It’s brave to put yourself up as a target when you know there will be at least 10 teams with better budgets than you next season. But for injuries to key players we prob would’ve finished just outside of the playoffs this season. So regardless of you, me or anyone else saying he should’ve played this person or that person, we’ve done well. Either way, we are always going to be shopping for the Dacks and Rothwells of this world. If we wanted to buy a Dack this summer we wouldn’t be able to afford him. So, on the back foot, Mowbray is being brave. Because in spite all of this if he doesn’t get us into that position then you, me and everyone else will be unhappy!

Sunderland and Barnsley have the biggest budget in League 1 too...they’re not top of the league. Sunderland are not even top 2. I’m not saying we weren’t expecting to get out but promotions involve a lot more than cash. He was fortunate that the club backed him with the wages of some key Championship players. But that’s only half the job. You’ve then got to persuade those players to stay in League 1 when they have other options.. You’re right about creating the right environment though. The same environment which helps them to dig in and finish strongly.

Mowbray has done a great job (so far). It’s not easy to come into a crack pot club, revitalise it, steer it away from certain doom and towards success. Those who insist that going up last season was a nothing achievement are wrong. Especially for a club with our problems. Look at Sunderland? Money is not the only factor. I don’t call 59 points with two games to go in our first season back in the Championship ‘plodding’. Preston are a seasoned Championship team now and are perceived to have had an amazing season. They’re currently 1pt above us on 60. The key here is that we must continue to progress on this upwards curve. It is true that things will get harder now because we don’t have the funds to compete with the top teams in this league. Add the three who will drop down from the Prem and this gets even harder. Add to that the points you made about Venkys speed of work which are further barriers. BUT the manager has been brave enough to stick his neck out and say he wants to challenge at the top of the Championship next season. In truth, regardless of the circus around him and funding restrictions he will carry the can of we’re not in and around the playoffs.

When Souness was approached by Newcastle, Rovers couldn’t believe their luck. He’d completely run out of ideas and had been flirting with the likes of Spurs for 6 months before he went. They practically drove him up there...

Amazing how people simply remember what they like to...?? Bowyer did a VERY good job for us BUT he blew his moment. That season was the one he had to achieve his goal. When he failed, I wanted him gone too. The club is always my priority. I just refuse to act like a spoilt child every time there’s a few bad results. ?

This is one of the best posts I have ever read on here. Thanks for sharing mate. For the record, I don’t think TM is perfect either. He frustrates me at times and I still maintain that this summer is the defining one of his term. BUT, bloody hell he’s done a great job. We’re in so much better nick on and off the pitch now.

Wrong about your emotionally charged ramblings towards our manager? A guy who has done his job very well overall and deserved your loyalty? Just that for now ?

You admitting you were wrong would represent a significant one...??

Eh!? Bowyer had Hanley, Duffy, Ollsen, Cairney, Marshall, King, Gestede, Rhodes etc....he MASSIVELY underachieved with a squad that were the envy of the whole league! Mowbray doesn’t have that. The end.

Relax lads, he’s openly said he’s going to play them. The same manager who’s given 11 players their Rovers debuts in the last two years....stop worrying and enjoy it. I’m so excited to see them. There’s nothing to suggest he isn’t brace enough. I expect to see Magloire, Butterworth and Buckley. As well as Davenport and maybe Chapman.

Had a really interesting conversation yesterday with someone who has spent time professionally and socially with our youth lads....was absolutely glowing in his views of the group as a whole and believes we have a really special group. I asked him if he had to pick one out of the whole bunch....he replied emphatically - “BUCKLEY!!!” Apparently has it all. Physically, technically and mentally. He’s the one...?? Obviously cant name the person who wouldn’t go into any personal info but I was excited and thought I’d share ?

Please could you apologise for your patronising, inflammatory post.

If Stuart were here he’d probably ask you to apologise for your disingenuous tone....ohhh wait a minute.

No one is ignoring history. Some people choose not to live in it.

Been explained about 5 times now pal.

*Realist

Ok, so winning one game isn’t luck. What about winning enough games to hit your season targets for two seasons? That lucky too?

It’s a constant shifting of the ground to fit an argument mate. He loses games and it’s his fault. He wins games and he’s lucky. Even worse, there’s a genuine belief that they know so much more than the manager, regardless of the fact that we never see the players in training, have no idea of personal issues etc. The manager fronts all of that up btw. He loses 9 games in 13 or whatever and is castigated but keeps hitting season goals by pure luck...??

??

It will for you Stu. I never care much for the past. The present and more importantly the future is all we have ??

Haha as always, the forum police when it suits ??

I’m not the one trying to take the moral high ground for a win I had absolutely nothing to do with. A point made even more odd by the fact that the two systems were picked by the same manager!? So both the criticism AND the credit should go to him? ???

Both his teams though...? This really is painful ???

Can someone find the bit where I said every time we play Reed and Travis in midfield together we get annaihilited please? The point I made related to the discussion on Reed and Travis but was about midfielders who vacate the midfield.