Managers at Blackburn and QPR reveal huge decisions made on their time in charge

Managers at Blackburn and QPR reveal huge decisions have made on their time in charge, coming during their press conferences on Thursday.

Tony Mowbray has hinted that he will leave Rovers at the end of the season when admitting it looks like he’s leaving with the 58-year-old out of contract at Ewood Park this summer.

He hasn’t had any conversations with the club’s hierarchy about fresh terms and now it seems that his five-year stay is set to come to an end.

Mowbray confirmed he has made a decision on his future, and that he will address his ‘work-life balance’ in the summer.

He insists that he’s not held any discussions with the club about his future and will look at other opportunities in management this summer.

“I commit a lot of time to this football club away from my family and my kids and I need to address that pretty soon,” Mowbray told the media. “I have decided (whether he will stay).

“We have two games to try and win to try to get this club to the Premier League. Let’s hope we get to the play-offs and we have another game at home.

“I am a private and proud person, I keep things to myself. My main job is to prepare a team to beat Bournemouth this weekend.”

“The club haven’t asked what my plans are,” he told Lancs Live. “The club have to decide what they want to do, I don’t need to instigate anything. I am clear in my mind about what is happening.

“Lots of different things (instigated his decision). My life balance, my ambition, feeling like I can keep growing a club, I could list more but it’s not the time.

“I might do (continue in management if he leaves Rovers). The summer is here and I will be going on holiday with my family. Let’s wait and see, if the right opportunity arises other than this club, I have to feel like we have a chance and an ability to grow the club.

“It has been up and down here over my five years. There have been different levels of investment but it’s not for me to share budgets and we have been through Covid, of course.

“I feel the time is the right one for me, five years is a long time. We had a five-year plan and maybe it’s time for a different voice to be heard.”

He then goes on: “I don’t know what goes on in football clubs, men in suits make decisions. I can’t give you an answer, you should ask other people.

“I don’t go knocking on their doors. I can say that there has been no conversation or approaches and we’re a week away from the end of the season.

“What do you want me to think? It looks like I’m leaving because I am out of contract very, very soon and there has been no discussions.”

“What do you want me to think? I don’t feel I’m being disloyal here by saying anything other than it looks like I’m leaving”

“There’s no contract discussions. I’m out of contract very, very soon”#Blackburn #Rovers manager Tony Mowbray#bbcefl #bbcfootball pic.twitter.com/E4GLb8zWGS

— BBC Sport Lancashire (@BBCLancsSport) April 28, 2022

Meanwhile, QPR boss Mark Warburton has confirmed that he expects to leave the club at the end of the season.

The 59 year old is out of contract in the summer and the club are not expected to offer him a new deal after they fell out of contention for the Championship playoffs following a dismal run of form since February.

The club has always said they will hold talks with Warburton over his future once the season is over but the ex-Brentford, Rangers and Nottingham Forest manager expects to depart after the games against Sheffield United and Swansea.

“I think if that was the case [of me staying], communication about contract talks would already have been held,” Warburton said on Thursday morning. “But my job, rest assured, is that while you are in post you do the job to the best of your ability and that will always be the case.

“We’ve all got flaws and faults, but I can honestly say that will never change and whatever job I am in I will be very fastidious and you do the job to the best of your ability.

“You never talk ill of the club, individuals at the club and put your head down with your staff and get the job done.

“But the owners write the cheques, it’s their money that goes into a football club and whether you agree or disagree, it doesn’t matter, it’s their choice, and it’s their prerogative.

“They live and die by decisions and when you are fortunate enough to be in situ you just try and do the best you can. I don’t expect to be here [next season] but I will do the job to the best I can from here and see what happens after that.”

Since winning Reading 4-0 on the 29th of January, QPR have lost 10 of 16 matches, and they are six points off sixth place with two games to play this season.

Twitter users reacted as managers at Blackburn and QPR reveal huge decisions made on their time in charge…

ON MOWBRAY:

@rogerthedodge2: People can say what they want about TM but he’s one proper genuine fball guy who’s got a quality missing from a lot of other people in the game ‘morals’ people I know on Teeside won’t have a word said against him & when he was manager of my side u always got the truth ‘a rarity’

@dukeof_chutney: Brought some outstanding players through the doors at ewood, played some awesome football.. equally some not so good but the ethics and workmanship of this bloke cannot be doubted ! He will be going and for me sadly missed .. ✊🏻✊🏻

@rowanbrfc: Overall, the man has worked wonders for this football club, mistakes made along the way but he deserves a proper farewell if he does decide to go, fair play to him

@tombury89: Very poor by the club to have had no discussions whatsoever even if it is to say you won’t be getting a new contract

@smoggy998: Love Mogga, @boro legend as a player. Right man wrong time as manager. I’d have him back in a heartbeat. Always honest and open with his views and talks a lot of sense at all times #utb

@MichaelDennis0: Been treated very poorly

@EliotLyon: What a strange/interesting interview! The club has come a long way since he has joined, deserves a good send off at Ewood this Saturday!! Or hopefully in another home game 😉

@danwalsh16: @Rovers – sort this out, 2 games out from the end of the season and nobody’s spoke to TM about his future? What does that say about how the club is run? TM deserves more respect than that. I’d back him to get us promoted given progression each year.

@jamesgeesus: I feel bad for him but it’s the nature of football management. If the club isn’t progressing to where the fans want to be then a manager change is top of the list. Everything is hinging on Venkys appointing someone decent now. It’ll be interesting to see the players reaction.

@GarethBattersby: He doesn’t need to knock on doors and ask for a new contract. If Blackburn get promoted they’ll likely offer him a great contract. If he doesn’t then he’ll likely feel the brunt of letting a comfortable 2nd place in the table slip. For all the good he’s done you can ignore this

@ChrisMartin_93: He’s going. 100%. Like him or not, it’d at least be nice for him to know if the owners are interested in offering him another deal or not. He deserves that much.

@ingram1_d: Tony Mowbray is everything the press think Steve Bruce is.

ON WARBURTON:

@ChrisGuyW12: All I can say, is be careful what you wish for. Those that say “well done Mark but we need someone to push us on to the next level” may get a very unpleasant surprise. We could be going back to our traditional October hunt for another new manager.

@DaveDaveadcock: Que sera sera. Great respect for Mark Warburton. He’s done us proud BUT the last few months have been awful. Only insiders will truly know why. It all depends who we go for. I want someone who will develop young players.

@QPRobbie: Really bad decision by the club in my opinion. He has done wonders with limited resources – we sold our best players, he brought in youth and skill on a minimal budget, and tries to play football the right way. Who is a better replacement?

@LozzaLopez: Feel a bit sad about this. Did a very good job all things considered and a very likeable guy. I’m annoyed at how we finished the season and there were a lot of questionable decisions, but he deserved more time IMO.

@Sam_Spring: Who could do a better job? The players we brought in off the back of last seasons 2nd half success haven’t done the job they did last season. Admit Warbs needs to mix it up a bit but he has done the best with what he has, wtf was Jeff Hendrick all about? Not to mention INJURIES!

@archie5552: He’s done a lot for us, definitely our best manager since Warnock but maybe this is for the best

@OldRLee: I have been consistent with my opinion that a full investigation should be carried out to ascertain what went wrong. Although I’d have been happy for MW to go after if he was clearly to blame, it appears that the hierarchy have simply assured that the finger points at him.

@latest_qpr: Can’t tell if this is the right decision. Part of me just thinks a fresh start would be good for the club as maybe Warburton taken us as far as he can go but it’s also clear that the players haven’t been good enough second half of the season for whatever reason.

@superhoops100: Awful decision if true. MW performed miracles with a very ordinary squad, top 3 playing the best football seen in W12 for 20+ years. Board should have backed him in Jan. cannot think of a single realistic replacement that would better. Very disappointing!

@livvo1: Real shame. Long term thinking was starting to transform us. Feel this will prove to be a regressive move. He’s done a very good job and acted with integrity.

@davman1971: Bad move if this is instigated by the club. Hopefully they will recruit with the players we have in mind rather than adopting a new style not suited to our players. Go for a youthful side with one or two senior pros, not what we seem to have become this season…

@SuperhoopAus: Ferdinand is the main problem. Seven and a half years in we’re going nowhere. Very few decent players signed. Living off Eze. All our other teams are bottom of the table. Very few youngsters coming through. No direction. Only reason he has a job is to be a shield for the owners.

@QPR_SanDiego:: Sad if true. Imagine who would replace him with a job description reading “build new team with no money, get ridiculed and sacked if you don’t reach the playoffs or make big January signings (again with no money)” Shame but last few seasons may be the high water mark for a while.