Critical analysis should be mandatory in schools. Lesson 1: consider the person's motivations and biases

From their name, I would guess... Hawkins, Indiana

Every single person who visits this site (or any similar for that matter) should never be critised for not being "fan enough". For what other reason would they put up with reading circa 7,500 posts of absolute tripe, if not because they care about Blackburn Rovers? Edit: That wasn't aimed at you btw, was just a message on the topic

Puts your "behind the scenes improvements" research into a bit of context.

Eh? I have no idea how that is a response to what I said. Have fun with your straw man.

"Honourable man"? It's just a guy saying he doesn't think he's getting a new contract. Stuff like this doesn't half get blown out of proportion either way. If it was about "honour" then he would have chimed up to the press when the dysfunction at the club has affected the players he manages (with regards to contracts) or the supporters he represents (with transfer fees and just about everything else). He's been happy to toe the line with the owners when it's meant we have failed to achieve, supporters have stayed away in droves and players haven't been earning their market rate, but now it affects him and his livelihood he speaks out? Honour? Give over.

Not specifically to you because there's been a few responses, but... I think he means the problem is no one is accountable for performance (on the pitch, financially etc etc), rather than no one "owns" those things. I don't think he's saying that there is no problem with the owners of the club. In which case he's right, there is no accountability. Not even to the fans. But it's a bit pedantic.

Don't forget, we're punching above our weight this season. Last season was the supposed crescendo of the journey... Where we achieved 6 more points than when we were relegated.

I take your point, but he'll get plenty of other opportunities. And if we really don't want him to go and he isn't going to miss any more games by not going, then surely the best thing for us and his fitness is for him to stay put.

I'm no conspiracy theorist... But in which case, why wouldn't we just say he can't go? He'd only be banned for a game or two he was going to miss anyway.

Who cares? We know the owners are shit. You're just deflecting. Given our players we have been unacceptably bad in 2022. Edit: scratch that, given 11 men on 5000 square metres of grass

Everyone who shopped at Debenhams, liked what Debenhams sold.

Not that it's majorly important, but I think both Derby and Forest were bottom of the league when we beat them. And Sheff U at home was in November.

Everything about that is so depressing. Getting to 5th midseason isn't brilliant, it's a half-baked cake. We have a squad that - although the culmination of 5 years of "progress" - isn't actually good enough to get into the playoffs and is being propped up by Mowbray? The man who couldn't get a side good enough to finish in the playoffs, into the top half? It's so obvious that the extra points in Nov/Dec were flukey, we happened upon a system that worked a bit better than last year's. We always do well in Nov/Dec under TM. We had a chance to take advantage of it, failed in the Jan window (again), and are in our standard "we've been figured out" post Jan slump (again), supplemented by the usual injuries we couldn't foresee. AGAIN. Fool me once and all that. It will be the same next year, but with even lesser players, fewer points and probably the same manager in the dugout. Just a couple of hundred fewer in the stands clapping along. Tony Mowbray's Blue 'n' White Army.

You're perfectly entitled to that opinion obviously. I just don't think the logic is sound. If you don't think he will get us promoted or we will be relegated without him, then we surely might as well take a free swing. It won't happen, so it's not important. I just see this kind of thing said all over the place and I can't work it out. Normally as part of a "balance the books", "get behind the lads", "steady the ship" type comment. I have no faith either. At any level. But I wouldn't be so sure about the mutual parting of ways. I can't help but feel we've got another few years of this yet.

I know that these are probably the common opinions amongst supporters, but I honestly just don't understand it. Do you think a) Mowbray will get us promoted? b) Without Mowbray we will get relegated? If you didn't answer yes to either of those questions, what on earth is the point in him being employed here?

One of the few places we, as Rovers fans, can call a shit hole. Shit town. Shit club. Shit fans. 1-1

Appleton

Unfortunately yep. Teams with a plan and a style. Not the most complicated, but it's definitely better than nothing.

Not really sure why people thought we were alright in the second half. We were still pretty crap. But then again we are pretty crap.

Just to check because I haven't been paying attention... Is the deal for Obafemi not part of the Armstrong deal in that we will pay pittance for him in exchange for selling Armstrong for £15m, but separate so we don't give as much to Newcastle? So it's not like we're actually spending £5-6m on him that could go elsewhere?

Aye, the demarcation is the Irwell. Can still see it from here and be there in a 10 min walk though - for better or for worse! Surprised he's that high up the ladder. Think Henley might have made his debut in that game too and he at least looked a decent prospect.

When I'd just moved here after I left Uni, we played United at Old Trafford on New Year's Eve I think it was (or around then), the game was on Sky and a couple of mates and I went looking for a pub that was showing the game. We ended up in a little place not far away called The Broadway. It was the game where we won 3-2, Yakubu scored a penalty, Hanley got the winner from a corner and (I think) Jordan Slew made his debut (whatever happened to him?). That was by far the roughest pub I've ever been in. A proper council estate community pub with United flags covering all the windows so there was no light (and no one could see what was happening in there!) and earless locals skinning up joints on the bar. Like a real world Shameless but not watered down for terrestrial TV. We somehow survived until the final whistle and left sharpish. Someone was shot in there a week later and the place has since been knocked down. ... Still stand by it's nice on the Quays though!

Missus likes the Box Sets, I like the NFL.

I can see Old Trafford from my window. Salford Quays is very nice I'll have you know! Even nicer when United lose and I can watch all the glum faces trudging past from my balcony. On Sky they have a show called Premier League Years, each has a cover image. Invariably it is the team celebrating the league win or their star player, the year Leicester won the show even has the subtitle "Leicester's Year"... 94/95... Picture of Matt Le Tissier celebrating his lob at Ewood. Sums up what Sky think of Rovers perfectly.