Maybe not but I presume Mowbray has an idea: "At this moment it looks as though these players are going to move on."

So you think that Venkys have been willing to spend money and Mowbray has been unwilling to, unquestioned, because he wants an excuse? Sets fans on fans? Only to the most paranoid of people. Ripped us off with tippy tappy football for 3 years? I certainly wouldnt describe our first season back with Graham winning player of the season as "tippy tappy."

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19971527.blackburn-rovers-promotion-hold-key-contract-trio/ Seems unlikely.

No it doesn't, one contract doesn't prove something against 3 others. We seemingly have a strict wage ceiling, and Travis already was essentially contracted here until 2024, he is only 24 years old, he isn't at the point of having one more big move in him, his demands may be lower, he isn't the current captain or as far as we know courting interest elsewhere, its a totally different situation. One of the 3 players wanting to leave, we could have had a fee and 2 players on long term deals had all been logical behind the scenes and the manager was allowed to work without interference from stubborn owners who dont have the foggiest about the club. (By the way, I wonder if they are still attending this season) Great news all the same, Travis is an important player and I suspect the likely captain next season.

My point was that you had specifically mentioned the last 2 months/2022 and our poor form. I could flip that and say how amazing we was for the 2 months prior, that is the flaw with picking out a couple of months amidst a 9 month season to suit an agenda. It all levels out and we are 4th at the moment so its been a very good season so far over 7 months, lets see where we are after 9 and praise/criticise based on that, rather than fixating on runs of form to suit our arguments. It isn't, I would suggest that the answer perhaps lies between good and bad. I would agree that he has also surprised me, but that job is a unique one, there is no pressure, even relegation can be a symbol of a good job if it is brave, he can play the everyone is against us card so it is hard to judge fully.

Barnsley V Fulham? Suppose Fulham only have an 18 point and 1 game advantage.

It certainly wasnt in anyway a put down of Rovers as a club. But Rooney at least claimed that he turned down his boyhood and Premier League club Everton to continue at Derby. You say without too much interference but our manager wanted to sell a player to bring in 2 with the proceeds in January and the owners interfered and wouldnt let him. This season, we also sold our 15m striker and he wasnt given any in the summer to replace him.

You said that he has outstayed his welcome by 4 years. At the start of that 4 years we was on the brink of promotion, at the point when he supposedly was starting to outstay his welcome. You are so fixated by your desperation to make him seem terrible that you do 2 things. Assume that anyone who questions your logic is a huge supporter of him, like I said, if we finish outside the play offs I would consider his tenure here to be no more than ok, I would have signed a striker capable lf playing in a system that at that time was working, and some of his tactics certainly have had me scratching my head and even at times calling for his head over the years. You also fixate on specific runs to make him sound worse than he is. We are 4th in the league, it would be like me saying we was the best team in the league for 2 months therefore he is the best manager in the league, it only matters where all the various runs of form level out, at the moment its in 4th, lets see how we finish and praise/criticise accordingly in a fair way. He said that Premier League teams had offered him loans. The Dembele bid may or may not have been conditional of a Rothwell sale that was blocked by our idiotic, stubborn owners.

Would Rooney come here? When you consider that a manager who did an average job at Derby got the Chelsea job and did another average job before ending at Everton purely from his name. Couldnt Rooney get a bigger job as and when he leaves Derby?

Its not a yes or no question. I think his tenure will be determined by these next 10 to 13 games. Stumble and fall outside the play offs and id describe his time here as ok, unremarkable, certainly not the disaster many would paint it but forgettable/average. A top 6 finish would show progression and make it decent. Promotion would make his time here good or even very good, a club with our owners and subsequent resourcrs getting promoted would be a hell of an achievement. His transfer record like anyones is not without faults but is pretty good id suggest. He has come up with some "interesting" tactics in his time to various degrees of success. The back 3 has been a masterstroke and the false 9 thing does work when Brereton is fit, our remaining attackers without him and Dack dont have many goals in them full stop.

I am not giving him credit for something he hasnt achieved. I actually said I doubt he will. My point is that if you are going to be fair, you should be open minded enough to be willing to praise hin should that happen. Your stuff about him outstaying his welcome by 4 years was bollocks hence why I brought that up but the main thing I dont get is the lack of flexibility or ability to praise him IF the season ends well. Off on a tangent with the striker stuff, I said at the time that I wanted a striker who could offer a goal threat who could play in a wider role too. I appreciate that with peanuts to work with, that was difficult though. He tried and that player got injured and Venkys not only wouldnt seemingly allow him more funds but wouldnt even allow him to sell a player 6 months from the end of his contract to raise funds. Arrogance? Behave.

My point was that 4 years ago, we was on the brink of promotion. Ive never claimed that it was an outstanding achievement (it was a good achievement because it wasnt a given) and I was as critical as any of the attitude towards the title, but he quite clearly did not deserve replacing 4 years ago as you implied. You seem to have cornered yourself like many into not allowing the manager to potentially prove you (and me, I wanted him sacked for a while) IF the season ends successfully. It might not, im not saying that I think it will, and his future should depend on that. If Mowbray got us into the Prem, I dont think he will, but if he did, even then you seen like you wouldnt praise him like he would undoubtedly deserve, and just laugh at the idea of him managing in the Premier League. If we went up, it would be crazy to sack a manager on the back of such an achievement. Any manager managing us on the back of promotion would be up against it.

I think the one thing we have learnt in recent months is that no one really knows what is going on behind the scenes. Just over a month ago, Rothwell was down on the south coast signing his deal at Bournemouth whilst simultaneously training at Brockhall. Does that analysis warrant not being able to stand him? How does he show a lack of ambition? Its the owners that show ambition or not by how much money they put in. You can question his competence although if we finish this season where we Its quite clearly a post of hyperbole as this time 4 years ago we was about to clinch promotion. The season after was a comfortable finish, then we beat that by 4 places, then last season was shit and he should have gone. He didnt and unexpectedly he has us in the play offs, if we finish there he deserves credit that seemingly wont be forthcoming from many on here. If he doesnt make the play offs then by all means its time to look elsewhere.

I wouldn't know where to begin. No one would come out and say "thank god I am away from that idiot, I hated working for him" is he? Not saying that working for Mowbray isn't good, it may well be, but take such statements with a pinch of salt.

The Bodo Glimt manager? Do you watch a lot of Norwegian football?

Gallagher?

Critical game on Saturday, one we have to win, which means we have to do something we haven't done 9 times out of the last 12 and score a goal. Back 5 and keeper picks itself for me, Ayala is still feeling his calf so critical that Lenihan avoids a yellow, is Van Hecke on 9 now too? Travis and Rothwell again are certainties, and Buckley was good the other night, so he would have to start, leaving 2. Giles isn't an attacker, he doesn't suit being so high up. I don't think there is much between the rest of them, I know people might say "x has to play" or "y is shit, he shouldn't be anywhere near" but to be honest between Gallagher, Dolan, Hedges and Khadra, there isn't much, none are a big goal threat. I would personally bring Khadra back in and also give Hedges a start, hasn't really impressed but hasn't been given many minutes. Not much in it though. Would like to see the 2 attackers slightly narrower. Kaminski Lenihan Van Hecke Wharton Rankin Costello Travis Rothwell Pickering Buckley Hedges Khadra Subs: Pears, Johnson, Dack, Dolan, Gallagher, Giles, Brown

Can't stand him! I just can't get my head around such hatred.

Its incredible after the last 11 years that anyone defends the owners based on the assumption that FFP is hindering them and a genuine want to invest more. The pitch is the perfect example that such a theory is untrue.

Giles did create the chances for Van Hecke and Lenihan to be fair as well as cutting the ball back across for Buckley. Gallagher did bottle a few challenges and his lack of intelligence often saw attacks break down simply down to his poor off the ball movement.

I dont reckon that Nyambe is a Premier League player, not even close at this stage. Hes a good Championship player but its a big gap.

I havent said that he wont be ready for the Championship upon his return, we dont know either way.

Probably none, maybe Dack if he returns 100%. Armstrong was our best player and he has struggled, its a huge gap.

You could make a video making anyone look good. I think people get nostalgic about his loan spell here for no good reason, he was bang average at best. The team was an attackers dream, it was too gung ho under Coyle hence why we conceded 3 every week and his goal return was still 1 in 4. Mowbray has signed 3 forwards for over one million, 2 have been successes but Gallagher was a strange buy especially considering that we knew how average he was, a Mowbray mistake.

I think if we fail to get into the top 6, then we need a change of manager. If we go up, Mowbray 100% deserves a new contract. For me the grey area (many seem to have already backed themselves into a corner and want the manager out no matter how well/badly the season ends which seems illogical to me) is if we finish in the top 6 but dont go up. To me that would still be a very good season under the circumstances and would signify progression and warrant a renewal. Im not convinced that we will finish in the top 6 although one thing we can be sure about is that Venkys will not act logically no matter what happens. Assuming we are in the Championship, the playing squad overhaul would be very difficult. Lenihan, Nyambe and Rothwell will all leave after seemingly a couple of years of failed negotiations, and along with the loanees will leave big holes. Had the manager been allowed autonomy over transfers in January, we would now have 2 further assets into next season and beyond, but Venkys allowed their stubornness to overrule business sense. An almost certain Brereton sale should allow us not only to sign a replacement for him (we will struggle to get an equal replacement of course) but also replacements for Nyambe and Lenihan, should Venkys allow funds for reinvestment which there is no excuse not to do especially considering the unspent Armstrong millions. I doubt that they will though. Dacks return to fitness will be key, Markanday and Carter are more uncertain. The former is a rookie at senior level and the latter impresses at League 1 but has always looked shaky in the Championship.