Won't be missed?! Ok, nonsense about Armstrong aside and focusing on Rothwell aside, he has started 29 of the 39 games he has been fit in, from a central position that he craved, and coming on in the other 10. He has contributed very little. I think it is more than a north east accent that he is lacking. It makes no sense for Armstrong to sign a new deal, even if he doesnt go this summer the power is with him. Regarding us, I dread to think where we go with Mowbray in charge and an inferior replacement, more reliance on the 12m duo and a relegation fight.

I suspect that if you played Dolan in the same role across the season as Armstrong, he would struggle to score a quarter of the goals that Armstrong managed.

I can't see that being true, I am not convinced that there would be much interest in Rothwell and certainly none from Armstrong at signing a new deal. Rothwell has hid behind excuses yet has flattered to deceive throughout his Rovers career so I wouldnt lose any sleep over his departure. @Stuart there is absolutely no way that "we are a better team" when Armstrong doesnt play. All this "Movement, interplay, passing and movement, cohesion, body language" that crops up when he is absent led this season to 4 goals in 6 league games and 2 cup games which he was missing in. I understand your frustration that Mowbray is still in charge and I share it but this idea that Mowbray purposely creates a system with the primary objective of "artificially" boosting Armstrong's goal tally at the expense of the team is nonsense IMO aimed at added further fuel to the already blazing fire of arguments that lead to Mowbray needing to be sacked. Also, very few goalscorers score their goals perfectly proportionate across the season, it is very common for strikers to score morre during certain runs than others, Rhodes was the same, and Armstrong's biggest drought was 6 games scattered around 5 missed due to an injury he was clearly carrying. Had he not been here this season, simply putting someone else in this supposed role would not have led to the same quantity of goals and we would have likely gone down or had been very close to doing.

Johnson is at most a squad player and Bennett hasnt been competent even as a squad player since promotion. Nothing about that is sensible.

Because backup is worthless if said backup cannot do a competent job when needed.

Even if Rankin Costello does want to play further forward, Bennett is not a competent choice at right back or indeed anywhere anymore. Signing an incompetent player for another year is backwards.

We don't need backup in the position that he plays. He may well be a good role model and a decent bloke but that alone doesnt warrant a new deal, its a waste of finite resources for a player who is a liability in whatever position he plays.

Who are they?

Firstly, I am very happy to see all of those players released, Holtby and Evans didnt contribute much, Downing is past it and there has been a lot of revisionism in recent weeks around Bell, he has never, ever been anywhere near good enough. The potential contract extension (and indeed wording) of Bennett staying on is just dreadful, and screams of jobs for the boys in case he cant get an equal deal elsewhere. He hasnt contributed much for years, even in League 1 I was critical of his quality and every year he has declined further and further, he is not versatile because hes just not good enough in any position. There is no merit or logic to this decision. Johnson is also a lazy deal, hes been crap for us and is again declining, he is forever a liability on the ball repeatedly giving it away near our own box. It also says a lot that players like Rankin Costello and Rothwell (and even Nyambe who is not one of the very best right backs at this level) can have a hold over us whereby we can get them to sign new deals, players who have yet to proven that they are consistently capable or in the former's case fit enough to really impact at this level, whether it is our lack of ambition that puts them off or financially, either way it doesnt have a good look, Lenihan and Brereton also amongst players going into their final year.

What a peculiar argument. Firstly, his job is filled, I also don't think that Elliott Bennett shouldnt get a new contract but does that mean that to justify that opinion, I must apply for his job? I echo the thoughts of many that his articles do come across as very amateur.

To be fair, specifically to us, we know over a lengthy period of time that Corry Evans doesn't justify being one of the highest earners at the club. Far too injury prone, you might get 10 fairly effective performances per season from him. As an isolated decision, it is the correct one. Even if he goes to Stoke, that doesn't mean that we have made a mistake. Of course, it is an issue if Mowbray wanted to keep him and was unable to, although I havent seen such comments, that Mowbray is even here and im not confident as to who Mowbray will bring in.

I definitely think that there is a natural confirmation bias; I think all of us on here want Mowbray out so even when something logical happens, whether it be a win in a dead rubber, a player released or a player linked to sign, our natural reaction is to spin that back to our underlying dissatisfaction towards the manager. Corry Evans being released in any other circumstances would be unilaterally approved, yes it may hint at a cost cutting exercise, but under no circumstances really should a player who presumably for a significant wage can only contribute fleetingly within limits be kept on. Holtby and Downing are also corrently being released. I do fear however that Mowbrays lack of ruthlessness will again rear its ugly head when the retained list comes out, there is no reason that any of Johnson, Bell and Bennett should be retained, yet I fear that some if not all will.

Weve had loads of boring ends since the tosspots took over the club to be fair, but as well as the on field rubbish, it was made a million times worse by the empty stadiums and not being able to go. So I would agree yeah. All 3 since we came back up as well as a couple undee Bowyer and the one under Lambert, all seasons that died a death well before their natural conclusion. A decade of shit.

Because a youth player has extended his contract?

Wheres that from?

I have never seen Wintle play and I am not necessarily saying that I want Clucas, but I think we badly need some experience, especially with Holtby, Evans, Downing and hopefully Bennett and Johnson about to leave. We shouldnt be solely looking for younger players. We should be wary of signing too many players from League 1 though, he is the 4th player from mid table Crewe to be linked!

No not at all, I don't think he is anywhere near consistent or effective enough. But he has played centrally pretty much for the entirety of this season and not performed to a good enough level, so unsure its anything other than a cop out to just refrain from judging due to "appalling mismanagement." Of course, Mowbray signed him, so either way it is is responsibility.

I get some of them, but Kaminski has just won player of the season and Travis and Rothwell both have spent the season playing consistently when fit in their preferred positions, so not too sure about those 3. Lenihan is a mainstay in his favoured position when fit, and Brereton has gone from joke to average playing in a position that seems to suit him more. Gallagher out wide for example is an obvious one.

I dont think that anyone wants people to stop posting genuine (which not all of it is, not specific to any poster but many who claim to be in the know wont be) information to be fair to @Bigdoggsteel but equally, if information is cryptic to the point of being useless or nowhere near the mark, then people cant be expected to not at all question that or even refrain from a bit of light ribbing, just as if information does come to fruition then those "ITK's" will be the first to point out their correct information. Its a dangerous game when posters are or want to be treated differently in case they spit their dummy out and stop posting. I think we all want to here genuine information however. Its a rubbish situation though with Mowbray in charge. Glimmers of hope that he is about to go can either provide hope to some or wind up already frustrated others if it doesnt happen in equal measure.

Presumably not baseless, inaccurate and often made up and cryptic ones.

To be fair, Gayle is now 31 and has proven over his career that he is very much in that bracket of being very good at Championship level but not capable at Premier League level. Obviously I have no idea if they genuinely want Armstrong but looking at it, Callum Wilson is their main striker but he is injury prone and Armstrong may appeal in that he comes heavily discounted, he is only 24 so scope to improve and he is flexible so that he can play down the middle when Wilson inevitably is out rather than resorting to Joelinton and either with Wilson or from either side should Bruce want to play them both.

Understand?

From now until either a sudden press release down the line or his contract expires. Our absent owners clearly dont consider there to be a question regarding the manager, so he presumably wont be getting a dreaded vote of confidence either. He will just continue indefinitely.

Im not sure that having an inferior player at CB would have left our league position unchanged. The idea of loaning a clearly superior CB and loaning out ours to get valuable experience for me was a very logical one, Harwood Bellis was a good signing and the loan that Carter was sent on was a very successful one. The issue was that it was only done in January on the back of signing a solitary centre back last summer after the season started who wasnt fit for purpose.

Cant see Villa getting Abraham, past links aside. They already have Watkins and now Wesley is back fit, I think Dean Smith said that they arent getting a striker. Surely theres no chance that we can come close to Gayles wages. I also dont think that wed get anywhere near a full 15m to spend. Venkys would pocket a large amount.