Good post glen9 Shock horror. Club comes in for player with big money. Player wants to go. The worst thing for me about this is that it will give 'uncle tony' (and fans) excuse for losing out on promotion.

Lots of hot air here. Players don’t play for a shirt, they play for money and their families. Players like to be respected –Mowbray has never shown complete faith in Rothwell, particularly in previous seasons. Players respect coaches/management teams who can improve them. Rovers will take £6 million all day long. The rest is propaganda.

This site has around 30 people posting regularly Waco, it represents less than 0.1% of the Rovers fan base. I can assure you that the vast majority of Rovers fans are enjoying the win tonight, against an opposition that have spent way beyond our means, its a very good win, an impressive win. Onwards and upwards. Tosh. Utterly outplayed 1st half. They looked sharp, fit, nice passers. We looked lethargic and like a team trying not to lose. At home. Body language was poor. Buckley getting the hump because he didn’t get a couple of fouls in the tackle. (Travis too.) Pathetic. Even worse when he had to go to rightback. But but…for all their play, Reading had no shots on target (think that was the same at the end of the game?) And I thought that at the end of the first half we could go on to win this tragic game if we had any ambition. Sure enough, we come out second half, clearly with more energy and press high (instead of acting like an away side in the first half by sitting in our own half and trying to hit on the break by some pathetic long ball stuff). Rothwell does his thing, gets a little lucky by falling over and scrambling the ball against the post only for Gallagher to score a goal when he couldn’t miss from 1 yard. Dolan, lively all game (who on earth here is talking of his poor play) then scores a lovely curler. Cue us retreating again (fair enough) to sit on 2-0. Van Heck was excellent (do people watch the game game as me?)/ Defending strongly. On lovely strong piece of defending at the back, nice pass forward to Dolan for a break who crosses left foot to far post for Brereton? who nods down for, guess who, van Heck who has sprinted forward and almost scored. Those who are chiding him for missing are missing the point – he created it and wasn’t content to just sit at the back but galloped forward to try and get the goal. Class. So. The Mogga failed by any measure last season and remained in post. Let’s see. Will we finish above last season? Travis man of the match? He is a thick player who is slow of thought and looking for a scrap. Good at playing it sideways and back though. Next, it'll be that the ref cost us and was utterly biased.

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the demonstration of why we will be a mid-table mediocrity (at best)under this regime.

Jack Straw, Henry Winter.

Based on this, football will become like the C of E - a habit for a dwindling number of people who can’t quite remember why they engage or why it matters.

Armstrong fee £1.71m (value now £14.4m) So it ‘could’ be argued Mowbray has some credit in the tank. Gallagher transfer fee £5m (value now £2.25m) 29 app 5 goals Brereton transfer fee £7m (value now £3.6m) 31 app 5 goals (Goal stats current season in Championship) Sackable dealing imo. Ivan Toney transfer fee 5m (value now £16.2m) 34 app 26 goals Armstrong will surely go to cash in. Will the money be used to sure up debts or buy players? And if the latter, do you trust Mowbray to select well? I don’t.

Dolly blue. Sounds about right. You can hear the narrative being tweaked and massaged and that we will have to endure from now through the close season. Uncle or Father Tony will steer us through, not his fault, circumstances beyond his control, bad luck, no money, the Venkys. Yuk. Stuck with him sadly. Funny how that 'bad luck' has followed him from Celtic to Coventry and now here. And curiously, top sides seem to make their own luck which is often good. Or is that a grand conspiracy of refs, linos and big money? 😉

Rovers under Mowbray - a masochist’s paradise. ?

A perfect Rovers post - it’s the hope that kills you.?

A word on Rothwell. When I first saw him, thought class was clear - first touch, quick, keen to go forward, ok without the ball at closing down. Thought some initial comments on here a while ago seemed harsh . Then he had that outstandIng game at home (standing ovation, mom) and I thought we were in business. With regret, I have joined the ‘flatter to deceive’ brigade. Still think that a good manager could get inside his head but who knows. Shame.

bazza/benhben Agreed. Any sane Rovers fan knows we have long-standing off field ‘issues’, are not the richest ( but really don’t think we can complain at this level) and so on. But all known excuses aside, I fail to accept that Mowbray has done anything other than underachieve - certainly in the Chumpionship. Cook, with our players, would not have lost that game. Mind you, he would not have squandered £12? mill on two strikers who don’t score. Incidentally, I’m sure I saw on TV, in the last 10 mins I think, Mowbray in a shot in the background on the bench with hands on head, rather like one of those chimps in the old tea advert as they move the piano (tea Mr Shifter?)

This result tells you all you need to know about the Rovers team and Mowbray. Third time in a row I’ve seen us lose to an inferior Wigan side. Told the missus during the second half as we were playing some reasonable stuff that Wigan would win.

The trolls on this thread are as boring and unimaginative as Mowbray. ?

Looked to me like Gallagher in his usual clumsy fashion fouled the defender. A trier though.

Mowbray transfer dealings sackable alone. Five year’s worth of cash for any other team wasted. Could live with that if it were producing/improving. Work out the cash/goal ratio for those strikers. Abysmal.

Dack injury, watch carefully. Morsy’s hip smashes into knee as he bundled Dack out of play. Not obvious. Rovers too polite. What is that chimp thing Mowbray does on the touch line?

Morsy has form. Lucky not to get a second yellow for off the ball kick on Travis. Then he was responsible for nobbling Dack. Tried to apologise but Dack having none of it. They’ve been here and bullied us before. Spineless and woefully undercooked. Came alive a little when aggrieved by the Dack injury.

Has someone thrown a switch at Rovers? I couldn’t see the plan or way forward several games ago (not to mention for several seasons past). And now, praise where it’s due, we look a credible team. Really enjoyed today’s game-a real cat and mouse game from both sides attempting to pass it, not a blood and thunder game (which can in their own ways be good.) Manager asked why we are now suddenly winning, what’s different. He answered that it was just a matter of fine margins. Well… -a passing game – one touch stuff -patience (ignore the numpties around me who moan that it should be launched forward asap) -sensible shape with players in the right positions -players that look like they enjoy this shape and way of playing and understand it -dropped the long ball to Gallagher/Graham –tedious to watch and ineffective generally (although I’m not against long ball at the right time as variation) -finally, thank the lord, trying to play the ball into hole and play from there. A word on this. It’s great to knock it into say Dack in there but we need to think more of the next 2 touches. Sometimes, Dack with his back to goal is fending off people and trying to take on a couple of players. If he gets caught here (especially when tiring), a swift turnover can catch us out. -some nice triangles played around Nyambe on the touchline -a word on Rothwell. Still believe, he can be great for us. But another who someone has to get inside his head and make him believe. Make him play a great game every game not once in a while. Talk about positional play. Talk about believing that he can score goals. One of our few players who can drop a shoulder and ghost past people with pace. Sometimes it’s just the little things. For example. In the main, we have (thankfully) dropped the ineffective throw down the line which is just a play safe lottery. We now retain possession from throw-ins really well. Example from today. Late second half in Derby half on our left (in front of JW stand). Throw in. Bennett (I think) takes. Downing to receive but he has a defender in front of him making it difficult. He discretely signals with his left hand which side he wants the ball to go. Thrower obliges. And Downing is able to nicely play a long pass onto the far side of the pitch to maintain possession and start an attack. Simple but effective and missing from Rovers’ play for years. Nyambe –hold my hands up. Always had potential but thought he was a rabbit in the headlights as a defender. Still prone to keystone cop moments and uncertain positionally, but wonderful today at times. One moment, deep in second half, when he stood still on the ball and then dropped a shoulder and surged past their player down the line as if he wasn’t there. Loved it. Bags of energy, runs all day. Got to get inside his head and make him believe in himself. Tosin and Lenihan Can be a very good partnership in this league. Tosin has got it all. We’ve been crying out for nearly a decade for passes into the ‘pocket’, ‘hole’ whatever –he calmly sees situations and delivers passes forward into great positions. Just a matter of watching the body language and doing the nitty gritty at times. Evans was immense. He is never going to be the most silky or pacey. But he really did a job today, worked like a Trojan, made forward runs as well as the usual defensive biting covering and tackling. He and Travis (also limited in many ways) were effective at snuffing things out. Well done lads. Armstrong. Always had ability but in recent times we all know some issues. Work rate? How much does he want it? Head down running into blind alleys? Making the right decision? Well today, he got it all right. Great performance, first on the wing and then when they were tiring, up front he kept going. Let’s hope he can do it every game and has the will to do it. Well done. Downing. Age, legs going but class is permanent. Footballing brain and suspect it is rubbing off on players around him. Calm in possession, does simple thing, keeps ball well. Will never surge past a full back but still capable of creating half a yard and whipping in a great cross (something lacking from Rovers for ages). At full back, you worry about pace but know-how has been enough so far and gives his all. Knocked some great balls forward to Armstrong towards the end. A few things that annoyed me (picky I know after such a good win). Basically all of them at the end when we are trying to wind the clock down. Generally, giving the ball away too cheaply. Buckley coming on and giving the ball away twice when you just need sensible game management. Ditto Walton (good save btw) at the death with a free kick who just kicked it long and it went straight though to their keeper to launch another attack. Keeper has to get it to Gallagher on the touch line so that you at least have a 50/50 of getting a throw and thus hold play up longer. And on another note, Dack not passing to Armstrong who was in a great position to score. These things can cost you. So, praise is due –for now. Keep it up.

Positives. A win is a win, 3 points always needed. Negatives. We were dire and deserved nothing. They gave us at least 2 goals and we still nearly blew it. They outplayed us for large parts of the game and did not deserve to lose. Mowbray’s taxi put on hold due to the points. Anybody who is not feeling sheepish after that performance is foolish.

Given the amount of money at our disposal (whatever else nonsense we all know the Venky’s have done in their tenure) in comparison with other teams we have been serial underachievers. It’s just all so tragic and we all know it and can see it. Decent forward thinking manager, decent background staff and managerial set up and a sense of grown up professionalism and we could easily be challenging. With this amount of funding we could quite easily be a well-run club. Er, a bit like Preston. Or like Burnley. One can only assume that the Venky’s are incompetent or don’t care or disinterested or unaware. And that it is in the interests of many within the club to keep it that way.

On the game Nothing to add to what you have all said really. Tosin quality but mustn’t be too ambitious with that forward ball which can be stolen. Team fitness certainly looked an issue late on. A conspiracy theorist would suggest Mowbray likes mid-table mediocrity to keep the gravy train going. £12 million wasted – a championship club like us simply cannot do that. Sackable offence in its own right. Just on the ref. Not bothered about the fact that he was poor but minded to make a comparison with the rugby (England v Aussies) earlier on today. In that game, the ref is of course miked up so we can hear the conversation with the players and the reasoning for decisions plus of course the TMO on screen for the fans. Can you imagine miking up the ref and players in a footy game? LOL. I’ve seen players scream in the face of a lino (“you c***) for a throw-in not going their way (even when it was obvious the official got the decision right). PS bazza –it was Dack.

No point in wasting too much time on this game. No point in dwelling on the ref’s performance, opposition time wasting etc. A simple classic case of smash and grab from an away side. 11 men behind the ball, score 2 good goals from 2 good crosses and headers (poor defending again obviously), sit deep, defend resolutely and well in the air and we simply weren’t composed/good enough to prise them open. Pretty well all us in last 20 –how many saves did their keep make? Classic huff and puff. Classic Rovers. Classic Mowbray.

Would be easy to point out all the usual deficiencies - they’re all still there - I’ ll keep it to the idea that it could easily have been 1-1 (if not 0-1 had the ref let them get away with the shirt pull.) But let’s look for positives. Middlesborough were poor. We won. We started well. We really dug in 2nd half, determined not to lose and win ugly (cf. Johnson, Lenihan, Travis tackling). Williams at centre back- giving it large to others. Rothwell/Armstrong game management with 10 to go. Gallagher will run all day for us - bless. So, no real fan of TM but we’ll middle through. On another note, ref was poor? Rubbish. Gave us the pen (how often do you get that for shirt pulling in the Chumpionship?) Johnson, who had an excellent game, could easily have had 2 yellows.

Gallagher the new Ashley Ward?