I see we've shifted from the talk over September, October, November, December and January of prioritising new deals and being confident of getting them done and protecting our assets to now let's sign another bucketload and see if we can sign up any of those out of contract. Quite clear there's no work at all been done on keeping these players and they've been having us on for months. Sadly the talk about recruiting yet another defence will have the Facebook goons wrapped around Mowbray's finger and they'll all be salivating at the prospect of what good players we are going to recruit and sort out our defensive issues once and for all. Those with any sense know its not going to happen. We will plod through the summer talking the talk and then sign a crock or loan at the back end to fill in or not play. But until then its all about giving Mowbray time, he's sorting the squad out, he needs the new season to rebuild and get people settled in. This is all familiar territory going back to the start of this horror story. For some reason the owners would rather keep 'their man' at the helm and instead allow him to spend and waste fortunes failing to address issues than just make a managerial change which would be so much quicker, cheaper and likely to result in success. Can only surmise that high turnover in players is something they enjoy because we sure as hell aren't building anything

Anyone can beat anyone in the Championship is the usual excuse for inconsistency. That isn't applying to dinosaur Mick's Cardiff. Now unbeaten in 11 since taking over.

Mowbray's comment that we can soon embark on a 4 or 5 game winning streak is Kean-esque in delusion. Purely designed to try to protect his position and aimed at India. At no other club would such a comment be made by an incumbent manager and him get away with it.

I'll say it again. If Johnson deserves a crack managing Blackburn Rovers based upon his impressive time with the u23s then why isn't Billy Barr in the running?

Those from the club will be disappointed they can't spend time talking about what flavour crisps they have had on the concourse this season.

Yes. It will be like taking candy from a baby for Waggott. The tough part will be getting the top site approved for 170 houses. Lots of hurdles to overcome and lots of potential issues and objections to deal with. This will be what is concerning him and occupying his time and energy (in return for his £300,000 i might add). Assuming that first obstacle is overcome, and there's acres of land in the Ribble Valley set up for housing then 99% of the job is done. What then for 'phase 2' of the plan - how to deal with the reality of maintaining a Category A academy on an inadequate side? That's the easy part - just come out with a range of sob stories and excuses. It will all quieten down after a few weeks. Most supporters couldn't really care less about academy status, or if they could will believe whatever nonsense they get fed. Many are on the look out for downsizing and downscaling. Hey it will help the club because it will cost less to run a Category B academy - we could even put the difference into the first team!!! And then even if Waggott gets loads of grief for it (he won't) then he'll be pushing 70 by then and ready to jet off into retirement having had 5-6 years on the payroll here. Never to be seen or visit Blackburn again. He's had his good salary and got the job done. No skin off his nose. Meanwhile we've lost a great deal and will have to deal with that for decades to come.

The people running the club simply don't have the capability to deliver a project as suggested. They struggle to maintain what we've already got. The name of this game is getting grubby hands on valuable land ripe for development. That's the easy part. Follow the process in a very lucrative part of the world and watch the property developers clamour to buy it. The rest is hot air to quieten opposition and get it through smoothly. Sadly many people are just too easy to con.

This and Brentford are the only games I've any confidence we will get anything out of this month. First goal will as usual be crucial. Concede it and we're out of it. Millwall the draw specialists. Had a poor run following their late defeat at Ewood but have bounced back since Xmas and I think have lost 1 in 11 or something. Shame they are further along their journey than we are but such is life amongst the big boys.

Prevailing attitude at the club over the last 5 years+ has been why bother bringing an external candidate in when an existing one can step up. Not so simple in football. And we wonder why we are in the state we are.

Think he's just a replacement for the outgoing Chris Rush.

I'm not sure I'd credit either as being 'football people'. Both are experienced by virtue of the shambles that is Blackburn Rovers under this ownership, not because they are exceptional at what they do. The club allowed Dave Biggar, Alan Myers and Derek Shaw to depart and failed to replace any of them, leaving Cheston and Silvester as the last remaining 'board' members on the ground at Ewood. They allowed that status quo to continue for well over a year until Mowbray told them to put Waggott in. During that time the club drifted along in a zombie like state, existing but doing little more than that. Bizarrely Cheston seems to have ended up with the job of identifying Lambert's replacement and supposedly interviewed luminaries such as Russell Slade, Neil Redfearn and Warren Joyce along the way. To be expected when it's an accountant leading the search. So yes the club could probably continue to function on a day to day basis administratively without Waggott but it really is unacceptable for a club of this size. They want their 'manager' to do it all and not have suits in the boardroom who know anything rocking the boat.

Nigel Adkins needs adding He was linked before Mowbray, and is available. Presumably well connected on Merseyside which will be another Brockhall bonus.

I think you're mixed up. Its Holtby and Johnson we're missing. When they're back and playing every week we will be unstoppable.

The fact they are unemployed means little. In the last 12 months Warnock, Pearson, McCarthy, Hughes, Howe have also been unemployed and we'd nearly all be happy with any of those now. They've kept a club up that looked doomed. That might be us soon!

I doubt the people that matter - Mr and Mrs Desai - even know we played midweek, that we're on a bad run or that we are plummeting. The only way they'll look at it is if one of the minions books some time in their calendars to review. It took them 7 months to remove Coyle. We've a long wait and this is going to get messy

1) Let's see what he can do with the summer window and bring some new players in. He needs backing! 2) We're spending £2 million on a new pitch (yeah right) so let's see how we get on when we've a better playing surface. 3) Covid - its been tough - we need fans in the ground to help the lads 4) Injuries- we've had back luck all season. Let's see how we are when everyone is fit (will never happen) 5) we've had bad weather this season 6) We've a new training ground on the way - we need this facility to be able to compete with others at this level who have 'integrated' training grounds. Ours across two sites just isn't fair.

Warnock staying at Middlesbrough for next season. He'll be knocking on for 74 by the time his contract ends. To think back in 2016 there were people saying we should avoid him because he was too old and would be retiring soon.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2021/march/rovers-confirm-details-for-brockhall-consultation/ Full steam ahead! I'm just looking forward to seeing what happens if the housing estate is a go-er but the new training centre isn't. Despite the claim that the whole project hinges upon permission for the new training ground i very much doubt that they will leave it at that. Odds on leasing King George's playing fields?

Indeed. We've squandered so many opportunities and now the options and timescales so much more limited. They were sacked at Huddersfield due to disagreements on their structure. The Cowleys wanted to manage and be in sole charge of recruitment, whereas their Chairman wanted a head coach structure which they've now got with the young Spanish bloke there. As for why they've been out so long who knows. Maybe it was part of his severance deal with Huddersfield that he needed to stay out, maybe he's been waiting for a Championship offer and rejected lower division clubs, maybe he just wanted a year rest like many do. I just think here and now he's the best contender out there, and he'd take the job and embrace it as the biggest job of his career rather than us having to twist someone's arm to come here. He's probably not got the right agent though for this club so wouldn't get it even if he offered to do it for free.

Monk's an odd fellow and goes through clubs at a rapid rate. I wouldn't be overly keen but I do think his record is better than people credit him for. He had to work with horrendous conditions and points deductions at Birmingham and Sheff Wed and both have gone backwards since he left. Rather him than Pulis, Venus, Adkins, Johnson but in an ideal world we'd look elsewhere. It was more looking at available firefighters who would take the job and know the beast they were dealing with. I think Monk would.

I think they are worth a punt. Incredible record at Lincoln and sorted out a real mess at Huddersfield when they looked like they might go straight through to League One. Achieved what they were tasked with doing. Huddersfield haven't improved since they left. Recharged, refreshed, ready to work. An educated gamble.

My (admittedly pointless) revised shortlist of people we need to be making contact with asap. Even if we are deluding ourselves that Mowbray can turn this around soon we have to put the wheels in motion on a back up plan in case he doesn't. Given the stage we are getting to this needs to move quickly and on that basis I've ignored those who are contracted at other clubs simply because the remotely decent ones, such as Rowett, Ismael, Neil, aren't going to be easy to get out of their existing clubs at this stage of a season. 1) Cowley 2) Hughes 3) Monk 4) Wagner I'm honestly short on other suggestions just now that I'd be confident a) would take the job b) would be obtainable and affordable c) I would have confidence in them immediately delivering results I'd expect both Pulis and Adkins to be on the agency list but on that basis alone I wouldn't want either but even if they weren't agency list I'd avoid based on recent records. Venus, Johnson are potentially suicidal.

How about Billy Barr as our next manager? His u23 record is as good or better than Johnson's

Barnsley a lower budget Brentford. Have managed to assemble an exciting positive side on a relative shoestring but most importantly have the ownership, plan and structure to cope with managerial and playing turnover. Sourcing Stendel, Struber and Ismael impressive recruitment that has worked each time. Imagine the chumps at Rovers doing similar. The Barnsley rise is awkward for Mowbray, Waggott and the Facebook morons. Having whinged about everything from time, resources, parachute money and a journey Barnsley are now showing us up on each front. He's had excuses galore for Watford, Norwich, Bournemouth being above us So what's the excuse for Barnsley Tony?

His is another interesting tale. Involved in the academy until Bowyer became manager when he left the club. Then after Bowyer was removed he makes a sudden return, transitioning to the senior squad where he became assistant manager on Mowbray's arrival and dropping back to First Team coach when Venus rocked up. Interesting to say the least.