SuperBrfc

I've never been a fan of pitch invasions. I used to see the odd one when there was a cup giant killing and understood it to a point. Aside from that scenario, I find them embarrassing. Particularly in the context we have seen them occur in recently. Rovers beating Oxford in L1 resulted in one, but we saw nothing like that during our truly good times. I get that the Oxford game was a day of celebration, but I was embarrassed by the pitch invasion because I saw it as a signal of how far everything about the club had fallen. Winning play off semi finals and charging on to the pitch makes no sense to me. Same with Everton last night. Imagine if after beating Sheff Wednesday in the League Cup semi in 2002, everybody piled on to the pitch to celebrate Rovers reaching the final. It would have looked silly and there would have likely been all sorts said about the fans. "You haven't won anything yet", "Calm down, Tottenham are favourites in the final". Twenty years on they are "fantastic scenes" apparently, that is until we hear about incidents such as the Billy Sharp one, Vieira and a couple of others and then they are rightfully talked about as being dangerous. The biggest issue today is these coked up and whatever else they are on, yobs, who have no respect for anybody. The authorities need to firmly clamp down on this now before tragedy strikes. I'm also of the view that social media and smart phones are a big factor behind this current trend. You only have to look at how many have their phones out recording parts of the game, penalties, corners, goal celebrations etc. It's not enough for some to live in the moment and enjoy the game as it happens right before them, but each to their own, I suppose. In my opinion, we're seeing a mixture of "I'm a proper fan me, mate" and "I'll do whatever I want" in action. People running on taking selfies, videos, goading players/managers, all so that they can appear 'cool' on their online accounts and get those 'likes'. Not saying that applies to all pitch invaders, but it is definitely a thing for a large element. The berk who Vieira kicked will look a right plonker today. Good! That "proper fan me, mate" culture is also the reason why some fans defend the indefensible on twitter etc such as Mowbray's runs and these buffoons we have as owners. Not all fans, but it is the case with some and it's not limited to Rovers fans either. I've seen Mowbray apologists, Arteta apologists and Ole apologists trying to come across as super fans just for social media popularity. Never mind that your club is being held back, being treated like a joke, with standards being lowered every year. As long as you can look like a "proper fan" on social media by being positive, it's all good. I miss the days of Ceefax when there was no social media around.

Looking forward to the full version of the Atkins one. Brown is the quieter one on there, the other two carry it. I have heard Brown acknowledge how poor he was at Rovers on that channel before. I'm sure they were once having a laugh about the stick he would often get on twitter for not being able to score when at Rovers. The ones I've enjoyed the most are those involving 'The Entertainers' from that Newcastle era. The John Beresford and Steve Howey podcasts were funny and interesting, I thought.

Interesting quote from Nigel Adkins, made a couple of years ago. “I’ve been at a few clubs now where I’ve experienced the hardship in terms of what I was told when I first joined quickly changed and promises became empty promises, when the goalposts get moved, but I can ask better questions now. Ultimately, I want to be back in the Premier League. How are you going to do that? You need to take a team up from the Championship, so you want to go to a club that is going to give you the opportunity to do that.” The last line sounds eerily similar to what Mowbray said upon leaving. Adkins ended up leaving Hull because he and the owner couldn't agree on the future direction of the club. I believe he is genuine when he says he wants to be back in the Premier League as that has seemingly been his aim at every club he has managed. I was previously of the view that Adkins would jump at the chance to manage Rovers. Now, I'm not so sure that would be the case. People within the game know what our owners are like. The above quote is very much what Lambert faced at Rovers. Even though Mowbray had five years here, he left by telling us, indirectly, how the club is still being ran in a dysfunctional way. We believe that the Rovers job would be an attractive proposition to some, which it is, but many will also be put off by these owners, sadly. Another quote below from Adkins on his time at Reading which I found interesting. Their owner at the time, Zigarevich, pulled the plug on funding and wanted to sell up. Adkins was told he'd have to make use of their academy and younger players as some of the experienced names were going to be sold. This was his response: “Listen, not a problem,” I said. “We’ve got a good youth team. Eamonn Dolan has been brilliant developing the Academy. I’ll play the youngsters and guarantee we won’t get relegated. There’s no way we’ll get promoted, but in 12 months’ time those kids will have played plenty of football. They’ll be far better for the experience.” The bit in bold is important for me, as old school managers like Adkins, McCarthy, Mowbray (He is, even though he tries to be an innovator), all follow the Alan Hansen school of thought. That is, "you can't win anything with kids". We saw that from Mowbray this season. Based on what I have read, I don't see Adkins coming here to work under these owners, with a small budget to work with, a young-ish side and having to try and win promotion that way. The questions to ask are; Is he desperate to get back into management? Would he be happy to just "nurture" the younger players at Rovers, bring a few loanees in and see what happens? If the answer to both is yes, then it could still happen. Putting him to one side for a moment, I don't think there's any chance of us making a top appointment (Farke level) with the way things currently are. It would only be possible, in my opinion, if the owners promise to back the new man with funds and keep to that promise. I'm not optimistic about that happening, therefore the worry is a Grayson or somebody in that bracket is more than likely to turn up.

Personally, I think the talk about Farke and Carvalhal is pie in the sky stuff. Not saying it's made up, there might well be tentative interest, but there's not much chance of this lot making it happen, in my opinion. Being linked with both, the LT mentioning them etc, does give us a bit of hope, does cause a bit of excitement, but deep down we have a fair idea how this is likely to go. We've been hoping for so long that "maybe this time, maybe now they'll get it right" but it has never come. The owners have shown zero ambition in 12 years. It was only four months ago that they displayed their lack of ambition once again and that leaves me with no optimism regarding the new manager. If fans are excited about who we may get, the process etc, that's fair enough. I'm struggling to get excited about it myself, as much as I want to. I don't believe that it has now suddenly hit the owners that we need to appoint a proper manager. I also have zero faith in the people doing the recruiting being able to pull off these top appointments. It will be cheap and cheerful again, somebody who will toe the line. A desperado who will jump at the opportunity. It doesn't even have to be somebody connected to a particular agency, just somebody who won't cause them too much bother by demanding funds. We've had many examples of potential winning opportunities thrown away due to there being no ambition coming from the top. Is it going to change now 12 years in and especially after the January just gone? I will be gobsmacked if it does and will be happy for this post to look silly as a consequence. Much like how many of us look back on the January window just gone in anger and disbelief, I feel there are going to be a lot of "why the heck did we let Farke and Carvalhal go to such and such a club" posts coming at some point. It's the way it is under Venky's and always has been. The suits at Ewood try to talk a good game, leak bits out to the LT to get fans' hopes up, make it sound like exciting changes are happening, then disappoint when it comes to the crunch.

Their website is still "under construction" and has been for some time, meaning there is no site to speak of currently.

Reading Sharpe's piece this morning, something tells me that Carvalhal's people are using Rovers as a way of getting him a new deal at Braga. He talks about how he stayed at Braga despite having the chance to improve his financial situation. Carvalhal is due to hold talks with the club President shortly and it wouldn't surprise me if he comes out of it with an extended deal. I have little hope in the hierarchy at Rovers being able to bring him or Farke to Rovers, but let's see. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/20140647.carlos-carvalhal-hold-braga-talks-amid-blackburn-rovers-link/

Those famous words from Martin Tyler at full time... "Let me say it once again...Blackburn Rovers are the champions!" I can still remember the celebrations in Blackburn town centre that evening. People running around overjoyed, flags being waved, chanting, car horns blaring. I remember being at the presentation ceremony at Ewood a few days later. Unreal to be a part of and what days they were.

That would be the ideal scenario, but it's fair to say there aren't many Jack Walker type owners out there. We all accept our trophy winning days are far away and may not return for a while, if at all. Certainly, our title win was a dream achievement and is something we will probably never see again. However, promotion isn't a pipe dream and is achievable, but it's the lack of desire for it, the lack of care and effort from the top down that angers me the most. That's not aimed at the players. Rovers always had a "can do" attitude, regardless of finances. We'd always have a go and the manager and board would both want the club to kick on. That hasn't been seen for 12 years now. We had a great chance in January, yet the owners clearly didn't care or acknowledge it. Same with Mowbray. His shoulder shrugging, defeatist, not arsed attitude with us up there was unforgivable. His behaviour was not that of somebody who wanted to go up. I don't think any manager that we had prior to Venky's would have carried on the way Mowbray did in that position. This "not arsed" loser mentality stems from those at the top and filters down and has been doing since 2010. We've just got to hope they fluke their way to a Farke or Carvalhal, managers who could do the business despite the owners' shit way of doing things.

That's bloody rich coming from Mowbray about somebody else. I didn't see any fire from him with us in 2nd place. Tosser. Mowbray that is, not you, Ossyian.

I'm looking way down the chain based on what I think the owners will do. I suppose the good thing about this manager is that promotion has always been his aim and ambition wherever he has managed. https://www.castrust.org/2021/05/nigel-adkins-youve-got-to-keep-believing/ https://www.coachesvoice.com/nigel-adkins-scunthorpe-united/ https://www.coachesvoice.com/nigel-adkins-southampton-reading/

Waco, you would have loved it pre Venky's. That period from the early 90's to around 2008 was golden. Absolutely golden. So many proud moments with the Rovers taking it to the big guns and beating them. There were many proud moments in general, not just in beating the big heads. The fight, the heart and the winning spirit was taken away the minute Venky's walked through the door, never to return. Fair play to you for choosing Rovers when the club was in a bad way and for sticking by your choice. Hopefully, one day the true Rovers will be back. It won't be under these owners though, as we're all hoping they fluke their way to the right appointment and promotion. Nobody has any belief or trust in them to get it right. 12 years is a long time to sort things out and they still haven't managed it. We will be back one day though, I believe that, but when they are far removed from the club.

Agreed. Pedersen would be a big upgrade on Pickering, in my view. I'm not impressed with our options at left back, but we have a lot of work to do elsewhere in the squad so that area will probably be left as it is.

It is still like that today. About a year ago a respected figure in football got in touch with a relative of mine and said the following: "Who the hell do I speak to at your football club? I can't get through to anybody. Who am I supposed to contact? Who is in charge of running the club?". Bear in mind, said relative is a regular Rovers fan, like most of us on here, with no contacts at Ewood. The football person was so hacked off by the lack of communication, that he contacted my relative in the hope that he might be able to help in some way, simply due to him being a Rovers fan. The person also said Rovers were a joke behind the scenes. We all have an idea as to how shambolic the operation is at Ewood, but to see somebody within the game say it too really drives it home. Everything that Mowbray has said upon leaving confirms it is still true to this present moment. This Director of Football talk might sound exciting in theory, but it isn't for me with this lot in charge of it. It immediately screams Farke and Webber to many of us. We should be all over that as those two appointments might just be the "winning" moves that we need. Do I expect them to do that? Not even a little bit. The talk of Stuart Pearce as a possible D.O.F is an alarm bell for me. I would be stunned if they landed us any of Farke, Dyche or Carvahal, all top appointments at this level, as it would go against almost everything they have done over the last 12 years. I would love to be wrong and for any of those three to come in though, obviously. Based on a hunch, I think it could end up being: Director of Football: Les Reed Head Coach/manager: Nigel Adkins

Good riddance.

For me it's more to do with Keane's mentality than his punditry. He wants to win no matter what and it's a mentality that we desperately need at Rovers, IMO. We've had five years of Mowbray going around in circles, throwing away winning opportunities and then making excuses as to why we can't win. I am utterly sick of that. Keane is the man to rid us of this soft as shite, shoulder shrugging mentality. He doesn't sugarcoat things and we need some honesty around the place after years of twaddle from somebody who ironically always goes on about honesty. Even now when Mowbray is set to leave, he's trying to tell Waggott what kind of manager would be best to bring in next. He hopes the club doesn't bring a "bully" in.That means don't bring in someone who will demand results from these lads, in my view. We aren't talking about primary school kids here, are we? Some of the lads might just relish playing for a manager that pushes them and challenges them to kick on. If you read Buckley's latest comments, he can't wait to learn from a new manager. Mowbray babying them and saying "the pressure's got to them" has had a negative impact for me. Keane has said himself he is determined to make his next job a success. Couple that with his desire to win, which he has had throughout his career, and we are looking at a tasty prospect, in my opinion. There are no half measures with him, we know he's going to do everything he can to win and that's what I want in a Rovers manager. He is the opposite of Mowbray in so many ways. It's not likely to happen for a number of reasons. Sadly, one of those reasons is that he is perceived to be a "bully" by many. I do not agree with that view. However, it's already being put to the CEO, even if it's indirectly, to be careful not to appoint a bully, meaning Keane's name will be instantly dismissed at Ewood if anybody even dares to suggest him.

It is better in the sense that he achieved back to back promotions at Southampton to take them into the Premier League. Something that the owners wanted Mowbray to do in 2018. He kept Southampton in the top 2 in the Championship all season in their first season back. He also has the Oxlade-Chamberlain deal as something to suggest that he can develop and sell on young talent. Chamberlain was an academy product who Adkins gave regular game time to in L1. He had him sold to Arsenal for £15m within a year. I can see how that might appeal to some at Ewood. It won't matter that it was 11 years ago. Having said that, his record since Southampton has been very similar to Mowbray's in terms of his teams slipping down the table, after short bursts of form. There have been a few underwhelming finishes where he has taken teams backwards and been sacked as a result. I'm not calling for his appointment. Just feel that if there is somebody to come in from out of nowhere, like Mowbray did, there's a good chance of it being Adkins, in my opinion.

You would be right in thinking that. He has got a Patreon page set up where people can get daily football stories, transfer/manager updates and so on, for a monthly fee. Nobody within Ewood seems to know what is happening, so how a football journalist is expected to is beyond me. But each to their own, I guess.

"Would imagine" are the key words there. Nixon doesn't know any more than the rest of us.

There was a rumour a few years ago that Venky's were looking to get a new investor on board in relation to Rovers. That may be why they visited the Issa brothers back then. I've not heard anything to say they tried to sell the club outright to them though.

Precisely. I can understand the money argument to an extent especially when the owners seemingly turn the taps on and off whenever they feel like it. When nothing or very minimal amounts is being reinvested from player sales it's hard to say we should be up there with Fulham, Bournemouth, Norwich etc. However, referring to this season and particularly the state of play in January, the attitude shown by Mowbray from that point onwards is unforgivable for me. We were right up there with these clubs that we "can't compete with". We had them rattled, they were on the ropes, so much so that Bournemouth had to go on a mad spending spree to get away from us and they tried to take Rothwell off us too. I don't care if Mowbray was unsure about a new deal at that stage, if he didn't expect us to be in that position, if he wasn't allowed to spend the Armstrong money. In that situation, sat in 2nd, a manager with the right mindset and ambition gets his head down and gives it his best shot. I've got loans to play with? Ok, which loan signings could help me to go up or seal a play off spot? Which players can help us keep this momentum going? We saw none of that. Instead, what we got was Mowbray being downbeat with us sat in a winning position. "These lads are punching above their weight". That's really going to inspire them when we're on Bournemouth's tail, isn't it? A ludicrous comment to make given the situation. He did not give it his best shot at all, in my opinion. We had him talking our chances down, sulking, shrugging off results, trying to shift the focus on to "pressure" getting to the "young lads" and being all round blase by saying "we'll finish where we finish". To top it off, we're struggling for goals and he comes out in the LT crowing about the Premier League strikers that he could have had on loan, but chose not to sign. A disgraceful attitude from somebody who found himself in a winning position. Funds or no funds, new deal or no new deal, a manager with ambition doesn't behave how Mowbray has done over these past few months. Of course the owners are to blame too, they should have given him a reasonable budget in January with the prize in sight. However, we have missed out on the play offs this season for one reason only, IMO. Mowbray's ego. Butthurt about not being offered a new deal in January, butthurt about not being able to implement his tippy tappy football and not having money to spend, he didn't even bother trying to go for it. "We'll finish where we finish". That's unacceptable for me and the reason why I have zero sympathy for him. The owners' actions or lack of them are a major issue and Mowbray's attitude is another. The former should not excuse the latter.

I'm reading his comments differently. To me it sounds like his pride was hurt by there not being an offer on the table around January time and that he made up his then that he would be off no matter what. That may explain the sulking, shoulder shrugging and the lack of enthusiasm that followed from January onwards. He seems miffed at the idea that they may have been waiting to see how the season pans out. "Am I a bad manager if we fail to make the play offs, am I a good one if we do?". It reads like it was a case of "stuff that, I'm off". We know how stubborn and petulant he can be. He's gone, IMO, no matter what is said during the phone call. The digs that he is now getting in at the owners also suggests he doesn't want to stay. They aren't going to put up with one of their employees saying these things. Would he have signed a new deal if offered in January? Probably. There might be some truth behind that, but I think it's also another sympathy vote being played to his supporters right now. I would have stayed had the owners not messed me about, lads. This is all just adding to the "poor Mowbray, he's not to blame" narrative. Both parties are to blame. There aren't half going to be some tears shed among some of the fans when it is confirmed that he is leaving. The narrative is building up to that.

I feel the same. When Bentley left after his second spell in 2013-ish, he said "it's not the same club anymore" and he mentioned how things felt different. He wasn't wrong, as we know. I'm sure I heard Duffer say similar on a podcast a couple of years ago, about the club not being the same now and it being sad to see where we are these days. I feel uneasy at the thought of bringing back any former favourites to come and work for this shambles of an operation. It would possibly tarnish good memories of them a bit if they came back and didn't do well, even though a lot of the blame would lie with those above the manager. That's if the club 'structure' remained as it is now, with no football knowhow behind the scenes. Last time Hughes was here he had the support of John Williams. They were both on the same page, both wanted the club to do well. Williams would try his best to make some funds available when possible, even though we couldn't go too far. Who would Hughes have today, backing him in the boardroom and beyond, genuinely? The people back there now have no idea what's going on, no idea what to communicate to the manager, no idea about good footballing decisions. Hughes would be on to a loser, IMO, even though we love the job he did here before.

There is no remit or strategy at the club, in my opinion. Playing Academy graduates and younger players is something that Mowbray has been forced into doing due to a lack of funds. Would we be seeing half of our regulars over the years in action if he had money to spend? I doubt it. It took him an age to start playing Travis and Buckley for example. I very much doubt the "play and develop the youngsters" approach is some kind of philosophy set down by those at the top. Not a chance, in my view. We're still waiting for money to be reinvested from previous sales. We need somebody to come in who is all about results. All this stuff from Mowbray about the next guy needing to be able to nurture them etc is fluff, in my opinion. We aren't running a creche and players like Wharton, Buckley, Markanday etc aren't likely to be discarded just because the new man wants to win. The talented youngsters will stand out for any decent manager.

Agreed. This is something to keep an eye out for. I would also add Hibs to this, although to a lesser extent, as it is just speculation at this point. Cocu was linked with the Hibs job around 10 days ago. Mowbray was linked with the Hibs job last week. We know who is already at Hibs and his background. Now Cocu is being linked with the Rovers job. Coincidence?

That's exactly what Mowbray is complaining about. The only way to achieve promotion or finish in the top 6, for him, is by doing it like that. Buy good players who can tippy tap their way to a top 6 finish. There's no plan B or alternative route with Mowbray. Small budget? Forget about it, the best I can do is develop these youngsters and try to help them with a few loans and a couple of cheap buys. He derided Barnsley's style of play when they were in the top 6 saying "I prefer to do it in the right way". We put on one of the best displays for a long time in the second half against Derby, yet he had a face like thunder. We reverted back to shite at Reading a few days later and he seemed fine with it. He's not been able to achieve a top 6 finish in the way that he believes it should be done, by spending on good possession based players, so now it's a case of "I want a club that has the the backing, finances and support to compete at the top". It's both self preservation and a dig at the owners for not showing ambition.