JHRover

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.

Seen and heard all this before. There is no way on this earth that Venkys agree to and pay for him to traipse to India in May to have a farewell party with him. We did all this to death during the Kean days. A face to face meeting in India with Desai means the manager comes back emboldened and empowered with a new contract and strengthened position. Managers are weakened the longer they go without India visits. See Gary Bowyer. If Mowbray is leaving he doesn't go to India, and if he does go to India the only way he doesn't stay is if he walks afterwards, which would be surprising. As for other Championship clubs we need to realise that Mowbray will suffer from a similar sort of thing as Dyche up the road. These sort of old school traditional British managers just aren't seen as ambitious or exciting appointments these days. At best he would be seen as a safe pair of hands to keep a club on the straight and narrow for a while as he has here. I can't imagine any club with an eye on promotion would see him as a man to get them there. Perhaps a Stoke or Bristol City at best - someone who can oversee a budget reduction whilst keeping them competitive in the divison and clear of any trouble. I suspect his only route would be to firefight at a club struggling - perhaps a Rotherham or Barnsley if they were trying to survive, or a Hull. Looking elsewhere there are plenty of clubs who won't be interested either - Mboro, Coventry, WBA, Sheff U, Forest

I suppose the question is whether the U18s or ladies team come under 'seniors' If you add up all this seasons first team squad and u23 squad (including loans) and the coaching staff/medical staff and the U18s then you hit 80 odd people. But I would always treat the u18s as the academy so those should form part of the academy 60 staff members. Maybe the ladies squad makes up for the difference.

I think you'll find that comment was very much tongue in cheek hence the second sentence about what would have happened had United come in for him - he would have moved. You had persistently posted prior to that claiming as fact Reed would never move up North. I was responding sarcastically to that claim because in this day and age professional footballers go where the best offer is for them and their career, not restrict themselves and their career because the weather is nicer down south.

You never cease to amaze me with your revisionism. The lengths you will go to absolve the club, owners, manager of ANY culpability and close your mind to the uncomfortable or unpleasant truth is impressive. You came with this excuse when we didn't sign Harrison Reed - rather than hold the club in any way responsible you suggested that there was never any prospect of keeping him here because his girlfriend wanted to be on the South Coast and wouldn't allow him to move to a club 'up north'. Where that came from I don't know but at least it heaps it all on the player and his personal life/preferences rather than anyone at Rovers end for dropping a clanger or missing out on a good signing. Of course a professional footballer that consciously limits his career moves to half a dozen southern clubs willing and able to sign him seems very strange and presumably by the same logic he would reject moves to Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man City, PSG or Liverpool because none of those are in Southern England. You are now attempting to re-write history on Rothwell and Nyambe by stating as a fact - conspiracy theory? - that the reason they are leaving is because they want to move away from the area. Of course it is absolutely nothing at all to do with Rovers' shambolic operation (seen live with Mowbray's uncertainty on his future), nothing at all to do with owners making cutbacks (evidenced by massive cuts in costs and spending and player sales), nothing at all to do with the mayhem we witnessed this time last year with a manager going through the motions and basically asking for the sack yet owners who won't do anything. As I've said before I'm not sure where you are getting this theory from. Do you know Joe Rothwell and Ryan Nyambe personally? I don't but I do know that Rothwell is a Manchester lad who has spent all his career bar a couple of seasons in the NW of England. I do know he has a young family in the area and has been settled here for 4 years. I also know Ryan Nyambe has been settled here since he was a boy. I suspect all this comes from the Bournemouth Rothwell saga since when you have decided that he wants to move to the other end of the country come what may, or because you expect Nyambe might end up abroad somewhere which you have transformed into the motive rather than the consequence of his departure from Rovers. I also know that contract extensions were off the table this time last year and the solution from Waggott - which I warned of the pitfalls of - was to unilaterally invoke the 12 month extensions in the club's favour. I warned against this when others celebrated their presence because of the message it sends and the meaning behind it. It compels the players to hang around on the same terms for another 12 months whilst basically admitting the club can't, won't or doesn't want to sort improved terms or longer terms. Bridges were burned last year when those options were activated rather than dealing with the bigger issue of long term futures. Same goes for Brereton and Lenihan. I'm not interested in hard luck sob stories about wage structures or FFP. The asset loss to this club of 3 departures on free transfers of key players and reduced fees for Armstrong and Brereton due to weak contract situations has and will cost a lot more than it would to have paid these players more on improved contracts. It is basic stuff that any club owners with sense would realise. This club is somehow continuing to lose £15-20 million a year after 4.5 years of Waggott and his expertise on wages so I'll not be paying much attention to his claims of a strict wage structure.

"Still in the play off picture" "The play offs are still there if we can do x,y,z" We never learn do we? The whole point in the play-off system is that a majority of clubs will be in with a 'chance' of getting in there right up until the final few games of the season, especially IF they suddenly embark on a rich run of form and string some wins together. I'd say anyone down to Swansea in 16th - 11 points behind us but with 2 games in hand - can argue they are still in with a chance. IF they win all their remaining games they might get into the top 6. But they are 16th. The point to what I am saying here is that unless we are marooned in the bottom cluster of clubs we will always have 'a chance' of the play-offs up until the last few games. Anyone who has watched our performances and results particularly precious points squandered through ineptitude against Bristol City, Sheffield United, Reading and Coventry knows that it isn't happening yet presumably you would keep a manager purely on the basis we are still in with a chance of the play-offs. Then next season starts and we will be in with a chance of the play-offs again all the way through to March or April unless we are in the bottom 6 because that's how it is in the Football League. It is why the Play-offs were introduced. No there's a lot more to it than simply glancing at the table, gleaning a 'chance' of the play-offs from position and points and persevering regardless of results and performances until it is mathematically gone. If anyone at ownership or executive level had any interest or idea they would have watched the last 3 months with horror and would have contemplated a managerial change. You have to be proactive and review performances and results not just kick back and let events unfold or continue no problems because we are still higher than we expected to be. 4 wins in 17 this year and 9 goals scored - two of which were in the cup against League One opposition. It is dismal and whether we are 6th or 22nd it can't be allowed to continue. No manager in the world should be protected from criticism following horrendous results by virtue that his team - that he has signed, coached and selected - is making mistakes. It just doesn't work like that.

Mowbray had ample praise for the first half of the season. Unfortunately the results since January haven't just been mediocre - if they had we'd be finishing in the top 6 - but they have been, frankly, a disgrace. Managers don't survive in the real world of football for having a good start to the season or a good run of form 5 months ago. Or a promotion 4 years ago. They are judged on the here and now - and whether we are top of the league or bottom results have been appalling for months. No - I am not accepting the excuse of players missing great chances to score or defending poorly - Mowbray takes responsibility. I don't even accept we have had lots of great chances to score - of course we have missed some chances, every team in the world will have at least some chances that can be pointed at as examples - but no, because managers live or die by results in the real world and if chances are being missed that is either because the players he has signed and picked aren't up to the job or because we aren't efficient enough as a team at taking chances when they come. Yes on occasions where we defend poorly it is Mowbray's responsibility. You don't sack players when results are poor, it is the manager that goes. It is a real shame the way things have gone, but not unexpected. But even I have to admit - as a major doubter of Mowbray - even I am impressed by the magnitude of this collapse. If you want to pin this collapse on some chances being missed where we should have scored, a few injuries or defensive mistakes then more fool you, because the run we are on suggests something much bigger than these temporary issues, it points to a manager who is lost. Head has gone, doesn't know what to do, repeating the same tailspins of years past but longer and more severe. Watching the game yesterday - it was a microcosm of Mowbray's management. Another 45 minute performance. Picked the wrong team and system. Appalling start, lucky to not be buried by half time. A few changes obvious to most people results in a clear and immediate turnaround. Then the final Mowbray trait - unable to see it out and letting the good work slip in the last minute. Happened time and time again.

I feel sorry for the players. They did so well to get us into that position against the odds and should have at the very least have had a play-off attempt at the big time. Their efforts have been totally undermined and wasted by the owners and this manager. Those players deserved better yet through negligence, ineptitude, incompetence and ignorance we've shot ourselves in the foot. This isn't on the players for not trying hard enough, caring or understanding what is needed, or because they are young and inexperienced. This is on the owners for not caring, and the manager for overseeing the biggest collapse in Championship memory. If the manager was able to acknowledge this fact I might have some respect for him. But instead all he's bothered about is ensuring he gets a new contract in the summer and will publicly blame the collective player group for his failings. Unforgivable.

I've just had enough of him. I'm sick to the back teeth of reading even short parts of his media interviews because they just annoy me. I fully agree that he is actively shifting culpability away from himself and onto the players. So if as expected we fall short he can wash his hands of any responsibility for it. I anticipate a large chunk of the blame will go the way of the departing players especially Rothwell and Nyambe - their situations won't have helped. Probably also the Brereton/Chile/Injury scenario. All I can see in his interviews this week is a man positioning himself for a contract extension and go again next season. Talk about planning ahead as though he will be here even though he doesn't know if he will be - he makes it sound like this is a unique virtue. All managers have to approach it that way if they don't know what their future holds, they could be sacked at any time yet have to work on the basis they won't be. I suspect this is gearing up for him telling Venkys how much hard work he has put into planning, how it would be foolish to rip that up in the summer and how a new manager would have too much to do in a short space of time so it just isn't worth making a change. If the owners have any interest or awareness of our collapse in form it will be shrugged off with the 'young team' and how they couldn't cope with the pressure - yet the only one who I see struggling with the pressure is this bottle job of a manager who can't arrest bad runs and who throws wobblers in the dugout when things are going wrong. I would even dispute the 'young team' mantra that he's desperate to circulate at every opportunity. The team that finished at Reading last week had an average age of 25.2 years. Including a huge number of FL appearances. It's just another one that gets spread by the media without question and without recognition that this manager is the one who has recruited all these players. I can't listen to any more of it and another one of his summers in charge fills me with dread. Two myths have been busted this season - the first that Venkys will bankroll a promotion push if they think we have a good chance - the second that Mowbray is on any sort of process or learning curve - he's blown it in spectacular fashion just as he has numerous times before. Forget 2017-2021. He needs to go for January to April alone. Negligence and terrible management including relegation form for 3 months.

Oh I don't doubt Mowbray would have sold him if it was only his decision. From a financial and happy camp point of view it made sense. No doubt Mowbray also supported the sale of Armstrong hoping to get some cash from that to spend on new players and keep himself in the good books with the owners. Again, if the owners are so passionate about how we are doing, so determined to get us where we want, they are prepared to keep a player against his wishes, against their manager's advice and miss their last chance of getting a fee for him that is completely at odds with everything else that has happened here in the last 18 months. Manager hasn't the foggiest what is going on and has admitted having no contact with the owners No investment in the squad when 2nd in the league. Best players allowed to run their contracts down and leave Yet one of them knows so much and is so on the ball as to actively block a Rothwell move? As I say, not buying it no matter what tale Mowbray tries to spin in the Telegraph The top owners are in absentia. No answers, no yes or no to any proposal. Whatever business does get done Falls within the limited parameters afforded to Pasha and Waggott.

Highly unlikely IMO that Venkys have meddled in anything If they have then Mowbray should have offered his resignation. But these are the people who don't come to games, probably don't watch them, don't speak to anyone at the Club, don't have any interest, let the club rot and have no interest in results or performances. If they did Mowbray wouldn't still be here. More crafty maneuvering from Waggott and Mowbray here. They've managed to turn Venkys not answering the phone or doing anything to Venkys stubbornly resisting bids for our best players to aid our promotion push. They just aren't interested. If they were they'd have offered a relative war chest in January to get us over the line. Did next to nothing and now look at us. Look at the Mowbray situation. He hasn't a clue what is happening. Venkys are really going to allow that uncertainty and allow contracts to run down on valuable players yet intervene to refuse a sale against the managers advice and wishes? I simply don't believe it. Amazing anyone does IMO.

Bolton have sold 12,070 early bird season tickets. Probably another 2 months until we get to find out how much ours are going up.

Or the other way of looking at it is that the owners must approve player sales and those on the ground couldn't get that approval and as such Rothwell stayed. That doesn't mean that Venkys are watching results and performances and then made a conscious decision to retain Rothwell to improve our promotion prospects. I think it is more likely that their permission to sell him in January simply couldn't be obtained by those on the ground at Ewood. We know they don't communicate and don't move quickly. Perfectly realistic that they had calls and emails requesting authority to sell Rothwell and they didn't bother picking up the phone or making a decision in time.

I think for Mowbray it will come down to what, if anything, they offer him in the summer. Quite clear there was a break down in communications of sorts around January 2021 which led to his demeanour over the second half of last season. No summit meeting since 2019 and would you believe it the money dries up and sales start for the first time in his reign. I think he was pretty unhappy with things last year and managers with more clout behind them would possibly have walked but I think Mowbray knows that for all his talk about how hard his life is, what a family man he is and the difficult commute that he's actually on a real winner here at a great old club with great facilities/academy and has control over things as he likes it. No pressure from supporters, media or directors, owners happy to pick up the tab every year with no demands on performance. I doubt there's another professional club in the world with such little scrutiny, pressure or accountability. If he gets another summer of silence, sales and zero money to spend then even he might ask whats the point. But if he gets his Pune meeting, they promise to give him some cash to spend and tell him what a nice man he is I'm sure he won't want to turn that down. Simply getting on a plane to India will tell us and the owners that he is interested in staying and he's not going to be taken there to be sacked or told they're appointing someone else.

I think that there are two ways of looking at the situation. That Venkys are just letting his contract run down before he leaves and someone else is appointed in the summer, or they are aware of our League position and are waiting to see how we finish before deciding. And then the alternative which is that Venkys haven't the slightest clue nor interest in results, and that the inertia is because they don't care and don't look at us until the summer. I know which I think is the case, and I fully expect them to offer Mowbray new terms when they can be bothered looking at us.

We're still in the top 6 (somehow) so we won't turn our form around yet. It will be late April once we are looking up at the top 6 that our form starts to recover. Someone said last night that it was Bournemouth away - 11th December - when we last saw Rovers score a League goal away from home (as Cardiff was behind closed doors). That is ridiculous. Coventry have fight and will keep going until the end as we learned at Ewood and as their home form suggests. Even though they lost to Hull last time round they had chances (real chances such as a ball being about 1mm from going over the line, not the chances we claim to have when a tame shot from the edge of the area is easily claimed by the keeper)

It will just be more of the same Prices will go up. Sales go down. Only three ways of increasing sales by any significant number: Lower the price Have them on sale for longer capitalise on a feel good factor or ambition Some dismal promotional strap line, accusations of 'not being a real fan' if you don't renew. Same management team, same transfer approach, same hard luck excuses, FFP etc. Wait until play offs long gone and people disappointed before starting selling.

Bolton now at 11,000. Looks like there's a rush on to secure seats at early bird prices of £219 to £289 before the deadline tomorrow. That's at least 11,000 signed up, committed, cash paid for a League One campaign before the end of March. Meanwhile at Ewood we've had some nonsensical babble from Waggott about 'inflationary pressures' preventing us selling tickets and rumours of an announcement at some point in April. If its anything like previous years it will be June, £400+ with no proper early bird discount or period This would be all well and good if it wasn't obliterating our support base. The numbers however suggest it is. 8000 last year and will that be beaten this with another season of Mowbray and dull transfer business?

Yeah but Bolton and Wigan got new owners, even though there's nobody in the world interested in buying North West town clubs with 'small' crowds, which is why we have to be ever so grateful for the Venky benevolence. Look at Bury FFS!!

Season ticket update: Bolton now past 10,000 sales with early bird prices of less than £250 still running. Good job we're in the fortunate position of not needing to sell them.

I've arrived at the point where I think the people running the club (Waggott) would be quite happy to see people go elsewhere. As long as he can justify his decisions to his bosses in India and keep himself on the gravy train until retirement day I don't think he gives a stuff about fan experience or getting numbers up. If this latest scheme puts a few more off going who cares? At least it avoids him having to do anything down there to address queues and if he's really lucky he might be able to mothball the ticket office altogether.

Problems in the Blues Bar with queues - solution? Put prices up and charge more to get in Problems with queus for tickets on matchday - solution? Make it more difficult to buy and collect tickets Both will achieve the desired outcome - less hassle - just a shame it will probably also mean less people go and less money is spent at the ground. Remember though - FFP!

I think he left the club during the Gary Bowyer days, then strangely or surprisingly made a comeback. Since then a part of the furniture. Certainly makes me wonder.

Whatever it is it needs nailing down with the 150th anniversary coming soon. Would be an epic slip up to get that one wrong.

Waggott has already laid the groundwork for that one with his reference in the last Fans Forum to 'inflationary pressures' so I imagine he will point to the national inflation rate as justification to hike prices yet again. Almost can't blame him really when it seems a majority of people online are still under the delusion that we are cheap and that Rovers have been effectively giving tickets away. With such rampant delusion embedded in the minds of so many with such little effort it is like taking candy from a baby. A few have woken up to it now but a lot haven't and when they do they will simply stop going rather than kick up a fuss about it. Just about the only thing Waggott has consistently delivered on in his time is an increase in prices across the board. Proof will be in the pudding, he's demolished sales already and a miserable summer and further increase will only continue the trend.