I wouldn’t bother with new signings we are going nowhere. Sack Mowbray or as tomphil suggested send him upstairs. Appoint Johnson for the rest of the season and see how he does. Use the youth team and at that point we’ll know who may make the grade. If it doesn’t work out appt an experienced manager in the summer.

Just now, Mashed Potatoes said:

Thanks for your reply - I am having to deal with rather a lot of them in the last hour or so !

I understand what you are saying about the positions of players - what I am looking at is our overall rate of points per game which if sustained will mean we finish comfortable mid table. I don't think that's a sacking offence especially bearing in mind that the replacement could be a great deal worse. I still believe that given the owners track record the best bet is to stick with Mowbray and hope that some of the young players coming through turn out well.

But you see mash for me mid table mediocrity is not an objective. We are in  a league that is full of dross you don’t have to be fantastic to get out of it and our squad is equal to if not better than others. Unfortunately the manager is worse than a lot of others. 

So to prevent a like who question bowyer McNeil has a start. Look a wba rubbish until they get a proper manager. Boro are failing because they have a inexperienced manager. It goes on managers get you out of this league. Consistency gets you out of this league. What doesn’t is not having a clue who the team is from one week to the next or the formation your going to play  or has a player your position in the team or the fact has a player your not going to be in your favoured position. If it wasn’t Rovers and another club or a business I’d be laughing but it is and it stinks

Just now, Mashed Potatoes said:

I'm disappointed with what's happened in the last week but won't be resorting to personal abuse against anyone, be they players, manager or other posters on here.

What I really think is the same as a few weeks ago; the manager is better than most posters here think because he is dealing with clueless owners for whom all previous managers have struggled. I don't argue for him to be fired because I think there is a significant likelihood of a vastly inferior manager being appointed and I don't think we will be relegated under Mowbray.

I think it is perfectly reasonable to ask those who advocate Mowbray's firing to say who realistically would want the job here.

I really don’t know what it is your watching. Today he has our center foward on the right wing Gallagher our right winger on the left wing champman. Holtby not in the squad a natural replacement for Dack.( apologising if he’s injured) Buckley a cm has a winger. It’s a joke it’s not even clever or inventive it’s just nonsense. Managers in normal jobs would get sacked for sending a plumber to rewire your house etc but you advocate keeping because there no one better give me a break.

This rant is not at you personally.

Just now, Mashed Potatoes said:

And in comes who ?

That was absolutely appalling. 2 plus years in and we look totally disjointed. Who do we get in anybody. Hold on what about me or you because we could do that. Its utter shit and the players have no clue what their doing. My wife who is not a football genius said both goals where down to the same thing and she’s right.

 So if fantasy land is the place you want to occupy where Mowbray is irreplaceable. Hughes hughton pelligrini pulis allardyce plus numerous others and before you say they wouldn’t come I don’t care he is a bang average manager and needs replacing 

Just disjointed and disorganised made Huddersfield look good. 

Just now, Mercer said:

I wonder what our owners in Pune are thinking:

• We've just lost our talisman and probably any outside chance of promotion we had this season 
• Dack's financial value to Rovers might be dissipated when he returns in 12+ months' time.
• IMO, we've seen some £12million+ in fees spunked away on two non scoring, infrequently played strikers   
• We have ageing and loan players in key positions and I think summer 2020 player trading is going to be a nightmare
• The club is kept afloat by recurrent £multi million share issues through VLL

I think our remaining most valuable assets are at grave risk of being sold off in January.

Somehow, I don't think it's going to be a great New Year for Rovers' fans. 

We could be close to a 'tipping point'.

 

Or we win every single game from now till the end of the season and are promoted. 

Are return to the premiership is glorious and at this point next year we are 10 points clear of both city and Liverpool.

The clubs international standing has appreciated so much that a company who is so mega rich their value is incalculable takes over us and immediately appoints the greatest manager the world has ever seen

We immediately Jettison are ageing players and accept spunking money is no longer an issue

Then i waken up from the dream and at the same time you waken up from the nightmare

Just now, tomphil said:

No i genuinely believe he has something to offer that role 'if' he has been as involved with some of the rebuilding behind the scenes as he gets credit for.

We are in danger of becoming too focused on that i fear at times when all the focus should be on the best first team 11. 

Wherever we finish this season i'll still to my original thoughts that we must change manager at the end of the season to try and progress. I don't see them wanting to let him go so the next best thing is move him into an in house role overseeing stats etc and the football depts. Could even be a player welfare officer or something as well.

Shame to waste his experience and familiarity with the workings of the club and owners but as first team manager he'll always be a 1 step forward 1 step back type.  

Sorry Tomphil I was not nor would I ever be critical of your opinion. 

You are making a long term strategic appreciation of the situation where to be honest I’m really just pissed by the shit I’m watching. So my observation was aimed at Mowbray not your analysis.

Yes he does has strengths that could be better focused but for me away from the first team but that’s just my opinion.

Before I get italic responses. I know we are not on a losing streak it was a reference to previous conversations not about current results

Just now, tomphil said:

I watched two strikingly different interviews with him in the last week that in my mind added to the thinking he should be DoF.

Pre Wigan when he was dour as ever building them up the moaning how hard his job was leaving out players who'd worked hard all week. So much so they cut him off mid sentence which was ignorant but probably understandable. This was pre game and it was very uninspirational and more like preparing us for the unambitious grind to come.

Then the stuff on the video from behind the scenes where he seems bright eyed, clear talking and almost excited by it all.  As well as very knowledgeable and clear about what they are doing.

To me his real strengths lie behind the scenes in the bigger picture he's too much of a players man to do anything more than keep us ticking over.  Not a bad thing but we/he have had a real chance to kick on this season and the form, signings and tactics don't reflect that quite enough for me.  A few weeks ago it did but a few weeks before that we were going backwards, now we might have found middle ground which will probably be drawing every week like under Bowyer. 

This conversation about promoting “tony Mowbray he’s a football football genius” has been had during previous long losing streaks. Your suggestion of Dof fell under the peter principal namely “percussive sublimation” or commonly known has kicked upstairs because they are crap in their current job find a new higher job that has less responsibility and organisational damage without actually firing them.

Im not anti this

Just now, Stuart said:

The average life span of a manager is far less than three years. More like less than 18 months.

Mowbray is the 15th longest serving manager in England; 7th in the top two divisions; 2nd in the Championship.

All of the other managers are performing at a level at or above that expected or required.

It’s arguable whether Rovers are where they ought to be, depending on whether one agrees with Mowbray’s assessment that we are only just over a year out of L1, or whether we should be a lower to mid-PL side (like Burnley) but for the idiots from Pune.

I believe in this league managers change games. It’s not where you ought to be it’s where you believe you should be. Now that is the managers job. Mowbray?

Just now, tomphil said:

Good post, this team are genuinely a reflection of the gaffer as are his signings.  Honest, humble, usually hard working but happy to coast and seek out the comfort zone again after every 'fans about to turn' kick up the jacksy.  Capable of good stuff but in the main dull, uninspiring and drifting.

Shame because the squad is slightly above average overall i feel but needs a lot of direction and drive to keep it on its toes.

I would accept being a good team in a great league or a minnow punching above its weight. He just talks rubbish and even that I could accept but we are .................... ( not swear words but just repetitious)

So returning to what this message board is criticised for has being hysterical.

I watched Souness 2000 rovers play in this division with pace with aggression with purpose.

No matter what side off the equation your on sack or stay the two are incomparable. You can mark this team out of a game without trying. Poor movement and passing interchange. No running off the ball or from deep. 

Teams are a reflection of their manager and his philosophy. 

The players are happy because it appears non competitive “everyone gets a game”

Bells crap but a few weeks out of the supporters view then they can be slipped back in. Bennett back now for a run. Change the team keep um happy not my team the dressing rooms. 

We’re on a winning run. I hope I’m wrong because I love rovers but it’s transitional to the prelude of the losing streak. 

So I’ll go now with my view. The line below sums him up. 

Mowbrays latest the team are  “emotionally scared by dacks injury” . 

We will never be promoted or top six has long has this fella is in charge. Not hard enough to lead but emotional enough to ignore players if you object to his ideas or question him. He’s a if I like you sort of manager rather than let’s get this job done even though I can’t stand you.

The average timespan for a football manager is 3 years and regardless that clocks ticking.

PS Has a disclaimer 

I have never been in the teams dressing room

I have never had any experience of Mowbray management skills

To conclude his idea of football is just dead shite

42 minutes ago, bazza said:

It's always better to see the word "champions" rather than "runners-up" in the club's honours list.

You can throw this around has much has you want but it in the end this paragraph sums it up.There is always only one winner.

Winners never talk about why they where second. That’s what losers do. Full stop

Just now, Nelsonthedog said:

And isn't that a good game of football.

I think you’ll find rovers winning three or four nil and cruising is the dictionary definition of a good game of football

8 minutes ago, matt83 said:

Tonebola was a professional footballer for 18 years and he’s been a manager on and off for another 18 years. So at 56 he’s been involved in professional football his whole adult life. Therefore, it would be utterly ridiculous to think we as fans know more than him about football. However, I don’t know whether it’s a case of he can’t see the wood for the trees but he does seem really really really consistently slow on the uptake for things that seem bloody obvious no brainer decisions. 

Brentford was a great example of this. Things that have been said on here, up and down the terraces, in pubs, in homes are finally tried and we look imperious. Even little things like last season we’d lost 9 from 11 everyone was saying play Travis and Reed together and he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Finally, tries it vs play off Derby and we smash them off the park. Go figure.

Hes an enigma. 

I’m not sure if this was from Hugh Mcllvaney. The value of experience is directly proportional to the intelligence that’s exposed to it. Send a cabbage round the world it won’t come back an expert in geography it will come back has a cabbge.

These are basic requirements 

refs in black baggie outfits who wave play on regardless

players who go down under a “ heavy challenge “ get straight back up retaliate but only get a warning has the ref views it within the context of the game.

kicking the winger early doors to let them know your there

A maverick every team has to have one. Not part of any team structures do what they want but are exciting and people pay to watch them. Names that spring to mind. Tony currie, Rodney Marsh,George best,Stan Bowles,frank worthington.

To understand the requirements of this game every team and ref has to watch the 1970 fa cup final replay Chelsea v Leeds.

9 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

On a related theme, just as Walking Soccer has found a ready market, I wondered if there’d be mileage in a Proper Footy league. 1970s rules: sliding tackles, back passes can be picked up to give everyone a breather, tying your bootlaces on the far touchline is offside, deflections play you onside, contested drop balls, tackles are ridden, dives get you a battering. Can’t fail.

That would be a dream and  a league Fans would flock to. Old fashioned football played by men not afraid to get stuck in. If only

What is so disappointing is that with a bit of proper management this league is so poor we could get out of it. 

It all comes down to a complete lack of organisation and discipline. This are the required attributes when put under pressure. It’s the need to intuitively no your role and that of each of the men around you and the discipline for each individual to stick to the plan regardless of opposition pressure.

Examples england rugby v New Zealand, dalglish Hughes and alardyce rovers teams. Ferguson most of his teams.

This come from the management and nowhere else. Mowbray I feel does not give any clear direction or leadership and then blames individuals for the failure to complete the task. Which has a general principle of management is poor in itself.

There are countless examples of teams being greater than the sum of there parts due to organisation and discipline. We are I feel are a working example of how not to manage.

finally has an aside before someone comes forward and says league one promotion. Mowbray by his own admission handed over organisation and discipline to the senior professionals. Isn’t it strange that the absence of Conway Mulgrew and the sidelining of Graham has left just Bennett coveting every position on the field and I suspect the dressing room. While Mowbray rejects responsibility for failure and blames it on the younger players. In my opinion and for the reasons above change is required and inevitable 

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Mowbrays mate, the incompetent Steve Waggott was telling fans yesterday that basically Mowbray is going nowhere. Naive to think otherwise.

On the general question if he doesn’t feel he has a decision to make now he’s going to have because 32 points from 31 games is appalling by any standard and it’s not getting better.

 On his specific statement unless he doesn’t know this games aren’t won at half time. Winning at any moment during the game other than at the end . Nil points 

Just now, JHRover said:

Yes but it is cheaper and easier to do nothing, hope it all works out ok and if it doesn't then pretend/convince ourselves we can't do any better

 

Exactly and put very concisely 

I never get the unattractive proposition idea. It falls in the same category has how much bigger all championships clubs are than us. That mediocrity is an accomplishment. Don’t change because it could get worse.

The loss of positive mental attitude is one of the things I do hold Mowbray responsible for. Survival not success. Stability not improvement. 

If for no other reason than every manager has a shelf life and at that point you either change the players( the Alex Ferguson method) or the standard method you change the manager. We reached-that point with Mowbray a while ago. Therefore do nothing and we will has a club go backwards it’s inevitable.

Are we an attractive proposition for an ambitious manager definitely.Money has been spent, we have a first class youth set up and better than average facilities. No job is perfect but I honestly do believe Rovers are a not bad option. Will we get lots of applicants certainly. Will they be better than Mowbray. Yes if for no other reason than he is at the end

Just now, OldEwoodBlue said:

IT'S THE SAME BAD RUN. IT NEVER STOPPED.

However so many said it didn't work that way and a new season means a new slate.

It is and you are 100% correct. It needed nipping in the bud in February 

Just now, Husky said:

I don't think we're going to win now, but. Well we're only one down, it's a hell of a lot better than last year's shocker. Just one chance and we can still steal a point... Someone should tell the players that as some of them look like the game's over and we're 4-1 down.

Wake up!!!

But remember we’re not here to win but just be proud that we’ve been competitive. PNE big team better than us we have to accept were we are. Also Mowbray isn’t going to change it