Nobody in the first team best 11 should be benched for Elliot Bennett it's as simple as that but it doesn't work like that and nor does the manager. You need cogs in the wheel so it wouldn't be so bad if he was one of those in a consistent well moulded first 11 but he isn't that either he's every bit the utility man.

They though are supposed to fill the holes when required not have different berths in the team created for them weak on weak. There are 3 tombolas at Ewood at present in TMs office, one for selection, one for tactics and Benno has one all of his own. Just has number 1 and number 10 removed but every other number is up for grabs !

Keeps it interesting i suppose.

More muddling around with the team and tactics will result in a more resolute performance this time but the usual weaknesses will cost us.

Barnsley  2    Rovers  2  - After being 2 nil up !

19 minutes ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

Every fecker and his dog down at Ewood on easy street.

The players.

The manager.

Waggott and his posse behind the scenes.

And talking of behind the scenes, our invisible billionaire owners, haemorrhaging money like there’s no tomorrow. So laid back, they’re more horizontal than horizontal.

If only we had a plan. 

That’s what is so frustrating. There’s only us fans that are remotely bothered.
 

 

The plan seems to be marginal gains each season and plenty flannel in their direction and they'll keep signing the cheques. Problem is as we've seen before it works in cycles and will only last like that a season or two at a time. So you've got to grab the bull by the horns before it starts to go backwards or all get broken up again.

9 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

We don't usually.

We have only won 8 points all season from losing positions.

Huddersfield home - drew 2-2 after being 1-0 down

Sheff Wed home - won 2-1 after being 1-0 down

Swansea home - drew 2-2 after being 2-1 down

Bristol City home - won 3-1 after being 1-0 down

That's a massive issue and some of comes down to just carrying players in the squad instead of going all out to try and find a game changer of two. Or even a nasty git or two who drag the rest along when needed.

I know things can't be helped at the min but next season the likes of Smallwood, Samuel and one or two others simply must be moved on in order to bring in something that'll contribute more than just being nice around the place.

12 minutes ago, OnePhilT said:

I think they were regularly in the side, though (Gestede and Rhodes). Imagine where we'd have been without one or two of them for half a season.

I think it can be that simple when it comes to a key player like Dack. 4 points is all it would have taken to be where we all wanted to be for the season. Dack would have made that difference - easily. If you took Shearer out of the equation for half of our title-winning season, it wouldn't have been a title winning season.

Yeah i'd like to think so although his influence on the team isn't on a par with Shearer even taking into account the different levels of ability.

Worth considering though in line with what i said about the bigger picture having Dack in doesn't stop Walton gaffing, doesn't stop the manager providing the opposition with weak spots to target with his frequent square pegs in round holes approach. Also Dack good as he is was often doubled up on by the opposition or targeted by their henchmen as he surely would've been yesterday.

So whilst i agree i think he'd have coniored up another goal & assist or two i'm not sure we'd be miles better off points wise because other things negate it. We don't have the quality in the squad to exploit other areas when the opposition minds are being occupied by him, with Rudy & Rhodes ably assisted by Conway & Cairney and to a lesser extent Marshall we did.

Less carrying nice lads in the squad for the sake of harmony and a bit more quality and steel needed if we are to get over the line into top 6 contention on a regular basis.

9 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

Its the lack of leaders throughout the team especially in defence ....

If Brad Friedel had played tthe last 15-20 games we would be in the play off spot...

Exactly that plus doing the same things over and over again yet expecting different results. We have subs coming on who rarely if ever change games they just slot in.

If we are 2 nil up and he brings on Samuel and the like we might just kill it off and win by 3 nil or whatever. How often do we rescue a game or turn it round though ?  

9 minutes ago, OnePhilT said:

I find it difficult to believe that we wouldn't be at least four points better off, i.e. in the playoffs, if Dack had played the last 15-20 games...

Not so sure personally that's just idealistic thinking it's rarely that straightforwards. Why didn't we get into the players with a 40 goal strike force a few years ago ?

We've had games were the formation has been different meaning we've looked comfortable and won, we've had tight games where you think he'd make the difference. He'd still have to conquer something up though and we had had plenty non event games like yesterday still when he was in the side.

It's the bigger picture that's often lacking imo not just the void of Dack.

Echoing blue bloods post really, we've seen the two sides of this manager and his team in the space of a week yet again. Of course we have to take into account the nature of this division and a couple of good players missing. Sadly though even if they were available then i couldn't see it making a great deal of difference because he often negates the strengths of the team by further weakening already week areas with his selections and tactics.

When the pressure is on him he and the team deliver when it isn't they collectively relax far too much and leave things to chance. Trying things that might work once in 5 in favour of things that do work when they do them back to back and we go on winning runs.

The guy will never go shit or bust when we are in touching distance only when his back is against the wall.  If they really really want it then he and them have to show it, it's in the locker so open the f##### door !

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

Bennett has been on the bench four times this season and has started every other game.

He is captain (shouldn’t be) and he plays even when he plays out of position at full back. He’s Mr Versatile and Tony’s man.

I used to think he was a real asset to the team but that was in the middle or at a pinch on the right side of midfield. At this point, he’s Jason Lowe with a fist pump. Mowbray values players’ contribution to dressing room chat more than their contribution on the pitch.

Exactly, he's been happy to allow one to be paid thousands per week for no other reason for the past 12 months plus.

Even to the point he might keep him around when there's a chance to get rid. Jobs for the boys is on another level down there.

If you pay big money for strikers with no real scoring pedigree then you can't express any surprise whatsoever when they don't take chances.

You spend a few hundred grand if you want to gamble on those types, like he did with Samuel. Then when they don't offer anything you cut them loose with no big regrets, like he doesn't do with Samuel.

If you want goal scorers you really need to find one's that know where the net is regularly whatever level they are at.

1 minute ago, JoeH said:

One day we'll get our act together and learn how to play a Paul Cook side consistently. The one time we mananged it was the one time we matched them for route one with Danny Graham up top. Got it wrong today, so many players performed badly - but outside of individual player performances we were completely "Out Tacticted" by Mr Cook. 

Holtby as a false nine didn't work the first time, and was never going to work a second.
Elliott Bennett at left-back never has worked, and was never going to work here.
Sam Gallagher isn't a winger, and he was never going to succeed on the wing today.
Joe Rothwell hasn't got the bollocks, and we keep beating that dead horse trying to fit him in
Armstrong is literally our only goalscorer, and he benched him for a second consecutive game.

Honestly, TM couldn't have got today more wrong, and I find his post-match comments blaming solely the decisions of the players to be in poor taste.

Every now and again it does work that's why it keeps getting repeated.

55 minutes ago, unleaded said:

Can just see this coming

We will move on to the next one ! Terrible football and how he’s lasted this long with the tools he’s had only Venkys can explain... 

We need a sporting director to monitor his goings on .... Too much power with no one to question him ... 

What we've always needed under this lot is a CEO or similar with Rovers at heart or who understands it and its fans at least. Also one who knows football. 

Then when you have an ok gaffer like Mowbray there is someone there independent of the owners and him and his staff. That way pressure can be applied when needed and even an arm round the shoulder or shield when things aren't, up to a point of course. The way it is he has his own people in office around him then there's the owners man and all the lot including the ownership are probably connected to the same agents.

It will never ever be a recipe for success no matter how much money is chucked at it.

59 minutes ago, Stuart said:

This guy is a hamster in a wheel.

Sometimes he goes fast and sometimes he goes slowly. Sometimes he just stands still. And sometimes he even goes backwards.

But ultimately he is going nowhere.

Kevin Gallagher summed it up just now by saying, and I paraphrase for brevity, we set up 4-6-0, defending before attacking, and sapping the confidence out of our forward players.

If we cannot go for it from the position we are in, safe, with a 7th placed finish no better than 21st, and on the tails of local rivals then when can we?

We need to perform far far better than that. But why should the players care? Doesn’t matter if they are in or out of form, it doesn’t affect chances of selection. Doesn’t matter what happens on the pitch or for how many matches, Mowbray is under zero pressure.

All too comfortable and, as far as I’m concerned, promotion will mean pressure from fans for a change of manager, while WDL in the Championship will not.

Now if there was pressure on him today we'd have seen a completely different attitude from him and the players would have come out fighting tooth and nail. I'd stake my house we'd have won that if there were vultures circling.  As it is it was an impressive return to action last week with some bold thinking. Today was very much take the foot off the gas and lets just set out not to lose, never works with our lot we are either on it or we aren't.

How much of that comes from him i'm not sure but you'd have thought he'd have fathomed a way around it by now. Main issue is we don't go down fighting we a goal behind and if we don't hit back within a few mins it's game over.

6 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Kevin Gallacher on Radio Lancashire just made a perfectly valid point as to why Mulgrew wasn't played at left back today. He has played Champions League and International football in that position and whilst he is long past his best it would at least be a square peg in a square hole rather than playing a player there whose left foot is for standing on and contributes the arse end of nothing.

If he's making the bench then it's fair to assume he's available to come on which blows the contract theory. If not then why is he on the bench at all ?

Again it's fair to assume there'll be a bench bonus so more brass wasted if so.

We've touched on his good points but for his recurring weak spots look no further than today. The whole set of things that hold us back were clearly on display yet again.

Didn't take long for the real Tony Mowbray Rovers to return.

All those fawning over Samuel put away your sympathetic thoughts just because of his injury. Far too much old pals stuff at Ewood under this manager. Time to move him and several others on they aren't up to it and are far too comfortable.

Conceding after a substitution yet again.....

Bennett will cost us something today.

If it came to a choice between the two on who to keep just as cover i'd probably choose Williams to be honest.

Can cover 2 positions and if push comes to shove is probably the better one at left back, the ideal squaddie.

Lack of actual competitive football just stopping dead mid season will no doubt throw up all sorts of niggles now.

They can run and cycle and kick a ball around in their gardens all they want but you can't replace competitive training ground action. Not like a normal summer off then ease back in so I understand there'll be a need to rotate a few.

He's ok going forward but defensively he's just another Adam Henley. Just can't get to grips with the basics and never seems to improve.

He's been here a while now yet most just want him as back up. Others don't even want that. Kind of says it all really.

14 minutes ago, Dan said:

Gallagher will be shoe horned in somewhere, god only knows why.  

5 million pound marquee signing that's why.

The by now infamous 'lists'...

A list - Cream of the crop that everybody else is after but there's no chance we'll pay for.

B list - A few curved balls we'll be monitoring then get told at a later date we apparently we just missed out on.

C list - The standard go to list or aka Tony's address book and friendly agents clients lists. Either on a free or overpaid for, list A in other words !

8 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

This imo sums up in a nutshell why we will never ever do a thing under Mowbray even if he weret to stay until he pops his clogs.

It's obvious from that article if the budget for next season is the same Mowbray's ideal scenario would be to give everyone contract extensions and keep the squad the same.

Everyone else would be thinking "Thank god for that" set a match to the squad and rebuild around Lenihan, Nyambe, Travis, Armstrong and Dack.

 

Exactly what iv'e been getting at and whilst i'm not saying he doesn't want a good budget i think it'd suit him and his crew if we could just carry on as we are with the minimum of fuss or change.

12 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

do you think tony is topping up his pension fund and does`nt want any undue fuss,like promotion!!,spoiling it,would be hard work for him getting players in of quality to even compete imo

I'm sure he'd love promotion it would be a great way to sign off his long career.  Just don't think he's under any pressure to go out on a limb to try and get it.  Seems more of a we'll just keep plodding on and if it happens it happens if not, shrug the shoulders.