Agree with much of the team and the sentiment behind it. But not sure it is correct that Armstrong gets most of his goals from the left hand side. He started coming in to his own when being played in a more central role. I still have some misgivings about him as a striker to be honest, as good as his numerous goals have been from outside the box, I am not convinced that they are a sustainable source long term in that he needs to be far better one on one where he misses more often than he scores, he needs to add scrappy goals and tap ins to his game and he needs to be cleverer in terms of timing his runs to avoid offsides. All that being said, you wouldnt like to play against him, he does offer a goal threat and he does have that pace, going forward if we can keep them, he should be the 9 and Dack the 10. Not sure there is much point playing Graham from now on either. If Rankin Costello is more of a left sided midfielder, makes more sense to play him there. You could either take the attitude that Holtby will struggle to dislodge Dack, and maybe give him a couple of games from that right hand side with Nyambe overlapping, and play Buckley as a 10. Or play Holtby as a 10 and Chapman wide right.

To be fair, if you are watching a game which could end our play off hopes, I presume you are watching a re-run of the Barnsley or even the Wigan game! Yep Venkys are definitely not going to be logical. The fact that they havent even told Mowbray when he will find out about his budget suggests that they havent got their finger on the pulse so he is certainly safe. You mention disgruntlement but comments on messageboards and social media wont even be seen, maybe he is lucky that there are no fans in the stadium where he could have heard some moans and groans? Then again, I dont think it would have been much more than a few less bums in seats and a few boo's at this point.

I think ultimately you are one of the many who when a chairman or a manager starts talking about all of these attractive side objectives, fancy football and playing the kids, that you start lapping it up. If and when results nosedive as a result, with managers focusing too much on that preset objective of bringing in the kids through, what happens? Fans soon lose patience and trust in the manager, the chairman sacks him when results go past a certain point. The primary objective always is and always should be results. @JHRover brilliantly sums it up. If you can do it bringing through plenty of academy graduates, if you can do it playing attractive football, all the better. If not, what is the priority? Results.

The fact that hes totally in the dark about the budget to the extent that he doesnt even know when he will found out really shows how disinterested our twattish owners are. But hey, lets be grateful that we havent gone into administration!

What if a new manager came in and didnt rate those young players highlighted? Would he still be obliged to use them? If our next manager was told implicitly that he had to play the youngsters, and we dropped from mid table where we are currently to nearer the relegation zone, would you be like "at least hes playing the kids?" Would you balls, youd be thinkingvwhy does he keep losing. Its a load of rubbish. Perfect example is Middlesbrough. They had a manager in Pulis who focuses on results at all costs, style etc very much secondary. That being said, he didnt totally abandon the thought of academy players and brought Lewis Wing through, playing him regularly, and Tavernier on occasion. He went at the end of the season, people fell for the idea of passing football and kids throughout the team, they had players like Pears in goal who made mistakes but he had to play kids so their 1m goalkeeper sat on the bench, they dropped like a stone, had to get rid of the young manager and go and appoint Warnock who is right back to the Pulis type of manager focusing solely on results.

One thing that I would say is that id be surprised. Mowbray went for very much a conservative approach last year but had much more goodwill with stability being more acceptable following promotion. I remember that Davenport was fit but had to make do with just over a half on the last day when Bennett got injured. Chapman had to make do with a couple of small cameos. Brereton finally got his goal v Bolton then Graham came back and finished the season. Buckley and Butterworth got 15 minutes as a token appearance v Bolton. Self preservation came before proactive forward thinking last year. I suspect it might again this.

When clubs start being really specific with what they want, specific players being brough through, style of play etc it can often spell disaster. What happened to wanting a manager to get results first and foremost?

https://mol.im/a/8494817 Linked with another central midfielder. Wouldnt take any notice mind as half the league are.

Not top priority? That would be a pathetic excuse even for them. We are a Championship football club and if we arent even worth a couple of hours for a chat online telling Mowbray how much he can spend then they really are worse than I could even imagine.

That sums Mowbray up. Flirts with a formation but doesnt stick with it and goes back. How is that condusive to overhauling the tactical mechanism of a side? I dont think in any way that we have successfully started to dominate games in a way that also leads to us getting results. I also find only changing to 433 false 9 with 9 games to go totally bizarre. If thats the plan, start the season like that! And dont sign a lanky, clumsy 5m striker! Rothwell? Does any formation and style suit a player who offers absolutely zero end product? He looked even less effective in a midfield 3. What are the parameters you set? Is it as simple as less than 60 is regression, 60 is stability/stagnation and over 60 is progression? Ultimately the season is over either way so all these last 5 games are doing is putting a positive or negative edge on it.

Also @chaddyrovers do your recent messages to journalists on twitter and the tone of them suggest that you do now agree that waiting and dithering over budgets is detrimental and illogical?

Again you are assuming that the owners are emotionally invested enough to be fascinated with every bit of detail. If you want to believe that they are then fair enough. I have never been one who gets caught up on the style of football, very much a results first mentality. Its not a case of agreeing with the theory of it. I dont think it has been executed with any consistency, with any conviction or with any logic. His signings dont all fit the philosophy, especially the most expensive one. His attempt to create a unique formation only happened with 9 games to go and didnt work. If we finish on 60 points or less, would you consider this season still one that has been productive and progressive?

I think your problem is that you are viewing the situation as if we have normal, interested and knowledgable owners. As if they are thinking, we can see a progression, we understand the change in style etc. And as if they are saying well we will be happy with a top half finish this year as part of a gradual plan. Im sure that Mowbray sets his own personal targets and he is a man who does clearly care but he wont be held accountable by anyone but the fans if he fails to achieve them. I sort of understand why he would want to have more control over games but there are so many areas in which his actions make no sense or are inconsistent and illogical with such a plan. If he has wanted to play 433 with a false 9 and wide strikers, something that we both agree is a load of bollocks. Why has it only come about after a 3 month break, 9 games before the end of the season after a solitary negative result? At least do it with some conviction if you are going to do it, not from game 38 to game 40 and then ditch it again. You add to that, why isnt his transfer recruitment geared to enabling such a transformation. Why spend all of your money on a really clumsy and technically poor striker? And then mainly play him out wide? Why sign on big wages a central midfielder as bad as I can remember at taking the ball on the half turn, comstantly giving the ball away? Adarabioyo and Downing fit the remit more but one is on loan and one is 35, the building blocks to a tactical transformation? No chance. You also mention Waggott and Mowbrays relationship. Do I think Waggott holds a lot of power? No. But does it help Mowbray having a mate as a go between to the owners? Of course. I look at this season, over with 5 or 6 games to go, probably going to finish on similar points. No real progression on tactical changes. No real progression on our squad this summer compared to last. No 7m striker from last year having a break through season as promised. How is it progression?

I dont even think that Bennett is competent as a utility back up. I think to some especially Mowbray, the fact that he has played in numerous positions fools people into thinking that he can play in numerous positions. The phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" is particularly relevant. He once was an out and out winger with pace, he then got a serious injury which I can only assume robbed him of some of that. He had a loan spell at Bristol City where I think he played at wing back, the start of the post injury Bennett and he didnt earn a permanent contract. Even as a winger in League 1 for us, he was not effective and scored/assisted rarely. The fact that hes never considered for his natural position considering our lack of options out there says alot. He had that really good game with Smallwood v Shrewsbury which the pair impressed solely due to their work rate and energy. He carried on there for a bit in League 1 but never replicated that effectiveness. Then full back became the next place that Mowbray tried to fit him in which he felt was necessary because he is the "voice of the dressing room." This position particularly highlights his inability to draw the line before energetic and tireless become rash and unnecessary. And now hes not even playing on the correct side. James Milner is versatile. His intelligence and reading of the game means that he can play in different positions and not stand out as a weakness. Bennett wherever he goes will repeatedly concede fouls and repeatedly run out of position. Hes not a Championship standard player.

You are quite clearly solely of the purpose to wind up and antagonize so I will stop there.

Youve literally just plucked a random name out of the air and now are consistently using it as a primary argument. Do you think that for a normal club in the same situation as us, that you would allow Mowbray to continue or make a change?

He wont be going anywhere, but not because of the reasons outlined by an amateur journalist echoing a false narrative that Venkys (or the Venkys) are following a linear progression and are genuinely interested in what is going on and can see what Mowbray is doing. He will stay because we of course are not doing disastrously, he has done well over the course of his time but mainly that he has his mate as CEO and is very forthcoming in flying to India when needed and putting up with their strange ways. The reason that their expectations havent changed throughout the season is because they arent invested enough emotionally in the first place. I am unsure how Mowbray thinks we are on target, his target was 70 points if I recall correctly where as now even beating last seasons 60 point tally is in the balance. I think a perfect example of a very confused and illogical attempt to progress us tactically can be perfectly shown post lockdown. I actually do see some sense in making us more possession but the way he has tried to do it is bizarre. If a false 9 and inside forwards based 4-3-3 is the way he has always seen us playing, then why would he bring it in 9 games from the end of the season and after a 3 month break. It hasnt worked and like with 3 at the back he instantly reverts back and gives up on it, until 6 months down the line when he will probably try it again. On Saturday, he reverted back to his strange comfort blanket of having Gallagher on the wing, as if thats always a safe bet. I suppose a late run of wins (or losses) could put a different slant on the season but again with numerous games to spare we have nothing to play for. The recruitment in the summer was (Waggott touched upon this in one of the fans forum things I believe) that signing Johnson, Downing etc was done to try and help out a young squad and give it some experience and know how. This was also meant to be Breretons breakthrough season! I just reflect on this season as it comes to a close and look towards next and I dont see how we have pushed on. The main thing has been Armstrongs progression but ultimately we have swapped that with Graham coming to the end. One thing I would add is that for those keen to point out Venkys and the likelihood of them appointing someone ridiculous, it is for me a bit of an avoidance of the matter at hand. "I don't have anything constructive to defend the manager, err we could get Phil Brown" isnt a defence.

I think its all about ensuring that there is a semblence of balance too. The objective has to be to see if the younger players closest to the first team are capable of not even necessarily being first team starters next year but reducing where possible the amount of surgery on the squad that I suspect is necessary but financially impossible. Rankin Costello is a perfect example. Hes often name dropped as one of the main youngsters breaking through and his natural position is where we are very weak. Theres no point playing him at left back and theres no point giving him 20 minutes at the end. Give him the last 5 games starting on that left wing. Likewise, start Chapman on the right. Theres no point giving him 10 minutes when we are 2 down and down to 10 men. I dont see any players in our squad that are competent wide, so if either or even both impress it could lessen the pressure of summer recruitment. Davenport is being dripped fed quarter of an hour cameos, what use is that? Sadly we can expect Gallagher and Johnson bumbling around ineffectively in those positions. To give these a chance though it should be within the framework of our main players around them. You cant expect to throw too many kids in together and put in a a competitive performance against an in form Championship side. People have mentioned players like Vale and Carter and theres definitely scope to have them on a 9 man bench rather than players like Samuel and Smallwood who should be about to leave, as well as Mulgrew and Bennett who we know arent up to it. But its not constructive to stick them all in at once.

No doubt Bennett will be patched up and chucked back into the side. Gallagher will continue wide right. Davenport should be given a run of starts, Rankin Costello should in his favoured position with Rothwell repeatedly wasting the chances hes had. Chapman too on the right hand side. Get Buckley involved regularly too.

Whilst of course our strikers are further hindered by being played out wide, Gallagher, Brereton and Samuel are all poor strikers regardless.

Is Armstrong good enough for a Premier League team, even for Newcastle? They do need a striker but they have Dwight Gayle who comes up short and if you put him in the Championship he gets you 20 plus goals. Armstrong for all of his wonder goals and his pace is not at this moment a prolific scorer in terms of getting tap ins and scruffy goals. Seems like a 2+2 because hes a Geordie but id be a little surprised. Likewise I am unconvinced that Sheffield United would maintain an interest in Lenihan. He wouldnt get into the team over Egan in the middle of their back 3 and he certainly is not capable of playing the overlapping outside centre back role due to his lack of ability on the ball. Definitely think that wed open to selling Armstrong, Dack, Lenihan, Travis and Nyambe not sure how many if any are capable in the Premier League. Also its obvious that it will be scraping the barrel in terms of recruitment. This could be the summer more than ever when Venkys disinterest and illogical way of working could be a real hindrance. Play off chance over and obviously safe with 5 games to go. No money. Teams releasing players in what will be a crowded market. Yet needless red tape means we are lagging behind. We have no contracted goalkeepers, then are desperately short of quality at CB, LB and out wide and im unsure if we can sign all of those.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/18561970.dack-mowbrays-mind-rovers-suffer-another-injury/ Mowbrays moaning about not having Dack fit to take them chances yesterday. Understandable but also not an excuse considering that weve spent as much as we have on our forward line.

I would certainly ask questions about Mowbrays handling of him but I think its incredibly harsh to suggest that hes had the ability beaten out of him. Prior to joining the signing was very much a low risk gamble of a youngish player who had not really exerted himself as someone who had that end product even at League 1 level. After a couple of years of defensive wingers and wide strikers Rothwell broke through last year, running at players, scored a couple of screamers and I do think in hindsight it was a bit of a false dawn.

Hatred? The reason that hes come under fire is that early on his attribute ie being quick and able to run at people were excited as they arent attribues weve seem often from Rovers players in recent years. 2 years on, a record of 2 goals and 3 assists is nowhere near enough and far too often he is totally ineffective. Holtby started the game really well but totally faded I would agree and was overall quite poor.

Another example of how Mowbray has been lucky in terms of the net spend hes been allowed not having to sell anyone. Shame he has mainly wasted it.