He'd surely know what to do ie be the CEO of a football club? What can that possibly be based on aside from being educated in this country? I dont think its the kind of job that you can just wing.

Whilst I certainly don't subscribe to the idea/conspiracy that Mowbray is purposely avoiding promotion to ensure that he can stay in the job and top up his personal finances. For one, any promotion would incur a new contract and a considerable rise regardless of whether he stayed for the full term of that contract. As has been said, it all comes down to one focus of blame, our absent owners. We will never thrive with them. The fact that it could be said that anytime money becomes available, you have to take advantage because you don't know when that will happen again sums up how over 10 years on, we are still absent of any coherent plan from the owners. They don't give a shit. When Mowbray has mentioned calming the owners down, it has always seemed like a kiss arsing, self preservation exercise. Bowyer used to also say how great they were too and he stayed for ages.

Warburton's QPR has had a collapse almost identical to us, they have 12 points to our 11 points in the last 15. I have never rated Warburton as a manager to be honest. I don't get how you can suggest that he has "done well" yet have such a strong dislike of Mowbray in comparison.

Buckley had a real golden spell in our good run because playing as a false 9 in a side that was perfectly balanced played to his strengths, it was a perfect storm.. We was constantly keeping clean sheets, both Brereton and Khadra were getting in behind and his strengths were really focused upon, he is good at playing through balls in behind defences and he is good at nicking the ball high up. Even a massive weakness of his which is his inability to shoot/score was somewhat compensated by Brereton's hot streak and even contributions from Khadra, so it wasn't costing us. Of course once Brereton got injured that balance went out of the window as we didn't have anyone in behind and a responsibility then falls on Buckley in that role to score goals which he simply cannot do, and is why him as a false 9 is unlikely to work consistently going forward again. I do think it is perhaps worth trying him deeper but it is a totally different game to play in the centre of midfield. Can he control games whereby the main focus of his passes isn't always to be trying to make that final pass? Can he cope with the pressure of receiving the ball in dangerous areas rather than further forward?

Being back "very well financially" was the phrase I disagreed with and I stand by it. The League 1 season saw a spend of just over a million if I recall which at that level is strong, but that was obviously his most successful season. Overall, assuming a sale of Brereton this summer, we will finish his tenure in profit in terms of transfer fees. Once you start saying loans still cost (this summer we had to wait until the end of summer because we couldn't offer to cover a decent part of the wages of youngsters, Mowbray repeatedly said as such) then the alternative would not to have a full squad. The FFP comment is totally irrelevant to the point I am making, although it is not the primary restricting factor as shown by the owners unwillingness to relay the pitch. I am not saying that someone else couldn't have spent the money better or anything like that. I just think that because its universally agreed that the collapse is not good enough this season and that the manager needs to go, people start to make out that he has had much more than he has.

Backed very well financially? Certainly wouldnt say that.

I am not convinced that any of the 3 out of contract players are on a regular level whereby they will be playing week in week out above the level of top half Championship. Lenihan is a decent Championship centre back but is clumsy and dreadful on the ball, Nyambe is solid without being a stand out Championship right back and often slows things down, and Rothwell is a case of occasional brilliance amidst general anonymity and to be honest isn't a player you'd want to be next to in the trenches. Obviously I totally get the potential financial aspect of joining a bigger club regardless of playing time so I certainly wouldn't advise against moving if I was a neutral party. I also know that all 3 will be replaced by inferior replacements.

We can not go into a season with Sam Gallagher as our main striker. I feel like due to some poor performances out wide but with the caveat of the excuse of playing out of position, people forget that he is not a good striker either and is ineffective when he plays there. In these months in which Brereton has been out, the onus was on Gallagher as much as anyone and he failed to score between the Boro game at home and the Derby game in which he came off the bench. He has never been a player that sniffs out chances. He also still lacks many basic fundamentals of being a striker that are unlikely to massively improve with him being around his peak years. His first touch is terrible, he cannot bring others into play, he cannot use his body effectively, he often goes offside. Sadly I suspect that we will because Brereton will go and I would be surprised to see any of that money reinvested.

Its a hell of an assumption that not only has Mowbray long since agreed a deal elsewhere but that he has told tbe players and his assistant is actively tapping players up. And that Mowbray has purposely prevented new deals from being agreed with the out of contract players as some sort of long term ploy. Surely a case of not giving it too much credence until if and when Mowbray, Venus and the 3 players join in the summer, and even then, some of the behaviour implied would be an unknown.

Its probably no less realistic than Venkys sacking Mowbray as soon as the season ends before quickly and proactively appointing a director of football overseeing a "dynamic" and competent head coach with decent investment in 8-10 players to get us promoted. Not that either will happen. But anyone who wouldnt take Dyche if it was realistic needs their head testing.

Is "interesting" the word for sacking a manager who has guaranteed success throughout his tenure ahead of a now very likely relegation? Or scary? And would a manager who akin to Mowbray has seen his teams promotion chances crash and burn be an upgrade on Dyche? No chance.

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Where is this from? Would be shocked to see Nyambe or indeed any of our players beside Brereton in the Premier League next season.

Have all of these specifics (Rothwell being offered 4x as much, Nyambe's low offer) all come from Rothwell's dad? You mention members of the squad, is this direct contact or via when Rothwell's dad was mouthing off on the train?

Sorry that was more of a general point than specifically at you.

I specifically mentioned this season when apparently he was backed. That was the point I was arguing against. He did spend 15m on those 3 across his tenure, he has already recouped most on 1 and selling the second will bring his overall transfer business in at a profit by the summer. For some reason, people who defend Venkys love to mention FFP. The refusal to revamp the pitch proved that FFP isnt the main limiting factor. The loans are a necessity due to the budgets that he is set.

My attitude was that with us firmly cemented in the top 6 at that time, he deserved to finish the season and his future beyond that would depend on remaining in the top 6. It would have been much less deserved then than it is now upon a string of further losses.

How? We sold our top scorer for an 8 figure fee, of which he was given 500k to spend, and forced to only sign kids on loan. In January he was given a massive 700k budget (with 2 more loans) at a point when we was doing really well, and that wasnt even increased when the main signing was immediately injured. He also wanted to sell Rothwell to get a fee to reinvest in 2 players but Venkys interfered and prevented him. Since, Rothwell has been shocking.

I mentioned before that I have seen numerous times mentions for how likeable our team is earlier this season. In the last few weeks and months they have shown themselves up, a real lack of bollocks and a real lack of character. That in no way alleviates any responsibility away from the manager and his part in our collapse.

Like I said, I personally would be far from surprised if Venkys gave him a new contract. Obviously he shouldn't but Venkys are idiots. I don't think that he told the players after the Coventry game that he is leaving and I don't think that he has agreed to join West Brom, with Venus telling Lenihan, Nyambe and Rothwell to join him.

I am saying that I wouldn't be surprised if he does, and if he does, he will come back with a new contract.

Fair enough, I take back that comment. I do think though that he is not effective enough to justify anything like regular football as some would demand. Too many needless stepovers, seldom with anything tangible at the end of things, often keeping hold of the ball too long and losing it. I think with the way he joined from Preston and seemingly being a very nice guy willing to help people, he is overrated in general. Ideally, he could do with a loan spell in League 1 perhaps next season although I am guessing we will need to keep him for numbers.

It's crazy how many often conflicting rumours come from nowhere. Mowbray has announced his departure to the players, he has agreed a deal at a new club taking many players with him, Farke has been lined up and he is about to start negotiations on a new deal!

Do you have a screenshot beside "someone on FB?" Wouldn't surprise me to be honest all the same.

I wouldn't take "terrace gossip" as gospel, I would agree that it would be surprising, well I'd be amazed if we could attract Farke, if we went for him and if we had everything lined up. I would consider it to be todays silly rumour of the day.