Apparently, we've made a 200k bid for Pears from Midlesborough. That's 200k too much and who needs a scouting department, when it's Mowbray's books of contacts at work again? No doubt, we're now after West Brom to loan us Kipre on a season long loan.

It's the same defense as it was when Mowbray came. He added Bell, who does not make things better. "He failed to fix the defense" is the same refrain everywhere he has been manager. Mowbray may get lucky, but I'm not holding my breath.

Need some subs on, preferably not including Bennett.

@Hoochie Bloochie Mama Spot on with your team prediction. Brownie points to you.

2-1 to Rovers. @Hoochie Bloochie MamaYour team's got that Mowbray vibe. I think Evans will play. He's in his final year and 'unlikely' to get a new contract. Both he and Williams are in the 'shopwindow'.I think Mowbray would need Bell to have a shocker to persuade Venkys to sanction a new left back.

Defenders are coming! Barnsley managed to bring in a CB, Helik, from a Polish side. So it can be done, if your club is prepared to pay the price. Kaminski was first scouted last year,before the new european scouting department was set up. wouldn't be surprised, if we didn't enquire about him in January and let Gent know what we could afford to pay. Gent wanted to get shut of the player. 2 days before our season opener against AFC Bournemouth and Mowbray is talking to two players about coming here. I'd rather Mowbray was putting the finishing touches to his game plan than talking to players. If the two were Tosin and Cunningham, I'll forgive him, if they come in, since I believe the two were his top targets all along.

It's also down to Mowbray that we 24 players (16 senior, 8 junior) in the final year of their contracts. The Tribunal's going to have plenty of work coming their way from us. Dack and his agent are going to 'just love' the club's salary structure, when it comes to renegotiation. Stars get paid star salaries. If all you'll pay for is journeymen, you'll get journeymen and no promotion to the Premier League. Had photos of the state of Ewood Park not been uploaded, would any work have taken place on Ewood Park? No, of course not. I'm convinced that Mowbray expected to use the sell-on for King to fund the transfers of Tosin and Cunningham. I think he still does.

Yet with the £1m loan fee and £15kpw wages contribution, we were paying £35kpw for Tosin to play for us last year. Ayala would have been cheaper, this year.

Tosin £30kpw Morsy £11kpw

Paying part of Mulgrew's contract, the lionshare, means we can't bring in another player or renegotiate contracts.I wanted Mulgrew's wages completely off the books and that doesn't mean paying for a player who isn't present.

So helping Fleetwood meet their FFP regulations has a higher priority than us meeting ours, does it? Our club needs to get its priorities straight.

Hopefully, nothing. Meet Fleetwood's new Footballing consultant on getting out of League 1.

14th - no incomings, no outgoings, no break out year for any of the Academy graduates, no change of coaching staff and Dack doesn't come back as good as he was.

Mowbray probably wouldn't guarantee to make Ayala a starter or pay a £500k signing on bonus.

True. Does that make us fortunate Venkys can't currently afford to fire Mowbray?

I agree that it won't be the squad or the starting XI. I had 46 starting XI's that did not agree with Mowbray's last season. I see no reason for the streak to end.

Not so sure. Mowbray is seen as having rebuilt his reputation in the game. It's the complete control over men's football that is the draw, though the money, if they like you isn't bad..I'd be happy with Phillips and Sarr. Sarr in, Williams could leave. The problem with bringing Bunn or any other experienced keeper to mentor our younger keepers is that what we're really saying is that we need a new goalkeeping coach. I'd like Ayala and Brad Smith in too, but getting the pair for less than a combined £50kpw would be good going. Back in January, I had a thought about doing a player swap: Bell for Oglivie. Oglivie would be LB back up to Smith, assuming Thompson isn't ready to step up. I realised I had the team making the playoffs due to Graham's presence. I think he's the glue that keeps the squad together. Perhaps bringing him back is a smart move.

I haven't, but I've watched enough to know why you'd say that.

I've had time to think about pre-season and the Leicester game. Holtby playing deep is certainly his role.Unfortunately, it's taken the ball away from Travis and a position he likes to operate from and he's pissed. Armstrong is either pissed in general or just pissed at Brereton. Armstrong could have sent Brereton away on a break and Brereton opted to shoot with the goalkeeper committed instead of pulling the ball back to the penalty spot where, I think, Armstrong was waiting. Brereton received the 'death glare'. Formations: there was the amorphous blob, the 451 and a 43? that formed leaving a bemused Bradley Johnson uncertain where he should stand. Seems Mr J has blotted his copybook with the team. I think Danny Graham was the glue that held the dressing room together. The leftovers from the relegated team;the one Mowbray couldn't keep up. Gallagher and Evans. Then: Williams, Bennett, Wharton, Mulgrew, Lenihan and Nyambe. Mowbray's contribution is Bell. In the 4 games this pre-season/EFL Cup Bell played LB, we conceded 5 goals. In the one game he wasn't LB, we didn't concede. That we have defenders who can't head is a real badge of shame for our former CBs, now coaches, Mowbray and Venus. That all means I've changed my formation and team. I'm going 4231 Kaminski Nyambe Lenihan(c) Williams Wharton Travis Evans JRC Brereton Brennan Armstrong Subs Eastham, Dolan, Chapman, Buckley, Davenport, Mulgrew, Bell Williams has been busineslike in pre-season. Wharton allows for a back 3 with Williams having licence to roam. I'm handing debuts to Kaminski and Brennan. I know full well that Mulgrew isn't going to make the bench. Since I've not got Holtby or Johnson in the squad, Mulgrew represents experience and left sided cover. Bell makes the bench, because otherwise Bennett would. If Evans comes off,JRC drops back and Dolan comes on. Buckley for Brereton is my other planned substitution. I put our win percentage at 30%and accept I may be being optimistic.

You've got that right.

We just don't defend corners properly. Bell should have been where Magloire was and Magloire should have been where Fisher jumped and failed to hold. Who'd take Fisher on loan, when he makes mistakes like that? Ithink it speaks volumes about Community Centre Ben. Magloire looked short of fitness, concentration and stamina. He won't get that without playing at Championship pace. Brereton hit that superb pass from left touchline to Nyambe on the right touchline and suckered the Leicester full back. Shame Nyambe didn't get the bend he was hoping for. i'd play Brereton behind Armstrong and Gallagher. I think I'd go with Holtby playing behind Travis and JRC.

I reckon King has delayed a move just so he can score a hat trick against us, to really rub our noses in it.

Fisher Nyambe Magloire Williams Bell Holtby Travis Johnson JRC Armstrong Brereton That formation makes more sense to me. It's Williams over Wharton. Carter will come on for Magliore. With Bell at LB, we'll concede. Will Holtby make it to be subbed and when will Brereton miss an open net (okay he didn't against Barrow)? We've got precisely two healthy forwards in the squad and both are playing.That makes me extremely nervous.

West Brom wanted Duffy, they've settled for Kipre. West Brom saying they were after him for weeks is just BS designed to make the played feel welcome. I hope he's got a £1m relegation release clause in the contract. @JHRoverMowbray can be having us on and there be something seriously wrong with the recruitment department. I think Mowbray really hasn't moved past having Tosin and Cunningham back on loan. I don't want any loans. I'd rather suffer through tour players mistakes and wait for the bell to go off in Mowbray's head about playing players out of position and in formations they can't play than bring in loans.

£30kpw for all 3? ? Surprised you'd think them so cheap. I'd certainly have taken it. I was working on an estimate of Marshall (£10kpw), Kipre (£20kpw more than doubled during season) and Robinson (£30kpw). Wigan's administration was a matter of when, not if. Thinking about Dack's next contract? £40kpw before add-ons for assists, goals, promotion bonus, signing on fee, agent's fee, % boost for promotion and relegation early release clause. I don't think I've forgotten anything. Pen to sign contract. Copies of the paper printed copies of the contract, assumed. Considering how Mowbray's always going on about work rate, perhaps there's a clause in the contract about that. Dack's return is as good as a new signing, eh? Mowbray's always going on about agents calling him to tell him about players. If the conversation isn't about substance as to the sort of deal the player would expect, Mowbray must be an expert about the weather.