Tony Mowbray revealed he has made a decision over his Rovers future and while he wants the focus to be on the final two games of the season the manager says he has to address his ‘work-life balance’.

Mowbray wouldn’t make public his decision with still at least two games to play, but gave his clearest indication yet that this season will be his last at the club.

It means the visit of Bournemouth on Saturday could be Mowbray’s final home game as Rovers manager, should they not make the play-offs, a role he has held since February 2017.

The manager said his decision wouldn’t be swayed by the outcome of the season, but was also keen to point out that there have been no approaches from the club about a new contract to extend his stay at Ewood Park.

He hinted after the win over Preston North End that he would address his ‘work-life balance’ in the summer.

When asked about those comments, Mowbray said: “I do that every day, I’m not sure I’ve had my work-life balance right. I commit a lot of time to this football club, away from my family and my kids, but I need to address that pretty soon.”

Asked if that was to do with his future, he said: “I’ve decided.”

After stating he wouldn’t reveal what that was publicly, he added: “We have two games we have to try and win and to get this club to the Premier League if we can.

“Let’s hope we get to the play-offs, that we beat Bournemouth and have another game at home.

“I’m a private person, I’m a very proud person, I keep things to myself and my main job is to try and prepare a team to beat Bournemouth on Saturday if we can.”

Having marked five years in charge of the club in February, Mowbray is the seventh-longest serving manager out of the 92, while his 265 games as Rovers boss make him the club’s second-longest serving post-War manager.

Mowbray replaced Owen Coyle in the Ewood Park hotseat in February 2017, and asked about his time in charge: “I just feel the time is right, five years is a long time.

“We have had a five-year plan and it’s come to an end, maybe someone else’s voice needs to be heard.”

Mowbray is into his third contract at the club, signing an 18-month deal when appointed before talks with the owners in India after relegation to League One saw agree fresh terms.

His last contract was signed in November 2019, with that deal now reaching its conclusion and no talks taken place.

Chief executive Steve Waggott had stated the manager’s future would be on the agenda during summer talks with the owners, but Mowbray says he hasn’t heard anything from the club’s hierarchy over his future.

He has however remained involved in the planning for 2022/23, with pre-season plans in place and also targets having been identified, though that will be finalised based upon which division Rovers find themselves in.

Asked if he was surprised by that, he said: “I don’t know what goes on in the background of football clubs, the men in suits get on with their jobs, there will be a reason that I don’t know.

“As I’ve said, maybe it’s other people you should ask, not me.

“I can’t give you an answer. What I do know is that I don’t go knocking on their doors and say ‘are we going to talk about contracts?’

“All I can do is say that there’s been no conversation, no approach, no discussions and we’re a week away from the end of the season, so what do you want me to think? I don’t feel like I’m being disloyal saying anything other than it looks like I’m leaving because there’s no contract discussions and I’m out of contract at the end of the season.

“At this moment I don’t need to instigate anything, I’m clear in my own mind.

“I’m pretty relaxed. Why? Because I’ve got a life balance to get on with.

“My youngest son was seven when I joined, he’s going to be a teenager next week. I’ve hardly seen him. I’ve seen him once, sometimes twice, a week for the last five years.

“He’s a little boy and he needs his dad to watch him on a Sunday. I like to take him to school, I like to take my family out for dinner on an evening if I’m at home.

“That’s life-balance.”

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