My hope is in a two up top he will be better.

I would say the sky pundits nailed it on Wednesday. We need to drop a forward into midfield and play 352 rather than 343. Wilder will copy Hull for sure. So team for me Kaminski Lenihan. Ayala. Wharton Nyambe. Buckley. Travis Rothwell. Edun Gallagher. Khadra We can transition to a 343 later if sensible.

It's a system that has served us brilliantly. Changing it would have been mad. Everyone on here would have the pitchforks out.

For what it's worth I thought we were on balance the better team up until the subs. We created more and limited Hull to a few chances. Eaves was doing well but we looked in control outside of him. Two ludicrous decisions against us. Post subs we were utterly utterly terrible. We were lucky they didn't score a couple more. For me we need to stick with the system, not mess around too much. I do really really struggle with what we do with Gallagher. He was atrocious on the right, better on the left, but surely should be playing through the middle if at all. Like others have mentioned as BBD is going to Chile I worry about what will happen.

Terrible subs. Ayala to handle Eaves makes sense. Otherwise Johnson has ruined our shape and Dilan anonymous.

Why did we bring Buckley off for Johnson? Madness.

That's the worst bit of foul play I've seen in a while. Can McCloughlin be retrospectively penalised?

Pickering is the biggest miss for me.

Poor half for us , but we still created far more chances and limited Hull. Very impressed with Eaves. If they had better around him they could hurt us more. Gallagher looked a bit better on the left when he was moved at the end of the half. For me I guess we just keep trucking and the chances will come. I would look to take Gallagher off for Markanday or bring on Davenport and push Buckley back into false 9.

Wonder if we will see Markanday today? Feels like he might get on.

Eaves is the first striker I've seen who looks to know how to get change out of our defence. Van Hecke cant handle them.

Buckley really is the new Tugay

I don't get on what planet playing Gallagher on the right and Brereton through the middle makes sense.

I'm not against Gallagher getting some game time, but I can't see the sense in starting him. Surely Khadra keeps his spot. I think JRC will do a good job right back. Would have thought Zeefuik will be on the bench ahead of Butterworth.

Yes that would make sense. Wonder why they didn't do it that way? Or maybe they did and the players are taking the approach of waiting and will sign one game before the end of season if we are going to be promoted. All speculation, but feasible. Anyway the basic point of the huge bonus meaning those players intend to stay is the key point which seems totally valid.

There may be a clause in the bonus that you don't get it if you sign a pre contract. I'm sure there would be.

Agreed it's weird. He's had a superb season and is a key part of our team. You'd think Fulham, Bournemouth, West Brom etc would take him just to destabilise us as well as get a proven Championship player. The key thing is probably the promotion bonus that Venkys have offered. Worth £700k I think for a near ever present based on reports. That's equivalent to £15k a week for a year! They're probably being paid around £5k a week at the moment. So for Nyambe, Rothwell, Lenihan that's massive. I guess they may have told their agent they want to stay so they get a shot at that, then can still get the same sort of contract from a new employer if they move in the summer. It's not like moving now gets a bigger contract. Makes sense if you think of it that way. They lose nothing waiting till summer and have a crack at a massive life changing lump sum (3 years wages). That bonus is probably the smartest thing Venkys have done since they bought us.

I'd hope that both don't need to wait two years. Highly rated players have always done well for us when they've got the chance. That both already made the bench this season for the first XI (Garrett pre-season and Wharton against Wigan) suggests to me they may get a go before the season is out. That said I went back and looked at Buckley and Travis. Neither got their first game till they were 20. So maybe your assessment is fair enough (Wharton is 17 and Garrett 18). Really exciting time for all the young players - they must all look at the first team with all the home grown talent and feel that they're valued and they have got a clear route and the support to become professionals.

I would hesitate to do that - Lenihan has been superb at RCB and I don't think Van Hecke looks anywhere as comfortable there. Rather have JRC step in at RWB - it's a perfect role for him. Agree until Markanday or Dack are available I would stick with Buckley at false 9. He's been a bit hit or miss, but when he has a good game he makes everything tick so well. Gallagher or Dolan through the middle is workable but don't offer as much all round.

Yes - Stewart Downing was a solid professional who had some good games. But was he worth the money we were spending compared to a younger cheaper player? I doubt it, he wasn't excellent, he struggled to stay in the side. If Davenport had to play more to fill in for him I am not sure we would have been much worse off.

I think his usefulness is really limited tbh - probably on very good money too. He should be going at the end of the season. If a players over 26/27 and not a guaranteed starter Id say we should routinely look to move them on. The whole "experienced heads" argument has been totally discredited for me, weve seen very little output for a lot of money spent on experienced players. Young players work harder, can be molded easier, get paid less, have more resell value. For one Johnson we could probably pay two or three younger up and coming players. If Ayala can't force his way back into the team we should let him go summer also.

If I was him I probably would be looking to move on. Really hard to see how he gets a major role. Wonder if we will loan him as there must be pretty much zero chance of any game time between now and end of season. Markanday and Dack coming back will push him down to eighth in line for the front three spots (Brereton, Khadra, Buckley, Gallagher, Dolan, Markanday, Dack, Butterworth).

Johnson I really think doesn't fit in anywhere except as a really desperate backup for CB. He just gets totally bipassed due to his lack of mobility in midfield. Id trade off a lack of heading ability in the middle for Davenports ability to get around the pitch. If we lost Travis Daveport would step in, if we lost Rothwell we'd drop Buckley into midfield and play Dolan, Gallagher, Markanday or Dack through the middle up top. Not perfect but pretty good I would say. Main issue would be losing Rothwells running from midfield but Buckley can do a bit of that, and his excellent passing would give something extra.

Yes teams might have worked out how limit us to less chances, but they certainly haven't worked out how to score against us. For me still think the 343 works phenomenally well, no one's got near cracking it yet. Our downturn in offensive prowess is due imo to 1) lack of quality from the flanks. Really need Pickering back and more from right wing back. 2) poor final ball - every game we actually generate a lot of really good chances but mess up the final ball. Did that three or four times against Cardiff. I'm really not worried at all at the moment. Even when we were down to 10 yesterday we looked in total control.

To be honest with the transformation of Brereton I hesitate to write anyone off now.