Raya Bennett Lenihan Rodwell Bell Evans Travis Reed Dack Armstrong Graham Subs: Leutweiler, Nyambe, Williams, Smallwood, Rothwell, Nuttall, Chapman (Conway if Chapman deemed too unfit)

There are duds and gems in equal measure wherever you look, my point was that its better to choose from a bigger pool and that English playees can be overpriced (Brereton a prime example) and was shot down for it as if it was a character assassination on Mowbray. Even he has admitted it today. Obviously it is still difficult and risky to find the right players wherever you look but at least you arent seemingly focusing on predominantly ex loanees. People seem to think that those championing widening our recruitment scope as basing it only on successful signings from abroad but that is nonsense. The Portugal example you give is flawed in that it was obviously not all above board.

Poor window if we arent signing anyone and one that we will end weaker than we started, with Downing and Palmer no longer options, and Chapman seemingly not fit any time soon. Have to worry about any injury to Graham potentially de-railing us.

We can assume that the Brereton deal was a significant one, the fee of 7m is regularly banded around by primary sources. What we cannot assume is the payment terms, when the installments are due, how much is guaranteed, his wages or any other additional fees. Im not sure how much it matters either, if its in installments or all at once it will still cost us the same, and with a fee of such signifance even a million either side doesnt really change anything, even if he cost say 5m that would still be very expensive. You havent provided a view or a perspective at all with your "information." A mystery "colleague" with unknown "connections" has told you "details" about the deal which you are unwilling to share, and I suspect dont know yourself. This is far from the first time you have given cryptic "information" on something seemingly done to make you seem like you know more than you do.

I am critical of the Brereton deal as are you but cryptic nonsense doesnt support any argument.

I am not saying that signing players from abroad is a risk free strategy, there will be duds everywhere. My point is the more players we are considering, and the bigger pool we are picking from, the more beneficial it will be for us. A player with equal "potential" as Brereton signed from overseas would almost certainly cost a much more reasonable fee. It also worries me that our primary targets seem to be former players, despite their obvious flaws/limitations (Chapmans injuries for example) which for me highlights a lack of variation and imagination. I never expect that we will have a perfect record in the transfer market either, obviously I am going to show examples of successful transfers from abroad to back up my point, but that point is that picking players from a bigger pool is better than being limited to where we buy from, not that signing from abroad is guaranteed to be more successful. I have never doubted that some of the business we have done is good.

But that implies that if we started looking at players from abroad, that we would totally neglect the English market! The key is to find the best players possible wherever they are, but having a bigger pool to pick from is only going to be an advantage. I suspected that Mowbray was restricted in terms of perhaps a limited scouting network but recent quotes suggest he is uneasy with the idea of bringing in players from abroad. Look at Norwich, they have signed Pukki, Leitner and Onel Hernandez but also the likes of Rhodes and Hanley, and Brentford signed Maupay and partnered him with Watkins from Exeter, its getting a nice mix. You look at the Brereton deal, I refuse to accept that across Europe we couldnt find an alternative for that amount of money who would offered so much more so far. And going for the likes of Chapman and seemingly Gallagher again seems incredibly restricted and unimaginative.

I prefer a squad with the best possible players in it, whether they are from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain or Timbuktu. We will see if this supposed scouting upgrade sees us signing good players from abroad as well as England. That is all me, Mercer and others who have suggested it want.

It doesnt, that wasnt the point I was debating. Chaddy implied that we was 8th in spite of spending little money on our front 4; that is a bit of a deceiving fact when you consider one of our subs cost so much. I don't think its painting a true and fair view of our achievement if you only consider the cost of our players who have been successful signings up to now. I have never doubted that we have made some cracking signings that other teams would be jealous of. I dont think anyone has suggested that. Dack is obviously the jewel in the crown, Armstrong has been poor in the main for most of the season but has in the last month showed form that he has enough to prove a very shrewd signing in time for 2m. Reed has also been a very good loan deal, and Graham was a very good signing from Coyle. That being said, I do worry that our transfer targets seem to be from a limited pool, and believe you are wrong to shoot down Mercer for suggesting that we need to look abroad aswell as in the UK.

My point was not suggesting that Brereton should be in the team. Although some fans are capable of having opinions contrary to the manager on certain things... My point was that you showing how cheaply our front 4 was assembled is a slight doctoring of the truth in that we spent plenty of money on our attackers when you factor in the cost of Brereton aswell.

With a 7m striker unable to get into the team but sat on the bench collecting dust, im not sure that is as much of a good achievement as you make out haha.

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/transfer-news/coventry-city-transfer-news-loan-15749683 And wasnt this supposed to be Nuttall rather than a winger?

Didnt get the impression from Waggotts quotes that hed been in Middlesbrough for 3 days!

I wasnt lambasting anyones opinion, i literally took the individual point that you see more on TV and disagreed with it. You see all 11 players on each team, the shape of each team in full, the off the ball movements, you see everything. Obviously you still see how good a player is on TV but all I am saying is you see more at the game.

You can see the whole pitch rather than the select area where the camera is focused. Why do managers like to scout players in person if its just as good to watch on tv?

Talented player but not what we need, a number 10 who is far less effective than Dack and I would suspect would have been sidelined similar to Palmer.

I am sure that Dack has a lot of respect for Mowbray (albeit he wouldnt say publically if he disliked him!) but you are naive if you think that sole factor would prevent a player from trying to further his career, in MOST cases. Its not just about money. Its about being ambitious and going to a bigger team. He sounded like he loved it at Gillingham but he joined Rovers because they are a bigger club and a richer club.

Going off on a tangent, you see far less watching on tv than being at the game.

To be fair, its not necessarily greed. I dont like the word greed because almost everybody would snap someones hands off if they offered them x thousands a week more. But he might go to a bigger team or to a new challenge. A lower/promoted Prem team might even take a punt on him, or a foreign team may even be interested which could suit his style of play; Livorno were linked for example and the Italian style of play may be less taxing on his body and suit him more. As far as I'm concerned, the onus is on the club and Mowbray to sort out an extension as soon as possible to protect him as an asset. Considering how quick the club was to give Williams and Smallwood new deals in the summer (as "rewards") and also Sam Hart recently, surely Rodwell deserves an extra year or 2. People also mention him oweing us for offering him a deal when no one will touch us but if we dont offer him an extension then he might not feel wanted long term. Up until now, partially due to injuries hes not been a regular either.

Reed out the squad and Assombolonga shoehorned in on the wing? No thanks!

Sadly if a Premier League club came in with a bigger contract offer, his relationship with Mowbray would almost certainly be rendered meaningless in his desire to move on in his career and it would be difficult to keep him then. Hopefully that wont happen and I havent written off him being here next season by any stretch but lets be realistic.

A player to be loaned straight back out and an academy kid? Meh.

There was still plenty of it though. The first goal is a case in point, it centred around Grahams brilliant hold up from a ball lumped forward. I would suggest that firepower of Assombolonga, Graham, Dack and Armstrong is as good as anything in the league. The problem is then the foundations on which it is built, ie maintaining the tight base we have created recently. As well as keeping all 4 happy when only 3 start! The mention of us also signing Gallagher is something which particularly makes me question the information.

Id be absolutely amazed for so many reasons: Why would Boro sell him to a team in 8th? On what planet would we afford him considering weve already spent 10m this season? Mowbray has repeatedly said he doesnt want someone on wages outside the parameters of our current wage bill. How would we afford his high wages? Why would he come here? How would he fit in short term? Dack and Graham are undroppable and critical to our team. So he either is a sub or out wide. Mowbray only plays one "attacking" wide man and at the moment Armstrong is in incredible form. He is far less effective wide anyway. Hes 26, so obviously he would outlast Graham and be here for a good few years. What does that mean for the 9m worth of forwards we bought in the summer? Armstrong is on fire playing from wide but Mowbray sees him as a striker long term. And Brereton at 7m as ever is the elephant in the room. Then theres Nuttall too. You cant play them all. Lets be clear on the quality of Assombolonga. He is a proven goalscorer over a number of years. He is far, far better than the likes of Sam Gallagher. He is a good age too, he would be a superb addition. But I dont see it happening in a million years sadly.

Has he? Again, thats my opinion above, not Mowbrays. We are taking a huge risk the longer we leave it.