Firstly this article contradicts the one the other day where he says he doesn't look at other teams or the table. Shame the journalist didn't pick him up on that. Mind you that laid of twaddle was a few days ago so why bother going back and challenging him on that. And that's the most positive thing to say about the article... As for the rest, well what about the targets TM himself set? And surely 9th and a couple of places/points off suggests we are doing better than 16th and narrowly avoiding relegation? It's almost as if he believes there should be no accountability. Another thing I'd like to know is what is this development of players for? I was under the illusion it was to y'know win matches but since he openly doesn't care about that could be clarify what the development is actually for? What development there is is questionable too. More drivel from a fake manager who has got us back to where we were when he found us despite 4 years and nearly £20 million. There's no achievement in that whatsoever.

Two things irk me with this. Firstly all the variables in the world don't mitigate for a 1 win in 15 record or playing your striker at right back. Secondly this season should have worked in our favour. TM had had three years to assemble a squad and to implement a style of play. Much longer than all other managers. Clubs with better crowds get less of a home field or financial advantage over us too. All in all the excuses are bull. My hope is his pride won't let him take a relegation so he jumps ship in the summer.

It's an issue no doubt about it. I think it says a lot about our set pieces as that's often where defenders score from. I'm more concerned that our midfield 2 in the 4-2-3-1 or 3 in the 4-3-3 formation don't get many goals either. None have more than a couple I think? I get rotation and injuries don't help but even so would expect a few more goals from our midfielders.

So thinking a bit more on this and my previous involvement in this thread got me thinking we need our Hasslebank. What I mean by that is our manager who is a great fit for us and works well with us, even if they aren't the greatest of managers. Hasslebank's record it has been pointed out isn't that great away from Burton but at Burton it really works. Am sure there are other examples and fits like that as well. We just need to find ours. Could Hughes be that person? Of course had we competent people doing the recruitment I'd feel more confident in this. But on the flip side thinking on needing the right fit Vs a good manager, makes me a little more confident that we may alight on the right candidate. If TM ever goes that is.

It's impossible in any job not to assess performance. Aside from it being proved that it is a lie and he does know how others are doing you have highlighted the absolute falacy that it is even possible not to look at results. It can't be done.

You know, I nearly posted the same and didn't. Am sure the LET in the old days would have hammered such a blatant lie.

Oh another thing proving it is a lie is how much he mentions Liverpool when they were on their poor run as well. It's Kean's dog level of comments here.

Now apart from the stupidly of that statement it's the most obvious lie in the world. How else does he know to follow the Brentford or Barnsley model? Which he is on record of saying. He is also on record of saying teams are doing well, fighting for promotion etc. It's the most stupid obvious lie which shows he has zero integrity whatsoever.

The positive news is that even if Rotherham win Vs Coventry it puts pressure on Coventry and Derby more than us. We would need Rotherham to have good form on top of us doing worse than all the other teams below us. The latter is a bit more plausible but fortunately can't see Rotherham keeping this up and one of the teams below us is likely to get jitters just as badly as us. Given our points total to date I'm still confident of avoiding relegation but the fact it is technically possible shows 4 years on the journey has gone full circle. And that shows there is no progress under TM.

On Bell I will say I though TM was unlucky with him. He was signed in league 1 and got into the league team of the season, had the physical attributes - so in theory he looked a good bet to move us forward. I can see why TM signed him. I am less forgiving of the fact that 3 years on he is still here when it's abundantly clear he isn't up to standard. Not having signed better on a permanent in three years is a bit of a mick take. That Douglas gets compared with him for who is better is criminal. Defenders are coming - yeah right.

He may go in the summer but only if he decides it. And given a lack of finances available that's a possibility. That said what other job is he going to get in football? Assuming those appointing at other clubs actually apply a bit of dilligence then the guy who somehow arsed up Celtic, bombed at Coventry and led us to a 1 win in 15 ain't going to be getting another job. That may make him stick it out.

Think he always was. The selling off the training ground scheme being dropped perhaps gave a bit of hope he was under pressure and could be out. As it is nothing has materialised, shame. If it were based on results then he likely could have gone from six losses on the bounce (none to particularly good teams either) or 1 win in 10. Whether it's a single win in 12 or 15 or even 20 doesn't make much of a difference really - they are all unacceptable. And am extra few adverse results isn't going to be seen as dramatically worse. If they were bothered by results then we would have passed the tipping point way before now.

In fairness to him - Paul Downing was a missing piece loan in our promotion season covering for Lenihen. That was a good move. Appreciate it was mainly a loan but it did exactly what it should have done. Tosin and Elliott could have been the missing pieces and imo were of the required quality to push us over the finish line. The problem is that none of the rest of the signings and the way the team was organised were meant we were far from needing a missing piece, we were still missing half the jigsaw and TM was trying to build a different picture to the one on the box... His record is pretty horrific really. Downing would go into the success column (last season) but then after that most have been ok or terrible. That's a pretty shocking record to have so few clearly positive impact signings within 4 years. And that's not counting the cost of the catastrophic ones - Gally, Wittingham, Bereton, Walton - all had a huge negative impact on the budget and/or in key positions. He really is not good in the transfer market,

One of genuinely favourite things about TM - and there aren't many - is how often his excuses often unintentionally are criticisms of himself. This interview's one is a belter - I've assembled a squad with only one proven goal scorer. Criticising his ability to buy strikers and build a squad capable of scoring goals.

Now now Tom what has the truth got to do with anything? Also on the fib telling front we've been dominant in a lot of the games in this run too. And on the logic front I'm fairly sure it's allowed for more than your star striker to score goals. If he was as good at managing a team as he was lying and self preservation we would be Champions League by now.

Brum will be overtaking us soon. Which given how poor they were and how weak their team is it's another sign of TMs ineptness.

Just read the match report on BBC. One thing that struck me was the following phrase: "Blackburn, without a win in 7 games, remain in 17th." Now whilst this is factually correct, what it does for fans of other clubs, armchair fans etc. is minimize how bad our run is. Sure, without a win in 7 is still bad but it's nowhere near as bad as one win in 15. Basically the stat halves how dire TM and we have been of late. No wonder people think he is a good guy doing a good job if this is how things are reported.

The fact a draw and multiple goals seems like raging success against an out of form table with an eye on the beach says everything about how low standards are under TM. Still it's a huge point in our quest for survival. Makes it a bit harder for the other teams to catch us up. As it is, though, TM continues a record that would have most managers walking or booted.

He doesn't seem that keen on keeping them which is a tad odd given Nayabe and Rothwell are arguably 2 of our most promising players. Also for all this talk of journeys he never plans for the long term. We've waited an age on defensive reinforcements, new contracts for players, replacements for players past their prime. Instead we get loans, 1 year extensions (possibly) triggered and substandard replacements who ate totally different.

Genuinely, how do you think Waggott is a good thing? What's the evidence for that?

Another belter of analysis from Clough. Because having your mate as boss is always a good thing - no conflict of interest there at all. And we aren't seeing it happen either! And Waggott has done so much good by erm... driving up prices repeatedly, Ewood looking shiny - yep top man Mr Waggott. No wonder journalism is in the sewer if people think Waggot is doing a good job. Beyond belief.

You would think though that it costs more to sign these players rather than retain them. I mean what does a fully contracted Nayambe cost in this market? £2 million? More? Even at £2 million if he wants an extra £5k or £10 k a week then an equivalent quality player it takes a long time to get to amount to a £2 million transfer fee.

You mean a stupid suggestion like suggesting the manager who is on record of saying he was in favour of it, who worked with as part of the trio who did this scheme at another club previously, who obviously knew about it before it was outed and hadn't kiboshed it until there was a groundswell of opinion against it - you mean like suggesting he was the one who stopped it happening? I mean I can't think of many stupider suggestions that are so easily disprovable.

I think this clearly illustrates that the lunatics are running the asylum. Especially when compared to Bowyer it's a very interesting comparison. Both had previous of being the right end of the table years before, both dug us out of a hole initially. And yet one was given the boot despite having to sell a number of key players. The other gets to spend a ton and still is in a job with a worse record. Whichever way you cut it, that he is still hear shows Kean-esque levels of power and influence far beyond what the managerial role should entail. Another crushing blow for the club.

Duff I don't think counts because he came up through the youth ranks (in part). He seems like one of our own. Hard to see any youth player as foreign even when that is the case! In the same way I wouldn't see Lenihen as foreign. Then I think it comes down to how you determine best. If it's the most charasmatic with most talent Tugay wins. If however best means best performing, it has to be Friedel. Played all 3 seasons of success under Souness and part of Hughes's amazing team too. Player of the season, MOTM in the league cup final, scored for us, better all round performer in his position. Has to be Brad for me.