Take no notice of Jal, chaddy. He clearly has a chip on his shoulder with regard to the club. Put him on ignore.

Completely agree. Hopefully, Mowbray will stick around and try to rebuild a team in League One. Won't be easy with the owners not putting in anymore money but, unfortunately, they seem intent on staying without investing so an experienced manager is our best hope of trying to stop the rot at this moment in time.

Poor performance tonight and but for Andy Fisher we would have been out of it by half-time. Fleetwood looked the better side and ultimately deserved to go through to the final.

According to the report he picks up his UK Tour on 3rd June which is before he is due to play at Ewood, so it looks like he will be at Ewood after all.

Another cracking game of football tonight. Both teams played attractive football and provided an excellent night's entertainment. It was a real team effort with a number of excellent individual performances from the likes of Travis and Tomlinson. Hendrie made a rare appearance at left-back and had a very good game. These lads have been a joy to watch this season.

Johnson and Dunn have worked very much as a team over the past eighteen months or so looking after the Under-21/Under-23's. They work exceptionally well together and seem to compliment each other very well.

To be honest pb, I've enjoyed watching the Under-23's this season far more than the first team. There have been some thrashing - away at Villa and Middlesbrough - but in the main the games have provided cracking entertainment. These lads want to play for the club, have improved under the guidance of Johnson and Dunn and play the way those two did at senior level. Tomlinson is surely better than what we have in the first team at the moment in midfield. I thought Ward looked comfortable whilst Stokes looks fitter than he has for months. Put the likes of Mulgrew and Bennett, as older heads, with Raya, Nyambe, Lenihan and these lads and I'm sure they would be more than capable of giving it a go in League One if we go down.

He's progressing well although for most of the season he has been with the Under-18's. However, now that Matty Platt is out on loan he's getting more time with the Under-23's and, apart from tonight, has looked very comfortable at that level. He's quick, good in the air and doesn't hold back in the tackle.

A young team was well beaten tonight up at Hartlepool. Middlesbrough looked very impressive and Mikael Soisalo was simply outstanding. Rovers had a very young side out now that Nyambe, Tomlinson and Mahoney are with the seniors and the likes of Platt, Thomson and Wharton are all out on loan. Add the injured Jack Doyle to the list and this was a very different side to the one that has been so impressive this season. However, it was, nonetheless a very disappointing performance with far too many mistakes being made. The youngsters who'd come up from the Under-18's will have found a huge difference and young Lewis Thompson had a difficult night at left-back. Tyler Magloire wasn't as commanding as usual and Lewis Travis was utilised at centre-back for the first time so it proved to be a makeshift defence and the home side fully exploited it. Middlesbrough looked a quick and powerful outfit and they made the most of their chances. Definitely a night to forget.

Last I heard he was having a trial with Bolton Wanderers.

Apologies for missing you out of the post the other day. Butterworth is not the biggest lad but seems to know where the goal is. Holds the ball up and lays it off well. A fair turn of speed and can finish. Not one that is easily knocked off the ball. Reminds me of a young Simon Garner to be honest. Early days but another lad that seems to have huge potential.

Tomlinson is an energetic tough tackler. Covers the ground, is a ninety minute players and has a terrific shot on him. Butterworth has great potential but has only just moved up to Under-23's. Needs more time to develop at this level. Mols is a dynamic midfield player who gets forward and can create chances. Plays central or can play wide on the right. It's only this season that he has broken into the Under-23's. Fisher has looked a very capable goalkeeper this season and shown plenty of potential. Josh Powell, who impressed in pre-season, has now joined the ranks so we are well served in this department. Joe had a little dip in form whilst there was uncertainty about his contract but now that has been signed he has shown a return to form. Another who will be knocking on the senior squad door next season. Mansell has scored goals and is a hard working lad but it's difficult to know if he will make the grade as so few strikers seem to make it.

To be fair both have looked very good. Travis can play right-back or midfield whilst Doyle, although tried in left-sided midfield roles, is a far better left-back. Travis has, deservedly been in and around the first team this season whilst Doyle is not too far away and certainly a far better bet than Hendrie was ever likely to be. At the moment I would think Williams probably still has the edge over him. There is a pool of very good young players at the club in Raya, Nyambe, Travis, Platt, Wharton, Doyle, Mols, Tomlinson, Hardcastle and Mahoney. There are also a number of younger ones who are beginning to make an impression at Under-18 level.

I don't know why you bother chaddy. Jal is a WUM and nothing more. I no longer get involved in any of his discussions. Makes this board far more enjoyable when you ignore certain posters that you believe are simply WUM.

Neither played today.

Disappointing performance today at a very wet and windy Brockhall by the Under-23 team. A different system - three centre-backs with Henley and Hendrie operating as wing backs - didn't work and ultimately we were beaten by the only goal by the better side. We missed two decent early chances but never got a look in after that. Sunderland looked very impressive and thoroughly deserved their win. Both teams now go into the draw for the knock-out stage.

A very good win and an excellent performance, particularly up to the point when Butterworth came off injured. First twenty minutes or so it was fairly even and Cardiff looked like being tough opponents. Then we started knocking it around with increased confidence and played some lovely pass and move football. Hardcastle and Mols were outstanding in midfield, Mols playing in an unfamiliar position on the right wing. Rankin-Costello took his goals well and Butterworth was a constant threat playing just behind Mansell. Ward and Hoban looked, as you would expect, a class apart and controlled things at the back without breaking sweat. This allowed Travis and Doyle to continually attack down the flanks from full-back. Injuries to Butterworth and Doyle meant we lost momentum in the second half and although we created numerous chances we didn't take them. Cardiff's consolation came with the last kick of the match. This was another very impressive performance from Rovers youngsters considering they were without Nyambe, Tomlinson, Mahoney, Platt and Thomson. Hardcastle is returning to form after a lean time, Mols looks an outstanding attacking prospect, as does Rankin-Costello and in Butterworth we looked to have picked up a real prospect from United. Travis and Doyle were excellent in the full-backs positions - both in defence and going forward. The ideal game for Ward and Hoban as they got 90 minutes in without being overworked.

Both Senior and Mowbray are new to the club so only time will tell if this relationship will work. It works abroad and it works in American sport so there is no reason why it can't work here. Naturally people are suspicious of anyone that the present owners appoint as their track record is one of failure followed by failure. It would seem more clubs are going down this route and even in the Premier League managers are now having to work with directors of football or committees when it comes to buying players. The key to making it work is the relationship between the head coach and the director of football.

The head coach/director of football relationship works well all across Europe so no reason to believe that it can't work in this country.

The majority of supporters will judge him on his abilities to deal with the team. They, like myself, couldn't care less what title he has.

Last time I looked he was manager of Blackburn Rovers. And before you ask Jal, I don't care who his agent may or may not be as long as he does a decent job at this club.

At last!!! We finally agree on something!

I totally agree with your correction. Mowbray's record and approach suggests he could well be the best we have had since Big Sam - we can but hope.

I think you might find Wolves fans disagree at the moment.

Watching him standing on the touchline all game, not only does he sound like a manager he looks and acts like a manager. A welcome change from the past two managers we've had.