His first transfer window was ahead of a League 1 season. Apart from a few good veterans, there was barely any quality at the club when he joined. Obviously their jobs were massively different. Mowbray did a pretty good job, made us much better than when he came in, and moved on. His net spend across those five years can't have been much more than nil. If Tomasson had 5 years, direct comparisons would be futile because the jobs would be from totally contrasting starts. But as I said, it's irrelevant to the point about Tomasson and the style he is bringing in anyway, he has different targets and it is all about building upon those good foundations.

3 permanent players. All replaced by players with fees. Loans allowed to replace those who left. Either way, the states of the club that both inherited are chalk and cheese, therefore Mowbray bashing is an unnecessary aspect to judging Tomasson and the style of play.

Not comparable situations. Mowbray inherited a side full of ageing freebies 2/3 of the way into a season in which we were in the bottom 3. Tomasson inherited a team that had finished 8th, yes 3 players left due to poor ownership but they were replaced with players who we paid fees for. And we signed more loans to replace the ones that left. I know Mowbray bashing is the forums favourite past time but why it can't be a case of Mowbray has gone having left us in a much more favourable place than he inherited and a focus on what Tomasson can do to push us further is beyond me. The question is, will the new style allow us to push on and finally break into the top 6. When the style really bedded in, results actually dipped even though performances improved, so the acid test is seeing if they correlate this season.

You can go through any season and point to what if moments too. The season before, we had Gyokeres scoring a 99th minute equaliser when Nyambe was limping around, Khadra missing a penalty at Sheff Utd and then them scoring a 92nd minute rebound from a corner, Hull postponing a game last minute and winning the replayed fixture, Edun's red card at Peterborough etc.

Hopefully that will be represented in more points this season which will reduce the amount of discussion about how quickly the ball is being released! The post mortem discussed by Broughton suggested that all the "metrics" towards the end of the season displayed progression. It did look better on the eye but the lack of points during that period is definitely a concern.

If we genuinely play solely to try and make players more valuable, rather than with the primary aim of getting results (which will maximise values quicker if we are doing well) and it isn't just cliches and hot air, then we are fucked.

The worry is that although we definitely improved aesthetically in terms of being less ponderous and more confident in playing how we had been taught to play, results fell away. The key is actually whether it will lead to better results.

No pressure then.

There is a modern tactic though where full backs like to naturally float into midfield and help a team to dominate, and he is brilliant at that from right back, so I would be reluctant to move him. He is also just as effective defensively as Brittain is, maybe even more.

The target has to be to better last season, otherwise there's no point banging on about a project ad nauseum. Whether it will happen, not at all convinced. So soon into pre season, business to be done, in and out, both here and elsewhere. Could be a stronger division this year. 3 big clubs coming down. Unsure how the teams above/around us will fare, Coventry have lost Gyokeres but have gained Simms and likely will add more, Sunderland have lost Diallo but have Stewart to come back, Boro seem busy in the market but have lost Archer/Giles, so lots of uncertainty. Just have to hope that we are stronger collectively. If Kaminski goes, we are then weaker in net. If we can get Batth over the line, the defence looks stronger, especially with Rankin Costello an upgrade on Brittain, if he plays there. Hopefully Tronstad and a full season of Adam Wharton can really improve the midfield, the big question mark is up top. We are miles weaker on an already low scoring attack, so all depends who comes in. Ennis looks a curious one, hope he doesn't spend most of the season on the treatment table, and Sigurdsson is a big unknown.

It was the second save that was particularly impressive, when it came back out I expected him to put away the rebound.

Colwill kicked the bottom of Ruiz's boot, foul surely. Doesn't matter anyway.

Say they signed Harwood-Bellis back and a couple of the other players on show tonight, would you want them to do well in general?

You hope that a Burnley player is superb? Can't fathom that. It's not a problem, my point wasn't specific to England, it was more than I feel like the under 21 age group has probably reduced in importance with senior teams tending to be younger than ever and with a few of these being up to the age of 23. A lot of these attacking England players (Smith-Rowe, Palmer, Gordon, Jones) aren't regulars. Talented players, maybe some need moves elsewhere. Of course the fact that I think some of these players will struggle for senior caps is mainly a positive reflection on the strength in depth we have already in and around the senior squad.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/23643017.maybe-four---tomasson-makes-blackburn-rovers-signing-pledge/ Mentions wanting 3-4 players, 2 loans and 2 permanents potentially. Specifically said he wants them as soon as possible to get them integrated, personally not sure that will happen if we wants loans especially with the next week being spent away. Also mentioned a potential experienced centre back and how the striker is likely to be a loan. If we get 4, I think striker, right wing and centre back are obvious, think we also could do with a left back as although Pickering is underrated by many, we only have him as a senior option. Edit: meant for the transfer thread. Please can it be moved.

Suggests that Ennis is already injured. Hopefully just "not match fit."

I know, the main point was at the actual age group and how I feel that its importance has perhaps waned with senior teams now getting younger and younger. A number of years ago, these players would look up and see a much older average age of senior side so more of a pathway was there. I am not convinced that many of this team will get many/any caps at senior level. Max Aarons and James Garner will do well to get any. Emile Smith Rowe, probably needs to move club as he will barely play for Arsenal, Curtis Jones, unlikely to play much for Liverpool with their 2 new signings, Gibbs-White, good player but nothing special, Gordon talented but again nothing special. None of these come close to the attacking players we have, not many would, but the key thing is many of those players at senior level are also young. Cole Palmer maybe has the best chance just because of his age. There obviously is a lack of quality at centre back, allowing for when Southgate goes and hopefully Maguire will finally drop out of the squad. Colwill is a good player, showed that at Brighton, Harwood-Bellis more uncertain. Hopefully Trafford crashes and burns at Burnley.

The constant reduction in average ages in senior football combined with the flexibility of allowing players who are 21 at the start of qualifying to still be eligible nearly 2 years later (ie at 23) has almost weirdly made this age group feel redundant, at least from an England perspective. Under age teams are obviously intended to be a pathway to senior football. You look through this England side, are the likes of Max Aarons and James Garner ever going to make it at senior level? Probably not. There is a chance for players at centre back so Colwill surely has a good chance but even then, Southgate loves Maguire so much regardless of how bad he is, so its even tough for him. And the likes of Gordon, Jones, Gibbs-White and Smith Rowe, only Gibbs-White is likely to play regular at senior level in the immediate future (that doesn't seem to matter to Southgate, but still) and they are all up against it with better talents already regularly playing at senior level despite either not being older (Foden, Saka, Bellingham etc) or players in their prime years in Grealish, Rashford, Sterling, Maddison etc.

The Charlton was forced by injuries to a few to be fair.

Surely nobody has to buy a ssason ticket then either, doesnt mean people cant comment on how dear those are too. The cost of watching live football legally in this country are extortionate.

Not sure people would resort to digging out DVDs if Sky no longer had shows on!

The worry is that when he was out, that didn't really happen. Big onus on Sigurdsson/Ennis/any other newbies scoring some goals.

Not a realistic proposition anyway, but he would massively improve us. Difficult to judge being in and out (and often wide when he did play) at a much higher level. But stick him up front and he would score goals which is what we need.

I never said he was. But he scored 16 goals, the second highest was 8. He scored 37 in 2 seasons, no one anywhere near that.

One thing I am sure of (really unsure whether he can step up in La Liga) is that he leaves a huge hole in our team, probably more than many realise. So reliant on his goals and goalscorers arent easy to come by. I wonder if some of the excitement around Sigurdsson comes around the potential for him to become a cult hero. Brereton not only was a key player but seemingly a popular one with the whole (under marketed) Diaz/Chile situation. A striker from Plymouth, he might come in and do well and lets hope so but I dont see him as potentially a cult hero, but Sigurdsson does have that vibe. The kind of player that everyone could be talking about.