Armstrong is not really a winger, another one who "can play there" albeit id potentially say hes actually more effective there. Would love him to sign permanently. Harrison is a striker isnt he? Most importantly, the source is a bad one.

No way should we have changed formation. I do think we looked fresher but couldnt use it to our advantage. Should have used Delph as mentioned for Alli, that would have been my first sub.

No wingers that Mowbray perceives to be starting wingers, so lets hope Nixon is typically wrong.

Gutted. Think its safe to say that the players and manager should be proud and that we didnt expect a semi final. That said, I do think people are going a tiny bit overboard in terms of how much weve overachieved, in that you have to factor in the draw in the way you analyse meeting of expectations, and thats why I feel as gutted as I do, yes we may have had some great individuals in the past but we have a good team now and its as much the strength of your main rivals. The group we had was possibly the easiest in that the 2 weak teams were particularly weak. Then the 3 knockout games, the first opponent were missing their best player and Sweden are really average. Croatia are a step up but even they arent one of the favourites so it is a big opportunity missed even if I am very proud. Southgates perhaps benefitted from previous failures in lowering expectations and although im unconvinced by his decision making during a game some of the things hes done in general have been very impressive indeed so fair play to him. Obviously I dont take for granted beating anyone based on recent tournament failures. Englands run to the semi finals has been a highlight of the best world cup ive seen. On last night, thought Sterlings link up and hold up were terrific, Rashford was a really poor sub. Kane and Alli werent at it either. Maguire and Pickford brilliant again. Always felt Perisic was a threat coming in on to Walker and he was a class above. Experience and intelligence prevailed over energy and enthusiasm.

The point I made which he replied to was about our transfer strategy, which made his staunch defence even more baffling and irrelevant.

I never had any slight digs! Go back, read what I put and try again.

I get your angle, the fans are due some happiness, but whoever goes through deserves to. Hopefully us.

Stop being needlessly defensive of Mowbray when its totally unwarranted. I never said he hasnt done a great job or got people united so please dont portray that I did. Putting this is both inaccurate and irrelevant. I made a point in isolation about buying players for small fees, and how its worked as a strategy thus far. I listed these, and bar Dack the players we bought for fees last season have either turned out to be squad players, or just generally of no use ie Gladwin and Hart. I'm well aware that some of the other signings he made via different means (Smallwood, out of contract or Armstrong, loan) were also successes. My point was that these fees might need to go up a bit and that we need to look at a higher calibre of players than your Gladwins, Samuels and Harts. He was, quite strangely considering he didnt play that much really here, so must have got it for his form at Fleetwood. I dont understand why you even put that, I never said hes rubbish or a bad signing, just that hes a squad player in that I think Mowbray considers Williams to be his number 1 at left back.

In terms of where Mowbray has spent money, however small the fees, id argue there are definitely more misses/unknowns than hits. Gladwin and Hart are definite failures, Samuel may not have been an unmitigated disaster but id suggest wed never make a profit on him, Bell and Downing are squad players. That said, Dack was such a success that if we sold him hed pay for all of them. Whilst the policy of of buying players for lower fees is in general a clever one. We need to make sure we step up in the market, if we are signing League 1 players they need to be the best ones in that league, Dack was proven as that having won player of the season once. The others were low fee gambles and now at least 2 are just drains on the wage bill, however small. Bell, Downing and Samuel, regardless of my personal opinion on the latter can all at least be squad players for us. Lets hope Mowbray is allowed more money, and allowed to buy more in the way of finished product/proven quality.

Not sure hes a football man who prioritises the happiness of the home support, based on decisions hes made thus far.

You do realise that since the first one left, we spent half a season near the bottom of the Championship, then the second left, following which we had a woeful season seeing us slip into League 1. (half way through which the third correctly saw the chance to leave) Last season, one of those players (Hanley) has a Championship medal albeit after playing a minor role, and then was the best player at a solid Championship club last season. Thats better than a spell in League 1. Marshall was a massive player at a team that finished 8th and 3 points away from the play offs while we were in League 1. Rhodes you could argue yes has struggled but hes still won promotion in that time.

Rhodes has won promotion to the Premier League in that time, as did Hanley before going to a solid Championship club and I believe winning player of the year there. Marshall was a key component in a Millwall team that very nearly got into the play offs. We have been relegated (and obviously since promoted) to League 1 in that time. All 3 would get into our team if they were still here. But yeah, nowhere.

My point is more, you mention that the rumours shouldnt be questioned, but why not? People want to know roughly the chances of its accuracy, and especially in a time where you see clear shite posted everywhere, and obviously at a time where Mowbray seemingly is doing a better job of keeping targets under wraps, as you mentioned. Ive never really got the line of people are protecting confidentiality as, for one, why did the person pass on the rumour at all if that was a primary concern, and two, why would it then be passed onto a messageboard. I appreciate your points and am not saying we should stifle all rumours or anything. But you mention the culture you are trying to encourage/discourage; on the flip side, is it right to have a culture whereby people who post rumours cannot be questioned? And the answer of "i cant tell you who told me" will at times rub people up the wrong way because its the equivalent of saying i know something, but im not telling anyone. So in my opinion there has to be a balance and if someone posts a rumour they shouldnt be able to then hide behind a shield, its only fair to be able to ask them.

If its so confidential surely he wouldnt have said anything at all.

Understandbly so. Some people will jump on the back of any transfer gossip however unreliable but most want more than just "ive heard" or "my source tells me" before taking any notice. For example, your mystery source suggested that we wanted McNulty, and a Liverpool winger (cant remember the name) on loan in January. Neither happened. Said it the other day but Peterboroughs chairman is the most unprofessional ever. A dream for those who can try and guess where his players are going based on process of elimination and pass off the information as being "in the know" but it sends out a really bad impression of the way he and by association his club operate.

The source proves that the debate is almost certainly hypothetical and irrelevant, but out of interest, how good is he, how often have you seen him, what would he offer etc?

Think theres a difference between confidence and being arrogantly disrespectful of another very good team, and I think you are in danger of being the latter. Croatia are a very good team, both teams have done very well to get where they are and it should be a tight game. My biggest worries on paper are in midfield, where no matter what 3 we pick (id continue with Alli and Lingard but neither are out and out central midfielders) we are inferior there, Modric and Rakitic ahead of Brozovic (which youd imagine they will play as it gives them more balance) is possibly the best midfield in the tournament. Im a big fan of Henderson but hes got one hell of a job on. To say they are toothless is blatantly wrong, they might not have a Harry Kane but they pose a big threat. You'd hope our aerial strength can nullify Mandzukic but Rebic and in particular Perisic are very intelligent players drifting in on our side and could be an even bigger danger against a back three. Perisic in the air over Walker is a big worry. That said, we are the masters of this tournament from set pieces and we have energy and obviously the top scorer, we need to be a bit braver in attack and we have a good chance. Did your left ass cheek get 18 goals and 15 assists in 33 league games last season? The masses are conveniently ignoring that Sterling was our most dangerous player on Saturday, yes he should have put one away but his pace and dribbling frightened Sweden, he does need a goal to get his confidence up and shut people up.

Any player looks good on a showreel chaddy. He said that he wanted to overhaul the scouting network, to have a far more in depth view of the players hes bringing in. A few of the players he brought in last summer, he referenced as having good games against his sides in the past. I didnt even nearly say that he wont sign players who play well against him because of Gladwins failures so please dont take my quotes out of context or misquote me.

Haha I was gonna say he scored at Ewood. Mowbrays mentioned before about moving away from signing players who have had good games against his teams, its not an efficient way of going about things. I think he said Gladwin impressed him once and look at how that turned out. You need to look in more detail and im not sure Harrisons record suggests he will have the same impact as say re signing Armstrong would.

How many times?

Not sure you can take anything from a friendly, all about fitting in 22 players to get them a game however possible. For Travis, hes played for the academy teams apparently at right back and theres far more of an opportunity there than central midfield where we have Smallwood, Evans, Davenport, Whittingham and Rothwell ahead of him.

In a position we are well stocked.

Where did you see it, impossible to comment without some context.

Very vague, who said?

Where have you seen them both a number of times live? And if so, why did you use transfermarkt to determine Maddisons best position, if youve seen him live? "I would prefer Kent to Maddison if we could sign only 1." - could you explain this quote please, I dont understand why we are limited to 1 winger? Sorry if it sounds like im having a go, I just feel like some of your suggestions are either square pegs in round holes (Rothwell as a winger etc) or not of a sufficient quality to be sustainable as good Championship players (ie Heneghan before he joined Blackpool, Conway resigning, Osayi-Samuel, Edwards, Baldwin, Hadi Sacko) they all are either League 1 quality or failed Championship players. We need better than that. They dont have the track record that Maddison etc have in terms of regular goals/assists, yet you turn your nose up at him.