philipl

Plenty of time during the first 100 minutes of the Play-off Final last night to reflect on what an absolute plank Mowbray is. If he had kept Raya, gone balls out to bring Harrison Reed back for another season on a loan with option to buy and left Walton, Johnson and Gallagher well alone then... 1) we would be financially in a better place 2) Travis and Reed would have been the best central midfield pairing in the division- probably worth at least half a dozen points. 3) Buckley, Rankin-Costello, Vale, Davenport and Chapman would have had more game time and we would have seen a lot more of the promise shown in the fag end of last season and I bet at least one would have kicked on as a challenger for a first team regular slot 4) Raya would have dropped clangers but less than Walton and would have pulled of saves Walton can only dream of- probably worth at least another six points. 5) We would have made the Play-offs even despite Mowbray cock ups gifting away points left right and centre. I am not following the transfer thread this summer. If it is anything like last summer we will be materially worse off at the end of the window than we were at the start. In fact I hope Mowbray has been superglued away from phone, fax and internet and the tea lady told to go get a new keeper.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/sports/soccer/fifa-gianni-infantino-investigation.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20200731&instance_id=20856&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=51793659&segment_id=34861&user_id=ea9bf3fba8ef2ae1ebee7fe2fad99a21 Infantino, Head of FIFA, under criminal investigation.

Incidentally, do watch the highlights of the Forest Stoke game for the grown men crying at the end. Stoke really rode their luck but absolutely slammed them at the end.

But for Mowbray, we'd be playing tonight

I would not give Mowbray any transfer budget beyond £2m or £3m to replace Raya with. The Cat A Academy is producing talent and when fit we have good cover in every position.

We have learned that Mowbray mistakes are costing us at least 12 points a season from his 2.3 seasons in the Championship with us. No way will we get a team good enough to overcome that inherent handicap. Wake me up when Mowbray is gone.

Championship has some of the most biased referees in Europe: Use this link to see what has happened to referee bias and home advantage in the era of no fans: https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/07/25/empty-stadiums-have-shrunk-football-teams-home-advantage?utm_campaign=coronavirus-special-edition&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=salesforce-marketing-cloud&utm_term=2020-07-25&utm_content=article-link-7

One of those defeats which feels even worse the next day. We owe Charlton fans a big apology.

Now a no brainer to remove Mowbray.

Have to fancy Swansea against Brentford now. But for Parker as boss, Fulham should have walked the league. They will be better than Cardiff but Cardiff found the guts when we didn't.

We finished 20 points off automatic promotion and 7 points off the play-offs. We are a lot closer to relegation than the Premier League. With this squad of players over 46 games, that is managerial failure, Plain and simple.

W17 D12 L17 Zero progress Rubbish resumption Players good enough for top 6, Mowbray isn't.

That has to be the end of Mowbray

Mowbray determined to lose this one. Bennett on and keeping Johnson on.

Thank you Mowbray. Great job. Now go.

I'd use all 5 subs starting with 3 at half time. I'd replace Johnson, Johnson and Johnson. Luton got the measure of this outfit.

Tykes praying we score a 4th at Luton. If it goes in the Luton net, Barnsley stay up as things stand.

Johnson has had an absolute mare that half. Walton could certainly have stopped Carter's og if he were an athlete.

Usual garbage getting in and no sound. Guys, this is NOT difficult to get right.

This is crazy. A game when he could be forgiven for experimentation, Mowbray throws on the most attacking XI he can with all players having obvious roles to play. Luton because of Wigan might be tempted to play it cagey for a draw.

Really want Wigan to win tonight.

Reckon it will be 4-6 to us this evening. or 0-0 to the 89th minute...

Seriously, we need a damned good keeper and I would push the boat out on that signing. One Greg Cunningham type signing or another season of Tosin and I think we are ok based on Carter's performance yesterday.

Prior to Derby we were in a strong position to secure a play off place and what has followed has been utterly mediocre leavened by beating a Bristol City side that had lost its way, a very good win at Cardiff and nearly screwing up against Reading. We have leaked goals for fun. Mowbray mistakes are always going to cost us at least ten points a season so unless the Raos (and FFP is scrapped) are going to fund a squad good enough to get 90+ points, Premier League is impossible under Mowbray. The Academy is yielding results. Time to say thank you Tony and let Damien Johnson finish the job.

Broke my voodoo by Rovers winning at Cardiff. We lost at home to.Luton in a Mowbray horror show when selection tactics subs and motivation were all wrong to.set up this absolute must win game ... For Luton. I fancy us to win this and get close to the 5 Reading scored at Kenilworth Road. Luton are a very limited side and even with injuries we probably have two complete elevens who could beat them. I would like to see yesterday's starting team with Buckley in place of Johnson. I fancy Luton tactics will be to keep it tight and profit from the inevitable Rovers mistakes. Total dig in if Luton get ahead. If we score first we will get lots of chances to add to the lead.