2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

That would crazy decision imo

Plus it wasn't a couple of weeks ago that Mowbray was on his way to WBA according to yoy

Not at all. He has over achieved and performed so far this season considering our budget and squad. 

Where you predicting top 6 or challenge for playoffs this season? Probably not. 

 

Football is a game of opinions.  My opinion is it would be crazy to offer Mowbray a new contract.

Said at the time I didn't think Bruce would work at WBA.  If Mowbray leaves Rovers, I think he could end up back at WBA if he wants to.  Sick of hearing about budget constraints - how many Championship managers have been able to spend some £15million on 3 strikers over recent years!?

Seem to recall you wanting Mowbray sacked earlier this season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't look at 2 to 3 months in isolation.  The big risk, IMO, is we don't get promoted this season, Mowbray goes, we lose key loanees and players out of contract and after five and a half years of 'Pep' Mowbray we will almost be as badly off as when Coyle left - as Karen Brady says, "harsh but fair"!

22 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

@Mercer is this you? Rothwell out for at least 2 games?

Nope.

Posted on the SU thread Rothwell had taken a knock and thought he was carrying his leg until the end of the match but have heard nothing else about his fitness. 

3 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

so if we got playoffs and promotion via that you would not renew his contract? really? 

really? now you have predict that, Rovers odds have gone up already just be you posting that. 

so you are going to ignore good performances and wins we had early in the seasons like Swansea at home, Forest away, Cardiff at home? and you judge the manager and the playing squad over a season not just when we get poor results

If we get promoted this season I would not renew Mowbray's contract.

I think there are far better alternatives out there who would give us a bigger chance of staying up in the PL.  IMO, Mowbray did nothing at WBA in his one season in the PL or at Celtic to suggest he's a manager for 'the big time'.

In football, there is no room for sentimentality.

Interestingly, you flick between hailing Mowbray as the best thing since slice bread to wanting him sacked!  Make your mind up!

10 hours ago, Nuttall is lost said:

I'd get Mark Hughes back as manager if Mowbray bolloxes this up

Wow, rocks up at Bradford.  Would love to see the deal he's signed - wouldn't surprise me if there's a potential equity share if he gets them moving up the leagues.

3 hours ago, Gav said:

I disagree, this season has brought a bit of pride and passion back to the club for me, something I've not experienced for a decade or more. It will be extremely disappointing if we fail to make the playoffs from the position we were in yes, but its not unexpected with the tin pot outfit running the club, threadbare squad and the mid table budget. 

Not everyone feels the same way I'm sure, as I was trying to get across to Matty last night, but its going to be a big summer coming up regardless of which division we find ourselves in. 

Pride and passion is the baseline.  To get excited about that must mean the last 11 years have been absolute shite. 

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

I think people are going OOT asking Mowbray to leave. 

Mowbray has been very good with the squad and We have keep clean sheets this season. 

The time to talk about Mowbray's future is after the league finishes or the promotion playoffs. 

 

I think Mowbray at very best is bang average.

No matter what the outcome is this season, IMO, he has to go.

If we don't go up this season, and I now think it's no more than a 10% chance we will, we will be in one hell of a feckin mess when va Hecke and Khadra return to Brighton, if Nyambe, Lenihan and Rothwell bugger off without a penny in Rovers' coffers and Brereton is inevitably sold (why will he hang around).

It will be disastrous for the club if we don't go up this season and that disaster, IMO, is mainly attributable to Tony, I think I'm Pep but really I'm dinosaurial, Mowbray.  IMO, in over 5 years of Mowbray, we will not be much further on than when he arrived - stagnation at best.

Hugely disappointing last night.  I think SU wanted it more and showed more passion and bottle.  A big opportunity missed.

Let's be honest, we could have been down and out by half time as SU should have been, and deservedly, 2 goals to the good.

Much better 2nd half but if your opponents are down to 10 men, you miss a penalty then you can ultimately pay the price, as we did.  The penalty miss was huge - a real shot of adrenalin for SU's players and fans, you could plainly see and hear the effect.

We've hit a barren patch at the wrong time and our confidence is bound to wane.

IMO, too many question marks against too many of our players; IMO:

• Buckley - too weak and went missing in action again last night.
• Travis - just concentrate on your feckin football and stop all the antics and trying to be the 'hard man' as you are not and going back over the years, many a player would have had you for breakfast.
• Rothwell  - not been the same since the transfer saga and I doubt he'll be fit for Saturday as he took a bad blow and ran it off to a degree but clearly carrying his leg right to the end
• Gallagher - stealing a living from the game.  Woeful for a £5million man and never on earth should he have been given a new contract
• Hedges - FFS, we've not scored for 5 games and he can't get on the pitch, WTF does that say about him

We need to give Vale a chance - can he really do any worse and make us less effective?

It's not over yet and we can still scrape 6th but I think Mowbray needs to stop looking through rose coloured spectacles, bang a few heads together and shake things up a bit.  But PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, no new contract for the man.

6 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Put them both on the bench. Vale is putting the ball in the net. What harm giving him a few minutes? 

Vale is 20 and is no longer a kid.

Good strikers have instinct and sniff out chances.

Rashford debuted at 17 in European and PL football and couldn't stop scoring.

Who is to say Vale couldn't have a similar impact at Championship level.  There's only one way to find out..............................

6 minutes ago, TonyM said:

I know TM has said he isn't ready, but I still wouldn't be surprised to see Dack on the bench tonight ... 

Would be a huge psychological boost to everyone.

With 7 subs why wouldn't you do it.

If we need a goal with 10 minutes to go.................................................. 

13 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

So if we get automatic promotion, sack him.  Sums you up fella.  

No room for starry eyed sentiment in football.

Many a team have been relegated working on the adage of 'the players were good enough to get us promoted and will be good enough to keep us there'!

The same applies to managers.  Mowbray took WBA to the PL then finished rock bottom. 

If he gets us up, he will have been amply rewarded financially.  Need to be bold and brave, thank Mowbray for his services  and then  appoint a manager better equipped to keep us there.

Think you know it makes sense................................

8 hours ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Today is the 5th anniversary of TM's appointment as manager. The club is in a much better place now than then.

After 5 years, we have only just broken through to the top six.

5 years is an eternity in football and I think Mowbray's tenure on the whole has been uninspiring.  For me, too many 'death spirals', turgid football, indifferent signings (yes there have been good ones but also number wise, far more dross).  I think Mowbray's body language at times in the second half of last season left much to be desired and came across to me as 'couldn't care less'. 

In my book, would be a huge mistake to keep him on whether we finish below sixth, in the top six or achieve automatic promotion. 

In my opinion. a very average manager who was rescued from football's managerial scrap heap and has been amply rewarded.

Time to move on if we want to REALLY move forward.

Looking at all the facts, this looks like a win for Sheffield United.

However, we all know football doesn't work like that.  

Seen it before when Mowbray puts out a mish mash of a team and you think no chance and we pull off a surprise win.

I think not playing on Saturday will have done us a big favour.

We are conceding very, very few goals and I think we have enough in our team (even with Brereton missing) to notch one or two.

Rovers' to unexpectedly sneak it by the odd goal and certainly worth a flutter at 7/2.   

45 minutes ago, Gav said:

Just to dispel the misinformation above, 4-10 people clearing the pitch? As we all know, clearing the pitch was never the issue, undersoil heating doesn’t melt snow, why do posters make this crap up?

 

Come on Gav, you can do better than this.

Firstly, unless I'm mistaken, the number of people clearing snow is less than ten.

Secondly, clearly you are no expert groundskeeper.  You can widely read about under soil heating systems and in general, the benefits flagged are all the same - one being "Under-soil heating involves installing pipes underneath the playing surface and pumping hot water through them. Even in the worst conditions, any snow and ice is melted quickly and the pitch can then drain fairly fast".

What I've stated is not misinformation and not 'crap made up' but simply fact.

3 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I'm sure I remember the Club making a mid morning request for the fans to come down and clear the snow covered pitch in the old 3rd division days mid 70.s and the game going ahead.

I do recall something similar as well.

IMO, today was shambolic for a club with PL aspirations.

To me, smacks of the club being totally unprepared for any snow today - it was forecast yesterday.

As a minimum, I think the undersoil heating should have been switched on yesterday which as Revidge Blue has said would have helped prevent the build up of snow on the pitch.

Might be wrong here but whilst Bolton had something like 40 folk out on their pitch we seem to have had, based on photos I've seen and feedback I've had, between 4 to 10 people trying to clear.  The club could either have roped all the Academy youngsters in or asked for volunteers (and they would have been knocked over in the rush).

The pitch has been an issue for some while and Waggott and Mowbray must take responsibility for not driving this through with the Venkys - after all, we are often told the club only needs to ask.........  

A sad and embarrassing day for Rovers.  Waggott and Mowbray call the shots and, IMO, yet again have been found wanting.  We are right down there with the likes of Harrogate, Salford and Fleetwood - what an indictment.

4 minutes ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

FFS. Just please start predicting Rovers losses again. It’s a sure fire win for us then.

That's just plain daft!

3 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Absolute shambles. If there is such clear doubt it should have been called off before. 45 minutes before kick off would be embarassing and piss poor.

Agree - utterly shambolic and embarrassing.

and Rovers slated Hull for their late postponement!!!

Some perspective needed.

We are playing an injury plagued 14th placed Millwall at home and we have aspirations of promotion.

This should be no contest and a comfortable 3 points.

Rovers' win at evens is great value - get on it!

COYB

4 minutes ago, rigger said:

I hope I am wrong, but I wouldn't rely on Dack being back on full form this season.

Agree, however, what an option to bring on for a last 20 or 30 minutes when you need someone to create / score a goal assuming he gets back to 80/90% by the end of the season.

Looking at those teams currently 7th, 8th and 9th, I think 72 points will get you 6th.

This means we need 18 points from 14 games (7 home, 7 away).

Given a reasonable slice of luck with injuries, I don't see a problem especially as we aren't conceding many goals at all (think I saw somewhere we've only conceded 8 goals in 16 league games since Fulham).

Get to the play offs and then it's anyone's - we don't concede many now and we have players who can change / win games with Dack possibly well back into the mix by then.

Think Fulham (in particular) and Bournemouth are a cut above the rest, however, I'd fancy our chances, on our day, against any of the others.

4 hours ago, only2garners said:

Reasonably positive - https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2022/february/15/injury-update--ben-brereton-diaz-and-daniel-ayala/

 

Didn't look like a kick to me.

From what I recall there was no one tackling and his left foot seemed to stick a bit in the ground - when that happens, you either tweak (at best, worse case you tear) your ankle ligaments or your achilles.

The worse injuries often arise from non contact.

We can't afford to lose Brereton for any length of time but I'd be pleasantly and hugely surprised if he runs out on Saturday against Millwall.

2 hours ago, Wheelton Blue said:

The name 'Briggs' sounds familiar.

I'm thinking of Peter Briggs, who was a PE teacher when I went to Pleckgate.

Might be wrong here but when Alan Bradshaw coached the town's schoolboy team Peter Briggs would still be at school - think there was a 15+ age difference.

'Braddy' as he was known was an excellent youth coach and I think Howard Kendall made him Rovers' youth coach when he joined the club.  Seem to recall Liverpool chasing a couple of Braddy's lads from his school but lost track of where they ended up.

Used to watch the town's schoolboy team a couple of times a season (dad's mate did some scouting for a First Division club) and well remember Stuart Metcalfe playing and he was outstanding at that level and looked a real prospect. 

4 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Not sure you can say Ayala was swinging the lead on this occasion but what you can say with certainty is he has a career history of being injury prone and/or going awol for whatever reason so overall, given the money he's on he has to go down as a bad signing for me.

Dont agree with the bit about Travis.

The rest is absolutely spot on. It needs saying.

I can't believe how blase people are being about us having slipped so tamely and quickly out of the automatic promotion reckoning. It's not on, if form had tailed off very slightly then fair enough but if we were good enough to get into 2nd in the first place then the form over the last few games has been simply unacceptable.

If we were playing like this in any other season the pitchforks would be well and truly out but TM is getting away with it at the moment purely because we played well before Chrismas.

It's not on. We've already had quite enough dung thrown our way over the last 10 years without this to cap it all off.

 

You are getting as bad as Gav!

I didn't say he was swinging it.  IF HE WAS, he would never have been on the team sheet in the first place and would have cried off after training yesterday when Mowbray said he felt the injury.

For clarity, of all the Rovers' players, if you asked me who i would think most likely to suffer / aggravate an injury during warm up then it would be Ayala given his history of injury issues (just as it would have been Vince Grella when he was at Rovers).  Do I think he would have fancied a battle with Carroll then no I don't just as many players in history (even if 100% fit) didn't fancy a battle with the likes of Roy Keane, Vinny Jones, John Fashanu or even Alan Shearer.

To me, given Ayala felt his injury in training yesterday, he should have been given a rigorous pre match old fashioned fitness test BEFORE the team sheets were handed in.  This would surely have shown if he wasn't fit to play.  As I posted earlier, Rovers have had many centre backs, who you will have seen, who would have played through niggles / injuries and gone to war with the opposition - those are the type of players we need. 

7 minutes ago, Gav said:

Blackburn Rovers currently 3rd in the Championship, 15 wins, 9 draws and 8 losses, 54 points - 7 points clear in playoff place.

We have a mid table budget, but a top 3 team, we should be proud of the fact shouldn’t we?

Not in my book.

IMO, Venky's, Waggott and Mowbray have dumbed down expectation levels so much that some get excited where we now are.

Jack will be turning in his grave about the demise of his beloved Rovers.

5 minutes ago, Gav said:

You had Rothwell out tonight tonight, you’ve been sighting squad unrest all week, which is nonsense.  I did not have Rothwell out tonight - I said it would be no surprise to me if he didn't start.  As for "sighting squad unrest all week", show me where?

You said Ayala didn’t fancy it against Carroll?  I said "Don't think he fancied it against Carroll" - could you ever see Roy Keane refusing to take on Viera due to a niggle?  To me, Ayala shouldn't have been in the starting 11 if there was any doubt about his fitness especially given his record.  Whatever happened to the rigorous pre match fitness tests BEFORE the team sheet is handed in.

You compared Travis to Lowe - which is nonsense.  That is a matter of opinion.

You called Hedges a dolloper.  What I've seen of him, I think he's bang average.  We are struggling for goals, Mowbray is bemoaning the fact injuries are taking their toll on our goalscorers yet he signs a forward he appears to have little confidence in him scoring goals for us!

Now i may get banned for baiting but this crap needs calling out.  You might think it's crap, others might not.  Again, it's opinion and it would be boring on MB's if we all thought the same.

You sold Brereton and Kaminsky in January, (Really?  Show me where)   you had Alex Neill in post last April and in the summer (Posted what I picked up from PNE contacts and other posters on here have posted Rovers did have talks with Neill in April), it’s a steady stream of nonsense and as a regular poster I’m sick of reading it. In your opinion, it's nonsense; if you are sick of it then block me.

Its not OPINION when you’re stating it as fact. I think I make it quite clear when I post that it's my opinion! 

You need to choose your words more carefully.

I don't mind anyone having a go at me providing they get their facts right and you Gav, IMO, do not.

4 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I suspect that Ayala is one of those players who has to feel he is absolutely 100% fit to play. He’s not one to turn out when he’s carrying a little niggle or a slight knock. Some of those players you mentioned would play on one leg if they had too. Moran and Hendrey were the same.

Agree but it's the like of McNamee, Hawkins, Keeley, Moran and Hendry we need.  Players who will go to war for the cause whether 100% fit or not.

14 minutes ago, Gav said:

Trolling again…..it needs calling out.

Ayala faking injury, Travis = Jason Lowe, Hedges a dolloper, absolute bullshit.

Not trolling Gav, just my OPINIONS.

'Ayala faking injury' - your words not mine!  Think many of us know the lad is injury prone and why he missed much of the 2nd half of his last season with M'boro and big swathes of last season with us.  Mowbray said in interview on Sky he felt it yesterday; did he have a fitness test?  IMO, shouldn't have started as an early withdrawal would throw the game plan out the window as Mowbray said in the interview.  When fully fit, Ayala is very effective at Championship level but we need robust players who can play 90% of the games and play through some discomfort and pain.  Likes of McNamee, Hawkins and Keeley had to be dragged off the field!

IMO, Travis gives it his all, as did Lowe, Travis has aggression, Lowe didn't, Travis not good on ball, neither was Lowe.  So I will say again, what is the difference between Travis and Lowe other than aggression?

Hedges - we are struggling for goals and if Hedges has any capability he should be on there.  Seen him and I don't rate him - IMO, bang average.  

In a nutshell:

• Golden opportunity lost - WBA shite
• No surprise to me Ayala injured.  Don't think he fancied it against Carroll, winter is here and ready for summer holidays!?
• Nyambe - SIMPLY SUPERB - IMO, the way Mowbray has managed this lad is disgraceful
• Travis - to me, the lad is useless in possession.  Another Jason Lowe but with aggression!
• Rankin-Costello - IMO, wont be a footballer whilst he's got a hole in his arse
• Gallagher - when will the feckin penny drop with Mowbray; play him down the feckin middle
• Brereton - a disaster if he's out for any length of time
• Mowbray - problems self inflicted.  To me, can't manage players (Nyambe) and consistently poor in transfer windows.  Patently obvious we needed another striker and not, IMO, a dolloper like Hedges