I don't get why it has to be as clear cut as that, I think he is ok as he is as a squad player, and ultimately when he gets a chance next, he needs to do more to retain his space. I dont think we have to say, right, hes a regular from here on in, he hasnt earnt it. That midfield is very underwhelming with Buckley a downgrade on an inconsistent Rothwell. Factor in the assumption that Armstrong will not be sufficiently replaced, and with Elliott and Harwood Bellis leaving, you would expect all 3 areas of the team ahead of Kaminski to be weaker with the same manager. Very depressing isnt it. And very much has yet to warrant a regular guaranteed place in our midfield. Obviously Sparks Rovers' agenda aside.

Exactly! So a free agent with his quality with no fee required will be even more in demand! You seemingly have reverted so inevitably quickly from regularly stating your disdain towards Mowbray to now implying that a very good Championship player may come to us simply because he can work with Mowbray! We can't give injury prone squad players and continuously inconsistent players sufficient contracts to get them to re-sign. Our financial clout isnt going to get him! The key to it all is the people involved though.

Your last paragraph sums up exactly why Mowatt will be in demand. A free agent who has got in team of the year at this level will surely have teams higher than 15th in the league that will want him. No I agree that Mowbray is not clinging on because we know that our owners dont give a shit about us. But you said that one of the potential reasons would be a "role under" Mowbray. Why would a player who has just had success working for a successful manager be attracted to work under a boring old fart like Mowbray who has us going in the wrong direction?

2 years of him being around the team but I (and seemingly quite a few others) havent seen enough to suggest that he will play in the Premier League! Or even that he should be a regular. He hasnt shown enough yet to warrant that guarantee. Thats not logical to just say, well Travis didnt look ready straight away, as if that will be replicated every time with others who initially struggle. He had a couple of games in League 1, not 2 seasons worth of games to impress in like Buckley. If he performs when he gets a chance next season, then by all means let him keep his place or try to. But no guarantees that he must be a starter, ive seen nothing to warrant such a statement yet.

Rothwell played regularly all season in a central role so that makes no sense. And I have heard 2 different rumours on here about Rankin Costello, that he wants to play a different position and that he is still on a pitiful wage that we arent willing to noticeably increase. Either way, its pretty depressing to see that 2 players we want to keep, we are unable to do so and ae struggling with contract negotiations. One is made of glass and has been ok when he has played. The other has talent but 9 times out of 10 doesnt turn up. Id like to keep both ideally but the fact that even players like this we cant sign up again is not a good sign.

You think that as a key player and captain under a manager that has done such a great job, that the promise of a "role under manager" in reference to someone clinging on to a job he is regressing in solely down to negligent owners would in any way sway his decision? Surely you dont think that any sane man would swap Ismael for Mowbray? Surely you dont think that we are an attractive prospect for the captain of a 5th place team who even if he chooses to seek employment elsewhere, will have far better options as a free agent than a team who has finished 15th, is going backwards and cannot get its key players to extend their contracts. Even if we could offer a slight increase on the terms that Barnsley will offer, which is speculation, there will be financially stronger and indeed ambitious forward thinking clubs who would take him before us.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/15158162/england-maguire-henderson-injuries-euros/amp/ These could be critical blows. Mings and Coady are not going to instill much confidence, neither does Kalvin Phillips and Bellingham is obviously still very raw for all of his talent.

Hell of a shout based on very little. Even the first sentence is a big shout, dont think hes shown that he is ready to be a regular starter.

When the club cant agree contracts with any first team players (Armstrong aside, none would be huge losses individually perhaps but that makes it even more galling) aside from ones done after a lengthy negotiation period that have either not established themselves in the first team or have suffered serious injuries, it just shows where we are at at the moment.

Why would your primary judgement of a central midfielder be goals?

They aren't "light years" ahead of us but as depressing as it is, the continued and constant negligence of our owners has progressed to a stage where Barnsley finished 10 places and an embarrassing 21 points ahead of us. Last season saw a huge improvement on their part and us going in the wrong direction. They have an exciting manager, we have one who is just stagnating to the ignorance of our owners. Our best player is likely to leave too. The fact that I am being somewhat patronising to Barnsley in my comparison shows that I feel that Rovers ought to be out performing them. At the moment, on the pitch, we are sadly not a pretty sight though. We could possibly offer him a slight rise, suppose its speculation either way. But if he chooses not to stay at the ambitious, progressive club that hes at, he will be an incredibly appealing free agent to teams with more ambition and more money than us. All we have heard lately is how covid has affected our finances and how difficult we are finding even keeping the players we have.

Hes a central midfielder, which stats do you mean? Ive always rated Mowatt even when he was at Leeds.

Another one I have seen lately is "vertical passing."

Absolutely no chance of him coming here in a month of Sundays. Why would he, hes the captain of an upwardly mobile team who finished 5th, and every time I see them, he looks the part. Either staying at the club hes at now, or playing the market whereby at least top Championship clubs would love him on a free are both far superior options to coming to a club on a downward trajectory. Its unlikely that we could even offer him more money than Barnsley which shows where we are at.

Makes sense, there very much seems to be an order at the moment. Any player within the senior squad with a contract about to expire, we cant do anything. Players on the fringes with likely very little if any interest elsewhere, or with serious injuries, Buckley, Dolan, Wharton and even Dack, we can just about get them done, although at least 2 or 3 of them mentioned how long it took. Kids nowhere near the first team, 4 year deal easily sorted.

No injuries?

I hope we dont go down the route of playing 5 at the back, that in my opinion would again be weak management trying to fit in a second right back on the right hand side of the 3. We need Maguire to be fit, assuming he is, id just go with him and Stones in a 2, then Shaw at left back, and then pick one of the 4 right backs. Henderson and Rice will provide the necessary protection, and allow 4 (rather than 3 as would be the case if we play an extra CB) of our best attackers to score some goals.

Cant say ive seen Kirk nor do I put any stock in the data especially as it is against League 1 standards but I do know that Chapman shouldnt be a benchmark for us as a player yet to play very much for whatever reason, although the key difference would be that if he was to be here next season, it wouldnt warrant a fee, and I doubt that we will be spending much if anything.

It would have made much more sense IMO to remove Trippier and include another CM or even a CB considering that Maguire is struggling with injury and is a doubt for the first game.

Its not about moaning, there is plenty to be excited about, but why take a 4th right back who "can" play in midfield or someone who can play that role competently and give us depth in an area where we look short in a tournament where we can take 3 extras. You cant play players who have played their careers at right back/right wing back and shove them in a position whereby on paper they may have some useful attributes when in practice they have little to no understanding of how to play in that position? At the end of the day, an England squad for a major tournament is there to be constructively criticised. I am sure (with validity!) that you wouldnt tell people to "stop moaning" if they criticised a Rovers squad!

Strange balance to the squad, Southgate has been indecisive and weak in choosing all 4 right backs simply because he can not decide who is the best. At a push, take 3. The argument that they "can play elsewhere" is not a strong one either, all 4 are predominantly right backs. If we want one to cover midfield, it would have made sense to actually pick a central midfielder, even if it is someone like Ward Prowse who isnt necessarily great, he would be a much more useful central midfielder than Alexander Arnold/James because the position is totally different to which they play, the angles, the distances, you cant just throw one in midfield in a major tournament like that. We look really strong at full back obviously and also in attacking midfield, the key is to play the right ones, I would say that Sterling and Rashford dont warrant places at the moment, so for me Sancho has to play to keep some pace, and then it would be Foden and Mount or Grealish. We look short in goal where none of the options inspire and at centre back where past the main 2, one of whom is injured, we look weak. Mings is very average and Coady is really underwhelming especially in a 2. We also look short in central midfield, we need Henderson to be fit as beyond him and Rice, there isnt too much. Bellingham is a refreshing choice, Phillips is ok, think we could have done with another in there.

Suppose it is one of them with League 1 players, more often than not, they will fall short in terms of quality, and it is impossible to know whether they will be able to step up because if you compare them to Championship players, you are not doing so on an even keel.

Over Trippier for me. To be fair, most bar Kane in attacking areas have only just emerged and have at most shown flashes in an England shirt, often due to a small number of caps, the likes of Grealish, Foden, Mount, Sancho but for me are all far better than Lingard. I have always felt that Rashford is somewhat overrated, and he is in horrendous form. Its a shame that Greenwood has missed out, he had really hit some form and looked far better than Rashford, plus he is left footed. Had he been fit and only able to name 23, I would even suggest that Rashford's place could be in jeopardy.

In regards to your first question, you would like to think so. When everything is allowed without restrictions, then surely it would be financial suicide for football clubs if people still could opt for a tenner match pass sitting at home rather than attending games, attendances would never recover. Undoubtedly, between now and that time, of course match links must remain. Although in theory, despite the governments incompetence, social distancing should be a thing of the past prior to the season starting, unless it is delayed by a month and a half.

I think the covid issues are part of a wider issue but I would like to think that sooner rather than later, that away fans will also be allowed back in. At which point, when everything is allowed as it was pre pandemic, do you then stop the live streaming of games, with the intention of allowing clubs to focus on getting fans back in stadiums? Im not convinced that live streaming should be allowed indefinitely beyond that, obviously that wont be a club specific decision either way. I suppose as you said, that under 23 and under 18 coverage could be combined with such a show and maybe there would be a market for it, not something id be interested in but seemingly something that would have a market, so if its financially viable it should be looked at. A question would be, arent under 23 games currently in the package with season tickets anyway? Would that continue?