Listened to an interesting interview with Treacy. Football relies, to an extent, on dehumanising players and the use of their surnames is, in a way, part of that. It's easier, as a fan, to publicly fault Treacy, than it might be to do so to Keith. Treacy is a commodity, Keith a human being trying to get by, like all of us.

Incidentally, I was always convinced it was an error by Allardyce in preferring Treacy and getting rid of Alan Judge. The latter had more to his game, I feel, though even in a second spell, I'm not sure we saw it. His height was probably an issue for Allardyce.

Excuse me for a random post but it occurred to me that this season the following, I believe, have all played in the centre forward position (albeit, not necessarily as centre forwards): Buckley, Dolan, Brereton, Clarkson, Poveda, Hedges? Johnson. As far as I remember, the obvious centre forward, Gallagher, hasn't played there - not for any length of time, anyway.

Aside from Brereton, who has, I believe, got most of his goals from a left wing/forward role, that list consists of midfielders who have barely scored any goals - and in some cases, literally not scored any goals. Herein lies Mowbray's unforgivable failing. Even if we get promoted, I consider it a tactical failure. The central forward must score goals. It's a sign of the irrationality that has taken hold that this needs stating.

I'm increasingly of the opinion that we will look back at this season in a way like we should do last, when we had Adam Armstrong and Harvey Elliot in the squad and finished 15th. But for a sensible formation and tactics, we would be doing much better. In this season's case, much better would be pushing for automatic promotion.

Dolan in the England U20 squad. I wonder who the last Rovers players were, excluding loanees, who got into that squad? Mahoney and Jason Lowe?

The Dolan signing is, perhaps, amongst the best value in recent times. Were he to play consistently as a winger, I'm sure he'd be developing further. 

I question Mowbray's record of nurturing of youth talent, especially of late. Rovers currently have five "homegrown" players in the side in Wharton, Travis, Nyambe, Lenihan and Buckley. Lenihan might be the doubt for this category, as I'm not sure he would have played for the U18s. 

Where are the next academy/U23s youngsters who will save us millions in the market next summer and fill the spaces left by the inevitable exodus, should we remain in the league? Of the U23s side that finished 5th, I think, in the top league last year, no-one is currently close. 

Hayden Carter is doing well on loan and may come through but all else have fallen by the wayside. A few suffered serious injuries such as Whitehall and Barnes. The only hopes that I can see to come through at the moment are Jack Vale, Jake Garrett and, perhaps, Cirino, who is also injured. But none of these are close to being the next Travis or Nyambe.

From the U18 age group, Adam Wharton and Ash Phillips have made it on the bench on occasion but they are likely to young to be expected to make a real impact next year - though, given the exodus that may happen, we may end up turning to these sort of players.

Rovers have, I feel, failed the U23s by not getting them decent league loan experience in the league. No one was allowed to go on loan in the summer, save Chapman, I believe. McBride was in demand at the time but wasn't allowed to go and now is at Queen's Park.

Then outside of the transfer window, players headed out to non-league level. I don't understand what Rovers were thinking devaluing a Welsh U21 prospect, in Vale, by sending him out to Halifax, albeit on a half season loan. The one month loans for players like Sam Burns were even more absurd, to my mind, given that playing 3 games for FC United does next to nothing for the player or Rovers, as far as I see it. When the window opened, Scunthorpe have taken him on and though he's not pulled up trees, he's at least playing league football and scored a few goals in a crisis club.

Mowbray definitely persevered with Buckley and deserves some credit for that - though I question whether he is now hindering his development by fielding him in this lone No.10 role which he's now struggling with, to the point of being dropped.

Wharton got his chance in defence after an age and numerous excellent loan spells in L1 and L2. Mowbray refused to use him and denigrated the loan promotions with Northampton and others, favouring Derrick Williams and others, until injuries, I believe, forced his hand. I think we are lucky that Wharton didn't walk after being overlooked for so long.

Aside from Buckley and, perhaps, JRC, of late, I see Mowbray engaging in excessive short-termism, possibly, sensing his job is on the line. He wanted to keep Elliot Bennett. He favours Brad Johnson as his back-up CM/CB. He'd rather loan a Prem youth player and boast about polishing them up than doing so with a Garrett or a Vale, even though, we need that progression if we are to be sustainable as a club.

If we go up, Mowbray will justifiably argue the gamble paid off. If we don't we're going to have a greatly weakened squad and will rely on big sales to try and rebuild.

26 minutes ago, 1864roverite said:

The single issue was clear if you play a centre forward in the right slot with a supply line they will score goals it’s plainly obvious since football began Mowbray thinks otherwise and that is as big as an enigma than the reasons why the pyramids were built😅😅

I can only put it down to extreme ignorance or stupidity.

Mowbray has stated that in the modern game formations are not that important. He has cited Klopp's Liverpool as an example of a team that attacks and defends as one.

Yet, though Liverpool don't play with a target man striker, they have a system. Their wide players are always quick and skilful. They would never put Jordan Henderson as a forward. They use Harvey Elliot as a midfielder presumably because he's not quick enough for the forward role. Whilst they rotate, they bring in like for like.

Giles and Gallagher are not similar players yet all both, at some point, played wide forward this season, clearly indicating Mowbray has no meaningful system.

2 hours ago, glen9mullan said:

Its difficult to defend TM,

Before a ball was kicked this season, with the sale of Amstrong, and what turned out to be a poor transfer window (lack of perm signings or a replacement striker) I had us at best 17th or 18th, especially after last seasons capitulation.

At that point, i felt Mowbray and Waggott should go. I felt we had finally downgraded to the point that we were gonna be reliant on the academy, which has proven to be the case.

We had a decent start to the season, above the expectations/confidence that our business warranted. Then came the Fulham hammering, followed by an unbelievable run when others were faltering. 2nd in the table, you had to pinch yourself.

Having blown the summer window, we now had the January window, we were second, players would be busting a gut to sign you'd think??? 

However we had Rothwell, Lenihan ,Nyambe with deals not signed, and a total lack of imagination from the manager and board in strengthening out position with players to get us to the promised land. TM telling the world we dont play with centre forwards, and justifying a pathetic seasons of business.

Breretons Indian summer of goals and other teams inability to string any decent form together had propelled us to an unlikely position. However, how ever unlikely it was. It had happened, we were there on merit, and barring a complete disaster play offs at that stage looked a minimum. 

However, predictable tactics, no plan B, stubbornness to admit he is wrong, has seen him and the idiots who employ him oversee a remarkable fall, and produce relegation form since Xmas. False 9 will go down as Blackburns answer to the metatarsal.

Regardless of summer expectations and our current position, it was their poor business in the summer which set those expectations, and not because we are a poor side.

The football on show since Xmas has been poor, its not get off your seat stuff. More noise has been generated as we've blamed refs and everything else bar the board and manager.

The players have given their all in the main, but they are now showing signs of, they dont know what they are being asked to do, where they should be, or what the plan is.

You can point at at our 15 or 16 clean sheets, and state we are hard to beat. However on the other side of the coin we've become toothless.

A continuation of playing players out of position, players who are not good enough and tactics the opposition have the whole week to master how to play against is a recurring theme.

The club is no further along than the day he arrived. Its plasters, a bit of hope and if he does go this summer, he goes leaving rovers where he found us. In the Championship, and a long way from the premier league given the players due to leave this summer

Really good summary, I feel. By comparative standards, albeit, in a poor quality league, we have an embarrassment of riches. We've just had three players called up to the U21s or U20s of some of the biggest football nations. We spent money on a back up left back in Edun and when that didn't work out we signed Giles on loan from the Prem. With Nyambe and JRC needing back up, we signed Zeefuik and Brown.

Edun, Harry Chapman and Jacob Davenport were all signed for transfer fees and none regularly get into the match day squad these days.

We're not the big spenders we once were and Mowbray has made some good signings. Yet, we have brought in a lot of players and spent money throughout the squad. We also had a strong U23 side, competing in the top league, that didn't develop and is now being dispersed but still has some promising individuals.

Despite all this, we resort to, as Glen mentions, players out of position, having their self-belief and development ground down, as performances and results stutter.

We can hope we pick up and get into the play offs but it'll take management to get out of the way and let the players express themselves.

Edit: In the second half of the season, last year, Harvey Elliot was dropped to the bench and Mowbray desperately rotated Trybull, Evans, Downing and others to get a result. In a way, options only add to his uncertainty, it seems. During our strong run this season, with injuries, he didn't have many options. 

Why have Rankin-Costello and Brown on the bench when you have no intention to bring then on at RWB?

Mowbray's decision-making defies logic. And, yet, in spite of him, we could still sneak a winner. 

22 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Hopefully it 4-2-3-1 formation and set up like this

                    Kaminski

Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Giles

              Travis Rothwell

      Dolan   Buckley   Khadra

                 Gallagher

Might be too sensible for Mowbray but at least Giles won't be playing as a forward.

The plethora of international call ups and recalls (in the case of Lenihan and Kaminski) reflects our good run and league position.

It also reveals what it takes to keep players and develop them. Having been mired in middle to lower league for the past seasons, despite some outstanding players for this league, players have stagnated and inevitably looked elsewhere to develop.

The retention of Kaminski, therefore, is a pleasant surprise, which goes against the grain. However, we won't keep him long if we sink back into our old ways.

I would hope that Rovers made some attempt to permanently sign van Hecke and/or Khadra in January. With their U21 international call-ups, it becomes less and less likely we will be able to afford to keep them. 

5 hours ago, Ossydave said:

Yep that's such a strange interview and he seems like his mind is elsewhere and he's worried about something, not nice to see whatever your opinion of Mowbray. It's hard to believe that's just the result of a few boos and Tony sort it outs before half time.

I would be surprised if there was not some open dissent against Mowbray, in the changing room, from a player or two, given the first half display and tactics. And not just some of the youngsters, but some of the dominant voices who have been Mowbray favourites.

This game, though a win, seems like another flux moment, comparable to the Fulham thrashing defeat. Once again, there is uncertainty about the future formation and line-up. 

The most worrying decision for me at the moment is the signing of Hedges on the cusp of a historic promotion push, only for him to apparently not be ready. Mowbray deserves credit for signings like Khadra and Van Hecke but this one was crucial and at the moment, it looks a missed opportunity to bring someone in to make an immediate impact.

Having said that, even if we had signed the next Armstrong (or Markanday had stayed fit), I'm not convinced about the team as a whole. After all, even with a firing Armstrong, we finished lower mid-table in 15th, last year.

12 minutes ago, LDRover said:

Unfortunately the lad is gutless. He should have been chomping at the bit in every game to step up in the absence of BBD and he has contributed the square root of sod all.

We all know Gallagher is limited but he has been severely hampered by being played out of position. He would score goals played as a striker and supported by wingers.

39 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Thinking of ways to recreate the Riverside experience at home.

Your suggestions appreciated.  

Very harsh, but wearing shoes on the opposite foot came to mind, in relation to Gallagher playing wing forward or split striker, as I've seen it called.

It's good news but I must question whether Travis is improving as a player. Injuries have been a hinderance and, arguably, he's been overplayed by Mowbray. He could do with someone to compete with, take the physical load of and challenge him to get better. He was once looking like a potential Premiership midfielder but hasn't developed.

I put some of this down to the club's failure to bring in or bring through a CM to challenge and support him. Playing in poorly set-up sides hasn't helped either.

I think it's fair to say that Mowbray doesn't know what he's doing, when it comes to the forwards. Things fell into shape for a while, but in the Fulham game, prior to the up turn, I believe that Buckley started as a right forward. Now we are experimenting with new full backs as wide forwards, reminiscent of the experiments with Clarkson and Poveda as lone No.10s.

14 minutes ago, yankfan said:

Result as expected. Without BBD it seems we don’t have any real goal threat. What’s most concerning to me is the status of the club for next year. Of the 14 that were on the pitch today. 5 are loans, 2 are out of contract. Of the 7 that will be back, none look likely to have standout performances. Unless we sell BBD for 30 million and reinvest all those funds, I don’t see the side having more talent than this. 

Agree that this season could be the high point for a long time, should we not go up. 

I disagree with those that argue that we have a small squad. We just extended James Brown's deal. He's a 23 year old RB with experience, albeit lower level. Dan Pike, now at AFC Fylde, was given a two year deal - so supposedly is/was rated. That makes 5 right wing backs at the club, in Nyambe, Zeefuik, JRC, Brown, Pike excluding those featuring for the U18s.

More questionable is thr quality of managerial decision-making in some of the recruitment. The backing of Bradley Johnson as third choice CM a glaring issue, unresolved for a long time.

I suppose Giles is playing left forward? It's bizarre that we chased Hedges so hard and prefer a wing back up front. Rothwell could play there too.

Interesting that Ash Phillips was out with an injury picked up on international duty. That's one of, it seems, a number of injuries he's picked up this season. They seem to all have been relatively minor but I think it should be a matter of concern for Rovers, considering his age and the regularity that he is playing for U23s, U18s and internationals, all against players above his age.

Rovers rotate their goalkeeper for the U23s, virtually every match. I would look to give Phillips some rest. This season has been blighted by major injuries to Isaac Whitehall, Lenni Cirino, Sam Barnes and others, so some caution and reflection might be helpful.

Carter and Magloire look to be the Rovers loanees to have established themselves in their new teams. The others are coming off the bench. 

It's painful as, I think, this is our "golden generation" to be picked off come the summer. Mowbray spurned the talents of Armstrong and Elliot last year and he risks replicating that, somewhat, this campaign.

Gallagher as wing forward just has to come to an end. I'd like Buckley to play central midfield, in a three, but as a No.10, he stands a chance if he has skilful and fast players ahead of him. Not Gallagher, who is a traditional centre forward and nothing else.

I think we can still make the play-offs, but a lot rests on Buckley and Gallagher, for different reasons, and, on the team staying fit. An injury to, say, Wharton, and I think you can say goodbye - and, God rest, for some time.

1 minute ago, 47er said:

You've lost me here I'm afraid.

I worded it poorly but the impact of Hedges will, for me, greatly affect Mowbray's reputation in the transfer market and, even, as a manager. It was not just any signing but, in the event of Markanday's unfortunate injury, the major January signing for our historic promotion push.

12 minutes ago, deanives said:

I can't get my head around the hedges signing, tried to sign him last year, signed him on a pre contract and then pushed that through to get him before the end of the season, then doesn't play him when we're looking for a goal with Buckley and Gallagher completely ineffective in the last 5 games 

Hedges was a major January signing. The biggest behind Markanday. A lot rests on him and his success will also reflect on Mowbray who has placed a lot of faith on the player, even spending money on him when he was attainable on a free at the end of the campaign.

It's really surprising that they gave him the captaincy, as a new signing. As useful as he can be, at times, especially, in a defensive side, they didn't do their homework.

Last season's experienced quartet of Downing, Holtby, Bennett and Evans were all, arguably, kept on at Rovers for too long. Mowbray wanted Bennett to stay, with Johnson, and there's a case for retaining experience, but not when they're failing to perform or stay fit.

Harvey Elliot started for Liverpool in midfield in the last sixteen tie against Inter. An incredible progression for Elliot who helped us to our 15th place league finish last season, mostly playing as a right wing forward. Though Elliot was one of the league's top assist-makers last year, in a reasonable line-up and role, he surely would have helped propel us much higher.

Consider that almost one year ago, on 17 Feb 2021, we lost 2-1 to Barnsley, playing, apparently a version of  3-5-2 with a midfield of Travis, Downing and Dack, with Elliot Bennett and Barry Douglas our wing backs and Gallagher up front with Armstrong. Harvey Elliot came off the bench on 76 minutes and assisted a late Armstrong consolation. The following game, we lost 1-2 to Preston, with, apparently, a 4-3-3 type formation, with Gallagher right wing, Rothwell left wing (subbed at half-time as we trailed 0-2) and Harvey Elliot coming off the bench after 63 minutes.

But, steering it on topic of the Champions League, it looks like Elliot was selected today ahead of Henderson, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Milner, which is astonishing. It also highlights the depth that they have, as Curtis Jones could also play with Fabinho and Thiago and with the signing of Diaz, it seems that they've gained in belief, no longer so reliant on Origi as key back-up upfront.