The next Rovers manager

[Marlow Rover]

Always happens with a change of Manager doesn't it? I wonder why they didn't offer those to Mowbray?

He's been the best backed manager since Kean I would say. Armstrong aside, I can't think of a single player he's had to sell, he was given £7m for Brereton who's taken 4 years to make an impact, £5m on Gallagher (Jesus Wept) and considerable wage support to bring in fairly high profile signings such as Ayala, Holtby, Johnson - big Champ players who won't be on a small amount.... in fact I understand Ayala is our highest paid player... 31 appearances in two seasons. Last year he spent big on loan signings - Harvey Elliott, Douglas, Trybull, Harwood Bellis - this year similar with the two from Brighton, Poveda (who we couldn't send back!?!?), young lad from Liverpool who was hopeless and Giles who we effectively took from under Cardiff's nose and played him literally the opposite side of the pitch to his preferred position. No-one ever mentions Loan fees do they... but I bet they exist!

Furthermore, he gave some really odd contract extensions.... Smallwood, Evans, Bennett, Mulgrew - they probably made a collective 20 appearances between them after he'd done that.

 

[steve w]

Wonder what decent monies is in practical terms?

TM had £12m to spend and I would take a bet he is on a decent salary

£12m now would probably be enough to build a decent team with the players we already have
Farke and his agent (or any other potential manager) will just be negotiating for as much as possible for as long as possible

 

[Dunnfc]

Always happens with a change of Manager doesn't it? I wonder why they didn't offer those to Mowbray?

By the sounds of it they were not happy in March at the slump. Waggott totally being blindsided.

 

[frwjd]

Managing Rovers even with the loons in Pune as owners will be attractive to many.
The last five years have shown there is no pressure to succeed. Not exactly a job for life but more secure than most in this business.

 

[Dunnfc]

He's the obvious choice.

I hope its happens

Yep nailed on they’ve been talking for a while away from those at Ewood.

 

[Chaddyrovers]

Always happens with a change of Manager doesn't it? I wonder why they didn't offer those to Mowbray?

Cos he had more enough time and money to get Promote and couldnt achieve it

 

[Drog]

Farke will do for me. There's some creative headlines to be made by the LT with that surname.

I wonder how he'd have done if someone else other than Norwich had picked up Puuki from Brondby on a free? That was a massive stroke of good fortune and a gamble given Puuki's previous career that could have gone either way. One man doesn't make a team but every club needs a prolific goalscorer to stick em in the net as Fulham and Bournemouth have proven this season.

 

[Chaddyrovers]

I wonder how he'd have done if someone else other than Norwich had picked up Puuki from Brondby on a free? That was a massive stroke of good fortune and a gamble given Puuki's previous career that could have gone either way. One man doesn't make a team but every club needs a prolific goalscorer to stick em in the net as Fulham and Bournemouth have proven this season.

Well that's where Stuart Webber scouting and recruitment knowledge and network came in to place.

If we could get Webber and Farke at Rovers now would be great.

If that was to happy I think we would get promote in 2 seasons and that's would depend on the budget but I think Venkys would fund a promotion push if the right man at the helm

 

[Dunnfc]

Well that's where Stuart Webber scouting and recruitment knowledge and network came in to place.

If we could get Webber and Farke at Rovers now would be great.

If that was to happy I think we would get promote in 2 seasons and that's would depend on the budget but I think Venkys would fund a promotion push if the right man at the helm

Farke will have to sell BBD this summer and after the sell on due to forest will still have circa 10 million.

 

[frwjd]

BBD must be sold while his stock is high.
I see WHU seem to have moved their search elsewhere.

 

[Barmitzvah Boy]

I would sell BBD. We need to cash in while we can. I just hope the money will be reinvested in the squad.

 

[blueandwhitehalves]

I would sell BBD. We need to cash in while we can. I just hope the money will be reinvested in the squad.

Seeing as we've lost £10-20m every season since relegation, you could argue all player sales are reinvested in the squad. They're just used so the club can pay a bigger chunk of the existing wage bill, and Venkys a smaller chunk, that season.

Its difficult to predict what Venkys will ever do, but Mowbray getting none of the Armstrong money, along with letting contracts for Rothwell, Lenihan and Nyambe run out, seems to indicate they've had enough of making big losses and are ready to cut the wage bill.

If thats the case its going to be difficult for any new manager, and we should probably be looking for one who's very good in the loan market (like the one we had).

 

[blueandwhitehalves]

He's been the best backed manager since Kean I would say. Armstrong aside, I can't think of a single player he's had to sell, he was given £7m for Brereton who's taken 4 years to make an impact, £5m on Gallagher (Jesus Wept) and considerable wage support to bring in fairly high profile signings such as Ayala, Holtby, Johnson - big Champ players who won't be on a small amount.... in fact I understand Ayala is our highest paid player... 31 appearances in two seasons. Last year he spent big on loan signings - Harvey Elliott, Douglas, Trybull, Harwood Bellis - this year similar with the two from Brighton, Poveda (who we couldn't send back!?!?), young lad from Liverpool who was hopeless and Giles who we effectively took from under Cardiff's nose and played him literally the opposite side of the pitch to his preferred position. No-one ever mentions Loan fees do they... but I bet they exist!

Furthermore, he gave some really odd contract extensions.... Smallwood, Evans, Bennett, Mulgrew - they probably made a collective 20 appearances between them after he'd done that.

In the year before Mowbray took over, the club sold Hanley £6m, Duffy £4.2m, Marshall £1.5m, Cairney £3.5m, King £2m, Gestede £6m, Olsson £1m and Rhodes £9m.

Gallagher was partly funded by Raya.

Considerable wage support? Our squad wages got leaked about a year ago. Not one player on £20k+, half of them on less than £10k, Dolan was on £1-2k I recall. Compare that to our early years after relegation, Rhodes alone was on £40k. Dunn, Robinson, Murphy, Etuhu etc. I bet our wage bill is half what it was in the early 2010s.

Mowbray's squad this season is worth a pittance compared to what Bowyer had at his disposal, for the same result and a lot more criticism.

 

[Barmitzvah Boy]

Seeing as we've lost £10-20m every season since relegation, you could argue all player sales are reinvested in the squad. They're just used so the club can pay a bigger chunk of the existing wage bill, and Venkys a smaller chunk, that season.

Its difficult to predict what Venkys will ever do, but Mowbray getting none of the Armstrong money, along with letting contracts for Rothwell, Lenihan and Nyambe run out, seems to indicate they've had enough of making big losses and are ready to cut the wage bill.

If thats the case its going to be difficult for any new manager, and we should probably be looking for one who's very good in the loan market (like the one we had).

Rovers are cutting back room costs. Every item of expenditure is being looked at.

 

[Dunnfc]

Rovers are cutting back room costs. Every item of expenditure is being looked at.

Even more so now. Hence the repeated wage Bill lines. 10 million loss per year before player sales is the expectation

 

[Drog]

Well that's where Stuart Webber scouting and recruitment knowledge and network came in to place.

If we could get Webber and Farke at Rovers now would be great.

If that was to happy I think we would get promote in 2 seasons and that's would depend on the budget but I think Venkys would fund a promotion push if the right man at the helm

They did that this season. Don't you rem the 10m promotion kitty?

 

[Chaddyrovers]

They did that this season. Don't you rem the 10m promotion kitty?

Mowbray had 4 seasons to get top 6 place. He was backed financially every time and failed to secure. Time to move on and bring in a manager who can get promotion. Surely that should be target

 

[Chaddyrovers]

Farke will have to sell BBD this summer and after the sell on due to forest will still have circa 10 million.

Maybe but we see shortly.

 

[Marlow Rover]

In the year before Mowbray took over, the club sold Hanley £6m, Duffy £4.2m, Marshall £1.5m, Cairney £3.5m, King £2m, Gestede £6m, Olsson £1m and Rhodes £9m.

Gallagher was partly funded by Raya.

Considerable wage support? Our squad wages got leaked about a year ago. Not one player on £20k+, half of them on less than £10k, Dolan was on £1-2k I recall. Compare that to our early years after relegation, Rhodes alone was on £40k. Dunn, Robinson, Murphy, Etuhu etc. I bet our wage bill is half what it was in the early 2010s.

Mowbray's squad this season is worth a pittance compared to what Bowyer had at his disposal, for the same result and a lot more criticism.

4 of those players you listed were brought in by Bowyer with limited spending, and all sold for a profit. A slightly different approach to Mowbray splashing £12m - £13m on two players - Bowyer probably reached £5m in transfer spend throughout his time at Rovers, with a healthy return of £18m or so based on your calculations above. Equally, Mowbray did superbly well with Armstrong and is likely to do the same with Brereton, and deserves praise for that.

In terms of Hanley - he was an academy player who Bowyer managed to tie down to a new 5-year deal. Very similar to Lenihan who would probably attract similar money (probably slightly less) if he wasn't out of contract this summer.

In terms of Rhodes, Dunn, Murphy, Etuhu, Best, Nuno Gomes, Formica, Goodwillie, Orr etc etc etc etc.... only Rhodes was any use to Bowyer, the rest were either past it or an absolute joke to start with. We all know Rovers were a basket case then, let's not pretend Bowyer benefitted from our insanely high wage structure. Would be wiser to recognise that Bowyer got rid of the deadwood and built a young, likeable squad with good sell-on potential. His overhaul was actually far greater than Mowbray's in terms of squad.

I maintain that Mowbray NEVER had to sell anyone he didn't want to, except Armstrong - look at our outgoings in 5 years... Which of those do you think Mowbray wanted to keep at the club? He didn't even want Raya to stay on. 15 on that list (out of 30) were TM signings, and a further 6 (of the existing squad when TM arrived) signed a contract during his time as manager. Mahoney didn't sign because he got a better offer from Bournemouth, but the offer was there.

So 21 of the 30 outgoings in 5 years, TM made the decision to sign or extend their contracts.... that's fine, his decision, but let's not pretend he's had his back to the wall and has been forced to break up his squads and start again on a pittance. Two, maybe three (bolded) of those players went for a transfer fee - the rest were free transfers or left without a club.

Jason Steele
Hope Akpan
Jason Lowe
Anthony Stokes
Conor Manhoney (end of contract)
Liam Feeney
Elliott Ward
Gordon Greer
Wes Brown
Paul Caddis (his signing)
Peter Whittingham (his signing)
David Raya
Ben Gladwin (his signing)
Paul Downing (his signing)
Jayson Leutwiler (his signing)
Danny Guthrie (his signing)
Derrick Williams (extended contract under TM)
Danny Graham (extended contract under TM)
Dominic Samuel (his signing)
Joe Nuttall (his signing) ((extended contract under TM))
Richard Smallwood (his signing) ((extended contract under TM))
Craig Conway (extended contract under TM)
Jack Rodwell (his signing)
Adam Armstrong (his signing) - Great profit
Lewis Holtby (his signing)
Sam Hart (his signing)
Stewart Downing (his signing) ((extended contract under TM))
Elliott Bennett (extended contract under TM)
Amari'i Bell (his signing)
Charlie Mulgrew (extended contract under TM)
Corry Evans (extended contract under TM)

Reflecting on Mowbray's time as manager - Until the spectacular implosion of last season he'd done a very good job of steadying the club and solidifying us as a Championship team, not forgetting the fairly regular run of 1 win in 8 etc etc. Last season, with the squad he had at his disposal, a 30-goal striker, Harvey Elliott et al, we blew up spectactularly. This season, 8th Feb 10 points clear of 7th place, we did it all over again.

We were punching above our weight in 2nd, but we got there on what was frankly an extraordinary run. Even mid-table form would have seen us in the play-offs from there on in.... Cue 3 wins and 5 draws in the 17 games before promotion was mathematically impossible, failing to score in 11 of those. Extrapolate that over a season and it's more or less 35 - 37 points... a couple more than Derby (who were already deducted 21 points), sat in 23rd in the league. That's how bad we've been since we beat Boro at home!

I can see the argument as to why it might be time for a change, even understanding the enormous risk that comes with letting these people pick the next manager!

 

[davebirch]

Is this the kind of thing we might have expected (wanted), ( I did mention his name before the season IIRC)

How Ange Postecoglou defied the doubters to lead Celtic back to Scottish Premiership glory | Sporting News Australia

Australian manager Ange Postecoglou arrived at Celtic and proved the skeptics wrong by leading the club to its latest Scottish Premiership title in his first season at the helm.

www.sportingnews.com

He's beyond our reach now, sadly.
Ange is a football man, passionate about his style, and willingly departs when he wants or feels if he's not moving the team forwards.