Which utterly brilliant manager will we be delighted to welcome next?

[G Somerset Rover]

25 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Going to be a lot of disappointment on here when they eventually announce Mowbray is staying. 

Probably take them a few weeks but I think this is the inevitable conclusion to this saga.

Sharpe and someone else on Twitter believe a statement will be coming sooner rather than later.

I'll be like Merce tucking into a bottle of fine red when (if) it is announced.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[RevidgeBlue]

20 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

There was a rumour a few years ago that Venky's were looking to get a new investor on board in relation to Rovers. That may be why they visited the Issa brothers back then. I've not heard anything to say they tried to sell the club outright to them though.

Pretty sure that that was rumoured to be another wealthy Indian chap who was connected to cricket in some way.

There's nothing whatsoever to suggest the Issa brothers have any interest in the Club.

[JBiz]

2 hours ago, K-Hod said:

We can at least try. Like Luton did.

You genuinely think the team didn’t “try”?

[G Somerset Rover]

1 hour ago, dallydally said:

Just emailed Venkys in an attempt to get clarification about Mowbray/his replacement etc. Not holding my breath for a response

Farke not in today anymore then?!...

[RevidgeBlue]

2 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Sharpe and someone else on Twitter believe a statement will be coming sooner rather than later.

I'll be like Merce tucking into a bottle of fine red when (if) it is announced.

A statement which way?

Does Sharpe still think he's leaving then?

Edit: Will be Aldi Champagne for me if it's announced. Might even stretch to a second bottle.

Edited May 9, 2022 by RevidgeBlue

[WacoRover]

So, the owners will wait until Mowbray’s contract runs out, to bring in a new man?

It will be a picked over list. There won’t be anybody left, worth getting 

[Lucimo]

7 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Pretty sure that that was rumoured to be another wealthy Indian chap who was connected to cricket in some way.

There's nothing whatsoever to suggest the Issa brothers have any interest in the Club.

I've heard both tales but not sure either were true. The one with the Issa brothers was along the lines of their dad was deeply religious and buying a football club was akin to gambling or something and he wouldn't approve and besides they were fans of Liverpool or utd, can't remember which. The other owned a ipl cricket franchise 

[Mattyblue]

12 minutes ago, JBiz said:

You genuinely think the team didn’t “try”?

The team did, it just needed some January reinforcement, like all teams when battling for promotion, the want of trying was at the top of the tree…

[dallydally]

15 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Farke not in today anymore then?!...

Given up on that!!!!!!

[RevidgeBlue]

5 minutes ago, goozburger said:

Yes, whereby Lee Clark will be appointed shortly thereafter, followed by @Revidge Blue putting his Aldi Champagne back on ice until Lee Clark is fired.

👍

[Exiled_Rover]

4 hours ago, RoverCanada said:

Lengthy article in The Athletic today on our oncoming 'talent drain': https://theathletic.com/3286731/2022/05/09/blackburn-rovers-talent-drain-from-mowbray-and-recruitment-team-to-brereton-diaz-and-captain-lenihan/ (paywall warning!).

No doubt a lot of this being fed to the journo by Mowbray's reps/friends, but always interesting when an 'outsider' journalist at The Athletic takes a deep dive on Rovers.

Given the paywall (and I'm never sure how easy it is to get around their paywall!), some summary notes, much of which not news around here, but thought I'd share. Don't shoot the messenger 🙂:

- In general, the piece seems to imply Waggott has emerged as the key decision-maker at Rovers...

- Mentions Rothwell was going to Bournemouth for £4.5m (not the £3.5m often mentioned). Seems to lay the decision not to sell on Waggott, who wanted to prioritise the chance of PL football over the £4.5m. Mowbray thought he could net improve the squad with the two signings he had lined up as replacements, and Mowbray has suggested this could've corrected our lack of goals/depth down the stretch (Suggests Waggott again tried signing Rothwell to a new contract after, but no dice)

- Mowbray had nothing to do with Waggott's hiring, who was brought in by headhunters Nolan Partners. Confirms that Waggott and Mowbray's relations have been strained for a while. Mowbray's agent informally asked about his contract situation in January, but Waggott's excuse was he hadn't been able to see the owners in India (Mowbray calling BS on that, but from what we know of Venky's, that may actually be 'true'... but a clear example to Mowbray of why this club isn't run right...)

- Mowbray frustrated by high-quality personnel leaving with inexperienced replacements. Name checks Stuart Harvey, Andrew Mitchell, and Liam Mason. A concern that Harvey could raid our scouting staff. Venus and Park set to leave too, adding to the 'brain drain' (the definition of a 'brain' being stretched at times)

- Waggott described by agents/outsiders as 'present' and 'professional', but often late getting back to them, probably due to rarely knowing his true budget. Some confusion if Venus or Waggott was the main point of contact. Suggests making Venus the 'sporting director' was considered at one point (essentially formalising some of his backoffice responsibilities). Venus still taking calls on player contract extensions, suggesting he and Mowbray still had some hope of sticking around.

- Mowbray still likes Venky's, considers them 'decent' people, but the geographic isolation and a 4-man board of directors that can't actually make decisions is an ongoing problem.

- Mowbray apparently gets on with Suhail fine, although the piece also mentions Suhail's never claimed any football background around Mowbray yet gets 'too involved' in contract negotiations, 'hindering' Waggott, with two agents saying they've stopped taking calls from Suhail, preferring to deal with Waggott.

- Financials: likely would've breached FFP without training ground sale. Venky's pumping in an average of £15m/year since they took over. Venky's have been converting loans into shares of late (essentially writing it off), but are still owed £130m, with a shareholder deficit of £111m. Hence, Venky's are keen on promotion, which is worth £135m-£265m these days (depending on surviving relegation in the first year). Venky's don't want to pull the plug on their investment given the resulting 'stain' on their reputation within India's business community.

- Mentions BBD valued at £15m, but only a small portion of that would be added to a limited transfer budget. Players don't feel too strongly about Mowbray leaving given pending contract expiries. More focused on their own careers/finances at the moment.

- A positive: the junior system is 'healthy' with a 'thriving' recruitment network. Stuart Jones gets specific praise.

LOL 'talent drain'. 

It's a terrible backroom staff and AT BEST Mowbray is a middling Championship manager (I think he's significantly below average, but I'm not having that argument today). 

The players would be in for a shock if Ainsworth or Farke stepped through the door with their backroom staffs, let me tell you. 

[K-Hod]

19 minutes ago, JBiz said:

You genuinely think the team didn’t “try”?

What makes you think I was talking about the team? I was talking about the January transfer window and not using the Armstrong cash to help us from a position of strength….

[RevidgeBlue]

1 minute ago, K-Hod said:

What makes you think I was talking about the team? I was talking about the January transfer window and not using the Armstrong cash to help us from a position of strength….

Also had the cushion of a potential BBD sale in the summer.

[Exiled_Rover]

49 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Going to be a lot of disappointment on here when they eventually announce Mowbray is staying. 

Probably take them a few weeks but I think this is the inevitable conclusion to this saga.

I'll just be £430 richer and have more free time in the winter.

I stopped loving this club a long time ago - it doesn't hurt me anymore.

[JBiz]

1 minute ago, K-Hod said:

What makes you think I was talking about the team? I was talking about the January transfer window and not using the Armstrong cash to help us from a position of strength….

Because you literally said like Luton? Aka a team………………………..

7 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

The team did, it just needed some January reinforcement, like all teams when battling for promotion, the want of trying was at the top of the tree…

Like Luton?

I might be wrong, but I don’t remember them investing in their squad in January.
 

There are plenty of reasons why the *team* didn’t make it this season, but I’d find it hard to blame the teams collective efforts.

Now the backroom and those who sanction investment… Can completely understand a finger pointed at them!

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, EgyptianPete said:

Kept quiet but they visited Issa headquarters in Blackburn on one of their visits, may have been same time as when they met the Queen, (can you believe that).

Was that headquarters there back when they met Her Maj ?

[Exiled_Rover]

26 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Pretty sure that that was rumoured to be another wealthy Indian chap who was connected to cricket in some way.

There's nothing whatsoever to suggest the Issa brothers have any interest in the Club.

I think it'd be a massive PR coup if they did buy the club and returned it's soul... but then I'm not their Head of PR so they'll never do it.

Imagine the two Blackburn brothers restoring Rovers to dignity. They'd have the key to the town (albeit they could probably buy the town outright at this point). 

[chaddyrovers]

[Mattyblue]

7 minutes ago, JBiz said:

Because you literally said like Luton? Aka a team………………………..

Like Luton?

I might be wrong, but I don’t remember them investing in their squad in January.
 

There are plenty of reasons why the *team* didn’t make it this season, but I’d find it hard to blame the teams collective efforts.

Now the backroom and those who sanction investment… Can completely understand a finger pointed at them!

Always exceptions, but when you have a fairly middling side to begin with, one that is going through an out of character purple patch, you can’t just hope you’ll be another, you need an insurance policy, so you invest in your team from a position of a strength.

We didn’t.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Mattyblue

[RevidgeBlue]

Looks like Nixon is talking through his backside as per.

How can we have compiled a shortlist of 6  if we haven't decided what type of coach/manager we want. ?

[martonrover]

1 minute ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Looks like Nixon is talking through his backside as per.

How can we have compiled a shortlist of 6  if we haven't decided what type of coach/manager we want. ?

I actually think he’s probably right about the key point - we still don’t know what we want, (or what we’re doing).

It really is pathetic.

[roversfan99]

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Mowbray has said it was his last game after Birmingham game. So we have managerial vacancy like I said. For some reason you keep saying we don't have this but we. 

Rovers will be getting cvs in and Waggott will be conducting interviews shortly..if you want to believe that fine. We see shortly. 

I couldn't give a monkeys about a phone call to Mowbray and he never said that would deffo happen. 

We don't have a managerial vacancy chaddy, until a press release is on the official website outlining that Mowbray is to leave the football club.

Just now, goozburger said:

 

Incredible that anyone pays notice to a word he says. "Would imagine" keeping it as vague as possible, and just naming a series of well known managers whilst adding a couple of unnamed mystery extras to keep to his own narrative of a 6 man shortlist.

He himself admits that the club doesn't know what it wants yet Nixon seemingly must be ahead of the curve.

[JBiz]

5 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Always exceptions, but when you have a fairly middling side to begin with, you can’t just hope you’ll be another, you invest in your team from a position of a strength.

We didn’t.

 

I think the point that Gav makes well, is that it’s difficult to imagine us competing with the type of investments that Bournemouth made - ie Cantwell on £40k a week loan, Nat Phillips, woodman, Laird, Brady on a free and 5m+ on Dembele, Hill and Moore as permanents.

[K-Hod]

I never expected us to compete with Bournemouth financially, as they’ve still got parachute payments.

But, I did expect us to at least try and strengthen the squad from the position we were in. Injuries are inevitable and need to be expected. As it happened, nobody we signed in January really made any difference, if we are completely honest.

Going from second in February to finishing 8th overall though. Some collapse, that. 

[Mattyblue]

7 minutes ago, JBiz said:

 

I think the point that Gav makes well, is that it’s difficult to imagine us competing with the type of investments that Bournemouth made - ie Cantwell on £40k a week loan, Nat Phillips, woodman, Laird, Brady on a free and 5m+ on Dembele, Hill and Moore as permanents.

And there was no middle ground to take between the Bournemouth January approach and what we pursued? 

And if that middle ground had failed in keeping us second, certainly it could have helped to prevent a fall to 8th in three months… 
 

Edited May 9, 2022 by Mattyblue