I really think Nobbers are the type of team we continually struggle against. They are physical, play on the fringes of the laws and are generally in your face. Against the Watfords and Bournemouths we can play with a bit of freedom because they let you. Mowbray simply hasn't come up with a way to play against the likes of Nobbers, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, Millwall etc which is an indictment on the last three and a half years under him. In my view you simply have to fight fire with fire but the raw materials just aren't there.

Normally Tyrone I do too but I couldn't help with this one. In all honesty if Kean had come out with such ramblings we would still be ridiculing him for it.

The bit you have highlighted is absolute gobbledygook.

He was a boy in a man's body when he was 12 ??.

I edited my original post. Pearson played twenty minutes on Saturday.

I think Pearson is out for them and he provides a lot of that bite for them. Also Browne was missing on Saturday which I read was Covid related. Edit: Scrap the Pearson comment - he played twenty minutes for them on Saturday.

It's good topic to discuss and I'm with you - the range and quality of merchandise is poor and generally overpriced. For ages I've been looking for a blue and white scarf of the University type which is striped rather than the bar type. I even asked but was told they wouldn't be stocking any as they didn't think there would be a big demand. With Christmas just around the corner most clubs have many items with a club and Christmas theme but aside from jumpers and cards I don't think we do anything. My daughter always got me a voucher for the shop at Christmas but I asked her not to get me anymore because, like you I ended up with bags of sweets and tat.

Pure conjecture Philip. If's, buts and maybes. The fact is we are just not kicking on as many thought we would. Mid table is where the level of Mowbrays managerial ability tells me where we should be. He is Mr Average, good runs, bad runs interspersed with really good play and poor play with very little consistency. After seven turgid years of that lot many thought he is just what we needed and that could well be true of his first couple of years but when we should be kicking on we are still stuck in the long grass. I just want better for my club.

I haven't heard Josh which indicates there are late decisions to make with illness and players unable to train yesterday.

My view is that it strengthened his position within the club. It gives him even greater autonomy having a chief executive who he had a hand in appointing. If the rumours of Swag retiring are true his successor will be an interesting appointment.

Yes Matty it's now apparent that Mowbray has engineered himself into a pretty much autonomous position, more by chance though I think. Lots have bought into his slow build mantra and in fairness he does a decent selling job on most aspects of the playing side to the masses, mainly through his good honest guy, working class stuff. He is undoubtedly the best appointment they have made after a succession of crooks and under achievers and lots of fans are happy with that fact. My view is that it's a really low bar. Personally I don't buy all his bluster.

The friends and family I go with very rarely give them a mention, probably a case of out of sight, out of mind so I can't gauge how they feel. I think that's the case with a lot of fans who don't use message boards and other social media.

This game last season kind of summed Mowbray up to me. We were really good for most of the first half, bossing play and deservedly two up. Neil made a bold change after half an hour taking off his playmaker replacing him with a lump. In the second half they physically mullered us and Mowbray simply didn't react although the writing was on the wall for many of us. I distinctly remember saying to the group I was with at half time "who would take a draw now?" All but one said they would as we had the foreboding that Mowbray didn't.

I don't understand why Mowbray has to speak to the owners about new contract extensions for current players who are real assets. Surely he and Waggott control the budget for the playing side and they should be able to sit down with the players representatives and start negotiations. I wonder if he spoke to them about the extensions that some of the dead wood were given over the summer?

I worked it out as 27 league games on average per season.

I don't know the credibility of this website but it covers the missing years from above. He missed almost a third of each of the seasons. https://www.flashscore.com/player/ayala-daniel/OtrQ5vXo/

There are a few missing years there or does it imply that he wasn't injured in that time?

Hibernating? ??? My main issue here is that he has a three year deal and has turned 30. His ability is not in doubt for me but three years is too long.

According to Soccerbase he played 167 times for Middlesbrough in six and a half years. https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=52027

He liked a 'tackle'.

Some players have a reputation for it in the modern game and we have had our fair share. I remember many years ago and I was at Sheffield Wednesday as fourth official and Benito Carbone went down like he had been shot. My instinct told me that the physio would be busting a gut to get on to assess and treat the seemingly stricken Italian so I stood on the touchline to manage this. The referee signalled the physio on and I expected him to be breathing down my neck but he was just about standing up, still in the dug out. He literally ambled on to the pitch and very quickly off again as Carbone was several yards behind him. I knew Dave Galley, the physio quite well so later asked him what it was about. He winked and said "you have to know your players" inferring that Carbone was a mard arse.

I honestly fear we have bought a pup. He is 30 now and we gave him a three year deal. Madness.

The spectre of Coyle still lingers. That relegation he engineered cost £6m in lost tv revenue alone plus other expenses in paying off some of the garbage like Stokes who he brought in.

Sue, sue, sue for defamation.

That is a good representation and summation Ian. Have you moved to the dark side? Host of the BFCS podcast indeed ???.