Where is this from? I seriously hope not.

Bournemouth have made a very good signing in Emiliano Marcondes who scored in the play off final. Meanwhile we, well still havent clarified the extent and timescales on the transfer embargo.

Just bizarre that he doesnt factor a manager that he himself admits needs sacking in his prediction ahead of the new season.

Should we be targetting the play offs? Yes, I would say so. But do I think that under Mowbray and with the current squad, we can get anywhere close? Not at all. He doesnt need excuses, the owners dont care and the CEO is his mate. His job is safe.

Why cant he have more excuses? If he was being judged on results like any other club, he would have long since been sacked but he hasnt been. He is failing but it doesnt matter to our absent owners. You are confusing where you think we should expect to be with where you actually think that we will be. Our target ahead of the last 2 seasons was the play offs and we got nowhere near in either season, considerably regressing in the last one. Why would you logically expect the same manager to suddenly start taking us forward when you yourself have also said that he should have been replaced? We should be closer to the play offs, but that assumes that the manager is competent to take us forward. I think that we need more experience to be honest. Our team lacks character and lacks know how. Although Barnsleys' signings last season included 29 year old Matty James, 26 year old Dominik Freiser ans 25 year olds Carlton Morris and Michal Helik, and have just signed 26 year old Devante Cole, so hardly just under 24 year olds. But even so, our policy is very much haphazard, random signings, many on loan, and many with links to Teeside. Will that suddenly change to a well oiled recruitment drive? Doubtful.

Millwall have also made a triple signing, Benik Afobe, George Savile and Daniel Ballard. Peterborough have made a number of signings too, Jack Marriott and Jorge Grant the most eye catching two.

Surely the emphasis would be to get more from the current squad for a new manager? A low budget is to be expected but most teams have a low budget, doesnt mean that we should accept a manager who is forcing regression.

Suppose that Boro have some young talent like Fry, Tavernier, Spence, Wood and Coulson so he has a nice mix. Our squad looks very inexperienced at the moment. Need some know how.

What could happen over pre season that could outweigh the years of evidence prior?

Swansea have also bought a young striker from PSV and Middlesbrough have signed Sammy Ameobi, Uche Ikpeazu and Lee Peltier. Here at Ewood, some dont even feel that we deserve to know the situation regarding our transfer embargo.

Is that the answer even to the Mowbray question?

Not perfectly efficient, no club is, but their proactive recruitment of both a manager and some good players led to them finishing in the play offs, 21 points ahead of us. Where do you think we will finish this season? Do you think that Mowbray needs replacing?

If my attendance was dependant on an expectation or optimism of a genuine and serious prospect of a play off push then I wouldn't have had many if any season tickets since Venkys took over. As others have touched on, there is a difference between what you think we should be aiming for and where you think we will end up. The manager is the same and the overall structure is very much the opposite of Barnsley, they are efficient, we are negligent. Why do you expect that Mowbray will suddenly turn things around, which he would need to do in order to push us towards the expectations that you have?

Seems like the Ben Sheaf rumours were a load of rubbish. He has joined Coventry permanently as expected.

Whether the squad has talent and to what degree we can debate until the cows come home, but the key is that it will be the same manager. Why is he going to suddenly unlock that talent more consistently? The possession based nonsense and the wide striker and false 9 experiments wont suddenly be shelved under Mowbray. To look at your scenario first rigger on the assumption that our only further signing would be another left back. And maybe an Armstrong replacement, which will be practically impossible to replace a 28 goal striker. So the same manager, and otherwise the same squad aside from some loanee returns and untested kids replacing Elliott, Harwood Bellis, Holtby, Evans etc. I cant see how the natural conclusion would be to finish in the top 10 from that. With a poorer squad (I am happy with the released players in that we had little value from them but without them yet no external replacements, we are undoubtedly weaker) I would suspect slightly lower than 15th. If we was to assume that we have scope to sign players as per your scenario chaddy, there is a bit more scope for a higher finish but that is then reliant on Mowbrays recruitment and even then following an embargo to which we have no clue on when it will end, and other teams and players wont wait for us. We will need to replace the goals and assists of Elliott and maybe Armstrong, and Harwood Bellis will be a miss too. Not much scope for optimism under Mowbray. Mediocrity would be my guess, closer to the bottom 3 than the top 6.

If we went into the season with the current squad including another left back, and if Armstrong leaves, a replacement, where do you think we would finish? Under Mowbray of course.

I suspect that you have been conditioned into thinking that a total disregard towards towards supporters is ok. As long as the official twitter churns out endless pictures of our skeletal squad coming back for pre season, what is there to worry about. We have no idea what the situation is, even the journalist for the local newspaper is unsure even whether the submission of the accounts will remove the embargo or whether FFP is the reason. The club should come out and explain the exact situation.

The lack of clarity and transparency from the club regarding the embargo we are under is pitiful.

Do you have a link? Thought it looked like he would join QPR permanently.

Where is this from? 9 minutes of senior football ever is hardly one to get excited about to be fair.

A cryptic no nothing at his absolute best there!

I find the opinions from fans who have seen players playing week in week out to be useful, of course taken with a pinch of salt, its never going to be an exact science regarding how they would do here, there could be various reasons, for example West Brom fans didn't rate Adarabioyo but that was playing in the wrong position. I thought with Douglas that they liked him as a person as he barely played due to injury.

No point torturing yourself.

All rather underwhelming. The further embargo would be of no surprise really, continued incompetence. The Chapman signing makes little sense and maybe @Miller11 hits the nail on the head that it is out of necessity due to the embargo? Either way, he obviously has talent but he quite clearly isnt fancied by Mowbray so is there any point? Reach has always come across as a highlights player, capable of occasional brilliance but usually does little. Obvious talent in there but also a lazy signing for Mowbray who has a European scouting network specifically in Teeside. Safe to say that Sheffield Wednesday fans wouldnt recommend him: https://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/topic/300647-adam-reach-bristol-city/?tab=comments#comment-9800611

I suppose you are right in that it is neither here nor there. I also dont think that boycotts, protests or indeed anything we do make any difference whatsoever sadly. Him defending under performing mamagers or deluding himself into expecting proactive recruitment etc again as you say is irrelevant, and I cant argue with much of what you say in regards to the misery that Venkys have and will continue to inflict on us.