Good thing his name is Harry then.

First point is a fair one. Brereton is 2 years younger and has got better at using his size in the last year. I just think it's harsh, and doesn't track, to say someone older than him has more room to improve. Most of what you say in response is about his current ability not future. Brereton was 17/18 on his video wasnt he? Not saying this lad is gash or anything, I know little about him. Might check out his vids if links persist. Yeh I dont think 4 mill is gonna happen. Clubs and fans often overvalue at first and settle for less. I seem to remember Gills wanted 1.5 mill for Dack? And Pickering was rumoured as requiring a seven figure fee then we got him for about 350k according to reports. So maybe something like 2.5 mill is more likely? If Blackpool go up though, different story.

More potential to improve him? He is 23, Brereton is 21. His goals record in League One, even if it transferred exactly to the Championship, is nearly half of Armstrong's total. I haven't seen the lad so not saying you're wrong, but the basic stats of it don't wow me much. Lad at work was telling me about Yates, the other league one striker we are linked with at Blackpool. More goals, and he says he is quick, good ball skills and a hard worker. Says what he brings to the team in general is as important as his goals. I had a look at his youtube clips last night and whilst I can't speak to the last part I'd agree with the rest. Probably not quite as fast as Arma, but very tidy with the ball. A year older than the Rotherham lad, but the main issue is the lad at work reckons 4 million is fair. Fans always overprice their players though, but that would be a risk for a 24 year old who has only just proven himself in a league below ours. Dack was one of the best in that league and he was less than a quarter of that.

I think we were both pretty clear tbh so I'm not sure what you don't grasp and I'm not going to argue the point with you. I knew you'd be quoting me disagreeing as I've already seen your views on him. All I'll say is this. When I say he is crap, I'm basically saying he is a bit sub-par for average Championship level (keep in mind my definition of this is probably different to yours), but I expect my backup LB to be a bit sub-par. He is a backup. Someone guaranteed (not that you can be) to be better than that will command I'd expect double his wage or more. Maybe a fee too. Anyway this season I feel he has been a bit better, and not the worst for a few games if someone has a light injury. I wouldn't have kept the Bell of last year, he was truly woeful, and I'd prefer someone a little bit better as the backup. I'm just saying that from an overall resources perspective with how I read our situation, my assessment is offer him a very cheap one year deal, with an ultimatum to sign it soon so we can plan accordingly. Despite what you say, of course it's easier to do. No need to scout a few players, draw plans, discuss, check the budget, sound out an agent, make a bid, blah blah. Besides, whilst we might get someone better we also might get someone worse. People always like to say at this point 'well they can't be any worse'. Yes, yes they can. People like to exaggerate. We all thought Douglas was going to be a huge improvement, had plenty of pedigree, yet it took half a season for him to be even a slight improvement. Bell himself cost a few hundred grand and was meant to be the next good thing. Anyway I've said more than I intended to but I really don't want to get into back and forth with you about. You think he's worse than I do, I'd take him for one more year primarily because of how much work we need to get through this summer and how sparse our budget will be, and you wouldn't. Not much point us having a debate. Yes ideally you get a better backup, but we aren't in anything close to an ideal situation. I'm interested in what the u23s might have to offer, testing them with a more experienced player to fill in if it's an absolute disaster works fine for me for now considering. JRC has also proved adequate at LB in a pinch a couple of times if Bell reverts to full disaster mode. Crap was probably a bit harsher than I truly assess him from this season alone. I think 'meh' might be a better assessment. I always fear he has huge blunders in him but I think past perception based on his abysmal showings last season, and him not setting the world alight this year means some people still categorise him as worse than he has been this season. Game of opinions. You rate the whole squad as worse than I do too, so be it.

Unpopular opinion, but I don't really mind if Bell signs a very cheap one year deal. We need a backup LB, and whilst one or two u23s may have promise there, we can't rely on them yet as they're untested. Yes we can find a better free agent I expect, though we had that task last summer and ended up with Douglas on loan. He isn't much better, and has probably been worse in the liability stakes at times than Bell. It's also a case of can we find one as cheaply, and more importantly for me, the fact we have a TON of recruiting to get sorted this summer and backup LB isn't high on the priority list. Getting it boxed off early frees up resources. Yes, he is crap, before anyone tells me. He has been a bit better this season for me though, albeit still naff. Just with our situation I'm fine if we sign him on short term cheaply whilst we explore other options. I'm also fine if he leaves.

I struggle to imagine that they wouldn't. Unless it comes as a condition of getting the job, which under Maggott it would.

On top of them being concerned that a new manager might have serious and loud reservations about cramming two excellent sites into one probably downgraded one.

I just read the LT transcript of TM's post-match presser. It was basically a word-salad forged from his collection of cliches.

Almost gave this a 'like' but I don't subscribe to the Johnson suggestion that does the rounds. He is part of the current failing first team setup. In fact it wasn't long after he moved up that we started adopting this style, was it? I've come to suspect Billy Barr is a better manager than him tbh. Partly from his comments in the LT and partly from even better u23 performance under him. I'd prefer to get a proper manager with a track record of recent success though. Neither Johnson nor Barr should take charge on anything more than a temporary basis if at all.

All we need to do now is get your foot (whichever one) in range of Tony's backside and we are good.

This was exactly what I thought. Not having had Armstrong available much recently is a legitimate thing to mention, but it's hardly bloody relevant to today, is it? There isn't a single striker who wasn't available today...unless he wants to count Dack due to that 'false 9' bollocks.

Should be a good signing for League One then.

Yeh I saw your post to Bbrovers tbf, it was right after mine. That's fair enough Chaddy, if you're admitting you were wrong before the point at which you officially changed your mind. I would respectfully disagree that you weren't also wrong in previous seasons, due to the fact that the same shortcomings have been evident to a lot of people for a lot longer, and they never seemed to change. It's the results that have worsened, more than the decision-making capability (although the real cause for the deterioration in results this season has been the stubborn clinging to this new possession style that doesn't work). I believe I'm in my third spell of wanting TM gone. Arguably fourth...I relented a little in January when the results improved but I was still very concerned and didn't truly think it was going to change, just that perhaps it was worth a few more games to see if we could progress. Each spell has eventually been ended by a decent run of results, though I've always maintained reservations and been concerned about his stubborn inability to spot his errors. I think you've briefly wanted him out once before haven't you? At the end of the 1 win in 11 run? I can understand why at times you haven't wanted him gone, as I've been in the same boat on occasion (albeit far more frequently in the get rid camp). I'd say it turns out I was wrong to be willing to persevere with him on those occasions too. It seemed right at the time but has turned out wrong. I absolutely won't be swayed again into wanting him to stay. I don't care if we win all the remaining games, which we won't. Far too many false dawns now.

That's incredibly terse.

Should recruit our strikers from Blackpool beach, at least it will be cheaper 😉

People should change their minds when appropriate. You're completely right to have done so. And I think people should lay off giving you shit for it. If people get shit for changing their mind, it makes them less likely to change their minds in future, even if just subconsciously. It might have been a factor in why you didn't change your mind, having had flak for changing it in the past. I also think, however, that admitting now that you were wrong back then wouldn't do any harm in that area. Apologies if you already have somewhere and I haven't seen it. But if you haven't, admitting it might get people to stop being jackasses to you about it.

If the LT were going to stick the knife as Mercer said, it beggars belief that he wasn't immediately called out for his prior comments that he would resign if he were a burden. Had enough - to me he is as bad as Kean now. Going to end up a hate figure.

Tbf I think the blueprint was probably established a little earlier, in this run starting in October: Notts F - 62%, 0 points Watford - 66%, 0 points Coventry - 67%, 3 points (RED) Reading - 66%, 0 points Swansea - 59%, 0 points We had a nice stretch of point-winning shortly after, in which we did continue to have the bulk of possession (a little less so mind), but there was definitely some luck involved in some of those games. Then it has been pretty much the same since, apart from January, which also had a fair bit of fortune.

Jacking each other off over the con job they're running on the club?

I thought that too. They're going to be slim pickings. Unless he wants to know things like 'how do you stay in a job with a run of 1 win in 14 games and 7 points from 42 available when you're supposed to be chasing promotion?'

Ok let's play post match TM excuses bingo so we can all feel like winners for a change. I'm expecting to complete all of these: Unlucky Didn't deserve that scoreline If Arma had scored the penalty If Johnson had scored that sitter Controlled the game/possession We go on I'm not worried, if we keep playing like that Bournemouth are a top side, something about resources, ex-Prem Had more efforts at goal Some sort of blaming of the players or individual mistakes Zero admission of having made any tactical mistakes

Armstrong isn't a very good penalty taker is he? Is that 3 he has missed? Jesus a penalty missed then an absolute sitter, this lot can't fucking buy a goal. I expect to hear about both as excuses in the presser.

Penalty goal would flatter us in the scoreline.

You not worried about this season yet?

If Mowbray doesn't resign before the next game, and he won't, I'll hate him forevermore. And I do mean resign, not get fired. The club shouldn't have to pay another penny to the man.