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JHRover

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Everything posted by JHRover

  1. 'We believe we can beat the Bees' is not the sort of headline I want to see on the club website before a game. We are playing Brentford, and whilst recent performances suggest we will struggle against anyone you might think we were playing Barcelona or Bayern Munich rather than a midtable 2nd division side to whom Mowbray sold our keeper because he was a liability.
  2. Bournemouth were bankrupt, deducted points and facing relegation to the Conference when Howe got the job. He's done brilliantly but the circumstances completely different. He grew with the club, had no pressure or expectation on his shoulders and built it exactly how he wanted it. Smith at Walsall another case of a small club with small expectations in the 3rd and 4th divisions. Let's focus on the Championship and big clubs which is more relevant to our position. I can name Redfern, Wassall, Bowyer, Moore, Adams, Ramsey, Gray - none of them massively successful. Bowyer was the best here. Why not get him back?
  3. Venkys don't sack managers lightly. Kean was safe and secure and was able to determine his own departure date whilst Singh got a lot of the media attention and flak for it. Berg and Appleton weren't Venky appointments, didn't get chance to get their feet under the table and were removed by Singh/Agnew. Bowyer was safe for over 2 years until someone decided that Pasha was going to take a hands on involvement in the operation and he got shut of Bowyer. Lambert walked of his own accord. Coyle lasted months and months through relegation form and it was only after mysterious Senior arrived that he was fired. The head honchos in India don't get their hands dirty with such things. I doubt they even know where we are in the table and none of the minions are going to risk their own positions in suggesting the manager should be sacked.
  4. Coaches promoted to the top job from within don't work. It's one of the oldest rules in football yet still clubs fall foul of it through sentimentality and wanting to make a point. When was the last time a manager who had previously been a coach/reserve manager led his team to success at this level? Warburton at Brentford did it in the division below but took over a good side on the up with momentum. Incredible how people still fall for it and then wonder what went wrong when it doesn't work out.
  5. I just don't think we look like a team. We look about as far away from being a well drilled, coherent outfit as you can imagine. People have been singing Barnsley's praises since Saturday for how decent they appeared despite being bottom of the league, but I think that is because whilst they are young, inexperienced and short on quality in some areas they are a team. Their signings have a role to play and know their jobs and they are used to playing with each other. That's why they looked alright. They might not be strong but they have been brought there with a job in mind. That's why we are such a mess from back to front, because our side appears to have no coherency, no organisation, no structure. Our transfers appear to have no specific role to play or if they do don't get enough opportunity to do it, others are shoehorned into various positions, we assemble our defence on who is fit and available and who can play there when needed. A complete mess. People moan about Allardyce but his teams knew their jobs inside out back to front and there was a plan behind everything. We are a million miles off and I think the manager is to blame and knows it. He did the same at Celtic and Middlesbrough by the sounds of things.
  6. I think Waggott left Coventry some time before Mowbray. In fact there was only a relatively short overlap when they were there together but clearly enough to strike up a decent working relationship. Mowbray walked away in late 2016 then Venus stepped into the breach as caretaker manager but their fans didn't want him and Russell Slade took over. I suspect if Mowbray went then Waggott would cart on doing what he does in his limited capacity as CEO until such a stage as he didn't fancy doing it anymore. As for Venus i suspect he'd carry on as long as he was given the chance to but if the new manager was allowed to appoint his own staff, like any manager should be allowed to do, then he would have to make way, as would Lowe and Benson. Its all part of the job.
  7. True, the issue with conceding too many goals was going on way back to early last season. Remembering Bristol and Swansea away. But despite those issues we were in a decent position to strike and kick on and address those issues from a healthy place in late January. To fail to do so was a massive error and insane when looking at the Brereton and Gallagher fees in the summers.
  8. I feel that January was the turning point for Mowbray and the club. In late January we were on a good run, reasonably well placed just outside the play-offs, well positioned to kick on, still with a winning habit in mind. The first half of the season had been pretty decent with solid home form and we'd got through a tough December run of games. Then in January we did nothing to strengthen and build. We barely stood still and weakened our thin defence. Where the blame lies for that isnt clear. Did Mowbray decide to not act or was he prevented from doing so? Either way, momentum was lost, poor form set in and other than a short run at the end of the season in dead rubbers it has been pretty woeful since then.
  9. I thought it was a better showing from Rovers than in the last 3 or 4 games but not great. An inexperienced side. Uneventful first half, we started the second well but they recovered well to going behind. Thought Benfica looked a decent side at times and a step ahead of us. Unfortunate to lose it so late on which ends our involvement in the competition
  10. Patrick Cryne is dead. Before dying he sold Barnsley to Chien Lee and co. They were the ones who found Stendel and appointed him although not exactly find of the century given he was manager of Hanover for a couple of seasons. Just took a bit of imagination. For a club that prefers to look within and doesn't go beyond the North of England for new signings that is an unusual concept admittedly.
  11. Precisely. All well and good expecting Mowbray to walk but we are back at square one - manager has too much power and not enough handle on the situation upstairs. My impression is that the whole operation would be thrown into chaos if Mowbray suddenly didn't turn up for work. I feel Mowbray may walk in the not too distant future. He isn't a mercenary and strikes me as a bloke who at his age would quite enjoy spending some quality time with his family. The issue comes back to the inadequate structure at the club and its ability to deal with adverse situations. Venkys are used to their managers being grateful and hanging on for dear life/big payoff. If Mowbray walks that will take them by surprise. The obvious, easy, cheap route will be to ask Venus or Johnson to take the reigns whilst confusion and inertia sets in. Hope they do a steady job and then their permanent appointments can be rubber stamped with minimal outrage from the terraces. So predictable it is boring. The only time we've bucked this old routine was with Lambert and they got burned with his outspoken approach.
  12. 15th, 22nd, 4th, 13th, 9th, 3rd, 17th Those are Wycombe's final League finishing positions since Ainsworth became their manager in 2012. Have they had less money than Accy Stanley? Because Coleman's record is just as good if not better.
  13. Jokanovic doing nicely for himself in Qatar. Wagner is Schalke manager.
  14. Is he allowed? Have to assume having shelled out £14 million Venkys will want to see Brereton, Gallagher and Armstrong at least maintaining some sort of value, whereas Graham at his age will have very little from a financial perspective.
  15. Davies' agent went public that he wanted the job before Coyle got it. So I'm not sure he'd be against the idea although not sure if he's bothered about management now or what his situation is. As I say strange that a manager with his record has been unemployed for 5 years. Why would you be against Di Matteo? Ex promotion and Champions League/FA Cup winner. Think Karanka is less likely than most. He fell out with people at Middlesbrough and has always spent heavily. Can't see us paying compo for anyone so forget luring Malmo's manager here.
  16. Yes. It is clear that since Bowyer went and Pasha started emerging from the shadows more that there has been a pattern in management appointments. They've all been promoted to the Premier League in the last decade. Not just Lambert, Coyle and Mowbray but also strong links to Warnock, Jokanovic, Adkins and Holloway too. It isnt a bad policy to follow. Experience and past success are good things to seek particularly after Kean, Berg and Appleton, but it is quite naive to just assume appointing an ex promotion winner will see similar happen here. So if we follow this policy who do we have available right now? Holloway, Adkins, McDermott, Warnock, Mackay, Hughton, Karanka, Keane, Billy Davies, Di Matteo, McLeish, Pulis, Pearson, Redknapp. As far as I can think the rest of them are currently employed elsewhere. Realistically out of those Hughton, Karanka and Di Matteo would probably be too expensive for these owners. Warnock and Redknapp likely retired. Pearson and Keane are nutters who wouldnt work for Venkys. So I'd expect Mackay, Adkins, Holloway, McLeish. Billy Davies looks good in comparison, though not worked for 5 years so something not right there. Not great really.
  17. I don't doubt Mowbray is feeling the heat. He knows he is under pressure from the fans and probably feels under pressure from Venkys. That, of course, doesn't mean that they themselves are planning on getting rid of him. We all know these people don't understand football and attach a great deal to nice people who they trust. In the past the club and results have come 2nd to that. So this is Mowbray feeling the pressure but it will probably require approval from Madame for him to be potted and as Kean sussed out if she likes you then you're as safe as houses. If Mowbray expects fans to be happy with less than 40% possession at home to the bottom club, constantly conceding at 2 per game or having barely any attempts on goal he's got a strange view on things. Results are all that matters but anyone who watches football regularly knows there are big problems here and it would be negligent for him or the team to pretend otherwise and delusional for supporters to believe otherwise.
  18. Mowbray has been in this position before - at Celtic, Middlesbrough and Coventry - when the fans are turning or have turned and he shows no sign of turning it around. He will know the signs. It isnt unfamiliar territory. Perhaps that's just his management style. Mourinho does similar albeit on a much more successful scale. Popular and successful for a couple of years before it unravels.
  19. A lot of weight attached to this concept of Mowbray setting the top 6 as a target and raising expectations of the fans. Absolute nonsense. First off every club at this level should aim for the top 6. Being in or close to the top 6 of this division is not an achievement. Getting promoted is. Whether that target was announced by Mowbray in private or via loudspeaker on an open top bus matters not. The reality is he is failing to deliver on that target. I think the biggest problem on Saturday was being comprehensively outplayed by the bottom club at home. That was why the fans were unhappy. And it has been dreadful almost all season. Oh and Mowbray shouldn't be setting targets. That is the owners and boards job and Mowbray has to find a way to deliver. Just another example of the circus that is Blackburn Rovers.
  20. Depends what phase Venkys are up to with their build it up and sell it off routine. Mowbray has to date managed to get funds out of them on the basis he is investing it into assets to grow in value and get their money back down the line. Other than Dack he's failed with just about all of them. Only a matter of time before Venkys instigate a round of sales and naturally Dack will be number 1 on the list. I expect a Cairney style departure. I don't think he'll push for a move as I think he is genuinely happy here but if Venkys want a sale he'll be sent on his way even perhaps for a knock down fee to a rival club. If someone came along with £5-6 million cash upfront that would probably do the trick. All depends what mindset they are in. If it's an attitude of keep our assets then other clubs will really struggle to get anywhere. If it is firesale attitude e.g. 2015-16 then anyone and everyone will be up for grabs.
  21. Waggott is chief executive of the club and apparently in control of ticketing and pricing. Numbers through the turnstiles are dropping rapidly. That means his policies have failed. Nobody really cares about numbers turning up because it's all about life on easy street.
  22. Mowbray succeeded in convincing people that our defensive woes last season were down to Raya and Mulgrew. So with that in mind I suspect he will know all about Raya's many weaknesses and will have a plan to exploit those. Or we'll just be the same as usual and have 1 shot on target.
  23. Much longer? I've checked and it was 9 games. Hardly half a season. We did enough to survive. Bowyer was a welcome breath of decency, normality, honesty. But i think by that point most people were just completely fed up with the chronic instability and chaos and liked Bowyer and trusted him which was why the fans welcomed his appointment when it happened. I embraced that decision. I appreciated what he had done and recognised we needed someone trustworthy in the dugout and it worked for 2 years. I don't believe there was a strong clamour for his appointment. If we'd have sent him back to the u21s and brought in an external manager I'm sure people would have accepted it. My point remains - I don't think Venkys were following some grand plan in handing the reigns to Bowyer. They were just glad someone at the club managed to step forward and get a grip on things and then when he went out to India they took a liking to him like they did with Mowbray. That's how these people operate. They don't follow results, track records, performances, overall plans. They just want someone running it who they trust who will make the effort to go out and tell them how great they are and how lucky the club is to have them and do things their way and be grateful for the chance to do it. Hence no quality sought after manager gets employed here because they don't need the hassle.
  24. Out of interest would you support John Coleman, Paul Tisdale or Paul Hurst as manager? All those have impressive records in Leagues One and Two on limited budgets. Or is it just because Ainsworth is from Blackburn?
  25. If every caretaker that had a decent 3-4 games in charge got the job permanently then it would happen in 80% of cases. More often than not the caretaker oversees an improvement. It doesn't mean he should automatically get the job full time. As much as I liked Bowyer he got the job here through being the easy and obvious choice and calm head amidst absolute chaos brought upon the club by the owners. He did a good job until the owners ruined it by selling everyone and providing no funds to him or Lambert. There has to be more to it than 'oh well he's a nice bloke and we won a couple of games when he was caretaker so he can have the job'. It's this approach that will almost certainly see Johnson next in line. Appointing a manager and staff at this level requires far more than taking the easiest and cheapest option. I thought they'd worked that out when we impressively brought in Lambert, Irvine and Kelly but recent events show that not to be the case.
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