booth

Pathetic this isn't it.

Jones was a fantastic defender but for some reason he was turned into a midfielder.

If only it was a league game.

100%. There are lots of players who would be happy to take a place on the bench to try and take the step up so I don't buy that someone wouldn't sign up to sit on the bench. It's a big opportunity to be part of a promotion chasing team. You sit on the bench, you take the opportunity, then if successful you aren't on the bench any more. Especially with us having such a small squad and so many injuries. Before there was any talk of Rothwell going TM was talking about bringing 2 or 3 in, we only brought in Giles after that so we obviously had money left in our budget. So I don't buy that argument either.

But talk of someone having those qualities means nothing when we played a left back there, sacrificing his qualities and playing a right back at left back. Neither Zeefuick or Giles looked comfortable in the first half. I'd have rather had Butterworth and all his 20 minutes, a half fit Khadra/Brereton for half a match or even a striker from the under 18's/league 1 rather than put two players out of position and impact the defence. It's not like we haven't had prior warning that LB has been a problem. Edun hasn't looked comfortable there. We finally got Giles in, problem solved and then... We play him up front. We turn the single problem of who replaces Brereton into two problems. Against Forest I hope he plays Giles at LWB come what may.

Do we know when Pickering and Dolan will be back?

That was part of the problem but Buckley and Rothwell were so ineffectual yesterday that I can see why TM would just resort to getting Giles to put balls in the box. That was probably the worst I've seen Buckley play this season and Rothwell was so deep even when they had ten men. It was was one of them where Rothwell was a luxury because all he was doing was tapping it around with the defenders. Anyone could have done that.

Of course he did. He had a choice to bring in cover for Brereton fully knowing he'd be without him. He had a choice not to send Butterworth, our only other striker, out on loan. Not ideal and not my first choice but preferable to putting TWO players out of position in order to fix a problem of our own making. Mowbray finally solved the issue of Pickering being out, then negated that by putting our only fit LB up front and a RB in his position. Two positions alien to two players just getting to grips with the team. I don't understand why that was necessary. Khadra looked fine to me so starting him as the left forward would have been far more preferable than Giles, who looks to be an excellent wing back. Then in the second half swap him for Brereton - or vice versa. Someone should be on TM's back asking why after his most successful season yet, he's started reverting to type. And asking why he didn't bring in cover for Brereton in January when he admitted it was his choice not to do so. It didn't need to be a like for like, no one's expecting 20 goals or a player to the exact standard. Just cover so we aren't having to then have 2 players out of position compromising one side of the pitch as we saw yesterday. There was absolutely no reason why Giles needed to begin as one of our forwards yesterday and evidence from the second half to suggest he's very comfortable and shouldn't be switched around from LWB.

Whilst I’d expect zeefuick to do better, he played two fullbacks out of position.

You have to give it to Mowbray, he’s a first class wind up merchant. Signs a few players, plays them out of position - all of them. Doesn’t sign a goalscorer despite only scoring 2 goals in a month, then says he could have, clubs were lining up offering number 9’s. Next game, we need a number 9. Someone said he’s better without choice, they were right. I think we are in the bullshit end of the season for Tony now. Another observation is that every team is raising their game now, it’s a cup match every game. And we don’t do cup games. TM’s biggest problem is we don’t have a chairman on his back asking questions when we falter and drive him in the right direction. Someone said he starts thinking he’s Pep. He does seem to get giddy after Christmas. Can TM reign himself in long enough to get us over the line and avoid a death spiral? After the last 6 weeks it’s clear it’s going to be a stressful second half of the season.

Zeefuik has played out of position in every appearance so far, but I agree Nyambe shouldn’t be dropped. TM needs to play players in the correct position.

Real or not, I wish I had more of it.

It's £13. 13lbs is a measure of weight not money 😉

I'm hoping Mowbray is looking for a free agent for the bench but he doesn't seem too worried about the situation.

We've missed Pickering, taking him out of the team greatly diminished our attack and took pressure from the defence, getting forward and being a handful - and Chile robbing us of Brereton didn't help. But then we got Giles, by all accounts a fantastic attack minded fullback. Then TM puts him upfront... And puts Zeefuick at left back instead - a right back.

We probably could have got Maja on loan. It's mystifying why you wouldn't sign someone up like that as an option. And if you want to play a midfielder as a false 9, buy one that can score goals!

I feel qualified to comment on the match as I saw it. I thought perhaps January was a blip and Feb may be a fresh start with new signings and fresh ideas. When I saw he was playing Zeefuick at left back and Giles up front my heart sank.

As we had no proper forwards it also allowed Swansea to get forward more. We had wing back, a winger and a midfielder as our attack.

JRC for Nyambe? Hedges up front for the last 15 of the first half? Giles as one of the starting forward trio? Zeefuick, a right back, at left back when we had a left back? And why didn't he bring on a number 9 to get on the end of those crosses?

Manager reverted to type tonight Gav. It must be worrying you a bit?

It's up there with Gallagher at right back and Ayala as a solo striker.

It's a fair point but we had the chance to strengthen in January. It was clear what we needed to get us over the line.

He always plays Gallagher far too deep to get on the end of crosses. He's lucky if he enters the box most games.

I remember people on transfer deadline night shitsplaining why we didn't need a goalscorer. I hope the penny has dropped. Doesn't matter now though.

Because he brought in an excellent crosser of the ball who is in the top half of the assist league? Then decided he didn't need a goalscorer because we don't play that way.