Ah, the old ‘negative fans’ shout out. How is wanting Mowbray to play Rothwell, Reed and Travis seen to be negative? Especially with evidence of it working. Equally, how can playing Smallwood, Evans and Bennett (out of position and out of form) be seen as positive? With evidence of it failing. ”Fortunately he will get a chance” - a chance to do what? Based on his latest comments, he wants a better, more consistent player than Reed. How exactly is he going to achieve that? Particularly when he believes Evans and Smallwood are our best midfielders. More in their mould? Some people are in love with this romanticised, poor-man’s Bobby Robson that they have fashioned in their minds and are ignoring the warning signs that he has run out of ideas and is losing the respect of his players. Time and time again, he has persisted with, praised, and rewarded his favoured “experienced” negative-footballing players while regularly digging out, criticising and dropping talented, young, positive players. Again, who is the negative one? Unless Tony wakes up things are going to turn very sour. Unless we upgrade on the first eleven - let alone replace those departing the squad - we could be in for another relegation battle next season.

Is he a very nice man and doesn’t even have a dog? Could you imagine?

Well with those words there’s no way Reed will be making any noises to come back to us anyway. But your point does highlight our poor recruitment under Mowbray. We get in a player who can make a real difference - a huge upgrade on Evans - but has to fit in our wide to accommodate the latter and Smallwood. The player made no secret that he sees himself as a PL player and Mowbray has done very little to convince him (or is) that Rovers ambitions match his and that he can play a big part in getting us there. We then squander the transfer budget on a one-match pony (against two of the worst left-sided players in recent Rovers memory) and in all likelihood couldn’t now afford him anyway. I guess we’ll find out if Venkys will once again promise Mowbray cash to spend in the Summer. I wouldn’t.

Please no! ?

I’m starting to really resent every word that comes out of his mouth. “Reed was inconsistent in his impact on games.” Mowbray knows that his best position is in the middle and yet plays him out wide. Then he calls him inconsistent. This despite him regularly being the best player on the pitch. It’s Mowbray’s way or the highway. Sadly Mowbray’s way means suppressing talent, poor football and losing football matches. Apart from now and again when he relents and plays players to their strengths.

And Rothwell. “Do what I want you to do it you are dropped?” A good mantra for any manager: Problem 1 - you have to be right (your tactics deliver points or at least performances) Problem 2 - you have to be consistent (you hold your experienced players to the same standards/requirements as newer ones) In my view Mowbray fails both of these tests, and doesn’t look like changing any time soon.

?

The only people who will like VAR are the beneficiaries.

I think we have plenty of options on the right wing and very few at right back. He’s played there for the U23s, if he can be converted then it’s a problem solved. If he can’t then I don’t think we’ll see him in a senior shirt.

Well the price reduction for the ‘fantastic supporters’ that are being bussed in for the Swansea game won’t subsidise itself!

Would giving three or four players a taste of the first team be a good thing or a bad thing ahead of a cup final?

What a crock! Both teams have just been made safe. Now is the time to start to blood some new players in both teams. I’m not talking about making 10 changes but certainly a game each for Buckley, Butterworth, JR-C at full back, as well as dropping Graham for Brereton (2 starts) and Nuttall (1 start). I totally agree with your sentiment. We are seeing the dried up, idealess Mowbray that I felt we had signed when he was brought in to keep us up. He didn’t but... he was straight into a pressure situation (of sorts) and then straight into a promotion campaign (and backed to the hilt). Are we now seeing the real Tony Mowbray? Stubborn, old-fashioned, and intransigent.

And yet Tom Cairney has only been called up twice. Jamie Murphy, same, despite 76 games for Brighton. Kevin McDonald, nearly 100 games for Fulham, 5 caps. Marmite Rhodes, 14 games (3 goals) in 8 years. Ross McCormack, 13 games (2 goals) in 11 years. Liam Cooper, Over 140 games for Leeds, no full caps. There are bigger issue in Scotland and you have to wonder what the selection criteria is.

A Scottish SPL side would be my guess. Not saying we’d get much for him.

I think he wants Williams to play rather than be a sub though. It would be interesting to see if Lenihan and Williams can form a partnership as this season ends, allowing us to sell Mulgrew.

And yet they were trying to throw money at him last Summer! All very odd. The only theory which makes sense it that by lowering expectations Mowbray isn’t under pressure to succeed and can never been seen as failing. Relegation vs All Coyle’s fault 2nd instead of first vs Promoted at first attempt Play-off potential vs survival All three down to fine margins as a result of Mowbray’s decision making. I’ll include relegation, somewhat harshly, because his points total should have kept us up but demonstrates how you can’t rely on targets and need to win games ‘on the day’.

Very concerning. It doesn’t sound like Mowbray has learned anything from this season. After he let Downing go and brought in nobody to replace him in January, it’s fair to say his judgement is flawed. Being kind, of Mowbray’s self-imposed target was survival then he may have felt in January that he was ahead of schedule and could afford to gamble. However, next season’s target is surely better than survival. He regularly talks about margins. Those same margins could have seen us (and could see us next season) in a relegation battle. If he truly believes that we have a good enough first XI then I would guess that his view of recruitment is: Replacement for Leutweiler = cheapest option wins Replacements for Reed and Rodwell = Davenport in and another PL loan Experienced CB to replace Downing = must be someone happy to be on the bench week-in week-out Striker = replacement for Nuttall (to loan) so that Brereton can get more opportunities Frightening!

Scotland needs a shake up. They don’t even produce top drawer players any more. The English top teams used to be built on the backs of hard-as-nails Scotsmen. A Gareth Southgate style revolution. If any national manager should be given time, it’s a young Scottish one. Trouble is they don’t seem to have any decent up and coming managers. Alex Neill - but he has just signed a new deal. Maybe he could do it part time like Hughes did with Wales. I can think of one man who would make them a lot harder to beat and might want it for personal reasons...

That’s not what I want football to become. They need to get far quicker at knowing if a goal is offside or not. Looked very tight from that video, btw. The delirium of a 93rd minute winner in a 5-3 thriller to send your team into the semis. Or:

Love it: “in today’s situation”! As though Venkys aren’t responsible for today’s situation. Given the debt situation and lack of ability of, or desire from, our CEO to sustainably increase our revenue through fanbase growth, what does “tomorrow’s situation” look like? All of this “best option” thinking is very short term in terms of avoiding imminent implosion, yet we have employed a manager who sees promotion as a long term goal. Let’s hope the bubble doesn’t burst before we get there - if we ever do. Venkys are the worst thing to ever happen to this football club.

Have we got a brave enough first team manager to make best use of it?

Well they should just line up all the blokes in Malta and pick the tallest 11. C’mon Phil, all other things aren’t equal. The Icelanders are superior footballers first, more demanding and determined - being taller is lower down the pecking order.

The only difference? Iceland have 3 PL players and 4 Championship players (as well as 1 Serie A, 1 Bundesliga, 1 Ligue 1, and 4 Eridivisie) out of 84 playing outside of Iceland. Malta have a L2 player and a National League player out of 8 playing outside of Malta. I don’t think that height is the only difference. Source: https://us.soccerway.com/players/players_abroad/iceland/ https://us.soccerway.com/players/players_abroad/malta/

Ok, I give in. City won tonight.

Football lost. Nobody won tonight.