JHRover

So we keep Mowbray forever irrespective of performance because they might promote a scout to be manager? Even by Venky standards that's pushing it. I thought they'd learned painful/expensive lessons and were no longer being badly advised?

Can't even use FFP as an excuse on that front. Just comes down to a complete and utter lack of care or attention from those at the top.

The whole point in the play-off system is that at least half the division will be in or close to the play-off positions until near the end. That's what they are designed to do. At the end only 4 can get in. We haven't been in yet, haven't strengthened whilst rivals have.

We can spend all night talking about FFP rules or whether these owners want to spend or not. The reality is that Mowbray has once again failed to deliver on the grandiose talk that he so often comes out with. For months, no years now we've listened as Mowbray has talked the talk about building over a few years, delivering this super duper new scouting system and tapping into European markets - he's been here 3 years now and there's about as much evidence of progress on that front as there was the day he arrived. There's only so long you can talk the talk without walking the walk and for me Mowbray is at that point. FFP rules haven't suddenly appeared overnight. After promotion Mowbray and his mate Waggott knew full well what we were going into and have had 4 windows yet really have struggled/failed to deliver in all of them. We all know January is a tough time and players are expensive. So what do we do about it? Never improve our squad mid-season ever again whilst rivals around us find ways of doing it? After promotion Mowbray claimed Venkys wanted to 'go for it' but he felt it was his job to talk them away from that and instead sell them a medium-long term vision of a 2-3 year build to promotion on a solid footing. Now we're at the tail end of that timescale - we've a thin squad deficient in numerous areas, reliant on 2-3 loans and facing major upheaval in the summer whilst moaning about FFP rules at every turn. I'm not saying it is easy, but it is disappointing to see little progress being made. The entire operation appears ill-equipped for the demands and pressures of a narrow transfer window. And what on earth we are doing with European scouting I don't know but what I do know is it doesn't take 2 years to sign players from outside the UK and it doesn't take 6 months to appoint a European scout. I suspect they are playing the fans for fools on this front as they don't seriously want or intend to exploit this market - as they haven't since 2010 - but it sounds good to the fans who hang on every word with optimism. Both on and off the pitch the momentum and positivity of promotion has been squandered and we seem to have owners and management happy to plod along without rocking any boats. If you are unwilling or unable to strengthen mid-season the reality is you'll probably never get promoted. West Brom have been busy, as have most others up there, adding to their ranks. Our attitude seems to be cart on, hope we get lucky but if not then 'oh well'. I'm afraid there's a lot more to it than that.

Might as well have bid for Messi, Ronaldo and Griezmann End result the same - no players and no improvement.

Of course not. Always an excuse why the money doesn't get spent though isnt there. Let's assume FFP is this year's excuse for no signings, what was the excuse this time last year?

Hands up who believes that we were seriously, genuinely in for Atsu or Assombalonga last year? I don't. Those lads are expensive, big name players. Look at the business we have done under Mowbray's management. Are there any deals remotely similar? I just think those 'deals' were drip fed to the press to keep the fans quiet or in the hope Boro/Newcastle agreed to send them here for nothing (never going to happen).

You mean the left back and the bloke the manager has hung out to dry in his press conference?

Every club has navigated FFP. Other than Birmingham yet it didn't really do them any harm when they were punished.

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.