Tony Mowbray

[RevidgeBlue]

3 hours ago, Parsonblue said:

Absolutely right.  He agreed a budget with the owners and gave his word that he wouldn't come back asking for more.  That's one of the reasons I admire the guy.  I know old fashioned principles like keeping your word isn't something you expect in football but I find it an admirable quality.

Like all managers he made mistakes, they all do, but on the whole I think history will record his tenure at Ewood Park kindly.

You're condoning the running of a dysfunctional Club there Parson- at any normal Club it's the manager's job to demand every last penny he can get his hands on for the betterment of the team. It's the Board's job to decide if they can afford it and if necessary knock it back.

Instead here, it seems we very briefly had the owners getting excited and the manager dissuading them from investing. Absolutely bonkers!

Only the history books will subsequently record whether that brief window of opportunity was with hindsight the last realistic chance we had of ever getting back to the Premier League.

If it was, Mowbray must shoulder his share of the responsibility.

[JBiz]

21 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

You're condoning the running of a dysfunctional Club there Parson- at any normal Club it's the manager's job to demand every last penny he can get his hands on for the betterment of the team. It's the Board's job to decide if they can afford it and if necessary knock it back.

Because someone understands a position, they’re not condoning anything. Also “at any normal club” the manager banging on the owners door for money isn’t the usual anymore.
 

Maybe in the days of Clough, but most managers aren’t even called managers anymore, they’re coaches. Tony even criticised himself, suggested perhaps this is why he never managed more in the top flight, his words not mine.

21 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Instead here, it seems we very briefly had the owners getting excited and the manager dissuading them from investing. Absolutely bonkers!

don’t like “chaddying” a post however I had a response specific to this - you show me where Tony has said he told the owners to put their money away? It’s how it always was, they meet and decide an annual budget. Part of the reason they’re shite owners, they’re absent for 364 days a year.

21 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Only the history books will subsequently record whether that brief window of opportunity was with hindsight the last realistic chance we had of ever getting back to the Premier League.

If it was, Mowbray must shoulder his share of the responsibility.

And he does in his “tippy tappy” he said they “just didn’t get over the line”. Sometimes in sport, football, tiddlywinks… it happens!

[RevidgeBlue]

39 minutes ago, JBiz said:

Because someone understands a position, they’re not condoning anything. Also “at any normal club” the manager banging on the owners door for money isn’t the usual anymore.

It would appear JDT and your mate Eustace disagreed completely with you.

As for proof he dissuaded the owners from investing I havent got the specific link but he clearly said in the LT at the time he had to "calm the owners down" something Leonard has corroborated.

[roversfan99]

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

You're condoning the running of a dysfunctional Club there Parson- at any normal Club it's the manager's job to demand every last penny he can get his hands on for the betterment of the team. It's the Board's job to decide if they can afford it and if necessary knock it back.

Instead here, it seems we very briefly had the owners getting excited and the manager dissuading them from investing. Absolutely bonkers!

Only the history books will subsequently record whether that brief window of opportunity was with hindsight the last realistic chance we had of ever getting back to the Premier League.

If it was, Mowbray must shoulder his share of the responsibility.

Who said that they had got excited? And knocking back money is not what he said.

[RevidgeBlue]

10 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Who said that they had got excited? And knocking back money is not what he said.

It's what he said in the LT years ago.

[TimmyJimmy]

5 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

So you're happy with him publicly running down the club at every opportunity?

No.

[DeeCee]

Fuck Mowbray, he's history.

[Andy]

I listened to this on the drive home from work tonight.

He's a nice guy, undoubtedly - and he did a good job of reversing the death spiral we were on, following relegation.

But, by his own admission, he prioritised player harmony and relationships over winning and actively chose not to ask for more funds from the owners, when we were 2nd in the league (mid way through the season).

Which is pretty unforgivable, in my opinion.

[roversfan99]

It was the same window that he got annoyed publically that he couldnt sell Rothwell and reinvest the proceeds.

Its being interpreted as if he was offered a warchest, in a season where Venkys sold Armstrong and didnt invest at all, and he said no.

[RevidgeBlue]

12 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

It was the same window that he got annoyed publically that he couldnt sell Rothwell and reinvest the proceeds.

Its being interpreted as if he was offered a warchest, in a season where Venkys sold Armstrong and didnt invest at all, and he said no.

No it wasn't - it was immediately after we got promoted from League 1.

Stop trying to twist the facts to try and defend him. 

That window you're on about I was also told by someone whose source was allegedly Waggott himself that Venky's offered Mowbray a substantial war chest (in addition to the promotion bonuses which were actually published in the LT) which he declined to use.

So any suggestion that Rothwell needed to be sold to raise funds that window is nonsense as far as Im concerned

Edited 13 hours ago by RevidgeBlue

[roversfan99]

6 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

No it wasn't - it was immediately after we got promoted from League 1.

Stop trying to twist the facts to try and defend him. 

That window you're on about I was also told by someone whose source was allegedly Waggott himself that Venky's offered Mowbray a substantial war chest (in addition to the promotion bonuses which were actually published in the LT) which he declined to use.

So any suggestion that Rothwell needed to be sold to raise funds that window is nonsense as far as Im concerned

I think he was referring to the season when in January we were up in the top 2. We was never close to promotion at any other point so it wouldnt fit otherwise.

And for your "insider information," seems a bit of a convenient mystery bit of gossip to me.

When we got promoted, he did willingly spend a big chunk of money. 

But it all comes back to this ridiculous idea that he actively moved away from trying to get promoted, even though he would have got a big pay rise, bonuses, a huge raise to his reputation/CV and most likely a further increase through a new deal.

Im not trying to defend him. He is a good but limited manager, limited by his own principles and lack of ruthlessness. If he didnt chase up more funds by his own admission then he made a mistake.

But I am not so blinded by hate that I start escalating that to nonsense about him purposely not getting us promoted, pretending that he turned down massive war chests etc. None of it makes sense.

[roversfan99]

Just listened to the podcast.

Came across well although he is a proper footballing weirdo. Also seems to be the kind of person who thinks everyone is nice. Said that he never demanded from any owners as its not in his make up and admitted that his "principles" probably are a reason why his limit was being a Championship manager. Wasnt one to stamp his feet. When he spoke to the owners about budgets he agreed that he wouldnt go back and pester them for more. Principled to his own disadvantage clearly at times.

The way its escalated to this intentional prevention of getting promoted is still absolutely bonkers and unfair.

Also just said that Wharton trained with them when they were light of bodies. Didnt take credit for him as has been suggested.

Another thing that is often thrown at him is him mentioning being far away from home which is again unfairly made out to seem like he didnt want to be here. He seems to have guilt around not being at home more with his kids across his career. Yet he is so fixated with football that as soon as the season starts, including now, he becomes desperate to get back in. He doesnt say it like its a chore, he speaks like he cant stay away from football.

He would blabber on about football all day if someone listened.

[DeeCee]

23 hours ago, DeeCee said:

Fuck Mowbray, he's history.

Apologies, it was my birthday yesterday and I was bought more drinks than I expected 🙄

Forget Mowbray, he's history.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, DeeCee said:

Apologies, it was my birthday yesterday and I was bought more drinks than I expected 🙄

Forget Mowbray, he's history.

You were right first time. 🙄

[Tomphil2]

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Just listened to the podcast.

Came across well although he is a proper footballing weirdo. Also seems to be the kind of person who thinks everyone is nice. Said that he never demanded from any owners as its not in his make up and admitted that his "principles" probably are a reason why his limit was being a Championship manager. Wasnt one to stamp his feet. When he spoke to the owners about budgets he agreed that he wouldnt go back and pester them for more. Principled to his own disadvantage clearly at times.

The way its escalated to this intentional prevention of getting promoted is still absolutely bonkers and unfair.

Also just said that Wharton trained with them when they were light of bodies. Didnt take credit for him as has been suggested.

Another thing that is often thrown at him is him mentioning being far away from home which is again unfairly made out to seem like he didnt want to be here. He seems to have guilt around not being at home more with his kids across his career. Yet he is so fixated with football that as soon as the season starts, including now, he becomes desperate to get back in. He doesnt say it like its a chore, he speaks like he cant stay away from football.

He would blabber on about football all day if someone listened.

Reminds me of Sir Bobby Robson in many ways aside from actual coaching calibre.

Think Sir Bob though had a hard edge which obviously contributed to his success whereas Tony would rather have a cup of tea and bag of revels instead of losing his rag.

Edited 2 hours ago by Tomphil2

[SuperBrfc]

That podcast perfectly demonstrates how we wasted five seasons under Mowbray, IMO. He had no winning mentality and was happy with his lot. Happy to develop players, spread nice vibes around the place and plod along. If promotion happened, brilliant. If not...no problem.

He said himself in that interview, that he "wished he was nastier, a winner".

He says he wished he could have woke up one morning angry and decided to ring the owners and tell them "we need more money to do x, y and z and go for promotion". However, to do this would go against his nature and principles.

1) Firstly...how the heck does having a desire to win equate to nastiness? Are all people who want to win 'nasty' or 'bullies'?

Remember, the following were also his words just before his exit from the club:

"I hope they don't appoint a bully next, who just wants to win all the time"

Broughton also espoused similar when he talked about needing to weigh up a 'win at all costs' mentality with mental health of the staff and players. These guys are in the wrong business. This game is all about trying to win, or at least it is supposed to be.

This, 'let's all be nice', sounds great over tea and biscuits, but it doesn't cut it in reality. It's one of the reasons why our club has been like this for the last 15 years. It's one of the reasons why England haven't won't anything since 1966. Nice guys and mediocrity being embraced like a comfort blanket.

2) Secondly...why would he need to wake up 'angry' one morning in order to ask the owners what was required regards extra funding? What's anger got to do with this?

It's quite simple...and this isn't me being a smart arse online. If I'm sat in Mowbray or Pasha's position and I genuinely want promotion, it takes one phone call to Balaji to politely state the case to him for extra funds and to explain the promotion picture. He's either saying yes or no to the request. End of.

What is disrespectful or against principles or against Indian culture about such a question? You're trying to get them a £150m jackpot whilst returning the club to where it belongs.

Big Sam was also clearly of the same view as me, as he basically couldn't believe Mowbray didn't ask out of principle. He says to Mowbray "you'd only be asking the question, not demanding...if you don't ask, you don't get".

To which Mowbray mumbles "maybe it was a failing on my part".

It seems to me as though a few freeze when they see and experience the pomp and grandeur in Pune towers. I think it then becomes a case of gratefulness for the invite, for the hospitality and for everything they do for Rovers. We couldn't possibly ask you for more. It would be disrespectful.

This same attitude has been displayed by Pasha, Waggott and Mowbray.

Bollocks. They own the club. They relegated the club from the Premier League and it is their duty to put this right. We're still waiting. The idea that asking them for extra funds would be disrespectful, is bloody ludicrous. What a joke.

Mowbray played a big part in holding us back in this Division. A nice guy, probably. Good for Rovers? No. I don't compare him with Kean and Coyle. That's no barometer. Let's compare him with Souey and Hughes to get a true picture. He's nowhere near.

[Tomphil2]

On 28/08/2025 at 20:34, Andy said:

I listened to this on the drive home from work tonight.

He's a nice guy, undoubtedly - and he did a good job of reversing the death spiral we were on, following relegation.

But, by his own admission, he prioritised player harmony and relationships over winning and actively chose not to ask for more funds from the owners, when we were 2nd in the league (mid way through the season).

Which is pretty unforgivable, in my opinion.

I remember saying that on here one Saturday morning and it turned into a several hour long row and i think resulted in a ban.

I'm in no way a clairvoyant or expert judge but to me it was bleeding obvious how he was operating. Trouble is some thought the nice guy image. the promotion and his principles he always banged on about meant he was above constructive scrutiny and questioning.

There were plenty examples but one that sticks out like a boil on the end of a nose was how he let Smallwood sit out his contract sat on his arse in the office at times and refusing to go on loan or play for U23s all because he knew he already had a fresh gig lined up.

Then between them him, Venus and Waggot even gave him an extension into the covid period even though he'd previously been told he'd not be picked again.

Shocking stuff really and although i do have a lot of respect for him the saint Tony stuff never washed with me.

As Rev said, a crafty old goat.