Too soon to clear off the debt of the past ten years and to come back down with parachute payments to enable us to compete with the bigger spending clubs in the championship? I don’t think so. Our financial situation is getting more perilous every season. Is it too soon to keep the wolves away from the door for another ten years? Of course not.

For me the balance is no problem - IF Rovers win. If we get three points I’m happy, charming, loveable, fun to be around and generally a pretty good husband and Dad. Thus, the Mrs doesn’t mind me watching the football under those circumstances. However, loses lately see me irritable, short tempered, intensely annoyed at everyone who tries to speak to me and feeling like I’m an angry and desolate teenager, reliving those three heartbreaking play off loses of the late 1980s. It’s the hope that kills you! I’d adjusted to being shit for like the past ten years, but now I’m dreaming of Wembley in May and watching Rovers on MOTD again. It’s not conducive to harmonious family life tbh. For God sake Rovers (if any of the team are reading) - either be shit or be good - one or the other - give us time to adjust. You can’t be really shit, then absolutely amazing, then really shit again - it’s killing me and making me not the well rounded individual I was hoping I’d matured into. Thank you.

Very good post indeed - and your first two paragraphs in particular are spot on. The mistakes of the past decade have created an ultimately unsustainable level of debt. Unsustainable, that is, unless we spend at least the odd season every ten years or so in the oligarchs playground. One season in there wipes the debt and then gives us parachute payments to start to rebuild as a genuine top championship/yo-yo club. Any thoughts of going up and recreating Souness’s or Dalgish’s years are fanciful. We don’t have the worst manager in the world, but a football genius miracle worker he most definitely ain’t.

Listening to the crowd on Rovers Audio - before the commentary starts. Cleaning my fish tanks and I can hear the Rovers fans all the way from Kenilworth Rd to Inverness. Superb Rovers fans. Making me feel more confident.

I have thought this for some time. Mowbray might be better as DofF rather than first team coach. His acquisitions have been more positive than negative - no manager’s purchasing record is perfect. He has overseen/been in charge whilst there have been significant improvements in scouting and production of players from the youth team. He is not the worst ‘manager’ in the world. However, please can somebody else be given responsibility for selecting and setting up the team on match day. Why, after finally coming across a winning formula, did we abandon it last night and drop Buckley in to replace Travis - when we pay a wage to Johnson and Davenport to provide back up in Travis’s position? He’s not terrible, but please can somebody at the club, do the tactics for him. It’s such a debilitating weakness for him.

Hmmmm. I think they have lots of knowledge of the crooked underworld of football and it’s agents. Maybe they lack a bit of understanding, but knowledge, no I’d say they have lots of ‘knowledge’ of each other. Almost in the biblical sense of the word. What they have no knowledge of is actual football - the importance of defence, setting a team up right, how to choose and deal with managers, not pissing off the fan base, the importance of winning, what happens to teams that don’t win, how the English league system works, what a league table looks like, how to get to Ewood. I could go on. I am not convinced they have any knowledge of business either. I don’t buy into the commonly heard fallacy that because you’re rich you must have at least some brains. These guys prove how ridiculous the modern capitalist world is - stinking rich, yet utterly incompetent, dumb as fuck and totally bent. It isn’t a conspiracy btw - they genuinely are as stupid as they seem. So no knowledge of anything useful at all actually, except, of course, crooked underworld agents and shysters who have their ears.

Thanks for the reply Chaffinch, but no I’m not buying it. Even San Marino only lose 0-7 at home when playing vastly superior European nations (I quickly checked in the past ten years I could only see England, Germany and Norway putting this many past them at home). Teams do not lose 0-7 at home in league matches unless things are terribly wrong. Before last night we’ve been relegated, we’ve been outclassed, we’ve been torn apart, we’ve had poor managers who’ve lost the dressing room, we’ve had men sent off - we’ve never lost 0-7 at home. It wouldn’t be acceptable if we were playing Real Madrid and it’s not acceptable against Fulham. It was the managers job to shut up shop and preserve the goal difference and some dignity. He gave up! He surrendered. He negated his responsibility to put however many men behind the ball as was necessary to stop the humiliation. He abandoned responsibility and let it happen. It was gross negligence of his duties and he needs to be relieved of them.

Full respect for coming on here and being prepared to go against the flow of mainstream message board opinion. I don’t think you’re trolling, but who knows for sure. Our worst home defeat EVER- in 146 years is not a freak result though. A freak result is a result that - as you correctly define - actually happens from time to time. Losing 0-7 at Ewood does not happen from time to time. It has NEVER happened before. No living Rovers fan has seen such a big home defeat and not even any dead Rovers fans witnessed this before. This is not a thing that happens at Ewood ‘from time to time’ it has never happened at Ewood before. It never happened under Kidd, under Kean, under Ince, under Coyle or under whatever shit managers we had before my time. It never happened before this century, last century or two centuries ago, it never happened in the time of Elizabeth II, George V or even in the reign of Queen bloody Victoria. This is not a ‘freak result’ it’s an absolute outrage - as is the fact he hasn’t been sacked - as is the fact he hasn’t resigned and as is the fact he didn’t even apologise or take responsibility. It’s not a freak result it’s a disgrace and so is he. If you were trolling well done on winding me up - it worked.

Venus out!

Seen in isolation last night’s result and performance were not terrible. We were very unlucky to lose Nyambe and the result may well have been different had we not. We fought and battled. We didn’t deserve to lose. It is a forgiving league and a team pushing for a play off place can easily lose away to a rival and can just come back next match and keep gathering in the points required. However, when the manager has been here nearly five f*****g years it is simply impossible to see the result in isolation. We still can’t f*****g defend. Still! Over four years of this crap we have endured and we still can’t achieve our potential due to leaking goals and being unable to withstand pressure. In fairness to Mowbray we actually now have the best first choice back four since Hanley and Duffy left (it only took him four seasons), but beyond the first choice four it is the same old disorganised crock of shite. Too much space for the opposition, not closing down, yada f*****g yada. IT IS THE MANAGERS JOB TO ORGANISE THE BLOODY DEFENCE. It doesn’t matter who the individual defenders are, the manager has to take responsibility for continuously poor and disorganised defending. OK, in a dream world he could finally play four -Nyambe, Lenihan, Ayala, Pickering - who seem to be able to look after themselves every week. However, who would have thought one of them may get injured one day, let alone two? Oh no Tony, shock horror, you may have to play some inexperienced average quality defenders from time to time and YOU might have to take responsibility for actually drilling them beforehand how to defend and setting the team up in a way that their weaknesses don’t get exposed. I am absolutely sick of the man. Two goals away from home, decent performance and we still lose ‘cos we ship three. Same old, same old, same old, same old. I’m sick of it and it looks like Brereton and Rothwell and Lenihan and Nyambe must be sick of it too.

Absolutely typical example of English people not understanding how big Celtic and Rangers really are. Arsenal as big as Celtic? Aye right, dream on. The only English clubs that have the same level of support and history as the old firm are Man Utd and Liverpool. Spurs and Arsenal don’t even dominate their own leagues, let alone have any European heritage. Celtic and Rangers shouldn’t be judged by the SPL or the ability of their current squads to win the Champions League. Neither should Ajax, Porto or other European giants misfortune enough to not lie in the borders of the big four or five leagues. The SPL - and UEFAs commitment to supporting a multitude of irrelevant minor tin pot national leagues - holds the old firm and other European clubs back massively. It creates a temporary and wildly unfair situation where by only the English, German, Spanish, Italian (and at a push the French) clubs can consistently compete. Either UEFA allows them to unite in leagues that can compete financially with the larger countries leagues (e.g an ‘Atlantic League’ and other potential Eastern & Southern European amalgamations) or it allows Ajax and the old firm to join the PL, Polish and Austrian clubs to join the Bundesliga and so on. Clubs of the big 4 or 5 leagues have European competition stitched up currently so only they can dominate and attract the best players. It’s unsustainable and outrageously unfair. All ideas in football can work as long as they are based on a pyramid system. An Atlantic league would be awesome as long as there was a system of promotion and relegation from feeder national leagues. It’s either that or allow the big 4 or 5 leagues to expand their promotion to serve as the top of a pyramid for smaller countries too. However, personally I think those leagues are quite big enough anyway myself. Allowing the clubs outside the big leagues to unite into their own multi-national league pyramids is such an obviously good idea for European football, it is only the greed of the already big league’s clubs that currently acts as a veto. It’s a situation that won’t last forever though. What seems immovable and permanent in football often isn’t.

What! Does this mean the owners have given up on qualifying for the champions league now???? I thought the past ten years were just a temporary set back and once TM had got us promoted we were going to be back on track for the champions league in a few seasons. Has nobody told Tony the Venky’s plan? Has he not been paying attention? We’re their baby! Come on Tony you’re not saying your employers have been talking shite are you?

Having read a fair few of Nostradamus’s and the Brahan Seer’s predictions (late night junk reading) I would say I have learned two things about successfully predicting the future: 1. Make your predictions so vague that they can mean anything. 2. Re-write the prophecy after the event to make it fit a bit better. Former resident of these parts - Alan Nixon - was an absolute master at it. He could put Nostradamus and Old Mother Shipton to shame. I genuinely enjoy all the “itk” stuff that gets posted on this site. If anyone doesn’t take it with a huge pinch of salt (like me every time somebody says TM is on the way), then it’s our fault not the posters. It’s an internet message board and all part of the fun. Whether it’s the sale the club, TM and Waggot being booted, or Frank Lampard being at suspiciously short odds for a market I’m surprised even exists - keep it coming - what else is there to discuss? TMs new signings? If we can possibly over achieve and push for 14th place next season? How many more years before we sign a new centre half? Will TM practice set pieces next year? Are results important? Reality sucks at the moment- bring on the escapism.

The owners have absolutely no idea of how the footballing calendar works. We all know this. Also - I doubt Pasha or anyone would even dream of being so disrespectful as to ever tell them when they should do something. Their time on the payroll would be over as quick as Paul Lambert’s was. Even if someone did dare suggest to them that in football there is a certain time to make decisions, trying to explain to three knuckle headed, spoiled and perpetually waring siblings that they have to make a decision - like now - would be like trying to explain quantum physics to Mowbray. They’re never going to get it. The owners have no concept of a season, a league table, an organised defence, the importance of set pieces, the need for coaching players, fitness or the need for a functioning management structure at the club. They know absolutely nothing about football. I mean nothing. Therefore, to make the assumption that Mowbray not being sacked at the sensible time to sack him, is evidence that he’s not going to be sacked, does not stack up. The running of our football club does not follow any logical rules. Mowbray could be sacked a week before the first game of the season, after signing new players. It would be because that is the point when Mrs D decided to bother her arse to make a decision. It could be done late just to spite her brothers for all we know. If Mowbray is to be sacked it will be done at a time that suits them, not a time that suits the English football season.

What trophies did England win in the 1970s?? I think we failed to qualify for two World Cups! When I was younger, 80s - 90s - 00s, England had lots of heart and passion, a dangerous cutting edge, but lacked technical ability. Now, IMO, England seem to have technical ability (well we can play more than 442 at last and don’t give away possession as cheaply as previous generations) but seem to lack the heart and passion of previous generations.

The f-word is the most versatile adjective in the English language. It serves an important function, as does the presence and status of all taboo words. The irony is that if you don’t ever use them you make them more powerful for those of us who do. Being able to express yourself without swearing is undoubtedly a priceless tool. Everyone is well served by learning to express themselves in formal English with no swearing at all. However, if you are not capable of a Malcolm Tucker style rant - in the right company - you are not using the language to it’s full potential. Your choice I guess. IMO, the current situation is a perfect example of when the previously taboo vocabulary should come out of the drawer. Mowbray right now deserves the odd F-word. If he doesn’t leave soon he’ll be getting the odd C-word too. It is for times like these that we save these words.

League table of most useless managers - personality not considered - at Rovers IMO (I go back to the mid 1980s): 1. Kidd 2. Kean 3. Coyle 4. Ince 5. Mowbray Also rans - Bowyer, Lambert, Appleton, Berg. However, if he gets us relegated twice, he jumps to number one and can proudly be crowned Rovers worst ever manager. Which is no mean achievement considering for many he’s already Celtic’s worst ever manager. I don’t remember Jim Iley obviously. I believe, like Kidd and Ince, he was a nice enough guy, just useless. I don’t think we need a league table for worst owners in recent memory.

His lack of respect for the club and our history has rankled me for a long time. Dalglish & Souness were managers with big histories, European Cups, League trophies galore. However, they always respected Blackburn Rovers. I can’t remember a single respectful word TM has made about our heritage. It intimidates him. As someone said on here, we’re the second biggest club this dope will ever manage. Show some respect, you dim witted fool. Blackburn Rovers football club is way out of your league pal. I can’t listen to the interview. He grates on me at the best of times. I can’t take him at all right now. But as for development?!?!!?!???! Where do you even start!?!?? Is the constant slagging of players from our youth set up all part of the development programme? Tit! I read the comment about Alaya too - which must have cut like a knife for poor Lenihan. But hey ho, Lenihan’s from our youth team so he’s fair game for a slagging from Mowbray. You know, I’m starting to believe he actually hates the club.

Wow, wow, wow. I’m a teacher. Can you imagine if I said to parents, or my head teacher, or to my employers at the council “I don’t know how my pupils perform in their exams, because I don’t look at their exam results”? Is there anybody on this website who could conceivably come out with such bullshit with regards to their performance at work? Imagine a manager at one of their battery chicken factories telling the local Indian paper “I don’t know how many chickens we have sold, because I don’t look at sales figures”. I thought reading about ‘expected goals’ was the daftest thing I would read in a long time. Now we have a manager of a football team claiming to not know what the league table looks like - in April! I want to work for Venkys. What a laugh: “How much shit did you shovel today RoverInverness?” “I don’t know Mr. Pasha, I never looked at the pile” “OK, we will review in summer” Easy money. Literally stealing a living.

Raya, Nyambe - He has form on this.

God of Midtable? We wish! God of Two Relegations to League One is starting to look more like it.

I feel the mistake being made here - and it’s one that is often made - is people think of Venkys as a single body. They are not, they are a group of dysfunctional quarrelling siblings who often act in contradictory ways. My memory/reading of the Kean situation is that Barry probably wanted him gone, Mrs D didn’t (she got on with Kean’s wife), so Barry appointed Shebby to make life difficult for him. Similarly when Lambert was appointed, somebody - probably Barry again - promised him the Earth, but Lambert soon realised a promise from one of them means bugger all. It is why their decision making is so glacial (as beautifully described by someone here earlier in the day) even when the correct decisions are glaringly obvious (like sacking Mowbray). It also explains bizarre decisions like the double audit one summer, but no sale of the club afterwards. It also explains why they still own the club, despite it doing them no good. It explains why senior appointments are made - Waggot, Senior, etc, but the appointees appear to be powerless. It explains why they one season call a fire sale resulting in relegation, followed by three seasons of throwing money at a dope who has no chance of achieving anything. None of it makes sense because it’s different parties, with different objectives, making different decisions. Pasha may well be the communication channel to one of them, but as they all seem to have the power of veto of each other’s decisions, it takes more than Pasha to pull the trigger. Someone has to get all four of the loons to agree to sacking Mowbray. The best hope is Mrs D is distracted and just says ‘yes’ without paying much attention. She’s the most cautious of them, but also the one with least knowledge of the realities of football (which is some achievement). All this said - I still have another page or so to read - maybe by the time I get to the end of the thread there will be some news. Please, please.

In 2017 we went down with 51 points. In the seven games left we need six points to beat that total. Surely, surely the Raos have to notice that. I know they’re not paying close attention, but surely they see the points total at the end of the season. Is anyone confident we’ll get six or more points in the games left?

Tony Nobody

OK - genuine question - what other clubs are strategically owned to make money by losing money? If it works for V’s it could work for many others. I will stand corrected if you can tell me some examples without just entering into more speculation. Also - Balaji stopped playing real life football manager years ago. We all know this. It wasn’t him who put Gallagher to right back, he doesn’t even know who Gallagher is. The only person ‘playing’ at football manager these days is TM. And he ain’t any good at it either. Finally - I take the point about their accountants not being as dumb as them - but I don’t believe that people who were simple enough to be taken in by S***e K**n are listening to their accountants because they are wise enough to know good advice from bad advise. Venkys listen to charlatans and con-men, we know this for fact. You’re speculating that they are now listening to financial whizz kids - well they never did before. I’m not meaning to be deliberately argumentative btw, I don’t normally think you’re wrong, in fact probably the opposite, but I don’t buy those arguments above at all.