JHRover

Johnson also falls into that category of senior player that Mowbray has tried to avoid here. The sort who have a long and relatively successful career behind him at similar or higher level clubs, promotions and accomplishments in the bag. Mowbray doesn't like these sort because they will detect what a shambles this Club and Mowbray's management is and will also say something about it, because he will have one eye on the end of his career and doesn't need the money or have a long term future here anyway. Mowbray much prefers the younger end players who owe their first team level status to him and who won't have experienced anything higher or better than playing in Rovers' first team. That way they won't question or undermine him. I've certainly noticed a drop in the players over the last few weeks - even when we were struggling at places like Hull, Swansea and Sheff Utd I didn't detect any breakdown in relationships but in the last 3-4 games I have - just little things that are hard to identify but just seems to be less of a spirit on display. A definite case again yesterday of the players not having a clue what we were supposed to be doing as the game went on and Mowbray started throwing subs on with little plan in mind. I think everyone would benefit from a change, including Mowbray. But he's a stubborn one and thinks highly of himself so when the inevitable offer comes from India to stay on, because they can't be bothered getting anyone else, I'd be surprised if he turned it down. Then we will see players depart because they won't want to stay and endure another season of his management.

Mowbray has installed Venus as some strange hybrid assistant manager/head of football. We are told that a large part of that role is sorting out contracts for players. So if one of the reasons Nyambe and Rothwell haven't signed is because of bad blood due to past negotiations then it isn't inconceivable that a change in management team might make them think again. Of course we'd need owners with some interest to find out if that was the case.

Ismael gone to Besiktas. Yet still some would argue Mowbray is better than him Bilic, Farke or Jokanovic are the big options to go for If we are looking down the divisions I'd be interested in Manning at MK Dons. Automatic promotion push in his first season and very highly rated.

And how on earth did a washed up managerial applicant manage to secure a meeting with one of the owners based in India? People at the Club can't even manage that.

I've got no qualms about admitting I must be one of Tony's nasty 'doom-mongers'. I tend to get like that when we deliver relegation worthy results over a third of a season, meaning we have collected a meagre 14 points from the last 45 available. Then there's the level of performances which never extend beyond 45 minutes and often don't even get that far. He's back in divide and conquer mode - anyone unhappy or critical of results is a negative doom monger that by inference is a damaging element at the club and not needed. I think we are well past Mowbray's sell by date. I look at the players and I think they are done with him. I don't think they aren't trying - far from it - there are 4-5 in particular who I think give it everything and are visibly hurt by this season's collapse. But I think they know that it is gone and I think they have lost faith in the manager and know he's blown it with his approach. If it hadn't already it must have come to a head in the Derby game and once that confidence is broken it rarely returns. I don't think the players have a clue what is being asked of them or any understanding of why it is being asked. I certainly don't understand half of what I see. Maybe that's because I'm not a footballing genius like Mowbray but it seems to me he's on another planet with some of his decisions, and it shows with the team looking rudderless half the time. At a normal club the manager goes as a result of this as the squad needs fresh ideas and voices. But at Venky Rovers the manager survives and is allowed to spend all summer recruiting a new squad, spending more money and starting another cycle and the players depart.

So somewhere close to 6,000 walk on or package ticket fans there today once you take off the circa 8000 season ticket holders. Absolutely criminal that the Club is doing nothing to try and keep these people and get them signed up for next season whilst they can. Instead they are going to let this season fizzle out into disappointment, let them go off into the summer sunset and oversee a miserable summer of business and then try to get them back in June/July. There's ineptitude and then there's what we see at Rovers, which is self-destruction. I walked past two people heading back to my car saying they wouldn't be coming next season. By the way, I notice that the small number of people willing and able to buy tickets in the DE for today's game were relocated elsewhere in the ground. Another fiasco. And who were the people in the Legends Lounge? Quite a large group of people watching the game from in there.

Based on what exactly? Something you have heard, been told? Of course Venus' contract is going to expire at the same time as Mowbray's. They come as a package. I think people overestimate/exaggerate the role of Park. He's a mate of Mowbray's who has been helping with scouting. They brought him in to fill a gap for the year until this summer which he has done. The fact that all 3 are out of contract is entirely understandable and does not lend weight to the theory that they are all moving en masse to another club. Of course he could have an offer. How many Clubs around are in need of a new manager that would have already had a word with Tony Mowbray about joining them next year? I mean seriously, if we look at the Championship the only possibilities are mid-table sides unlikely to trouble the play-offs. So that's Stoke, Cardiff, Bristol City. I think it would be extremely unlikely for those clubs to have tapped up Mowbray and Venus whilst they've still got managers in place. The rest are all either busy pushing for promotion or are settled with existing managers doing ok jobs. I still think there's an overestimate as to the calibre of club that would be interested in him.

They want us to think he has other options lined up. They want us to think a new manager is too much to ask for. They want us to think that there is too much work to be done if St Tony leaves.. I don't agree.

Prior to coming here Waggott was in his early 60s and picking up consultancy work from Martin at Southend and Scally at Gillingham. Type those names into Google to read all about their antics at their clubs. Now he's the CEO of a mid table Championship club, Cat 1 academy, household name, picking up a huge salary to 'look into' things. His remit seems to be to keep things ticking over and keep the media/fans quiet and off the owners backs. He probably has to pinch himself in a morning when he wakes up. I personally can't wait until he's gone and the damage he has inflicted can hopefully be repaired. Firstly we need a CEO with no links or friendship with the manager, otherwise the function of CEO cannot be performed Secondly we need someone with some sort of track record in the job.

People keep mentioning the possibility or renaming the Riverside as the Tony Parkes Stand. This was raised a long time ago and nothing has happened. I don't think that is because Waggott doesn't want to. Put simply he will need authority from the owners to do such a thing and he can't get it. That and it would cost a bit of money to put new signage up so it's a non starter, just like any other infrastructure investment or improvement.

If that's accurate then I'd love someone to explain why our annual losses are well over double those of Millwall/PNE.

Well we know that we can manage a lot more than we have done recently. Crikey I mean even under GB, with mid table Championship results we were shifting almost 50% more than we managed this season after half season ticket sales and a top 2 position. Kind of sums up how far things have fallen under Waggott's pricing and stewardship. I won't forget that or re-write history to pretend 8000 is the limit of our abilities.

I've put most of the blame on Mowbray in my post. But the owners could have provided him with a bigger budget, or could have made a change a few weeks ago, and did neither. And IMO the reason Rothwell is still here is because they don't communicate with Mowbray and co. not because they insisted he was staying.

Wishful thinking IMO. I think he's in full on communicate via the press to India mode given he's heard nothing from them for so long. Not an ounce of him admitting any responsibility for results its just all about the players and an inference that whilst they are great lads that it is they who have fallen short through inexperience or naivety. I don't accept that narrative - the ones who have fallen short are the manager and owners for failing to build on things in January and seize the opportunity we had. Comical stuff like the points dropped v Sheff U, Bristol City and Reading had all the hallmarks of Mowbray's management.

Last 3 games - laughable team selection v Derby, arguably the most ridiculous ever witnessed, worst performance in a long time and deservedly losing at half time to crisis club Derby. Players take control at half time, turn the game around and win for the first time in ages. Manager spends the second half and post match interview behaving like a petulant child, presumably because someone decided to deliver some home truths rather than the St Tony knows best approach he usually gets from his colleagues and the media. Next game go to Reading, weary performance and get beat against a side in dire form and fighting to survive. Fail to score again. Next game Coventry and once again select a team and system that is all over the place, very lucky to reach half time only 1-0 down, obvious changes work and then in the end still can't see the game out. So that's twice in three games that he's selected a team and system that is not up to the job in hand and has been forced to ring the changes at half time to salvage the game.

Yeah but what about inflation? Expert Waggott claims this is the reason we can't sell season tickets, yet inflation must stop at Whitebirk and Darwen because it hasn't caused any issue for Bolton, Stanley or Dingles. Reap what you sow indeed. This is why we need regime change asap, because year on year the support is being eroded and nothing is being done to stop or reverse it. Much longer and the damage could be irreversible. People pointed at Bolton and Wigan as examples of what would happen to us if Venkys left. Well, Bolton stable, well run and selling close to double season tickets as we will manage at a much lower price. Wigan will be joining us next year with cheaper tickets and an owner that has invested and pays bigger wages than we do.

Come off it. Cooper didnt fail at Swansea. Two seasons in charge, twice got into the play-offs and reached the final last year. Notable that super Graham Potter who gets linked with all the big jobs going didn't achieve that in his time there and only managed 10th. They weren't awash with PL cash either - they've been in cutback mode for years which was the reason he walked away knowing that the budget was being decimated and they wouldn't be able to compete this season. Forest for all their heavy spending were a dysfunctional mess. I agree that with their squad and spending they should be in contention but given where they were when he took over earlier this season it has been a remarkable turnaround, and I think we should be embarrassed to have allowed the lead we had over them to be wiped out. It is interesting that in the January window, when they were little more than play-off hopefuls and we were sat 2nd, that our business involved inexplicably paying fees out for Hedges and Markandy, who between them have contributed naf all (admittedly not entirely their fault) and we could have had both on frees in the summer, whilst Forest immediately went out and got the loan deal for Keinan Davies who has been an outstanding addition and made an immediate impact. I think their contributions so far to his wages will be similar or less than we shelled out or committed to shell out in fees for the above. Valerien Ismael is a good manager as his career has shown and he's now managing Turkish giants Besiktas. Imagine old Tone getting approached or appointed by such a club. WBA are a dysfucntional mess that ruin managers - we only have to see Bruce's struggles since he took over yet will sort them out given time. Robins is outperforming Mowbray. Even if Coventry finish below us they are in a similar position spending a fraction of the cash and losses and he's hauled them from League Two in less time than Mowbray has had here.

Also worth noting that both Forest and Middlesbrough sacked off highly respected proven managers mid-season and haven't looked back since. Also Sheff United although I'm not convinced Heckingbottom knows what he is doing. We could have had Wilder who was unemployed last summer but preferred another round of Mowbray's road to nowhere. Says something about those who campaign for 'stability' which to me looks more like 'stagnation' and not trusting your abilities to make a positive change.

Or the other way of looking at it is that despite a decade of destruction and employment of substandard executives our commercial income still holds up to competitive levels because this is a bigger club than those others mentioned. For example PNE - why on earth should their commercial performance be as good as Rovers? We have a recent history of success and as a result a huge fanbase outside of Blackburn (which the club seems determined to ignore) Preston, Barnsley and others have done nowt. Just imagine what we could do if we nurtured it and took it seriously.

Hmm. Brentford's wage bill last year bigger than Derby, Forest, Wednesday? The only challenge we face is getting better people into key positions at the Club. Until they do that and run the club properly then we will continue to go nowhere. The quality of staff at Ewood in the last 10 years embarrassing. Yet some would argue Mowbray and Waggott are as good as we can hope for and expect. It is them and the owners mental way of operating that is holding us back. It starts at home.

Less than 2 months ago we were sat 2nd, miles ahead of the play-off chasing pack and discussing whether the signings of January were going to be enough to run Bournemouth down for automatic or whether we would have to settle for a play-off spot. At that point we needed to summon up merely mid-table mediocre form for the remaining 20 games of the season and it would have been enough to reach 75 points and with it almost certain play-off qualification. If we'd have done better than that we might have had games to spare to rest players and prepare well like Huddersfield did the other year when they relegated us by playing their reserves. Now here we are wondering if we are going to need 4, 5 or 6 wins from our remaining 6 to have a chance of getting in there. Not that we are capable of getting those wins either way. I hope the manager is sacked for this alone. It is completely unacceptable what has happened here and he needs to pay the penalty, along with his coaching staff. It isn't misfortune, injuries or even money at this stage. Luton are showing that. It is rank bad management from a bottle job. We and these players deserved so much more but when you have zero ambition and no winning mentality in the dugout or upstairs it eventually drags you down.

Blackpool won 1 in 10 away games. Next up Rovers. Bristol City conceded 55 goals in 25 away games and kept 2 clean sheets. Both at Ewood.

Archer scored how many now for PNE since joining on loan in January? Imagine signing someone who goes straight into the team and makes an immediate difference rather than an assortment of people who either don't contribute or are played out of position.

If you haven't done already I'd recommend stopping paying any attention to what other sides are doing. The way in which we've flushed points down the drain in the last 3 months there's only one way this is going to end.

West Brom would be insane to get rid of a proven results driven manager in Bruce and appoint a muddled thinker like Mowbray. They need promotion and quickly and there aren't many with a better record than Bruce. Mowbray not so much.