JHRover

I dont think Venkys will need much convincing re. A new contract. I suspect Waggott could probably give him one and Venkys wouldn't even know about it or care, but Mowbray and Waggott have it stitched up here now so a call to India and it would probably get done quite quickly even if there was any persuading to be done. Feet under the table = safe as houses. Sadly as alluded to above the summer will represent clean slate time for many fans prepared to just ignore this season and prepare for another crack at it under Mowbray. Let him have the summer window We're going to get some good business done Covid We've no money boo hoo nobody would come here And so on. I won't be signing up for it.

Another option passes us by. I don't know what is worse. That there are/have been plenty of good managers available and ready to work who would all likely have been better than Mowbray, gradually all have been snapped up by smaller or similar clubs (lucky them). Many like Pearson, McCarthy, Cowley all willing to accept short term deals to get back into work. Or that despite a horrendous season there's absolutely no reason to believe that Mowbray is under any scrutiny or pressure or that those running the club have even considered getting rid of him, never mind looked at alternatives to bring in. Case in point will be Chris Wilder. He's going to at best get a decent Championship club (of which we are one). He's got an incredible record in the leagues, and he's available. We need a new manager. It is so obvious and logical it is untrue. We will need a minor miracle to get to the Prem. He performed that with Sheffield United and kept them there on a small budget. Yet we will do naff all. Plod along going nowhere whilst Mowbray ties himself in knots and watch as some other struggling Championship club makes their move for him and reaps the benefits. Expect him to end up somewhere like Derby when they realise Rooney's not good enough or Stoke when they get fed up with O'Neill.

I completely agree. I think Mowbray was fortunate to inherit a squad that shouldn't have gone down, was far too strong for League One plus he was allowed to add strength to that with funds that nobody else in League One could ever hope to compete with, enabling us to add serious quality like Dack and Armstrong at that level. Even when back in the Championship Mowbray, rightly or wrongly, largely stuck with the leaders who had got us back up, and it worked in keeping us mid-table in the Championship. Mulgrew, Bennett, Smallwood, Evans, Conway, Graham. That core of experience and personalities he heavily relied upon and he's said as much. He's tried moving away from that so that now we've only got Evans and Bennett still here and neither are regularly playing (albeit due to injury). I don't think Mowbray has been able to move away from that core of players, despite plenty of time and opportunity to do so. He relied on them so heavily and now they've moved on he hasn't been able to deliver without them. We've regressed because of it when we needed to progress. I'll be honest I'm terrified about the upcoming summer with or without Mowbray. Either way we are looking at another substantial turnover in numbers and players. Some who love the transfer market hysteria or idyllic notions of us constructing a competitive squad out of academy players might relish that but I'm terrified of it. Lose 15 players from the squad including most experience you have and you've a hell of a lot to do to replace, and the evidence shows Mowbray has struggled to replace past departures.

Those games along with Derby and Preston have achieved almost mythical status this season as time has passed and we've slipped down the table. But let's remember that against Wycombe, Preston and Coventry we had a man advantage for long spells and against Coventry and Preston we were handed early penalties that set us on our way. Of course they were committed by opposition struggling to cope with us but those scorelines were built on the above advantages. It has been weary, weary stuff now since November. Poor performances, poor results, relegation form. Only at Rovers does a 4 month long run of dire results and performances see the manager still in place, barely a whisper of serious pressure and club commentators describing results as "a concern". Every day that goes by now with this limping along is a day less to find a decent new manager, a day less for him to assess the squad and sort things out for next season.

Nigel Adkins got the Charlton job. I think he would have been one of the most likely to get the job here if Mowbray left.

Danny Cowley looks to be getting the Portsmouth job. They sacked Kenny Jackett despite 4 years of progress and play off attempts with them still in a reasonable position. Ruthless yet decisive and know what they want. I think we are a lost cause. I really do. Mowbray needs to go yet there's no clue at the club. Options keep on passing by.

https://www.stanleytrust.co.uk/5m-stanley-sports-hub-expansion-vision-revealed/ Meanwhile, over in Accy, more new facilities on the way. Why are we the only club and area downsizing and downscaling?

There's a whiff of something with the Armstrong one. Wouldn't be surprised if he didn't pull on the Rovers shirt again. Mowbray certainly sees him as the asset to cash in. Maybe a couple of dead rubber appearances in the last few games to hold/increase value heading into the summer.

Mowbray's signings: Smallwood, Downing x 2, Johnson, Armstrong, Chapman, Dack, Samuel, Pears, Ayala, Douglas, Cunningham I don't think Mowbray Signings: Brereton, Kaminski, Davenport, Rothwell, Braithwaite, Stergiakis, Harwood Bellis, Pickering, Adarabioyo, Dolan, Nuttall, Hart Middle ground could be Mowbray but maybe not: Gallagher, Holtby, Antonsson, Bell, Gladwin, Payne, Trybull

It will be the easiest trick in history to push this through, end up with everyone together on the bottom site and then a couple of years later we lose Cat A status blaming ever increasing costs, more stringent requirements, rules that favour the big rich clubs, poor us, we've done all we can. Unfortunately you can't magic acres of land out of thin air so when its gone, its gone. Any complaints from fans will fall on deaf ears. The Coventry 3 will be long gone by then and Venky's will be their usual distant selves. I reckon an atom bomb could drop on Ewood and they wouldn't know about it until months down the line. Then a quick glance at the buffoons on Facebook happily accepting everything then any complaints will be minimal. Half of the matchday going fans will not even know what or where Brockhall is never mind Category A academy status and what we stand to lose. Little wonder the likes of Waggott and others have the confidence to give it a shot.

But there's where we will have to disagree. £20 million annual losses at Rovers are not natural nor necessary. They are inflated due to the choices these owners have made. These include neglecting commercial and corporate income streams, pitiful sponsorship, no commercial director and employing substandard salesmen like Waggott on 300k a year plus god only knows what Pasha takes home for his services. Why do we need to lose £20 million a year when PNE, Millwall etc. with gates that should be less than ours lose half that normally, yet still out perform us on the pitch? Any alternative owners with interest and skill would be able to drastically reduce the 20 million figure. It won't take a radical plan. Just the basics of care and employing adequate staff. Yes we will still lose substantial amounts, as does everyone and so will Wigan if they intend on getting back to the Championship. You have to assume their prospective new owners will have done the sums on that and have a plan. The fact remains that as things stand Wigan may well survive in League One, be debt free and under ownership. We keep being told that Venkys are the only option if this club wants to remain in business I dont agree. It be painful in the short-term but there will be options out there.

Craig Gardner was already there working under Karanka. He did leave for a short while to be assistant to Pulis at Sheff Wed but went back to Birmingham straight after being sacked at Sheff Wed. Birmingham labelled a basket case and I don't like Bowyer but suspect his arrival might be the shot in the arm they need to get themselves safe. Shame as I'd like to see them go down but he's done ok at Charlton in tough conditions. Imagine such swift decisiveness at Rovers rather than 'together' and confusion.

Doesn't matter what he paid. Maybe it will be good, maybe it will be bad. Nobody knows. But it proves there are people out there who will buy these north west town clubs when they fall on hard times. I keep being told that if Venkys leave Blackburn Rovers goes the same way as Bury. Bolton and Wigan have both come through difficulties and are looking forward with optimism debt free. Why couldn't Blackburn Rovers do that?

I sympathise for Dack more than I have for any player suffering injury. Very cruel and potentially career ending or derailing. However looking beyond Dack it seems Mowbray will now use his injury and the talk of "the family" to protect his position and divert blame and attention away from woeful results. Sadly some people including the idiots who run the club will lap it up. The club can support Dack's recovery and still make a managerial change. We don't need Mowbray to nurse him back to fitness.

Not sure. He did very well at Burton first time around in getting them out of League Two and top of League One. Nigel Clough the finished the job and got them to the Championship. At QPR and Northampton he struggled, though most managers seem to struggle at those clubs. Doing an unbelievable job now though. Maybe Burton is the right fit for him.

How come Wigan have been bought by a Bahrain based businessman? I thought nobody was buying debt ridden town clubs?

I can think of an easier solution to stopping this project to a long drawn out and expensive planning battle. Get rid of Waggott, Mowbray and Venus. Do that and this scheme disappears.

Interesting that there is a suggestion that a large number of residents haven't been contacted about this scheme despite the consultation period ending soon. Wouldn't be Rovers trying to do the minimum and get this through quickly would it? Unfortunately I'm not confident that the stuff around Jack Walker's legacy and the betrayal will be relevant to the councils decision. We need to hope that there's a Councillor or two living in Old Langho.

The excuse laden narrative has been ready and waiting to go since last summer in the likely event we didn't get anywhere this season. Covid. Bad pitch. Injuries. Bad weather. A season like no other. Liverpool are struggling. No fans. Congested fixture list. They've had these up their sleeves since last season and they will become more used over the coming weeks. This is all for India's benefit and to protect the happy camp they've got set up here. We're right back at 2011 folks. The intentions and motives of the people concerned might be better than they were back then as might the capabilities but nothing has really changed in the structure. A manager with complete power who isn't measured by results and silence from India. If that's the way they want to play then that's up to them, but I'm not minded to spend hundreds of pounds backing it any more.

There comes a point where a manager has been out for too long to mount a comeback. Hughes is getting there now with nearly 2.5 years out. If he doesn't get a job by the time next season kicks off then he's really going to struggle to get back in. Remember people like Curbishley, Pardew, O'Leary, Davies who were all highly rated and reasonably successful at one time or another who left their clubs, didn't get back in and have now become forgotten men who have been out of it too long.

Sorry I can't find it now - can anyone point me towards name of the 'agents' or whatever they are based in Ramsbottom/Manchester that @darrenroverposted about earlier before it disappeared?

Yeah but your posts have gone now

What should I be looking at? I find the Mowbray directorship that ended last year particularly interesting, but is there anything else that waves red flags?

The similarities are uncanny. I don't believe in coincidences like these. Coventry 3 out.

Birmingham won't be looking at Mowbray. I'm sure of that.