to Bolton, surely patience must run out, or is Mowbray now some kind of benevolent mafia don?

So not so much tin pot as glass bottle! There is only one reason not to dismiss the Kiwi league out of hand and one reason alone...

There isn’t even a stand behind the goal!

Is this really the kind of player Mowbray needs to make to win the fans over (and maybe a few football matches)? I think not. It would be another big gamble.

Chasing down a 25yo with no pedigree whatsoever and has been at Motherwell for five minutes? Surely we need experience at Championship level or PL loan quality? Mowbray ooot.

You’ve just summed up why I think Mowbray needs to go now. It’s not him personally, it’s what he thinks is necessary for this team and how he is likely to recruit. More players to push the ones we already have rather than replace them. Mulgrew, Bennett and Graham all need upgrading. Both full back positions need improvement. Reed and Rodwell are going and will be replaced by Travis and probably a loanee. We just don’t have any depth.

Ouch! Apart from the collar and sponsor it’s a pretty similar kit though...

Should have posted this here... What will be most telling is not just who he brings in but who he lets go. However, we’ve just given new contracts to a number of the old guard who really needed to be upgraded on: Williams, Evans, Mulgrew, Graham (1yr ext), So we will likely get: - A new second keeper to replace Leutweiler (exp 2019) - A new back up right back (we don’t have one) - Wharton back from loan (if we don’t there is something fishy there) or an alternative replacement for Downing - The only glimmer of hope is that Brereton signed a new contract to 2021 with Forest six months before we bought him ? so it is possible for these deals to still allow for a sale. However, I can’t remember the last player we sold for that another club had to twist our arm for, let alone spend well over the odds. Anyway, this graphic gives an idea of our immediate gaps and lack of long term stability - shirt number is year of contract end (white = out of contract; red = 1yr; blue = 2yr; yellow = 3yr): I don’t expect genuine upgrades to replace first teamers. We have a gap on the left midfield, concerns on the right hand side of defence, one keeper and two high quality players who leave a big shoes to fill: Reed and Rodwell. (In particular, the signing of Rodwell on a one year deal, with no promotion ambitions was a very strange one indeed - what did it achieve?).

What will be most telling is not just who he brings in but who he lets go. However, we’ve just given new contracts to a number of the old guard who really needed to be upgraded on: Williams, Evans, Mulgrew, Graham (1yr ext), So we will likely get: - A new second keeper to replace Leutweiler (exp 2019) - A new back up right back (we don’t have one) - Wharton back from loan (if we don’t there is something fishy there) or an alternative replacement for Downing - The only glimmer of hope is that Brereton signed a new contract to 2021 with Forest six months before we bought him ? so it is possible for these deals to still allow for a sale. However, I can’t remember the last player we sold for that another club had to twist our arm for, let alone spend well over the odds. Anyway, this graphic gives an idea of our immediate gaps and lack of long term stability - shirt number is year of contract end (white = out of contract; red = 1yr; blue = 2yr; yellow = 3yr): I don’t expect genuine upgrades to replace first teamers. We have a gap on the left midfield, concerns on the right hand side of defence, one keeper and two high quality players who leave a big shoes to fill: Reed and Rodwell. (In particular, the signing of Rodwell on a one year deal, with no promotion ambitions was a very strange one indeed - what did it achieve?).

New wallpaper for Gers fans.

Again!

So do I. But I also think that they need to allow the ladies to use Ewood from time to time to promote attendance like they do with the U23s.

I agreed with much of that. What grinds my gears though is that when none of those necessary actions are carried out he will still get a free pass because.... ....well who are Venkys likely to appoint instead?

They should only need to be able to work with Waggott. Or the whole thing is a sham.

Have you tried asking at Grimsby...? https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2018/october/brian-hill-will-be-our-special-guest/

You’ve just put up your own counter-argument. He managed a Championship team playing in League One. As the accounts illustrate. The Championship isn’t a place for Bowyers and Mowbrays. Successful managers at this level are one-eyed, ambitious, ruthless bastards with trusted coaches who know what is expected of them and their players.

Nothing in your post says that Mowbray hasn’t peaked and only looks back at history. Even half your manager list points back at the dark days of an inept boardroom and agent-driven malevolence. Comparing any manager in the Championship with anyone from that pre-TM list would put them out on top. If we still don’t have the right people in place to make appropriate managerial appointments then even with Mowbray we are in the same boat. He isn’t up to the task. We have come full circle in accepting mediocrity out of fear - the exact same argument that kept Bowyer in charge. A reasonable L1 standard manager in the hot seat at a Championship club. Bowyer steadied the ship; Lambert and his team were the right appointment and immediately raised the standards but were undermined; Coyle was a complete balls-up from start to finish, with an FD going on holiday and in my view an agent turning heads with Coyle’s “success on the cheap” model but without the necessary foundations in place. But even then - in June 2016 there were people defending the Coyle appointment: “he got Burnley promoted FFS”; “he needs at least x many games before we can judge FFS”; “just give him a chance FFS”. Fans can be their own worst enemies when it comes to blindly supporting managers. This is now a big test not just for Mowbray but also for Waggott. Is he just another puppet in a long line of them or does he have any influence at all? If Mowbray walked away tomorrow, citing his own honour, then Waggott would have to make a credible appointment. Why should that be any different if Rovers were to take a decision that a change was necessary? If anything we should be able to plan better. It’s all too pally right through the whole set-up. All taking Venkys coin, and not taking any responsibility.

The next 7 games sees us in an odd position. Nothing to play for so a ready excuse for not performing. Currently on a losing streak with the so called first team starters. Things look all too comfortable and pally. When you are winning it can look like a close knit group, when you are losing regularly it becomes a problem because players are less likely to be ruthless and will try to stick it out “together”. Mowbray’s approach seems to be to leave the players to it. He should be objective and be prepared to make tough decisions. Sticking with Dack when Rothwell is in form or bringing in Samuel when Nuttall was in form just continue the problem. The only way Mowbray can come out of this end of season phase well is to start giving starts to some of the youngsters. Would be great to see Magloire given a chance alongside Lenihan. Rothwell given a free role in midfield. With some of the older guard on the bench. If we lose then we’ve learned something. If we lose with our League One players then we’ve not even learned anything.

Yeah, I don’t think it will happen. The fact that we are discussing it though is a sign of the current unease as opposed to being comfortably mid table. Another sign that we are behind even Mowbray’s current plan. Unless his plan was 21st...

*** Poll is anonymous *** “Stay” This is just a bad spell, January is what we are really about and the rest of the season since has been the blip, coincidentally now that we are all but safe. Despite any potential we may have shown early on, mid-table was always the target and injuries rather than bad planning have hampered a better finish. It was important to give the League One side a chance to perform and they have got us to safety. The stats are what they are and they don’t make great reading but we need to look at the bigger picture. Now that Mowbray has learned about his squad capabilities he will deal with this in the Summer and we will have a better season. We just have to keep the faith. “Go” Time to go T-Mo. Thanks for getting us back into the Championship first time (the minimum expectation) but it’s just not working at this level. We are in the same type of run that we were when you first joined and results are worse. Comparing the last 10 games of each... Coyle (W2D3L5 9pts from 30) v Mowbray (W1D1L8 4pts from 30). If it hadn’t been for a purple patch in January - when an enthusiastic, “pre-Mowbrayed” Lewis Travis burst on to the scene - we’d be below Rotherham. The sides you pick are one dimensional, you still prefer your favourites at the expense of potential quality because you haven’t addressed glaring problems during the last four windows, and I’ve no faith you will do anything differently after the next one. Or some variation but your reasoning isn’t necessarily required. Stay or Go...

Ouch!

Well, they beat QPR away yesterday, a team one place below us, with no local pride at stake and with players barely being paid. We could easily lose. Just don’t think Rotherham will beat 47 points.

I wish Mowbray would spend more time publicly admonishing our defenders for not being defensive-minded enough, instead of our most creative midfielder(s).

Quite right. Losing becomes a habit, form dips, players lose belief. Bad runs need to be short or they become self-fulfilling. It’s not about just a mixture of random WDL results that happened to be clumped together. The reverse is also true. Our good run in January was the result of some momentum.