JHRover

Oh good, it's nearly full time. Stewy Downing has driving duties tonight so I can have a kip on the back seat and a free lift home from Sheffield to Teesside.

Over 4 years in the job No interference, off the pitch trouble, left to get on with it with trusted staff. No legacy of FFP issues or crippling wage bill. No forced sales or major departures. Net transfer fee spend pushing £20 million and enviable wage budget. Productive academy and class training facilities. Anyone else other than Mowbray had the above?

Extreme end of the scale but how about the government take steps to nationalise these clubs or expropriate a majority shareholding from their existing ownership on the basis that it is in the public interest to do so?

The man is a buffoon but he's also a crafty sod who is very consciously painting an image of continuity and "as you were folks" into the minds of supporters. A few more weeks of this and a couple more wins in the dead rubbers and it won't need much for him and his acolytes behind the scenes to cart on into another season, claiming that there is a process underway, continuity is needed, development is in progress. Not long ago it was a case of getting through the games and then reviewing things in the summer when a parting of the ways would suit all concerned. Prepare yourselves for a shift away from that with a series of interviews like this one to implant reluctance to seek change and convince people that no other manager could match Mowbray's performance and journey. It would be almost funny if those behind the scenes didn't actually believe it. By end May there will be no question about the manager's future and the only question will be whether we fans are prepared to tolerate another year of it or cough up another £450 to have the p*ss taken out of us again.

Expulsion from Premier League, Serie A and La Liga is the solution. If it becomes a club v country row then the clubs will win. Players aren't going to turn down millions a year at their clubs to be able to play half a dozen tournament fixtures every 2 years. See how they get on with no domestic league and no local support on a weekend. That will break it.

The thing that is making a mockery of his identity and slow build drivel is the fact that most of his squad are out of contract in a few weeks. So there is no build or identity. Its a hand to mouth existence of recycling players and assembling a squad on the cheap. Whatever identity he desires will have to be rebuilt over the summer in recruitment and coaching. Presumably this will take months or years to take effect and we will need Mowbray to lead us on that journey. No thanks. He knows he can't point to progress on the squad or the usual claim of we are a couple of defenders or key signings short of being the finished article- we need more than half a squad- so instead he is trying to play down the scale of the impending exodus. Like a worm on a hook and I pity anyone who still has genuine belief in where this is going. They're more bothered about protecting St Tony and his staff than what is best for this football club.

Got to laugh at the faux outrage from the ex players, pundits and journalists. Presumably they will boycott any coverage of this competition and refuse work for it. Of course not. Half this lot will be straight on the plane to Milan and Madrid, 5 star Hotel and all expenses paid.

Super League indeed Arsenal - no European Cup and no league title in 16 years. Now a mid table side Chelsea - minimal success prior to 2005 Man City - minimal success prior to 2011, no European cup Liverpool- 1 league title in 31 years Spurs - no league title in over 60 years, no European cup Man Utd - no league title in 8 years At Madrid - 1 league title in about 15 years and no European cup AC Milan - 1 league title in about 15 years

I'm not saying he couldn't. I'm saying it is a big risk that appears to be based more on his origins in Blackburn than on anything else. I've already named half a dozen other managers who have also taken unfashionable, low budget clubs to the Championship in the last 10 years. I haven't seen any of those people linked to the job and can only assume the reason for that is because they weren't born in Blackburn. Infact I'm sure if Gary Johnson, Darren Ferguson or Steve Evans were the names being put forward there would be uproar, yet I fail to see what Ainsworth has done that the others haven't. I've already explained why we shouldn't appoint an 'up and coming' manager e.g. one from the lower divisions - it is a compete gamble and unnecessary risk when the club cannot afford another gamble. Wilder has just left Sheffield United en route to relegation and previously managed Northampton, Oxford and Halifax. Can we attract him to the job? Good god, we've got problems if not. I agree on Neil and Rowett because both have proven over many years that they have what it takes to haul clubs from the bottom end of this league into the top 6 or contention on limited budgets.

This will be a non-starter as long as FIFA, UEFA and the FA hold firm. It can't succeed without them allowing it, because there would just be too much to do. I always thought that football clubs operating in England had to be affiliated to the FA for starters, so without that, which the FA could refuse, then those clubs wouldn't even be allowed to participate in association football matches in England. Then there's many other ways of making it difficult or impossible for them to get it off the ground. IF they hold firm. Of course when the money starts changing hands these things have a tendancy to happen. The FA have already betrayed the national game once in the last 30 years by allowing the Premier League to break away and hoover up all the cash in the game, so I've no doubt that once a briefcase full of cash lands on their desks it will find a way to pass. I can see where people are coming from but for me this wouldn't sort anything out. All that would happen is the current 'big six' would eventually be replaced by a second 'big six' - probably Everton, Villa, Leeds, West Ham, Wolves, Leicester - who would get bigger crowds, more money and finish near the top every year. It doesn't solve anything, it just creates space for another batch of clubs to move in and take over.

All correct. But why are we looking at managers needing and hoping they will make the 'step up'? Why not just aim for one already at the step we are and take out any risk of not being able to take the step up? A decent CV at a small club shouldn't be enough to land the job of managing Blackburn Rovers with serious aspirations of promotion to the Prem. People like McCarthy and Warnock fit the criteria of 'dinosaurs' both being vastly experienced and have been around the block. I'd love either here and both would be a much lesser gamble than Ainsworth.

Who he supports isn't a negative per se. I just think it is a lazy way of dealing with a managerial appointment. As a club we need to be clever to get where we want to be. Bringing emotion and sentiment into this sort of decision is very risky. This is a club losing £20 million a year and needs to be getting promoted quickly. I'd hope the people responsible for such a major appointment wouldn't be hung up on a candidates emotions or place of birth. Let's face it. The reason Ainsworth is a hot topic is because he comes from Blackburn. Yes he's done very well with Wycombe. I'll ask again. Why does that put him ahead of Paul Warne, or John Coleman?

John Coleman has got 4 promotions at Accy who are a smaller club than Wycombe. Haven't seen him mentioned. Yes Ainsworth has done well. If you want a list of others who have done well on shoestring budgets in the lower leagues it will stretch to a long list. Again he might be a top manager one day. Just think there's too much being attached to his background. There really needs to be a lot more going into this appointment than plumping for the most obvious name because he comes from Blackburn. Lazy.

Paul Warne, Darren Ferguson, Nigel Clough, Kenny Jackett, Chris Powell, Simon Grayson, Gary Johnson All done well and got small clubs to the Championship and failed to keep them there/took them back down. Why does Ainsworth warrant special attention?

I expect what Waggott will end up doing is either keeping prices at £400 (which he will then declare and publicise as a price freeze and expect credit for that) or he will put prices up again. I think a price cut is completely out of the question and not something they will even consider. Shame because many clubs up and down the divisions have already got theirs on sale with reduced prices, knowing full well they need to take drastic steps to re-engage fans. I don't think even Waggott would dare try and renege on the agreement from last summer and the deal offered to those buying tickets then. If he did that would probably finish off everyone. What I think he will do is either put prices up for everyone to cover whatever cost there is and to absorb whatever loss the deal from last year brings, or alternatively spin it so that those getting money knocked off as per the offer last year will be made out to be benefiting from some brilliant prices (even though they've already paid for it this year).

Proactive, ambitious, engaged club in touch with reality and the fanbase and responding to a failed season and dire results = get shut of Mowbray and his staff, promptly appoint a new manager with some sort of clout or standing in the game that at least might surprise us and do well next season. Price season tickets at £250 in all areas except upper JW and give people something to believe in. For those 2500 or so who bought this season they should get next season for £100 as a thank you. Clueless Rovers = keep Mowbray and co. in the bizarre belief that he will change or things will come good or that he is actually the best/only man for the job. Wait until June or July to start selling season tickets and then do so at £400+ in all areas along with some ridiculous strapline, then act confused/amazed when people don't buy.

Just watched the interview with Travis from after the game on Friday and you can already see in the questions asked that it is all about moving on to next season now. Fair enough I don't expect Yardley to ask a player if the manager should be sacked but the way the questions are slanted is just so obvious they are planning, expecting, hoping that this season can be swept under the carpet and repeat again next season. All the talk about this season being a frustrating one and looking to get ready for next season to 'put it right'. It's just absolute rubbish, but I can see this is the way that Mowbray and his gang are going to spin this from here, and I just hope people don't buy it or lap it up. I can guarantee that the dust will settle and people will soon forget about the performances and tail spin and relegation scrap we've ended up being dragged into and it will all be about injuries, excuses and move on to next season with a clean slate. Only it won't be a clean slate. It will be the same manager, same assistant, same coaches, none of whom are good enough for the level needed to drag a club upwards and higher. Mowbray will never change because he's been doing this for 15 years as a manager and even if he knew how to change he wouldn't because it would go against his principles. He doesn't deserve longer in the job. Someone else deserves the opportunity to change it. What has happened has happened. It should not be forgotten as soon as the season ends. There has to be an inquest which should already have started.

Frustrating to see Birmingham get the win at Rotherham. Two very damaging defeats for Rotherham this week. Probably means they go down now. Shame because I'd have liked to see them survive and for FFP cheats and 'massive' clubs Derby or Birmingham to go instead but looks like they'll both do enough.

Oh how I bet he wishes Barnsley weren't sat in the top 6 and someone like Stoke or Derby were instead. That would just about wrap up the top 6 excuses for the year blaming budgets, giant clubs, we can't compete. Not even he can come up with an excuse for Barnsley doing it but not us. Of course the answer is clear - better management from top to bottom.

I don't think it was ever going to happen. But when the pitchforks were out and spotlight was on the pitch back in January he needed to come up with something to shut people up so blagged about a £2 million investment in the summer. What sponsorship are they hoping to get for a new pitch? Who is going to sponsor that? Surely financing means ringing up our great leaders in India and telling them this is essential?

How's the £2 million pitch relay doing? All on schedule for the summer? Someone went off to Sky and told them it was happening in the summer so hope we won't be disappointed.

The difference with Lambert was that he had only one blemish on his CV prior to coming here, and that was the last 12-18 months of his 3 years at Aston Villa. Prior to that it had been all good for him - in the lower leagues, shooting up the divisions with Norwich and then keeping Villa up despite cutbacks. Of course since then he's gone on to have short mediocre/unsuccessful stints with us, Wolves, Stoke and Ipswich and seems to be a busted flush. But I don't think there can be any criticism at all for his appointment, pretty much all of us were pleasantly surprised and impressed with it. By comparison it would probably be the equivalent of us bringing in Chris Wilder now - a manager who was hot property and worked miracles up to the last 12 months and then hit a brick wall at Sheff Utd and left them facing relegation. Most of us would be delighted if he rocked up here regardless of how he left Sheffield. The logic behind the Lambert move was there. Still think it was structured in a way so that it was a short term approach for both parties - Rovers 'invested' thinking him and his team could catapult us into promotion contention overnight and Lambert took it thinking he could repair his reputation and persuade them to back him with cash. The difference was that the other recent appointments of Coyle and Mowbray were less impressive. Both had gone through multiple years and clubs before coming here with downward trajectories. Mowbray's last and only major success was 9 years earlier in getting WBA promoted and he had failed at Celtic, Middlesbrough and Coventry since then. Coyle had one good season with the dingles 7-8 years earlier followed by appalling spells with Bolton and Wigan before being exiled.

Different options for me as it stands 1) 3 stooges all still in place, as you were folks = no season ticket 2) 2 stooges in the dugout gone, stooge upstairs still here = season ticket possible, depending upon who comes in. Another catastrophic or dodgy appointment or promotion from within, or another unjustifiable price hike and it will be a no. A sensible pricing structure, decency and a proper managerial appointment then it will be a yes. 3) 3 stooges all gone = definite season ticket What are they waiting for? Why can other clubs sell them now?

Its just more of the can't do attitude and excuses rather than can do stuff. He's a long list of excuses and sob stories. I'm bored of hearing it. Losers look for excuses. Winners overcome them. Mowbray spends more time putting this club down and explaining failure than hauling us up and having us challenging Winners at this level dont hide behind excuses. Listen to that interview and it sums Mowbray up. Excuse after excuse.

I'd put money on it that with the time and money Mowbray has had we'd be higher in the league under Lambert. We'd also not have been relegated if we'd have had him rather than Coyle/Mowbray.