Leighton Baines is I player that I'd be having a chat with if I was Mowbray. He's out of contract at Everton and still hasn't signed a new one and one can only assume that is because he wants first team football which we can offer him and he is less likely to get that from a Premiership club. He'd be ideal for us not only is he a left back left back but he would bring some experience which the back line is crying out for.

The right decision to let them go, personally I wouldn't be trying to keep Downing either.

Do you have a link, please? I'd be interested to see those stats.

There's no way he'd ever pass a medical.

Chaddy we don't have any full back on the books who are good at attacking and that has been the case for Mowbray 3 years at the club. How many assists do our full back have in the last two season? I'd be stunned if it was as many as 5.

How many different teams has Mowbray tried to emulate over the last 2 years, of the top of my head there is Spain, Barcelona, Brentford, Southampton & Sheffield United. Is he so void of ideas that he cannot think of his own style for his own team. It's no wonder we never look effective trying any of them as the player know within a few weeks the manager will have moved on to the new flavour of the month. Let's be honest he tries all these clever tactics trying to replicate other sides but the only time we really look effective is playing a long balls into Graham and Dack.

But Rankin-Costello is only playing a full back because of injuries and Mowbray himself has said that he sees him playing further forward. Of our actual full back's none of them do what you described.

But we've never played with full backs who like to get forward and get the ball into the box either. 4-2-3-1 is our best system because it gets our most dangerous goal threat in his best and most effective position.

He will be well backed by Lansdown. And he didn't spend loads to get Brighton promoted.

Now the hard work begins and a lot of work is needed if we are to be even challengers for the top 6. Firstly I would not be giving new contracts to any of the out of contract players. Of the players at the club the key ones are Nyambe, Lenihan, Travis, Dack, Armstrong. They are the players who a side capable of competing for at least the top 6 should be build upon. If one of those had to be sold to balance the books then the one I would be least worried about losing would be Travis if we could get £6-8 Million for him. But hopefully we don't have to sell any of them. Of those of players that are contracted for next season. Bennett- Get rid or if we can't get anyone to take him then give him the Smallwood treatment. Bell & Williams- They are much of a muchness really. Keep one as back up at left back and try to get shot of the other one. Bell came here with a bit of a reputation and Williams is an international, surely there must be a taker out there for one of them. Mulgrew- If we can't find a buyer then pay him off & if he won't take that then tell him he won't be playing football for a year. Johnson- Hasn't been in shape all season which makes me question his commitment. He still has the ability to play at this level but does he have the appetite to. The manager needs to ask him does he want to get himself fit and be playing for us or would he rather find somewhere closer to home. Evans- Well no one is going to buy him as you simply cannot rely on him so we'd just as well use him as a squad option for the centre of midfield. Davenport- Honestly I cannot give an opinion on a player that has never started a game for us. Would have liked to have seen more of him in the final weeks of the season to form an opinion. Chapman-Needs to be used more. I don't see him as a regular starter but he brings things to the team that we otherwise lack and over the course of a season he will contribute. Rankin-Costello- The only player to have stepped up to the first team who has looked capable at this level. I personally think that he would be better playing further forward than Full back though. Rothwell & Holtby- I like both of them and I think both are better than they have shown but are victims of the managers 'style'. If when Dack is back we go back to playing 4-2-3-1 then the prospect of Holtby on the right, Dack in the middle and Rothwell on the left is to me quite an exciting one. Brereton & Gallagher- What to do with these two. I cannot see anyone taking either of our hands so it is up to the manager to get the best out of them. I personally think Gallagher is the more likely to contribute more next season. The positions that we should be looking strengthen are 2 goalkeepers, a back up right back, 2 Centre backs, a left back, a central midfielder, a natural winger and if we could manage to offload Gallagher or Brereton then another striker. As for the likes of Carter, Buckley and some of the other under 23's, they are well away from being ready for Championship football send them out on loan and let them play men's football on a regular basis. I'd keep Wharton around to use in an emergency as 4th choice centre back. I'd be playing 4-2-3-1 next season and that would leave the options looking like. Goalkeeper: 2 New Signings Right Back: Nyambe, New signing Centre Back: Lenihan, 2 New signings, Wharton Left Back: New signing, Bell or Williams Central Midfield: Travis, Evans, Davenport, New Signing, Johnson 3 Behind Striker: Dack, Holtby, Rothwell, Chapman, Rankin-Costello, New Signing Striker: Armstrong, Gallagher, Brereton

The game really has gone completely mad. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-retire-number-22-18650110

And when people on here suggested us getting Hughton, the usual doomsayers were out in force to tell us that he was unattainable and that no one but their dear leader could possibly do the job.

Our result last night had no bearing on Wigan staying up or going down.

I can't help but feel that these 'youngsters' we keep hearing so much about are actually miles away from being ready for the Championship. Which is worrying as these are 17-18 year old kids that we are talking these are players that are 20+, you'd expect them to be showing signs of being ready for Championship football. But the only player of the youngsters who looks ready for any Championship football is JRC although in a role further forward than the full back role he has been playing.

Mowbray has the aura of a man who knows that he has come to the end of the road and that he has run out of ideas. Sadly despite his claims to be an 'honourable guy' I don't see him walking away. He knows he's onto a cushy number here and his retirement pot will be totalling up nicely.

Yes they are, the table over 46 matches doesn't lie.

Nurse!

Don't worry. Defenders are coming.

There's no danger of Mowbray doing that.

So are most of these 'youngsters' that we keep hearing so much about.

If you want to replicate the experience you could always do some painting and then watch it dry.

On the bright side Tony's 70 points target would have got us into the playoffs. Sadly though he isn't the man to get us to the playoffs. He would have needed at least 3 games to hit that 70 points and it is unlikely to be that low a points tally to make top 6 next season. We finished 11th and that is around about Mowbray's ceiling.

The Pie Eaters getting relegated was a great way to cap off of a thoroughly entertaining nights football

What a fantastic nights entertainment.

Barnsley score at Brentford.