First new Macron strip for 22/23 in the English leagues. Another decent effort for Stoke. Thankfully Macron don't use many templates so highly unlikely this gives us any clues about the Rovers shirts. Collar maybe? Shorts and socks are template, so I would expect ours to be similar to the garments shown.

Good luck to Farke in the Bundesliga, hard to compete with any club offering top level football. That said Schalke 04 (if it is Schalke) aren't the most stable of clubs, particularly now the Gazprom money has dried up. Interestingly too, Schalke is where David Wagner's career took a downward spiral, so we'll watch with interest. As for Rovers, Farke and Carvahal my clear top two preferred choices. Who now?

At the end of Farke's first season with Norwich, they sold star man (and top goalscorer) James Maddison to Leicester. The year after they went up as Champions.

Was thinking the same, but I suppose we gave Mowbray the benefit of the doubt for 5 years, so I don't think it would be an issue, at least with the supporters.

Watched the L1 Playoff Final with an eye on Ainsworth and Wycombe. I thought they were definitely second best on the day, but offered a threat going forward. The quality in the final third was very much lacking, crosses under or over hit on a constant basis. I did however like the fact Wycombe moved the ball forward, no messing about between the centre halves, just get it wide and get it forward. Having grown up watching Rovers through the 90s and 00s on a steady diet of wing play and wingers rather than inverted forwards, I think his style would actually be well received by a certain vintage of supporters. Also, judging by the list of players available to Ainsworth, I'm confident he can do more and be more successful with a better calibre at a higher level, whether with Rovers or not. He isn't my first choice, but feel he could make an impact in the Championship and more than deserves a chance to prove himself.

Intrigued to see where Macron go with next years kits. The 2021/22 debut season of kits was a roaring success, selling out can only be good for the brand and the club. Also shows how popular the shirts can be if the designs are good. With the home, I'd love to see the sleeves back on the correct side, i.e. blue right sleeve and white left sleeve (as you wear the shirt), also would expect a flash of red on the shirt somewhere. As for the away kit(s) its unlikely to be red/black halves again or solid yellow given this seasons efforts. Given recent trends, my prediction would be for a Navy away shirt with a white/silver third option. Macron do enjoy updating existing designs.

Interesting notes: Age of the managers in the top 10 of the Championship (as of 28/4/22) 1. Fulham - Marco Silva (44) 2. Bournemouth - Scott Parker (41) 3. Nottingham Forest - Steve Cooper (42) 4. Huddersfield Town - Carlos Corberan (39) 5. Luton Town - Nathan Jones (48) 6. Sheffield United - Paul Heckingbottom (44) 7. Middlesbrough - Chris Wilder (54) 8. Blackburn Rovers - Tony Mowbray (58) 9. Millwall - Gary Rowett (48) 10. Queen's Park Rangers - Mark Warburton (59) Interesting to see the oldest two managers in the top 10 are the ones who haven't been given a new contract for next season.

Can't help but feel a little twinge of sadness watching the interview, a conversation should have been had with Mowbray months ago, even if just to say ''we'll have a review at the end of the season''. The timing of this just feels right though. For him and for the fans, and has done for the past 6-8 weeks if we're being honest. Mowbray can leave with his head held high and still with a certain amount of credit with the Rovers fanbase. I'm sure he'll be welcomed at Ewood any time in the future. Take a break Tony, enjoy the time with family, as for us, a fresh start is exciting, scary, daunting, hopeful, a real mixed bag of emotions. I know I'm ready for a new chapter, lets hope for us and for him we both get the happy ending.

Those who watch the u23 and u18's regularly, who are the likely ''publicised names'' candidates to leave. Always remember the likes of Cotton and Tomlinson being tipped for big things, but released (seemingly correctly so). For every good release there is always a Jack O'Connell on the opposite end of the scale. 2021/22 end of contracts Dan Pike Luke Brennan Jalil Saadi Sam Barnes Joe Ferguson Issac Whitehall Joe Nolan Zak Gilsenan (injured) Jared Harlock Who's likely to stay? All to leave? Brennan has a first team sub appearance, Pike has been involved with the matchday squad.

I think a price freeze is fair, if you've bought season tickets in years gone by, particularly before the start of last season you will again. Biggest driver for fans in the stands is obviously success on the pitch.

Wonderful analysis from Linz Lewis (she's a member on here I think? Been on the BRFCS podcast before) on BBC Radio Lancashire Sport last night. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0byc3hq Starts at the 18m:38s mark. Summed up succinctly and eloquently.

Mowbray's time at the Rovers will forever be linked with this season. ''To not even reach the playoffs, with where we were at the end of January 2022.'' These words will be synonymous with his reign, whether he goes in three hours, three days, three weeks, three months, three years. I think this sentiment will be what people think of in 5/10 years time, even with the League One promotion under his belt. Five and a half years is a lifetime in football these days. He needs a change and we need a change. Interesting to see that Mowbray has gone from 9th Longest serving manager in England to the 7th longest serving manager in the last few days, thanks to the departures of Dyche and Crewe boss David Artell. Full List

Great work @Herbie6590 this has been my rovers song for years! Usually comparing “now” to the Premiership heydays, but I suppose the sentiment fits this year too!!

The final chapter of Mowbray's reign as Rovers manager was written seasons ago, no matter when he leaves. Second Half Collapses

Sadly, probably the last Chile fixture BBD will play as a Rovers player. This summer being the perfect opportunity to sell him to raise funds, no way can Rovers risk losing him on a free this time next season. These issues with travel and the club vs. country debate will follow wherever he goes.

Got me thinking, If Mowbray was to go, I'd see a real mixed bag of potential candidates. Likely someone from the following list. The ''exiled Championship level" approach - Daniel Farke, Slaviska Jokanovic, Valerian Ismael. The "we're bigger than you!" Championship approach - Neil Critchley, Mark Robins The "can he make the step up from League One?" approach - Gareth Ainsworth, Ian Evatt, Kieran McKenna, Leam Richardson, Liam Manning The "he's been round the block" Old Guard approach - Neil Warnock, Mick McCarthy, Chris Hughton, Steve Bruce The "he's doing a good job in League Two" approach - Rob Edwards, Matt Taylor The "Rovers connection" approach - Mark Hughes, Simon Grayson, Jason Wilcox, Billy McKinlay, Callum Davidson, Shay Given The "he's part of the 'Golden Generation' entering management" approach - Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Carrick The "well he's cheap and he's already here" approach - Mark Venus, David Lowe, Damien Johnson The "he's 'tearing it up' in the Indian Super League" approach - Owen C0yle The "where's Judan Ali?" approach - Judan Ali The "hes a coach at a 'Big Club' and deserves his shot at the big time" approach - Ryan Mason The "he's doing well in Scotland" approach - Robbie Nielson The "Ted Lasso" approach - Jim Curtin The "just go and get Borussia Dortmund's B team coach" approach - Enrico Maaßen The "he's going to the games anyway, he can just shout from the stands" approach - Birdy

Further to my tweet which gathered a lot of reaction on Saturday, I thought I'd run the data on Tony Mowbray's record in the second half of seasons (Matches 24 to 46) over the past decade. Inspired by @MarkBRFC He's had 7 full second halves of seasons in the past 10 years, across two levels. I've also included this season for reference. Not included are the ends of the 2014/15 season with Coventry City (Mowbray joined 3rd March) and the 2016/17 season with Rovers (Mowbray joined 22nd February).

I’ve been unmasked! 😂 Those are the sorry statistics, though in some seasons have been followed by an uptick in results. I like Mowbray as a man, his ethics, his history and his personality. I guess it’s just more of the same and another disappointing January-March run. If he stays, you’d put money on the same being true in 2022/23.

I always felt that the run towards the international break (the last four games) would define our season. 4 points from Millwall, Bristol City, Derby and Reading. Just not good enough if you want to be in the playoffs. 5 wins or 4 wins and 3 draws from the last 7 is what it’s going to take. The fat lady has started her warmup!

As mentioned the summer of this year feels like a real ''reboot'' summer, perhaps even more so than last season. Lenihan, Nyambe, Rothwell all out of contract. Ben Brereton Diaz stock value probably at its all time highest. Khadra, van Hecke, Poveda, Giles, Zeefuik all returning to their parent clubs. Would love JPvH to come back, but he'd likely get a chance at a Premier League club, or even Brighton themselves, based on his performances from November onwards. That's 9 players that need replacing, a club captain (Lenihan), top goalscorer (BBD), top assist provider (Rothwell) and almost definitely the 'Player of the Year' (BBD or JPvH). Huge rebuilding job for Mowbray or the new manager. I wonder whether he'll see that as a challenge to far? Or whether he's already working on a plan for next season, see Hedges and Markanday. For added context, by the end of this season Mowbray will have managed Rovers for 264 (+/- 1,2 or 3 for any playoff matches). Assuming we stay in the division, if Mowbray is still in charge by the end of the 2022/23 season, he'll become only the third manager in 150 years of the club to surpass 300 games in charge. By the seasons end he'll be in sole possession of 3rd place. 1. Robert Middleton (1903 - 1922) 605 matches 2. Jack Marshall (1960 - 1967) 329 matches 3. Thomas Mitchell (1884 - 1896) 263 matches 4. Tony Mowbray (2017 - present) 258 matches * [as of 14/3/22] 5. Bobby Saxton (1981 - 1986) 257 matches Trivia time. Taking into account Don Mackay's (1987 - 1991) 232 matches, 9th overall, having a surname beginning with the letter M usually stands the manager in good stead down at Ewood!

Time to go full Magdeburg FC

Really do fear for the current Rovers side when we concede first. First goal massive in most Championship games, especially tonight. Score first and we're so hard to breakdown, with strengths playing on the counter attack. Go behind and the opposition will just soak up pressure and our sideways movement. Rothwell on a poor run of form, Buckley missed guilt edged chances. Pickering back is a big plus, Gallagher with another chance to show what he can do, Khadra largely ineffective off the bench, but good for 60-70 mins. Kaminski Nyambe - Lenihan - van Hecke - Wharton - Pickering Buckley - Travis - Rothwell Gallagher - Khadra

I've been on the forums long enough to remember a time where ''Sparky won't kick us on to that next level, we'll forever be missing out on the European places because of his style and tactics. 7th in the Premier League, we're going nowhere.'' or words to that effect. This season may well be as good as it gets for Mowbray, we are massively overachieving, maybe TM is just getting lucky, but to say we should ''move on'' even if we get promoted? Fans turning against each other? Mowbray 'milking' the club and saved from the scrap heap? I do feel as though the tone of this messageboard these days is in almost complete contrast to 99.9999 percent of fans I talk to.

Congratulations on 5 years Mr Mowbray. There's certainly been times during the five years (namely this time last season) that I felt he'd taken the club as far as he could, but you can definitely see that pride and passion is back in him this campaign. History will judge his reign, like it does for every manager, time and distance the true yardstick against which to judge any manager...good or bad. What I think has been blatantly obvious and what I personally will be forever grateful for is the steadying influence he's managed to bring. Back on 22/2/17 we were in free fall to League One, with Mowbray himself becoming Rovers' fourth manager in two seasons, following on from Bowyer, Lambert and Coyle...not to mention the debacle of earlier in the decade with Kean, Black, Berg, Bowyer as temporary, Appleton and finally back to ''give it a good go'' Gary himself. Its perhaps easy to take the period of stability as a sign of stagnation, but I'd argue getting the club back on an even standing, reigning in some expectations, whilst promoting the youth of the club has been exactly what was needed from his appointment and for that he's deservedly earned my respect. Should he take us up this season, or next, or in the future, that legacy will only be enhanced.

If you had a time machine, you'd not only strengthen with those names mentioned, but fly to Madeira and influence a young Cristiano Ronaldo, then hop a flight to Argentina and speak with Mr and Mrs Messi. They'd both be about 8 at the time 😆 The Zidane talk is a great story, but I always feel that in 95/96 we'd have been not many places higher than we actually were, Zidane would have got a move to European giant within 12 months, especially post Euro 96. Graeme Le Saux and Jason Wilcox injuries, Alan Shearer's influence and power in regards to the return of Mike Newell, David Batty's lack of trust in Ray Harford, squad depth stretched thin in a European campaign, numerous things went against us in 95/96.