All it takes now is (heaven forbid) an injury to a CB and Mowbray moaning about injuries and promising signings in defence and we've gone full circle in 12 months.

If being 4 points off the top 6 after back to back wins and with 17 games remaining is 'destined for mid table' why do we bother? If that position doesn't present an opportunity in the final run in nothing will. If we had owners who understood the division and football they might recognise that.

It's all well and good wanting to stay within FFP rules. Realistically that is likely to ensure we don't get up. You have to improve your squad each window and get better. Once again we haven't done. Meanwhile even clubs like Birmingham have tried to improve by bringing new players in. It is interesting that every other club has done business in some form or another despite many of them spending more than us and having bigger wage bills. Comes down to determination. I happen to think this is as much an owner decision to not make any more funds available than it is Mowbray failing to deliver. I dont think it is Ffp, I just dont think they want to spend, which is their choice but makes a mockery of the claim they do and are determined to get promoted.

Exactly. Having us on. I'd have a lot more respect for Waggott and Mowbray if they just admitted there's no cash and signings were dependent upon outgoings and generosity from other clubs on loans. Instead they persist with this charade of pretending there's money but there is some elaborate principled process to go through whilst hiding behind Ffp rules. The realists on here knew what would happen this window because we recognise how these things go. It is almost step by step identical to last January when we were in the same position. We then didn't win again for about 2 months.

At least Mowbray will have credit in India when he's navigated another troublesome transfer window without spending anything Go down well with the bean counters whilst fans lap up the excuses. Remember Venkys will spend if we are in a decent position to push for promotion, or so the theory goes.

Are you the same person who half an hour ago accused me of being negative about everything because I suggested Atsu was a non starter and a waste of time?

'Tough time to do business' 'Other clubs aren't spending millions'

No idea when. Bit of a waste of time if they want his £30k weekly wage covering in full or most of it and we won't get above £10k per week.

No, not if they have been realistic targets throughout the window. If we are only just going in for them because everyone else has turned us down and they aren't realistic then yes.

So he's a panic signing then? Even if we weren't looking at him earlier in the window, surely homework would have been done on his wage and the scope for Newcastle to budge on that. With Mike Ashley running them he's not going to allow a loan where they pay most of his wage and he plays for us.

Surely Newcastle would have told us this 4 weeks ago if we had asked. Same for Middlesbrough and Assombalonga last year. What have we been doing all this time?

Substitute Assombalonga 2019 for Atsu 2020. I think the outcome will be the same. I'd like to be wrong.

North End went and signed Sinclair from Celtic. Dont know what he was on but suspect if he had been linked with a move here the naysayers would be out saying it was a non starter due to wages. It's the Sharp MO. Don't rule out an interest but say wages an issue that will need negotiating down. Like with Harrison Reed I think we just sit there hoping that the lending club place more importance on him getting games somewhere than getting a decent contribution to his wages.

Any guesses on when we will get the Richard Sharpe tweet 'Mowbray says no more business today'? I reckon before 9pm

How does that work? We didn't do a deal with Bournemouth, they signed him on a free transfer. We got compensation and that will be the end of it.

It doesn't count as making signings if we try and nearly do. Although for some it is almost as good as. Still enables online searches into these players and talk about how useful they might have been before it all starts again in May.

I think most of us can see that at times and in parts we have a good squad. This is one of the reasons for frustration. This time last year we were well placed and confidence was high. We did nothing in January and our season unravelled. It seems no lessons have been learned from that with virtually the exact same lack of activity and soundbites coming from the club. I wouldn't bet against a similar collapse when the inevitable injuries to our threadbare squad come during the next 4 months.

If true, expect to see a low cost loan arrive imminently. As with Mulgrew/Cunningham it will be one in one out and we have been waiting to get someone off the wage bill to enable one to come in.

Hold on, i thought our owners were billionaires eager to invest? In that case we do have the money. If the manager's track record on transfers is an issue then change the manager or bring in someone to oversee him and his recruitment. Not signing anyone because the manager has wasted funds previously isn't the way to do it.

Not really. The only club to have received anything more than a soft embargo at this level was Birmingham. It took them 18 months to decide on a punishment and when they finally got round to it they knocked 9 points off them when they were sat comfortably in mid-table, it made next to no impact to their season and the slate was wiped clean and past crimes erased. No side chasing promotion or fighting relegation has had any sort of sanction. Meanwhile Villa, Bournemouth, QPR, Leicester and Wolves have walked all over the rules, won the ultimate prize of promotion and have had nothing but a nominal fine. I'd say it is a gamble entirely worth taking.

On the contrary I think Birmingham know the rules aren't worth the paper they are written on. Sheffield Wednesday are taking them to the cleaners too.

Yeah, not saying they are top drawer signings but Birmingham have struggled for goals all season so are doing something to try and address it with a couple of players who have been around the block in this League

Or we can increase income and spend more. Especially when we've got billionaire owners desperate to invest.

I take it you've forgotten Gestede, Rhodes, Cairney, Marshall, Hanley, Duffy, Raya, King - estimated £33 million there.

Birmingham signing Hogan and Enobokhare. Couple of potentially season changing additions if used correctly. Thought they were in FFP bother?