We've always said Mowbray is a guy who never seems to learn and is too stuborn with his over cooking/rotating methods. There are signs this season he finally has but those second half season stats follow him around and cannot all be coincidence or bad luck. Lets us pray he keeps fanning the flames under this team and doesn't revert to the over cautious stuff that seems more natural to him. This side will fall off its bike occasionally as other teams now get prepared for us but hes got to let it regroup and get back on it when it does. So do the fans.

The biggest call Mowbray has to make so far this season is being bold enough to stick with this team and not looking to chuck Gallagher back in the starting line up. I'm not a hater of his but the side for the first time has real balance to it that it doesn't when he plays from the off. Even when he's playing well but to me the way he's best used now is a late sub.

A couple of big signing on fees allegedly kept the weekly wages more in line.

A lot on here would've snatched their hands off at 3 million never mind 5. Just goes to show what has been said all along, get a system to suit what you have instead of trying to make them do something that they struggle with.

Yes i think you can i had a couple of mooches around in summer to see what they were doing with the pitch.

The revamped midfield helps this imo as instead of having one or even to defensive mids sitting back or the likes of Holtby not getting stuck in. These lot have legs they harrie and close down all the time and get stuck in, bits of shithousery as well, this stuff hasn't been seen since Savage was here. It ups the tempo of the whole team and encourages the forwards to close down as well, Fulham did it to us. To be a good team in this division it's what you have to do, every game not one in 5. Thankfully it seems to be core to our style now and we actually have a style. Long may it continue, if it changes he's got a screw loose because it suits this squad.

Not sure that is strictly true as if i remember right although we'd been relegated he got a good starting point to go again. There was the audits, some debt written off, more share issues, pay decreases already written into some contracts kicking in. the granting of an almost championship level budget again AND a couple of million to spend. Not exactly a clusterfuck probably actually a good time to take the reigns and he and Mowbray did well initially. Then after promotion they/he doffed out all the contract extensions that meant we were bound to keep a lot of players and their now championship wages until they themselves decided to move on. Off the park since then there's been no real obvious signs of progress and you could say a bit of a clusterfuck with the contracts which lies at his door. Covid not withstanding but every club has had to deal with that and not everyone has owners with pockets like ours. C minus is as good as it gets for Steve i'm afraid.

It's an odd structure when a player comes in for big money and big (for us) wages yet is more of a squad man but gets his contract and wages extended. Then others whose wage starting point is far lower but who have made more contribution and whose value will double - even if it's not ten million- get low balled with no chance of matching someone just because they didn't cost 5 million quid. We'll end up with a production line where everyone looks to graduate through the academy, then bail to other clubs for a signing on fee and a few more grand when their contracts end. Maybe that's the low wage recoup a few quid in compen model low grade Waggot is looking for. I also notice the buck is being passed to the owners on this. The owners who plough in 20 million every season and we are told never refuse a cheque. Are we really now to believe they wouldn't sanction another couple of million to tie assets up if asked ?

Branthwaite just didn't fit our dreadful possession based style of play i think it was as simple as that. THB was better on the ball and more comfortable. Put Branthwaite in now he'd probably have looked ok.

Why expect Butterworth to walk into the team looking like the finished article though ? It's taken Rothwell a long time to become what he is at the min so a young lad will need time.....and minutes

Has the fat man ever actually walked around the stadium or can he only find his way in and out of corporate ? Does he even realize all this like the weeds last summer reflects on him and not those thousands of miles away ? He doesn't need a premier league budget to keep a stadium clean and tidy.

There was the talk that him and Venus had opposite views about how to play fueled by the Graham interview. Then at times last season he's slumped on the bench whilst Venus was on the touchline. That hasn't been the case this season so far so there might be something in that. Imo this team is self motivating being all young lads with points to prove. So the dynamic has changed a bit just from that and we are seeing the benefits of fit young hungry players over more experienced but set in their ways journeymen.

That's why i fear a revert to type at some point, probably after a defeat or wobble the inevitable rotating and sitting back will start again. We've seen it before but we've never had a side as spectacular as this so if he drastically changes things again and we fall away there'll be hell to pay on here.

Why would anyone want to dampen optimism ? He's just worried about his own arse again if things fall away it's called preparing the ground. He really should be backing his players to the hilt and feeding the flames of confidence with every sinew he can. The fella has obviously been doing something right but by god he's hard to listen to at times. Can only hope he plays a really different tune away from the microphones.

Good old Lucas turned down Liverpool for West Ham and 75k a week from the 30 ish he was on at Rovers. Lucas still ended up bankrupt so not a great example to use i don't think.

It keeps being spun on here as breaking the wage structure but there is no evidence of that. It's assumed most of these guys are on lower end wages and the might want parity with some others. That results in a large rise % wise from what they are on now but not necessarily busting 15 grand a week each. Waggot and co seem to be judging them on future values if we read whats been said i'e what he thinks they might sell for in a season or two after the club has committed to pay rises. That's not the same as trying to say oh they all want what Gallagher is on. Gallagher who's been offered an extension by the way despite being high paid but more of a squad man - because he's a striker so 'might' double in value quickly. They need to look at these lads as how important they are to the team and club and not oh we'll only offer you a couple of grand more because you'll never be worth more than 2 or 3 million. Really, who trusts Waggots judgement ? There's very little evidence for that because he's landed us in this situation in the first place.

Tough one to judge today given it's the week before Christmas and the covid ballaches but not a disaster. Still a shame though as the team deserve so much better but it also re-enforces the price is an issue narrative. Those who say it isn't are applying Premier league thinking saying price doesn't matter if we are doing well they come. Maybe but in this division they don't they pick and choose until perhaps the run in if we are still thereabouts. Always been the same when we've spent years bumbling along in the second tier. Now if only we'd had a sensible enough ST policy that retained more of the 10 k we used to have not long ago..

A lot of it was justified but now so are the plaudits he finally seems to have found his niche however its come about. Key to all this though is legs and desire each player both individually as a team have. They want to win every game not just turn up and from front to back they are also striving for clean sheets. We've never had balance or every player looking comfortable in their positions under TM, ever. We have now, i pray he doesn't alter it we've nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Ironically we are seeing the best league effort in the Championship with what is now probably the lowest wage model employed under venkys. Probably won't be enough for promotion but just puts the spotlight back again on the management who've constantly pushed it to breaking point. Loading it with under performers that didn't suit the style of play mostly.

Protecting future assets is absolutely paramount, especially tying them down before they peak and start demanding big contracts....

Right so i go on the NHS app to get a pass and punch in the required details then it comes back and says we can't match you. So they need a driving license photo, several attempts at that with as good a photo as you can get on my phone it says no not good enough. We need to scan your face as well, so face scanned 3 times then it says yes that's confirmed. Now please punch in your details..again. Then it says we've found you we'll email you what you to do next but it may take 24 hrs. What a load of tripe this is.

I'm taking a punt here purely from a gut feeling but wouldn't be surprised if it's Kaminski who might be an out the blue sale in Jan.

Are they actually bothered about that though now after being stung by it first time around ? Or are they more content now with it sat in a corner of their portfolio swallowing / recycling a certain amount of profit every year. Whilst some of them lower down the food chain amuse themselves playing around with it when they feel like it ? Real life football manager, the Indian version.

I really don't know why people are having a go at each other on here as if it was that potentially serious the Govt would call all games off or go into lockdown. If the EFL or club had the same morals some are accusing others of lacking they'd call it off. As it is it's a personal choice so if you want to go go if you don't then don't but stfu about it.

I think that when/if BB departs there'll be another change in style of play in order to try and get the best out of Gallagher. The mission will be to turn him into a profit yielding player, that's a tall order but you never know.