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Van Hecke and Reda Khadra stick out for me, in recent years. Perhaps, Ben Chrisine, Owen Beck and Ayari. Could we have done more to sign them permanently? I guess, Ayari never got a chance but the others were clearly of some quality and the club should've put together a bid, even if to be rejected. It's possible, of course, bids were made and we never heard of them. The time to try to sign Van Hecke was in January, before he had caught too much attention. Though, chances of signing were slim. I think Khadra would've made a really good signing. However, since moving on, injuries have been a real problem. I think for Poveda too. Edit: Eyal Berkovic was different class when Souness signed him on loan to take us over the line. What a time that was. Rovers had an embarrassment of riches with Hignett, Jansen, Bent, Duff, Dunn and others and then we go and sign Berkovic in January, I believe it was. Though still only came second!

I dont. I can just point out that it was an utterly bizarre decision rather than trying to justify it and even advocating repeating it had Miller not been fit.

You have to ask Ismael that question!!!

Absolutely, the main point is that for some reason, too much of the blame is diverted away from the issue in an illogical way. Its not down to Mowbray or indeed any other manager or director of football to demand more money, or to calm people down. His willingness to fly over and see them probably was the reason we even got what we did. Although they have plugged losses every year, that should never be confused with ambition or willingness to succeed. Losses are par for the course in the Championship, barring very occasional sales as we saw with Wharton. Offsetting those losses is something all owners have to do. There has been ONE summer where they have put up a decent amount of money. That was upon promotion and followed numerous summers of either minimal spend and/or considerable sales. Aside from that, our summers have occasionally been small net spends (the biggest being £4m for Tomasson), no spending or considerable profits made. The idea that the owners would have otherwise had numerous seasons of ambition led spending has grown legs over time and its unnecessarily letting the owners have blame deflected away from them into the wrong places.

And of course whatever the reality of it things were back-to-front. It isn't the manager's job to 'advise' the owners on whether to 'go for it' or not. They should have made a decision on what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go and then if Mowbray was uncomfortable with that he should have been replaced. That is what happens at just about every other club in the world - owners decide what they want and then attempt to get it whilst making changes along the way to help them get there. Here just an utterly ridiculous backward situation where it seems the interest was all on the part of the manager who managed to get out there and prick a bit of interest on the part of the legal owners and was the one setting the pace and deciding on the form. They were never really interested, just had a brief spell of a couple of years where they liked what Mowbray was saying and thought they'd roll with his plans and see where it ended up. This is all because he, Bowyer and Kean managed to get out to sit around a table with them and persuade them to support them. To them it is all about backing 'their man' and not letting 'their man' down - and by extension that means sackings or performance/result based decisions are off the table - job's theirs as long as they want it. More important to them that they have 'their man' running the show than it is the football club progressing, improving, building, growing. That's never been a factor worthy of their consideration. He presumably told them that 3-4 years of solid support would either lead to promotion or worst case a valuable squad. So by the end of it, after plugging 3-4 years of losses and losing faith in mid-table finishes every year they pull up the drawbridge, disappear again, cut communication and impose more significant cost cuts just like they did when they got bored with Bowyer's approach and dismantled his squad. This isn't going to change now until or unless we find ourselves a competent manager who is willing and able to get out to India and talk them into a different approach. That isn't going to happen because we've got communication lines well and truly cut, a couple of stooges enjoying themselves and running the place as their own kingdom and there aren't many competent managers out there willing to play that sort of game. Bowyer was because he was a rookie and Mowbray was because he was on the scrapheap and content to plod for a good few years. Most - Lambert, JDT, Eustace - would tell them to 'do one' and secure more lucrative and easier working conditions elsewhere.

To be straight though he did say after promotion he'd talked them out of going for a double promotion and chucking money in because he advised steady investment to avoid boom and bust. That can be judged one of two ways, sensible or lacking ambition and willingness to stick ones own neck on the block. Probably a combination of both in truth.

I'll go ... here's 11 players i remember being at least okay. Sandomierski Baptiste. Berg. Van hecke Givet Elliott. J.jones Reed. Bentley Nonda. Graham Subs: Steele, tosin, kane, beck, morton, gomez, khadra, armstrong, antonsson, suker, Gallagher, Others not included: marcolin, Baggio, hakan unsal, babbel, boothroyd, trybull, cunningham, Harwood bellis, branthwaite, Douglas, spearing, villanueva, king, kazim Richards, biram diouf. Di Santo, sinama one goal. ,

Why did he want to stick to 3 at the back? We were losing, under no circumstances and no matter how much you try to defend him (even suggesting repeating the tactic tomorrow when Miller seemed unlikely to play) did it make any sense to bring on a midfielder who isnt good enough in his own position into a position where he has never played before.

Steve Archibald

The Polish lad about 15 years ago Sanda?

The idea that Venkys were full of enthusiasm and Mowbray stopped them in their tracks really is a bit of a stretch based on the admittance that Mowbray didnt kick up a fuss for more money once budgets had been agreed. I doubt that most managers have actively asked Venkys for more money. Mowbray is just the one who said it publically. They had that one season where they invested £10m on what was a squad that had been decimated in the lead up to relegation. The problem is, the fact that they are obligated to cover losses each year (bar the freak Wharton sale) is for some reason confused by some as them pumping money in as if its to better the team. Why anyone would try and spin it to make them seem like the good guys is anyones guess.

I've not attended, Action Group stance is clear, transparent minutes and democratic representation. Following the last FF meeting we cant accept this as the only two way communication. We've made our points known prior to the meeting of the above and will wait with baited breath if this appears in the minutes. Right now the AGs focus is on protests, comms via media and if the motion passed,gatecrashing the Derby game.

Didn't Enckelman come in on loan at first? Don't remember him playing though mind.

I am sick of seeing happy clappers just happily watch our club be torn to shreds and clap along, it infuriates me. When venkys go they can take them with them. VENKYS OUT! they’ve ripped apart what was a stable premier league club, lies and awful decisions made, it’s all their fault.

I don't blame Ismael too much. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The chicken chokers are now slaughtering pigs.

Badfinger - Without You

Rangers had two more rebuttals. Muscat due to time frame and Rohl.

This a 100% must win. Even a draw won't be good enough but I'll be honest I just don't see it. Even if for arguments sake we say we play well, we a)don't have the quality up front to get clear and b)show time and again that we completely lose all composure at key moments game after game. Rovers 0-1 Sheff Utd

I can't stand them, to be honest. They peddle platitudes and clichés like they're going out of fashion. What game was it after Rovers banned the LT? I watched that and while it's unsurprising, they paid no heed to it whatsoever.

Mowbray was backed more than any other rover manager under venkys, he licked their ass (well statistically kean was probably more backed, but that was just a ridiculous attempt from Venkys at the time).

It’s hard to accept we’re in the relegation zone. Perhaps to stay. If we cannot beat the blades tomorrow, or whenever we play Shef Wed, I do not see a fixture remaining that we have a good chance to win.

Either that or Baradji will be sold after BRFC got him fit in January !

If I'm honest I think the writing is already on the wall but, if we harbour any desire to make a fist of this we need 4 points this week. I can see 1, maybe.

Yeah saw that, but no sign in 1892.

Bobby Mimms was on loan a couple of times..