On 06/05/2021 at 15:50, only2garners said:

The only way the game will be moved from Istanbul will be if the Turkish authorities go to UEFA to say they can't put it on.

Miguel Delaney made a good point on the radio this morning - after the Super League shambles UEFA is not going to easily agree to moving a game between 2 of the 6 English clubs involved to a country where 6 of the 12 are based.

Yes. Much better that they ignore the covid crisis.

UEFA are a pathetic organisation.

18 minutes ago, rigger said:

Who are the players from the development team you would play tomorrow ?

I didn’t say play. I said a place on the bench. The experience of being with the first team would help them. I’d take Annesley, Butterworth and either McBride or Pike.

I’d give Butterworth a good 20 minute run out instead of Buckley.

1 hour ago, rigger said:

I must admit when I said they would not make first team players. I did not take into account the Mowbray factor. 

To be fair, I refuse to believe that not one of the players from one of the best teams in the division is deserving of a first team bench spot in a dead rubber.

5 minutes ago, rigger said:

 

Based on what I am watching

Granted I’ve only caught the last half hour but based on what I’ve seen they’d be a shoe-in for a Mowbray team.

Neat and tidy passing, composed and controlled passing it across the back in the final few minutes… while 2 goals down. 🙄

12 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Makes me happy to remember the good times and what riches we had but by Christ it hits home hard at what we have sadly become.

And yet, depending on who you believe, we have richer owners now than we had back then… let that sink in.

3 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I dont have a problem with Ayala being above kids in that Ayala will be closer to the first 11 (if he could ever stay fit) than the kids will and is contracted for another 2 years, so it makes sense looking forward to next year.

In regards to tomorrow though, the illogical aspect of it would be that giving him half an hour is neither here nor there, and of course I would ask if there is a risk of a recurrence.

My issue lies more with some of the other players that have played in the last few weeks, Holtby and Evans have both had game time recently despite being about to leave, Trybull, Johnson, Downing and Bennett have all played too.

I dont agree with dishing out appearances as rewards necessarily, but moreso to see if the one or two best under 23s can play within an otherwise strong side and not look out of place. The most obvious example in recent weeks of when that should have been used is when Nyambe was injured at Sheffield Wednesday, Pike should have started over Bennett. Another would be Davenport surely warranting a few games over Trybull, Evans and Johnson to see if he can compete for that role into next season.

In Mowbrays tenure, he has brought through Travis, Rankin Costello and Buckley, I dont think youth development overall has been one of his major and obvious weaknesses, but in the last few weeks, there has been a glaring lack of forward planning as I touched on in my previous paragraph. There are occasions (Harwood Bellis and LB) in which its unavoidable to avoid playing a player who wont be here next season, but in the main, players contracted into next season should have been prioritised and havent been.

Don’t agree on Ayala. A dead rubber game for a player chronically injured who Mowbray already knows what he is capable of? Why? May as well have complete rest. I’d even go so far as to say that if he got injured it could be spun into either an excuse (woe is me) or a reason to go back to Venkys for cash. Either way Ayala is not the answer, not tomorrow, not next season.

And, wow, three players in four years. It just strengthens his, self-fulfilling, argument to shut the academy.

9 hours ago, WacoRover said:

I saw that. Ugh 

He needs to play... so he shows up the last game of the season. I bet if he starts, he limps off before HT. 

Playing Ayala would be the stupidest decision ever taken by Mowbray, which takes some doing.

Even having him in the squad takes an opportunity away from a youngster.

There should be a bench spot, or two, for an U23 player - and even an U18 one - as a reward for their season. Pick the PotS from each and get them in the dressing room.

If we can’t take a look at them in a dead rubber then when can we?

It’s almost as though it’s important that the Academy is not seen as being a success so that it can be quietly binned. Let’s face it, if I recall correctly, the person making the decisions about them openly said he didn’t see the point of an academy, sees Brentford as the best model and coincidentally there have been plans to downsize it anyway. He must be gutted the U23s have done so well this season.

The future of this club requires Mowbray be urgently replaced - and by someone who can work with an academy structure instead of gambling money we don’t have on ‘potential’.

8 hours ago, tomphil said:

It would have been in motion with Dack a year or so ago if all had gone to plan i reckon. Think this season was always going to be project Armstrong so it'll be interesting to see if any realistic bids actually come in.

If they do and he goes then just watch next season they'll be concentrating and setting up to get the best out of A N other.  Team and results are irrelevant he's already let that out the bag. He's lining his tag lines up for selling Arma, he goes for 10 million plus and his words ring true.

There you go iv'e worked on Armstrong for a season and raked back in the BB and Gallagher investment. Next season we'll work on Ben or Travis being the focal point of the team. Doesn't really matter where we finish in the eyes of the bean counters as long as it isn't in the bottom 3.

Pretty sure that's the type of plan, top 6 talk is just that in order to gather interest from fans and sponsors etc.

Best job in this league he has, no chance he's walking away unless he's pushed or hounded.

You’ve got a point but selling one player every three years, even for £15m, at the expense of the team and results is a recipe for disaster - and the returns just aren’t there.

The only thing that will help this club in the long term is promotion - or in the very long term administration, relegation and a restart (a la Bolton). We are currently stuck between both: Schrödinger’s club - neither promotion candidates or administration bound (yet).

 Anything but promotion just keeps things ticking over long enough to keep those in their nominal positions in coin.

I fully agree with your comment. We would have a queue of managers applying for a role where they will get loads of time and autonomy, regardless of results.

14 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

The saddest thing, in my view, is that the Coventry cabal don't really grasp the amount of damage they are doing, over and above the 11-years of Loon hurt. They are obliterating long standing fans fortitude. I for one ain't going back any time soon.

The may well grasp it, they just don’t care.

Back when Kean was here there were enough fans to make a meaningful stand and a PL status to preserve.

I will never really forgive those fans who didn’t stand up when it mattered and when there was at least a passing media interest.

We are now back in that same situation but without the numbers to make it work, or interest from the media (even the local media would look the other way) and no pride to fight for.

Mowbray sits there pretending, or even convincing himself, that he can turn things around when we all know he can’t.

I have never been a Mowbray fan and I was gutted when we brought him in (at a time when we were trying to stay up and has been an abject failure at Coventry) but I no longer have any respect for the man. Nobody would have expected him to walk away… until he said he would. And now he won’t, despite him now being the burden he told us he didn’t want us to be - on account of the respect he had for this club. Lies.

18 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Evans leaving.

So hard to care.

Despite the need for better players than Evans, this will be a decision based on wages and we will end up with someone cheaper/worse.

A complete clear out, even cutting our cloth, would at least mean something if it were for a clean slate with a new manager. The idea that Mowbray will get another go at rebuilding a squad is criminal. This could be the start of a new three year cycle - cue a two year contract extension to give him the time to do so… 🤦

…which would be the death knell for the club and would all but end my interest in all things Rovers.

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

Banged on about it half a dozen times before but for those who remember Gradis Crewe that's what we'll become

Crewe used to churn out talent and sell them off the conveyor belt to top clubs. When was the last time Mowbray developed a player, let alone sold one to a top club?

All his eggs are in the Armstrong basket on that front.

23 hours ago, JHRover said:

The stuff in Forest's club shop still significantly cheaper than Rovers' even after reductions on both sides.

Why?

Food and drink significantly more expensive at Rovers than other clubs.

Why?

Ticket prices go up and up at Ewood whilst being frozen or cut elsewhere.

Why?

Three starter questions for the next time Waggott emerges from his bunker. Probably after the dust has settled and the clock is reset in the summer.

Because at Rovers they choose managers over fans.

The CEO then divides the planned season ticket income by the number of projected fans.

Instead of trying to grow the fanbase…

”We’ve done all we can “.

10 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Happy 72nd birthday Tony!

(Wonder if Waggott can find the can he kicked right down Bolton Road re tribute?)

Wasn’t it going to be the naming of one of the training pitches?

As of that wasn’t insulting enough, in the next breath they were looking into getting rid of training pitches.

Brilliant.

13 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Yes, and I think Mowbray and his crew know this, which is why I expect to see the rumour mill in overdrive early doors.

Already we are seeing it- distraction tactics and sadly it is as easy as that for a lot of people- flood the Telegraph with talk about rebuilds and recruitment and what is going to be done and it takes care of itself.

Mowbray's position not even an issue for discussion.

Then get a few bodies in early and it becomes a question of why get rid of the manager, surely he deserves chance to see how his recruitment gets on and how the season starts?

Then it is the busy run to Xmas before we know it.

Needs at least 10 games.

Nobody else would come to Rovers in any case.

Mid-table Championship is our level anyway. We only got promoted from L1 three seasons ago. We can’t compete with PNE. Dread to think where we’d be without Mowbray.

If it weren’t for Dack’s injury we’d have made those play-offs.

20 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Derby can still go down and it should be an interesting final weekend.

Derby v Sheff Wed

Cardiff v Rotherham

Bottom of the table: 

Would be quite an escape for Wednesday if they could win 1-0 and Rotherham only draw.

36 minutes ago, rigger said:

The Dolan and Dack disparities I can understand. What I despair at, is £3,500 for Pears who brings nothing to the club. 

The gulf is ridiculous though. How can two players in the same team be paid 30 (thirty) times as much as another?

I get that it happens but it’s still ridiculous.

2 hours ago, K-Hod said:

No wonder Travis always looks fuming, Brereton is on nearly double his wage....

Odd isn’t it. We are always told we have a strict wage structure so we can’t bring in certain players - even on frees - yet the breadth of wages in there would be infuriating fit players.

Dolan on £600 per week while Dack is on £18,000 per week? Pears on £3,500pw to do nothing!

Sounds like BS but equally nothing would surprise me. Football is broken.

Meanwhile, less than 30% of BRFCS posters who expressed a preference are not renewing.

That’s a bigger worry than your attempts at point scoring.

5 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

My stance on Mowbray and his future is quite clear. He has to be replace. don't know how much clearer I can be

My stance on buying a season ticket next season or anyone wanting to be club merchandise won't change. 

So have you got any numbers on Rovers Supporters willing to join you on your Boycott on club merchandise?

Such scorn, yet so ignorant.

You’ve made it quite clear you are more than happy for Mowbray to continue as Rovers manager.

Your opinion on him is now moot, I’m afraid.

15 minutes ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Holtby on his way, not being offered a new deal according to LT.

Mowbray has said it so possibly confirms he's making the decisions for next season. 

Tony Mowbray confirms Lewis Holtby won't be offered new deal | Lancashire Telegraph

Already being downplayed/carpeted in the LT comments section.

Holtby not good enough for Rovers but Mowbray is. Yet it was Mowbray who signed him. Curious how this works.

5 minutes ago, tomphil said:

And since Mowbray's been here we remain 4 seasons behind them.

I don't think anything highlights the sheer illusion of progress under him than this.

Maybe 3 wins in 20 games and still having the confidence of the owners, the backing of the CEO, and an approving hardcore of fans?

12 minutes ago, tomphil said:

Better run club than us simple as that.

Not better funded, not really better players, no youth set up like ours, not as good facilities.

Just better run and better managed and better motivated, it really is pathetic that's still the case.

And they had four years in League One.

We finish below Preston again.