Tempting fate there.

Pissed off Dolan isn't starting and that absolutely nobody we haven't seen before is even on the bench in a meaningless game! I expected the latter after seeing the u23 lineup last night, but it's still irritating as hell. The man just isn't a forward thinker at all. Get out of our club Tony, you've outstayed your welcome

The craziest part is, if we played Portsmouth, Mowbray would probably be agreeing with Crowley!

https://www.lancs.live/sport/football/transfer-news/blackburn-rovers-curtis-portsmouth-rumour-20542170 It's cute that Cowley thinks we aren't a bigger club than Portsmouth. And that, by implication of what he is saying, neither are the likes of Forest, Derby, Norwich etc.

Think Butterworth is still injured. Annesley only came off the bench whereas he usually starts, but I expect that doesn't mean he will have any involvement tomorrow. Especially with Ayala already taking a centre half bench spot. Massive missed opportunity to take a proper look at the kids, but Mowbray has form for this. No matter how early our season is over.

You don't need qualifications to give an opinion on football.

Well, the u23 lineup suggests that Tony has talked almost instantly disproveable bollocks again in suggesting he might mix it up, unless he just meant the usual tombola suspects. All of the u23 squad I'd expect to be considered appear to be playing unless I'm forgetting someone. Again I find myself in the undesirable position of thinking it won't be that big a deal if we lose. Partly as it doesn't matter now but also because Brum seem expected to play a lot of youth. If they win it further shows up what youth (worse youth than ours) can bring to the party. I really feel for Pike in particular. Still possible none of our current RBs will be here next year and he isn't even being backed for a glimpse in a dead rubber.

Those questions sparked the petulant answers, but if all was well I don't think those answers would have been anywhere near that petulant. He has noticeably returned to being calm and unconcerned.

Most of it is to Venkys themselves yes. I think at this point probably something like 170-180 million of it at a guess going off my memory of past figures. I agree, I'm probably more concerned than ever if they start borrowing from third parties but putting those debts against us. That's how administration happens.

Agree, the petulance really set the tone of a man who felt under pressure. That has totally gone and he is calmly talking about the future. On top of that, the LT sneaked a comment into an article a couple of weeks or so ago that seems to have gone largely unnoticed. It basically said they understand the club will stick with TM this summer. So all this talk of Tony going after the game tomorrow is going to result in a lot of disappointment for a lot of people I see talking like it's a possibility.

Rub their hands together, probably not, though I agree with D.E. that it's hard to assess how good or otherwise these players actually are. But 'perhaps a couple of places higher'? I still find it amazing that this is consistently your position. We are currently 4 points away from being a couple of places higher. So you think that all of Mowbray's bizarre rotation, tactics and playing everyone out of position, the loss of form that can strike when you don't get a result you should, etc ...only accounts for 'perhaps' 4 points this season? I consider that an astonishing claim to make. So in that horror run, another manager might have perhaps got another win and a draw and that's it? Not taking into account the rest of the season either. Nah. Mowbray is a terrible manager and the primary reason for results on the pitch being so dire. Even outside of his recruitment.

I think 2 of the 3 goals being Elliott shows this poll was indeed hijacked by Liverpool fans. The Rothwell goal is our real goal of the season for me. There were several goals far better than the Norwich goal. All he really does when you break it down is beat one man, try to cross and gets lucky with the keeper trying to stop the cross but diverting it into the goal.

As in, another shareholder to work alongside them and shoulder a share of the 20 million annual losses, or someone to take over the club entirely?

Another Tony u-turn. A week ago it was all about how he didn't need to play the kids. He already knows absolutely everything about them and they're not ready. Now he is probably going to play a bunch of them. I'd have preferred they played last week. This game is the definition of a dead rubber, both sides having nothing to play for. They'll play a lot of kids and fringe players too and the game will probably have the mentality of a friendly. Last week was an opportunity to blood them against a team of professionals actually fighting for something.

I hope for the sake of managing your expectations that you had very crappy Christmases as a child. Tony isn't going anywhere until next season at best.

I watched the video from where you said and kept watching until the end. I'm glad I did. What a team and what a time that was compared to now. Back then I think many of us dreamt of being back at the top end of the top table in the seasons to come, and whilst we never returned to our former glory we certainly made our presence known. But now even dreaming of that day, when we dreamt of so much more still, seems distant and unrealistic. Those goals in that video, at least from 21 mins onwards, show a kind of relentlessness and ruthlessness that the current side is lacking. Souey knew how to implant a winning mentality on his players that Mowbray could never hope to. A proper manager and proper spirit is how you get out of this league.

The Mancs (both sets) take some beating. And the utterly vile Millwall bunch.

When was the last time a season finale garnered less enthusiasm? Oh wait, the last two seasons. The only thing to be excited about for this finale is that finally this steaming dog shit of a season will be over. Yet I have a feeling that this time next year we will long for these 'glory days' back.

I dunno, I think Bell's only chance might be the contract he has supposedly been or is being offered.

Thanks for telling me why I think things. But no, I just think he has mostly been a bit better this season when used. To be clear, I'm not a fan. I just think he has been better than the constant liability he was before. Actually played fairly well last game for the most part.

I wouldn't say in his Rovers career. Douglas this year is rather similar to Bell's first Championship season I think it was. Or second. Maybe it was both. Lad was an absolute liability. But I think based on this season he is currently better defensively than Douglas. Of course, this is a bit like discussing who is the tallest midget.

Mowbray has sounded extremely positive about Pickering, and he is one of few players we are likely to spend on this year. My suspicion is we are more likely to have the opposite problem - that even if Pickering turns out to be shit he will be kept in to justify the spend. Yes we spent something similar on Bell, but that was in League One and he has had years to prove his worth.

Well he has played both of the last two. But before that it seems to have been against Reading on 2nd March. Which is 13 games ago. So 3 in the last 13. Does make you wonder if he has only played him in the last two to justify a new deal.

👀 Well, whatever floats his boat I guess.

I've been worrying about that too. Is that pretty much official or just an estimate? Not that I can see us not falling short of the figures needed. It would be strange if the league don't at least move the figures on the losses though, given the pandemic.