Think Mowbray is one of the best managers we’ve had, lovely guy and very knowledgeable, knows the game inside out, obviously doesn’t always get it right, very loyal this season to the players who got us up but realises we need new blood next season.

A shame a lot of posters on here don’t want to give him time, luckily they don’t make the decisions.

He knows what he wants next season and I hope he gets the backing, and let’s go for it next season with him in charge.

6 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

At any other club he would be getting summoned to the boardroom at 8.30 sharp this morning for a frank exchange of views as to what was causing the current collapse in form. I'd be telling him that if things don't improve significantly in the next month he could be on the way out. I'd also be quizzing him as to the imput of his coaching staff because for me we play like we haven't got any.

Having said that we aren't a normal club so it will be business as usual and the lads can laugh it all off just like it never happened.

Are you for real, well it’s a good job you’re not in charge, we are probably the most normal, the club has been in years,back in championship first time round, consolidation this season,and hopefully push on next,and if we don’t then look at the situation, just can’t believe there’s a poll discussing the manager.

6 minutes ago, Hasta said:

This "coming from a lower leagues be patient" theme  is another thing that I have some issue with.

I do not blame Mowbray at all for relegation. Had he come in 2 or 3 games earlier we would probably have stopped up. The team that season were good enough to stay in the league under Mowbray but were undone by Coyle.

He's kept a lot of the team together and has replaced from the lineup that went down at Brentford:-

• Lowe with Smallwood

• Guthrie with Reed

• Gallagher with Dack

• Ward with Rodwell.

He's shifted out some of the deadwood and, in the instances above, has improved the starting XI. Out of the above, only Dack had no Championship experience - and he has taken to it perfectly.

Therefore why are we talking like we are a team such as Southend who are playing at a new level for the first time in 25 years.

We shouldn't have gone down last time, we have improved since and the players all know what the Championship is about. 

It's an excuse. Think big.

Ok, but think I’ll be more realistic, club is slowly being run better, if you think we can just go straight up fair enough, you’re not on your own, plenty think like you.

We aren’t ready yet for the premier, like I’ve said patience is the game, hopefully next season with 2/3 acquisitions we can push on.

1 minute ago, arbitro said:

And in December we lost another three back to back. Hopefully you do understand that one of the criticisms is the erratic form.

Understand perfectly thank you, also understand we’ve just come from lower league, and people will have to be patient.

1 hour ago, 47er said:

For God's sake, we've just lost 3 in a row!

And last month won 4 in a row, manager   of the  month, Armstrong player of the month.

Well done Rovers, last 6 homes games £99, good value, along with ‘Boro game taking a friend for £10.

Lenihan out for at least two weeks.

Appreciate the constructive criticism on here,but can’t understand the mass hysteria every time we get beat.

Think most fans and indeed T M thought this season was consolidation, and I think that’s where we are at the moment and hopefully mid table in May will be a decent season.

There are many teams in this division who can beat each other, and I think Rovers will have to bide their time before ready for promotion.

We have lost 1 game in the last 5 winning 4, we are higher than both Wigan/Rotherham who came up with us.

Higher than both near neighbours Bolton/Preston, higher than Swansea/Stoke who both came down from premiership,complete with parachute payments.

On a par with Villa/Hull etc.

Like someone has said our problem is when we lose Graham,Dack,we implode, desperately need another Danny Graham but ,like TM has said,probably have to go abroad in the summer because the price here is too much.

Going 3 games without conceding not many were saying defence is rubbish, lose 1 heavily and we are rubbish, think it’s more game management than personnel,when we lose 2/3 injured, case of regrouping and right subs.

Think overall,TM and management doing a very good job, always room for improvement but it’s a pretty good season so far.

28 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Waggott came in after wed just won 6 in a row last christmas, Mowbray is the one who had already charged us forward and his results are tangible proof of that, he has already made plenty of signings including Dack, nothing to me suggests Waggott has improved that side of things individually.

In terms of decisions we know he has made. His increased pricing strategy has obviously not been the success he intended it to be otherwise we wouldnt have fallen below his own targets. No one is asking for them to be given away so thats a meaningless comeback. The fact that there were neither home fans (something I disagree with) nor home fans in the lower tier of the Darwen End had a negative impact on the atmosphere in my opinion. Surcharges existing in the past is irrelevant, hes chose to keep them thus is open to judgement on them. His choice is to milk the fans who will go anyway rather than pursue getting increased attendances. Thats an approach thats up to him but one he will be judged on. You think thats a good idea but I disagree.

My main point is that its unfair on Mowbray to couple him and Waggott together in praise for our recent resurgance. Mowbray had been at the club for nearly a year before Waggott showed up, which was when Mowbrays work was really starting to bear fruit, hence the 6 wins in a row. Saying they are both responsible is disrespectful and unfair to Mowbray IMO, only Mowbray deserves the praise for that.

Just told you what Waggot does, and you never mention anything, only the things you don’t like, like Ive said Waggot and Mowbray have turned the club round, let’s hope it continues.

29 minutes ago, 47er said:

I would think Parson had his own views and wouldn't be quoting you in support of them!

I wouldn't be arguing you two and Chaddy had a little "gang" either like you do.

I'm sick of hearing who's labelled positive and who's been  labelled negative.

I'm sick of hearing that you are a passionate Rovers supporter. We all are, that's why we on here!

Why don't you take a step back, refresh, rethink your approach and come back with something engaging to say?

Here we go again, you’re basically sick of anyone who disagrees with what you say, few more coming on here  tonight who’s sick of hearing the same old from you, and others, I know you’ve 11,000 plus posts, it’s like you just want to shout everybody down and hope they go away.

20 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

They did about the individual players. When Ferguson signed Djemba Djemba and when Jose signed Steve Sidwell, the fans undoubtedly questioned why their otherwise successful managers had signed those individual players, just like when Mowbray signed Ben Gladwin.

I think that Mercers opinions on Mowbray and Brereton are very harsh but at least they are explained and constructed, whereas your arguments are not, points such as "Parson agrees with me" "stop moaning for the sake of it" "I'll trust Mowbray more than you" and "youre never happy."

And you still havent said what Waggott has done to turn the club around personally. "Best chief executive since Williams" is not only the lowest benchmark you could ever set, but totally unsubstantiated. Mowbray, yes I agree hes turned the direction of the club around.

Who do you think negotiates the transfers, who sorts out the extended contracts, who gets the nod off Mowbray and player recruitment guy/scouts and then try and make it happen, who speaks with owners to try and persuade them to come up with the money, and a small detail last Sat who decided to push the QPR fans as far away as possible from the pitch, also who,with Greg Coar,marketing guy, gets all these extra sponsors to bring in extra revenue.

Who the hell  pays for all these contracts/transfers, could understand if we are top of league for season ticket prices, but we are somewhere in the middle.

All I here is surcharges on match days, which were already in place before he came, booting fans out the Darwen end, which I agree with and today half season ticket prices, saying they are too dear, It’s a football club,a business it’s not a charity.

So far think he’s doing a decent job, best since Williams, interacts with fans as well.

Him and Mowbray have turned the club round, and touch wood, hopefully the owners look like they actually trust them, which hasn’t happened for a long time, just can’t understand people saying otherwise after the complete dross we’ve had over the last few years.

Btw, you even got a decent firework display on Sat, can’t remember that happening before.

3 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Stuart Harvey is 'our spotter of talent' or to quote his actual title 'Manager of player recruitment'. I've a bit of personal 'axe to grind' but would have to say, I doff my hat because I like the look of what has generally been brought to the Ewood table in the past few months. Reed and Rothwell particularly and I think Jack Rodwell could really be a real master stroke of a signing in time. I'm unsure about Palmer up to press but Brereton is a no brainer for me.

My point is they are all surely positives compared with the past and if we're really still in the mix at the end of December for the top 2, never mind play offs, we need to go for it and I believe Venkys will back it too. All conjecture I know, time for a line in the sand for me. Yeh, back the lads in blue and white blah, blah but in truth, that's what I (and we) have always done.

COYB!!

Correct, obviously we can’t have everyone a success, but most of the signings are pretty decent, and hopefully Brereton will prove a few wrong.

But let’s face it nobody, especially on here as a fan should be making any judgment on a player who has made a couple of sub appearances.

37 minutes ago, S8 & Blue said:

You should be a scout mate. Would save clubs a lot of time and money. He’s played less than two games worth of football for us. No league starts. You haven’t even seen them all.

By your own logic if he has an impressive 30 minutes soon then he’s undoubtably world class. Exciting!

 

edit -

In fact, for my own amusement, a cursory search showed that you thought “the jury is out” on Dack in September ‘17, after a similar amount of minutes as Brereton has had. Maybe your powers to instantly spot a good player are on the wane? 

Yeah find it strange how anybody can say either way on Brereton after a couple of games, but I tend to lean towards Mowbray before people on here who have already made their minds up that he a duffer, strange world.

34 minutes ago, S8 & Blue said:

You should be a scout mate. Would save clubs a lot of time and money. He’s played less than two games worth of football for us. No league starts. You haven’t even seen them all.

By your own logic if he has an impressive 30 minutes soon then he’s undoubtably world class. Exciting!

 

edit -

In fact, for my own amusement, a cursory search showed that you thought “the jury is out” on Dack in September ‘17, after a similar amount of minutes as Brereton has had. Maybe your powers to instantly spot a good player are on the wane? 

Just now, darrenrover said:

Stuart Harvey is 'our spotter of talent' or to quote his actual title 'Manager of player recruitment'. I've a bit of personal 'axe to grind' but would have to say, I doff my hat because I like the look of what has generally been brought to the Ewood table in the past few months. Reed and Rothwell particularly and I think Jack Rodwell could really be a real master stroke of a signing in time. I'm unsure about Palmer up to press but Brereton is a no brainer for me.

My point is they are all surely positives compared with the past and if we're really still in the mix at the end of December for the top 2, never mind play offs, we need to go for it and I believe Venkys will back it too. All conjecture I know, time for a line in the sand for me. Yeh, back the lads in blue and white blah, blah but in truth, that's what I (and we) have always done.

COYB!!

Totally agree with all points?

41 minutes ago, Mercer said:

'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' !

What did Kenny see in Matt Dickens, what did Brian Kidd see in Ashley Ward, what did Roy see in Christian Dailly, what did Souey see in Grabbi?  Dickens was signed for a song but the other three cost big money and didn't cut it for Rovers.

Let's face it, all managers sign their fair share of duds including the likes of Fergie, Mourinho, Pep etc.

If Mowbray and his cohorts did identify Brereton and were solely responsible for his signing then their judgement may very soon come into question.

Contradicting yourself there my friend, saying Pep,Fergie, Jose etc signed duds, which they have done, but I dont think their judgment came into question, so why should Mowbrays, did you think Kenny had lost it signing Dickens, no you didn’t.

Anyway if you aren’t that keen on TM who would your choice be to take us to the next level, should be interesting.

13 minutes ago, Mercer said:

 

Apologies for butting in your and Chaddys  comments, just wondering when you say you easily spot those players with something in their locker, why then,  do you think Mowbray and his coaches scouts etc, think they have spotted something, who have probably seen a lot more of him  than us,  and please don’t mention him in the Alan Shearer mould, he was an unbelievable one off.

56 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

I do, most people on here do.

But if someone has an issue with season ticket prices or the Darwen End or transfers or whatever, then let’s discuss them, it doesn’t mean the club is going to hell in a handcart or that people on here think the club is a shambles from top to bottom .

Every organisation should be looking to constantly improve and a football club is no different on or off the pitch.

Very true ?⚽️

Just now, arbitro said:

Hardly been any stiff competition though has there? Agnes, Hunt, Singh, Shaw and Senior (maybe not all Chief Execs in job title but running the show nonetheless) aren't hard acts to follow. I really don't know what Waggott has done yet to be held in such high esteem.

Ah, we agree on something, you’re dead right, we’ve had some rubbish, that’s the point Im trying to make, this guy seems to know what he’s talking about.

7 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

In my opinion, I think £250 for a half season ticket in the Jack Walker upper for second tier football isn’t particularly good value, you do, fair enough.

Happy to debate it with you, but instead of debating you seem to have a constant need to enter thread after thread and attempt to shut them down or derail them by banging on about ‘negativity, ‘usual suspects’ and so on. It’s getting very daft.

Sorry Matty is that directed to me or someone else, in my view not too bad, see you’ve quoted the top price, but £179 for half season is pretty reasonable, with obvious cheaper prices for concessions.

If you were talking to me, Im very sorry if you think I’m trying to shut anyone down, don’t mean to, I just seem to think some on here try to shut me down who doesn’t agree with my view, I do respect other views, but I am passionate about Rovers and honestly think they are doing a reasonable job all round, obviously some things can be improved on, but on the whole think, at the moment it’s being well run.

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

What rubbish Unsall!

Amused to see you seem to think I have a gang as well!

It's simple - I'm Rovers through and through but, unlike others, do not swallow some of the guff, which IMV, emanates from Ewood at times.

Everyone on this MB has a right to express their opinion and opinions will differ - fully accept that.

As you raised it, my views on Brereton, Mowbray and Waggott.

So to Brereton: 

• If the lad is such a prospect why didn't a PL club take a chance, after all, a £7m deal would be 'chicken shit' to them.
• As far as I'm aware, we were the only Championship club in for him - at least at that price - so what does that tell you?
• Some on here have speculated it wasn't a Mowbray signing but a decision made by the owners.  If that's the case, neither Mowbray or Waggott are running the club as they should be allowed to.
• If Brereton is a Mowbray signing, we are over a third of the way through the season and the lad signed in one of the biggest Rovers' deals for years has yet to start a league game!  Presumably, Mowbray doesn't think he's good enough in which case, why sign him when clearly there are other areas of the team that need strengthening.  Not to mention Mowbray commented last week we are a striker short! 
• It is really any wonder there is some bemusement with this signing?

Mowbray:

• I accept the playing side is now in better shape than when Coyley left us.  Seems to be a strong spirit and sense of camaraderie.
• Mowbray should have kept us up.  IMV, his negative tactics cost us precious points - winning positions ended up as draws, games we were drawing ended up as losses
• Brought us back at first attempt.  Job well done - though he did almost certainly have Division One's biggest budget
• Signing are mixed.  Big success is obviously Dack.  IMV, too many Harts, Gladwins and Joe Averages
• Think tactically tries to be too clever.  IMV, too negative and suffers from square peg in round hole syndrome.
• IMV, a likeable chap who clearly loves the game but a 'steady Eddie' who I do not think has the spark or nous to take us back to the PL

Waggott:

• Been with us less than a year but, IMV, yet to make his mark
• Some contentious decisions - closing Darwen End to away supporters only, hiking ST prices and then saying in LT disappointed in attendances this season.  Can anyone tell me what Rovers' ticket pricing strategy is?

 

Wonder why a premier league club didn’t sign Dack, for the peanuts we paid, wonder why WBA offered 15 mil for him, tell you why, they didn’t gamble, first few games we had fans saying not sure about this Dack, in league 1, they were wrong.

Same with Brereton, 7 mil was the price Mowbray (not the owners) thought he was worth, time will tell, you and others already made your minds up.

Mowbray tries to be clever, that clever he’s running at nearly 51% win rate.

If that’s a steady Eddie in your view, fair enough, a tad silly in my view.

Waggott,     Closing the Darwen end, brilliant idea,, imv.

Re Rovers pricing strategy, probably middle of the league.

And I’ll quote your mate Parsons, best chief ex since Williams, which I agree with, or was he another you weren’t keen on.

56 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Woah. This got a bit weird. I didn't realise your desperation to be aligned with the man - I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause offence......

I don't think I have moaned once about Waggott or season tickets ?. I don't get the "people like you" comment. Unlike yourself I have no need to be identical to another poster. I have some issues with the club that others don't; I like some things about the club that others don't. Again, going back to my original point, that's life - we will almost never all agree. It's weird to group me with other posters just because I don't buy your whole "we are victims of moaners" stance.......

Quite frankly though I couldn't care less if Parson agrees with you on another topic. It doesn't somehow validate your opinion over others. It just means you share an opinion with a likeminded fan. Hooray for you. 

As a final note, I think we should dispel this myth that if you aren't happy with the ST prices and aren't happy with Brereton you aren't a "very positive person". It seems a rather judgemental thing to do to define a persons character based on a few posts on such an emotive subject as football. It's like you are trying to validate your own opinion by proclaiming yours is positive and others is negative. It makes no difference. A right opinion could also be a negative one and vice versa. It's coming across as a desperation to be right instead of understanding others think differently. 

 

Anyway, back to Brereton, he's rubbish and we are going down. Mowbray out. Waggott out. Free Season Tickets for all. T'ra!

 

First time I’ve mentioned Parson on here, think it was you who started that one, saying he hasn’t posted recently,  I tell you what though, your last sentence free season tickets for all, there’s people on here would have a moan at that, thinking some conspiracy going on, and T’ra to you!

1 hour ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Rather the contrary, unsall. Both "sides", if you will, simply have differing opinions on a player. Whenever a fan has an opinion that some may construed as negative certain posters bombard them with reasons why they should "trust Mowbray" (like they don't already..) and tell them they should listen and learn from and, ultimately, take from any interview/match/report what they believe should be taken. As an example, Chaddy is telling Mercer he should "listen to Mowbray" about how BB is learning to play the 'Rovers way' in order to "learn" - which is slang for "form the same opinion as me". Whereas Mercer has deduced, like others, that spending £7m on a player in the current climate that can't grasp the way we play after this many weeks is rather a waste of money.

Two people have seen the same games, listened to the same radio interviews and concluded differently. Such is life. There is only one side calling the other ridiculous, wrong etc etc. 

It's ridiculous that grown men can't debate without victimising themselves. There's no "shouting down" - there's disagreement. Either learn to discuss the differences and grow thicker skin or post on boards like TheRovers where every post is "In Mowbray we Trust" with little to no discussion about the club and its players. It's getting rather boring now.

Edit - as a completely different point I don't understand the obsession with yourself/Chaddy constantly listing Parsons in with this "group" that you are trying to make yourself into. I can't even remember the last time Parson made a post in this topic - or indeed any discussion outside of his well valued mini-match reports - let alone merit a mention in a discussion between positive/negative posters. It's odd ? 

Try looking in the season ticket section, Parson agrees with me re Waggot, best Chief ex since Williams, turned club round, people like you and the rest seem to moan in every topic just for the sake of arguing, you’re never happy, decent average half season tickets, I honestly don’t know what you lot would be like if we were bottom of the league with a crap manager and Chief ex, don’t be saying Parson is different from me because he isn’t, he might not bite and shout back at you and others, but he’s a very positive person who thinks someone is eventually turning the club round, after years of neglect.

1 hour ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Rather the contrary, unsall. Both "sides", if you will, simply have differing opinions on a player. Whenever a fan has an opinion that some may construed as negative certain posters bombard them with reasons why they should "trust Mowbray" (like they don't already..) and tell them they should listen and learn from and, ultimately, take from any interview/match/report what they believe should be taken. As an example, Chaddy is telling Mercer he should "listen to Mowbray" about how BB is learning to play the 'Rovers way' in order to "learn" - which is slang for "form the same opinion as me". Whereas Mercer has deduced, like others, that spending £7m on a player in the current climate that can't grasp the way we play after this many weeks is rather a waste of money.

Two people have seen the same games, listened to the same radio interviews and concluded differently. Such is life. There is only one side calling the other ridiculous, wrong etc etc. 

It's ridiculous that grown men can't debate without victimising themselves. There's no "shouting down" - there's disagreement. Either learn to discuss the differences and grow thicker skin or post on boards like TheRovers where every post is "In Mowbray we Trust" with little to no discussion about the club and its players. It's getting rather boring now.

Edit - as a completely different point I don't understand the obsession with yourself/Chaddy constantly listing Parsons in with this "group" that you are trying to make yourself into. I can't even remember the last time Parson made a post in this topic - or indeed any discussion outside of his well valued mini-match reports - let alone merit a mention in a discussion between positive/negative posters. It's odd ? 

Certainly agree with your last two words, it’s very odd.

1 hour ago, Mercer said:

It really is pointless trying to debate with you.

A shame you seem incapable of forming any opinions of your own.

Firstly, as I have said twice in previous posts, I was working.  Do you have difficulty in understanding?

Secondly, you just don't understand the Duff 'thing'.  Even as a raw 17 year old in either his first or second reserve game for Rovers, you could see within 10 minutes, after his first few touches, that Duff had something about him.  In a blue and white shirt, on several occasions I have seen him 'live', I have seen nothing from Brereton to suggest he is anything other than 'Joe Average'. 

I didn't see Brereton against Arsenal, however, I once did see John O'Mara net a brace for Brentford before Rovers signed him and he turned out to be, IMV, one of the biggest donkeys I've seen in a Rovers' shirt.

So Brereton was part of England U19's - how many games did he start and how many goals did he score?  Jason Lowe skippered either England U21s or U23s - enough said.

As far Mowbray's comments, what do you really expect him to say when he has committed Rovers to a £7m transfer deal plus £millions more in wages?  If Mowbray said the moon was made of green cheese I think you would be 'googling' to see if you could order some online! 

With Mowbrays record since he’s been at Rovers you don’t half come out with some rubbish, obviously you’ve made your mind up on a handful of cameo appearances, why are you saying it’s pointless to debate with Chaddy, because he’s different views from you, you do know it might be you that’s wrong, along with your gang, you’ve watched Rovers a long time you say, doesn’t mean you’re right, need to respect other people’s more positive views, thought we could all have a shout on here, just seems to me that myself,Chaddy Parsons etc if fact anyone who supports what Mowbray,Waggot are doing to turn this brilliant club round just get shouted down.

54 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

It's called trying to put the club on a sound commercial footing.  On more than one occasion he has said the long term aim is to get away from an owner reliant model and obviously that means making some tough decisions which some may disagree with.  Personally, I think he's the best CEO we've had since John Williams and points to a more sensible approach to running things from the owners.  But, as I said, everyone will have a different opinion - it's a football club and we all view things differently as a glance at any match thread shows.

Certainly agree, with your comments but think most on here will disagree.