Miller11

BLACKBURN ROVERS SUPPORTERS TRUST SEEK DIALOGUE WITH FOOTBALLS ULTIMATE “ABSENT” OWNERS It is now eight years since the Venkys, the owners of Blackburn Rovers, last stepped foot in Ewood Park. That visit was not even to watch football; it was to host The Queen who was giving out Easter Maundy Thursday monies at Blackburn Cathedral in 2014. Whilst the Supporters Trust welcome the financial support the Venkys put into Rovers to support the Academy and keep the Club afloat it is an unacceptable situation. A visit was promised this season but has yet to materialise with only two home games left. At the start of this season the Venkys sent a message (copy attached) to fans stating: ‘We know you are keen to know when we will return to Ewood Park and it is something I am personally looking to plan into my schedule this coming season. I am eager to come back to meet the staff, the players and yourselves, our fans.’ Rovers Supporters Trust Chair, John Murray said: ‘Rovers are the heart and soul of the community. The Club is the glue that brings people together regardless of background, ethnicity or religion; it is the lifeblood of the town of Blackburn and surrounding areas. We cannot recall when our owners last visited to watch Rovers play, it must be over 10 years. They are the ultimate forgotten absent owners; not forgotten to Rovers fans but forgotten to the wider footballing community. He added: Following the Government’s Fan Led Review of Football it is Supporter’s Trust’s who will have a Golden Share, representing the interests of all supporters, and giving them their say on a number of key decisions including sponsorships and ground naming. However we have no idea what is in the minds of our owners, we need urgent dialogue with them to impress on them we have the best interests of Blackburn Rovers at heart. Whilst at Club level the Senior Management Team are accessible they have to refer all major decisions, including Season Ticket prices, to the owners in India. What we have is not acceptable. We call on the owners to have meaningful face-to-face dialogue with us; we are willing to fly out to India at short notice to meet them to discuss their plans and also our ideas for Blackburn Rovers.’ For further details contact John Murray on 07880 507080 Notes: See https://www.roverstrust.com/2022/04/11/press-release-110422-blackburn-rovers-supporters-trust-seek-dialogue-footballs-ultimate-absent-owners/

You are definitely letting your hatred of Nyambe cloud your judgement. You advocated playing James Brown ahead of him all week, it’s sinister now. Dolan off for Dack was sensible. Only you and Mowbray thought bringing Dack on for Nyambe was obvious… the general consensus elsewhere is that it was idiotic. If he was so desperate to go to a back 4 then one of the centre backs should’ve made way. Wharton was well below his usual high standards yesterday, same applies to Lenihan. As soon as that change was made our formation went to pot, players were all over the shop and nobody knew what they were doing… except Gallagher who promptly went over and stood on the touchline and barely strayed back infield.

Jason Steele Thomas Kaminski David Raya Aynsley Pears Andy Fisher Antonis Stergiakis Jordan Eastham Adam Henley James Brown Gordon Greer Hayden Carter Derrick Williams Harry Pickering Charlie Mulgrew Daniel Ayala Elliott Ward Ryan Nyambe Darragh Lenihan Wes Brown Matthew Platt Ash Phillips Tyler Magloire Lenni Cerino Scott Wharton Scott Wharton Jason Lowe Tayo Edun Liam Feeney Bradley Dack Hope Akpan Dan Butterworth Danny Guthrie Sam Burns Willem Tomlinson Jake Garrett Connor Mahoney Dilan Markanday Corry Evans John Buckley Elliott Bennett Ryan Hedges Craig Conway Tyrhys Dolan Joe Grayson Jack Vale Joe Rankin-Costello Joe Rankin Costello Lewis Travis Lewis Travis Anthony Stokes Sam Gallagher Danny Graham Ben Brereton Diaz What Mowbray inherited v what he will leave. I’ve obviously not included loans or those whose deals are up. I’ve left out the young players who haven’t been involved with the first team out (for the most part). No doubt we have added value overall and he has helped develop some young players into key players. Definite attacking improvements, but our goalkeeping department is worse off, and our defence and midfield next season look frighteningly short on numbers, experience and quality. Its widely accepted Mowbray inherited a mess, but how much of one is he going to leave behind?

Chaddy, you seem to have had a big rethink in the last couple of weeks, can I ask what has triggered this? You now seem convinced Mowbray is off when you were previously convinced he would stay. Obviously you now recognise he is stubborn as you have stated it many times lately, has this tipped it for you or is there something else?

I wonder where on earth they found him, and I also wonder what they are paying him to do the job so incompetently. How hard can it be to find someone to do that job? There’s literally hundreds of people who’d love to do it and wouldn’t ask for a penny. At least they would know our players names.

Just to clarify, you wouldn’t get rid of him now?But you want him gone at the end of the season? and you also now think he should’ve gone last summer? Its hard to keep up with your opinions on Mowbray. More ins and outs than the Hokey Cokey. My personal choice would be Gareth Ainsworth. He’s consistently got his teams performing better than the sum of their parts. For all the bullshit I’ve heard lately about overachieving, Mowbray cannot do this. I’d also like someone in place at Ewood who gets it. Someone who understands the fans and the club, and someone who actually gives a shit.

What is stopping us from bringing in his long term replacement now? Why do you presume anyone is advocating bringing someone in for just 5 games? It’s probably too late to salvage anything from this season, but 5 games for a new man to have a look at his squad, and maybe try to persuade some of the out of contract players it’s worth staying would surely be better than someone coming in a couple of weeks before the new season kicks off, greeted by a decimated squad.

Deflect. Knock fans. Standard Mowbray.

For 60 minutes it was a bit attritional. We struggled getting the ball down and playing, but despite a few uncharacteristically bad performances, a little tweak (Dack on for Dolan) would’ve probably won us the game. But no. Of course the genius football man had to take Nyambe off and completely balls up the shape. If he wanted Buckley on so much, take Rothwell off, he was crap. If he wanted a back 4 take off Lenihan or Wharton who were both having a nightmare. If he was desperate to leave all 3 centre backs on then take Pickering off, he’s shit and got ruined by their number 22. That was the start, as soon as it happened Gallagher went and stood on the touchline and stayed there for the rest of his time on the pitch - at least he was the one outfield player who knew where he was supposed to be playing. Seeing Rothwell and Dack having to shout over at the bench to understand Mowbray’s muddled thinking was embarrassing. It got even worse when the work experience kid turned goalkeeper coach came running over dishing out instructions with his tactics book. We are where we are in spite of Mowbray, not because of him. He’s sabotaged our promotion chances. The one plus today was seeing Tony Parkes looking like he was thoroughly enjoying himself prior to kick off.

Seems excessive having teams of people heading up multiple departments considering how few signings we make for a fee. At youth level it’s probably required, but does it really take god knows how many scouts, heads of recruitment and their teams, Venus, Mowbray and Waggott to bring in one Pickering/Edun/Markanday every window?

These figures will definitely be in the right ball park. We will see the effects of the cull last summer on the accounts published next year.

I’m mostly caught up with Wrestlemania now. Mixed bag. Cut out all the rubbish and they could’ve had one really excellent, normal length event. I guess it’s the way things are today, but the roster is so bloated and everything so repetitive. Have to echo the comments on Logan Paul… he was really good. What a natural heel too!! Enjoyed Austin a lot, thought Roman and Brock delivered big time too. Cody is really interesting for now, although I am sure they will ruin it. Hated the jackass nonsense, Vince botching the last stunner even more than he did the first was funny.

They want the Riverside condemned so they can close it. I think even Waggott recognises is might not be a good look to name a stand after Tony and then leave it to rot.

Forest already have!

If anyone needed any more proof that xG is a completely stupid, irrelevant, pointless load of old bollocks… here you go!

Everton were a disgrace tonight. At least 8 of their players should be utterly ashamed, they were completely cowardly and spineless. Teams that turn in performances like that go down.

I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if our entire budget went on Zeefuik in the summer.

Predictions: First half team Kaminski Nyambe Van Hecke Wharton JRC Travis Rothwell Pickering Enormous void Buckley Gallagher Giles An unbalanced mess, we will trail at half time. The cavalry will be called at half time. Again. Hopefully we aren’t so shit it’s beyond salvaging in the second half when Dack, Brereton and 1 other come on for JRC, Giles and Buckley/Gallagher

I’d be annoyed that the club had found itself in a situation like that rather than being annoyed with any individual (Mowbray included). If that is the case it’s yet another reason we should’ve parted ways with Mowbray a while ago.

I can’t think of another example where a club has deliberately dropped its Cat 1 status. You can lose it by failing to provide the required hours or standards of coaching or not having facilities and infrastructure to meet the minimum requirements. We’d lose funding, play is weaker leagues, and perhaps most importantly lose out on even more talented young players to one of the 6 other top level academies within an hours drive. Other clubs have deliberately cut back and been downgraded… but not from a poison such as hours where we have a long established, top tier academy that we supposedly rely upon for “the model”. If there is any truth to this story it would be a typical Waggott pennywise pound foolish idea, another clear indicator of managed decline, a further tarnishing of Jack’s legacy.

I can predict with a fair bit of confidence that Forest will pick up at least one point and not reduce their goal difference by 12 during the course of their three games in hand.

Plus a new manager will be already without Nyambe and Rothwell cos they want to leave and move away from the area. Reason why they haven't sign a new contract That isn’t how your quote read.

And we wouldn’t be if the teams around us had played their games in hand. Besides, we were in the top 2 a couple of months back. This collapse has been unforgivable.

It’s taken over a decade for us to get a decent defence under Venky’s. Despite his “defenders are coming” speech, it’s taken Mowbray 4 years and 9 months. Take Nyambe, Lenihan and Van Hecke away and the age old problem returns. There’s only Wharton left who I am completely comfortable with. As Ossydave states, we are already light on midfielders, and 3 are out of contract. Brereton will surely be the subject of big bids and will be off. But not to worry, we will have at least half a dozen wide strikers! An absolute mess.

Looking at bringing in players who a new manager might not fancy in the slightest, or who might not be suitable for how they want us to play is stupid. Rushing through the Hedges signing was ridiculous for the same reasons. If we are to change manager in the summer we should’ve got rid of Mowbray a few weeks ago and given a new man a head start, as well as a chance to salvage this season. Why would Nyambe want to move away? He’s lived in Manchester since he came over from Namibia as a kid. He’s got family there and is heavily involved in his local church. He has been totally messed about throughout negotiations and wants a wage commensurate with his stature.