Preparing us for the coming failure to buy a new striker.

More and more I'm thinking the club revolves around the academy. keep producing good players to sell to bigger clubs (like Brighton, Brentford etc!) and we settle for Championship mid-table forever (if we are lucky). If that's the plan then count me out. if it isn't someone please tell me what is.

You're talking about an 18 year old from their youth team. Supposed to be very quick. I don't think he's meant to replace Nyambe just yet but with this club you never know.

Can't help comparing it to the level of football at the Everton - Manu game! Chalk and cheese! Everton at least had passion but little skill whereas United offered nothing. They had a Top 4 place to play for and they were absolutely woeful. Several players there valued individually at multiple times the value of our entire squad and, on that showing, I wouldn't want any of them! Something very wrong there.

You're too kind as ever. You can't just skate over the first half v Derby by saying its OK cos he sorted it out at halftime and we won. That line-up was so bizarre it caused the players to be on the verge of revolt. It had no chance of succeeding and every fan knew it and the manager didn't. See Johnson's tweets to back up what I'm saying.

Do our annual losses include interest payments on already existing debt?

Not that simple at all Gav! We don't need balance on here Gav, just genuinely felt opinions.

Must have been one of the great nights at t'Turd Longsiders?

You're gilding the lilly a fair bit. If Mowbray has coached all these players into stars, why are we looking at finishing outside the 6? Why have we been in relegation form since Christmas? I accept that we have a pretty decent squad now and Mowbray deserves credit for that, even though there's some loans in there, but you'll never convince me he can get the best out of them. Far from it in reality.

Does any manager under Venkys have the freedom you imply?

OK so long as we can play them after Christmas!

Fantastic changes for the worse?

One part of me would be just relieved that he's gone. A second part would be furious that signing three players who've been seeking a new deal involves a conflict of interest, especially if Waggot went with him, a third part of me looks forward to him ruining someone else's players. Anyway, if this scenario unfolds it will at last stop people saying what a decent bloke he is.

If we were going into next season with this current squad I'd have reasonable anticipation of a promotion campaign. need a couple of additions but not much. So, in a way, that is good evidence of progress over the years. The squad is significantly stronger than the one he inherited. But you'd expect that over 5 years wouldn't you? And, most sadly, the squad that starts next season is likely to be very different from the one that started this. It will be hard to fill the gaps. Moreover he will still play the wrong players in the wrong places, his tactics and subs will continue to confuse us all and he will never get the best out of any squad. He's run his course and its time for change. Change of owners would be for the best, I agree Gav, but we seem to be stuck with them forever.

If it had read "Mowbray talks sense" I'd have twigged!

At least he's not out of contract at the end of the season! I'm sure he won't be leaving this early in his career (I think!)

Or could he be transferred to that new position? Seems more his line.

He played like one too! He was so slow by today's standards. But he got the ball in the net and as we have seen recently, that's quite important!!

One day we'll look back at the side we could have had.

Its certainly a long read!

Meanwhile everyone else is signing players.

Being second at Christmas then struggling to win games and even to score and throwing it all away? No, not good enough.

We would be if we could keep this squad together. We've spent 5+ years getting to this point only to find there was no point.

Exactly so!

"hindsight"? Really?