3 more wins .....

[robinrover]

Tad harsh saxo
Only by what I have been told a large section of the brfc forum crowd is very inconsistent in their views much like yourself
If you are critical of Mowbray that's your view and cannot be criticised for your opinion but you do have a tendency to float in the direction of which way the wind is blowing
All opinions is welcome as long as there is a measure of consistency.

[champs95]

Tad harsh saxo
Only by what I have been told a large section of the brfc forum crowd is very inconsistent in their views much like yourself
If you are critical of Mowbray that's your view and cannot be criticised for your opinion but you do have a tendency to float in the direction of which way the wind is blowing
All opinions is welcome as long as there is a measure of consistency.

I just can't be bothered going on, as it would just drive me mad, and it's pointless arguing. I know what I'm like.

Saxo - I think I do go too far at times. I will say, that I do always hold my hands up and apologise if I do so. I guess it boils down to my lack of intellect. In that I struggle, with you, to not lose my cool. Which I turn winds me up, and I get all arsey and arrogant. .... I go too far. And I accept that I have gone too far this time. So I apologise.

I just really have a strong opinion, and fail at times to be able to communicate in a civil, normal way, and end up getting up people's backs. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, you included.

[Saxo1man41]

Tad harsh saxo
Only by what I have been told a large section of the brfc forum crowd is very inconsistent in their views much like yourself
If you are critical of Mowbray that's your view and cannot be criticised for your opinion but you do have a tendency to float in the direction of which way the wind is blowing
All opinions is welcome as long as there is a measure of consistency.

I posted the Mowbrays thread to appease champs and keep the peace. It went against everything I've always been about on these forums, and was a mistake. If you want to ban me for changing my mind and being honest, then go right ahead. I'm sure you'll all be really happy being sheep, agreeing with each other alongside your chief Shepard champs.

[AucklandRover]

I posted the Mowbrays thread to appease champs and keep the peace. It went against everything I've always been about on these forums, and was a mistake. If you want to ban me for changing my mind and being honest, then go right ahead. I'm sure you'll all be really happy being sheep, agreeing with each other alongside your chief Shepard champs.

I'm not quite sure what you mean there, Saxo, but I do find some of it a bit offensive.
I don't believe that supporting Mowbray (whose appointment underwhelmed me, remember), when he has led us to this excellent position - after a disastrous start - makes me a "sheep".
Your position - that a younger, more adventurous man would have us 10 or 15 points clear - can't be completely refuted, obviously, because it's unprovable and untestable, but I will say to you what I've said to the guy on the Telegraph site, who claims that our squad is so good we should be averaging 2.5 points per game: that figure would see us on 115 at the end of the season, breaking the L.1 record by 10 points, and I really find it hard to believe that we have a team capable of doing that - under any manager!
If current form is maintained, we are heading for 96 points and Wigan for 99. I suspect they will tip over the 100, because they have an easy run-in.
Both teams have done very well, but neither will come close to that 115 total. I believe it is absolutely unrealistic. In fact, I made the point that if you transplanted Burnley (top of the PL second tier) into this league, their sensible fans would accept that a record of something like: W-39; D-5; L-2 would be realistic, because football always throws up surprises. That would give them 122 points. Do you genuinely feel our current squad could have got close to that with, say, Shrewsbury's manager in charge? I don't.
Mowbray has found a formula based on a sound defence, two holding midfielders, two free-roaming, skilful support-forwards and a tough, hold-up centre-forward.
Your notion that playing Payne would have made 10 or 15 points' difference just isn't borne out by what we've seen of him. As for some of the other knockers' claim that some of the youngsters would have done better, that is, again, pure speculation.
Who would Tomlinson be in for? Travis has done very well, but Evans has come right back to form. Wharton instead of Mulgrew, Lenihan or Downing? Really? Bell and Williams? Probably very little to choose between them. A beat-the-man winger? We don't have one in the Under-23s, which is why Chapman has been so badly missed.
So what IS this miracle another manager would have produced with this squad to have had us on about 100 points by now?
To get back to "sheep", isn't it more sheep-like to support the perennial moaners of the BRFC site, who won't shift from this ludicrous position that the only thing that leads to victory in a football-match is what the manager says BEFORE a game?!
Should we have scored more goals? Possibly, but we know that our reputation makes other teams set up very defensively against us, and the Gillingham manager's comments make it clear his players were particularly fired up because they were playing Rovers.
I think you need to see your doctor and ask him or her to prescribe a heavy dose of reality.

[Saxo1man41]

I'm not quite sure what you mean there, Saxo, but I do find some of it a bit offensive.
I don't believe that supporting Mowbray (whose appointment underwhelmed me, remember), when he has led us to this excellent position - after a disastrous start - makes me a "sheep".
Your position - that a younger, more adventurous man would have us 10 or 15 points clear - can't be completely refuted, obviously, because it's unprovable and untestable, but I will say to you what I've said to the guy on the Telegraph site, who claims that our squad is so good we should be averaging 2.5 points per game: that figure would see us on 115 at the end of the season, breaking the L.1 record by 10 points, and I really find it hard to believe that we have a team capable of doing that - under any manager!
If current form is maintained, we are heading for 96 points and Wigan for 99. I suspect they will tip over the 100, because they have an easy run-in.
Both teams have done very well, but neither will come close to that 115 total. I believe it is absolutely unrealistic. In fact, I made the point that if you transplanted Burnley (top of the PL second tier) into this league, their sensible fans would accept that a record of something like: W-39; D-5; L-2 would be realistic, because football always throws up surprises. That would give them 122 points. Do you genuinely feel our current squad could have got close to that with, say, Shrewsbury's manager in charge? I don't.
Mowbray has found a formula based on a sound defence, two holding midfielders, two free-roaming, skilful support-forwards and a tough, hold-up centre-forward.
Your notion that playing Payne would have made 10 or 15 points' difference just isn't borne out by what we've seen of him. As for some of the other knockers' claim that some of the youngsters would have done better, that is, again, pure speculation.
Who would Tomlinson be in for? Travis has done very well, but Evans has come right back to form. Wharton instead of Mulgrew, Lenihan or Downing? Really? Bell and Williams? Probably very little to choose between them. A beat-the-man winger? We don't have one in the Under-23s, which is why Chapman has been so badly missed.
So what IS this miracle another manager would have produced with this squad to have had us on about 100 points by now?
To get back to "sheep", isn't it more sheep-like to support the perennial moaners of the BRFC site, who won't shift from this ludicrous position that the only thing that leads to victory in a football-match is what the manager says BEFORE a game?!
Should we have scored more goals? Possibly, but we know that our reputation makes other teams set up very defensively against us, and the Gillingham manager's comments make it clear his players were particularly fired up because they were playing Rovers.
I think you need to see your doctor and ask him or her to prescribe a heavy dose of reality.

Brfcs is an extreme, I sit somewhere in between. I'm not gonna say things are great after a 0-0 at bloody Gillingham with only 2 shots on target from free kicks 35 yards out. You say mowbray changed tack with his sub's, but for me they were like for like. There was no change in the pattern of our play at all. As you say, we haven't got the players to change style and go direct, other than putting a centre half upfront, but who's fault is that?

[AucklandRover]

Brfcs is an extreme, I sit somewhere in between. I'm not gonna say things are great after a 0-0 at bloody Gillingham with only 2 shots on target from free kicks 35 yards out. You say mowbray changed tack with his sub's, but for me they were like for like. There was no change in the pattern of our play at all. As you say, we haven't got the players to change style and go direct, other than putting a centre half upfront, but who's fault is that?

Well, I think it's mainly the fault of Chapman's absence. Mowbray recognised he provided something different, and his injury has been a pain.
As for going direct, I have no problem with it, but who would you drop to make it possible, even if we did have a Peter Crouch: Dack, Armstrong or Graham? They've all been prolific scorers.
I just think you find it hard to accept that not every game is going to go our way. Sometimes, another team's "negative" tactics actually work!

[Despair]

Aucks, as usual totally agree with all you say. Now that may well be because I’m a sheep, (in some eyes) but according to all that personally know me that is way way beyond the truth.
Now if Sax wants to ‘claim’ so, that’s fine I’m not going to lose any sleep. I have myself critted him for his behaviour . In doing so have stressed that this is nothing personal, as this is a debating forum. I would not normally do this, but his antagonistic approach leads me to respond accordingly. I just wish he would recognise this.
I said on the other thread that the comparative mindset of the ‘group’ that Champs referred to is not utterly because we agree (as we don’t always), but have the capacity to discuss and debate our differences .
I have myself said last year that TM displays the elderly cautionary trait and could well be doing with being a bit more positive minded. However over time he has won me over in the way he has gone about his task. We are now on the verge of possibly clinching auto, and a small chance of being top.
Now if we were ‘edging’ for play offs I would have no problem decrying his approach and agreeing his ‘style/methods’ have failed us.
As for next season re ‘can he / can’t he’ that for me is a pointless debate.
It’s not really what TM aspires to, but Venkys.
They will instill his target, and that is what will be agreed at the outset.
If he is being seen to be heading for failure he will be replaced.
Our support (since our recent glory era) has generated a very large portion of unrealistic fans. Aspiration is fine , but many of them seem to have a ‘we’re far better than this’ mentality.
This is the ‘legacy’ of those incredible upturn days.
Just as with GB, I harbour doubts that TM has it in him to deliver an immediate (follow on) promotion if that is the target set by Venkys. But despite that I believe he deserves a crack at it . If he wants it?

Re: Fair play ruling. My understanding has always been the monies outlayed have to be proportional to turnover. Debt or monies in bank or in owners pockets are not part of the equation. Hence my concerns that the increasing gates we all hoped to see just isnt really happening .
This is my reasoning that all those stay aways who harbour and believe these difficult to achieve aims and spout them on forums are actually personally putting a bigger blocking towards it, than TM’s methods/tactics.
As Champs often says “for Christ’s sake if you care so much , get your arse down there and actively support”.

This from a ‘passive’ supporter. 😉