The poor form extends well beyond these current 4 defeats in a row, its 7 defeats in our last 11, we've lost 9 of our last 16. As I said the other day the high point of our season was at home to Leeds an excellent performance that took us up to fifth at the final whistle. Since then we've got 22 points from 20 games (which is the form of a side battling relegation) and we have lost half of those 20 games. We had a good start to the season where we had the sprit and momentum from last season and sides had not worked us out, recently though the momentum and spirit has gone and sides have worked out that if you stop Graham and Dack then you stop us and we have been either unable or unwilling to find another way to play. Also since that Leeds game you could count on one hand the amount of halves where we have played well.

Mowbray in a nutshell. What he says and what he does are usually two very different things.

Can't see it improving the attendance of Rovers fans. Midday kick off, two mid table teams who have nothing to play for and the cheapest ticket is £24.

Raya Nyambe Rodwell Mulgrew Bell Reed Travis Evans Rothwell Dack Graham Subs: Leutwiler, Maglorie, Smallwood, Bennett, Chapman, Armstrong, Nuttall I think we need to go back to basics, to try and tighten up the defence. So I've gone with two banks of 4 with the defensive line sat deep to accommodate the complete lack of pace that either centre back have. It sums up just how dreadful the decisions taken by Mowbray in the transfer window were, that there is no choice but to let Mulgrew keep his place even after last week.

Atletico V Juventus a really enjoyable game that had a bit of everything. Atletico deserved winners, 2-0 flattered Juventus if anything. Another Simeone masterclass, what a fantastic manager he is.

Our attacking focus seems to be either go long into Danny Graham or hope that Dack produces some induvial brilliance.

Barcelona looked terrible again last night, how Valverde has got himself a new contract I don't know. Suarez dreadful again, he looks more and more past it with each game. The two midfielders of Rakitic and Roberto move the ball as slowly as Evans and Smallwood, take Arthur out of their midfield and they are a pretty average side last night was the perfect chance for Coutinho to play in midfield. It's sad to watch Barca these days after the ground breaking football they played a few years, their game plan now is to hope Messi and Dembele produce some individual brilliance in attack and to rely on ter-Stegen (the best goalkeeper in the world for me) to make great saves at the other end. I'd still back Barca to go through at the Camp Nou but I wouldn't rule Lyon out from springing a shock. Looking forward to the Atletico Juventus game tonight, should be a cracker.

Gestede, Cairney, Duffy, Conway, Marshall and Evans combined cost less than half of £7 Million.

Rather worrying that it has took him so long to realise it though, a number of posters on here have highlighted the European market for some time yet he didn't decide to the end of the January window that it was something we needed to consider. To get a good scouting system in place will take time and isn't going to be ready for the summer window so that will be another window that we enter with one hand tied behind our back. As I have said previously the best thing to do is take signings out of Mowbray's remit and bring in a head of recruitment who has knowledge of both the British and European Leagues.

He got Middlesbrough promoted.

That is of course the worry but for me its not a reason for keeping Mowbray. Also now could be a good time to make the change because going of their last 3 appointments the only qualification you need is to have been promoted from this league and at the moment their are some good managers about who have that qualification I'm thinking of the like of Jokanovic, Wagner and Karanka.

Although me and you voted completely different ways I completely agree with you that we have to get rid of a fair few players and bring in a fair few who are capable of going straight into the first team. Where my worries lie are that I don't believe that Mowbray will give up on some of his favourites who are not up to this level, I think he has blind faith in some of them and it always worries me when he says that its difficult to bring players in to improve the team and he then always talks about the myth of how great the team spirit is. Also if he were to bring in a number of players, I have doubts over whether he is the man to bring the right players in as his contacts seem very narrow and after spending a fair chunk of money in the Summer only a loan player in Reed has improved the team from what we had last season. Also look at the player's he signed Reed, Brereton, Palmer, Rodwell and Armstrong have all been primarily been used out of position. As for a centre back we have desperately needed one since Duffy and Hanley left but we still haven't got one and that includes the 4 windows that Mowbray has had. I would completely agree with you that he has it all to do and that is of his own making. Sadly I just don't think that he is the man to do it.

I wish I shared you faith Chaddy but sadly I don't.

Nyambe taken out of the firing line for two bad games yet Bennett keeps constantly getting picked, how many bad games does he need before he's dropped. Seems to me like one rule for one and one rule for another, more poor handling of a young player by Mowbray. Every time Mowbray speaks these days I despair at his comments, also he sounds more and more like a manager under increasing pressure.

No

What I find most interesting about this poll is that to me it highlights how people are still terrified of the owners and that Mowbray get's cut a lot of flack because he is not Kean or Coyle. If you'd have had this poll when we were mid table in the Premiership under Allardyce, I think more than 5 people would have said sack him. Even though we were a solid mid table team in the top flight, with an excellent manager, ok some didn't like the football but let's be honest the football we play now isn't any better (Infact I would say its worse). I've seen a lot of people say that we need to be careful that we could get worse than Mowbray to me that doesn't come across as a big vote confidence in the manager but more a vote of no confidence in the Owners. I've voted Mowbray out but if he is here next season (and I fear he will be) then he needs to do 3 very important things to make sure that we are more Sheffield United than Millwall next season. The first is bring in a head of recruitment who has knowledge of not only British Leagues but also of European ones, Mowbray signings all seem to come from a very limited field, he's admitted that we have no knowledge of European Markets and the money he has spent has on the whole not been spent very well. Also we need to bring in a fitness coach to get this team fit for 90 minutes a game and for a 46 games season, we are so far behind a lot of other teams in terms of fitness that it is embarrassing. The final thing that is needed is a coach to come in to work with the defence and get it organised, as the manager has shown that he is unable to do this.

You mean the same Mark Hughes who finished 9th In 3 consecutive seasons at Stoke. Who finished 8th with Fulham. Who kept Southampton up against the odds last season.

We signed 7 players last summer and spent a sizeable sum in the process. Yet it hasn't really improved competition as the team is still very heavily reliant on the players that were here last season. We need players who are going to improve the first team and going to be played in their best positions. Of our summer signings Rodwell, Armstrong, Brereton, Reed and Palmer have all in the main been played in a position that isn't their best one. 4 full seasons at Stoke he finished 9th, 9th, 9th and 13th. Stoke were a lot better of with him than they have been since he left. Also you say he spent millions but you negate to say that in his last window there Stoke made a net profit. He kept Southampton up last season against the odds and was harshly sacked in my opinion. Also you obviously forget how well organised we were defensively when Hughes was here, a far cry from how we are set up now. I hope that you are not trying to compare Mowbray with Hughes as the two aren't even in the same league. More contradictions from you though Chaddy as a few months ago you were saying the following about Hughes.

Or look at it another way 63% aren't sure that he is the man to lead us into next season.

Promoted out of League 1 Bowyer never manged us in League 1 as he never took us down.

Chapman was only a sub last time and that will be the same this time. Rothwell stuck on the bench all year even Conway has started more games than him. Bell is a terrible defender who's afraid to try and stop a cross. As for the young lads Lenihan has regressed from his performances at this level 2 seasons ago. Travis could have been (and should have been) playing all season but he was as good as ostracised from first team action for 10 months after one red card. As for Nyambe he's by far our best full back but he can't get into the team as the manager has to shoehorn Bennett in somewhere even though everyone can see he's not a full back.

How is Mowbray any better than Bowyer.?

You say he inherited a poor squad yet the likes of Graham, Bennett, Lenihan, Mulgrew, Williams and Evans who he inherited are all regular starters and you have Conway still somehow getting game time as well. Even after spending around £12 Million this summer our defence and spine of our team includes a lot of player who were part of that 'dreadful side' that he inherited. And what is even more worrying is that he thinks it's difficult to find better, you mention Wes Brown I don't think our defence could be any worse if he was in it. We went down conceding 65 goals at the rate we are conceding at the moment we will beat that this year. He may have invested in hungry young players the only problem is that we rarely get to see them as they spend most the time on the bench. You'd have hoped after spending around £12 Million in the summer that his signings would have had much more of an impact the only signing who has shown he belongs at this level is Reed and he is only on loan.

Is our team spirit really that good though? I know Mowbray keeps banging on about it but for me once we go behind our spirit quickly disappears. The fact that we have had a few good hidings this season and that we haven't won a game when going behind says to me that when things don't go our way that heads drop very quickly and that is when you really need team spirit.

Would love to see Sparky back at Ewood. Five times the manager that Mowbray will ever be. He can organise a defence for starters.