I’d say that post was the opposite to angry. More bemused at the reaction I got from my original post in truth. Nice try.

The topic wasn’t about Sam Gallagher, neither was my post. Stop getting worked up about it. In your dramatic reaction to a single sentence in my post you’ve allowed the point I’m making to go completely over your head. Never mind.

I'm not the one who has been offended with the talk of agendas, 47er. You should save that for the other lads who have spent 2 pages arguing about why it's unfair...including you. Weird. Ignoring the rest because it's boring I want to deal with the capital "FACT" you've declared. What "little period" was this when Mowbray didn't have the ability to change the side? For the Brentford, Stoke, Derby and Swansea games he played the same side; changed vs Bristol due to suspensions and won; reverted back to the side against Wigan and drew. We then had a series of games in quick succession because of Christmas which also coincided with injuries and we had a bad spell. Since Christmas Mowbray has rotated the same amount as he had done throughout the season, except used different players than he otherwise would. If you declare something as a fact then show it. I simply don't believe that Mowbray's selection was forced due to injures which coincided with the upturn in form. You may believe the two are connected but by saying you are basing that opinion on fact you should show it. The actual truth is that Mowbray's rotation has continued as normal throughout our injury crisis..in fact, I'd argue he used a more stable line up prior to Dack and co being injured having had an albeit very quick look at some starting line ups.

Yep. Nail on head. The counter is when people do admit they were wrong it’s then a case of “can’t stand folk who change their mind all the time”. No win situation and pretty stupid for grown men to be bogged down on it really. Let’s just forget about pedantics and talk rovers?

There's a massive, massive, massive difference between accusing someone of having an agenda and pointing out ridiculous arguments in order to maintain a position on a subject our of shear stubbornness. Now, the argument that he isn't the man to take us up or keep us in the Premier League is fine, but when that argument transcends into some of the quite frankly ridiculous claims that get peddled on here at times it becomes a different thing. That's when the dislike of Mowbray's management becomes an 'agenda' because one would look for the negative as opposed to the creditable because that internal bias kicks in. Claiming that someone has an agenda doesn't mean you devalue them as a fan. It does devalue the argument though and sometimes it is exactly the right word needed for the time. I hate to keep bringing it back up but the idea that Tony Mowbray and Rovers were doing well because of the injuries was one in which that internal bias was in overdrive; trying to window dress it as 'forced selection' was wrong because even within that time Mowbray had rotated in equal measures as prior. An agenda is an underlying intention and if some people think TM isn't the right man to take the club forward then their passion for the club will mean they will do or say things that undermines him, even when at times those things are half truths or misrepresentations of the facts. The same can be said for the opposite viewpoint too. However, in my opinion, the line is drawn when people are starting to be accused of Venkys stooges. That is not trying to undermine the opinion but the person and in truth does anyone really believe Venkys or the club sends someone onto this forum of approx 50+ regular users to try and change opinion? Nah.

Ok, you're going a bit dramatic. This topic is about promotion and not Sam Gallagher. You speak like a man who has never played football in his life. I've been in teams where we've had a central striker scoring all the goals and I've been in teams where the goals have been spread about - I know which one I'd prefer. That's not me saying "don't sign him, he scores too many goals", that's me saying hinging promotion / success on one player is wrong. A decent amount of goals = 4th most. Now if we had conceded the same as Fulham we'd be in Fulham's position. So, at a quick glance, where does that tell you our problems lie? If we are scoring more than them but not wining as many then it tells me our defensive side of the team isn't up to it. You dislike SG, we get it. However at the moment he is part of an attacking unit that has scored the 4th most league goals in the league. I don't think in the part where I quoted I said Gallagher was great, I just said for all your guff about how shit our players are and how fantastically amazing Fulham are we are doing better than them in that regard. This comparison with Fulham is bullshit. They can spend upwards of 15m on a player whilst we are baulking at the idea of a £5m one. I'd suggest a week or so off the SG subject if your heart rate goes up at the mere thought of someone having a different thought on the matter. I never once denied they were ahead of us - I even gave you those stats - but the goals scored vs goals conceded column tells me they are ahead of us only because they have conceded less than us. They've spent hundreds of millions more and they are 3 wins and a draw away from us because we concede way too many goals. Take a look at how many points we've thrown away this season. Our attackers are doing the job in finding the lead but our defensive side aren't doing theirs in keeping it. Honestly, this is like football 101 here. Again, I should point out, I don't care about Mitrovic, Knockeart, Cavaleiro or whatever. It is very very clear to see that this Rovers side has goals in it - as we always have under Mowbray really - but our defensive side is letting us down and has done since the days of Gary Bowyer.

That's the problem with play offs, really. It's one almighty crush. If we lost in the play offs I wouldn't consider it a success, although I would differentiate between a seasons success and it. Once, if, we get into the play offs then our season objective turns from getting into the play offs to winning them. If we don't win them, we've failed. When you take a general look back on the season though we at least put ourselves in the position and we go again next year with the idea that the only way is up. You don't have a season objective to get into the play offs and then lose and consider a success. You aim to get into the play offs because you think a) we may fail at getting into the top 2 and b) we can win promotion under them circumstances. On the back of a pay off loss would I sack the manager? Fuck no but, if we are being pedantic, I also wouldn't say he had a 'successful' season, I'd say he had a good season but needs improvement.

Your argument is they are better because of their attackers. We've scored more goals than them and spent far less than them so I'd say it isn't. You love stats and ignore big ones that go against your own opinion. I can't say I've seen Fulham week in week out to know how they play, all I am looking at is "goals scored" vs "goals conceded". Fulham: GS = 51, GC = 37, GD: 14 Rovers: GS = 52, GC = 42, GD: 10 That tells me they've conceded less than us. In fact their GD is +4 on ours, which conveniently tallies with the W, D, L stats which shows they've won - you guessed it - 4 more. Now if we've scored more than them and conceded more then where do you think them 4 extra wins from Fulham have come from? Their defence. Only 3 teams have scored more than us this season so for all your hot air about how Gallagher is shit, Samuel is 'far off' (although he hasn't played tbf) it's all bullshit. Our attackers are doing a fine job, it's our back line that is letting us down and has done for many years. I couldn't give a monkeys uncle about Mitrovic's goal record because even though he has doubled Armstrongs' we've still scored more than Fulham. I would much prefer our goals to be spread across the team frankly. Armstrong has contributed to 17 goals, Mitrovic 24 and he has all them players behind him you've mentioned. Why are you holding Fulham up as a bastion of class when the truth is they're one or two clean sheets away from us?

And yet for all their multi million pound players we’ve scored more than them. Buzzing. We aren’t a million miles off Fulham and they’ve spent hundreds of millions over the past 5 or so years. You’ve claimed to me them three players have made a difference but they’re in attack and we’re better than them at scoring goals.

With only Brentford, Leeds and WBA having scored more than us I’d say we are pretty well stocked in attack.

I don't think we could afford Tosin and Walton really. We may get Walton as he is in his last year of his contract but that depends on Brighton surviving really. Hopefully we can get Tosin on loan but I'd imagine his time in the Prem or top league abroad has come. He's a very good player. We don't need a striker @JoeH we have enough. All in all we'd need just shy of about £20m if we are to sign permanently every player we need. This is the Championship though so loans are important; I'd imagine we'll buy a goalkeeper, centre half and left back and try and loan the rest. Our biggest problem is who leaves. It won't be Dack so it leaves Lenihan, Armstrong and Travis who I think are worth decent money. We can't afford to lose any of them whereas we probably could have afforded to lose Dack.

It's not a valid argument. To claim the team and the manager are doing well because of the injuries is a ridiculous statement. Our good form extends back to November and Dack got injured at Christmas time; Holtby in February; Rothwell late January; Corry Evans mid January. Our good form extends equally before our injury 'crisis' than it does after. Likewise I remember trying to argue against certain posters who claimed that the argument Mowbray was doing excellent despite injuries was wrong because "the injuries hadn't happened for the entire duration of our form and we should see a dip" or similar. When that good form continued it changed from that to "oh yeah it's because of them injuries (that we said weren't actually that bad at the time and claimed he had a full squad for most of it) happening". It's a nonsense argument, sorry to say. As usual the goalposts got moved to suit this agenda for a contrarian opinion. Might I add 47er that I've been as equally critical as I have supportive of TM in his time here. I'm not asking for this to be an echo chamber, like it does become in certain topics from each side of this polarised debate. Over my time on this board I've seen you accuse several people of being 'Venky stooges' (myself included I may add, after like 3 posts) simply because their opinion differs from your own. Stop contradicting yourself. I don't quite know how to respond to the last part because it's completely irrelevant. I never condemned Sharpes article, or even commented on it. If you want my views I thought it was a decent piece of journalism and the LT should be more active in looking at the club and players and finding better stories than they do currently. I don't want my local journalist to be a hack and after finding controversy about my club but I also don't want them to be pushing the same shit over and over. There's a fine line to be drawn. We should stop with this "your are just like Chaddy" nonsense that's become a way for the likes of you to try and demean an opinion (that you say should be allowed!). Like him how - I'm a Rovers supporter? I post on here? On the one hand you don't want it to be an echo chamber and on the other you don't like people with the "mindset of Chaddy"; like being like Chaddy is somehow a negative. Honestly, it would be funny if it wasn't so sad, but you can't even see how you blatantly contradict yourself post after post in this froth-at-the-mouth desire to be allowed to post continual claptrap about the manager. You are never in the mood to discuss, I never see you discussing anything of note really, just a couple of sentence remarks how one "shouldn't bother" or how "he's just like Chaddy!". It's boring, like you, and this echo chamber you are talking about resonates from within yourself.

Keep plodding on with the academy then. Once again, Uncle Jack saves the day. I thought the govt was making an exemption for sports and media under the new rules?

Of course you can’t. ? Perfect.

Yep. The same can be said for the other side K-Hod. Some don’t give him any credit whatsoever. Lest we forget the whole “he’s only doing well because of injuries” debacle

Sorry Matty it was a general comment on the thread, not aimed at your discussion

a year ago we were in 16th place with 44pts, today we sit 8th on 53pts “We haven’t improved” ”We aren’t progressing under Mowbray” It simply isn’t true folks.

He has no choice but to go after defenders. Our problem lies with whether or not India sanctions money being spent on them. They hate money being spent on defenders / goalkeepers, hence why we've mixed it about with awful journeymen or loans for the most part. Must be frustrating for the coaches. Lenihan and Nyambe remain but we are back looking for replacements for our left side. If we can get Tosin again it's a winner but I doubt it- I suspect a top league loan is likely for him.

I think Johnson has shown his worth these past 5 or 6 games he's started. His left foot gives us a natural balance to midfield with the right footed Travis.

This is the problem with 'painting yourselves into a corner'. Anybody who denies Walton hasn't improved massively over the course of the season is simply in denial. He's a good goalkeeper and is showing that. If we managed to sign Walton in summer I'd be delighted. I would like a number 2 but having Walton as our number 1 is good enough for me. This talk of signing Walton as a number 2, "only being worth 500k" sounds full of bitterness and is overly unpleasant just for the sake of it.

We’ve always the managers name followed by blue and white army ever since I can remember.

If you go after enough people eventually it will come back to bite you on the arse

Johnson is a proper shit house. Always falls on his player with his forearm out right into their back / neck. When he got cracked in the back yesterday he got up and you saw him fly into the next tackle. I like him. I think him and Travis are a good partnership. That said Evans looked good next to Travis so maybe it's him who makes those better around him. I can't remember an Evans / Johnson partnership ever being as good as one of them paired with Trav. If we had direct wingers either side of them it is literally a perfect midfield. Johnson and Travis winning the ball and any footballer can make that angled pass behind the full back to a winger.

Took me most of the day to try and get over last night I am not gonna lie. Absolutely gutted is an understatement. It was such a missed opportunity. We'd have put ourselves within a win of the play offs and the teams above us have some difficult games coming up next week. An absolutely turgid first half performance it has to be said. Gallagher was poor, Rothwell ok in spells, Downing poor until he started passing it about in the last 30 mins. The only player worth a mention really is Travis. The second half we did much better but Stoke defended well. 2 banks of 4 and the odd long ball is all they aspired to after about 55 minutes. A horrible performance from frankly a horrible team - never had much time for Stoke. Swansea is key now. We need a win in this game. JRC looked good when he came on - he did a one-two with Bell I think it was and Bell was about 5 seconds behind his thinking...shock. I'd start with JRC and Samuel over Gallagher and Rothwell next game personally. Or, move Downing into midfield and drop Johnson, although I am starting to like his absolute shit house performances he puts in...proper midfield stuff. I had such a sinking feeling last night but at the end of the day every team above us lost and we gained a point. Not good enough but not the end of the world yet. PNE / Brentford / Bristol are all dropping points like us. If we can get ourselves within a point of them it's game on. Bristol have Milwall away on Saturday and we could leapfrog them if we win and they don't- for me that's the goal now. One team at a time.

If them leaked wages are true and he’s on the lowest wages in the club that needs to change or we will lose him. He’s our best player now, no doubt about it. He’s becoming a complete midfielder.