How many times do I have to see this? We almost never respond directly to going behind. It's pathetic.

Forget about top 6. Priority has to be getting rid of this dinosaur and trying to build for next season. Getting outclassed by Paul Ince is arguably worse than losing 7-0

Imagine spending £5m and giving an extended contract to THAT.

It's also important to point out that these runs are constsntly in the same patterns each season. This isn't just bad runs, it's bad runs after the new year. When you factor in the same issues at Cov and Boro, that points to a chronic inability to change and by extension an inability to succeed.

I'd be getting rid of Tony after this game. He had a chance of turning it around going into a favourable set of fixtures and we still look awful. We can't afford to just throw this season away.

Yeah, as much as I hate to say it, we need to be looking at what Burnley did - go up, pocket the change while getting battered every week, use the payments to buy the Championship again, then look to solidify. Especially considering where we were, if we continue in this way and miss out on top 6 this can be considered nothing other than abject failure.

Tony having no idea how to make signings to actually suit how the team / players play? Never...

Can someone explain how Tony is so consistently abysmal in February? My understanding is that it was the same at Cov as well - is it just utter incompetency in the January window? In any case, I don't want to see a new contract anywhere near him. Have some ambition for once.

The thing is, even if we did manage to salvage this, it would be against lower level teams. Aside from the odd anomaly we never lay a glove on a decent team. It would take a miracle for us to do anything in the play-offs themselves. Also whoever threw money at a long term ckntract for Gallagher needs firing, literally useless.

Best 45 means nothing if you lose. Just like last season having all of that possession meant nothing. Results are all that matters, especially at the business end of the season.

Standard Mowbray second half of the season death spiral. Every single time. Get him gone and get someone with a braincell in the door.

Seemed obvious at the time we were doing well but if this run wasn't confirmation that Tony got lucky and is the biggest thing holding back this team I don't know what is. We absolutely must get rid in the summer if we have even the tiniest bit of ambition.

I though that this one season we may have a chance, that something will change but no, same old garbage, same old death spiral. The only way Tony should get even a sniff of a new contract is if we make the play-offs. Get someone who isn't a complete bottle-job in.

May seem harsh but if we lose here I'd be looking at options for a new manager. Continue like this and we won't even be in the hunt for the play-offs. With someone new we can start planning for when we lose all oir decent players and can maybe squeak in there with the new manager bounce.

You watch this dross and it's clear this team was riding momentum which has well and truly gone. Play like this for the rest of the month and you can forget about 6th, nevermind 2nd. Question is, has Tony got the nous to sort it?

Does every ref in this league think that every foul is a card? Last few games have been carnage in that regard.

Buckley should never ever be played up top. He offers nothing there. Need Breo up there ASAP

Looking at Tony's comments we couldn't be much further from full strength, certainly at the top end of the pitch.

I think any talk of a new deal needs to wait until the end of the season. We have traditionally completely nosedived over February / March in the past. If he can keep us in the hunt (I'd be using 6th as an absolute minimum from our current position) then for me he'll have at least earned another crack at it. If we get promoted then he'll have earned a crack at the big time, even if I don't rate him as a manager, However, if we do what we have every other year and go on a massive loss streak he has to go. To be honest I'd be getting rid the second it looks like we're going to drop out of contention and then seeing if we can ride a new manager bounce to save the season. In any case, all hypothetical and we should just stick with how we are for now. Maybe the chance of a new deal will give Tony extra motivation to see the job through.

I imagine they would have been if we were 15th rather than 2nd

Butterworth out with no striker in seems mental to me. I understand he was hardly setting the world alight but we are clearly lacking in attacking options at the moment.

Especially when it comes to transfers, Tony has always waffled and it rarely pans out the way he says.

Not to mention he's probably on a small fortune down there.

Ah right, fair enough. I thought I'd read that Tony thinks Edun and Gallagher will be back next week anyway, but it would be good to have that cover there rather than force JRC for sure.

It could also free things up to allow Edun back into the middle in front of the back 3, giving us cover for Travis or to allow Buckley to move forward. Could be a very good move for us if Pickering is still a few weeks away.