Again they'll be missing the facts that Venkys have taken us to the very brink of being a Bolton or Wigan. They keep us there and only their money stops a full on meltdown of those proportions. Very odd to be grateful for that scenario. If or when DDay finally does arrive it's odds on we'll be left worse than Bolton or Wigan.

But he's been trying to be modern using it and it's terms along with his own version of 2021 total football. If the guy managed to his limited strengths like he was a few years ago we wouldn't be top 6 but might look a bit better. What worries me is him just picking sides and systems based on stats he's being fed. I think that might explain some of the odd stuff he does. Then he ends up throwing it out the window on 65 mins and making multiple changes. He's an old school manager, dinosaur to some, he'd be better off managing the old school way and not trying to make wine out of water.

Half back of defensive quarter ? It is America.

Tax write off against this years mid year profits. Surely they could stick a bit more on top for a promotion driven manager !

Is he playing center half ?

But it's the future sadly. Not really these lads fault they are clearly very passionate about it and so it would seem is football in general. Look forward in the future to managers saying 'well the data said if we did this or that there'd be a 75% chance we'd win. The pitch/ref/weather have got in the way though'... Of course our mon is ahead of the curve on that.

Which begs the question why doesn't he just get them on the front foot having a go more often ? What is he so scared of, losing 2 nil instead of 1 nil ? He's such a strange guy at times.

Al across the screen.

We used to struggle in a lot of those bread and butter games though. Seems now we don't have the bottle for the bigger ones or whenever the top 6 is in sight ! It's the 2 wins in 18 or so runs that is the real problem here whoever it is against. That is just dire but made even worse when it's tried to be dressed up as a positive and progress because some stats are good and we aren't getting whacked by 2 or 3. Bizarre way to run a team.

We aren't in that market though unless it's someone injury prone who no one else will take a punt on. Cast offs is most definitely where we'll have to be and even then we won't/can't pay what some want. I wonder when those accounts are getting filed ?......

About time there was some data produced on these kind of signings. Dot joining data.

That was good old fashioned recruitment taking a punt on a young player. Fair play to whoever jumped on that one and got him through the door. No doubt they did consult some stats but they can't have been that great otherwise nobbers wouldn't have let him go. Other side of the coin is both Ayala and Bell were high in certain stats charts this season. Yet they rarely looked the part watching the actual games and didn't seem to gel or benefit the team as a whole on most occasions. So if stats were used to justify them it just shows how flawed it is, you need the right stats to marry up to your job in the side. Not just a high % of something for the sake of it.

If we recruited or even retained managers on a data only approach analyzing them Tony wouldn't have got a foot through the door. And he'd certainly have been shunted by now.

It's basically mini robots creating human bots. Someone previous mentions it has to be used well and that's the key. It needs blending with all the other factors, just chucking all your eggs in that basket won't result in suddenly being Brentford. There's no evidence of the Brentford model here, in fact quite the opposite the possession stats etc approach has contributed to a poor season. I think that was only banded about to try and justify flogging half the training ground. I still think a good manager who uses the stats for traditional purposes only and uses his budget well. Who knows his system and his players well and has drive and mentality can outperform anything a spreadsheet will try dictate.

So what was the one about predicted goals or whatever it was, i forget the term ?

Nah, that'll be when it starts predicting the results correctly. Anyway maybe at Ewood if the team was run soley by spreadsheet without Mowbrays interference we'd be better off. Hard to know who's ###### it up him or the laptop !

In a nutshell basically but not many have realized it's a bit different around here. It's a tough little corner of the UK it almost has its own economic and social climate differing from even 15 miles away. Thing is though this guy was at Charlton, a club going rapidly backwards and acclimatizing to lower league football. Also Coventry who were in an even worse situation. So obviously that's a level he's suited too and probably more comfortable at. When he pitched up here we ended up in the start of an upward curve for the first time in years. Neither he nor his manager had the first clue how to keep that going, preferring instead a 'job done' mentality. Then just settle in nicely to be a mid level championship club. The ambitions of the club and it's traditions are above their capabilities. So now it seems we have to come down to that because although this club can punch above it's weight those running it cannot.

Putting them in then whipping them out according to opposition does them no favours that's for sure. If you are going to be a good player you need to play against all opposition. It goes against the development tagline thrown around here when he does that. How can they develop only being chucked in against certain teams ? They need to play in spells if they can cope with it.

Everyone inside the club, that's how he seems to see his priorities. His hiding place will be far more exposed this coming season. Possible restrictions though could still gloss over the crowd issues.

Cairney often got moaned at for being languid and lazy but the lad just wasn't a winger. It was another classic case of a manager trying to shoehorn people in and look after his favs. Also hiding behind the 'development' line as in trying to get him to do different stuff. That's the problem here and same under this manager, it rarely benefits the actual team. Cairney looked miles more busy in the middle yet he was still the same languid player. Just way more involved and comfortable and as a result it was better for the team. King was another one and Marshall looked far more comfortable when he finally landed as a right wing back. Sadly we don't seem to employ managers or coaches with the right kind of nous. Bowyer was inexperienced, scared of his own shadow and Jason Lowe was his love child. Mowbray is just on a permanent mix and match hiding behind 'development', just doing enough and keeping everyone happy. Until the owners actually have a real desire to push on and employ the right staff we'll be stuck in this paralysis.

Any squad in this division containing Armstrong, Elliot, Dack, Rothwell, Dolan, Travis and yes even Gallagher should be causing problems weekly. And you know what, they do when he lets them have a go. Sadly the boring old fart would rather doze in the dugout whilst his team goes sideways and backwards on the Park.

I thought originally the idea of season tickets was to get cash in for clubs to tide them over the no income summer months. Seems it's still a factor to 75% of the league but obviously lost on some on here. As for Rovers under this ownership we know they always do things differently to the other 75%. In fact as far as i can see it's different to the other 24% as well, we are very much in the 1% oddball category ! I guess though the way it's funded it just doesn't matter if there's always a mid summer shares injection. As you say though makes a mockery of the pleading poverty line. Never seems much poverty when it comes to pouring money into under achievers and chancers pockets at the top end - the football end. Always on the ground here, the bottom end where there seems no cash. Mind you one end is run by agents. The other end isn't.

This has been covered from every angle though, first off it would be an important cash injection. Secondly most other clubs are managing to do it and thirdly fans are going to be allowed in. Can't see any local or tiered lockdowns now it isn't the situation it was last summer so far less risk. And last but by no means least you know and i know that isn't the reason for any delays regarding Rovers ST's. It's just standard practice nothing is done until the Vs have had their mid summer meetings.

Not since Coyle raised his jug eared heed. Why ? Does that mean i can't have an opinion ?

We are never on the ball with ST's and never have been under this lot so nothing new here. Mad how it gets the same angst every year when it's a given nothing happens til late. As for Balaji and 'decisions' it'll just be an ego thing with him it certainly isn't anything he gives and real thought to. Just a control thing because he probably doesn't control much else. As as far as i can see it with him he gets a load of money every year from the family companies for doing nothing. Then he has a couple of blokes running around spending...sorry investing it for him. Whilst at the same time making sure he doesn't go bankrupt and drag the whole lot of them down. Probably bleeds a few more quid out via Rovers but that's another theury for another day. Whatever it is it's incompetent in regards to building a successful football outfit. He really isn't bothered though.