Tony Mowbray has made it clear he does not expect Balazs Toth to sign a new contract at Blackburn Rovers, but the club will keep picking him for as long as he remains available.
The Hungarian number one is into the final year of his deal, with less than 12 months left, and has so far rejected fresh offers from Blackburn Rovers. That leaves the club facing a decision on how to handle a situation that also applies to Todd Cantwell, who is in the final year of his own contract.
Mowbray: pick the strongest team
Mowbray said the immediate priority is simple: select the strongest side possible. Asked about Toth's future, he replied: “You're probably asking the wrong guy.”
He added: “What I do know is he's a wonderful human being, he's a great guy, I connect on a human level with my players and my goalkeepers.”
On the contract issue itself, Mowbray said: “He's a happy, smiley kid but I don't know...I am fully aware that he's not signing a new contract.” He also said: “He's been made offers, he's made a decision that he's not going to and where does that leave us?”
That is the key point for Blackburn Rovers. Mowbray is not talking about dropping Toth because of the contract situation. Instead, he is saying he wants the best available team until told otherwise.
A collective decision is coming
Mowbray also stressed that the club’s response will not be his alone. “It's part of the job and 15 years ago when I was the manager of whichever football club I would have made all those decisions and all those calls were down to me at this moment, it's very much a collective call,” he said.
He continued: “I would suggest from different layers of the football club and that will be made over the next few weeks and months of what we do with our goalkeeping situation.”
That hints at a wider conversation about value as well as selection. Mowbray said Blackburn Rovers have “two talented goalkeepers out of contract and potentially having a value to the club that they might cash in on or they might not cash in on and we have to wait and see what the team's decision is.”
For now, though, the message is clear. Toth remains part of the plan, and Blackburn Rovers will continue to rely on him while he is still at the club. The bigger decision about what happens next appears set to be made over the coming weeks and months.
Todd Cantwell situation adds to the picture
The same contract issue also applies to Todd Cantwell, who is in the final year of his deal and has not signed a new contract. Mowbray said he gets on well with Cantwell and described him as a talented individual.
“I get on well with Todd he's a very talented individual,” he said. “I've told him I'm on his side really, I know I work for the football club I want the players to enjoy and love their time at Blackburn Rovers so that when they get to my age they can reminisce about the great days and the times they had.”
So while the situation around Balazs Toth is unresolved, it is not causing Blackburn Rovers to change course immediately. The next step belongs to the club, and it will have to decide whether to keep faith with both players or consider the value they could still bring in the market.
