That chairman is such a bell end. So unprofessional in his desperation for attention. Like Nixon on heat.

No but he was specifically asked about it and said hes had no clarity and hes not even in a position to offer contracts. So unless hes lied and it was a ploy to keep transfers under wraps having had his budget confirmed by our newly proactive owners then I personally doubt any transfer business is imminent.

I dont see why he said only last night that he hasnt had clarity yet and isnt even in a position to offer contracts yet then.

Stop with the superfan, have patience crap please. Im just pointing out that Carter was out of his depth last night and if you were being realistic, you would admit that. Did I say that he will never make it? No. But is he ready to be playing a major role at this time? Absolutely not so why pretend otherwise. We need to focus on players that can actually bloody defend for once. Not that Mowbray has interest or now resources in fixing it. Is Rankin Costello an attacking threat anyway? Doesnt really run at players, not the quickest, and his crossing has been poor so far. He hasnt been been too bad but you certainly wouldnt want him at full back on the first day of next season. That being said, hes a winger so we wont know fully until he plays there. Nyambe at least can defend even if he has not developed as much as he could have. Converting wingers into full backs probably wont aid fixing our forever flimsy defence. Its just the same usual cliches. I will be patient but I can also be constructively critical on a messageboard when evaluating player performances. If I dont think a player is ready yet, very fair with Carter, then I will say. Rankin Costello im sure will be around the squad, not sure which way that one will go yet, a big worry is that Mowbray makes him a utility man. Buckley I think has a blocked path at the moment. No good sticking him wide. Beyond that, which academy players are banging on the door? Guessing not many if they werent played even in the 2 dead rubbers. And pedantics aside, Mowbray is clearly in the dark about his budget and it doesnt look good. Venkys always cause delays at this time because they dont give a shit. Get the excuses out, its how they work, its tough in India with the pandemic, they have other businesses bla bla bla. If you want to go ahead as if everything is normal, pester away at journalists etc, fair play to you.

Mowbray said last night that he has had no clarity on the budget.

The academy is proving as much as it should do really. Nyambe and Lenihan obviously broke through 3 or 4 seasons ago now, and Travis last season, under Mowbrays watch. You could argue that more of Mowbray's signings should be established around that, and its in the managers recruitment over 3 years, rather than the academy, that is letting the team down. Aside from the above 3, the only other 3 players that I would definitely imagine to start on the opening day would be Dack, Armstrong and Evans. 2 excellent signings and one senior player he inherited and who is forever injured. Goalkeeper, left back, centre back and both wide positions totally in the air. We shouldnt have to rely on the academy to make up 8 or 9 places, to have 3 key players recently through the academy is a bug success. Beyond that, even if a couple are regular squad members, thats decent. Rankin Costello is in a position in which we are lacking, out wide. Admittedly from a different position, I am unconvinced that he is going to establish himself like the other 3. Buckley, he is partially a victim of being of a position in which we have covered. The worry is that we become reliant and thus expectant on the academy whereby we are filling positions in which we are lacking with kids whether they are up to it or not. There is no relevance in naming all of these world class talents and they just remove the element of constructive criticism within your post. Even with Carter, he looks well off, I agree. But no need for the Jones comparison on top of that, discredits your first point.

https://the72.co.uk/182141/blackburn-rovers-should-move-for-charlton-athletic-star-after-relegation-clause-development/amp/?__twitter_impression=true An article written by someone unaware that we wont have a budget agreed before next season.

Would be a superb appointment and suspect they would surpass us now.

Yep, Spain were successful at it because they had a once in a generation set of midfielders in terms of their ability to pass and move and play in tight spaces, Iniesta, Xavi, Alonso, Busquets and Fabregas. They mastered the notion of wearing teams out and being so measured in how they played. These tactics seemed to have been the results of Mowbrays thinking during a few months in which there were no games. To start chucking these tactics together with 9 games to go in such a situation was bizarre and never going to work. His recruitment doesnt really consistently fit his attempts at changing the identity either. He spent 5m on a 6 foot odd striker who amidst all of this, he plays out wide seemingly to win flick ons v full backs. He also signed presumably on big wages a big oaf of a midfielder who at his peak was a physical presence who used to get into double figures of goals breaking through deep. In our tactics and at his age, we have a ponderous, slow thinking and unfit midfielder who almost without fail picks it up from the defence, slowly turns and is dispossessed in a dangerous area every time. I dont mind him wanting to control games but with his muddled thinking, poor recruitment, inconsistencies and loyalties to certain players, it has all gone wrong.

It's not about a pretentious notion of calling people out for not having the required patience with youngsters. People should be free to judge on whether they feel the youngsters are in a position to compete and improve us, and comment on their performances. Rankin Costello seems the one with the main chance, we have a dearth of wide men and he fits the bill. In all but one of his first team starts, he has been played out of position which is a concern. I personally have found the praise to be a little over the top, probably considering that he is an academy kid which I can understand. He seems technically ok but he certainly isnt very fast, and he seems quite ponderous when approaching the opposition box, whilst his final product has been lacking with quite a few wayward crosses. With Buckley, his limitations are obvious, albeit his style is a little more obvious too, neat and tidy, technically good. Problem for him is where does he get in? We already have numerous options ahead of him as a 10 and I cant see him having an effect anywhere else. With Carter, he seems well, well off at the moment. Magloire seemed similar last season, and Grayson I only saw v Oldham where again he was off the standard. Wharton may prove a different player post his loan spells but a replacement for Tosin is not already at the club, so we have to find a replacement, even if its a freebie. The biggest defenders of Mowbray revert back to the minimal points increase as a sign of progress but ultimately in the situation we are in, it is totally meaningless too if next season any tiny shoots of progress regarding points finishes is reversed due to the economic climate, showing the sadly fanciful idea of a slow build.

The recruitment is bad but perhaps we focus on how the 12m could have been spent elsewhere in terms of progress, in terms of how it could push us on, that few extra goals. Theres a knock on effect though, in terms of solely spending that money in one area. Potentially the second time to try and fix the mistake of the first one. Many believe in the conspiracies regarding Venkys allowing Mowbray only to sign strikers, I am not sure about that, and even so, why promise reinforcements, why force out the keeper, why last year was a central midfielder Plan B when Bauer didnt come? (who came top this season in headed clearances I think) So how has he tried to fix it over 2 summers? By signing Brereton, and putting Bauer top of the list in terms of getting a cheap fix for our centre back problems, then telling him basically that we would struggle to dislodge the mighty Charlie Mulgrew. He then felt it appropriate to resort to plan B, a midfielder! On a one year deal. Surpisingly Rodwell didnt fix that hole. His budget the next summer was slightly reduced, so he has to get a centre back on loan. And a fairly handy one too. So then what does he do. He sells the goalkeeper we own, gets an inferior one on loan, in order to buy another striker to misuse. 2 summers in, and the defence/keepers we own is in a worse state than when we came up. Not acceptable and not (ironically) defendable. Mowbray not for the first time publically comes out and slags off his defence, yes the defence is incapable. But look at the above. Total passing of the buck. The set of defenders 3.5 years into his reign that we have are clearly not capable of dealing with the defensive side of things. Its been neglected. It wont change without external help. Seemingly that would need to be a manager as well as players. Neither will come anytime soon.

Our possession stats have been significantly improved post lockdown consistently. The results will surely bear out superioe results? 10 points in 9 games since suggests maybe not. 3 wins, 1 draw, 5 losses. It has literally been possession for the sake of it, with very confusing tactics clearly dreamt up by Mowbray during the few months off. "False 9s" "Inside forwards" "Box Midfield."

I think people are perhaps being a little kind on the Academy players because obviously they are young lads which I can understand. But lets at least be truthful about their readiness at the moment. Have we got a clutch of young lads ready to become first teamers in the immediate future? I would say no. Carter I felt was really out of his depth and for me its putting a brave face on it saying otherwise. It wasnt just the own goal, which wasnt merely unfortunate either. He looked a little ragged all game, misplaced square passes, loose touches especially when they tried to get in behind, he often appeared clumsy and ponderous. 6 goals conceded in 2 games, obviously not solely down to him but its not the best dress rehearsal. If hes in the immediate vicinity of the first team next season then we may have a problem. We can only hope that we can find a freebie or two to improve our flimsy defence which has conceded 132 goals since promotion 2 years ago. You would also presume that Wharton has shown far more competence when out on loan, but equally surely theres no chance that he can push to start. Rankin Costello I think has got some praise a little overboard considering his performances, which have come well out of position in fairness. He shouldnt be in our back 4. There is definitely more to work with although going forward, although for me he often holds onto tbe ball for a second or two longer than necessary, and I have found his end product to be lacking so far, a few crosses right into the srand. I dont see where Buckley comes into the first team picture at the moment either. Hes neat and tidy but quite clearly not natural out wide nor physical enough to dictate from deep. And hes well down the list to play as a number 10.

https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/football-news/blackburn-rovers-mowbray-budget-transfers-18646217 Utterly depressing. Venkys still havent bothered to give him any indication. But lets be thankful to them eh. They dont give a shit. He also batted off talk about budgets by deflecting onto those academy players that were on the pitch. Carter certainly isnt the answer, a million miles from being ready. Ive not been overly convinced by Rankin Costello as much as most and who certainly cant play in defence. Buckley? Ineffective and too weak at this moment. So seemingly its the money blown on strikers in years gone by whilst the defence was neglected that may also cost us. He hasnt fixed the defence and sold our keeper to buy a striker. At least we took 4 points off Brentford and "should have been 3 up v Leeds." Clutching at straws. We were quite a bit away and if he genuinely thinks that we arent far away, hes a little deluded.

We have only conceded 6 less than last seasons dismal tally, and replacing the "donkey" Mulgrew with Adarabioyo is probably worth more than that, a temporary improvement which has now gone. We are in a worse position going into a summer with no budget even agreed, but almost certainly a minimal budget, and now no goalkeeper. The whole thing needs totally overhauling back there, yet theres no evidence that Mowbray will do it. During the season our defence has got progressively worse. Expecting a summer in which the defence is overhauled and we are left with a robust and sturdy backline and keeper seems fanciful in the extreme.

He was run ragged. Own goal and numerous misplaced passes and dodgy touches. Nowhere near at the moment.

At least they have a chance still of promotion.

You are really scraping the barrel if you are defending Mowbray because we looked ok 25 minutes in ?

Was it? Rothwell was back to not achieving very much tonight. Apart from nearly kicking one out of the stadium. Brereton achieved nothing either. 1 goal in an empty stadium against a crap side in a game that doesnt matter wont get me too excited.

Do we get points for being in the lead now? Maybe we will get in the play offs.

Should be the end now for Mowbray but wont be. Heading for stagnation. Incapable of fixing our awful defence. Conceded not far off last seasons total. Transfer record poor. No coherent plan on the pitch. Constant use of players out of position. Dismal form in the last 10-15 games. All of this wouldnt have been alieviated had Dack stayed fit.

We can focus on that or realise that we are stagnating and totally confused on the pitch. Wed have done the same had we been in their position.

Shocking, embarassing performance. Can see Armstrong going this summer. I wouldnt stay if I was him. Carter so far out of his depth its untrue. And Rankin Costellos crossing is dismal. Gallagher with a nice goal as a striker. Hopefully he will revert back to being a winger next year. And the decision to bring on Bennett rather than the winger. We arent making progress. We are confused, brittle, feeble and imbalanced. We need a new manager and a new direction. Stagnation is the key word here.

No chance does he get the Burnley job. If they appointed him considering where they are, theyd be crazy.

Why Fulham? Money on them? Cant see past West Brom with their fixture and advantage. Fulham a long shot.