Tony Mowbray's Reign...& is he off to Sunderland ?

[tomphil]

Marginal gains.

Pension top up.

Another mate on the pay roll.

Another player ready for a double figure sale.

Several out of contract to be replaced by cheaper paid or kids.

 

The Venky Rovers Mowbray tick box.

[JPTSwindon]

To be fair to the club / Venkys, they backed TM this season. Transfer windows we not only strengthened (at the time it seemed that way), but also resisted decent offers for Rothwell (maybe others?). TM has squandered that in the annual confidence sapped, tactical chaos, death spiral.

Hopeless and uninspiring.

[Fraserkirky]

The buck stops at the manager guys. Venkys aren’t without fault, but this all on TMs lack of player management and motivation.

[AllRoverAsia]

3 hours ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Someone on FB saying he spoke to Waggott today and contract talks with Mowbray are on the agenda 😂.

No problem .... as long as it's to tell him he's not getting one.

[Guest]

Last 4 years, 71 games played post February 1st. 69 points from them. 

[riverholmes]

Excuse me for this attempt - but I can't help but try to escape reality.

Outsider, Tony Mowbray was the surprise victor in the Liberal Democrat party leadership contest in the Spring of 2023. His first appointment was that of Sam Gallagher-Gaia, footballer and space explorer, as his deputy. The new look leadership lacked political experience but promised to bring the football fan into the fold and become the party of real people and the forgotten working class. Their first press conference was eagerly awaited.

Sam Gallagher-Gaia, wearing a tracksuit and clearly playing up to his every man persona, read a statement revealing a dramatic rightwards shift for the party. His nervous smiles and charming gestures could not disguise the tension in the room. Amongst the headline policies he announced was the building of a wall along the Northern Ireland and Republic border to address the post-Brexit problem and safeguard, he said, the future of the Union.

When a reporter asked if this did not endanger peace in Ireland and incite parts of the IRA, Gallagher-Gaia candidly admitted that he had not thought of this eventuality. Tony Mowbray intervened to say he didn't foresee any issues and if there were, he would, "get Bucko on it." It is not known who or what he was referring to.

Further extremist policies announced including clamping down on religious freedoms and a surprise attack on judicial independence and human rights law. It was stated that Middlesbrough would be made the administrative capital.

Whilst Gallagher-Gaia appeared uncomfortable under the spotlight, new hope of the LIb Dems, Tony Mowbray, seemed to revel in the attention. He said that his young running mate shouldn't be underestimated. "He might look like a nice lad from Devon who wouldn't hurt a fly - but, believe me, looks can be deceiving."

The media furore didn't die down and the new look Lib Dem leadership faced numerous hurdles, not least of all, confusion as to their actual policies. Tony Mowbray, in a strange move, announced his opposition to the wall and stated that, in fact, the much talked about new manifesto was all the idea of Gallagher-Gaia, whose overwhelming charisma had captured the party and the nation.

Events took another dramatic turn when audio was leaked from a fundraising dinner in which Sam Gallagher-Gaia was heard telling political advisor, Steve Bannon, that, actually, he supported funding the NHS, wasn't particularly political or interested in agricultural collectivism and wished that he could just go back and play football.

In what seemed like an exercise in damage limitation in the run up to the General Election, Tony Mowbray confessed that Gallagher-Gaia was actually an apolitical sportsman and not the next Oswald Mosley or, for that matter Mao Zedong. However, he insisted that getting Gallagher-Gaia to read out rightwing screeds in public was the way to win votes from the disillusioned masses. He got Gallagher-Gaia to announce new policies of nationalising banks and taxing the super rich in what seemed like a gesture towards balance.

The Lib Dems election campaign descended into farce but Mowbray refused to resign. He called on unity and opposing the modern curse of cancel culture, saying: "The Lib Dems are the big tent party. You need the extremist radicals, like Sam Gallagher-Gaia, as much as you need the moderates. Everyone needs to have a say to find the right recipe."

Mowbray's ratings fell continuously and were predicted to pick up few votes let alone seats in Parliament. It was then that the former football manager sacked Gallagher-Gaia, stating that an internal coup had been attempted and that Gallagher-Gaia was behind it. He published a warning piece in national newspapers: "Sam Gallagher-Gaia is out of control. He represents a great threat to democracy and is plotting a putsch as I write. I urge the people of this country to oppose it will all their might. Imagine the moment when a cross comes in to the back post and the tall winger heads it in. Vote for Lib Dem to save us from military dictatorship."

The putsch didn't materialise. Sam Gallagher-Gaia was found by reporters on the beach with an ice cream. He went back to space exploration and occasionally playing for Blackburn Rovers. Mowbray returned to Middlesbrough to spend more time with his chickens.

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by riverholmes

[tomphil]

18 minutes ago, JPTSwindon said:

To be fair to the club / Venkys, they backed TM this season. Transfer windows we not only strengthened (at the time it seemed that way), but also resisted decent offers for Rothwell (maybe others?). TM has squandered that in the annual confidence sapped, tactical chaos, death spiral.

Hopeless and uninspiring.

Yep allowed to bring 4 in in Jan when we normally do nowt.

Not one of them made a jot of difference a complete waste of time. When the height of his ambitions is always back up squad type players what else can we really expect.

[AllRoverAsia]

2 minutes ago, Mellor Rover said:

Last 4 years, 71 games played post February 1st. 69 points from them. 

Depending how the season has gone prior to 1st Feb he has perfected how to sabotage any promotion push or how to get relegation confirmed early so holidays can be arranged.

Clever stuff.

[roversfan99]

28 minutes ago, JPTSwindon said:

To be fair to the club / Venkys, they backed TM this season. Transfer windows we not only strengthened (at the time it seemed that way), but also resisted decent offers for Rothwell (maybe others?). TM has squandered that in the annual confidence sapped, tactical chaos, death spiral.

Hopeless and uninspiring.

How? We sold our top scorer for an 8 figure fee, of which he was given 500k to spend, and forced to only sign kids on loan. In January he was given a massive 700k budget (with 2 more loans) at a point when we was doing really well, and that wasnt even increased when the main signing was immediately injured. 

He also wanted to sell Rothwell to get a fee to reinvest in 2 players but Venkys interfered and prevented him. Since, Rothwell has been shocking.

[Butty]

Has this guy ever come out after a game and took any responsibility or held himself accountable at any point in 5 years here? That’s what pisses me off even more about him and blaming the fans and the atmosphere for the pathetic first half performance is a new low for him. 
 

The days of us fans describing him as a good guy are long gone, it started with his interviews last year when we were on that horror run, the guy is an absolute disgrace and if he actually gets a new deal I won’t be going to Ewood next season, my love for the club isn’t what it used to be anyway, it’s not the same Rovers I grew up with and I don’t even think I’d miss going. The Venkys have ruined this club and this next appointment in the summer (providing TM goes) is pivotal. If he stays fuck it, I’m spending my Saturdays playing golf. 

[Miller11]

I wish people wouldn’t defend Venky’s in all of this. They won’t give a shit that we have undergone a collapse beyond anyones wildest nightmares and blown their chance to start turning round their hellish decade of ownership.

If they cared a jot they’d have sacked him long before now.

[all you need is duff]

Last weekend I met a few mates who support premier league teams (Liverpool, Wolves and Leeds). They don’t pay much attention to the championship but whenever they have glanced at the table they have seen Rovers in the top 6 so were surprised at how much I wanted Mowbray gone. I reckon there’ll be a lot of that amongst fans of other clubs and the media next season if he does go and we start poorly. “Blackburn fans will now be wishing they kept Mowbray” 

[tomphil]

Surely some sort of mutual consent could be agreed right now seeing as he allegedly only has a few months left.

[JHRover]

5 minutes ago, all you need is duff said:

Last weekend I met a few mates who support premier league teams (Liverpool, Wolves and Leeds). They don’t pay much attention to the championship but whenever they have glanced at the table they have seen Rovers in the top 6 so were surprised at how much I wanted Mowbray gone. I reckon there’ll be a lot of that amongst fans of other clubs and the media next season if he does go and we start poorly. “Blackburn fans will now be wishing they kept Mowbray” 

Yes this will inevitably happen when they botch the replacement process and bring in some other loser to do the job and he struggles.

For some reason managerial changes can be made all the time at other clubs when results are poor yet here we are supposed to stick with St Tony forever because it could get worse.

Newsflash - no managerial change has ever taken place without a chance of things getting worse. But change happens and has to happen - better off doing it at a time convenient for the Club rather than have it forced upon us lets say by Mowbray getting a better offer elsewhere (unlikely I know).

[Hasta]

1 hour ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Here are Mowbray's Rovers Championship point totals since League 1 promotion;

2018-19; 60

2019-20; 63

2020-21; 57

2021-22; 63 (3 games to go)

It's remarkably consistent.

Stability

[roverandout]

41 minutes ago, Butty said:

Has this guy ever come out after a game and took any responsibility or held himself accountable at any point in 5 years here? That’s what pisses me off even more about him and blaming the fans and the atmosphere for the pathetic first half performance is a new low for him. 
 

The days of us fans describing him as a good guy are long gone, it started with his interviews last year when we were on that horror run, the guy is an absolute disgrace and if he actually gets a new deal I won’t be going to Ewood next season, my love for the club isn’t what it used to be anyway, it’s not the same Rovers I grew up with and I don’t even think I’d miss going. The Venkys have ruined this club and this next appointment in the summer (providing TM goes) is pivotal. If he stays fuck it, I’m spending my Saturdays playing golf. 

I totally agree. I miss taking my mother to games. She's getting old now and I feel retched not letting her enjoy the atmosphere at Ewood.  But I just can't bring myself to sit there and be another positive statistic for the scumbag posse (Mowbray and his crew) to sell lies to venkys.  Also I just can't go while venkys are ruining the club. I want them all gone them we can breathe fresh air again 

[Exiled_Rover]

20 minutes ago, all you need is duff said:

Last weekend I met a few mates who support premier league teams (Liverpool, Wolves and Leeds). They don’t pay much attention to the championship but whenever they have glanced at the table they have seen Rovers in the top 6 so were surprised at how much I wanted Mowbray gone. I reckon there’ll be a lot of that amongst fans of other clubs and the media next season if he does go and we start poorly. “Blackburn fans will now be wishing they kept Mowbray” 

I had a Utd fan bemoaning the state of things at Old Trafford "our two biggest rivals are going to finish 1st and 2nd and look to do so for the forseeable and we're struggling to finish 7th" on Good Friday.

I nearly slapped him. He hasn't experienced pain and despair like we have. 

He was shocked that I hated Mowbray / the Venkys - "he's done a good job, hasn't he?"

The football community just doesn't give a toss, sadly. 

[Exiled_Rover]

5 hours ago, tomphil said:

Our piss weak modern day fanbase is just as bad populated mainly by older heads who just go along with it because they can't be arsed. And kids brainwashed by one good season years ago when they were just getting into it.

Sad state.

Sad state indeed, accusing loyal fans of being piss-weak. That's, quite frankly, a disgraceful comment. 

I stayed away for several seasons because I couldn't stand the ownership, then I realised it wasn't making a blind bit of difference and I missed spending every other Saturday afternoon watching football with my parents. 

Absolutely nobody is happy with the state of things at Ewood Park, but no amount of protesting or moaning / booing is going to make a blind bit of difference. The owners don't care. The CEO doesn't care. The manager doesn't care. At this point I question whether the players care either after this latest run. 

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Four wasted years.

Yep.

In summary, another £90m or so on the debt over that time to not even achieve a top ten finish (probably) and nearly half the first team walking out for nothing at the end of the season.

We probably won't see the full extent of Mowbray and Waggott's legacy until we see where we finish at the end of next season. I think it will take a fairly astute operator in the dug out just to keep our noses above water.

[Exiled_Rover]

55 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

How? We sold our top scorer for an 8 figure fee, of which he was given 500k to spend, and forced to only sign kids on loan. In January he was given a massive 700k budget (with 2 more loans) at a point when we was doing really well, and that wasnt even increased when the main signing was immediately injured. 

He also wanted to sell Rothwell to get a fee to reinvest in 2 players but Venkys interfered and prevented him. Since, Rothwell has been shocking.

He spent £12m on Brereton / Gallagher (£15m if you include Armstrong) and was paying out serious wages.

FFP has to be adhered to.

He's also built his team off loans - loves going to the PL clubs and offering development time to their superstar-lets. Well that and the 5 Academy players that are propping up his side - the same Academy that he and his mates tried to get rid of. 

[SuperBrfc]

31 minutes ago, all you need is duff said:

Last weekend I met a few mates who support premier league teams (Liverpool, Wolves and Leeds). They don’t pay much attention to the championship but whenever they have glanced at the table they have seen Rovers in the top 6 so were surprised at how much I wanted Mowbray gone. I reckon there’ll be a lot of that amongst fans of other clubs and the media next season if he does go and we start poorly. “Blackburn fans will now be wishing they kept Mowbray” 

Yeah, that's when you know they don't follow the Championship at all. Friends who support Premier League clubs take a superficial look at the Championship table and think he must be doing a good job.

There's also this false perception of Mowbray's teams playing attractive football. It has to be based on his West Brom team from 14 years ago because I haven't seen one bit of that at Rovers. Throw in the "good guy" angle and they can't believe that we want him out. I've said it before, but how come we never hear what a "good guy" Hasenhuttl is at Southampton, or Potter at Brighton, or anybody else for that matter?

It seems to only be wheeled out for Mowbray. An honest, proper football man and all of that crap. Look at how his teams collapse every year and tell me what's honest or honourable about that. It's a results based industry!

What's honourable about his press conferences, where he never takes responsibility and will do anything he can to blame somebody else? Other fans don't know the half of it and to be honest, aren't really interested. We are a forgotten club being in this division. We hate that as fans, but the bastards at the club are happy for it to remain like this.

[Mattyblue]

Four years? Try twelve.

Yet, there were those on here, who frankly, should know much better trying to make out that things were changing for the better at the club.

Nothing will, or can, change when owned by a far away family that have zero interest themselves, yet still don’t empower (or employ competent) people on the ground.

Completely dysfunctional and success will not and cannot occur with such a set up.

[roversfan99]

11 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He spent £12m on Brereton / Gallagher (£15m if you include Armstrong) and was paying out serious wages.

FFP has to be adhered to.

He's also built his team off loans - loves going to the PL clubs and offering development time to their superstar-lets. Well that and the 5 Academy players that are propping up his side - the same Academy that he and his mates tried to get rid of. 

I specifically mentioned this season when apparently he was backed. That was the point I was arguing against. He did spend 15m on those 3 across his tenure, he has already recouped most on 1 and selling the second will bring his overall transfer business in at a profit by the summer.

For some reason, people who defend Venkys love to mention FFP. The refusal to revamp the pitch proved that FFP isnt the main limiting factor.

The loans are a necessity due to the budgets that he is set.

[Exiled_Rover]

11 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

I specifically mentioned this season when apparently he was backed. That was the point I was arguing against. He did spend 15m on those 3 across his tenure, he has already recouped most on 1 and selling the second will bring his overall transfer business in at a profit by the summer.

For some reason, people who defend Venkys love to mention FFP. The refusal to revamp the pitch proved that FFP isnt the main limiting factor.

The loans are a necessity due to the budgets that he is set.

The next time you see me defending the Venkys would be the first time. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Exiled_Rover

[roversfan99]

1 minute ago, Exiled_Rover said:

The next time you see me defending the Venkys would be the first time. 

Sorry that was more of a general point than specifically at you.