Exiled_Rover

We're playing a different game in the lower leagues.

They've tried to take all of the interpretation (and therefore context) out of the game - "ball hit hand, therefore, handball". Which is why you get nonsense decisions like that.

I'm watching this Luton v Huddersfield Playoff Semi-final with my head in my hands. This is nothing more than two committed clubs giving it a go. The standard is terrible. How the hell did we mess it up so badly?!

Didn't we have a massive black hole in the FFP budget due to spending £18m on three strikers? Gallagher, Armstrong and Brereton. That's not even factoring in the money thrown away on Smallwood's 12 extra months, Gladwin's rehab, Ayala, Pears et al. They're absolutely bonkers owners, but they throw £20m at us every year - I don't think they were the reason the Armstrong money had to be used to fill that calculation.

He's not an odd one really - it's confidence, pure and simple. He's always been a talented player. The crowd got on his back when he first arrived (the players can hear the tuts and sighs when they lose the ball). They expected the finished product at 19 due to the transfer fee. The COVID season behind closed doors did him absolute wonders. The Chile call up was the cherry on top. He WANTS the ball now, rather than hiding away from it after one bad touch.

Bloody hell how our standards have fallen.

Yeah, pure unadulterated terror. They were too scared to get rid of him.

I won the Bundesliga with Dresden in FM21, mate. You've got no chance once they see my application. I wouldn't bother.

Am I the only one that doesn't have a great deal of affection for Dunn? Bit too much of a billy big balls for me who was never professional enough to keep himself off the trainer's table.

I was born in Manchester and my dad was a Manchester City season ticket holder growing up (to my everlasting shame I converted him to being a Blackburn Rovers fan). If we really hire Grayson / Dunn I'm off to the Etihad from now on. 🤣

The fact that he's a Blackburn Rovers youth player, and apparently a fan, has put him on the radar of the fans (and apparently the owners). He's done a great job at Wycombe though - he's eminently more qualified than some of the chancers we've handed the keys to. He's not my first choice, but watching Wycombe beat MK Dons in the Playoff Semi Finals this week reminded me that his teams are incredibly well drilled and will run through a brick wall for him. That's a damn sight better than what we've had since Hughes.

Added to those huge layouts for Brereton and Gallagher: Whatever Ayala was on a week, when every report said he'll play half a season at best (and none of the winter). Whatever Pears was on a week (a 3 year contract to your mate's son who is not actually a professional goalkeeper). Those loans wouldn't have been free either - we're either picking up massive wages or paying a hefty loan fee. The contracts of fringe players that were extended during COVID because you liked them (Smallwood / Gladwin). Mowbray has had it made here.

This is the kind of negative thinking that allows our manager to say we can't possibly hope to compete with the likes of Middlesbrough, Sheffield United or any club on PL parachute payments and remind us that it's not 1994 anymore. We're constantly told the Rao family have more money than sense - they've written off £200m so far and show no signs of buggering off. SOMEONE needs to get in their ear and inform them that a quality managerial appointment will make 95% of their problems with Blackburn Rovers go away. I keep repeating myself, but it's a dream job for an experienced manager with a plan. You literally get to shape the entire set up (as there simply isn't any infrastructure). For me you shoot for the moon with Farke and Dyche. If those both fail you go with Ainsworth.

...his contract ends in June, right?

And look at the results. Ante up for a manager, or continue to watch the club flounder.

Agree to disagree - he's not going to get another PL job. His card is marked with regards to style of play. He'll have to take another Championship club up again if he wants to manage at the elite level

They sacked him after he dragged them to the PL by sheer force of will - he's probably quite pissed off about that.

I'd sack him at the START of a 5 year contract if he'd said this: https://twitter.com/OTDHUFC/status/1524048316648108033?s=20&t=P_qOubP7nw6q2ANHvCGn6g

I don't think the current one is bad for this level either.

*Youth/development of PL loanees who played regardless of how good they were.

I always thought he looked a tidy player in possession, could get about the pitch and wasn't afraid to put a tackle in. He must not have liked Mrs Mowbray's lemon drizzle cake.

He'll get nullified at a higher level. Again I'm one of his biggest proponents on here (like Brereton pre-Diaz), but if you man-mark him with an PL athlete you take 75% of his game away. He's just be forced to run wide into dead ends. His range of passing is good for the Championship, but would be shown up in the PL. Annoyingly he's also a 70 minute man - no idea how that's the case with the amount of training they do, but he's either out of puff at 70 minutes, or has to go hiding for 20 minutes a game to finish the match.

He's cheap because he has zero managerial experience.

I'd be very surprised if Wycombe don't win the final based on what we've just seen.

Keith Andrews is up there for me too.