Another way to look at it though, is that we were 4 points off the playoffs WITH our star player having been available for most of that (well, we were a point off was it, before he was injured?). If we were a little short with him contributing a huge portion of our goals, why would we be any better without him? The players who are going to replace him are NOT better players. We have also found out we have barely any budget to strengthen a threadbare defence unless we can convince people to take our deadwood. Meanwhile, other teams interested in a playoff push will strengthen. We're also in a bad run, and we've seen how long those can last under TM. It's nice to have a dream and all, and keep looking at what the gap to the playoffs is, but honestly Chaddy, I can't see us bridging it. I'm fairly certain it will get wider, not narrower.

According to this site https://www.infogol.net/en/player/sam-gallagher/6204 he has had 26 shots, with 8 on target and 2 goals. And two assists. In his previous season with us, he had 71 shots, 36 on target, and 11 goals, with 1 assist.

Butterworth injured. Fairly bad one.

Amazed there's no lemon drizzle tea.

I know we are lacking in a lot of areas, but I'm not sure we need to blame the tea as well. Although do we even have a tea lady anymore?

Absolute piss-take. This is the one game we should really mix it up (not just the usual rotation shite, but trying out some of the U23s). If JRC was fit I'd have had him in, but sadly not. Davenport should start. Probably Chapman too. Samuel if fit, we could do with seeing what he's about these days. Walton needs dropping for a kick up the arse and to assess the alternatives. Personally I'd go Hilton or Fisher, but I could accept the Canadian grudgingly. Sounds like zero of those things will happen.

And the worth a fair few bob part suggests it won't result in anything permanent.

I did note (to myself) that you'd only said you suspected he will be sold. But it very much seemed you were saying if he is, we should just trouser the money and not replace him. That absolutely can't happen, as in the summer our senior centre half list will just read (assuming we ditch Mulgrew to Wigan): Derrick Williams. Nyambe out of position at a stretch. Then a bunch of inexperienced kids. It's bad enough as it is without that, and even a loan replacement for Lenihan won't fix this. If he goes we simply have to source a decent replacement or next season will be a relegation fight. I'd agree on not using it to sign a raft of poor squaddies, but the man himself would have to be replaced.

He's on 2 goals and 4 assists for the season. In 23 games. Not breathtaking but already a fair improvement on his 2 goals and 1 assist in 38 games from his last season at Boro. He has also played a fair few games at LB. And notched one in the cup.

You want to sell Lenihan without replacing him, then rely on the kids and patching up with loans? Our defence is threadbare as it is. Our keeper is dire. Come the summer we will need a ton of players all at once, between players whose contracts are out and not worth renewing, and loans which will finish. Our young centre halves are mostly on loan and not proven at anywhere near this level. We can't sell Lenihan. If we do, we absolutely need to buy a permanent replacement. As it stands, most fans will tell you we need a keeper, a centre half, a left back, and potentially a RB. We can't get all of that from the youth team, not at an acceptable level. Come next season we need a minimum of 2 centre backs when Tosin returns. Selling our only decent permanent one without replacement is madness.

Even at u-23 level, those are ridiculous stats from the wing.

Imagine if we had a Chapman.....................................

Unlike most of the teams in the Championship (all of them actually, except Derby), our u-23s play against them. So you would think so, if he's good enough. Correction - sorry, thought they played the same level as ours but they got relegated last season.

And yet, my point is that despite all that, and Mowbray's selections being frequently awful, we are pretty close to the playoffs. All managers confuse with their decisions to some degree, but I can't envision a scenario where a decent manager who can play people in their actual positions, based on form, without rotating them for the fuck of it, wouldn't have us at least 6 points better off. Regardless of what this team looks like on paper. This league isn't that high a standard. Consistency is everything, and that's exactly what TM robs us of.

Would you not agree he is managing the squad awfully? You dont think we would be at least 6 points better off this season with a good manager instead?

Was that not when we were in League One and they were in the Championship?

Problem is that, as I've said before when I think we were about 12-15 games in and ran the stats, we seem to do better in games where we have LESS possession. We are not a good possession team, as we can't find ways to break down opposition that sit off and cluster tightly. We are better when we play counter attacking, as a general rule. The more possession we have, it seems the worse we do. I can't be arsed to go over the stats again but it doesn't seem like too much has changed. And THAT you can blame the manager for. He seems to think keeping the ball is more important than being effective with it. He also signed our shocking goalkeeper. Astonished to hear that we have the second most clean sheets though, that's an achievement. I'm thinking nearly all of that came during our good run where we tightened up. Problem is, last couple of games the cracks are creeping in there again, with 2 and 3 conceded. We shouldn't be scoring 2 away and coming home with nothing. New keeper, priority number one.

Brereton is, as things stand, definitely in the Grabbi, Davies camp for most disastrous recentish era signings. He is more mind boggling than either of those, in terms of what we spent for what he had done.

Yep, not sure he has the confidence to deal with any level of pressure though.

Ah, that would actually be worse.

Rothwell isn't playing well, so keeps his place. When he has done well in the past, can't get in. Makes sense. Sow playing for Forest, back from injury. Forest fans seemed to think their game might hinge on him.

So 4-4-2 with Arma and Brereton up front presumably.

Yeh it's frustrating. We would be paying even more for Mulgrew if we brought him back though. Then I'd also have to see him amble around even more casually and lost than our current crop of defenders. Also see him whip great free kicks in, mind, but defenders simply have to defend. I'd be very curious to know how much of Mulgrew's wages are being paid by Wigan. I wish football would stop this thing where almost all aspects of all deals are secret. Fans are stakeholders and deserve to know.

I should think we are tied into the Cunningham loan for the season, or even Goodwill Tony would have cancelled it (or been told to). Mulgrew, I don't want back. Defence is porous enough as it is.

Oh I quite agree - in fact I am more worried about a defeat now it has been pointed out we haven't lost there for nearly 5 years. We love changing records. I was just pointing it out, not gaining any confidence from it. Huddersfield also hadn't come from behind to win for two and a half years I believe the LT said.