Kaminski Nyambe Lenihan Ayala Pickering Travis Davenport Dolan Rothwell Khadra Brereton Subs: Pears, Edun, Wharton, Butterworth, Johnson, Buckley, Clarkson Fully expecting a back 3 but I would prefer the above, Davenport can give us more balance and Buckley was really poor at the weekend so bring Rothwell back in his place. Weak bench is a major concern.

As if we have the depth of squad to stick 3 key first teamers in the reserve prior to any sale. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Not every player should be signed to make a profit on, and conversation about wages and signing on fees is purely speculative.

This constantly repeated assertion that Venkys put in 20m a season given to a manager pleading "limited resources" implies that he receives that 20m a season. That is wrong on a few counts. The 20m is not a consistent "investment" for a start, it reached 20m last year in the first set of accounts to show any impact of covid, it has not been a recurruring "investment" under Venkys. The investment does not go to the manager or into the playing squad. Mowbrays budget over the 5 years in terms of fees wont be far off zero. Gallagher and Brereton were 12m, Raya 3.5m, profit on Armstrong close to 10m, a few other nominal fees under 1m here and there. That is all obviously before the consideration that the losses are as high as they are because of the owners, "owners input above average" my arse. Acting like a minnow compared to that, again nonsense. The investment is merely raising shares in another company to cover losses, hardly pumping in money out of ambition. This idea that the issues are concentrated within the management team are seemingly being repeated via an agenda. The hilarity of it all coming from the lack of responsibility that the owners take for the managements continued employment. And to make it clear, as has been the case for the last 18 months, I want a change of manager.

I thought that it was an unfortunate incident rather than anything malicious, in fact I don't even recall it being an obvious foul. I also don't think that he had started the game brightly to be "targeted."

Did they ever look better than they do at the moment? I know it doesnt fit the narrative and I appreciate that Nyambe was crap at the weekend but he is definitely better tham say he was at the start of last season, and Travis is maturing too.

His main 3 signings financially have been Armstrong, Brereton and Gallagher and between the 3, they are already close to generating a profit on fees from one sale, so when the second is sold (his contract technically ends in 2023) we will generate a profit. Gallagher is the poorest of the 3, but still isn't a total dud and the narrative about him being a wasted striker is for me proving disingenuous because when he plays centrally, especially this season, he is arguably less effective. I can't understand how personal bias/agenda aside, his transfer record could be seen as well below average. Average would be about right for me, and probably is proof of the theory that a manager is only as good as his recruitment, some obvious highlights but overall, mixed, ok, no more or less. Excellent owners would seldom appoint a poor manager, but everyone makes mistakes. So excellent owners would ensure that any underperforming managers are removed at the correct time. Owners and their managerial choices are interconnected, indeed a manager is as key as any in the performance of a set of owners. Hyperbole won't shift him either, nothing we say or do will. So whilst debating on here, we may aswell try to be balanced and reasonable.

You are yourself plucking figures out of thin air. Mowbray has said on countless occasions that he does not ideally like to sign players on loan deals and that he would always prefer permanent players. He also said in the summer that he was unable to even sign experience on loan because the selling club would want a significant wage contribution, whereas with younger players you can loan them by selling them the idea that they can gain experience, pointing to past examples including Elliott. I therefore think that in my opinion, it is almost certain that the signings in the summer were done so basically because that is all that we could afford. The only player out of those that I have seen the wage contribution of reported in the media was when Rich Sharpe said that we contributed only 2k a week towards the Trybull loan, and even then you take it with a pinch of salt. You certainly won't hear me defend Gallagher on a value for money basis, the wage again is a guess but 5m as a fee is widely reported and he certainly isn't worth that. He is not a player that I wanted us to sign or I rate highly but he does chip in with goals and there are certainly worse attackers in the league. I was just calling you out for suggesting that he has been "abysmal" or indeed in regards to suggesting that Mowbray's general transfer record is quite as bad as you seem keen to make out. I would suggest that it is ok, I suspect that once Brereton is sold we will be well in profit under him, but both permanently and on loan, there have been some brilliant signings, some poor ones and a lot in between. Perhaps indicative of his general career here, pretty decent, never threatening to be excellent in general but certainly not dreadful though. The reason that I feel like you are doing that is evident based on your ongoing debate with Gav in which you are very much solely focusing on Mowbray/Waggott and Gav is very consistent in suggesting that Venkys are the common denominator. The difference is that (unsure if it is based on the cryptic whispers that you seem so invested in) you won't overly engage in any Venkys based criticism even realising that they are the ones that continue to employ the 2 figures that you despise, whereas Gav again suggested before that he would like a change of manager and that Mowbray has outstayed his welcome. Gallagher or our general transfer record in the last 5 years being described as "abysmal" is the sort of hyperbole that can then focus angst back onto Mowbray, even if it is exaggerated.

Gallagher is certainly not an abysmal signing nor a dream/one of the first names on the teamsheet, or he shouldn't be. Can't hold the ball up, bring others into play, as bad at you'll find at any of that, but a reasonable goal return and plenty of powerful running means that abysmal is not fair, and I am far from his biggest fan. As and when we sell Brereton, Mowbray will overall have generated a profit in the market to be fair to him. His transfer record certainly isn't outstanding but its at least average/ok.

Waggott's lack of professionalism comes out further and further with each word of what he has allegedly told random fans. Simply shouldn't be speaking like this.

Did he? I have never seen signs of a style of play.

So you are given the United job, transfixed with these ideals you keep mentioning about how football should be played with pressing and high intensity and inheriting a squad including guaranteed goalscorers such as Ronaldo, Fernandes and Rashford who dont really fit those tactical ideals. Youve got 3 options, what would you do: 1. Play those star players especially Ronaldo and compromise on your ideals, playing tactics better suiting those players. 2. Play those star players especially Ronaldo who arent suited to pressing high but tell them that this how you want to play so you expect them to press high regardless. 3 Drop Ronaldo and Fernandes for inferior players such as Lingard but ones who are more likely to press high and fit your tactics.

Solskjaer never really had clearly defined tactics and was always reliant on individuals getting him out of the shit which Ronaldo has done more than most this season. You cant argue that he would play if United are picking their strongest team so its all about getting the best out of him, not expecting him to do thinks he cant (or wont) do to fit idealistic ideas of tactics. Pressing, high intensity football is not the way they should or can play based on the players they have.

Kane wouldnt press much either. I do have my doubts over the Ronaldo signing but lets face it, he is still a fantastic goalscorer and he has got them out of the shit more than once already. Mourinho has been the most successful manager since Ferguson and won trophies and he wasnt fussed about playing pretty football. These days there is a strange obsession over playing styles of football. The next manager should be judged solely on trophies.

Im not convinced that United have a squad best suited to pressing from the front. Ronaldo is a phenomenal goalscorer but he is not going to press much and Fernandes, Rashford and Sancho arent that type of player either. People obsess over idealistic styles of football but there is no right or wrong way to play, you get the best out of what you have. Perhaps a more pragmatic approach would best suit that set of players because they will win games if motivated and organised with those players at the top end of the pitch.

Its trophies that they should want above all else, not style.

The second half showed an improvement but we still didn't create too many chances still, points on the Ayala was definitely our best player winning every header and Davenport whilst unremarkable was quietly effective. Nyambe was all over the shop and I thought that Buckley was really poor too. The standard/quality in general was again very low, the standard of the Championship seems very low yet the prices are so so high.

Very difficult to expect a player to stop playing for his country, plus Nyambe doesn't always go anyway, he didn't last time due to concussion protocols I think and that is not the first international break that he has not played for Namibia. I wouldn't say that in general he is massively out of form by any means, but he was really poor yesterday, summed up by the foul throw. Would you say that for example Maguire should have pulled himself out of the latest England games, or would you be annoyed if Lenihan was called up but chose not to play to concentrate on Rovers?

I don't understand why Pochettino would be the man of choice, his reputation exceeds what he has actually won. Gutted that Solskjaer has gone. The players had long since stopped playing for him, and there was never any sign of any organisation or any plan, now they will improve without him.

Absolutely rubbish performance in which we simply havent offered any attacking threat. Nyambe has been terrible, Edun has been shaky too. Brereton has been piss poor as a central striker, clumsy and simply doesnt time his runs well enough, keeps straying offside. Khadra has good feet but never gets the last bit right, and Buckley has been really poor, like a performance from him 2 years ago. The sub wont help us get back into the game either.

Apparently travelled with the team which he presumably wouldn't if he wasn't available for selection.

Has Davenport ever played at left back? Makes no sense to have Clarkson as a sub over Pickering and I do wonder if it is potentially contractual, has he ever been left out of the squad?

I would have personally possibly played Pickering and Ayala but I do get sticking with a team that won last time out. Very strange that Pickering isn't at least on the bench though, the bench is imbalanced, do we need Clarkson on there when we have Rothwell and Johnson? We are fucked if either full back gets injured.

I think Davenport did enough against Sheffield United to warrant another start. It was probably his best performance in a Rovers shirt and crucially it adds some more balance that Rothwell beside Travis doesn't give.

Mowbray said that Ayala and Pickering are back, Gallagher is still injured and surprise surprise, sick note Rankin Costello has got a new injury. Unsure if Van Hecke got a 1 or 3 match ban. For me there are 2 decisions to make, I would be tempted to name an unchanged line up but with 2 of undoubtedly our strongest back 4 returning, Edun and Wharton against Pickering and Ayala are the 2 main decisions. Edun has ability but can get caught out of positon and Wharton had signs of understandable rustiness 2 weeks ago. The midfield balance looked better in the last game, so Rothwell is a very capable sub. Kaminski Nyambe Lenihan Ayala Pickering Travis Davenport Poveda Buckley Khadra Brereton Subs: Pears, Wharton, Edun, Johnson, Rothwell, Dolan, Butterworth Clarkson, Van Hecke and Carter to miss out on the squad. Butterworth to make way when Gallagher returns.