JHRover

In 2018-19, 2019-20 and now 2020-21 we have reached a point, usually around December and January, where we end up with no fit/available CBs and have to either chop and change formations, play full backs at centre back or throw in youngsters to deal with it. Is this bad luck? For it to happen once would be bad luck. Three seasons running and any serious operation would be asking serious questions as to how this predicament keeps appearing each season despite transfer windows and some different personnel.

The great fear for me is that come the summer we are likely to lose Nyambe for nothing, a raft of first teamers including Rothwell and Holtby on free transfers, Elliott who will be off somewhere else next season and Armstrong who will want a move to somewhere better than mid-table Championship. When all that happens Mowbray is going to be ready armed with his next excuse for another 12-18 month building job and a large portion of the fanbase will simply lap it up as an excuse for another few seasons of drift. I want accountability and consequences from failing to hit targets. This club and some peoples attitudes towards it are more in keeping with an amateur Sunday league club seemingly happy to just see what happens and try again next year.

About two attempts where we could have scored or tested their keeper I recall. Worst part is that even if we'd have equalised I reckon Stoke would have come back and got a second.

Stoke did everything that Mowbray is unable/unwilling to do here. Use brains, tactics, dark arts to manage the game to perfection and see out a win relatively comfortably. That's what good managers do. Find ways to win games. Mowbray finds ways to lose them. I'm bored with it.

Post of the week

We're at the Middlesbrough October 2013 stage. The penny dropped there with Steve Gibson that their legend Mowbray wasn't going to take them any further than mid table and that he needed to make a tough but necessary change to give them a shot at promotion. He binned Mowbray and brought in Karanka and they got promoted. We're at that point IMO. If we really want promotion we need to be ruthless and make a tough and arguably controversial decision. Or we can persist in mid table in perpetuity as it's easier and we don't upset the apple cart. One thing I think we can all agree on is that we aren't going up or even getting close to it if things carry on as they are.

I dont know. You were the one suggesting Nyambe would want a move to another country so thought you might have heard something.

Work can be done indoors with analysis and these super computers. I sincerely hope it has after Wednesday's performance or we've no hope.

What country? What league? Surely if he had such intentions then that should have been dealt with last summer rather than allowing him to go for nothing? Why is Mowbray still claiming to be confident of him signing? As ever no responsibility nor accountability for anything here. Stand to lose millions but roll up roll up buy your hats and scarves.

If Nyambe is able to leave this club for nothing, or for some token compensation fee in January, then for me it really blows a massive hole in the way Mowbray has claimed to have been running the club for the last 3-4 years. Its all well and good banging on about FFP rules, reducing reliance on Venkys, using the academy, growing assets for the club, protecting our assets, having to find ways to compete against clubs with bigger crowds and incomes etc. etc. etc. But if we are still going to end up in a position of losing arguably, along with Travis, our most promising academy product of the last 3-4 years for next to nothing or nothing because we haven't dealt with the contractual scenario quickly or adequately enough then all the above comes crashing down, because it is clear that the owners/club haven't learned from past mistakes and are still costing the club money through negligence and poor operation. I'm afraid those suggesting that we are powerless if Nyambe doesn't want to sign are ignoring the bigger issues and questions here. Why on earth would Nyambe not want to commit to the club he has been at since a kid and should now be a regular first teamer? What sort of financial package are we offering the lad if it isn't enough to persuade him to sign? How serious are we? Why have we allowed him to reach the final 6 months of his deal without it being resolved? Why did Mowbray say back in September that he was dealing with contracts and keeping space in the budget for those extensions and yet here we are at Christmas with no new contracts issued? This club frustrates the hell out of me. Only this week Mike Cheston whinging about limited cash and budgets when talking about power washing grime off the stands at Ewood and players pleading with fans to buy hats and scarves to support their club and yet on the flip side dishing out needless contract extensions to Hart, Smallwood, Samuel and then allowing this situation to develop with a prized asset. Madness.

I'm actually looking forward to this match more than other recent games as I think it is going to be two decent sides up against each other and expect a competitive affair. I was surprised to see that their home record isn't as good as I thought it was. Won 4, drawn 2 and lost 3 so quite a mixed bag at their place. Won 4 drawn 4 and lost 2 away from home in comparison so actually picked up a couple more points away than at home. Having said that my confidence of a result is quite low. I just think that O'Neill and Stoke will be too organised and astute for us and especially if they get a goal ahead they'll manage the game well and I just can't see us finding a way back into it. My hope is that we've done some serious work since Wednesday's performance and there's been rockets up some backsides and together with the delirium of snatching the win on Wednesday will see us hit the right notes today. I obviously hope I'm wrong and we can pick up a big win here because the longer this run continues without overcoming these sides above us the more difficult it is going to get to progress in this division. A draw would be ok IF we are able to follow it up with some wins against the lower placed opposition in Wednesday, Huddersfield and Birmingham next but that's an IF.

Back to the conspiracy theories. I see Mowbray now expects Derrick Williams to be out 'long term' with his mysterious injury. I'm sorry, but I just don't believe it. In the case of Williams I think something has gone on behind the scenes since the start of this year. Whether that be contractual or something else I am not sure, but it is clear that something has changed. I don't recall him being injury prone in his first 2.5 years at the club and yet since this time last year he has barely featured due to a succession of training ground caused 'injuries'. I recall in the summer it was rumoured that we were looking to sell him and reports suggested the MLS or Swansea. Mowbray actually admitted it was something we were looking at, but for whatever reason it didn't happen. I think if Mowbray had his way Williams wouldn't have played at all this season but circumstances have forced his hand with Wharton and the late addition of Ayala. I just find it difficult to believe that after the MLS/Swansea move that it just so happens that a reasonably fit 27 year old suddenly comes down with multiple long term injuries which are now looking like keeping him out of action until the spring. Its frustrating because he's actually done ok at CB and would be very useful in the current climate with our squad the way it is Out of contract in the summer isnt he?

It started to happen when Venkys took over. They authorise all expenditure from India with no understanding of football. So since then it has been a case of make do and mend every summer, working on a very limited budget. The Venky bean counters just see costs and overheads and not the longer term consequences of a lack of investment. Ewood has become a ground and pitch falling quickly behind rivals. You compare then to clubs like Sheffield Wednesday- the first thing their owner did was spend 6 figures installing a Desso pitch at Hillsborough and it looks the business. No room in this game for corner cutting.

I half wonder if there was a level of arrogance or similar around the game and our preparation for it. That Mowbray just expected us to go out and beat a side like Rotherham and that rubbed off on the players in their approach and once things started to go wrong we end up with Mowbray sulking and doing his head in hands routine and the players looking bereft of anything good. I'm disappointed in his post match comments about the pitch. It is a fact that we spend less than most clubs on the Ewood pitch and you only have to look at the overall attitude towards maintenance of our home that the pitch will be another area victim of cuts and a bare minimum attitude. For Mowbray to use the pitch as an excuse is a joke considering the lack of investment there has been in it. If he doesn't like it then he should be on the phone to India demanding it be prioritised at the end of the season and invested in properly to achieve a quality playing surface. Until then an astute manager would adapt his tactics to cope with pitch issues rather than persist and then whinge about it.

I don't think tonight was a particularly unusual phenomenon. Being absolutely rubbish at home is in my view actually quite common and happens at least 10-12 times a season. First halves devoid of anything of any significance are par for the course under this manager. Having been a season ticket holder in the Darwen End of the Jack Walker stand you don't get much by way of action in the first half of games as we shoot towards that end. I don't know what it is all about but it must be the way he sets us up in games to be cautious and grow into the game as it progresses. A win is a win and I'd sooner have a dozen of them over a season than a dozen of the Bristol City ones. But by god if the manager isn't concerned after that he never will be. Many, many reasons to be worried. As predicted though it is job done - a narrow, hard fought and unconvincing win at home to keep things ticking over on our road to mid-table. Enough to keep serious pressure off his back until January. I'm not going to slate him as I've done enough of that recently after defeats. There's no better feeling than a last minute winner and we've had a couple of those in recent home games to snatch a bonus 4 points. Watching things unfold though it just seems like a mess from back to front really. Some of it enforced through our now ridiculous absentee and injury list but some of it just more chopping and changing which he seems to want rather than be forced into. The Armstrong and Elliott combination are getting a habit of digging out of tricky situations.

Which is why Mowbray gave needless contract extensions to Smallwood, Hart, Gladwin, Samuel etc.

Mowbray has had money, time, opportunity and freedom no other current Championship manager can lay a glove on. £20 million spend, no forced sales, minimal pressure from above or the fanbase, patience and control over everything. Never mind punch above our weight Tony. Stick to the job in hand of getting above Barnsley and Luton. I also take issue with the suggestion that we can't compete with top 6 sides who currently include Swansea and Brentford. I'm sure their managers would love the money Mowbray's splashed out and wages he's committed to.

Last 8 home games for Bristol City they've lost 4, drawn 2 and won 2. They've scored 3 goals in those 8 games. Their only other home win since September was a 1-0 against lowly Derby. Soft touch Rovers roll into town and it is like Christmas has come early for struggling sides. Its been the case for years and I'm sick of it.

The big question on my mind this morning is how the hell did we manage to lose at Bristol City? They're awful at the moment, and everyone else is going there and winning. Sums us up to be honest.

It really boils down to me to whether you are happy or content with being 12th in this division and sat above Barnsley on GD and below Luton. Bear in mind of course the financial disparity between us and those clubs, the losses we incur in comparison to those clubs and the fact that those two just avoided League One (by each beating us). Barnsley have also had to endure a managerial change this season. As far as I'm concerned that represents underachievement here. It makes an absolute mockery of Mowbray's slow build when Jones can turn Luton from relegation to being above us most of the season so far in a few short months and Barnsley can lose managers yet still cobble together as many points. That's before we look at personnel and expenditure. Those who celebrate our 'style' of play perhaps need to watch DVDs of West Brom in 2009 when they finished bottom whilst receiving plaudits for their style. I dont want to be that sort of club getting pats on the back from neutrals and opposition fans whilst not upsetting or troubling anyone. Mowbray had 3 years at Boro and 3 years here with everything stacked in his favour. Good clubs, autonomy, little pressure, healthy backing and has failed to smash the ceiling of 6th. My view is that it is because he isn't pragmatic nor ruthless enough to do what is needed to get there. The x number of points off the top 6 is just meaningless. We've had this now for 3 years. We are just as near or far off being in 19th place. Its mid table. I want promotion. I'm already very disappointed in Mowbray declaring his ambition to be 'around' the top 6 in May. I think that is pathetic and nothing more than covering his own back for the inevitable mid table finish (which will be 'around' the top 6 until the final few games). Even if he doesn't think we are capable of promotion he should be saying we are. I think he is just communicating with India and trying to buy himself more time at it now. Compare to others who set their ambitions for the top - promotion - and don't tolerate weakness or lowering of expectations.

Walton is out with a really bad injury.

Yes. It seems they get one batch delivered at the start of the season and once that's gone they don't get any more. Usually means they've plenty of left over small sized stuff at the end of the season but quickly run out of large. As you say its poor. If we can't order more stock I'd question what sort of merchandise deal we have here because 10 days before Xmas we shouldn't be running out of things and if we do we should get more in.

It doesn't really work like that though. If it did then the only time managers would ever get sacked would be between May and August. Sometimes you have to see the bigger picture. At most clubs you have owners or a board constantly reviewing performances and results and forming educated views. Here we are in a vacuum where the owners haven't any interest and the board seem to think Tony Mowbray is the greatest manager in our history to the extent that they commission huge flags of him. Can't imagine he's under any level of scrutiny from anyone other than a portion of the fanbase.

I think the squad is capable of more than is being delivered. Mowbray of course deserves credit for assembling that but also criticism for not making more of it. The flip side is that if the squad isn't good enough again that falls back on Mowbray. He's had more than enough time and money to get it to being good enough so if it isn't there now will it ever? I know that having 4 years in the job, not being forced to sell any key players and a net spend of £20 million is a luxury very few others get at this level. Injuries are par for the course. People mention Dack not being back yet but we've had 2 transfer windows to deal with his absence and despite it we are still top scorers so I dont accept his absence has caused us too much of a problem. Travis unfortunate and a big miss but we've a raft of midfielders signed by this manager to step into his shoes. If Lenihan isn't up to it, making mistakes or playing poorly it is the job of the manager to drop or replace him. Yet he's straight back in after suspension suggesting the manager is happy with him.