• The forums will be unavailable for a few hours on Saturday 6th June, when they do return they will initially be in a degraded state with some features missing, but normal posting/reading will be possible. The main website will not be affected by these updates.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.
    Some other features of the forum are also currently disabled.

Tony Mowbray - Boro Supporter View

Some want promotion NOW
We all should "want" promotion now, but we all need to be pragmatic about it.
But the thought of 4 or 5 years mid table stagnation like TM served up at Blackburn doesn't fill me with enthusiasm either.
Maybe at our place it will be different. We have no option as mere fans.
Get behind him, as we always do, and see where it goes. Glass half full. 👍👍👍
 

Mogga had Blackburn in and around the play-offs last season. He should be aiming for a club who share those aspirations - not a club whose remit is to survive in the division.
 
Genuine question. I've not seen a Mowbray team play in a while. Has he worked out how to get a team to defend? And if he has, are his more defensively sound teams still good going forward?

I didn't even know that he had been at Blackburn. Decent win rate and will have managed Van Hecke last season. Also he worked with Stuart Harvey at Blackburn so there are some common links already.

Haven't a clue about the style of football that he played.

I think whoever we get will walk into a set up geared up for success with all the things we already have in place on terms of data, science, facilities and recruitment.
 
To be fair, having thought about it ...i'm coming round to the idea a bit more.

He's NE based so there's no issue with him being up here (you'd be surprised at how many wouldn't like this), he's done a very good job at this level fairly recently, his record there involved him developing one of the youngest squads in the league and is available and seen as a safe pair of hands.

It's not an exciting appointment I get that but I don't think it would be a disaster.
 
To be fair, having thought about it ...i'm coming round to the idea a bit more.

He's NE based so there's no issue with him being up here (you'd be surprised at how many wouldn't like this), he's done a very good job at this level fairly recently, his record there involved him developing one of the youngest squads in the league and is available and seen as a safe pair of hands.

It's not an exciting appointment I get that but I don't think it would be a disaster.
I read earlier he lived in Yarm.

Surely he lived in Blackburn if he worked there 5 years?
Well said. I think many fans are easily star struck by managers who can spin straw into gold. Turn water into wine. Look at Dyche. He took a smallish Lancashire club and worked miracles with them. David became Goliath. The wins went up. Performances went up. The way he set up the team up revolutionised them. We think we can get such a name. We don’t need such a name right now. We just need one who can do the bare minimum to keep a club in the Championship after 3 years in League One.
You lucky bugger - you have already forgotten about one of the miserable League 1 seasons ;)
 
Last edited:
Firstly, I feel a sense of recognition when "Hank Williams" asks me as a Boro supporter to pass on some views on this messageboard on Tony Mowbray. Such a request from the No.1 closet Boro supporter is the ultimate accolade! ;)

Down to business.

I saw Tony Mowbray make his Boro debut in 1982 (aged 18) at Sid James Park, go on to be our most inspirational captain (appointed aged 22) through arguably the most momentous period in the clubs history and in total saw around 80% of his 400+ home and away appearances for Boro. When he left Boro I followed his playing and later Managerial career which included a term at Boro.

He took over as Boro manager after the dual poor appointments of Southgate and Strachan. We were in a complete mess and heading for League One. He saved us from that fate and made genuine progress. The club didn't even have dossiers on individual players ... Mowbray brought his own with him to the club. I could mention numerous stories about his dedication and commitment to his managerial roles but won't bore you. He was left with a team of journeymen, young lads, has beens and never have beens. Several of these were Scottish players he had previously binned as Celtic manager who Strachan then brought to Boro! He made some quality signings on a shoestring budget and gave the supporters belief back. Most of the loyal Boro fans I know would have him back at the drop of a hat.

He has had a lifetime immersed in football and managed and played at the highest level in England and Scotland. As with all Managers hasn't always had it his own way but has steadied the ship with most clubs and also has gained promotions.

He has a positive track record of developing young players, playing a passing game and has a great eye for a player. Mowbray has a career record of 41% wins (Roy Keane achieved 42% at Sunderland as a comparison).

A North East lad who is astute, proud, genuine, honest and loyal. Mowbray also has very strong personal values and high levels of integrity. Don't underestimate any of these qualities.

He is well respected by many in the game.

What has surprised me is some of the vitriol I have read on this messageboard about him. Clearly not good enough for the vast majority of posters on here who have completely dismissed him as an option whilst some others have resorted to personal insults. Having known and worked with Sunderland supporters for many years, I'll be honest, I thought you were better than that.

Having had the likes of Simon Grayson, Chris Coleman, Phil Parkinson et al managing your club in recent times, someone like Mowbray should be given more consideration instead of being ridiculed.

Come to think of it the question should really be not does Sunderland need Tony Mowbray but does Tony Mowbray need Sunderland? He completed his full 5-years contract at his last club - Blackburn (not many managers do that these days - indeed Sunderland had 7 permanent managers during that time). He achieved promotion from League One in the process and in his last season had a young team challenging for promotion to the Premier League.

I suspect his reservations will be thinking that Sunderland is a club that in the last twenty years have had nearly as many permanent managers and in addition several owners including the current ones who are small-time, inexperienced, inflexible, don't value their manager and haven't invested much money. At least that is as it appears to an outsider.

Believe me Tony Mowbray would be a quality appointment for Sunderland (although it pains me to say that). It would be steady progress to achieve the clubs goals ... probably not quick enough for the twitterati and most posters on here but surely solid foundations, continuity and sustainability are key ingredients Sunderland have been lacking for years.

Tony Mowbray is

Firstly, I feel a sense of recognition when "Hank Williams" asks me as a Boro supporter to pass on some views on this messageboard on Tony Mowbray. Such a request from the No.1 closet Boro supporter is the ultimate accolade! ;)

Down to business.

I saw Tony Mowbray make his Boro debut in 1982 (aged 18) at Sid James Park, go on to be our most inspirational captain (appointed aged 22) through arguably the most momentous period in the clubs history and in total saw around 80% of his 400+ home and away appearances for Boro. When he left Boro I followed his playing and later Managerial career which included a term at Boro.

He took over as Boro manager after the dual poor appointments of Southgate and Strachan. We were in a complete mess and heading for League One. He saved us from that fate and made genuine progress. The club didn't even have dossiers on individual players ... Mowbray brought his own with him to the club. I could mention numerous stories about his dedication and commitment to his managerial roles but won't bore you. He was left with a team of journeymen, young lads, has beens and never have beens. Several of these were Scottish players he had previously binned as Celtic manager who Strachan then brought to Boro! He made some quality signings on a shoestring budget and gave the supporters belief back. Most of the loyal Boro fans I know would have him back at the drop of a hat.

He has had a lifetime immersed in football and managed and played at the highest level in England and Scotland. As with all Managers hasn't always had it his own way but has steadied the ship with most clubs and also has gained promotions.

He has a positive track record of developing young players, playing a passing game and has a great eye for a player. Mowbray has a career record of 41% wins (Roy Keane achieved 42% at Sunderland as a comparison).

A North East lad who is astute, proud, genuine, honest and loyal. Mowbray also has very strong personal values and high levels of integrity. Don't underestimate any of these qualities.

He is well respected by many in the game.

What has surprised me is some of the vitriol I have read on this messageboard about him. Clearly not good enough for the vast majority of posters on here who have completely dismissed him as an option whilst some others have resorted to personal insults. Having known and worked with Sunderland supporters for many years, I'll be honest, I thought you were better than that.

Having had the likes of Simon Grayson, Chris Coleman, Phil Parkinson et al managing your club in recent times, someone like Mowbray should be given more consideration instead of being ridiculed.

Come to think of it the question should really be not does Sunderland need Tony Mowbray but does Tony Mowbray need Sunderland? He completed his full 5-years contract at his last club - Blackburn (not many managers do that these days - indeed Sunderland had 7 permanent managers during that time). He achieved promotion from League One in the process and in his last season had a young team challenging for promotion to the Premier League.

I suspect his reservations will be thinking that Sunderland is a club that in the last twenty years have had nearly as many permanent managers and in addition several owners including the current ones who are small-time, inexperienced, inflexible, don't value their manager and haven't invested much money. At least that is as it appears to an outsider.

Believe me Tony Mowbray would be a quality appointment for Sunderland (although it pains me to say that). It would be steady progress to achieve the clubs goals ... probably not quick enough for the twitterati and most posters on here but surely solid foundations, continuity and sustainability are key ingredients Sunderland have been lacking for years.

Tony Mowbray is your man.

15 years ago he dared to suggest his West Brom side would finish above us. And that's enough apparently to make people still hate him.
 
I read earlier he lived in Yarm.

Surely he lived in Blackburn if he worked there 5 years?

You lucky bugger - you have already forgotten about one of the miserable League 1 seasons ;)


Oh yeah no doubt he would have. I just mean there's less of a lure for him to leave the area. Apparently the fact Neil has family down in the NW/Cheshire ish area played a part.
 
Am I summarising this thread correctly to say he's a decent bloke who is local. I'd appreciate someone who is good at managing. Is that too much to ask? Not sure he fits the bill
 
I read earlier he lived in Yarm.

Surely he lived in Blackburn if he worked there 5 years?

You lucky bugger - you have already forgotten about one of the miserable League 1 seasons ;)
His family home has been in a suburb of Middlesbrough for a number of years now. During his 5-year contract at Blackburn he saw his family 1-2 days a week.

For a man with strong family values that work / life balance must have been challenging, but he saw his contract through to the end (despite no communication from the disrespectful owners) probably in part because Blackburn had a chance of promotion but almost certainly because he felt that it was the right thing to do and in line with his principles.

Tony Mowbray's heart and soul is in this area. He was born in the North East, brought up in the North East, played and managed in the North East and loves the North East. He is a passionate football man and knows how passionate supporters of all the clubs in this area are.

There will be no jumping ship or having his head turned if he becomes Sunderland manager, you can be certain of that.
 
Back
Top