Signing players is only half the battle. Bowyer had a good eye, although I wonder how much of that was his dad's doing. Either, way, he was too drab, unadventurous and chummy with the players to push us on. Lambert was an exciting prospect at the time. An actual manager with success at this level. The fact his career has nosedived since then doesn't change that fact.

Then he should've been chief scout obviously.

To be fair, Boywer inherited a stronger side than Mowbray. He also had 40 goals worth of talent up front. Top 10 was less than expected.

No excuses. Rovers look a jaded, unorganised outfit with no direction other than downwards. Mowbray has clearly lost it and doesn't look capable of arresting the slump. Whether our friends in Pune know or care enough to pull the trigger is anyone's guess.

And if Rothwell doesn't have a great game, fans will cry that Mowbray was vindicated for benching him. Nevermind that perennial underperformers Williams, Smallwood, Bennett, Evans et al are given chance after chance.

We have the same discussions every time a manager comes under fire. People are wary of change and contrive excuses to maintain the status quo. When a manager loses the plot like Mowbray has it's always better to twist rather than stick. There's no guarantee a new manager would do any better, even a proven one, but there's less chance of Mowbray turning things around.

It's not Teflon Tony's fault.

True enough, but "turgid" doesn't mean what you think it means.

This season we haven't spanked anyone either, except for Hull, which is looking a total fluke in retrospect. Meanwhile, plenty of teams have done us over.

And yet he earns more in a week than most nurses do in a year. Bonkers!

A depressing and uninspired line-up. That said, I have a sneaky feeling Rovers will nick a lead, only to implode in due fashion.

When was the last time that lot won anything? The Div 3 title almost twenty years ago. SLEEPING GIANT

It was one thing after another with Davies. He became our record signing on the back of one decent season at Soton. That weight of expectation, followed by the poor start to the season, Hodgson losing the dressing room, injuries, etc, it's no wonder he needed a clean break elsewhere.

Yeah, after Rovers cut their losses and he no longer had that £7m price-tag hanging over him.

Kevin Davies scored four goals in a ressie match before. Just saying.

Ehhhh, playing devil's advocate, I do think it's jammy that someone can take a **** pen, or the goalie makes a worldie save, and they still score the rebound.

Robinson, Dann, Hanley, Olsson, Judge, Rochina, Marshall, Cairney, King, Rudy, Rhodes How can you fail to even make the playoffs with those players at your disposal?

Bowyer had a soft spot for certain players. Lowe & Hanley would almost always play regardless of form or ability. Judge & O'Connell never got a look in but proved themselves elsewhere.

Further salt in the wound, we're crying out for a centre-back and they have Jack O'Connell. Who was it that cut him loose? Bowyer?

There was a mistake and they've removed the part about penalties.

My point is that Mowbray always has to play one of Evans or Smallwood. He doesn't trust the midfield without them.

Evans and Smallwood have been shoo ins all season, win, lose or draw. Both of them are clearly playing a level above their skillset. Rodwell and Reed are technical players with Premier League pedigree who should play where they can make the most impact, in the middle of the park.

When players fail to perform it's the manager who carries the can. Always will be. Don't act like you don't know this. Mowbray's goodwill can only go so far.

So when we had that purple patch, Mowbray was entitled to take the plaudits but now it's all gone tits up it's the players' faults? That's convenient.

Imagine if we're screwed by FFP for buying Brereton!