joey_big_nose

I think that's harsh - between them Pickering and Edun have made the left back position quite solid after being an huge Achilles heel for years. If everyone's fit the side has got to the point where the first XI is actually genuinely good enough for playoffs I think. Thought after Armstrong left we would really struggle up front but Gallagher, Diaz, and Dolan are all doing amazingly well. Buckley, Travis, Rothwell is a very decent midfield three, Ayala and Lenihan an excellent cb partnership, Nyambe a strong right back. Kaminski a solid keeper. All those players play and we're very competitive. Once you get out of that first XI things go downhill quickly though. Van Hecke looks good, Edun seems solid. After that is either unproven loan or youth players (Khadra, Poveda, Butterworth) or senior ones coming back from big injuries (Johnson, JRC, Dack, Wharton). It's hard not to look at the rush of games over Christmas with foreboding. There's no way we will keep everyone fit enough.

Good post but I can't see Johnson getting dropped. If Gallagher's carrying a knock can see Khadra coming in, but could be any of him, Poveda or Butterworth. Or even McBride. Don't think Tony (or the supporters) are that convinced by any of them.

From what I've seen JRC is good enough. Not brilliant but decent. Rarely has a poor game. Has a good delivery and a good engine. I'd definitely persevere with him. Butterworth hasn't really shown anything except a good 30 mins at Hull. But I have the feeling that with more games he could make quite an impact for us, but that's just a hunch. He's got a good change of pace, a good strike. He absolutely rinsed the Hull defence. Again would like to see more of him. Problem for him in Dolan, Khadra and Poveda we have three players who are quite similar. I'd pack Poveda off and give Butterworth more game time.

Jozwiak is obviously a good player. Watched him for Poland and he looked excellent Derby are a club all over the place. I'm sure in a new environment he would improve.

To be honest has there ever been a manager at Rovers (or any club, or international football) that doesn't get the "why do you sit back on a lead" criticism. I'd wager when Mowbray gets eventually potted we'll all be on here saying the same about the next guy. Id bet my house on it. I think to be honest it's the nature of football. One team gets a lead the other side starts taking risks and either they get battered or they manage to turn the game. It's just the way it is to a certain extent. I'm not really sure Mowbray is much worse than any other manager on that front.

Yes, two of the worst loans I've seen us make. We should demand our money back! Van Hecke looks quality through. Khadra is talented but we haven't really figured out what to do with him yet.

Only saw the second half - sounds like I missed the good bit of the game..! Most encouraging thing was Van Hecke and Edun both look defensively solid. Poveda is absolutely atrocious. Surely Butterworth would be a better bet? Or give McBride a whirl?

Defence looking very very makeshift. Derby will fancy us on out wide and at set pieces. Would have thought Van Hecke RB and Carter central would be more solid?

Yeah, but I worry that our counter attacking game which is pretty decent won't really work, we'll be looking for him to feed off Brereton and Gallagher much further up which doesn't fill me with confidence.

Really surprised you say that about Dack. Swap Rothwell out for Dack and my guess is we will really struggle to get forward. Rothwell does so much in carrying the ball and covering ground which Dack just won't do after 2 ACLs.

After 2 ACLs Dack is not going to be mobile. Only place he will playing for us I think is false 9 or number 10.

Wouldn't fancy Nyambe to play on the left. He's so one footed, and much of his game is about going round players on the outside right. I don't think he could do that on the left. Edun already looks a handy player to me. Nothing spectacular but seems to do everything pretty well. Interested to see how he develops.

Some fan favourites he does share the love for - eg. Dack, Lenihan. Also he stuck with Brereton when many wrote him off (me included) and was proven right.. Maybe his assessment is Rothwell and Nyambe need a "treat em mean keep em keen" type of man management. But seeing as they haven't signed if this is the philosophy it hasn't really worked.

Wow! Brutal. Bizarre as well as while Rothwell is maybe learning CM he has been way better than many we've had in there under Mowbray (Smallwood, Bennett etc). He's had games in centre mid over the last two seasons where he has been brilliant. Seems a bit of a cheap dig by Mowbray as he feels Rothwell not signing is embarrassing him. That said obviously Mowbray doesn't rate Rothwell as highly as he should be, and that is weird. Same with Nyambe. But the ultimate root is Venkys have just decided to minimise budgets which is very short sighted considering they are going to lose a lot of assets for cheap prices.

Some sort of plan to get the clubs back under fan ownership needs to be worked out. I can see a political party putting it in their platform in a few years.

Bet Danny Drinkwater wishes now he'd stuck with Leicester.

Eduns actually right footed I think so seems an obvious choice.

Just watched the game back, thought we were really good tbh. We could have scored four or five, Reading only created a single decent chance which Puskas should have scored. Considering we had a few injuries a good result. Dolans going to be one of the best players in the Championship in the next year or two. Once he sorts his decision making out he's going to be very hard to stop. Absolutely rinsed their backline. What is so admirable about him is, despite obviously being the most technically talented player we have, he is also the biggest grafter. He's just relentless. Also thought Edun and Van Hecke did well. Gallagher had a very good game also. We do have a pretty good team. Wharton and JRC nearly back. It's the hope that kills you right?

Great work @only2garners! Watched the game back just now. Really appreciate it 🙂

Didn't see the game today, see they are now doing full game replays so will watch it back. But Dolan for me is going to have a very good career. Reminds me of King - someone who has his faults but can score and create so will kick on. A player who can do that well while still so young is very rare.

Really don't get Clarkson - he's terrible. Want him to do well, but just a total non entity. Butterworth has looked lively for me. Not too worried about him. I'd swap Clarkson for Buckley at HT. But as we are back down to 3 subs maybe we need to wait in case of any injuries.

Hmmmm..... Is this : Kaminski Van Hecke. Ayala. Lenihan Nyambe. Travis. Edun. Pickering Clarkson Butterworth. Brereton ?

On his general play id agree, but his goals to game ratio is outstanding. Sometimes you've got to put opinions aside and say the boys doing exceptionally well. Thats where the criticism of Mowbray needs to be checked. He's brought in a guy who most thought was terrible and hes now top scorer in the Championship (straight after Armstrong who was similar criticised). Rough with the smooth, Mowbray has found some decent players.

Its probably the biggest turnaround I've ever seen following Rovers. Two years ago he was abject, really poor, now he's our best player and the Championship too scorer. Why that is is quite hard to figure out. He's not really playing in any substantially different way. Just seems more confident, and he is physically stronger than he was, and getting in the box.

I'm not blaming Mowbray. Mowbray found him on the cheap and he's been a good player for us. I just think he is likely to continue to do well at other clubs and keep growing, despite being relatively old as you say. Sometimes players need a move to kick on.