In fact today in honour of our smoggie leader every pub I go in today I’m going to ask the price of a pint and when they say £3 .I’m going to say those are ridiculous numbers what about a quid I’m not being held to ransome. Let’s see how many pints I get

Let’s hope the failure to sign anyone is the trigger for the appearance of our under 23 players. Real ale in the Issac Wilson and the Resolution coupled with a 2 v1 win for the mighty blues.COYB

Why do people endless down play us like we are some little minnow trying hard to get by. We are more successful club historically than most if not all of the clubs in this league. I’m not going to go through a list because facts are facts. I will not downgrade my expectations. Will he take us up no but not for the reasons you give but because of a total lack of ambition. We are top of the current form league which suggests we can compete but that had to be built on but again like last season the opportunity will pass us by. Let me just repeat this we are not a small shit club lucky to be sat at the same table has the big boys we are equal if not better and pretending differently does not excuse management.

I completely agree but unfortunately we don’t cease opportunity and our actions in this window also show we don’t learn from our mistakes either ( see last season for details). We now enter the last 17 games thin on the ground without Dack and an injury away from the return of Mulgrew. So yes I feel mid table is were we will end because with an ounce of ambition we could do far better in a mediocre league.

Well although disappointed I think this is the best thing that has happened. We are destined for mid table full stop. Mowbray has wasted no more money on projects and bench warmers. We can use the under 23s and give them experience. hopefully in summer we can revamp the squad and have a new man at the helm with a bit of freedom to do this without being hindered by Mowbray signings.

Is there a hook? I was merely explaining that managers have teams Hughes had one and allardyce it’s par for the course. If the manager who is the figure head succeeds then they share that success and move with them. Equally if they fail they have to Suffer the same fate has there leader. Lowe is not part of Mowbray team so if he’s poor then he fails because of that not by association has in the case of Venus. Johnson has proved to be good at his previous job. Can he make the step up only time will tell. Mowbray is paid to lead to develop the team tactics and ethos full stop no amount of subterfuge by yourself in trying to spread responsibility is acceptable. If there not doing the job he wants he has the power to remove them if he doesn’t then it his responsibility. If in a hypothetical world where we are top of the league Mowbray would take full credit and if a big club came in he would go and collect the salary and accolades that go with it. The papers would say what a great manager Mowbray is not Lowe not Johnson that is the world he occupies so trying to divert blame to others is grossly unfair.

Firstly we have an hierarchical management structure and the buck stops at the top not unusual or making an example of Mowbray. Venus is part of team Mowbray they came has a job lot and has is the normal practice leave has one. If Mowbray has been successfully head hunted he would take Venus and not Johnson. Johnson is part of team rovers and has been there a matter of months. So has you say that’s why he gets away with it.

I went to hudds with my wife and part way through the game she said. Why do we keep doing the same thing passing to them in front of our own goal

I think I may vote for that. With an option to change at the end of the season

This has no real contribution but doesn’t it make you feel proud

I was refusing to go on holiday because I wanted to go to the play offs!!!

Ignoring football for a second life is about success and failure and failure is the most important part. Adversity is what builds strength of character. Crying which I don’t believe he did is not the answer. Get out on the training ground roll your sleeves up and prove the doubters wrong. That is the answer not only to football but to life. The way to help a person is not to make it easier but make them confront the challenge. In adversity you learn about yourself it chips off the rough edges. He needs to get up and show us what made him an England international because you don’t get there by crying or being shite. It takes work and dedication and to suggest that someone who at 20 has got that far in his career is now crying at a few boos is laughable.

He also didn’t look out of he’s depth against Newcastle today and I’ll go further made a difference in shutting down Newcastle on that wing. Very very tidy

No has a general principle your wrong teams sack there manager for failure. I’m not discussing Mowbray but the general principle. 59 managers-this year. Average life span in the championship less than a year. Even if you just apply these criteria he’s had ample opportunity. This is not hysteria but normal. However has you say it’s where you set the bar. For a club with a history of success like ours forgetting the small town club, cut your cloth we have never been built on mediocrity and the statistics on that don’t lie. Promotion is our goal today not tomorrow. If he can’t deliver it get someone else on a short term contract and if he can’t do it get someone else. This is just an opinion to conclude Mowbray was given too long a contract and has forgotten that his job is result orientated.

The number of managers sacked this year 59. The average time in the job of a championship manager less than a year. So by any criteria the angst about Mowbray is not reflex by a bunch of fans who are hysterical. The reality is football management is a today business particularly in the championship. Why because the premiership offers the crock of gold. If we get the next managerial appointment wrong do what everyone else does get another. Short term contracts for a short term project. Promotion or bust. If it doesn’t look like it’s right you have two options change the players or the manager and we all no which is the standard choice. Mid table is not an option, long term project not an option. Not for us or any other championship team. Has Mowbray statistically had a chance look at the figures. If anything our owners give them to long. All football managers are destined to fail in a short term business. Am I anti Mowbray no I’m pro success, I’m pro short term,I’m pro top three and I don’t care how we get there and with who. I’m anti mid table, anti statis quo and anti gravey tomorrow. If tomorrow Mowbray says we will be promoted I’m in. If he says long term project I’m out. Not because I’m radical but I’m like every other supporter. In the words of the film Jerry macquire “ show me the money”

So basically we have no players who can actually play football. Can I add reed watch Smallwood and Evans. Evans who has to be left on the bench to be motivated and holtby who’s a young lad who needs time to understand what we do. Sorry and Rodwell

Wilbraham may not be the future but horses for courses

I went to dale today and Murphy gave an example of how to manage. Dale out gunned and out resourced by Newcastle. Murphy first system three at the back was a disaster exposed on the right. First attempt change the left wing back to the right .Still not working. Before half time take off magloire go 4 at the back. Still not working. Bring a big man on up front at half time. Bingo. Now that’s management.

We’ll soon put a stop to that sort of display. Needs to watch Evans and Smallwood

Do I want to sell lenihan? Definitely not I said I suspect he may be sold. Do I want a makeshift defence? No I definitely don’t but after god knows how many transfer windows that’s what we’ve got. Do I trust Mowbray to spend money wisely. Well the best part of 14 million on strikers makes me a touch wary. I was advocating managed transition not radicalism. At some point unless decisive action is taken mid table mediocrity means your better players leave that is a certainty. So with lenihan as an example how long is it before he demands the chance to either join a premiership club or move to one with realistic promotion chances. If you where a young man with ambition you would want that and it should be expected. So we have two options roll the dice and spend on the real deal players which TM has already said due to financial constraints can’t be done or we change the operating system. Bring in Johnson as a new face with new ideas. Resist the temptation to bring in another raft of bang average players which is what we do.If possible hold on to our better players, move on the crap( if possible) and give our younger hungry players a chance. We won’t go down or up but nor will we stay has we are. Are better players will move it’s a given.

This makes total sense. We are going nowhere get our own young guys blooded rather than be a learning curve for other teams youngsters. I’ve said this previously and will repeat it. Tomphils idea of TM upstairs. Then give Johnson a bash at managing. Blood are youngsters and review in summer. This I feel allows TM to adopt a more advisory and less hands on role. Johnson gets his chance and can use his knowledge of the U23 to develop them and adopt a style of play they understand. It gives the club a better perspective on who has the ability to step up. I would also bring in Any loanee that Johnson feels has what it takes. If possible we should remove any deadwood that is increasing the wage bill but not add more players to it. I also suspect lenihan will be sold to balance the books. The above I feel is cost effective,utilises the resources we have and prevents another useless spending splurge.Has it stands we are effectively achieving nothing but losing money to stand still at least with the above there is an element of that appears proactive. Finally if it fails in summer we can reassess and if required appoint a more experienced manager.

He was played has a left winger and he’s a right winger. I think endlessly finding things wrong with young players is not he answer. Buckley is being played has a winger for god sake. It’s not Chapman that’s at fault or Buckley it’s our leaddrship ps chapman may or may not be very good but he’s not the problem

No because we had a run of games with a stable team and formation and now we’ve started the endless chop and change. No there is no business anywhere in the world that says poor performance is due to the inability of the workers. Managers by their title are paid to lead people. The system that is being deployed is failing the individuals not the opposite. Today I saw no lack of effort just a massive lack of organisation and system. When under pressure that is what is relied on who does what when and where. The idea that you can continually put the failure on the personnel and absolve management of responsibility not only makes no football sense but it fails even the simplist test of management

No I was at Charlton has an example and he was dynamic. Head up driving foward looking to make the box and to put the opposition on the back foot. When he first came into the team he was a revaluation in comparison to Smallwood and Evans. Now he is them. Ponderous looking for the short ball holding position. Has Mowbray once said of Harrison Reed the reason he’s not in center mid is because he needs to understand that position. To do that he needs to watch smallwood and Evans and thats what travis has become. Im sorry but our manager is tactically awful he does nothing to improve players. Raya nyambe Travis. i went to the away under 23 game at Norwich and the parents hate him. Now that may just be where I was sat and a snapshot that does not reflect reality. However on the field I know what I see and he needs potting. It can’t be every player even the ones he signs that’s at fault or maybe it is and he is the shining light against the darkness.

I wouldn’t bother with new signings we are going nowhere. Sack Mowbray or as tomphil suggested send him upstairs. Appoint Johnson for the rest of the season and see how he does. Use the youth team and at that point we’ll know who may make the grade. If it doesn’t work out appt an experienced manager in the summer.