Just now, Ewood Ace said:

Harsh on Lambert to say he's only done one good job.

It might be harsh but when you break it down - 

Failed at : Livingston, Villa, Rovers, Wolves, Stoke and Ipswich

mediocre at: Colchester and Wycombe

successful at : Norwich

For the sake of fairness I’ll give him 0.5 for 2 mediocre jobs but that still leaves him on 1.5 good jobs!

Palmer to bag the winner..........

2 minutes ago, Ewood Ace said:

That was 11 years ago though the game has moved on a lot in that time. Coyle and Lambert have both got teams promoted since then but no one would be backing either of them to get us promoted either.

I agree to an extent, but the acid test I use for managers is success in 2 or more different jobs. Coyle had 1 good job, Lambert 1 good job. However, Mowbray did a good job at Hibs, WBA and here so in my view can be seen as a far superior manager to the aforementioned.

Ask him if his Mrs has been spotted anywhere near Joe Rothwell in recent months ?

Ewood was built for a different more successful era, so we should remodel it into a 20 k capacity stadium to improve the atmosphere.

Let’s not beat around the bush here, Mowbray has done a spectacular job in so many aspects on and off the field. We are no longer talked about in the media as one of those “comedy clubs”. The progress we have made since February 2017 in results, points, league position and value of the playing squad is significant. The biggest complement I can pay to Mowbray is this forum now (in the main) discusses the football rather than other off field issues. However, people talk about Mowbray having faults. This is absolutely true, just like every other manager in this division. If a manager didn’t have faults they certainly wouldn’t be managing in this league! In the cold light of day, we are a newly promoted club who are having a highly respectable mid - Table season (just like Sheffield Utd) last season. I think people who say they dont have faith in Mowbray to get us promoted have jumped the gun slightly (he did it with WBA). However, I would have concerns about him being out of his depth at Premier League level (a bit like Warnock), but let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture this season and the job he’s done generally while at this club.

I’ve come to the conclusion that this lad is having an affair with Mowbray’s missus.

Nixon’s prediction aged well..........

I’m quite relaxed when it comes to the whole Brereton debate but I do understand the concerns of many fans. I think the fans just want to see even the most minute glimmer of quality in there, to encourage them that he can be coached and will improve. However, to be quite frank about it he’s been worse than Chris Brown so far. Ducking out of headers, the first touch of a donkey along with a clumsy looking run that makes you think his brain and legs are disconnected. This is even more galling when you consider that as a football club we have been living off rations in recent years in terms of paying transfer fees. Some fans are also worried about the potential implications this may have on further spending in the summer. Mowbray claims he had a budget that he failed to spend in January, so these concerns are probably unfounded. Also, there is no point in trying to sugar coat the fee into something it isn’t. It was widely reported from the Nottingham end that it was £6-7 million and People trying to say “we pay it in instalments” don’t add credibility to their arguments. It is a pretty much universal practise to split a transfer fee over the length of an incoming players contract. I’m also in no doubt that everybody on this board is desperate for the lad to succeed, me included. But that doesn’t mean fans can’t judge a player with their own eyes and so far that has left a lot to be desired with regards to this transfer.

P.s     Those idiots who were involved in the very audable ironic cheers when Brereton scored during the warm up need shooting. The lad looked a bit pissed off and it looked like it created a very awkward atmosphere with the other players. One thing that won’t help matters are stupid arsewipes like that.

3 hours ago, AAK said:

That's the problem though isn't it pal, 2-0 up and we all know that things will probably still go wrong if we don't score another one or two. It's poor. The defence needs sorting, big style. Manager isn't doing anything to address it. Mulgrew, lenihan and Roswell are all converted centre back, we don't have one proper centre back in the squad. It's baffling for me.

The plot thickens when you consider the following:

Home goals conceded in 15 league games -  15

Away goals conceded in 15 league games -  31

You read that right, we’ve conceded THIRTY ONE away goals this season. That is a truly staggering statistic and quite frankly a disgrace. I know we have conceded some silly goals at home (the Birmingham game springs to mind) but what is so fundamentally different about our approach to away games, as quite often it’s the identical back 4 to the home games?

My view on yesterday:

Thought we started excellently for the first 25 minutes (just like last weekend), the difference being we didn't kill Brentford off when we could and probably should of. Armstrong forced one excellent goal - line clearance and one well placed free kick that just lacked a slight bit of pace. Graham also scuffed a shot wide but we looked a major attacking threat from open play which was great to see. In my opinion, Travis was fouled in the build up to the first Brentford goal but that is clutching at straws really. However, as the game wore on we started to pick up a lot of niggling injuries notably Dack, Graham, Reed and Travis who have all been vital recently. That coupled with two very poor goals to concede caused their heads to drop and after that we were ripped apart at will. In my view this is totally unacceptable, having taken a very decent following to the other end of the country. After that we offered very little attacking threat meanwhile Bennett was being targeted time and again at right back. 

I thought the habit of conceding daft goals had been ironed out in training over the last month with three successive clean sheets, but obviously it hasn't. Looking longer term, if we have any aspirations of making an assault on the top end of this league our away goals conceded record has to decrease substantially. We've shipped one 5, a couple of 4's and numerous 3's as the season has unfolded. Going forward Mowbray needs to swallow his pride and install Nyambe back into the team. I haven't forgotten and never will forget the great job Mowbray has done and will continue to do, but the fans need to see us compete in far more of these away games. We've been blown away in too many second halves this season. That also doesn't change the fact that had I been offered this position before game week 1 I would've snapped your hands off, but as some have said this looks like our greatest chance of top six since relegation in 2011/12. 

In the three away games I've attended this season, we've conceded 11 goals. I have to say I won't be rushing back to many more in the near future. COYB!

3 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

It could be interesting. We jusr need to keep winning. I do think our last run in (from Sheff W onwards) is tough though. 

Totally agree. February and most of March will be vital. The fixtures up until Sheff Wed (A) are:

Brentford (A)

Bristol City (H)

Reading (A)

Middlesbrough (H)

Birmingham (A)

Rotherham (A)

Preston (H)

Wigan (H)

These will absolutely decide our season.

Looks like he’s just saying that he may be available as Austin hasn’t left.

When you break it down we've got a great chance of sneaking 6th if we can keep our performance levels up. We've played all of the top 4 twice already and have to welcome both Derby and Middlesbrough to Ewood. I politely suggest both of those clubs won't be relishing coming to Ewood if our home form is maintained. The tough away fixtures at Villa Park and the City Ground do worry me though. We've also got all 3 north west clubs at Ewood and relegation candidates Rotherham and Reading away from home. One thing is for sure, it will be pretty bloody interesting!

14 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

         Raya

Bennett Lenihan Rodwell Bell

         Travis Evans

                Reed          Dack      Armstrong

           Graham

subs:- Luetwiler Williams Smallwood Conway Rothwell Brereton Nuttall

No Nyambe in the 18? Very harsh if you ask me!

Let's hope we can continue the great post - Christmas rebound. I'm actually travelling down for this one. I would go with the following:

                                        Raya

Nyambe        Lenihan              Rodwell        Bell

                        Travis                Evans          

  Reed                           Dack                     Armstrong

                                   Graham

Subs: Leutwiler, Williams, Bennett, Smallwood, Rothwell, Conway, Brereton

Predicted Rovers following - 1,450

When was the last time we won 5 on the bounce in the 2nd tier? Under Souey nearly 20 years ago?

Score prediction :   1 - 1  with a late Graham goal. I actually don't think a point is a bad result here. But we need to beat Reading at their place to make up for it.

COYB!!!!!!

No thread up so I've made it. Let's get over the deadline day hangover. Fill yer boots........

Well this thread aged well didn't it..........

Can somebody phone Mowbray and tell him I’ve just found £5 million pounds stuffed down the back of my sofa.

Come on guys let’s get to 200 pages today. That must be some kind of record for only 1 signing?

We’d have heard something meaty by now if anything was going to happen. Just accept it and move on, we’ve cocked up another deadline day.

THIS IS NOT A BEN BRERETON THREAD!!!!

Unfortunately it’s looking like another dud deadline day on the horizon ?

Just now, Madon said:

Late in the day so obvious anyway but just to confirm there is nothing happening tonight. ?

 

But more importantly, is there anything happening tomorrow? ?

Just now, Mellor Rover said:

Nixon's latest tweet:

SOUTHAMPTON. Bit of a dilemma. Trying to move out Austin. Meanwhile FOREST and SWANSEA make surprise loan requests for Gallagher.

Is this the point where we end up with Mitch Candlin back on loan...

This is the point once again where we realise we’ll end up having a quiet deadline day........