Armstrong is our only threat, he is obviously going through a dry spell but hes still our only real threat. His run before that brilliant save was superb, as was his unselfish pass to Elliott who has been ineffective, as has Brereton and Rothwell. Midfield has been very quiet again and they are targetting our left side having noticed our weakness. Very dull game really.

I dont think that sacking a manager 4 years in can be referred to as the "trigger approach" and indeed I think as highlighted last time we went down, it took more than an inept appointment to cause it, of which even the current rabble would struggle to get someone on Coyle's level. If we was going to roll the dice with the manager a year down the line following an embargo and a lorry load of cheap replacements for Armstrong, Dack etc making up the squad, then maybe there would be more risk.

Douglas deserves to be dropped but equally, Bell is no better so I am no more confident even with him being dropped. Not sure about the balance of the midfield with Trybull in, not convinced by the box midfield nonsense and am unsure why Downing is not seemingly in the managers thoughts for a start. Glad to see Brereton in for Gallagher though, much needed.

For that amount, who do you have in mind? Bare in mind that if we managed to hoodwink another club into signing Gallagher at a profit, it would be the second time that a club has paid a foolishly large amount. If the reasoning is that he isnt worth that amount but other teams have made illogical purchases too so you never know, it seems a bit far fetched.

I never said that. If the mindset is that we expect the next appointment to be Coyle-esque then we may as well give up completely. Keeping Mowbray is surely only delaying the inevitable? As I explained, the risk v reward comment was mainly surrounding what I feel is an exaggerated sense of what could happen if the next managerial choice is wrong. Coyle who was a particular bad appointment that we would struggle to match his ineptitude wasnt the sole reason for our relegation, it was a culmination of a 2 year spell in which we had hit a transfer embargo and sold all of our best players. Even if we did appoint a poor replacement, I wouldnt suspect much immediate danger because our squad is much better than a fair few in this league to stay up. Conversely, a good appointment and it isnt that far away to have a genuine promotion push, maybe much of the foundations are there, but the manager seems over a long period unable to push past that point. There is nothing to suggest that in the last 18 months under Mowbray, we have been going on an upward trajectory. This notion of our best players all coming back and saving the day just has always seemed desperate and tenous to me, in this season, as they come back more injuries will happen. We have recently played plenty of teams with equal or worse injury problems, tonight Huddersfield are without 8 or 9 including their main defender in Schindler and their main attacking threat this season in Koroma. Hes had enough time up until now and indeed the mitigating circumstances of bad injuries are across the board to the extent that any idea that we will ever judge Mowbray on a fully fit first 11 is unreasonable. I still dont get why a team underperforming on its own public top 6 target would have to be in a relegation scrap to "not be working out."

I dont see much of a market for a 25 year old striker (probably past the point of buying "potential") who has never set the world alight, who I cant see past Wycombe for teams in our League for whom he would get in the team of. Certainly not at 5m+.

I dont really get why a manager who had publically declared an intention to get into the top 6 18 months ago would only be "not working out" in your opinion should he be in a relegation battle, surely not working out would indicate an inability to meet expectations? If a manager of a title challenger failed to keep a side in title contention, would that not warrant dismissal as long as it didnt lead to a relegation scrap? We havent been in genuine contention throughout that time, even this season when further resources and time have been afforded to Mowbray, we simply cant smash that glass ceiling. I have never been fond of the "what if we get another Coyle" argument because if that is the case, holding off from sacking a manager out of fear of disaster is merely kicking the can down the line. But it wasnt just appointing an inept manager, one who had no interests in team shape and with a horrendous recent CV, with the added issue of splitting the fan base due to history with Burnley that relegated us. It all started 2 years before relegation, a sale of key assets (Cairney, Gestede then Rhodes 6 months later and Hanley and Duffy 12 months later) replaced under embargo by crap we could piece together for 10k or less a week, Guthrie, Delfoenso etc, it can be easy to overestimate our vulnerability to potential disaster should Mowbray be removed. Last time, it took a fire sale, a transfer embargo and a particularly inept and divisive managerial appointment, even if we made a poor managerial choice, which I can understand a fear of, it would take a lot to put us in serious danger of relegation, whereas the gap is less to the top 6. The balance of risk v reward seems in our favour.

I dont see what there is to suggest that we could ever receive 5m+ plus for Gallagher, plus coverage of a very competitive wage. His problem is that he is nowhere near good enough for us to justify remodelling our team around to get the best from. Armstrong and Dack are because they keep getting the goals. His best spell was in a 2 under Coyle whose side was very attacking (costing us even more goals than we concede now) and even then, in what was his best season ever (and hes certainly not a kid) he registered a 1 in 4, bog standard goal return, nothing remarkable. Best bet IMO is as you say dont play him wide as it doesnt do him any favours, but just as a second striker off the bench, but even then, does he have the attributes and do we have the right service to play him as a target man? Probably not on both counts. Strange and incredibly lazy signing. His problem is that he has never managed to address the left back position, neither of the left backs at the club will be capable of doing that.

Great post. The main defence of Mowbray seems to be underpinned by an assumption based on little if any evidence that this current style will naturally level out at a top 6 (well we need to pick up points at a rate beyond a top 6 level) to enable us to compete.

Again, Waggott's decision making is at the expense of the hardcore. I feel as annoyed at myself in that I will buy the game anyway regardless of continued shoddy treatment which makes me a mug. Yes, I get that there may be a portion of blame on the EFL but the club could have paid that on themselves rather than deferring a refund onto next year.

The specific changes made this season certainly havent increased our chances of winning so far.

Why will the style help us win games going forward? Just seems like illogical hope in the face of all logic that it will all click, that we will go on a run, that we could get into the top 6 all of a sudden. The style despite us improving the personnel (Kaminski and Elliott) hasnt improved results. End of.

What justification do you have that we have progressed? We are on 29 points from 21 games, 2 and 1 less than at the same point in the last 2 years, and we are 7 points off the play offs compared to 3 and 6 at the same stage in the last 2 years. Why are we better? How have we progressed? The results dont back up your statement. I specifically said that Cook wouldnt be my choice but to call him a Dingle and dismiss him through that is incredibly childish.

You have taken my point out of context. I meant that opinions on social media will do nothing to put pressure on the manager, the main avenue to which that would be done would be at games which is obviously not possible at the moment. And I dont think Mowbray is divisive enough or doing a bad enough job to receive too much stick even if we was. The same on here. Doesnt mean that any of those opinions are pointless or invalid. Ultimately you are cleverly dodging nailing your colours to the mast because you know that if you expect a certain achievement this season and we fail to achieve it, come the summer you would have no ability to then say that Mowbray deserves another season regardless. Do you agree that we havent progressed this year compared to last, as the league table will testify? As others have commented, your comments about Cook are childish and make you become a bit of a laughing stock, Cook wouldnt necessarily be top of my list (if I had one) but to discount a manager because he used to "be a Dingle" is a bit pathetic.

Brereton would be first pick on the left I would agree. I would fear that Rothwell would be too attacking to be in the 2 and it may be more suited to a Trybull or more likely a Johnson to give us more protection.

Im not too sure that social media reactions are relevant at all to be honest. The only way that any genuine pressure/dismay can be portrayed is at games and with matches behind closed doors that is not a thing at the moment, and even if it was, I doubt that there wouls be much. Ultimately the decision rests with negligent owners and a CEO is between who is a pal of Mowbray from a previous club, so I suspect that coming to a strategic decision that we are stagnating or not meeting expectations is quite simply not going to happen.

I think there are 4 of the front 6 that definitely are in our best side, and the only formation that fits them all in their best position is 4-2-3-1, Armstrongs goal tally since playing up front is unquestionable, Dack has consistently produced in a Rovers shirt as a number 10, Elliott has been fantastic coming in from the right (yet ineffective when Mowbrays typical meddling has moved Elliott into central midfield or as a false 9) and Travis is a beacon of consistency in the central. As far as im concerned, them 4 are on another level to Johnson, Brereton, Rothwell, Holtby, Trybull, Gallagher and an ageing Downing in regards to consistency and effectiveness. As far as I am concerned, the balance of the team would be crucial in filling those spare spaces in CM and wide left. The 4-3-3 certainly has not gained a points yield anywhere near high enough to warrant it our unquestionable formation, there are more questions than answers.

Whilst I appreciate that you dont want the manager out at the moment, does it worry you at all that in spite of the obvious personnel improvements (mainly Kaminski and Elliott) and the new style (death by a thousand passes) that we are picking up points at a rate that is unfavourable even compared to last seasons mediocrity, in which there was a public admittance that we had failed on our target? Or is there no gauge of progress in your mind until the season is over? What are the parameters for you in regards to Mowbrays position come the summer? Would only promotion suffice? Would a top 6 finish regardless of what happens after that suffice? Would we have to only finish higher than 11th for you to be content?

I dont see the need to go from one extreme to another and start playing the percentages looking for long balls. Armstrong is a prolific striker, Elliott is a stand out talent in this league as is Dack (coupled with a very healthy goal and assist tally) now he is back, none of them 3 suit us playing the percentages, none of our players do, the closest would be Gallagher who is not very good in general and certainly isnt suitable as a target man. I just look at certain aspects of our game whereby we are lacking in ways that reflect badly on the manager. We still concede far too many goals, we have a solitary clean sheet in 10 or 11 games and quite simply having to score at least 2 goals a game to win is creating a very difficult mountain to climb, that is something that Mowbray has failed to fix repeatedly during his time here. I dont think that the midfield is as productive as it could be, as much as we often dominate possession it in no way means that we are in control of games, we dont move the ball quickly enough which counteracts the desire to dominate possession, there is usually a lack of penetration and individually, Holtby is a passenger in almost every game and despite his brilliant goal today Rothwell isnt nearly productive enough either. From set pieces we are particularly poor too, we have attacking players in the 3 I mentioned who will score goals but you need to supplement that from set pieces but our attempts are often poorly executed, Mowbray said the other week that he leaves it to his staff but I dont understand why he hasnt stepped in.

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Ive been consistent in saying that his performances recently have not been of the very high standard hes set himself. The Bristol City one was probably the worst, the defeat wasnt solely down to him and suggestions that it has damaged morale, that he was playing up to the cameras etc were a total overeaction but of course we have suffered because our prolific goalscorer is not on top form. But as far as im concerned, his performance level defined by his goal output this season and this year does indeed give him a little more scope for patience because he has been so good for us. By all means criticise his recent form but talk of dropping him, selling him while we can, of him being easily replacable, conspiracy theories about why he is taking so many shots (he is a striker so a level of selfishness is natural) are all unnecessary. Armstrongs whole demeanour changed when he moved from playing out wide to being central, he has been a different player. Regarding your last question, the fact that the only alternative is Sam Gallagher, I would probably be especially patient with someone who keeps scoring so many goals that he could return to scoring ways. That being said, for a player who has a longest goal drought of 3 games in 2020, it goes against reasonable evidence that he will go on a massive run without a goal and of course if the goals stopped then its different. Rhodes' goal record was brilliantly consistent over numerous years but in 2020 since he moved centrally Armstrong has scored goals more regularly and at a faster rate even than Rhodes is. The key is to maintain it. I would potentially say that with his pace, and with his ability to score from range, Armstrong has a wider skillset. I always defended Rhodes and always will because hes a goalscorer. Its the same with Armstrong since he moved centrally, scoring goals at such a rate for me gains goalscorers more patience during a rare and/or belated dry patch which all strikers go through, if they score goals at a rate of Another player will at some stage take Armstrongs role in the team, I would be pleasantly surprised if he scored to the same extent because Armstrong has scored more than all but one. I have always felt in recent years that goalscoring has become an underappreciated skill, especially when a striker sets such a high standard as Rhodes did which meant that some people took the goals for granted and looked for flaws especially physically, he wasnt fast, strong etc but his main skill was in his brain which is the case with all goalscorers. Selfishness is a trait within all goalscorers. I would play Dack as a 10 behind Armstrong once the former is fully fit. Not only would that couple 2 goalscorers but it would also allow Dack to slip Armstrong through on goal.

But thats the thing. He doesnt have 9 goals, he has 15. If he had scored 9, which would be not a bad tally, but people would naturally question his contribution a lot more than if he is the second top scorer. I dont understand why you think that is illogical. He has always been greedy, goalscorers often are. Against Bristol City he was particularly poot but it was one game so to start implying that it has impacted on morale or making out as if that game was normal for Armstrong is totally unfair. Hes in poor form in 6 games with only 1 goal and I havent seen anyone denying that but you are definitely underappreciating the number of goals hes scored and seem desperate to discredit him. It would be incredibly difficult to replace a striker scoring goals at the rate that he is.

It would be a total myth to suggest that teams only in recent weeks have tried to remove the space in behind for Armstrong to run onto, and it does him a disservice to suggest that the only goals he can score are from running in behind.

Goalscoring has become an underappreciated aspect of being a striker.

I dont see how he cannot be bullet proof as centre forward. The only other one we have is Sam Gallagher. Ive acknowledged the dry spell hes had in front of goal but that came on the back of a hot streak and within a season in which he is the second top scorer and in a year in which he is the top scorer in the league. Its a little premature to make out as if he is anything other than indispensable or that he has been "figured out." As far as im concerned, the improvement on the 2nd top scorer in the league would be having the very top scorer.