The Neil thing were i was concerned started a while back just before we got our 1 in 12. Whilst the calls grew louder for change so did the 'but who can we get' replies as a host of bigger names got scoffed at. So it was a fair enough comment to suggest having a look at others in this league who were doing well on less resources. And had decent recent track records instead of the usual scrapheap challenge. Looking at someone like Neil was perfectly realistic and he would have been surely interested in listening at least. A promotion within the last decade, keeping a smaller club with less resources and budgets batting at the right end and out doing the likes of Rovers season on season. All made him or someone like him a logic choice for what many might just see as a sideways step but a change for the right reasons. All that though was based on a change in summer but his stock has fallen a bit now. There'll be plenty reasons for that just like there's a few contributed to the bad season here. We are still though far better equipped than them and if we do finish above them it's probably because they've made the wrong choice, says it all really. Wouldn't be right bringing him in now though as he'll likely need a break from it all. We need to set our sights higher but more than likely we'll stay as we are and he'll turn up somewhere else next season taking points of us.

Head and shoulders above both. I dread to think how some present era managers would contrive to waste Garners talent.

He did turn up once and was treated to a 5 star performance. Proves they are coasting it here most of the rest of the time. Send the boy home happy once in a while and everything is fine by the looks of it. That's the beauty of a high priced toy, it's there and it works fine when you want to play with it. Then when you can't be arsed you're not really bothered where it is or if it works or not.

Completely different players so the like for like comparisons are a bit wide of the mark ( unlike JR 😁 ). You could probably get away with both of them in a 3 pronged attack because Armstrong is more versatile and suits the wider roles. Rhodes is very much the middle of the attack man.

Nice way to spin it on its head completely out of context. leave that for the politics threads. I know you're a confirmed Rhodes hater den but you'll just have to suck it up. He'd score a pon full in this system Mowbray has now.

Chalk and cheese Rhodes and Arma though, one a pure central poacher / finisher the other a pacey shoot on sight left sided striker. Annoying as it seemed sometimes Rhodes could be a passenger yet still win games or earn a point. Armstrong in this Rovers set up has to get up and down a bit otherwise he'll contribute nothing. I'd wager Rhodes in Mowbrays possession/stats obsessed style would have earned us a few more points in these close loses Tony rates so much.

Figures of 16 million back to Newcastle swirling around now so that would leave us with about 7 mill ? After the initial 3 m and 40% sell on discount. Great deal for them well worth a punt but not so great for us. That'll cover whats already been spent on Brereton probably, i'm pretty sure the signings of him and Gallagher were front loading using the eventual fee for Dack. That fell through so something will have to cover it but even if not running costs will soon gobble up 7 mill. Even if not what would TM do with it apart from sifting through Boro's availability list ?

1 win in 12 should be taking him back to Saltburn permanently. It would at most other clubs but here they keep their nerve, so the process can be repeated.

And why not ? He's had them finishing above us twice and might well have again. Less resources than the midtable messiah and doesn't have the luxury of an under 23's academy to choose from. As Dolan will testify and what do Tony's groupies think will actually happen here if we sell a couple of our best players ? If the dice was going to be rolled we could do worse than Neil i reckon.

I wonder what he could have done with 12 million ? Providing he was the one allowed to spend it of course.

We should've seen more of that though this season it's only like the 442 sides used to go 451. Pack the middle at away games at better sides or just go for it and try and catch them out. If you want to get into the top 6 you have to try and take something from every game. Not just this shoulder shrugging we'll play our way and see what happens. I'd rather see them play shite and come away more often will a point or even nick the odd win. Even if it's a bit negative it doesn't matter we aren't going to away games against the top sides to get a pat on the back for playing well but losing. This is why you need a top 6 focused manage not a guy constantly caught between devil and deep blue sea.

Sounds a bit like Shaw who seemed to hang around like a bad smell until he'd finally overseen the Rhodes departure.

I see quite a lot of No-benders angry at this and blaming Ridsale, saying he's a good manager but what can they expect selling their best players. That'll be Mowbrays next excuse here once the summer sales have taken their toll.

And his promotion was less than a decade ago i think.

I'd be all over a swap with Neil for Mowbray just for a new voice and a bit more aggression. Sums that lot up and their gynormous Rovers sized chips on their shoulders that they'd want a guy who's achieved less with more than Neil has done with them. He's got them punching way above their current weight. Clowns.

I agree back line not good enough overall and never has been since relegation. Was just assuming signing THB on a season long loan would have proved better than wasting a contract on Ayala. All comes back to the conductor / organ grinder again though. If could source - in 4 years - at least ONE good defender to buy we'd be a bit better off.

Wonder if the season might have bore more fruit had we had Harwood-Bellis on loan from the off ? I'm one who moaned for our own recruits instead of the false economy of these expensive young loans. However both this lad and Tosin though along with Elliot have been good enough to play in a successful championship side. It's the rest of it that falls short.

Waggot not having any power is a good thing imo.

The million dollar question is still why do they use the same agencies managers all the time.

Suhail the alleged connected, to SEM etc Now consider him and Barry and all that went before with their advisor pals. Now HSH regularly provide the likes of Mowbray. Do we want top 6 really or are they content in growing a squad of youth to start wheeling and dealing. Propped up by journeymen and loans coming in and out. What's to gain by challenging the play offs versus sitting in the middle and starting a conveyor belt ? Prem promotion is a pipe dream, getting % from player trading isn't. Who's still in the middle of all this ? This summer it begins...

To be fair not many teams will go against Norwich and not concede a number of chances to them if not goals. Fortunately they'd lost their shooting boots and we defended well. He got that bit of it right yesterday but again playing these kind of sides suits us better than the blood and thunder ones. There's more of them in this div than the Norwich types. We've defended a lot better recently and i think THB is a big reason in that there's quality about that kid. Recruitment dept have done another good job there what a pity they weren't calling the shots to recruit forwards !

Someone tweeted there was 19 changes in the last game and this one. Riddiculous, everything he does season in season out flies in the face of gaining any kind of consistency, or balance.

I'll sit here now and tell anyone who wants to listen that even if he keeps this squad together and signs a 20 million pound striker in summer it won't make any difference. There'll be something else the reason for the under performing, the 5th choice defensive mid being out or a new brand of tea bags at the training ground or something.

He's only doing what he's doing now because the season is dead and like i said he's back to trotting out lines about the kids. Yet a season or so ago he was bemoaning lack of experience being the problem. Since then he got backing for wages for Downing, Holtby, Johnson and now Douglas, Trybull and Ayala. Dack is out and AA is being rested but chances are his main men would consist of most of them if all fit. Just covering his backside now having flunked what he told us was a squad he was expecting to be challenging the top 6. Stealthily switch it back to the kids now as if he's pulling some kind of masterstroke in prep for next season. He's full of shit and like him or not if they can't see the ducking and diving he's doing to avoid any accountability for a wasted season then i'd suggest they just don't want too.

He'll just completely move the goal posts again between now and summer. He's back to peddling the 'see where these kids take us line now'. Soon as it's ST time again he'll be trotting out the top 6 line, don't want to hang around in the middle, owners want us back in the Prem guff. Luckiest manager in England with the cushiest job in the championship.