[SmethDan]

Wasn’t he the manager when we were down to 10 men away at Blackpool, put extra forwards on and we won 2-1 ?
I am really not a fan of Diangana , but he did get stuck in yesterday when he came on, Armstrong also took up some great positions, and if Grant had have passed…..

I think you may be referencing the 2-1 away defeat under RDM when Jara got a straight red? Can't remember any other time we've gone down to ten away to Blackpool.

[lewisant]

I think you may be referencing the 2-1 away defeat under RDM when Jara got a straight red? Can't remember any other time we've gone down to ten away to Blackpool.

Oh I can…horrible game. It was that Spanish defender we had, I can’t remember his name. And Ian Holloway was in charge of Blackpool. But we definitely lost that game.


Edit: we’re talking about the same game. PABLO IBANEZ is who I was thinking of and he he and Jara were sent off and we lost.

[Fritzl Palace]

Oh I can…horrible game. It was that Spanish defender we had, I can’t remember his name. And Ian Holloway was in charge of Blackpool. But we definitely lost that game.


Edit: we’re talking about the same game. PABLO IBANEZ is who I was thinking of and he he and Jara were sent off and we lost.

Ah yes, a Michael Oliver special that evening in the infancy of his top flight refereeing career.

Good old Dudley Campbell in the Blackpool side.

[SmethDan]

Oh I can…horrible game. It was that Spanish defender we had, I can’t remember his name. And Ian Holloway was in charge of Blackpool. But we definitely lost that game.


Edit: we’re talking about the same game. PABLO IBANEZ is who I was thinking of and he he and Jara were sent off and we lost.

Ahaa...... I travelled up for the original fixture which was postponed just as we got off the motorway. This must have been the re arranged midweek fixture that I watched in the pub. Forgot Ibanez got sent off as well but I do remember us being the better side for much of the game despite finishing it with nine players. Beer goggles may or may not have enhanced my memories of our performance on the night though  .

[johnnyg]

As long as Hull beat or draw with Coventry tonight, then we are right back in the PO race. Friday at Coventry will then become Mowbray's biggest and most important test. The team he picks for that game will, I think, tell us whether he is up to the task 2nd time around or not.
IMO, after what everyone saw on Saturday v Watford, he absolutely has to start with Fellow and Mickey on the wings with Lankshear up top.

[robnewbold]

I agree, the Friday game is a big pointer to his mindset and his ability to plan a game.
I still think he does not know his best eleven and probably worse, does not know his best formation. He has not been aided by injury, but what  Manager ever is. He seems less analytical then Carlos, but then Carlos ended up over-analysing everything in the end and we ended up stalemating every game.
I still believe if he gets us to the play-offs he is more likely to win it then Carlos, but less likely to get us there in the first place. It is not just in our hands now, but lets hope it soon will be.

[colinmax]

Watched a thrilling match last night having become an avid Hull City supporter.
 Coventry fluked a goal but learned they are the highest scorers in the division from corners and I could see why so we must be prepared for this on Friday.
I think that match is a must win but with an unchanged team I think we have a chance but if needs be we must be prepared to put DK on alongside Lankshear not instead of him because their physical presence could cause problems.

[robnewbold]

Lankshear must start surely?

[gazberg]

Lankshear must start surely?

Lewis Cox interviewed Mowbray after Watford and apparently Mowbray said he's told Lankshear to rest up for the next one so sounds like he's starting

[robnewbold]

Good news, maybe he is beginning to get a grip.

[TheBaggieMan]

Good news, maybe he is beginning to get a grip.

He’s been reading this forum Rob and taken the advice !

[gazberg]

Bit on which managers produced the most uplift in a team over the last 10 years in Champo. Mowbray is 3rd apparently.


This data was used by Bilkul to help decide who would take over.

"Training Ground Guru
@ground_guru

When selecting a new Head Coach, @WBA looked at Expected Performance.

Basically performance v resources; whether a Head Coach had created genuine uplift.

Top 3 in Championship over 10 yr period:

1. Daniel Farke
2. Vincent Kompany
3. Tony Mowbray"



Here are Nestors comments specifically on why those chose Tony, i posted these in the full transcript in the Nestor thread but it is lengthy

"How did you settle on Tony Mowbray as Head Coach?

We had a data-led approach on that as well. Through our networks, we know of good Head Coaches around that could have been available.

But we had our data team look at performances of coaches across every league and what we did there is a bit different to evaluating a player. It was more looking at the strength of a squad, both the individual players within the squad as well as the squad as a whole, and their expected performance.

And then we looked at whether their Head Coach created an uplift in performance. Because sometimes it can be hard to tell.

If you look at a Head Coach at some of the big clubs, they just have so many good players that you wonder are the players just really good and the coach makes sure he’s managing the guys in the locker room and it doesn’t blow up and they do fine. Or are they really actually creating positive uplift?

And that can be said for really any coach at any level. And so we did an evaluation of various candidates’ performance and how that translated into uplift of the squad that they had. And that way you know you’re really judging a coach fairly and taking into account all the various factors that go into a specific situation.

Tony ranked extremely high and therefore was immediately on the shortlist once Carlos left. We actually ran one model specifically on the Championship, just to look over the past 10 years historically who had created the most uplift given the squad that they had in circumstances around the club.

And he was third overall, behind (Vincent) Kompany and (Daniel) Farke. But then of course we have to look at whether this is someone who fits the game model, the style, (who) is going to come in and be able to work with the players we have and within the system and culture that we’re building.

That’s also very important.

At Blackburn, Sunderland, Tony had a number of young players that he worked with and developed. That’s certainly important in the Championship. You need that mix, as I mentioned, of veterans and young players coming through and I think it’s important competitively. It’s important for your finances as well. And so that is a major focus.

It can be really hard to work young players in. A first team Head Coach’s job to win the next game. That’s where their mentality needs to be. So there’s a challenge to working young players into the first team.

He’s shown that he’s done that in the past and yeah, that is something that’s very important for any Head Coach we have here."

[KingKoren]

Nestor also spoke in that interview about how they don’t make emotional decisions. If anyone thinks they appointed Mowbray just to keep the fans happy or because it made for a nice narrative, that’s just lazy thinking. There was plenty of solid data backing his appointment.

[gazberg]

Nestor also spoke in that interview about how they don’t make emotional decisions. If anyone thinks they appointed Mowbray just to keep the fans happy or because it made for a nice narrative, that’s just lazy thinking. There was plenty of solid data backing his appointment.

Yes, some good stuff in there for sure. Has given us a glimpse into how they think and how they intend to move forward.

[SmethDan]

Nestor also spoke in that interview about how they don’t make emotional decisions. If anyone thinks they appointed Mowbray just to keep the fans happy or because it made for a nice narrative, that’s just lazy thinking. There was plenty of solid data backing his appointment.

I'd love to know what the data was telling him when Joe Wildsmith kept getting the nod over the recalled from loan academy product who only got picked following one mistake too many. That and what he was thinking when we were struggling for clear cut chances and another academy product was sat on the same bench when players who don't match his numbers were on the pitch.

[robnewbold]

Seems a very reasonable argument for his eventual appointment.
 I know i have been over-critical of him recently, but some of his decisions and then explanations for them have been bizarre.
I still feel that he has not settled his team or formation yet and relies, as did Carlos, on 'experience' and potential individual performances to get us a result as he strives to formulate a clear strategy.
Something just seems 'off' with the situation at the moment, not sure what though.

[gazberg]

Does sound like Bilkul have more involvement in the team than i thought, in terms of formation and tactics etc.

Current Mowbray feels more like Corberan than the Mowbray of old, rightly or wrongly, and this explains it somewhat.

[Blowee]

Seems a very reasonable argument for his eventual appointment.
 I know i have been over-critical of him recently, but some of his decisions and then explanations for them have been bizarre.
I still feel that he has not settled his team or formation yet and relies, as did Carlos, on 'experience' and potential individual performances to get us a result as he strives to formulate a clear strategy.
Something just seems 'off' with the situation at the moment, not sure what though.

I think he is focusing on the task at hand and probably believes that, whilst we have a chance of making the playoffs, a more cautious approach in terms of formation and experience is most likely to achieve that aim. If we aren’t promoted I think we will see a different approach and team next season with more younger players and a more attacking style.

[Standaman]

Few things post Nestor interview regarding Mowbray. The ownership is working to a plan and they aren't going to respond in a knee-jerk and emotional manner. In short they will not fire Mowbray on a whim.

That is not to say they won't fire a Head Coach that isn't getting what they think he should from the squad. However unless things are pretty dire that won't be based on half a season particularly one which the Director of Football himself has described as transitional.

Equally the team is meeting expectations which is to at least be competing for the play-off and to still be in contention with 4 games left is competing. Our season isn't like a QPR or Swansea for instance who really have never been in the play-off conversation.

I think where things will be different is that Mowbray will have the least amount of influence on player trading than any Head Coach since Ashworth was at the club. It is clear that Nestor is in charge and that the Ownership won't undermine him.

[robnewbold]

Yes we are in a transitional stage, but also find ourselves with a shouting chance of the play-offs and the ultimate reward, financially, that is.
Being so close to achieving Premiership football raises expectations and contradictions to some extent.
If we are that close to competing for a Premiership place then we must surely bust a gut to try and deliver that, transition or not. Fridays team and Fridays result will reveal all.

[KingKoren]

I'd love to know what the data was telling him when Joe Wildsmith kept getting the nod over the recalled from loan academy product who only got picked following one mistake too many. That and what he was thinking when we were struggling for clear cut chances and another academy product was sat on the same bench when players who don't match his numbers were on the pitch.

The recruiment team brought in Wildsmith so that's not a very good argument. Hard to find better numbers than Armstrong and he's been pants.

[SmethDan]

The recruiment team brought in Wildsmith so that's not a very good argument. Hard to find better numbers than Armstrong and he's been pants.

It wasn't an argument it was a thought. Well two actually. Given as he was brought in as a number two for Palmer and was performing in a genuine number two quality while an academy product highly rated by the club was sat on the bench waiting for a first team opportunity I'd suggest they're reasonable thoughts to have.

As for Armstrong I agree his stats were great and there's a very reasonable argument to suggest the same reason we haven't got more out of him is the reason we stuck with Wildsmith for so long. If you're wondering what that reason is it's the manager who was also recruited in part via statistical algorithm.

Ultimately however stats can only tell you so much and aren't necessarily predictors for loss of form or stubbornness. That's the thing with statistics. They're working numbers and they change over a period of time. You need to respond to what they're telling you.

Which is why 'I'd love to know what the data was telling him when Joe Wildsmith kept getting the nod over the recalled from loan academy product who only got picked following one mistake too many. That and what he was thinking when we were struggling for clear cut chances and another academy product was sat on the same bench when players who don't match his numbers were on the pitch'.

[DevonInStripes]

The recruitment team have a long long way to go in my opinion before they can be rated as good . Too many below par signings this season particularly loan wise . Who has actually been a success out of the loan signings ?

[baggiebof]

I think where things will be different is that Mowbray will have the least amount of influence on player trading than any Head Coach since Ashworth was at the club. It is clear that Nestor is in charge and that the Ownership won't undermine him.

My perception is that Mowbray will stomach this more than other managers having been through it at Sunderland and not having had much to work with at Blackburn.

[baggie82]

The recruitment team have a long long way to go in my opinion before they can be rated as good . Too many below par signings this season particularly loan wise . Who has actually been a success out of the loan signings ?

Who else in the championship has had loan players doing amazingly for them this season? I can’t think of any. Loans at this level tend to be academy players not ready for the physicality of the league or journeymen.