A lot of excitement over Pickering seemingly stemming from random stats, crosses per game, tackles per game, progressive runs per game, and montages of him doing sliding tackles and the like. Will need to be judged in a game rather than with numbers as to whether he can help the back 4 concede less goals than it is currently doing. I will refrain from judging a player I have never seen until as and when he signs, neither left back is good enough so we do need a new left back, young, highly rated at his current club and with potential to fill the position long term, room for cautious optimism. We need a new centre back in the next day or 2 too.

Surely explaining the reasons to which someone believes a manager should stay is exactly the thing to expect on a thread questioning the managers future? Theres plenty of frustration flying around that many feel that we are underperforming and stagnating. Not enjoyment.

Im not sure how you managed to come to this conclusion. My point was even at our lowest ebbs in my life time and in even in times when it went against logic and reason, I have retained at least a bit of hope that things can get better.

Probably because people are trying to rationalise why we are never close to getting in the table where the targets have been set out. I dont really think its as simple as putting things down to one thing. Comments are meaningless. Players never say "im staying even though the manager is underachieving and I dont believe in him because ive doubled my wage." Not that im saying that is the case but comments like that are always to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

Because I do not know what these reasons are. If you was to just simply state now, as things change too, I want Mowbray to stay because of x y and z and then constructive debate can arise.

To be honest I agree, whether he wants to shout and bawl, sit in the upper tier, pick his nose, scratch his arse, whatever he wants to do on the touchline means little. The reason that people are resorting to analysing his touchline behaviour however and questioning if he still has the dressing room is because what we have offered up on the pitch this season and perhaps prior is not good enough.

There's something about being a football fan which makes you hopeful in the face all of all logic. I remember when we came down and we went top, I thought maybe we would come straight back up, I despised Kean and knew how terrible he was but its that blind hope. When Coyle was appointed, I knew how incompetent he was beforehand but I still was happy when Graham signed etc, trying to figure out the team he would pick rather than resigning myself to the relegation I knew was very possible. When we played United that season in his last game, there was that burning hope that we would pull off a shock. I think once that hope goes, I would struggle to find any sort of enthusiasm to watch games and to give a toss. I have never lost that even in the worst times, even when Kean was manager, even when Coyle was, even when we went into an embargo, had Shebby Singh shaming us, when I was going on protests to rid us of Venkys who I despise to this day. But if you accept stagnation knowingly purely out of fear, if that hope (however illogical) leaves, then what is the point? There is reason to fear if Mowbray goes that they appoint someone awful, but there is still a chance, even if it is a fluke or via an agency, that they get someone and he gets us promoted. Its not beyond the realms of possibility. If I write off any chance of that ever happening under owners that seem unwilling to ever leave, then surely I may as well pack it in?

To be fair chaddy, I am non the wiser as to why you want him to stay, and when I do enquire, your default tactic is to ask me to revert back to x amount of time ago when you told me rather than just elaborate which you would if you had any genuine belief in the credibility of your reasons.

I dont really get how today in itself is the straw that broke the camels back regarding Mowbrays future to anyone. It was a cup game in which we played a much changed team which would never in itself warrant dismissal. But for me it was just further reminders of reasons as to why we are stagnating under Mowbray. Absolute shite but he should have been sacked prior. Numerous players out of position again. Dack is not a false 9, its never worked before and simply wont. Play him behind a striker where he actually plays. Out of everyone we could shunt at right back, how he dreamt up that Buckley goes there is laughable. And obviously Johnson is never a centre back but we know his collection of injury prone centre backs requires desperate measures. He regularly gets the balance of the team horribly wrong, both from the start and with subs. The starting 11 had too many passive players, then suddenly as he often does, we had too many attacking players not in a proper shape with no rhythm or understanding. Pears is shocking, doing a mate a favour. There are calls for Stergiakis but he has come from obscurity really, his games in Europe came in a defeat to part timers. But Pears is shite, 4 years of him to look forward to. I appreciate that Buckley was out of position but it is a myth that he a good footballer but just lightweight. He can barely kick a ball 10 yards and he is slow of thought, he dallies because he doesnt have pictures of what is around him. Brereton set such low standards that some decent performances earlier in the season as if he was justifying his price which he didnt come close to but he is back to the old comedy figure. Dolan is so raw its untrue and hes not effective, a million step overs and then usually turns back or plays a sloppy pass.

Whoever told you that Buckley is going to be a superstar or "the one" is either a figment of your imagination or in totally the wrong job. He has never looked every bit a footballer.

He did look particularly succeptible in the air, seems to be that quite a few recall in the same way. I fear that he must be still quite a bit off the standard if hes currently playing in non League. Platt was doing likewise last season and he ended up leaving permanently to try and make a career for himself lower down the pyramid.

He must have improved plenty since his time here, of course it was a tough time but his football was mind numbingly bad and he cost us a semi final at Wembley.

I wonder if Mowbray would prefer the game to be on or off. It could be a valuable opportunity to get a start under the belts of Dack and Travis, for the likes of Davenport, Dolan and one or two other squad players to push themselves for a more regular place, and even for one or two youngsters to make the manager aware of what they can do. Conversely, we dont want any injuries and the defence will be beyond patched up.

100% agree with this. They seem to have taken us for granted.

Mowbray mentioned that Travis and Dack will start on Saturday which I agree with to get them match sharp, he did suggest that Dack might still not be ready to start games (the usual intensity waffle) so maybe he wont start the following weekend but it seems a perfect chance to give them a start v inferior opposition. A few of the senior players have been given a few games off, I would certainly rest Armstrong and Elliott and give Pears a run out. Davenport should also get another start to potentially make a play for a start again with Travis v Stoke. That would potentially mean being unable to give Trybull/Downing/Buckley a start but so be it. Defence is obviously the bomb scare, especially if a loanee isnt brought in by the weekend. I dont think we can risk Lenihan or Nyambe if he is even available so it will probably mean 2 left backs who dont cover themselves in glory on either side and 2 kids in the middle, which could be a big problem even v lower league opposition. V Oldham last year Grayson and Platt for example looked well out of their depth and Carter did at the end of the season. Johnson isnt able there either. There was mention on the club feed that it is free to air via the FA app but it seems unless im missing something that you can only watch it via phone/tablet which is a shame.

Theres definitely something in that, hes often prone to excessive step overs when they arent needed too. The key to his development may be chanelling his raw flair and skill to use it more usefully which I hope will come in time.

There are examples of young defenders (not necessarily exactly 18) especially via the loan market, Guehi at Swansea has been outstanding, Adarabioyo was good here, Tomori was key for Derby a couple of years ago, there are also defenders like Nathan Collins and Cabango impressing. For me a big problem with loaning a kid is knowing with any certainty that they are what you need when signing them, you are taking a stab in the dark. Under 23 football is by its very nature sanitised and totally different from the competitive nature of League football. With an attacking player there is more scope for flexibility, they can start off with cameos off the bench etc whereas with a centre back they will be coming to slot straight in and you cant know beforehand whether they will be able to cope with the physicality having only faced young strikers who lack the physicality or the know how to give them a tough time playing with the kids, you might have a clear picture of how neat and tidy they can be on the ball but thats hardly the priority. This Everton defender for example has only played 13 career games, 9 at League 2 level and thats probably more to go off than most in a similar position so it is such a stab in the dark.

I remember that v Wigan and also at Sheffield Wednesday in the following game where he looked miles out of his depth sadly. That Leicester game will go down in folklore for him but the key word is friendly and it was hardly hustle and bustle.

With Nyambe, I think there is an acceptance that he probably will go for peanuts via a tribunal fee sadly. Will be a big and totally unnecessary loss. Rothwell far less so, we do have an automatic clause to extend his deal anyway but he flatters to deceive far too much to make him a big loss, I doubt teams are queuing around the block for him.

Even things like this where they are seemingly trying to be inventive just seem well off the mark. Surely such a prize could be a reward for those who have bought season tickets in uncertain times, who is seriously going to spend £100 in January amidst a pandemic on overpriced tat in the club shop?

Its minimal in the grand scheme of things, 9 games at Carlisle is barely "doing the hard graft" and only 4 games for Everton. Like anyone at that age, it is a massive risk to put so much onus on an untested kid with the expectations of merely being "better than Bradley Johnson at centre back." Even Charlie Mulgrew would just about be better than Johnson there and hes nowhere near good enough! Sadly, it seems to be the only market we can afford to go into.

Im not convinced that we can wait too long. There are 4 league games this month of which Ayala will miss them all and we cannot afford to play them all with our current lack of options. We need someone in before the Stoke game a week on Saturday.

For fans abroad who can presumably watch games now much more easily, how much of the experience as fans reliant on watching on TV does the games being behind closed doors lose? Obviously part of my reduction in enthusiasm comes from knowing that I cannot personally attend but the game I have possibly enjoyed most this season was Brentford, in that there were at least a couple of thousands fans in the ground, it felt like it had more meaning.

Can totally understand people being wary towards us signing a raw kid to try and solve our problems in defence. There is of course examples of young defenders on loan, Guehi at Swansea for example is really good, but its a risky market (presumably the only one we can afford to deal in) and ball playing ability cant be the priority, from all the names mentioned, it seems a non starter but Kipre was the best in that he has proven himself at this level. Closer to home, Adarabioyo was a good loan addition although perhaps proof that a solitary kid wont fix the defence and with the problems elsewhere notably at left back I suspect that the goals might still be going in, but defensive reinforcements are a must.

Its too simplistic to be reluctant to sign loans in case the season doesnt result in a top 6 finish. I appreciate the logic but if we were unwilling to sign a loanee to fix a blatant area of weakness on that basis then that would essentially be throwing in the towel half way through the season.