Well obviously we would all be very happy in that scenario, but that isn't the scenario I'm asking you about. Well I'm not clear on your exact view actually, so for clarity, are you saying if we just about got in the top 6 and failed miserably in the semi final (and lets say he played Gally at RB and Johnson up front again for good measure) you would want him to be given a new contract? A yes, no, or 'I'd have to make my mind up at the time' will suffice.

You've focused on the goal difference part, but my point was more about what if we got in the playoffs but lost miserably at the first time of asking? The point about scraping it was just to add to the scenario. Let's say we got Luton in the semi and went out to them 5-0 on aggregate or something, that would still be enough for you?

And what if we scraped into the playoffs on goal difference and then immediately surrendered meekly in the semis?

Fantastic summary of the Mowbray era. I personally don't count the relegation against him too much, as we had decent points returns after he came in, we just got unlucky with other teams around us doing similar. One of the highest points totals a team has gone down with, and ludicrously unlucky on the last day. But he did show a lack of ambition in some winnable games which could have got us over the line. So only a minor strike for me. Hard to find anything to disagree with in the rest of what you said though. A few things I had almost forgotten about too. Galling how he sabotages us in daft ways pretty much every season. No manager is perfect but some of this stuff takes the piss. And he takes so very long to learn from his mistakes, when he learns at all. Infuriating man.

West Brom thing? Jog my memory?

You know nothing about our club if you think our attempts to get promoted from this league happen every year. Technically speaking yes, as we are in a league where promotion is possible and claimed as the stated goal. But this is the FIRST serious attempt we have been able to make to get promoted to the top tier since we got relegated in 2012. In fact before this season I think we have only even been in the top 6 any further than ten games into a season on what, one maybe two very brief occasions (I'm talking like, a game and then back out of it). We won't be in this position again next year. This promotion opportunity means a lot to us, so stop getting pissy that we aren't pleased you keep messing with the availability and fitness of our main source of goals. Not only will we not effectively challenge for promotion again next season, but there is a serious risk of a relegation battle. We are losing a significant chunk of our squad, which is already a thin one, and most of them for no money, and we don't have much money to replace them (most of any money we do get will likely come from the sale of...well, Brereton, if you don't get him more seriously injured and drive down his value). This season is likely absolutely pivotal for the future of the club. As for 'go cry to FIFA', we will 'cry' where we like, and I think our very own board where you are just a guest is as good a place as any.

Eh? The article doesn't say any such thing. Worrying that it sounds like something he would say though.

If a lot of those figures are true, there's a lot of travesties in there. There are some that definitely aren't up to date though, looking at the contract lengths. I sure hope we didn't make Edun our 8th highest earner though (7th highest that we own), or put two LBs in our top 7-8 earners.

The next case scenario is coming eventually anyway. No sense keeping the club on pause to stave it off.

Agreed, don't think that 5.6 mill figure is right at all. There are running costs, bonuses and taxes of course, and the academy is about 2.5 mill (3.5 but we get a 1 mill grant), but it's not like we don't have any income at all. I also don't think our average wage is about 4k p/w.

Luton are bottom of that table. They are 3rd in the real one. If we are overachieiving, what are they doing? We also have one of, if not the, best academy in the league which massively underpins our squad strength. Especially since we keep graduates on low wages. QP, Boro, Huddersfield all also doing much better than their wage bill indicates. Stoke, WBA, Reading and Cardiff doing much worse.

No, I didn't insinuate that. You decided to take that from it. I don't know why, probably because you're always hyper sensitive and hyper defensive when it comes to the club and staff. And you mean 'moot' point.

Irrelevant to my point.

Sharpe is talking cobblers about what it says for Dack's character though. It doesn't really say anything. He has been out for about a year, picking up a handsome wage for no end product. Any footballer worth the name would miss playing, but on top of that we don't have another game soon because of the international break so he has a nice rest after it, and getting himself sharp and firing us to the Prem could be his career defining moment, as well as a huge bank balance boosting one. Of course he played in the game. No need to blow smoke up his arse for it.

Best one posted so far.

But the owners do select the manager, and they've been selecting him for 5 years.

I feel like a new manager now is perfect timing (not that it will happen of course). We could really use that new manager bounce that often comes along, the honeymoon period. Might just be enough to squeeze us into the playoffs. If we continue with Mowbray, I can only see things continuing in the same vein and us definitely not making the playoffs. I don't think we will get this good a shot at the playoffs again for a long time. For me, it's time to roll the dice. That said, I'm not interested in Johnson or Dunn for the top job. It probably wouldn't bring the new manager bounce because they are already known to the players, plus Johnson has zero senior managerial experience, whilst Dunn hasn't really succeeded with his senior managerial experience. I'm not one for the nostalgia of appointing an inexperienced manager just because he used to play for us, it's idiotic logic IMO. I don't know who is available right now though so I can't suggest anyone.

Yep. Probably even if Reading went off for their international break and we carried on playing the game.

Do you want him gone?

Probably why I didn't notice him. It was hard to pay attention to the game near the end until we got into promising positions (which of course we threw away like Mowbray supposedly throws away the chance of funds to strengthen the squad).

Has Hedges touched the ball?

Penalty that. But I'm not even mad that the ref acknowledged something happened, blowing the whistle and stopping play, but gave us nowt. We don't deserve a thing and we would only miss it anyway.

Wishful thinking. Reckon he will get a new deal.

The last 4 games we should have been coming away with at least 8 or 9 points. Looks like it will be 4 though. Can't piss away your winnable games like this, even if I fully expected us to.

Want that point back? 😞