Personally I think he will go at the end of the season if we don't finish in the top half, be it him getting sacked or him walking.

My concern though, after seeing Saturday and seeing him make the same mistakes that completely derailed our season last season, is that we might be at the very bottom end of the bottom half. Relegation could be a real possibility this season.

The sheer amount of fans who saw the team he selected on Saturday and just knew it wasn't going to go well must surely speak for itself and suggest the man is on a downward trajectory.

I've been a fan of his as a person throughout and he's done a lot of good for the club, but purely as a manager and a tactician he has always left a lot to be desired. I even remember back in League One when he was insistent on us changing our style of play to combat the other teams when surely it should have been us imposing ourselves on the opposition. 

Too negative. Too loyal to players who "aren't up to it" (his own words). Time to go before we get ourselves in real trouble.

40 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Bell was summed up in one first half incident. He controlled an awkward pass exceptionally well and then dithered in possession when he should have played Armstrong in. He lost the ball and Charlton sprung.

He simply isn't good enough to be a Championship player.

Said exactly the same myself. It's like he's a second or two behind everyone else in his thought processes. Sign of a player who will never make it to the top

Just now, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

The most pathetic display I’ve seen in years. Truly awful. Against the weakest side in the division who did nothing all game. Furious. 

Bad team selection to start with but yet again, it’s the defence that falls apart. Mulgrew is nowhere, Bennett a liability and Bell half asleep. Walton looks less reliable than Raya which is an achievement.

His days are numbered if this carries on. 

 

The sad thing is his days probably aren't numbered. The players are partly culpable but Mowbray cost us that game there. Making 2 subs when we were well on top and insisting on that God awful defence. But TM's pal is in charge so he's going nowhere.

"defensively we're fine"

Just now, Bbrovers2288 said:

The sky sports predictor is rubbish as it’s a fans vote but 442 magazine has us in 13th, they always have us as no marks

To be fair in every championship season we have been

Just now, AJW said:

Reading Mowbrays comments about looking at players whose valuations at start of window were a lot higher than now , part of me hoping its is Jake Cooper he's is talking about ... I don't think I've see him linked with a single club all summer and I wonder if that's because the valuation was sky high and now it's more realistic 

What's the obsession?? Genuine question. Can't say I watch Millwall regularly but as you say yourself he hasn't been linked with anyone so is he that good?? He's really tall, but so is Adarabioyo and yet people seem to be a bit negative on him already. Yet Cooper gets mentioned every day like he's the best defender in the league

44 minutes ago, Mercer said:

IMO, our dinosaur of a manager doesn't half talk some shyte.

Good job Ajax didn't loan out 19 year old Matt de Ligt to Lincoln, Northanmpton etc.

I hope that's tongue in cheek and you're not comparing Wharton to de Ligt. Even in relative and potential terms Wharton isn't good enough. Looked way out of his depth in the league when he appeared. Lincoln were by far the best team in league two last season and they didn't want him after a couple of months, surely that's quite telling.

Just now, DE. said:

We had quite a few of them last season as well!

Bristol City 4-1 Rovers

Stoke 2-3 Rovers

Preston 4-1 Rovers

Wigan 3-1 Rovers

Rovers 4-2 Sheff Weds

Leeds 3-2 Rovers

Brentford 5-2 Rovers

Rotherham 3-2 Rovers

Sheff Weds 4-2 Rovers

Not to mention all the 2-2's - Ipswich, Reading, Forest, Birmingham (x2), Swansea...

 

And yet big Tony thinks the current personnel have got this defending lark all tied up

I've tended to be keen to give Mowbray a chance but after this absolute nonsense of not getting a proper, experienced centre half in this window so far, and seemingly not too fussed about doing so, he's officially lost me. Mentally preparing myself for more absolute drubbings away from home

Good to see he knows how to save penalties, we've barely stopped a penalty going in since Friedel was here

Whoever we sign at CB in the next week or so it's still going to be Lenihan and Mulgrew starting against Charlton and I think that in itself is a scary thought...

Just now, JHRover said:

Why would a keeper under contract here, playing every week as Number 1 in the Championship, a season after we won promotion, part of a plan to kick on to the Premier League, chose to leave all that to move to another club in the same league?

Not trying to be funny but if it is the case that the move happened because Raya wanted to leave us to join Brentford then rather than just accepting that we have to ask ourselves why and be quite concerned. As far as I'm concerned no Blackburn Rovers player who plays regularly for us should ever express a desire to transfer to Brentford. If he does then that suggests something isn't right here. 

Lure of being near London perhaps? Or working with a Spanish goalkeeping coach he's worked with before and knows well?

Not everything is cut and dry and putting over the top pride in your own club aside, there are probably plenty of reasons why a player would. Doesn't have to mean there's a crisis, some people just want a change. It happens

Not sure where the idea of Nyambe being a good defender has come from here. The lads a pure athlete and is a decent recovery kind of defender purely because of his pace but he gets caught out of position every game and rarely stops crosses. I want to see him improve but I'm always a little nervous with him back there. Better than Bennett mind you

Got to say I didn't see any of this much promoted new style of play, unless that was to be slow, ineffective and leave huge pockets of space around the pitch. Rothwell has to start first game of the season, we look pedestrian without him

Just now, BlackburnEnd75 said:

I don't think he is...

Ruddy is on wolves' pre season tour so doubt it's him signing

Just now, Paul Mani said:

Carson

Dann 

Skrtl

Be happy with those!!

Wouldn't want both of those defenders, combined age of about 68. Add mulgrew in and it's dad's army at the back

Just now, RoversClitheroe said:

I'd prefer to develop Buckley in the first team. His short cameos showed he offers more than Evans and Smallwood currently.

I think it's a bit much to say Buckley offers more based on two 10/15 minute appearances. Looked very lightweight for me. A season on loan in League One would help him no end. I wouldn't feel comfortable with him starting games for us this season

Just now, neophox said:

Has anyone snapped up Hoban on a free? Was released by Watford and is still only 25 years old. Tall centre back who did well here last time around on loan.

Far too injury prone for me and after a decent start I found him to be pretty poor. Imagine he'd end up in Scotland or somewhere like that. Would rather have Williams as a back up CB than him

Are there actually rumours about this Cooper at Millwall or just people being hopeful?

I can't see any of the younger centre halves getting much of a look in. Not quite sure on the clamour from some for Wharton to get in, never really seen much in him. Magloire had a good debut but looked suspect in the air which is exactly what we need to work on, wonder if with his pace he could be turned into a full back? Admittedly haven't seen anything of him in the under 23s so not too sure what he's like on the ball.

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

First team experience at.............................................................. ...Marine, talk about skewing the facts

It's like we just buy players we don't need

Well we do need him, only have one U23's goalkeeper and he might be sent out on loan so...

Just now, LA Rover said:

Reputable source? I have no idea.

Doubt it judging by his followers and the copy and paste drivel he's tweeted earlier

You wonder what some of our better, more in-demand players think of this lack of ambition on the transfer front. Can't imagine they'd be too pleased

Just now, tomphil said:

He's probably just terrified of upsetting the pecking order as going out signing a couple of decently rated defenders opens up a whole can of worms he doesn't want to be faced with.

He's a players man that's why he's so popular and he's nothing if not cautious. 

He really is a player's man and those kind of managers eventually get overwhelmed when something doesn't sit well with the key members of the squad. 

He seems to think we could get promoted purely based on hard work and team spirit alone. This has happened but very rarely. Last season all three promoted teams, as well as Leeds, either had a distinct style of play that few in the division could cope against or a strong squad full of players who were either too good for or at the top end of this league ability-wise. I can't envisage us having either next season

Just now, arbitro said:

I think the lack of ability to pass the ball quickly is, with a couple of exceptions lacking throughout the squad. You have correctly identified several defenders who can't and In central midfield none of Travis, Smallwood or Evans can do this. Other players such as Bennett also fall into this category. We are far too ponderous when we have the ball and easy to play against.

Totally agree, as much as I like Travis and how he plays he always felt close to giving the ball away in really dangerous positions, it was inevitable when he cost us a goal doing exactly that, think it was against Brentford (?) 

It does concern me that this supposed new style of play will just equate to us passing it across the back for a minute or so and then feeding it into a midfielder with a dire first touch who gets his pocket picked and then we're all over the place at the back. We'll be back to hoofing it for Graham to knock down by October