Terrible keeping from Pears. Also Johnson showed his lack of experience in the role standing off. Terrible state of the pitch very frustrating. Where's Holtby?

Can't get an account. Website seems buggered...

Reckon something like that, but can't see Armstrong playing. Also don't think TM will change from 433 though so more like : Kaminski Pike Lenihan. Carter Bell Travis Buckley Davenport Dolan Dack Brereton

To be fair to Rothwell everyone was giving away the ball for fun on both sides throughout the game. It was amateur. The pitch looked in a really bad way.

I think that's good except Rothwell who I just don't really see as a forward. He's at his best running from deep and central. Your setup would also be more defensively robust than the 433. But seeing as Mowbray has stuck to the 433 so far I can't really see him changing it.

Midfield three is an interesting situation now. We've got Travis who is a definite starter when fully fit. Then we've got Rothwell, Holtby, Trybull and Johnson who have all played well and badly in patches. Rothwell is probably the pick of them. Then we've got Davenport who just played really well. And then we have Dack and Elliott who if we we want both to play probably one needs to go in the midfield three. Then there's Downing, Buckley who have hardly played. So that's *ten* players for three spots, although Johnson could be in defence for a while if we don't sign a defender, and one of Dack/Elliott is likely to play up front. Pretty daft situation to have so many mids and not enough defenders... I haven't even counted JRC or Evans... (!!!) Anyway for me to make the 433 really work it is all about having a midfield three that covers *a lot* of ground and can use the ball well. With only three in the middle you have to be able to press really well and retain the ball. To work through them - Johnson and Trybull are too static imo and get picked off. Holtby was brilliant and covering the yards well at the start of season but has dropped off significantly - seems to have a fitness issue. Dack you want up front for his goals, and Elliott is a forward not a midfielder, as he lacks the required presence and positional discipline to win the ball back. Buckley and Downing also lack that presence you need in a three. So for me probably we should go into the next league game with a midfield of Trav, Davenport, Rothwell. I think when Holtby gets his fitness back up again he could become a big player for us also. I would drop Gallagher up front for Dack and also put Elliott on the bench. My suspicion though is if we sign a defender Johnson will shoo-in to midfield and I think the deal we have with Liverpool for Elliott is he has to play so he can't be dropped. Could be wrong about that, but it feels that way. So out best team, for me, front to back : Kaminski Nyambe. Lenihan. Kipre? Bell. Travis. Davenport. Rothwell Brereton. Dack. Armstrong. Subs : Pears, Johnson, Douglas, Holtby, Trybull, Buckley, Elliott, Dolan, Gallagher

True but he's been terrible! Who was the last good perm player we signed for the defence? Need to go back to Duffy I think? Williams has been okay in patches but has bad spells and a lot of injuries. Bell is not as bad as some make out but he's not good. Oh Mulgrew you could argue, but he wasn't really a defender even though he played there... Great when dominating teams in league 1 but not up to much in the Championship where he actually had to defend. We've been lucky Lenihan and Nyambe came through the academy.

Wow he hasn't played since last season, and in 19/20 he only managed 8 games. That's shocking.... So, um, I guess no? Rather have a more modest player who actually is fit.

Can't see how we would afford Jones. Take him in a heartbeat though if he was available, interested and affordable.

Reckon he's more of a centre half than a right winger. He'd be a bit like Chris Samba, pacy, tall, physically dominant. Could see it working. Can't really head the ball convincingly though which is a bit of an issue at CB. But then it's a bit of an issue as a forward also...

That's crackers imo. The goal he scored today was one of many that Armstrong scored on his own really through his pace and finishing, despite a decent pass to set him up. Lose him and we are really struggling in my opinion. I'd do everything to hold onto him till the summer.

Just realised it is 2 weeks till our next league game. Gives us time to work on our fitness and bring in a CB on loan. Travis and Dack could be near full fitness by then. Really wish we had 6 more points on the board.

Gallagher's a tricky one as with the ball he is a total liability. But without the ball he gives us a target to hit long and defensively he provides a lot of height and physicality.... He had a great defensive game today but was abysmal going forward. Which is a weird thing to say about a striker...

Surprised by that, did well in the physical battle but got caught out of position a lot imo.

Dolan looks like he really suits the Armstrong role... Can see him getting more minutes there. One of those games where it's hard to know exactly anything about the team because the opposition were so so poor. They put a makeshift defence under no real pressure. We were okay in first half, poor in the second, but came away with the win and deserved it as Brum were so bad. Positives - Davenport was good in all regards, Travis was fitter than expected, Armstrong scored a goal on his own really, Douglas looked much better at RB than LB, all the subs looked decent. Dack getting a goal was great. Negatives - our final third play was pretty bad. Let maybe a dozen promising breakaways fall apart through sloppy passing. Defensively we did not convince at all. A better team than Birmingham would have scored against us. I reckon the opposition next game will do their homework and go after our full backs.

Amazing how bad both teams are at the basics. Both in poor form but it looks like the pitch is playing a big part too. When I saw the lineup I feared the worst but Travis has looked fit enough, Douglas has played a lot better at RB than he ever has at LB for us, and Johnson had not positionally played CB very well but has got away with it. Birmingham in first half we're unspeakably bad. Better on second though.

Pike is a RB. On bench. Really confused why he isn't playing. The more I look at the team maybe we are changing system? Can't figure out what it is mind. But playing 433 with those players is insane.

Playing 433 with our incredibly thin defence and on top of that Travis just back from injury and Eliott in midfield is suicidal. Really feels reminiscent of Souness and Inces mad last days in charge.

Yes. The new year message from Waggott was a bit weird. Felt like it was written to speak to Venkys, plead for more time. Mowbray has looked under pressure recently also.

I guess the frustration is player for player we probably have the best squad since we have been in the Championship. The issue is more tactical imo, we go out every game with the same plan and just hope it works out. A new manager now would have a decent squad to work with, and with a few tweaks could get us humming again.

I think we can safely say there is nothing from this season. Promotion is all about having a good system and a squad that fits well with it which you can trust to get a steady stream of points as the season progresses. Where we have found ourselves is that teams like Stoke, Sheffield Wednesday, Forest etc have figured out how to stop our plan A with a deep sitting game with three at the back, and then alarmingly today Huddersfield just beat us completely and utterly at our own game. On top of that we don't have a plan B. I think we are officially out of ideas. And when you are out of ideas you need a new manager.

I'd say he will probably need to lose two more on the trot to go.

Great goal from Huddersfield.

It's the hope that kills you.

Lol