RevidgeBlue

Imo "We might appoint someone worse" is still not a valid argument in favour of keeping a manager you know or believe will fail if he stays on.

Allardyce, Hughes, Pullis, Hughton and Warnock are currently out of work. That's without even considering any up and coming young managers in the lower leagues. Not saying all of the above would come but I would be surprised if one or two of them wouldn't be interested if enough money was on offer.

Because Mowbray has left us in the brown and sticky stuff due to his appalling recruitment and his refusal to offload players that needed offloading. Much like Lambert did when he left us without a single senior striker under contract. The fact that Mowbray has made it harder for any possible successor is not a factor in favour of keeping him though, it's an even stronger reason for getting rid before the situation deteriorates even further.

Your original post was an excellent one, to which I'll respond separately. Imo you are quite right. The hunger jus isn't there. Having got to within touching distance of the play off positions they should have been like lions fed on raw meat before the Wigan game but there was no passion intensity or desire, nothing, prior to the last 20 mins. The game against Brum I thought was even worse when they should have been doubly determined to rectify the wrongs of the Wigan game.

Devil's Advocate mode: Has he made ANY successful signings other than Dack? Harrison Reed maybe, but then he wasted him by playing him out of position as with many others. Also, which players have improved under Mowbray? I think you could make a case that the likes of Raya Nyambe Bell Lenihan Travis Rothwell Brereton Gallagher and Chapman all regressed the longer they have played under TM

Yep, he'd have to spend several months in the under 23's learning to play "the Rovers way" and "hold his position". None of that bursting forward and trying to score goals nonsense.

No offence intended but have you only just worked that one out EIT? Anyone can make a couple of mistakes in the transfer window, you take a gamble on a player and it doesn't come off but what I don't understand is why you would spend £7m on a player and not even give him a chance then spend another 5m on someone who's played here already, demonstrated that he isn't particularly good and shown that he is someone to be avoided on a permanent basis.

Was thinking exactly the same myself jim.

This season is starting to feel like the Lambert season. Poor football yet somehow in contention for a play off place leading up to Christmas before completely playing ourselves out of it over the festive period. We'll never know now if our best player would like then have been sold during the January transfer window but we all know what happened the following season.

Should have been potted last February. Nothing has changed and nothing much will change until he goes.

A keeper would have been my priority before Dack got injured, now I'd say it was a reasonable striker closely followed by a keeper.

Considering how desperate Middlesbrough have been, they are only six points behind us.

Our overall points per game over the last fifty odd games is actually extremely poor, it's just that we seem to be able to string the occasional run of results together which prevents us from falling into the bottom three. The momentum derived from gaining promotion from League 1 ensured we just about had enough in the Bank to survive last year and likewise the recent run before the last three games should mean we have enough in the Bank not to be relegated this time round although without Dack I wouldn't be surprised if thinks look fairly ugly by season end. Either way I think we could and should be looking to do a lot better than Mowbray

True, but if he could hang on long enough to be given another unwarranted new contract, then him and Venus really would be set for life. Probably his last job at a decent level and I get the sense he's trying to eke it out for all it's worth.

Because, obviously, if there is no actual expectation on him to do anything worthwhile, and he can continue to hoodwink the owners and the majority of the fans that the dross we watch every week is all part of some long term masterplan then the greater the likelihood is that he and is mate Venus will be able to continue in their cushy no pressure jobs as opposed to getting sacked for underachievement. As others have said, now Dack has been injured we are likely to pay for Mowbray's complete and utter ineptitude in the transfer market.

Nailed it jim. When was the last time we ever tore the opposition a new one inside the first 20 mins at Ewood? All they're expected to do is muddle through until half time then put a bit of a late spurt in second half to make things look good. Said it a million times before but we'll never ever progress under TM.

And we have a bottom six manager. If Dack isn't replaced with a decent striker who can find the back of the net reasonably consistently, will we win again this season?

Bell for Rothwell is a really bizarre substitution. Are we just trying to hang on for a point from half time onwards? Plus, it's not inconceivable that Downing will run out of gas after 70 mins and also need replacing.

Probably very optimistic to assume we can unload said players in Jan, even on a free. Would you move to another job which entailed a huge pay cut if you were under no obligation to do so?

Atrocious game between two poor sides managed by two poor managers. Still heading down the road to nowhere under Mowbray despite a flattering run of results which promised a false dawn. Was especially disappointed with Johnson who given his lack of effort might as well have been sat in the stand and Holtby who was heading for the deck almost before he received the ball every time. With Bennett just being well, Bennett, that left our midfield practically non existent. Also think Lenihan has had two really poor games this week, he seems to find it more or less impossible to pass to a blue and white shirt. Only minor positives today for me were Buckley who despite one or two errors looked very lively and the only one capable of making anything happen and Gallagher who Im not a fan of but whilst as usual never threatening goal today I thought he put in a much better shift than normal and looked a lot fitter than the rest of the team. We still need to dispense with Mowbray imo if we're ever to have any hopes of finishing better than below halfway in the table.

Dack hasn't been playing astoundingly well but has still been chipping in with plenty of goals.Not sure we could replace him without spending Premier League type money and I'd be looking at Holtby and Rothwell to step up and fill the void between them. I'd be more worried about the situation up front. Graham imo has completely gone and Rothwell and Brereton still have it all to prove. Wouldn't disagree with Chaddy about needing a keeper CB and LB as well though. Thought William's was dreadful last night.

I was initially going to come on and moan about a typical Mowbray performance and result after an atypical run of results which briefly gave us hope of doing something worthwhile rather than hoping to finish 15th to 20th. As we tend to do we simply didn't turn up in the first half and a bit of a spurt in the second half was too little too late. None of the outfield players played particularly well but sorry, Danny Graham has completely gone and shouldn't be starting. However I ended up more incensed by the actions of Morsey who in my opinion is an out and out thug who should be nowhere near a professional football field. I've seen a replay of the Travis incident and my reading of it was that he walked right up behind Travis so no-one could see him and then trod on his Achilles whilst trying to make it look accidental.In real time I also thought he stamped down studs first on Dack whilst trying to make it look accidental. I don't mind if someone goes in for a full blooded challenge and gets the ball but cleans the opponent out in the process which is deemed to be violent conduct these days but those were the actions of an out an out coward. We could have done with a Glen Keeley to take him out at about neck height. Hope the EFL throw the book at Morsey and wish Bradley Dack all the best for a speedy recovery. A win on Boxing Day and last night's disappointing result won't be a total disaster. All the best to everyone on the message board for Christmas. Have a good one.

Bennett should be nowhere near the starting line up regardless of the opposition. No coincidence the better run of results coincided with him not being in the starting line up.

I must be in a minority of one but I thought Evans was terrible last night, back to his usual self, completely anonymous which left Travis having to try and do the work of 3 men to try and make an impression in midfield.

Not usually one for conspiracy theories but Olivia must be fuming that Bradley will only cop a one game ban for two yellows and did not earn a straight red and three game ban which would have freed him up to spend Christmas with her down in Essex. He's gone a bit too early as well. Must not have been listening to her closely enough...........?