Blackburn Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has said he "undoubtedly" would have signed a new contract at Blackburn Rovers had one been offered to him at the turn of the year.
Mowbray recently confirmed he would leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season due to nobody discussing a new deal with him.
Even if an offer comes in now, Mowbray said he is leaving, however, says he would have "definitely" stayed had a deal been offered at an early stage.
“Undoubtedly, definitely." Mowbray said, when asked if he would have been happy to remain at Blackburn had a deal been offered at the turn of the year, via Lancashire Telegraph.
“It’s a club I feel is growing, is going in the right direction, lots of good young players.
“I’m a football guy and the way my brain works, that if it wasn’t offered around the last transfer window, Christmas, I found it strange for a long time.
“We’ve been doing recruitment this week but the madness of recruitment is that I’m not the manager, so why should I be picking the players because the new manager might want totally different players.
“I’ll keep going until that’s enough.”
In the end, Blackburn Rovers finished the season 8th in the Championship standings following their final day win over Birmingham City.
The second half of their campaign really cost them, with the club picking up just six league wins in 2022.
The Verdict
If Blackburn had offered Tony Mowbray a new contract at the turn of the year, it may be that they would have regretted it given how things have gone for the club in 2022.
Blackburn were very poor in the second half of the season and went from automatic promotion contenders to missing out on the play-offs.
You can understand why Mowbray would not want to stay at this stage, or be an afterthought, but whether or not the club want him to stay is surely up for debate.
Perhaps the separation between Mowbray and the club that seems imminent is best for both parties after how the season ended.