I would have to say that definitely with Harwood Bellis, he is certainly a better defender at this moment in time than either Carter or Magloire. I said in January and totally agree that signing 2 young loanees made no sense and the situation is compounded by the unreliability of the defender Mowbray signed in the summer on a long term contract, but as an individual signing, as with Adarabioyo, Harwood Bellis has been an upgrade and a decent signing. Carter was played in the last 2 games last season to see how he did, and we conceded 3 goals in both games with Carter particularly poor against Luton and looking miles off it. I personally dont think that he should have then been played again at the start of this season, although that isnt giving up on him, the only potential difference for me would have been to loan him out at the start of the season rather than in the middle although a seemingly very successful loan spell at the level below seems to suit all parties. With Magloire, for all the hype about how he did in a friendly, the fact that he spent the first of the season in non league suggests he perhaps isnt ready, again if he impresses at a decent level for Motherwell then we can re-assess but I think both looked a bit out of place when they were tried in the first team and a loan spell will do them good. I dont think that Mowbrays defensive recruitment and set up has been anything but shoddy but I have no issue with the kids we have. Regarding Travis, his first game was against Sheffield United WITH Smallwood and he subsequently through his performance level has been a first team regular ever since so I think forcing a narrative that Mowbray has done anything wrong there is a little unnecessary personally.

It doesnt sit well how reliant Mowbray is on kids from other sides, but it wasnt right for either Carter or Magloire to continue. The former obviously played the last 2 games of last season and looks miles away, especially v Luton. He didnt look ready and this loan is perfect. Magloire was absolutely bullied at Hillsbrough a couple of years ago, it would have done more harm than good for both player and especially team to have left him in. Fact of the matter is that Harwood Bellis and Adarabioyo last season are both miles ahead of Carter and Magloire. I am very critical of Mowbray but I do feel like the issue over his use young players is a little overstated, Travis broke through and has been a first team regular when fit ever since, Rankin Costello plays basically every game when fit, Buckley gets a lot of game time for a player who in the main has struggled and Dolan has had much more game than expected too. Agree with the list of players out of contract, the whole state of the squad is a huge worry and damning of the manager.

I dont really agree with Lingard being called up, he would be well down the list although his recent form is impressive. It is not half as controversial as Dier's inclusion or Alexander Arnold's exclusion though. But tonight, firstly the whole international break is a farce with the pandemic and makes no sense. And games against San Marino without such minnows having to pre qualify is beyond going through the motions, it isnt competitive. But anyway, there are 3 games in this break so I would expect a second string side tonight rather than playing the same 11 for 3 games in a row.

What was the point in the scouting network then? The decision to leave the EU was hardly unexpected. One at the time that played a huge part for some illogical reason in you thinking Mowbray had to stay to be able to use it.

Should we not be taking advantage of the supposedly upgraded scouting network rather than continuing to solely look within this country? The manager will still be here which puts a dampner on everything but we definitely need a total rebuild regardless, especially in attack whereby our 2 goalscorers look set to leave or miss next season injured, and the rest of them dont have goals in them.

Haha, fair play, for some reason in my head he had only managed us and Bradford!

Strange appointment, the intention is for him to go back to Derby in the summer so it is very much a short term one geared to get them in the play offs, something he has never shown the ability to do.

Even in the first season he was here when he scored 28 goals in front of a lazy, inadequate midfield as a lone striker with an attacking midfielder behind him?

Can we do better than him? I would say so and hope so. But is he a "dud" based on the job he has done at Preston? Not for me at all. Theyve been consistently better than us in these last few years.

There is an automatic assumption that changing managers regularly is counter productive but try telling Chelsea that. Salford have got up the leagues with a very aggressive turnover of managers. Mind you, not sure Bowyer will improve things.

Ah, will be baseless, quoteless, speculative nonsense then.

Where was it reported? Theyve not said a word in ages.

Isnt their record signing still David Healy? I am guessing that their new record signing is Whiteman who you are particularly transfixed with at the moment but there was no mention of him breaking their transfer record when he signed. Him having more money than previous PNE managers is irrelevant, what is relevant is that his budget compared to the vast majority of teams in the league has been incredibly small, so a top 6 finish was always less realistic. Neil has done more in the Championship than Mowbray with less money, always finishing above him and being far more competitive in being within the top 6 a few times. Things have gotten stale in the last year coinciding with a number of players having contractual issues and to clarify, this should in no way be a valid reason for appointing a manager therefore Neil wouldnt be more choice but he would be a notable upgrade on Mowbray.

Fair enough. Not sure it could ever get as bad as Kean in any scenario but much more likely on here I would say. If Mowbray got us up there, then of course most people would get back on board. Its that results are so poor that it wont happen though sadly.

No way will Mowbray ever get to Kean levels of negativity. Im guessing that you didnt attend around that time but it was toxic for a couple of years, I remember going on many protests and regular Kean out chants. Mowbray will never be as universally hated. More likely to be apathy and reduced attendances.

The only true statistics are the league table across the season. Based on obvious regression, both deserve sacking, indeed Mowbray has spent much more and not had to sell to get to such a position.

It was another poster that inferred that he was a potential bad egg. And obviously we would have still scored, but and I dont think it is too controversial to suggest that without a 19 goal striker, we would have scored less. I actually think that he has become under appreciated, in fact I think that our goalscorers in general often are. I felt that Rhodes was and even in our first season back, Dack's general performance level was always the main focus even when he was scoring too. What I think happens is that our best attacking players have to and have had to cope with far different expectations to the lesser ones. If they go through a dryer spell, or indeed if parts of their game dont match up to their goalscoring prowess, then they are criticised well before anyone points a finger at the supporting cast not pulling their weight. What evidence is there that we would score as many goals is a fairer question. Do you think that without Armstrong and his 19 goals this season, that someone else would have equalled that deficit? I think the quality of attacking players that Mowbray assembled outside of 2 is desperately poor. Gallagher's best season was in a team perfectly suited to his style, even then, he was just about a 1 in 4 striker. Brereton and goalscoring dont tend to go in the same sentence, he gets praised to high heavens if merely doesnt look like a lumbering clown, such are his expectations. Dolan does his best but to be honest, he has only played as much as he has due to necessity ie the shortcomings of Mowbrays recruitment in general. Rothwell might show up once every 10 games, but he has a lorry load of excuses as to why he doesnt contribute. I could go on, none of these players historically or recently have suggested that they would I also think that you are putting too much emphasis on the shots per goal stat, its not as simple as suggesting that if any of those other players shot more, they would score in direct correlation, Armstrong gets into more shooting positions because of his pace and movement. I would concede that one of his main flaws is that he is not clinical necessarily, he does miss chances he shouldnt and I would accept that. But he does score plenty of goals too. In regards to performances without him, I would again disagree. Yesterday, as a team we did lots well, but the front 3 were nigh on useless, they wouldnt have scored in a month of Sundays and we looked toothless, obviously that hinged around the truly bizarre continuous use of a false 9. When Armstrong missed the Boro game earlier in the season, we were equally toothless. The Millwall and Swansea games were better but hinged on Dack being in the team, who does offer a goal threat, and scored 2 of the 3 goals aside from the one that hit Gallagher. That was then followed up by another toothless display v Brentford. I would also share much of your criticism of Mowbray, his tactical decisions do baffle me too. I also felt that him playing Armstrong midweek when he was clearly unfit was counterproductive.

Armstrong is not the most clinical of strikers but to imply that we set up solely for his benefit when we play possession based football which allows teams to sit off and deny him the space in behind he thrives off is not true, especially to solely get him as many shots as possible. You even recently implied that Mowbrays primary objective is to benefit Armstrong and his value rather than the overall team, which was just beyond bizarre. I dont subscribe to the opinion either that we have a team full of players who can "create chances and score." I don think Mowbrays tactics help but I dont think our attacking options with Dack injured and Armstrong soon to depart are anything other than desperate. Where is the evidence that Gallagher, Brereton, Rothwell, Dolan etc can score the goals we need? Defensively we have actually been much better in recent weeks but our goal threat has totally evaporated, not helped by Armstrongs injury problem. There seems to be a growing narrative that we are better off without him and that he is a "bad egg." (totally baseless theory) Without his goals, we would be very much in a relegation scrap, yesterday we looked totally toothless for all the approach play, with the starting front 3 unlikely to have scored had they played all day and night.

Not sure that "exciting" is the word to use. I suspect that Mowbray will start next season in charge. Even if he doesnt, its a hell of a job when the squad really needs gutting.

It seems beyond naive and ignorant to think that with owners as stubborn, negligent and disinterested as ours, who managed to toally ignore years of mass protests when Kean was in situ, that merely "starting" with Suhails phone number or even tweeting him interviews with out of work managers is going to make a blind bit of difference!

No! A false 9 shouldnt be used. He never did and he still scored 28 goals without a strike partner.

Its not critical to say that a player is injury prone.

I dont think that we should sign Rhodes. I just said that even now he would be a massive improvement on todays team with Buckley and then Elliott up front.

Maybe Rankin Costello would have to cover less distance wide right than he is being expected to playing as such an attacking full back.

Why is it harsh? He is injury prone. Doesnt say anything about him as a player but he picks up a lot of injuries and the manager has even said that his schedule may need monitoring because he is succeptible to injuries. Probably yeah, not sure who could play on the left though. Dolan and Brereton will do well to regain their places, neither offered anything. Agree he needs to go but dont hold your breath.