Hughes hasn't managed at this level yet has he ? So a bit unfair to write him off because he flopped at a few struggling Prem clubs. He only has himself to blame really as he seems attracted to anything offered as long as it's top tier. Maybe his true abilities lie at a club like this where he might be able to almost start from scratch and mould a solid side. Look at Souness before he came here, ok different era so look at Mowbray before he turned up here. Makes Hughes cv look like Pep. At the very least i doubt he'd be worse it might turn out a sideways step but at least it's a change. Chance of a new manager bounce and the chance for some of these players to play under a bigger name. All i pray for at the min is one bloody good season and a genuine good finish position. Sick of excuses and bull, just want to have a real go for once. Not be stuck in a permanent confused experiment.

Just like we've assumed all along they'll only give it ear time in the usual June/July meeting. By which time the long list of excuses will be ready to present along with a new set of proposals, empty promises. As you were will the answer maybe even with a new contract or two 🥴

This is what happens when a manager has the inside of the club stitched up. This journey and building football clubs line is all about creating their own little vehicle to operate from. Waggot will blag the owners whilst protecting his manager it seems him, TM and Veno will very much come as a threesome now. You'll never get rid of one without the other 2. Costly job in both getting rid and replacing so even if they might actually want to get rid they could be playing better the devil you know. You can forget any promotion attempts though. What these lot have in mind is a dumbed down operation that's easy to manage. With the team sitting midtable acting live a development squad/nursery club for other clubs and their agent pals. Selling it to the owners on the back of reduced running costs, income from land sales and churning out youth. A nice stress free low expectation enviroment for manager and CEO. They don't give a stuff there might only be 6k on most weeks, easy to keep them quiet. The owners will still be underwriting the bills, happy days. All this comes about because they aren't capable of doing any better. So we get told that's our natural future level when in reality it isn't, it's theirs.

Which kind of proves those with the power still take very little notice of results.

No, certain types will sell their soul for a lot less. The land won't sell more though.

Everyone one of them seems to have been involved in one property company or another. It's interesting to say the least.

This is going to take some explaining, don't worry though because nobody will ask.

He never comes across well in the media, never has to be honest. I couldn't care less though it's about who he signs and what he does on the training pitch that matters. His teams here were always very well drilled horses for courses type stuff that obviously reflected the coaching. Sadly taklng on hopeless Prem jobs seems to be his main motivation these days.

Yeah 'Sorry Steve we can't seem to win and are dropping down the league rapidly' S ' Don't worry about it Tone these things happen, it'll be reet' T 'What about the owners though ?' S 'Ah leave them to me, besides iv'e sent them a plan i think the'll go for !' T 'Nice one Waggo that'll soften the blow'

Makes you wonder if some of poor form is anything to do with him not being around. Less pressure to go out and put the foot and the gas and more license to chop and change without having to answer to anyone ? Maybe not but it does make you think seeing as there's the huge void between here and India.

Jacket sacked by Pompey, the manager grab is well underway now. Clubs getting it done and getting prepped for next season already in some cases. Judging by a lot of Pompey comments it's a similar situ to here, nice guy, gentleman, tried his best. Need fresh blood and new ideas etc. Players tweeting thanks gaffer always an honest guy and all that. It needn't be a sour parting of the ways but when the time comes it has to be done. If it's done properly then it's a hell of a lot easier on everyone even if they don't agree with it. Here though it has to be left so long it festers bad then ends up turning into a witch hunt. Turning fan against fan and the media onto the fans and all the rest. If it was politics you'd say it's being done on purpose to be as divisive as possble. Another unwanted symptom of the venky era.

Yes in my eyes it is doing what it was set up to do, produce players for us. Anything else is a bonus but there'll be a few who'll be worth decent money. We are at a level now that it works for us, they wouldn't be good enough for the Prem. If they mess around with it, cut costs and downgrade it then might not produce players good enough to fill a championship squad. So it's best all round to make the most of it as it is. Why ask owners to have to top up rebuilding costs of a smaller site ? Surely better they just continue to top it up and improve what we already have. The next big sale from the first team put some of the profit back towards upgrading the existing sites. Do they want to spew another 12 million on investments that are more likely to depreciate than double ?

Article in LT about our academy and it being rated as one of if not the best in the country in terms of productivity. If that doesn't tell the world it should be left well alone then nothing does. It is working it is doing what it was set up to do. Apart from integrating some into the first team squad it has fook all to do with Mowbray or Waggot. THat line had already started long ago and would've been & will be a requirement for any BRFC manager in this era. Any CEO should be actively encouraging the owners to back this to the hilt whatever it costs. With nearly half its yearly cost being met by a grant anyway it's a bargain running as it is. Keep this slippery weasel and his grubby pound sign eyes well away from it all would be my forceful advice. Leave it well alone there's no need for any crackpot ideas when it is now reaching its peak as it is. It isn't broken it doesn't need fixing by some welps who failed at Coventry. It's the future of Blackburn Rovers not Steve Waggot or Tony Mowbray !

To me he's looked like he was struggling a bit to find fitness in his comeback. Then again though he's just one of those types of players. In days gone by it wouldn't matter as much he'd still be the best on the pitch even with a beer gut. The demands have changed now though and with certain body types it's very hard to get to and maintain top fitness levels. A lot of comparisons with Shearer but big Al was young when he did his ACL. A bit older when he did his other bad injury but he's was always going to be a more stationary target man as he got older anyway. He already had all the attributes. It's amazing what they can fix with modern techniques now though so i'm sure he'll be back. His talisman days - brief as they were anyway - are probably over but he won't bother about that he'll just want to play again at any level. He's a good little player but gets a little overblown in the minds of a few Rovers fans. A fit Dack is a great asset to have though. All the best to him.

It's a great idea and should receive full backing however it's a difficult time to get it into motion. The league 1 season or the season after when interest was peaking again would've been a great time. As mentioned above the club needs a shot in the arm again now, TM and co gave it a brief one but failed to build on it. His gang are more about down playing everything including to the owners by the looks of it. They want to mould a club and team that's comfortable for them to manage. BRFC needs a set up, ambition and mentality to try and punch way above its weight at every opportunity. We don't want a boom and bust attempt but we need bold leadership that reflects on the team and recruitment. The club needs to prick peoples interest again i think to give these ideas chance to thrive. Waggot just seems intent on the idea 10k will troop down from Blackburn & Darwen every game and pay top dollar. Easy street, he'll just keep finding fixed assets to sell instead.

150 mill ? So you don't think that if someone tipped them the nod that certain individuals might specialize in these projects then employing them might seem a tab more attractive ? It was a surprise to everyone when after employing no real directors they suddenly install a real CEO with experience on 300k p.a. Of course Mowbray got the credit for advising on that but maybe it goes a lot deeper.

The narrative will be changing again soon if we end up in a relegation scrap. Fact is Weds and Brum will be down there partly because of poor management and so will we.

9 years ago we were in the Prem then we dropped with 4 years parachute money. Since then we've been bang in the middle of the champ barring 1 season in league 1. How the feck can we be 4 or 5 years behind Brentford ? He was saying similar about Preston not long ago when they beat us and finished above us x2. Add in Bowyer turned a couple of million quids worth of signings into 20+ mill. We spent 8 on a striker before that and he himself has spent 15 million on 3 forwards. The man is quite simply full of shit but the crafty old sod knows the owners and some of our fans are thick as shit as well.

If that's the case it would sound like this is why he in particular was recruited. Having previous for this kind of project.

Time Madame ordered another audit i think....

It's crazy to assume some people in the middle of all this won't make themselves a nice bonus. Nothing illegal about it either it's just the way these things work although taking advantage of a situation raises moral questions. Finders fees, commission, sweentners, holding fees or just a plain old bonus. Not a bad gig if you can justify your position by bringing millions in, cover your own wages whilst you've been here AND get a cherry on top.

Yep like the absolute fallacy thrown around last year that we'd have made the play offs if Dack was fit. Nonsense, a few points better off yes but anything else was fantasy. As is this season if Ayala stayed fit, if the pitch was better, if it wasn't for covid etc etc. Blind leading the blind this management set up needs luxury loan signings, a pool of young talent and about 20 others just to tread water.

Absolutely, there's no doubt he tries but he's more hopeless on the left than the right. Get the ball and tries to dribble it then falls over or is robbed, gets drawn inside naturally then leaves a huge space where he should be. Rinse and repeat. Absolute braindead stuff from the so called experts. I think if ever there was a case to be held up for a player simply being shoehorned into a side by a manager desperate to justify his signing then it's him. Piss poor stuff.

Did we have a shot on target in the first half ? How many corners do we manage in the game ? How many free kicks went into the box ? For all the nice runs of Rothwell or the odd nice interchanging of passes we really are one trick ponies.

Iv'e had a few rows since last night, non of them over 21 by looks of it. Only thing i can put it down to is Mowbrays victim wailing appeals to that generation. They are always all over woe is me sob stories that's the fashion these days. So he just strikes a chord with the kids.