Since teams realised just how bad Walton is. “Buy a ticket lads” - must be how opposition managers motivate their strikers against us.

That goal just lifted them out of the bottom three.

Oh dear

That character reference in court certainly has gone a long way.

It’s the kind of thing that an absolutely untouchable manager would say. More than happy to dig out young players until they do things “the Mowbray way”. Every team needs a spark, a non-conformist who has that bit of class that shouldn’t be tamed. Instead he focusses on weaknesses - usually his perceived weakness in a players desire/character. I’d be livid too. Here’s what he said about Harrison Reed... https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/17581217.tony-mowbray-exceptionally-talented-rovers-loanee-reed/ Before and after injury, a regular this season in a side still challenging for automatic promotion with a game to go. ”I’m right and your wrong”. I just wish he would prove it rather than keep saying it.

It was against the rules. Rovers were relegated and the rules weren’t even upheld after the event. Sorry if I’m not overly sympathetic about Huddersfield’s cheating sending us down. Personally I’d be quite happy with Wigan going down but I still want us to beat Luton - despite the precedent meaning we could play 10 kids, and even if it means the “Mowbray In” crew start with their usual crap.

This doesn’t fit with the narrative that Mowbray has all the time in the world to achieve promotion. It can’t be both either Mowbray should have been replaced during one of our dreadful runs that cost promotion or we are able to bat on for a good while yet. Either that or Tony Mowbray is more important than Blackburn Rovers.

If we sell Travis to Coventry we may as well pack in. Thankfully this us just some internet troll who thinks they have a clever twitter handle.

So, after losing a goalkeeper capable of challenging for automatic promotion and replacing him with a season long loan, Mowbray has a decision to make again this Summer. From the patter recently it seems that Brighton “want Walton back” - which is probably code for: we are looking to sign him for an undisclosed fee but want to make it look as though we had to work hard to get him because of how in demand he is. Personally I’d argue we need better. He has a decent stop in him on his day and when the ball is within arms reach. Sadly his day isn’t often enough and he seems to struggle to get over if the ball is played anywhere out of reach - particularly on free kicks, maybe a decent gk coach could fix this with foot work. In his defence, ironically, he is behind a pretty average defence, also with no depth, and has been for much of the season. In terms of alternatives there are precious few noises. Joe Hart and Karl Darlow seem to keep coming around but other than that no strong rumours. We also need to replace Leutwiler who didn’t push Raya and doesn’t push Walton, and seems more than happy to be a non-playing member of staff, so whatever happens it would be very surprising if we didn’t bring in at least one new man between the sticks. I wouldn’t be averse to bringing in Walton as a number two with an upgrade at number one but this seems unlikely. With this in mind, let’s take a look at keepers who come from the stable of Rovers existing player agencies - which seems to be our default - as we can see, it’s a pretty incestuous business! Unique Sports Management (Bennett, Graham, Bell) James Montgomery - Flyde - age 26 Michael Cooper - Plymouth - 20 Daniel Graham (!) - Ayr United - 20 Max Johnson - Ex St Johnson (MU stock) - 21 Karl Darrow - Newcastle - 29 Jordan Archer - Fulham - 27 Seny Dieng - QPR - 25 Matija Sarkic - Villa - 22 Christy Pym - Peterbrough - 25 Dillon Barnes - QPR - 24 Nathan Bishop - Man U - 20 Major League Sports (Lenihan) No keepers Crown Football / Simon Conning (Gallagher, Magloire) Christian Walton (!) - Brighton - 24 Chris Maxwell - Blackpool - 29 Midas Sports (Nyambe - Ex Crown ?) Matt Macey - Arsenal - 25 Sam Walker - Reading - 28 Adam Parkes - Watford - 20 Stellar Football (Armstrong) Many ridiculous names with upwards of £15m fees that I won’t list Nick Pope - Burnley - 28 Fraser Forster - Southampton - 32 Sergio Romero - Man U - 33 Wayne Hennessey - Palace - 33 Jed Steer - Villa - 27 Runar Alex Runarsson - Dijon - 25 Eloy Room - Columbus Crew - 31 Caoimhin Kelleher - Liverpool - 21 Wes Foderingham - Sheff U - 29 David Marshall - Wigan - 35 Frank Fielding - Millwall - 32 Kieran Westwood - Sheff W - 35 Joe Fryer - Boro - 24 Nathan Trott - West Ham - 21 Robert Sanchez - Brighton - 22 Base Soccer (Samuel, Davenport, Butterworth) Daniel Schmidt - St Truiden - 28 Lawrence Thomas - Melbourne - 28 Mark Gillespie - Newcastle - 28 Joe Lewis - Aberdeen - 32 Stefan Marinovic - Wellington - 28 Conor Hazard - Celtic - 22 Luke Southwood - Reading - 22 SEM Group (Smallwood) Shwan Jalal - Chesterfield - 36 Florent Chaigneau - Montagnarde - 36 Wasserman (Downing, plus now Brereton and Chapman - both ex-Key Sports who also managed Peter Whittingham) Zack Steffen - Man C - 25 David Button - Brighton - 31 Scott Carson - Man C - 34 George Long - Hull - 26 Nick Marsman - Feyenord - 29 Simon Moore - Sheff U - 30 Adam Bogdan - Ferencvaros - 32 Lee Nicholls - MK Dons - 27 Omni-Sports (Hart, Wharton, Carter) Neil Etheridge - Cardiff - 30 Ben Amos - Charlton - 30 Jonathan Mitchell - Derby - 25 Jordan Smith - Forest - 25 Ben Wilson - Coventry - 27 Jack Walton - Barnsley - 22 Sam Hornby - Bradford - 25 Murdock Sports Group / Jackie Evans (Evans, Travis, Rothwell, also Travis ? ) Jason Steele - Brighton - 29 Side note Platinum One Group used to manage Derrick Williams, now managed by ‘relatives’ and now coincidentally out of the team. Alan Manus - Shamrock Rovers - 38 (Taken from transfermarkt data) Any standouts - or other suggestions?

I’m trying to be nice Chris.

10 changes is not the same as dropping a few deadwood players and giving two or three youngsters a chance.

Chris, when you start giving straight answers you can start on your high horse. It’s hard to know which Chaddy I’m posting with from one month to the next.

Don’t start with that shit.

Bournemouth’s escape route: Watford to lose by a goal in each against City and Arsenal, 34 points (-25 GD) Villa to draw against Arsenal and West Ham, 33 points (or time lose one by more goals than they win the other, 34 points , -28 GD) Bournemouth have to beat Everton by 2 goals to reach 34 points (-25 GD) with more goals scored than Watford. ...yeah, no they’re toast!

Let’s not pretend that we wouldn’t have Dyche at Rovers tomorrow.

We could yet still be where Bolton are. If anything it seems inevitable. Venkys won’t sell so administration is almost a certainty at some point. If you take away how odious Kean was and the circumstances under which he first got the job then it is possible to make some comparisons. Especially if we are to believe that Mowbray is from the same agent stock - which suggests that our club remains a closed shop. In terms of personality and credibility (to a man) there is of course no comparison but it’s interesting to have a look. For me, the parallels are closer with Bowyer and Mowbray than with Kean. I don’t hate people but I despise that man with every fibre. By comparison, Mowbray is just a stubborn bloke who is too loyal to low ability but good attitude players, but who is answerable to nobody. Put it this way, either all of our managers under Venkys are just as bad as each other, Kean and Mowbray included... or we should be able to expect better as the next one.

Luton “must win” for it to be in their hands. Anything else and they are relying on Fulham - who may rest players for the play-offs. Same situation for Charlton really.

Amazing stuff

Simply looking at their similarities. I notice you removed the most damning ones.

Let’s look at it objectively. And it is impossible to compare their Championship records as Kean’s limited stats are better but had a better squad. Similarities: - Mowbray and Kean (we are told) come from the same agency stock - They are both happy to work for Venkys despite the apparent conditions - Both have been in charge when we were relegated - Both are unable to get the best out of their players - Both make excuses for failure and are never themselves culpable - Both have stayed/stay beyond the time they would have been allowed at any other club - Fanbase split and in both cases there were fans believing we would only end up with a worse manager so we shouldn’t change - even pointing to Kean’s start to the championship season. Differences: - Managerial experience in the UK (credibility) - Kean’s tenure was at the height of anti-Venkys feeling (possibly one of the causes of it) and fans cared enough to take a stand while Mowbray’s time is at the height of fan apathy (possibly one of the causes of it) and fans are turning away in droves - Perception of them as human beings / motives Some subjective musings: If we are to go along with the “there’s no point in changing” argument (as there has been no decent argument for keeping him based on his own record/performances/direction) then we have to accept the club is still just as rotten as when Kean was here and the current incumbent must be satisfied working in such conditions. The only plus for Mowbray (and by association Waggott) is that we will now finish higher than we did last season. 60pts (15th) vs 63-66pts (8th - 12th) On the one hand that could be called “progress” but as we have now just ended the FFP cycle (despite the COVID-19 deferral) and we are told the cupboard is bare (Mowbray blew all of the money on two players) then the counter-argument is that 8th is the absolute peak before the next rebuild. But some may say that Mowbray’s first year was promotion from League One, so the decision then is, do we believe that over the next three year cycle, starting with a championship platform, he will fare better? My view, based on his record and his stubborn misuse of players out of position and rotation and transfer policy is ‘no’ but others may say he is building for the future. I guess the acid test is whether he keeps our key players this Summer and shores up our goalkeeper and defence. Based on what happened last Summer and the lack of any change in January I don’t believe he will but that is the question for me. The next three years then: - Will Venkys keep footing the bills for the duration - let alone fund a promotion push? - Will Mowbray tell them to keep their powder dry? - Will we have any fans left if we are faced with watching this brand of football and mediocre WDL results for another three years? - Will it actually result in promotion? Clearly he is going to be given yet another transfer window so it will be interesting to see what happens. Even more telling will be if anything changes above Mowbray. If Venkys were given a target of reaching the play-offs and 70 points then objectively this is failure - is anyone culpable? Will we see a John Jensen style sacrifice in the coaching staff? The key difference between the Kean and Mowbray eras is that most fans have reached a point where they feel there is absolutely nothing they can do but watch, while not necessarily buying a ticket to do so. We all love the club but right now we have the owners, board and manager we deserve. If more people had stuck together to oust Kean while we were in the PL, maybe if the FF had been united in front of Balaji then we might be sat where Burnley are instead of heading down the Bolton Road.

You are seriously comparing Mowbray and Allardyce? Any arguments in favour of Mowbray rather than ‘there’s nobody else’?

By Forest. £3.5m and 12 months per goal. What a bargain.

Ha!

Just look what we are capable of when the shackles are taken off. And Bennett isn’t shoe-horned in...

Ha!