Retained list released https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2021/may/rovers-confirm-retain-list/ No surprises I don't think

Always felt Armstrong back to Newcastle would be a likely option. A £10m plus Dwight Gayle may do a job for all parties? That article seems to suggest a 40% sell on fee to Newcastle! So even a £25m sale would only realistically give us £15m to spend on a new players

Interested to see how the appointment at Deepdale goes. My footballing memory bank makes me feel like I've seen the "number two steps forward to lead the team temporarily until the end of the season.....does a decent job......gets the full time gig......then struggles the year afterwards...." before, and it doesn't usually end in much success. Paul Gallagher in as 1st Team Coach also screams a bit of fan appeasement. Will be intrigued to see what happens.............................no doubt we'll finish just behind them as per usual!! 😄 20 of the 2021/22 Championship teams are now sorted, looking like it'll be a strong league next season...Perenial yo-yo clubs like West Brom and Fulham back, plus the three who miss out in the playoffs. Combined with fresh starts for Bristol City, Cardiff City, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.

It can be put as simply as this September 2020: Maybe Rovers can push that extra step and gatecrash the top 6. May 2021: I hope we can avoid relegation next year

The recent videos of Pickering and Carter back at the training ground, getting to know some of the players/coaches is for me the biggest indicator yet, that Mowbray is going nowhere. At least we can all temper our expectations this summer if that is going to be the case! Also, giving those who wish to vote with their feet/wallet (re tickets, merchandise etc) all the ammunition they'll need.

For me it has all the ominous feelings of the Reading home game back in 2016 (the year before relegation to League One) where many of that side were gone by the start (and or end) of the disastrous campaign that followed. Rovers 3-1 Reading - 8/5/16 (Bennett, Graham and Jackson with the goals for Rovers) Lambert (gone by start) GK - Steele (dropped/never returned from mid season 16/17) RB - Marshall (gone mid season) CB - Hanley (gone by start) CB - Duffy (gone soon after start) LB - Kilgallon (gone by start) MID - Lenihan (defender by middle/end of next campaign) MID - Lowe (remained) MID - Jordi Gomez (gone by start) ATT - Bennett (remained) ATT - Graham (remained, in fact signed permanent after this game) ATT - Grimes (gone by start) Subs used Jackson (gone by start) Conway (remained) Evans (remained) Meaning of that squad of 14 players, 6 players were gone by the transfer deadline that followed, with 2 more gone by mid season and one out of favour, meaning 64% of the team that played that day and the manager were changed/replaced by the fateful day at Brentford a year later. Fast forward to Saturday Last Rovers games for: Harwood-Bellis? Bell? Johnson? Armstrong? Elliott? Douglas? Bennett? Evans? Downing? Mowbray? Plus Trybull, Holtby, Branthwaite - all likely to miss out completely

To be fair to Mowbray, I think he's doing the right thing not playing a full team of youngsters against Rotherham, in regards to the integrity of the league. Ironic isn't it though, that Huddersfield are ones who should benefit, after many Rovers fans felt let down by their weakened team against Birmingham back in 2017. The home game against Blues should be a chance to say farewell to some long servants (Bennett, Evans, Johnson, Downing etc) whilst also maybe blooding a couple of deserving youngsters (Pike, McBride, Butterworth etc)

Haven't you already seen the kits @JoeH? 👀 Cracking efforts if they're anything close to that...

I think Umbro have been very mixed since they returned in 16/17 16/17 - Solid home, nice navy away kit, teamwear Red shirt showed no imagination. 7/10 17/18 - Unmemorable home, classic away kit - the best in this era of Umbro (IMO) 8/10 18/19 - Not a huge fan of the pale home blue, standard yellow/navy combination in the away, not helped by the sponsors. 5/10 19/20 - Weakest year for kits with that Grey effort, home shirt better, but still not the correct shade of blue, teamwear navy third shouldn't really have been necessary, particularly when mixed and matched with the home shorts and white socks. 4/10 20/21 - Obviously not seen too many in the flesh, probably the best home shirt in the recent Umbro era, away shirt has nice detailing, neither going to go down as all time greats. 7/10

If it is true, I think they can make some nice kits. Miles better with the logo they use these days, rather than using the ''macron'' text

Has Tony Mowbray already had his chance to rebuild the club? Has he been given time? Has he been supported through long stretches without victories? Has he been encouraged and respected by the fanbase? Has he had the chance to buy his own players? Has he tried to introduce a style and a culture? Has he been able/encouraged to promote the youth players he feels are good enough? Has he had to adapt to a changing market, division, expectations? Has he had the backing of the board and senior managers? If any of the answers above were NO, then I'd be willing to stand by him and give him more time. He's had three and a half seasons in the Championship. Lets be brutally honest, we're right back where we were when he took over.

150 Championship games up for Mowbray P150 W51 D42 L57 Pts 195

Is this him saying..... either spend £100m and we'll get promoted, if not, then leave me alone to ''develop a culture'' and along the way we might finish 16th, we might finish 9th. Its probably both brutally honest in what the Championship has and is becoming, yet at the same time, so self defeating and uninspiring. Mowbray seems to be challenging the last vestiges of enthusiasm from a beleaguered fanbase.

Just giving my spreadsheet an update! 🤓 Interesting that now Tony Mowbray's win percentage is below that of Gary Bowyer, even if you include the League One campaign, which usually skews the data when comparing Rovers managers in recent times. Mowbray 37.5% win rate Bowyer 37.9% win rate Another interesting stat is that Mowbray will be stranded on 199 league games in charge of the Rovers if he leaves at the end of the season.

Looking closer at the recent collapses Comparison Rovers (20/21) vs Hull City (19/20) After 26 games, both teams were 8th with 39 points After 30 games, both teams still had 39 points, Rovers were 12th, Hull 14th After 32 games, both teams had 40 points, Rovers and Hull both 15th position After 33 games, Rovers still have 40 points and are 15th, Hull had 41 points and were 15th What happened next Hull lost games 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38 to remain on 41 points, by which point they slipped into the drop zone Rovers have Millwall away (34), Swansea home (35), Brentford home (36), Bristol City home (37) and Norwich away (38) Hull drew game 39 and won game 40, leaving them on 45 points and 19th place. Rovers have Wycombe away (39) and Bournemouth home (40). Hull then lost their last six to finish bottom

Me trying to be clever..... mean't zenith! 😁 An alarming stat I saw on twitter Millwall (a) on Saturday Since we beat Millwall (h) on 2nd December P18 W4 D4 L10 F17 A22 Pts16 GD-5

My entire memories of Lucas Joao's Rovers career are his run and shot against Preston, in the ill fated ''Sam Gallagher'' game. A mazy run that left four PNE players on their backsides, if memory serves correct, the nadir of his Rovers career. 3 goals in 3 starts and 10 substitute appearances, all away from Ewood (Norwich away x2, Fulham away) Consistently inconsistent, but on his day, one of the best in the division. Lets hope its a quiet evening in Berkshire. Talking of Joao's time at Rovers and the current debate/discussion on how far we've come in the last four years under Tony Mowbray. Reading 3-1 Rovers - 4th April 2017, so nearly 4 years on. Rovers that day, four years ago. Rovers 4-4-1-1 Steele - Nyambe, Lenihan (Emnes), Mulgrew (Hoban), Williams - Feeney, Lowe, Akpan, Conway (Lucas Joao) - Bennett - Gallagher Goal: Bennett Assist: Lucas Joao

Next 10 games look daunting Home - Coventry (20th) Away - Reading (5th) Away - Millwall (11th) Home - Swansea (4th) Home - Brentford (2nd) Home - Bristol City (12th) Away - Norwich (1st) Away - Wycombe (24th) Home - Bournemouth (7th) Away - Cardiff (6th) Average league position of those 10 teams - 9th (9.2) Dare I say it may come down to a nervy last 5 games? Home - Derby (18th) Away - Sheffield Wed (23rd) Home - Huddersfield (19th) Away - Rotherham (22nd) Home - Birmingham (21st) Average league position of the last 5 teams - 21st (20.6)

This match will be Tony Mowbray's 138th Championship game in charge of the Rovers. Which effectively means 3 full seasons as Blackburn Rovers manager. (46 games per season, 46 x 3 = 138) Going into this game, his record stands at P137 W47 D36 L50 Pts183 League win percentage of 34.3% An average of 1.34 points per game ----------------------------------------------------------- For comparison, Gary Bowyer was in charge of Rovers for 120 Championship games P120 W43 D44 L33 Pts173 League win percentage of 35.8% An average of 1.44 points per game

Probably 😂 24th February 2002 wasn't too bad though, a nice 15th Birthday for sure!! March for comparison 16/17 - P5 W1 D4 L0 F8 A7 Pts7 GD+1 18/19 - P5 W1 D0 L4 F6 A10 Pts3 GD-4 19/20 - P1 W0 D0 L1 F0 A3 Pts0 GD-3 Overall - P11 W2 D4 L5 F14 A20 Pts10 GD-6 **And if you include the matches that should have been in March 2020 (Postponed due to the pandemic) 19/20 - P4 W1 D0 L3 F3 A8 Pts3 GD-5 Overall - P14 W3 D4 L8 F17 A28 Pts13 GD-11

My birthday is later this week, and like most I'm sure, have a particularly good memory when it comes to games on or around my birthday, therefore I decided to do a bit of research on TM's record in February throughout his tenure at Blackburn Rovers, the results as follows..... Championship February's under Mowbray 16/17 - P2 W1 D1 L0 F2 A1 Pts4 GD+1 18/19 - P5 W0 D1 L4 F5 A11 Pts1 GD-6 19/20 - P7 W2 D4 L1 F10 A6 Pts10 GD+4 20/21 - P4 W0 D0 L4 F2 A6 Pts0 GD-4 Overall P18 W3 D6 L9 F19 A24 Pts15 GD-5

Contracted til June 2021. If its a bad one, then I guees its auf weidersehen Herr Holtby. 16 starts 11 sub appearances - 4 assists, 3 goals in 2019/20 16 starts 4 sub appearances - 0 assists, 1 goal (vs. Doncaster in the Carabao Cup) in 2020/21 32 starts 15 sub appearances - 4 assists, 4 goals in total I wouldn't say he's been a huge disappointment, or a disastrous signing, but like so many before him, I'd hoped for so much more. With a young child and wife alone in Germany (particularly tough during COVID times) I'd anticipate that his Rovers career is over. Looking for a Rovers comparison? (albeit a higher level) El Hadji Diouf - (obviously ignoring off field issues) 42 starts 2 sub appearances - 6 assists, 3 goals in total

Boxing Day 2015 vs Middlesbrough at home. The last home game to be called off due to a waterlogged pitch. I'm not suprised to be honest, forecast looks awful! Later on/tomorrow when peoples houses start flooding, thats the real upset! As for a football fixture, there'll be another one in 4 days.

I just went off the list of managers mentioned for the Sheffield Wednesday job. Plus, I'd argue appointing Joey Barton would be less of a surprise than when we appointed C0yle

My two-penneth is such I think Mowbray has perhaps taken this team as far as he can, his poor body language in recent weeks has become slightly alarming, slumped in his seat (or in the stand) his post match press conferences are becoming a bit of a parody, whilst results on the park have been ''more of the same.'' That all said, I do think he should be given until the end of the season. And why? Well for the reasons why Blackburn Rovers is a club still on the mend and rebuild after the awful leadership and decisions made in the 2010s. The fragility of the hierarchy at the club, the rebuild still needed in various departments (scouting, coaching etc) and the civil unrest that still fractures the fanbase. Given til the end of the season Mowbray will have had more than a fair crack at the whip, three full seasons back in the Championship, with his own players at his disposal, a fully fledged four and a half season run in charge from February 2018 - May 2021 is a lifetime in football, and ultimately I do believe at that stage the time will be right to move our separate ways, with the integrity of TM and the club very much intact. TM will leave a club in a much better scenario than the one he inherited, with foundations in place for a new face and fresh ideas to build on this. The mood and the data is trending very much against Mowbray being the man to lead us to the Premier League. His current record with Rovers in the Championship stands at P 130 W 46 D 35 L 46 for a record of 176 points off 130 games or 1.35 league points per game. Over a full season this averages out to 62 points (1.35 x 46) which during his full seasons at the helm would be good enough (at Championship level) for 18/19 - 14th (we finished 15th with 60 points) 19/20 - 13th (we finished 11th with 63 points) In 20/21 we are on course for a small improvement, currently we're on a pace of 1.39 points a game, which would put us on 64 points after 46 games. 60, 63, 64 a pattern indeed. With Mowbray we're going to finish midtable, the data and the mood dictates that. Would a new manager be able to inspire the players to a playoff push over the final 23 games? Maybe, but you're asking a new manager to perform wonders straight away, and for what benefit? The candidates? Paul Cook? Chris Coleman? Tony Pullis? Joey Barton? Damien Johnson? Give Mowbray til the summer, shake his hand, thank him for his efforts. His role as manager during the 18/19 League One campaign will cement his Rovers legacy for a generation to come, plus he does seem a genuinely nice guy, which has been missing from Rovers for some time.